Looking for reasurrance from CD25 owners

[Alan B.]

I have recently purchased a CD25 (#168) and Sail on Lake Norman NC. A smallish landlocked lake. I have had "TestostAlone" out as often as possible and we're still feeling one another out. My question is...what is the maximum sustained heel angle that you all are comfortable with/have experienced in a CD25. I've hit 30 degrees without the toe rail in the water...but have had some anxious moments wondering how much further she might go? I seek reassurance and wisdom from this august body of interesting and helpful members.

[steve]

I have recently purchased a CD25 (#168) and Sail on Lake Norman NC. A smallish landlocked lake. I have had "TestostAlone" out as often as possible and we're still feeling one another out. My question is...what is the maximum sustained heel angle that you all are comfortable with/have experienced in a CD25. I've hit 30 degrees without the toe rail in the water...but have had some anxious moments wondering how much further she might go? I seek reassurance and wisdom from this august body of interesting and helpful members.

probably to about 110 before she goes full circle, but you won't see 1/2 that w/ wind alone



layherover@hotmail.com

[Don Carr]

Rest assured that she will find her slot. On the CDSOA sail to Block
in 6ft seas and 20knot wind..we had LOLITA at a sustained 35-45 degree
heel..not comfortable nor efficient but no fear of a knockdown.
The best heel on the boat seems to be about 20-25 degrees. These boats like to be sailed reasonably flat and she seems to be well
balanced at that point.

Fair winds.
Don
s/v LOLITA
CD25#784



carrds@us.ibm.com

[David Miller]

Alan,
I agree with Don completely, these boats will bury the toe rail especially with a 150% genoa but seem to perform best right around 25 degrees. I can remember having the same anxious feeling the first time I used my CD25 in high winds but over time and with practice you should become very comfortable and confident with the boat. One thing I learned quickly is that these boats can take quite a beating. All the best and good luck..
David Miller "Coquina"

I have recently purchased a CD25 (#168) and Sail on Lake Norman NC. A smallish landlocked lake. I have had "TestostAlone" out as often as possible and we're still feeling one another out. My question is...what is the maximum sustained heel angle that you all are comfortable with/have experienced in a CD25. I've hit 30 degrees without the toe rail in the water...but have had some anxious moments wondering how much further she might go? I seek reassurance and wisdom from this august body of interesting and helpful members.

thrills21@hotmail.com

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Captain Commanding Lolita,

6 foot Seas, 20 knot winds, Sir, I wonder, how LONG were you out there anyhow? ? ? When Hanalei crossed the line about 1430 hours, we had about 15 knot winds and 2 to 3 foot seas. THAT was just before we took a knock down at the finish. Put the portlights in the water we did, but no water in the cockpit. Can't still figure that one out!

Great race wasn't it?

Sir, to answer the question of the Mate on the board. I sail steering to leeward, throw a foot over the cockpit coaming. When the foot gets wet, it's time to throw a reef in her! EXCEPT when racing to the isle of Adrian Block, then, ease the mainsheet untill a bubble appears on the main from the backwind of the jib, and she will pick up 3/4 of a knot! Worked wonders for Hanalei!!

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
CDSOA "1"

[yves feder W1UX]

Aye Laddie,

As you know we were out there for several hours and experienced 2-4' seas, and occasionally not 6" seas, but 6' seas did we too observe from our spray-filled quarterdeck. True, not every one was a breaking sea, but for a while it was fun going! We got to within 6 miles of the Eylandt. The sleighride back was small consolation for missing out on the reunion.

The 27 is quite stable and sails like a Bandido on a mission 25-30 deg quite efficient.

Post Captain Stump is to be commended for his Seamanship, most informed sailhandling, and superior knowledge of tidal currents and the Great Solar Engine that provides us with our Winds. Let's hear it for Cap'm Stump and "Hanalei"! Hip Hip!

Sloop-of-War "Alphee" (17)
CD27 #4 / 1977
Feder, Y.A.
Senior Post Captain/Senescent Division (as of 0700 EST 09 July 1778)
by order of Continental Congress, executed and presented by
Squadron Commodore Preble, Lt. Decatur & Staff Witnesseth.




saltwater@tinyradio.com

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Captain Commanding s/v Alphee,

Sure it is, we didn't realize the seas were so frousy out there. Probably because we were at anchor at about 1500 hours that fine day, with grog in hand! It was a great chopping day for all of us and proved once again just how fine a vessel these Cape Dorys are.

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

[Al Levesque]

...what is the maximum sustained heel angle that you all are comfortable with/have experienced in a CD25. I've hit 30 degrees without the toe rail in the water...

When we had our CD25, we never actually measured the angle of heel but I recall numerous times when the wash along the deck would splash into the coaming. It was a nuisance because the water ran into the hinge edge of the seat lockers.

The only reason we ever heeled that much was because our children thought it was fun. I have measured great improvements in speed by keeping the rail dry (actually minimizing rudder angle) and prefer to sail that way.



albertlevesque@cove.com

[Ann and David Brownlee]

As former CD25 owners, we agree with what others say. Getting the rail wet from time to time is not unexpected, and in a gust you may get a slop of water over the coaming into the cockpit. On the whole, the boat sails fastest when the rail is dry, but to get enough power when trying to beat to windward in big seas you may have to keep up more sail than you might in calm water, and you'll get a bit wetter.

