Intro and CD27/Chesapeake question

[csoule13]

Good evening and happy new year everyone.

I've been lurking around these parts for a few months as I ponder purchasing a boat. The mission is a 27-28 footer for sailing on the Chesapeake, mainly short 2-3 night trips. Simple and graceful, and the CDs certainly catch my eye. A friend with more sailing experience in the local waters pointed out the Cape Dory needs more wind to get moving than the Bay typically provides. How accurate is this, and can't that be rectified with a code 0 or similar light air sail? I'm not looking for a speed demon here.

Much appreciated, and if there has been a previous thread that answers this, just point me yonder.

Chris

[jerryaxler]

I've been sailing on the Chesapeake with a 25 CD and a 36CD for the last 35 + years and light air is common, but so is heavy air. A decent sail combination will solve your problems of various wind conditions and the full keel and weight will carry you through the typical short chop that develops on the Bay.

[moctrams]

I've sailed the Chesapeake Bay for over 30 years and the previous post is accurate. There are times when you're best off using the engine. Other times only a headsail. The last time I came out of the Little Choptank River with the main, Yankee and Staysail, she was making over 6 knots. My 30 foot CD "ate it up".

[tjr818]

Slainte, our 27 sails inland on the Mississippi River. Not only do we have light winds most of the summer, we also have the river current to deal with.
Slainte, with her newer main and brand new 130 genoa will ghost along with all but the J29 in our harbor. Once you get the four tons moving it does not want to stop just because the wind suddenly does. We enjoy ghosting along in complete silence and catching up to other sailors, we exchange greetings and usually pull slowly away, often while the knotmeter reads 0.0.
Best of luck in your search,
Tim

[tjr818]

Slainte, our 27 sails inland on the Mississippi River. Not only do we have light winds most of the summer, we also have the river current to deal with.
Slainte, with her newer main and brand new 130 genoa will ghost along with all but the J29 in our harbor. Once you get the four tons moving it does not want to stop just because the wind suddenly does. We enjoy ghosting along in complete silence and catching up to other sailors, we exchange greetings and usually pull slowly away, often while the knotmeter reads 0.0.
Best of luck in your search,
Tim

[psjanker]

Been sailing the Bay four years with both a CD 28 and a CD30 and the only complaint I have is not having enough time for two bats on the same Bay. I will likely have to move one to Southern Florida....for now I keep one in the middle Bay (Pax River) and one in the Northern Bay (Bush River)

I've not really noticed any issue with light winds and generally when I can't sail nobody else is either, however I have noticed that when folks are sticking to the marina I am out sailing. My first season I took a week long approximately 400 mile trip from Washington DC down to Tall Timber Marina at the mouth of the Potomac, across to Smith Island, across Tangier Sound to Chrisfield; down to Tangier Sound and then back up the Bay and a return to D.C.

Weather that 4th of July week was challenging over the entire Bay and when we pulled into Chrisfield we dinghyed into the marina only to be challenged by another crew as to where the heck we had come from! When we answered...across the Bay from Point Lookout they could not believe it since the had been stuck in the Marina for three days trying to get to Annapolis for the fireworks of the forth.

It was then that one of them looked out and saw Chasseur on the hook and commented...oh, they have a Cape Dory, alluding to the point that of course Cape Dory sea handling capabilities give us an advantage and them an excuse.

I cannot think of a better sailboat for the Bay than any Cape Dory with a Diesel engine but then I cannot consider myself particularly unbiased! Cape Dories are to sailboats what Jeep Wranglers are to cars.

Pete

[John Stone]

I sailed and raced lasers and J24s on the Chesapeake for five years. What a great place for sailing. My inaugural sail on the Far Reach was on the Chesapeake--from the Sassafras River to Herrington Harbor, south of Annapolis--before we rebuilt her.

I think it's a great place to sail . . . any kind of boat. You certainly don't need a Cape Dory to sail there though.

But I think the question is are the winds there too light for a Cape a Dory. Not at all is my response. It's false that heavy boats don't do well in light air. Once the boat is moving its weight and momentum can carry it through calm spots and wind holes as well or better than light boats.

Acceleration and pointing are where heavy wider sheeting angle boats like Cape Dories struggle. You don't want to get in a tacking dual with a lighter fin keel boat. Or try to out point them in light air. You are exactly right--a big drifter1.5 to 2 oz, at least a 140--would be a huge help. I have had some fabulous sailing in very light air with our drifter. Otherwise, you will be too tempted to reach for the engine key and miss out.

Having said that, I think for 10 months out of the year there is plenty of wind on the Chesapeake--I have seen it blow 30-40 knots for several day. There is lots of wind in the 15 knot range. July and August--not so much. It is often scorching hot and flat calm during the day and on the weekend it's usually filled with powerboat wash. But if you wait till about 1900, the power-boaters go home, the boat traffic drops off to almost nothing, and usually a wonderful breeze fills in around sunset for delightful smooth water sailing. A Cape Dory 26-30 would be just fine. Not to mention all the other benefits you get with being a Cape Dory owner. And which would you rather look at when you row away in your dinghy, a Cape Dory or a . . . .

[Jeff and Sarah]

The "right boat" is dictated by how you will use it just as much as where you will use it. You mentioned 2-3 night trips. If you have no interest in sailing in winds above 10 knots and you are willing to adjust your schedule accordingly, you should focus on a boat that excels in light winds. If you don't want your sailing to be exclusively dictated by weather, you should find a boat that is well suited for various weather conditions. I think Cape Dory's are in this category. Lots of great boats for the Bay- I love sailing my CD33 out of Annapolis and definitely appreciate the relatively shallow draft.

[csoule13]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. And John, that's just not fighting fair with those photos(or your recent video clips on FB).

My old man has an Ericson 30+ at Herrington Harbor, so if nothing else, between that and a Cape Dory, we'd have things well covered.

Enjoy the snow and cold!