"JohnM" wrote in message
...
Thanks for your input Ric. I must admit a 39 footer would be tempting. I'd
change one of the aft cabins into a workshop and the extra LWL would give
me
more comfort.
Some of these posts have pointed out the difficulty of docking with a
larger
boat but I have found Beneteaus, Hunters. etc. very manoeuvreable. No
doubt
to do with the fin keel.


Depends on freeboard and windage, not to mention current or lack thereof.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:26:26 -0600, "KLC Lewis"
wrote:

One point that seems to have been overlooked (either by previous replies or
simply me, in missing it) is: "What's the largest boat you can comfortably
maintain?" Larger boat means larger sails, bigger engine, more paint, more
brightwork (possibly)...all in all, it's quite a bit easier for a
single-hander to do the maintenance on a smaller boat than a larger one.

That's a good point but within a range of sizes I have not found big
differences between something like a 28 and 34, and I'd certainly
prefer the 34 for a number of reasons. Better yet a 40 for two people
doing extended cruising or liveaboard.

I think the biggest difference occurs when you start adding complexity
like pressure hot water, refrigeration, generators, multiple heads,
heating, air conditioning, etc. These systems all add greatly to the
liveability of a boat but they push the maintenance costs and effort
at an exponential rate.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:26:26 -0600, "KLC Lewis"
wrote:

One point that seems to have been overlooked (either by previous replies
or
simply me, in missing it) is: "What's the largest boat you can comfortably
maintain?" Larger boat means larger sails, bigger engine, more paint, more
brightwork (possibly)...all in all, it's quite a bit easier for a
single-hander to do the maintenance on a smaller boat than a larger one.

That's a good point but within a range of sizes I have not found big
differences between something like a 28 and 34, and I'd certainly
prefer the 34 for a number of reasons. Better yet a 40 for two people
doing extended cruising or liveaboard.

I think the biggest difference occurs when you start adding complexity
like pressure hot water, refrigeration, generators, multiple heads,
heating, air conditioning, etc. These systems all add greatly to the
liveability of a boat but they push the maintenance costs and effort
at an exponential rate.


You make good points also, especially between the 28 and 34 foot range. But
as for the 40 footer, that will be an entirely different matter. Our first
boat was a CT41, our current boat a Rawson 30, both are ketch rig. The
Rawson is MUCH easier to maintain -- more than 10 extra feet of length and 2
extra feet of beam would lead one to believe. Both are William Garden
designs, with teak in the same places (wherever it would fit).

A pair of bungees will hold the tiller near center. A long light line
tied to the tiller, led around the gunnels to the forepeak via blocks
and back again, tied to the other side of the tiller, will give you a
very handy monkey to keep the tiller more or less centre or enable a
correction from anywhere on the boat. Going forward, you can pull the
line along the gunnel fore and aft to pull the tiller one way or the
other. So, you can steer from the foredeck, standing on the tiller line
while you work if needs must. Could also work for a wheel.

I saw this first in a rented motor launch in 1956 in Horseshoe bay. I
was a boy.

A similar setup could handle the gearshift, no?

At sea, you would do best by also having Annie Lectric helm, if only
for dire straights when you really want a backup.

My short bilge keel setup seems to have a mind of it's own, the rudder
is overbalanced in all conditions, she veers as soon as you let go.

Perhaps I should shave the leading edge of the rudder, or stick on a
tail?

Terry K

In article . com,
"Terry K" wrote:

My short bilge keel setup seems to have a mind of it's own, the rudder
is overbalanced in all conditions, she veers as soon as you let go.

Perhaps I should shave the leading edge of the rudder, or stick on a
tail?

That would make it worse. Our original rudder was *very* heavy and gave
me a good work out in even moderate conditions. I built a new thinner
one, with the leading edge about 20% ahead of the pintles and now have a
very light helm.

Re-reading: If she veers when you're close hauled, you probably have
the main sheeted in too hard. Ease out until the efforts are balanced
out. Even our Xan, who has basically zero directional stability, will
hold close hauled on her own for a while.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Simple question .... do you 'really' know how to 'shape' your sails?

Most helm problems are more due to poorly shaped sails than (mast rake,
or rudder shape), etc.

If you simply 'raise' the sails into position and then NOT stretch out
the luff 'preload' that the sailmaker originallly put into the sail
then you WILL get especially weather helm. Especially sail with
'boltropes' .... a three strand rope enclosed in a sleeve at the luff
of the sail, you need to remove the 'preload' to get a sail to 'set'
properly. Most kroozers have absolutely NO idea that a sail must be
'stretched' on the luff to offset the preload.
A simple 'rule of thumb' is that a boltroped sail MUST be additionally
stretched on its luff by 1 inch for every 10 ft. of luff length so that
the 'shape' is proper at the maximum design wind range (usually 15-16
knots) or...... the sail's posiition of maxium draft will be too far
aft, the leech will be hooked to windward, and the sail will be 'too
full' .... and these ALL contribute to adverse weather helm.

If you have adverse weather helm, simply go forward and keep tensioning
the HALYARD until the boat has a balanced helm, then slightly loosen so
that the rudder needs only 2-3 degrees of offset (rudder angles ever so
slightly to leeward) to hold the course. If you are intending
absolute 'speed sailing' then leave the rudder with NO helm ... but the
boat then will NOT head up if you let go of the helm.

You can almost always tell that a kroozer has no idea of how to 'shape'
a sail .... their booms are always lower at the aft end .... because
they NEVER properly stretch out the luff of the mainsail to counteract
the original 'preload' that the sailmaker put into a sail. The preload
is there so that all the stress at the maximum designed wind load is
taken up by the ROPE instead of the sailcloth.

Put some 'strain' into that halyard and see what magically happens
!!!!!!! Try 'stretching outy the luff' with heavy halyard tension and
see what happens to your 'helm' .... and before you start modifying the
rudder, etc. Dont exceed 1" of additional strain for every 10 ft. of
luff length. If that procedure doesnt solve most of your 'helm
problems' consider to take the sail to a sailmaker and have the
boltrope "eased" .... as ALL boltropes SHRINK over time. If yours is
an OLD sail that has seen many hours of service, then also think about
getting that shrunken bolt rope readjusted. If you are handy with a
sailmakers needle and palm let me know as I will give instructions on
how to properly 'ease' the boltrope.


Hope this helps.


In article , Jere
Lull wrote:

In article . com,
"Terry K" wrote:

My short bilge keel setup seems to have a mind of it's own, the rudder
is overbalanced in all conditions, she veers as soon as you let go.

Perhaps I should shave the leading edge of the rudder, or stick on a
tail?

That would make it worse. Our original rudder was *very* heavy and gave
me a good work out in even moderate conditions. I built a new thinner
one, with the leading edge about 20% ahead of the pintles and now have a
very light helm.

Re-reading: If she veers when you're close hauled, you probably have
the main sheeted in too hard. Ease out until the efforts are balanced
out. Even our Xan, who has basically zero directional stability, will
hold close hauled on her own for a while.