I've seen a number of postings that allude to the lack of speed of the Cape Dory sailboat. Last week I was beating into a wind of probably 15 - 20 kts with waves of about 4'. The wind was coming almost directly over my destination. I noticed that other boats heading basically the same direction were leaving me in the dust (figuratively speaking of course). I've noticed this at other times as well, my CD26 always seems to be far slower than other boats. I'm far from a skilled sailor, and know only a smattering of sail tuning techniques, so, the fault may be totally mine. Is there something inherent in the design of the Cape Dory yacht that means it will be a slower boat than others? Also, are there any quick tips (I'm trying to read Ian Dedekam's book "Sail and Rig Tuning", but even though this is a recognized good beginner's manual on the subject, I have a tough time with it)that I can try to speed up my act? It really does not bother me too much, I am not a racer and just enjoy being out on the water heading for a destination. But, it would be nice to not be the last boat. Why are some boats faster than others (I know about waterline length)? Why are full keel boats generally slower than other types of keels? Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated, as always.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Waltzing Matilda
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42
waltzingmatilda@sailnet.net
Why is my Cape Dory so slow??
Moderator: Jim Walsh
-
Gary L.
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow??
Peter,Peter K. wrote: I've seen a number of postings that allude to the lack of speed of the Cape Dory sailboat. Last week I was beating into a wind of probably 15 - 20 kts with waves of about 4'. The wind was coming almost directly over my destination. I noticed that other boats heading basically the same direction were leaving me in the dust (figuratively speaking of course). I've noticed this at other times as well, my CD26 always seems to be far slower than other boats. I'm far from a skilled sailor, and know only a smattering of sail tuning techniques, so, the fault may be totally mine. Is there something inherent in the design of the Cape Dory yacht that means it will be a slower boat than others? Also, are there any quick tips (I'm trying to read Ian Dedekam's book "Sail and Rig Tuning", but even though this is a recognized good beginner's manual on the subject, I have a tough time with it)that I can try to speed up my act? It really does not bother me too much, I am not a racer and just enjoy being out on the water heading for a destination. But, it would be nice to not be the last boat. Why are some boats faster than others (I know about waterline length)? Why are full keel boats generally slower than other types of keels? Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated, as always.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Waltzing Matilda
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42
I know how you feel. After all my years sailing, the only thing I can say is that I am still alive. But, mostly "our" problem is sail trim. I continually have to look at the yarns to see if I'm in trim. Another reason might be that they carry more sail. When flying my "yankee" with my staysail, I can somewhat keep up with other boats (a CD 33 passed me on Mt Hope Bay, but she had a roller furling genny). Also, beating to windward is somewhat slower than a broad reach, so if you want to pick a fight...er..a race with another make sure that you are on a broad reach. You may be pinching the wind too, that is trying to sail as close hauled as you can get, which is slower.
Anyway, just remember, if you are ever on Mt. Hope Bay, that you can always race me. I may not win races, but I'm still alive.
Fair winds
Gary Lapine
Red Witch III
CD30C, #339
Somerset, MA
dory26@attbi.com
-
Larry DeMers
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow?? Slow?? -ney, not a bit!
Peter,
The trick you are looking for is windward ability I believe. These other boats are probably sheeting in tighter than you, or have an advantage in one or more of a dozen different items that you need to go thru one at a time in order to figure out the problem.
Typically, the underbody of the full keel boat will not point quite as well as a fin keeled vessel with a thin spade rudder. These folks can turn on a dime, and will get 35 deg. to the wind regularly, so they will of course out point you. However, once off the wind, you will have a better advantage, and probably be equal in boats your waterline length. This is because you now fly a fairly good size sailplan and the boat will reach hull speed if sailed to potential because you are off the wind...but only if the wind cooperates a tad of course.
Now to clear up a very large misconception; Cape Dory's are not slow boats at all. Their design, which has a fine entry amongst other good attributes, provides for better pointing ability than most/all other full keel boats I have personally sailed/raced against in 13 years of ownership..within a given size range plus a few feet. Truthfully, I like to sail close hauled. Beating is a true test of seamanship as far as actually listening to your boat is concerned (IMHO, of course). The boat tells you when you are losing your wind, and when you can gain some windward ground..just listen and feel her.
