Raising boom height - Any thoughts?

[Como No Cruising]

Wow! Did this thread get off the original subject? I can strongly second Russell's comments. After in excess of 50,000 miles of ocean cruising I can attest to the fact that most serious "OCEAN" voyagers will have dodgers and biminis. Now, if I were casually sailing in protected waters I would not likely have either. Although a dodger definitely extends the sailing season in the late fall, early winter.

As far as the comments about most cruisers spending 50% of their time motoring, I can only say that in our experiance it just not appears to be case. No serious cruiser enjoys motoring. Besides, not many sailboats carry sufficient fuel to sustain extended motoring.

As previously stated, each to his own opinion. We can only share our real world experiences.

Lets just get out there and sail. Enjoy life.

Will & Annie

[M. R. Bober]

I think somebody needs a nap, and they need it soon. Opinions are nice. Attitudes are a different matter. IMHO.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster, (where one needn't be an engineer to be civil) VA

[Maine Sail]

Now, let's address the concept of sailors sailing and circumnavigators dodgering/biminiing and "waiting for a weather window".

A sailor is defined as one who has his sails up and pulling, NO ENGINE running (listen to a VHF on a beautiful sailing day to hear the number of "sailors" who turn on their engines so they "can point higher"). If the engine is running, the boat is legally a motorboat.

NOW, check with circumnavigators (today) who kept ACCURATE logs of their engine use and you'll find that even the most ardant sailing enthusiast is horrified to find he/she motored **over half the time** at sea.

Why did they motor?

Because their boats wouldn't sail in winds under 10 knots (what with the dodgers, biminis, jerry jugs, kayaks, dinghies, davits and other "required" stuff turning their boats into motorboats with sticks).

Now consider prudent mariners do not purposely "go out there" in likely stormy weather, which means they choose their seasons for passages. Reliable reports (and pilot charts) indicate that most passagemakers see 99% of their winds under 10 knots.

Take a boat with junk on the deck and NO light air sails, (and 10 days supply of engine fuel), and the motor gets turned on.

Forty years ago, EVERYONE sailed, because well it was called sailing for a reason. Today, most everyone motors well over 50% of the time (the eastern Med, what a thousand miles from the Atlantic, is littered with marine engine rebuilders because "sailors" wore their motors out). Better sails, better weather forecasting, and they turn on the motor. Anecdotal evidence indicates some "sailors" in the Caribbean (with its great trade winds) wait for months on end for "a weather window". Reportedly, Ft Lauderdale has more than 1,000 working marine diesel mechanics.

A CC-27 is not everyone's first choice for a circumnavigation, but if it were someone's choice the prudent mariner would clear the decks of ALL junk and lay in a supply of light air sails.

Obnoxious...

[SurryMark]

A sailor is defined as one ...

Forty years ago...

Anecdotal evidence indicates some "sailors"....

Obnoxious...

Oh I dunno. Maybe we're heading for a new kind of class. We've tried just about every kind of limitation and loophole in regulating classes of BOATS, but we've barely begun regulating classes of sailors, er - boat owners, er - vessel-assisted floating humanoids. May I respectfully suggest a thread on this, initiated by someone who has either information, ideas, or strong feelings? Cape Dorys: at the cutting edge again. Our magazine: Good Old er...

[CD-Sailor]

DELETED

[Cathy Monaghan]

Hey Gang,

Let's now forget that all opinions should be considered. You may agree with them, you may not. And it's okay to disagree. But please be respectful of others whether you agree, disagree, or really don't care.

Cathy
Webmaster - CDSOA, Inc.
CD32 Realization, #3

[drysuit2]

For what it’s worth, here’s my take.
Aesthetics are a personal thing. So is sailing efficiency. I personally try to keep my CD26 in a perpetual state of 1985: cosmetically. But I don’t cruise; I am only a day sailor. There are however many days that I wish I had a higher Boom to accommodate a Dodger and or Bimini. It’s a trade off: but cold freezing spray sucks, as does relentless sun.
I doubt that the loss in Mainsail area, or extra windage is going to turn your boat into a pig. Plus there are things you can do to the mainsail [like add more roach] to make up for the loss in sail area. Let’s face it; we are talking about a boat who’s hull speed is less than 8 knots. I’m guessing you didn’t buy your beautiful CD27 for her speed.
As an example: My father owns a Beneteau. My aesthetics tell me it’s ugly, and all wrong. It has a Dodger, Bimini, Roller Furler for the Main inside the mast, a big plasma flat screen TV, short stubby wing keel, etc. In short all the things many people who gravitate toward US, Traditional looking craft don’t like. And yet, he and my mom love it. He routinely sails bluewater from the Keys to Bermuda; then to Cape Cod where he lives. And the few times I have sailed with him I am amazed at how easily she reaches over 10 knots.
What I’m trying to say is, that sailing is one of the few activities where you are encouraged to express your individualism. So have at it. Your boat: your choice.

And if anyone is seriously interested in going fast, you can sail the ultimate in affordable speed. It doesn’t get much faster under sail for a regular guy than this. Carbon Fiber Hull, Mast and Boom; High aspect G10 Fin: Spectra and Kevlar reinforced Monofilm; referred to as X-Ply. I routinely broke 30 MPH in 15 to 20 MPH of wind. I don’t know how many knots that is. I’ll leave that to the math wizards.

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