Ann and David Brownlee
CD31 #1 WINDRUSH
Havre de Grace, MD



abrownle@sas.upenn.edu

[Will W.]

I Sail CD25 #249 out of Chesapeake Beach MD. When I was first learning to sail "Suzi-Q" I got knocked down by a gust that put the lee side in up to the window before starting to recover. I Let go of everything and held on to the windward rail. She popped right back up and now I keep a closer lookout for gusts. As far as what am I comfortable with when sailing goes, I have sailed for sustained times with the leeward toerail getting wet and at that point I am sure I was losing the efficiency of the sails. I can assure you she will safely take more than you are comfortable with in normal circumstances. Good Luck, Will

I have recently purchased a CD25 (#168) and Sail on Lake Norman NC. A smallish landlocked lake. I have had "TestostAlone" out as often as possible and we're still feeling one another out. My question is...what is the maximum sustained heel angle that you all are comfortable with/have experienced in a CD25. I've hit 30 degrees without the toe rail in the water...but have had some anxious moments wondering how much further she might go? I seek reassurance and wisdom from this august body of interesting and helpful members.

willwheatley@starpower.net

[s/v lefty]

With Lefty(#4) I find that if the rail is in the water more than it's out, if I reef the main and leave the genny up, she will go even faster. Sails better on her bottom than on her ear, she does.



douglas_rock@hotmail.com

[Yep...]

Dave, yes..only 2-3 ft seas in the lee of BI. We sailed To the more Southern part of the Isle. Had about 3-4 ft swells from the Atlantic against the wind so they steepened. We only tacked North when I was loosing too much boat speed to the seas. BTW..great tactic to stall on a tack and force me to come up..could't duck ya as your damned dink extended your boat length.
We crossed the finish at 15:02:40 about 4 minutes after you.

[Dick Turner]

Same question but for a 31. We're having fun learning just what "Mystical" can do, but we've also had some anxious moments.

Dick
Mystical 31 #32



tbrhin1@gibralter.net

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Captain Yep ? ? ?,

The rest of the fleet did sail to the SE of Block, and I agree, that could have taken you into rougher seas. That possibility, and the fact that you would have to tack and beat back to weather to get into Block was one of the reasons we took the Northern tack. Hanalei was just LUCKY, I didn't realize that we would have a following tide of 1.6 knots pushing us to Block. I don't even have an Eldridge on board! I don't race, so what do I need to spend 12 dollars on Tide tables for? That would buy a fairly good bottle of GROG! We never saw the rougher seas, as we were close to the southern shore of Rhode Island for most of the way. Probably not more than 1 1/2 - 2 miles off! We were "hard to weather" the entire way, harder than I've ever seen her. But, we didn't get the seas you folks got.

It is really odd how a little difference in distance from a weather shore can make a BIG difference in the seas....come on, tell me who you are, Don ! Oh, the tack was okay, I just didn't expect you to tack again towards me. Sorry about the dink!

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

[Larry DeMers]

Alan,

One way to determine the best angle of heel is to have someone sit on the coachroof's high side, and start heeling a little at a time, until they are heeling at a comfortable angle..sounds goofy, but we have noted this silly relationship on many boats..our CD30 included. Try it out. We found 20 deg. to be the comfort angle we liked best, and know what? That's where the boat is still drawing well, the sails are in reasonably good air yet, and the sails are spilling little of the air out the top of the sail. As you heel more, the mainsail dumps air off the top, the incoming air hits the sail itself at an increasingly severe angle, with less energy gained by the sail.

So reefing the main at this time will stand the boat up more, curing the excessive weather helm from heeling so much, converting more of the wind to energy, imparted to boat.

That said, we also sometimes like to wash off the toe rails, and 45 deg. (in the CD30) was fine. There was a very strong 'righting moment' felt in the wheel. It is odd though, as you are basicly standing on the opposing seat edge in the cockpit, as you sail that high an angle.
We have been 'knocked down' to near 90 deg. by a freak windstorm years ago..I suspect the winds were at 70 kts for a few seconds as it flew past us. But the boat came up several times, but we could not get to the mainsail sheet to release it, nor the genoa sheet. It was way under weater, and we were still moving fast. We lost our engine in that storm (had been motorsailing in a no wind clear day)..it ran sideways for too long before I could reach the kill lever so lost oil lubrication. We had to rebuild the engine within a year or so.

So keep her at less than 30 deg. and remember that **When you think about reefing, it's time to do it..Don't put it off.**
The boat likes it better, there is less comotion, and the stress on the rig is less, yet you go faster than the alternative.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~Sailing Lake Superior~~~

I have recently purchased a CD25 (#168) and Sail on Lake Norman NC. A smallish landlocked lake. I have had "TestostAlone" out as often as possible and we're still feeling one another out. My question is...what is the maximum sustained heel angle that you all are comfortable with/have experienced in a CD25. I've hit 30 degrees without the toe rail in the water...but have had some anxious moments wondering how much further she might go? I seek reassurance and wisdom from this august body of interesting and helpful members.

demers@sgi.com