What could be slowing you down? Many things unfortunately. The underbody..is it clean and smooth? The rig itself..is it centered in the boat, and the shrouds tensioned equally so that the mast is in column? Sails...are they bagged and old, as in original? Or are they still resin filled and is the draft still located forward in the mainsail? Are you sheeting your boom to the center position on the traveler, and are you sheeting it in fairly tight, but is the upper batten parallel with the boom? What position do you put the mainsails clew..all the way back, creating a flat and underpowered sail (good for higher winds), or is the clew slid forward some, allowing the sail to gain some draft, giving you more power? How about the forejib..do you run a genoa or a yankee? Your Dory needs a genoa to move better. Is the sheeting angle correct for that sail?
Any one of these items..and many more, can lead to slightly poorer performance that becomes very apparent when "match" racing like that. However, this is the type of sailing that teaches you a lot about the boat, you and how you are relating to the boat.
In the beginning, it is a rough relationship. The boat gives her signals to you..but they are subtle and you are busy learning and experiencing the sail. It takes time onboard sailing to gain these nuances, combined with a never ending curiousity about why the boat sails, and how to make it better. The more you understand, the better your handling will be...and the better the performance against other boats will become.
For most, it is a lifelong lesson..if they are lucky.
Cheers,
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Sailing Lake Superior
demers@sgi.com
The trick you are looking for is windward ability I believe. These other boats are probably sheeting in tighter than you, or have an advantage in one or more of a dozen different items that you need to go thru one at a time in order to figure out the problem.
Typically, the underbody of the full keel boat will not point quite as well as a fin keeled vessel with a thin spade rudder. These folks can turn on a dime, and will get 35 deg. to the wind regularly, so they will of course out point you. However, once off the wind, you will have a better advantage, and probably be equal in boats your waterline length. This is because you now fly a fairly good size sailplan and the boat will reach hull speed if sailed to potential because you are off the wind...but only if the wind cooperates a tad of course.
Now to clear up a very large misconception; Cape Dory's are not slow boats at all. Their design, which has a fine entry amongst other good attributes, provides for better pointing ability than most/all other full keel boats I have personally sailed/raced against in 13 years of ownership..within a given size range plus a few feet. Truthfully, I like to sail close hauled. Beating is a true test of seamanship as far as actually listening to your boat is concerned (IMHO, of course). The boat tells you when you are losing your wind, and when you can gain some windward ground..just listen and feel her.
What could be slowing you down? Many things unfortunately. The underbody..is it clean and smooth? The rig itself..is it centered in the boat, and the shrouds tensioned equally so that the mast is in column? Sails...are they bagged and old, as in original? Or are they still resin filled and is the draft still located forward in the mainsail? Are you sheeting your boom to the center position on the traveler, and are you sheeting it in fairly tight, but is the upper batten parallel with the boom? What position do you put the mainsails clew..all the way back, creating a flat and underpowered sail (good for higher winds), or is the clew slid forward some, allowing the sail to gain some draft, giving you more power? How about the forejib..do you run a genoa or a yankee? Your Dory needs a genoa to move better. Is the sheeting angle correct for that sail?
Any one of these items..and many more, can lead to slightly poorer performance that becomes very apparent when "match" racing like that. However, this is the type of sailing that teaches you a lot about the boat, you and how you are relating to the boat.
In the beginning, it is a rough relationship. The boat gives her signals to you..but they are subtle and you are busy learning and experiencing the sail. It takes time onboard sailing to gain these nuances, combined with a never ending curiousity about why the boat sails, and how to make it better. The more you understand, the better your handling will be...and the better the performance against other boats will become.
For most, it is a lifelong lesson..if they are lucky.
Cheers,
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Sailing Lake Superior
Peter K. wrote: I've seen a number of postings that allude to the lack of speed of the Cape Dory sailboat. Last week I was beating into a wind of probably 15 - 20 kts with waves of about 4'. The wind was coming almost directly over my destination. I noticed that other boats heading basically the same direction were leaving me in the dust (figuratively speaking of course). I've noticed this at other times as well, my CD26 always seems to be far slower than other boats. I'm far from a skilled sailor, and know only a smattering of sail tuning techniques, so, the fault may be totally mine. Is there something inherent in the design of the Cape Dory yacht that means it will be a slower boat than others? Also, are there any quick tips (I'm trying to read Ian Dedekam's book "Sail and Rig Tuning", but even though this is a recognized good beginner's manual on the subject, I have a tough time with it)that I can try to speed up my act? It really does not bother me too much, I am not a racer and just enjoy being out on the water heading for a destination. But, it would be nice to not be the last boat. Why are some boats faster than others (I know about waterline length)? Why are full keel boats generally slower than other types of keels? Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated, as always.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Waltzing Matilda
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42
demers@sgi.com
-
Andy Denmark
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow??
