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#11
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Only one of those is essential. A tiller lock or loop will keep
you going in most directions without having to stand to the tiller. The autopilot will break down when you most need it (and besides, as a single hander, you're supposed to be on watch the whole time). You don't _have_ to sail a yacht with a rig using a jib at all. (RF can jam). With an "easy to handle" design, winches become an enjoyable luxury but not a necessity, so ST winches go into the non-essential classes too! While we're at it, get rid of the standing rigging other than for a bit of additional support when in really rough weather. Set the masts up so they can easily be lowered, in a seaway, by one person, to get at halyard jams etc without using a bosun's chair or climbing a pitching/rolling mast. And so on. -- Flying Tadpole ------------------------- http://www.ace.net.au/schooner/ http://music.download.com/timfatchen Scotty wrote: Essential add-ons for single handing; Auto pilot, RF jib, halyards led aft, ST winches. "DSK" wrote What makes a boat "easy to handle"? Size? A powerful windlass & roller furling? Self-tailing winches? Halyards led aft? I have a number of things rooted in the basic design of a boat, and which cannot be added on. |
#12
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I like my "tiller tender." It works well enough for the brief period when I
have to go forward. -- "j" ganz @@ www.sailnow.com "Flying Tadpole" wrote in message ... Only one of those is essential. A tiller lock or loop will keep you going in most directions without having to stand to the tiller. The autopilot will break down when you most need it (and besides, as a single hander, you're supposed to be on watch the whole time). You don't _have_ to sail a yacht with a rig using a jib at all. (RF can jam). With an "easy to handle" design, winches become an enjoyable luxury but not a necessity, so ST winches go into the non-essential classes too! While we're at it, get rid of the standing rigging other than for a bit of additional support when in really rough weather. Set the masts up so they can easily be lowered, in a seaway, by one person, to get at halyard jams etc without using a bosun's chair or climbing a pitching/rolling mast. And so on. -- Flying Tadpole ------------------------- http://www.ace.net.au/schooner/ http://music.download.com/timfatchen Scotty wrote: Essential add-ons for single handing; Auto pilot, RF jib, halyards led aft, ST winches. "DSK" wrote What makes a boat "easy to handle"? Size? A powerful windlass & roller furling? Self-tailing winches? Halyards led aft? I have a number of things rooted in the basic design of a boat, and which cannot be added on. |
#13
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"Flying Tadpole" wrote ... Only one of those is essential. I should have wrote, ''essential to me''? A tiller lock or loop will keep you going in most directions without having to stand to the tiller. Won't work on a real sailboat with a wheel. The autopilot will break down when you most need it (and besides, as a single hander, you're supposed to be on watch the whole time). What, you never go potty? never eat while sailing? While we're at it, get rid of the standing rigging other than for a bit of additional support when in really rough weather. Set the masts up so they can easily be lowered, in a seaway, by one person, to get at halyard jams etc without using a bosun's chair or climbing a pitching/rolling mast. And so on. That would be nice. Someone should build a nice boat with those features. Scotty |
#14
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Scotty wrote: "Flying Tadpole" wrote ... Only one of those is essential. I should have wrote, ''essential to me''? That would have been a different topic. A tiller lock or loop will keep you going in most directions without having to stand to the tiller. Won't work on a real sailboat with a wheel. OK. I'll accept that. (I also hate wheels). The autopilot will break down when you most need it (and besides, as a single hander, you're supposed to be on watch the whole time). What, you never go potty? never eat while sailing? You forgot, "never sleep". One of the difficulties of singlehanding for any length of time is how one eats, excretes and rests while underway, AT THE SAME TIME keeping the continuous lookout required by colregs While we're at it, get rid of the standing rigging other than for a bit of additional support when in really rough weather. Set the masts up so they can easily be lowered, in a seaway, by one person, to get at halyard jams etc without using a bosun's chair or climbing a pitching/rolling mast. And so on. That would be nice. Someone should build a nice boat with those features. As always, depends on the aesthetic defining "nice". The question was what "easy to handle " meant, not nice... -- Flying Tadpole ------------------------- SquareBoats! http://ace.net.au/schooner.sbhome.htm http://music.download.com/timfatchen |
#15
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"Flying Tadpole" wrote Won't work on a real sailboat with a wheel. OK. I'll accept that. (I also hate wheels). Why do you hate wheels? Flying Scott |
#16
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"Scotty" wrote in message
... "Flying Tadpole" wrote Won't work on a real sailboat with a wheel. OK. I'll accept that. (I also hate wheels). Why do you hate wheels? Flying Scott I'd like to know why as well. My tiller always made my neck and back go stiff after a short time. Scout |
#17
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Scout wrote: "Scotty" wrote in message ... "Flying Tadpole" wrote Won't work on a real sailboat with a wheel. OK. I'll accept that. (I also hate wheels). Why do you hate wheels? Flying Scott I'd like to know why as well. My tiller always made my neck and back go stiff after a short time. Well, I had a stiff neck to begin with... I suppose it comes from dinghy sailing--I just like the immediacy of a tiller, not least its value as an instant vernier on rudder position, both visual and pressure. Also, almost all the sailboats I've had at least passing experience with have been small and a wheel, as well as being an expensive complication, is an aunnecessary one. Conversely, most wheeling has been in power vessels--the best being river houseboats where helm response was not a design requirement, though unmanageable windage is. ANd my wheels fell off long ago, so I suppose there's an envy quotient in there too. -- Flying Tadpole ------------------------- http://www.ace.net.au/schooner http://www.soundclick.com/flyingtadpolemusic.htm |
#18
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I'd like to thank everybody who joined in this SAILING topic!
