William R. Watt wrote:
Ian Malcolm ) writes:


Albacore details
I primarily wrote what I did because the OP's intended sail area was
comparable to the Albacore with a slightly larger hull and I thought he
might be making a mistake to go for end boom sheeted loose footed
unstayed BERMUDAN rig.

As someone who has also raced Albacores it was not only nice to read so
much familiar detail but to recall the thrill of hiking out while keeping
the boat planing in a stiff breeze. I knew a fellow who went on a short
inland camping and cruising voyage in his Albacore. There was a photo of
him sitting in a folding canvas "deck" chair perched precariously on the
deck.

I have been known to stand on the foredeck, occasionally with a drink in
my hand, and this summer I did a cruise of about 90 NM on the east coast
of England. I usually day sail however as after 8 or 10 hours under
way, I like my creature comforts :-)
However I doubt a cruising dingy needs to be as intricately rigged as a
racing dingy unless the crusing dingy has a planing hull, and that would
be a racing/crusing dingy like the Wayfarer.
I also race Wayfarers although as I don't own one I don't cruise in one.
An Albacore in racing trim is a long way from being an ideal cruising
dinghy, but if one eliminates all the racing refinements and go-faster
gadgets of the last 40 years and outfit and rig the boat in a style that
Uffa Fox would recognise, it is quite practical for coastal day sailing.
Sleeping on board however would not be a restful experiance. None of
my secondary sail controls (vang, outhaul, cunningham, jib tensioner
etc.) are lead to the helmsman, they are the crew's job.

Given a 10.5 sq m bermudan mainsail and a total sail area of about 15 sq
m (OP stated: 18' cruising dinghy, main 10,5m2 (unstayed mast); Jib
around 35% of SA ) I think if it isn't a planing hull, it will sail
under in the first decent breeze. If it has a planing hull form then
add a bowsprit, an assymetric and some trapeze wires and you'd have an
outright racing machine. To control 15 sq m of bermudan (marconi) rig
on an 18' hull in anything more than a light breeze, I reckon you need
either a super powerful vang or a good traveller system. If the OP was
considering a spritsail or boomless lug sail, it would do away with the
complex controls.



In "Dinghies for all Waters",
Eric Coleman strongly recommends a heavier, high freeboard, dingy for
crusing as a light responsive boat is too lively for relaxed crusing. He
prefered converted small fishing boats for cruising to racing boats. I
belive his Roamer design was well accepted among British dingy cruising
sailors. I've seen a photo of one on the Internet.

The trouble with displacement dinghies for cruising is they are so slow
that they cant get out of their own way if they are small enough for the
crew to manhandle on a beach. You need 15' length to make 5 knots and
that will be very heavy for a two man crew to haul out and impossible to
lift. If its big enough to have a decent hull speed, its the size of a
small yacht, in which case you might as well have a cabin, cruise in
comfort and not call it a dinghy. A slow dinghy may not be able to
reach shelter before the weather deteriorates.

Reading about the Albacore I realized I had forgot a useful feature of a
jib is the ability to drift with the sails hove to while eating, etc. I've
done that between heats at regattas, and for jumping overboard to cool
off.
I'd not trust a hove to Albacore to stay put for long ecough to swim.
One gust and you'll find it on the other tack sailing away into the
distance. If its squally you really dont want the jib aback unless you
want to swim *with* the boat. Works fine for eating however.

While I'm on this topic I'd like to suggest for the home builder an
inexpensive wooden boom with an X cross section, a design pioneered by TF
Jones and described in his book "New Plywood Boats". He's had one on his
catamaran for some time. He describes inexpensive home made hardware for
the boom as well. I don't think his boom is made of plywood but I would
think it possible.
I am still using a wooden boom. Rectangular section about 2"x4" with a
groove for the boltrope in the top. I belive it to be original although
I cant prove it was in use more than 30 years ago.

snip
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Uffa Fox designed, All varnished hot
moulded wooden racing dinghy circa. 1961


There was a hot mouled plywood Albacore here in Ottawa, unique and very
attractive boat. The layers of plywood strips are laid 45 deg or so to the
waterline and 90 deg or so to each other. Light, strong, long lasting
construction.
Must haver been a MK 1 Fairey marine hull originally with the stern
decked in. Mine is a MK 2 hull with the outer veneer running fore and
aft. The inner veneers are 60 deg or so to each other. Extremely
durable so long as you dont leave standing fresh water anywhere in the
bottom.


--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
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*Warning* SPAM TRAP set in header, Use email address in sig. if you must.
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Uffa Fox designed, All varnished hot
moulded wooden racing dinghy circa. 1961