Hi Peter,
First, a blanket condemnation of Cape Dory boats as being "slow" tells you something of the people who make the comment. IMHO, many of them don't know enough to know what they don't know. Larry makes some good points and a really questionable one (mast in column) but I'm not debating him but trying to pass on some information that may help your situation.
I race my CD-27 with success in local races, with some class firsts and even some fleet firsts, against pretty skilled competition. Rarely are we worse than third. A Cape Dory 36 won a class first in the recent Annapolis-to-Bermuda Offshore Race (Compass Rose)and was third or fourth in fleet. A CD-30/K (Pocket Change)won the Oriental Cup (big race) last fall in heavy air. Properly sailed, set up, and equipped, your Cape Dory will be a competitive boat anywhere, and in all but the truly lightest conditions.
As I see it, the problem with dedicated "cruisers" is they never learn the myriad of things that make a boat sail correctly, those things that are "must do" items for racing. Racing is about learning the capabilities of your boat and equipment, techniques and skills necessary to sail (whether that be racing or cruising), and the things that bear on a boats performance. Some of these things I consider essential knowledge and may save your life one day (like clawing off a lee shore in 50 kts of wind, for instance). Many of the basics of sailboat performance are frequently overlooked by "cruisers" because of comfort or convenience. Here are a few that seem most prevalent:
Do you have roller furling? If so, then knock a few degrees and some speed off your performance to windward. Do you only have one big sail on your roller furler? Ditto the above, plus the sail will probably die an early "useful" death due to "reefing" with the furler past the point where the material is overstressed. (Yes, you need several sails even if you have roller furling.) Do you have old, blown out, or inferior (read cheap) sails? Inexpensive sails are usually made of inferior material and are great when first out of the bag but a couple of years down the road, they are misshapen rags. Do you have a cutter rig? Slow and outmoded. (Ever wonder why racing boats are never cutters? Besides, you will grossly shorten any genoa's useful life by constantly dragging it around an inner stay.) Do you have a jib boom on your boat? If so, you will not have the versatility of sail trim you need for optimum performance of the sail attached to it. Would you recognize good sail shape if you saw it? Many seem to think that if it forms a smooth, wrinkle-free shape then it's okay. Couldn't be more wrong.
As for the boat, the smaller CD's (less than 33') are very sensitive to weight in the stern. On my boat, nothing goes in the lazarette unless it floats (life jackets & bumpers), very little goes in the cockpit lockers, and that's mostly lightweight stuff, and no crew sits aft of the primary winches underway. Of course, with wheel steering, a double whammy comes into play -- weight of the gear and crew weight forced to be aft, depressing the stern, (not to mention you've used up a huge percentage of your cockpit space with this bulky round thing that won't tilt up and out of the way when at anchor).
On the smaller CD's, the depressed stern unbalances the entire boat --sail plan, underbody, helm, etc., and can't be corrected until the weight situation is resolved. Hang a barbecue, stern ladder, Life Sling, dinghy, spare anchor, ad nauseum, near the back of the boat and it will be permanently out of balance and slow. Sit a couple of live bodies back there because it's a great place to fish or see things, and you've got stop city. There are some who actually try to prove Mr. Alberg was stupid by raising their waterlines aft to account for the excess weight they've put back there. I have always had the impression that he knew a lot more about his boats' waterlines than I did.
The boat tells you when she's in the groove. It's a balance thing. Properly set up, a CD will go to weather with only a slight weather helm, usually easily controlled with a finger or two on the helm. If more than this, then something is out of whack. Even in heavy air the helm should be relatively light. While a CD won't "point" with the racing boats, the tracks over the bottom aren't all that different. Off the wind, especially with a spinnaker, the CD is a much more stable platform that an ULDB.
If I were in your shoes, a reputable sailmaker would be someone to do an on-the-water consult with you. For a modest sum (usually given back as a discount down the road if you buy a sail or some canvaswork), he will be able to pinpoint the basic problems of the boat, rig, and sails. Be sure to find someone whose knowledge and experience extends beyond the fin keel, spade rudder, lightweight racing boats that have become so prevalent. Sail lofts these days seem to be overrun with these young "rock stars." A full keel boat is a different enough animal that some experience and understanding of the design is necessary.
