The Cape Dory Board

It's funny you should post this--I was just doing the same calculation myself about a week ago. I think you are getting off cheap at $100 per sail, although it depends on when you choose to start counting costs and what you choose to count. Do you include the cost of the boat itself, or figure that ...

We have an 8' extension on our Triad trailer, and it still takes quite a steep ramp to launch our Typhoon. If you are having an extension built from scratch and you want to be able to launch at as many ramps as possible, make the extension as long as you can possibly make it without risking it bendi...

I second the idea of using the Attwood portable LED lights as running lights for a Typhoon. On our Typhoon we use a piece of elastic cord to attach the Attwood bow lights to the forward cleat and another to attach the stern light to the stern cleat. Inexpensive, no wiring to run, no electrical panel...

I have cruised extensively with both engine-driven and 12 volt refrigeration systems, both of which were made by Sea Frost. Hands down I would choose the 12 volt system over engine driven. Here's why: * With an engine-driven compressor you only have refrigeration if you run the engine. With a 12 vol...

We had a similar problem on our Typhoon that occurred because the previous owner had replaced the original main halyard with something ridiculously large like 7/16" or 1/2" and the eye splice at the shackle would jam in the masthead sheave about a foot from the shackle, preventing full hoi...

WIRE SIZE For wire size you need to know 3 things: the length of the wire run, the current draw of the item being powered, and the voltage (in this case 12 volts). You should measure the distances necessary for the wire runs on your boat, but as a rough estimate, I believe the Typhoon Sr. mast is so...

I have a Typhoon Weekender on a Triad trailer with an 8 foot tongue extension, which sounds like what you have. When I launch at a new ramp I measure the ramp slope with the Bubble Level app on my iPhone using a straight piece of wood to even out the irregularities of the ramp. I find I need a slope...

No doubt: long shaft.

The weight of the outboard isn't a problem. Outboard weight is an inconsequential load compared to the force applied to the boat by the propeller acting through the long lever arm of the drive leg to the outboard bracket. Your 4HP's propeller produces several hundred pounds of thrust. If the structu...

If your goal is, as you say, "to keep the boat as close as possible to the original," you may want to consider the system I have implemented on our Typhoon: IMG_6093.JPG The mainsail is loose-footed, so I can tie one end of the aft reefing line around the boom, run it up through the reefin...

I have been scouring the web for ways to launch my boat on boat ramps that aren't steep enough to float directly off the trailer. I thought others might benefit from what I have found. First, here's the situation: I have a Cape Dory Typhoon Weekender that draws 2'7", and a Triad "Float-Off...

OPTIONS OTHER THAN TEAK PLYWOOD If you aren't concerned with matching the original look, try King StarBoard. A bit pricey but zero maintenance. PROTECTING TEAK FROM OUTBOARD BRACKET Yes, protection is necessary. If you don't, the taffrail will crack. Our taffrail was cracked when we bought the boat,...