I haven't followed yachts closely enough in the past couple of decades
to comment on individual designs. However,

I can't remember ever seeing anything by Bob Perry that I didn't like.
Brewer/Wallstrom have designed some nice boats but I know I had the
"Why did they do that?" reaction much more often back when I looked at
every yacht design I came across.

Most of my career has been spent on metal vessels. If I were going
around the world, I'd want to go in a steel or aluminum boat. I'd
favor aluminum because of a more reliable compass and because you can
patch it with a hand drill and sheet metal screws. Aluminum tends to
bend flat and intact where steel fractures even though it is stronger
in the stiffness sense.

I once saw an aluminum yacht that went ashore on Nomans Land Island.
The keel was torn off and one side was pounded in about five feet for
three quarters of the length of the vessel. There were only about
three six inch cracks that would have let water in. If she had been
worth saving, she could have been made watertight and floated off with
a roll of duct tape. A steel boat would have been in pieces all over
the beach.

The key thing I would look for is a full length skeg along the leading
edge of the rudder all the way to the bottom. The directional
stability comes from that fixed foil. Turning the rudder makes it a
lifting surface in the direction you want to move the stern. A lot of
the turning force then is created by something fixed to the hull
instead of on a hinge where you have to resist it with your hands.

The typical semi skeg with a bit of balance forward (as on the
Endeavors) is a silly arrangement usually. There isn't enough balance
on 90% of the rudders you see to effect the helm forces, the
directional stability is reduced, and a line catcher created. The
only rational for this kind of rudder is to look techie like an
airplane.

Our boat had glass added to the forward part of the rudder to increase
the balance to an amount that will actually do something. 15 to 20
percent should be ahead of the hinge line. Some winter, before that
trip around Newfoundland and up to Labrador, I'd like to cut it back
and extend the skeg all the way down though. It's an easy conversion
on most boats.

For directional stability, you want lots of leading edge back there.
I think my beef with a lot of Brewer/Wallstrom boats was that the
cutout ahead of the rudder is often kind of a token so that there is
very little leading edge.

--

Roger Long



"rhys" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 16:39:41 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Personally, I like cutaway forefoot, skeg hung, semi-full
keelers.
Best of all worlds if designed right.

This boat designer agrees with you which is exactly why we bought
the
Endeavour 32.

OK, Mr. Designer...I am glad I am on the right track...I seem to be
a
lone voice in the wilderness advocating a number of older Ted
Brewer/Bob Wallstrom/Robert Perry designs G.

On the used boat market, what models would you recommend "like this"
but in the 38-45 foot range? I also favour steel if well constructed
and coated originally, which is admittedly a big "if".

Your opinion would be most appreciated.

R.