Getting good advice is essential. Beware of your more "experienced" buddy down the dock. He is, more-often-than-not, a source of anecdotal misinformation backed by a lifetime of mistakes, biases, and misconceptions. He means well and is inexpensive but is likely to overlook the very basic problems and focus on less important stuff.
I hope this answers some of your questions and helps you get to the bottom of your performance problem. None of the things I mentioned are specific to Cape Dories and most of them come right out of basic racing boat experience. The stern weight problem is a biggy, though, and that would be the first thing I'd tackle. In a previous life I was a sailmaker, so my focus tends towards sails and rigs, but sails and their supporting structures are the boat's powerplant. Sails make the single (and most cost-effective) difference in your boats performance, but only if the platform under them is performing as designed.
Hope this helps.
Andy Denmark
CD-27 "Rhiannon"
Oriental, NC
trekker@coastalnet.com
First, a blanket condemnation of Cape Dory boats as being "slow" tells you something of the people who make the comment. IMHO, many of them don't know enough to know what they don't know. Larry makes some good points and a really questionable one (mast in column) but I'm not debating him but trying to pass on some information that may help your situation.
I race my CD-27 with success in local races, with some class firsts and even some fleet firsts, against pretty skilled competition. Rarely are we worse than third. A Cape Dory 36 won a class first in the recent Annapolis-to-Bermuda Offshore Race (Compass Rose)and was third or fourth in fleet. A CD-30/K (Pocket Change)won the Oriental Cup (big race) last fall in heavy air. Properly sailed, set up, and equipped, your Cape Dory will be a competitive boat anywhere, and in all but the truly lightest conditions.
As I see it, the problem with dedicated "cruisers" is they never learn the myriad of things that make a boat sail correctly, those things that are "must do" items for racing. Racing is about learning the capabilities of your boat and equipment, techniques and skills necessary to sail (whether that be racing or cruising), and the things that bear on a boats performance. Some of these things I consider essential knowledge and may save your life one day (like clawing off a lee shore in 50 kts of wind, for instance). Many of the basics of sailboat performance are frequently overlooked by "cruisers" because of comfort or convenience. Here are a few that seem most prevalent:
Do you have roller furling? If so, then knock a few degrees and some speed off your performance to windward. Do you only have one big sail on your roller furler? Ditto the above, plus the sail will probably die an early "useful" death due to "reefing" with the furler past the point where the material is overstressed. (Yes, you need several sails even if you have roller furling.) Do you have old, blown out, or inferior (read cheap) sails? Inexpensive sails are usually made of inferior material and are great when first out of the bag but a couple of years down the road, they are misshapen rags. Do you have a cutter rig? Slow and outmoded. (Ever wonder why racing boats are never cutters? Besides, you will grossly shorten any genoa's useful life by constantly dragging it around an inner stay.) Do you have a jib boom on your boat? If so, you will not have the versatility of sail trim you need for optimum performance of the sail attached to it. Would you recognize good sail shape if you saw it? Many seem to think that if it forms a smooth, wrinkle-free shape then it's okay. Couldn't be more wrong.
As for the boat, the smaller CD's (less than 33') are very sensitive to weight in the stern. On my boat, nothing goes in the lazarette unless it floats (life jackets & bumpers), very little goes in the cockpit lockers, and that's mostly lightweight stuff, and no crew sits aft of the primary winches underway. Of course, with wheel steering, a double whammy comes into play -- weight of the gear and crew weight forced to be aft, depressing the stern, (not to mention you've used up a huge percentage of your cockpit space with this bulky round thing that won't tilt up and out of the way when at anchor).
On the smaller CD's, the depressed stern unbalances the entire boat --sail plan, underbody, helm, etc., and can't be corrected until the weight situation is resolved. Hang a barbecue, stern ladder, Life Sling, dinghy, spare anchor, ad nauseum, near the back of the boat and it will be permanently out of balance and slow. Sit a couple of live bodies back there because it's a great place to fish or see things, and you've got stop city. There are some who actually try to prove Mr. Alberg was stupid by raising their waterlines aft to account for the excess weight they've put back there. I have always had the impression that he knew a lot more about his boats' waterlines than I did.