Thom Stewart wrote: For what's it worth; "Easy to handle" It's a boat that is responsive to the Helm but not in need of constant helming Good point. I'm going to bring in Peter's statements below. ... A boat that will stand up to a stiff breeze but not be a slug in a light breeze and doesn't need constant sail changes. Or at least have a headsail or mainsail reefing system that can be operated without excessinve crew effort. ... Last but not least, it should be comfortable for the occupants, whether a day sailor or a cruiser. I think that's a very good point and (as you mention) very subjective. If a boat make you sore or tired then it's going to be difficult to handle properly at the end of the day. Flying Tadpole wrote: THis all sounds like Lady Kate, but I'm sure she wasn't the boat any of you had in mind... In mind, yes. In hand, no. IMHO a lot of Phil Bolger's designs are wonderfully practical. And not just his box boats! Aniculapeter wrote: "Easy to handle" depends on the context. To me, the most interesting context is long-term, short-handed cruising. Yes, probably true for most people... but the same things apply to weekending. ... Here is a few things that I think is important: Directional stability. That means no fin-keeler with spade rudder. Why not? If properly designed & strongly built, such a configuration is very effectively sailed by autopilot or with helm locked. ..... Long keel with cutaway forefoot) is a possibility but I think I would prefer a long fin and a skeg-hung rudder. I also find use of a swing-keel or dagger-board between the keel and the rudder an interesting concept, but I doubt that the speed-gains can justify the added complexity. It's not going to add speed, just drag. Will make it a lot easier to steer. A boat with a very large centerboard like some of the old CCC designs, can be balanced by swing the board up and aft. Good for heavy weather and off-wind sailing. Dependable even if overpowered No beamy boats that will luff uncontrollable if overpowered. A fairly narrow boat with a healthy ballast will just heel over and maybe drift a bit more to lee ward, but will not broach, tack or change direction. I think that depends very much on the design, rig & rudder in particular. The reason most beamy boats "spin out" when heeled is that they lift the rudder out. This can be corrected a number of ways, with rig balance or with twin rudders. Not that I'm wildly in favor of pudgy boats, mind you... Must be steerable by windvane. that means a "non-surfer" since no automatic steering device can steer a surfing boat. Or a fast boat No big headsails. Agreed... or at least, not big ones that block the helmsman's vision or are allmost impossible to tack... I think my preferences would be a fractional rigged sloop up to maybe 7 tons or a cutter from 6 to 10 tons. (The reason I prefer a one mast rig is because I am after all a bit of a speed-freak). Then why the windvane? A windvane will be totally unable to handle a boat that can generate significant apparent wind. Easy ways to adjust sailarea. This have to be figured out specifically for the individual boat, but in general a split sailarea is preferable. Maybe there is some good arguments for a ketch but I for boats under 40' I think that one mast is enough. Agreed... but a schooner is the classy way to go! For a boat bigger than 30' you need an windlass for the anchor, and a manual windlass is not "easy to handle". I'm open minded about that... although I am currently installing an electric vertical windlass myself... Size I suppose that it is possible to build big boats with all kinds of automatic gear that can be handled fairly easy by a small crew, but for me, sailing should be kept simple and affordable, so for me an easily handled boat would mean a boat that is easily handled with simple means. And of course, a practical maintenance schedule. Gimmicks have gotten marvelously reliable over the past decade, but we are still far away from the maintenance free boat. ... I will accept a windlass a few manual winches, an auxiliary engine and of course a windvane, but no bowthrusters, hydraulic winches or other fancy stuff. That means that a boat should not be bigger than 10 tons (or maybe around 40 '). If we are talking about a long-term cruiser, then of course you want living-space, even if short-handed, so I think that the ideal compromise would be something like a 38' long 10' wide boat with a displacement around 6 tons in light condition with maybe 50% in the keel Did you see the thread on ballast ratios & different types of stability? IMHO a high ballast ratio is one of the best things for a boat (other than racing dinghies like say a 470), for a number of reasons. Fresh Breezes- Doug King |
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