rhys wrote: On 23 Mar 2004 01:46:47 -0800,
....snip a lotta good discussion...
Well, I *own* a sloop with a beefy rig and a huge (maybe too huge) J
measurement, but I may go with a cutter/ketch eventually, because I've
sailed both and think the ketch has its place. But hey, as long as
we're sailing, I don't care if it's a log with a blanket on a stick.

Sorry to be late in responding, I just "discovered" your post in the
confusion of this complex thread.

My only response is that I think the OP is really getting his money's
worth out of this one. Your opinions and experience are certainly as
vaild as mine and now the OP has pretty much a full spectrum of
opinions and commentary to pick through.

I certainly agree that sailing *anything* is better than sitting home
not sailing. Even after all my pro-sloop ranting, I do still include
the Freedom 39 cat-schooner on my short list. Wouldn't it be amusing
if, after all my sloop propagandizing, I wound up with a *schooner* as
my next boat.

See ya,

Frank

On 26 Mar 2004 11:53:18 -0800, (Frank Maier) wrote:


Sorry to be late in responding, I just "discovered" your post in the
confusion of this complex thread.

Well,. that's understandable. In my news reader, I try to spot a flash
of red (unread) among hordes of black (read or ignored) type.

My only response is that I think the OP is really getting his money's
worth out of this one. Your opinions and experience are certainly as
vaild as mine and now the OP has pretty much a full spectrum of
opinions and commentary to pick through.

Ah, the beauty of Usenet. Loads of information and critical thought
and none of it paid for.


I certainly agree that sailing *anything* is better than sitting home
not sailing.

I once heard a similar justification for sleeping with ugly, stupid
people. Sometimes sitting at home is better than going out with loud
morons who haven't a clue and let the hoses rot off the rusted open
thru-hulls. But that's, thankfully, the exception.


Even after all my pro-sloop ranting, I do still include
the Freedom 39 cat-schooner on my short list. Wouldn't it be amusing
if, after all my sloop propagandizing, I wound up with a *schooner* as
my next boat.

Hey, if I find a deal I won't quibble G I might very well change my
thinking, particularly if I decide I want to circumnavigate east to
west G But a ketch still has, in my mind, some advantages,
particularly with a hefty inner forestay and a functional staysail. I
mean, I have a sloop, but one of my favourite points of sail is a beam
reach using a No. 3 on a pendant and my barely used, wire luff "genoa
staysail", a big light thing the original owner evidently couldn't
figure out. I had to reference a brilliant 1975 book called "Sail
Power" by Wally Ross to learn how to set the thing. (It involved the
toerails!)

But in ten knots, that amount of sail will trounce even the biggest
No. 1 and mainsail combo. Anyway, I still have some things to learn
about sloops, so I hope I live long enough to master the ketch. When I
SEE a cat-schooner, I'll try to hitch a ride. I think I saw exactly
one here in Toronto...at a distance. It seemed to move fine G

R.

rhys wrote:
...snip... When I
SEE a cat-schooner, I'll try to hitch a ride. I think I saw exactly
one here in Toronto...at a distance. It seemed to move fine G

AFAIK, only the F39 is scoonerish. The F40, F44, and F33 are all
cat-ketches; and an occasional other size of Freedom is set up as a
cat-ketch. The masts are approximately equal or the forward mast is
taller. But for the F39, the forward mast is distinctly shorter. That
particular boat also comes in a pilothouse and non-pilothouse version.
Another of my prejudices is that I don't wanna have a pilothouse out
on the deep blue; so, I'd be looking for a non-pilothouse version.

Frank

"rhys" wrote in message
...
On 26 Mar 2004 11:53:18 -0800, (Frank Maier) wrote:

I have a sloop, but one of my favourite points of sail is a beam
reach using a No. 3 on a pendant and my barely used, wire luff "genoa
staysail", a big light thing the original owner evidently couldn't
figure out. I had to reference a brilliant 1975 book called "Sail
Power" by Wally Ross to learn how to set the thing. (It involved the
toerails!)

But in ten knots, that amount of sail will trounce even the biggest
No. 1 and mainsail combo.

I have waxed poetic about the genoa staysail many times in this
forum. I think if people actually discovered how useful these
things were the cutter rig would become deriguer again ;=)
It really can't be beat on a close reach (except by maybe a code
zero), and if you're cruising it's a great sail in light to moderate
wind. The GS is hanked on above the heavy staysail, and
when the wind increases the GS comes off pretty quickly and the
heavy is hoisted. Beats the heck out of firing up the noisemaker
(particulalry when it's warm out). I have found in the light stuff
that if you give up and fire up the engine, it normally stays on.
But, if you have good sails that are easy to change you stay
involved in the sailing side and work your way through the
variable winds.

Matt

On Sun, 28 Mar 2004 05:24:21 GMT, "Matt/Meribeth Pedersen"
wrote:

But, if you have good sails that are easy to change you stay
involved in the sailing side and work your way through the
variable winds.

Amen, brother. I use the engine to get out and in of the basin and if
the angle's right, not until I have to turn that first 90 around the
docks.

Motorsailing's fine when necessary, but a lot of people have a funny
idea to my mind of what "necessary" means. Think of it this way.
Today, you are sailing. All day, and maybe into the evening. You may
or may not have a destination. Turn off the cell phone and engine and
just...sail....Better than a session in the hot tub to my mind,
although coming back from the boat TO a hot tub would be kingly
indeed.

R.