The boat tells you when she's in the groove. It's a balance thing. Properly set up, a CD will go to weather with only a slight weather helm, usually easily controlled with a finger or two on the helm. If more than this, then something is out of whack. Even in heavy air the helm should be relatively light. While a CD won't "point" with the racing boats, the tracks over the bottom aren't all that different. Off the wind, especially with a spinnaker, the CD is a much more stable platform that an ULDB.
If I were in your shoes, a reputable sailmaker would be someone to do an on-the-water consult with you. For a modest sum (usually given back as a discount down the road if you buy a sail or some canvaswork), he will be able to pinpoint the basic problems of the boat, rig, and sails. Be sure to find someone whose knowledge and experience extends beyond the fin keel, spade rudder, lightweight racing boats that have become so prevalent. Sail lofts these days seem to be overrun with these young "rock stars." A full keel boat is a different enough animal that some experience and understanding of the design is necessary.
Getting good advice is essential. Beware of your more "experienced" buddy down the dock. He is, more-often-than-not, a source of anecdotal misinformation backed by a lifetime of mistakes, biases, and misconceptions. He means well and is inexpensive but is likely to overlook the very basic problems and focus on less important stuff.
I hope this answers some of your questions and helps you get to the bottom of your performance problem. None of the things I mentioned are specific to Cape Dories and most of them come right out of basic racing boat experience. The stern weight problem is a biggy, though, and that would be the first thing I'd tackle. In a previous life I was a sailmaker, so my focus tends towards sails and rigs, but sails and their supporting structures are the boat's powerplant. Sails make the single (and most cost-effective) difference in your boats performance, but only if the platform under them is performing as designed.
Hope this helps.
Andy Denmark
CD-27 "Rhiannon"
Oriental, NC
trekker@coastalnet.com
-
Neil Gordon
Wheel vs tiller
>>... with wheel steering, a double whammy comes into play -- weight of the gear and crew weight forced to be aft, depressing the stern, ...<<
That's the first time I've seen the wheel vs tiller discussion actually speak to boat performance. Good point!
Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167
neil@nrgordon.com
That's the first time I've seen the wheel vs tiller discussion actually speak to boat performance. Good point!
Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167
neil@nrgordon.com
-
Eric
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow??
A few more thoughts. It's also possible that you are over-trimming your sails. I see that all the time in cruising boats trying to go to wind. My advice is to set the jib as tight as you can, then ease out a bit so it keeps its shape and then adjust the main to the jib. An over-trimmed main (or jib) will stop the boat -- especially in a big sea.
Moreover, if you are trying to beat to wind in a stiff breeze with a 4-foot sea, you are going to bounce around. A lot. That requires a lot of momentum to move through the waves. Pinching too high and/or overtrimming the sails will cause you to go slower and the waves will be that much more of an issue. In small-boat racing, you actually steer through such a sea so that you are off the wind a bit going uphill, and pinched going downhill. That's not really an option in a CD, so you will have to fall off a bit every so often to keep your speed intact.
As noted below, if you are comparing yourself to a fin-keel boat that points higher than you (all things being equal) and then try to point as high as that boat, you will be slow.
Two weekends ago I raced Allia (a 25) in a local race and had one inexperienced racer n a faster, fin-keel racing machine decide he was going to follow me upwind the entire first beat (I won the year before, and I guess he decided that was the best thing to do). so this guy plants himself about 30 feet off my stern and tries to beat to wind with me. All that happened was he got my bad air, slipped sideways and tried to pinch to offset that slip. He didn't move much after that.
My point is comparing yourself to other boats can be an apples and oranges comaprison in so many ways they can't be counted. The best answer is to sail a lot, try different things, and learn to sail by feel (it might take years). IN the meantime, just enjoy the day:)
Eric
Moreover, if you are trying to beat to wind in a stiff breeze with a 4-foot sea, you are going to bounce around. A lot. That requires a lot of momentum to move through the waves. Pinching too high and/or overtrimming the sails will cause you to go slower and the waves will be that much more of an issue. In small-boat racing, you actually steer through such a sea so that you are off the wind a bit going uphill, and pinched going downhill. That's not really an option in a CD, so you will have to fall off a bit every so often to keep your speed intact.
As noted below, if you are comparing yourself to a fin-keel boat that points higher than you (all things being equal) and then try to point as high as that boat, you will be slow.
