Cd 25D chain locker

[Martinhilldpo]

Thank you Joe. This is our learning cruiser for the next couple of years and will be used around Vancouver Island while we prepare for bigger adventures in a bigger boat when retirement comes. I have spent enough time on her so far to discover what an exceptionally tough, stable and forgiving little darling she is. Very pleased so far. Just that little niggle with the fore peak void, very strange.

Spent this afternoon re-instating the reefing system on the main which seems to have been removed during her last few years as a lake boat. Scratching my head over the dutchman flaking system which I am not too impressed with so far, may replace it with lazy jacks but no rush.

It being fall here on the blustery straits of Juan de Fuca, considering taking off the 135% genoa and fitting the working jib,does anyone have any thoughts re being more close winded with the jib sheets on the inboard tracks? I have the genoa reefed most of the time anyway, most afternoons here are 20+ knots.

[Joe Myerson]

Martin,
Reefing is VERY important. When the winds reach 15 knots, it's time to tuck in the first reef in the main. Then your 25D will really show her stuff: heeled at ab out 10 degrees and capable of handling almost anything.
Learn to heave-to, and practice reefing under way, and your little pocket cruiser will take you almost anywhere!
Enjoy your fall sailing.
I've stripped the boat; it's time to haul out here in New England.

All the best,

Joe

[Martinhilldpo]

The reefing lines, blocks and cleats will be installed on the boom today, I have been reefing with a temp gasket through the cringle and around the boom. PO removed the fittings, maybe because he was on a lake. 15 knots sounds about right to avoid excessive heeling and drift.

I find it very important to reef the genoa early, being so much bigger than the main.

Heaving to is odd, even with a heavily reefed jib and tiller lashed hard to lee she lies beam to the wind. I guess its a function of the cut away fore foot. I wish I could get her to lie with the wind on the bow and reduce the leeway, particularly while putting a reef in the main. Any suggestions to get her to heave to properly with the wind on the bow? I have tried furling the jib quite severely but she lies quietly beam on no matter what I do.

[Joe Myerson]

Martin:
What size penny do you have?

Mine is a 135, and I find that on usually rough and windy Buzzards Bay, I don't have to reef the headsail until well after I've tucked in my first mainsail reef. However, to heave-to properly, I roll my genny to working-jib size before backing the jib and lashing the tiller. If I heave-to with a full genoa, the boat lies almost abeam to the wind.

Of course, I've got a 25D. Your boat may be slightly different.

Joe

[Martinhilldpo]

Hi Joe. I have a 135 genoa on a harken furler. It seems to be a much more powerul sail than the main. I have tried heaving to with it reefed over halfway in and she still lies beam on.

I find reefing the genoa much more effective than reefing the main, as soon as I do she stands up again.

I may try fitting the working jib for the winter and keep the genoa for summer breezes.

[Carl Thunberg]

You've chosen a fine vessel and you have some of the most beautiful coastline to sail her in (second of course to Maine) Enjoy!

[RC James]

Martin, odd as it seems, I have had some luck heaving-to w/the backed jib (probably a 110/120%).... and leaving the mainsheet loose in its blocks and (surprising to me) not tying the tiller tightly, but leaving it almost center-lined.
Somehow, the boat rounds up using the freed mainsail's lift and then the backed jib knocks the bow off the wind.
Granted, I haven't tried this in high (15-20knots steady) winds, as I subscribe to reefing early, as a singlehander.

RC

[Martinhilldpo]

Thanks RC that sounds illogical enough to be worth a shot! I guess you might explain the loose tiller as not mattering if the boat is not moving forward. Or something like that. Anyway I will certainly give it a try when I get home again. I really need the main sheet to be free when hove to if I am doing it to put in a reef. My last boat hove to in text book fashion but this one not so much.

On the bright side, even hove to beam on and drifting down wind she sits really quietly. It seems like that big long keel drifting down wind leaves a patch of disturbed water on the weather side which breaks up the approaching seas. I have read of similar theories as a tactic for riding out heavy weather but this being my first full keel boat I have not experienced it before.

Really I would feel much more comfortable if I could get the bow about 4 points off the wind and I will try it like you suggest as soon as I can. If nothing else, it will slow down the drift.

Thank you!

[Martinhilldpo]

I can't answer your question about that void in the forepeak. Perhaps it was to add strength to the bow (just a wild guess).
My chain locker has served me well, but most anchorages here on the south coast of New England are relatively shallow.
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A bit more digging came up with a reason for the void space. It is a collision bulkhead as required by ISAF OSR (3.13 if you care to look it up) This being a collision bulkhead I have dropped my idea of using it as a chain locker and will keep it watertight as designed.

Somebody else in another thread is modifying a 25D for extended cruising and had the idea of converting part of the hanging locker in to a chain locker as he is carrying 150' of chain. This sounds like a better idea which I will consider further.