Two weekends ago I raced Allia (a 25) in a local race and had one inexperienced racer n a faster, fin-keel racing machine decide he was going to follow me upwind the entire first beat (I won the year before, and I guess he decided that was the best thing to do). so this guy plants himself about 30 feet off my stern and tries to beat to wind with me. All that happened was he got my bad air, slipped sideways and tried to pinch to offset that slip. He didn't move much after that.
My point is comparing yourself to other boats can be an apples and oranges comaprison in so many ways they can't be counted. The best answer is to sail a lot, try different things, and learn to sail by feel (it might take years). IN the meantime, just enjoy the day:)
Eric
Peter K. wrote: I've seen a number of postings that allude to the lack of speed of the Cape Dory sailboat. Last week I was beating into a wind of probably 15 - 20 kts with waves of about 4'. The wind was coming almost directly over my destination. I noticed that other boats heading basically the same direction were leaving me in the dust (figuratively speaking of course). I've noticed this at other times as well, my CD26 always seems to be far slower than other boats. I'm far from a skilled sailor, and know only a smattering of sail tuning techniques, so, the fault may be totally mine. Is there something inherent in the design of the Cape Dory yacht that means it will be a slower boat than others? Also, are there any quick tips (I'm trying to read Ian Dedekam's book "Sail and Rig Tuning", but even though this is a recognized good beginner's manual on the subject, I have a tough time with it)that I can try to speed up my act? It really does not bother me too much, I am not a racer and just enjoy being out on the water heading for a destination. But, it would be nice to not be the last boat. Why are some boats faster than others (I know about waterline length)? Why are full keel boats generally slower than other types of keels? Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated, as always.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Waltzing Matilda
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42
-
B. Andrews
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow??
Thank you Larry and Andy. A hard copy of your postings on this subject will be carried aboard our CD25 as a reminder.BA
and10128@aol.com
Andy Denmark wrote: Hi Peter,
First, a blanket condemnation of Cape Dory boats as being "slow" tells you something of the people who make the comment. IMHO, many of them don't know enough to know what they don't know. Larry makes some good points and a really questionable one (mast in column) but I'm not debating him but trying to pass on some information that may help your situation.
I race my CD-27 with success in local races, with some class firsts and even some fleet firsts, against pretty skilled competition. Rarely are we worse than third. A Cape Dory 36 won a class first in the recent Annapolis-to-Bermuda Offshore Race (Compass Rose)and was third or fourth in fleet. A CD-30/K (Pocket Change)won the Oriental Cup (big race) last fall in heavy air. Properly sailed, set up, and equipped, your Cape Dory will be a competitive boat anywhere, and in all but the truly lightest conditions.
As I see it, the problem with dedicated "cruisers" is they never learn the myriad of things that make a boat sail correctly, those things that are "must do" items for racing. Racing is about learning the capabilities of your boat and equipment, techniques and skills necessary to sail (whether that be racing or cruising), and the things that bear on a boats performance. Some of these things I consider essential knowledge and may save your life one day (like clawing off a lee shore in 50 kts of wind, for instance). Many of the basics of sailboat performance are frequently overlooked by "cruisers" because of comfort or convenience. Here are a few that seem most prevalent:
Do you have roller furling? If so, then knock a few degrees and some speed off your performance to windward. Do you only have one big sail on your roller furler? Ditto the above, plus the sail will probably die an early "useful" death due to "reefing" with the furler past the point where the material is overstressed. (Yes, you need several sails even if you have roller furling.) Do you have old, blown out, or inferior (read cheap) sails? Inexpensive sails are usually made of inferior material and are great when first out of the bag but a couple of years down the road, they are misshapen rags. Do you have a cutter rig? Slow and outmoded. (Ever wonder why racing boats are never cutters? Besides, you will grossly shorten any genoa's useful life by constantly dragging it around an inner stay.) Do you have a jib boom on your boat? If so, you will not have the versatility of sail trim you need for optimum performance of the sail attached to it. Would you recognize good sail shape if you saw it? Many seem to think that if it forms a smooth, wrinkle-free shape then it's okay. Couldn't be more wrong.
As for the boat, the smaller CD's (less than 33') are very sensitive to weight in the stern. On my boat, nothing goes in the lazarette unless it floats (life jackets & bumpers), very little goes in the cockpit lockers, and that's mostly lightweight stuff, and no crew sits aft of the primary winches underway. Of course, with wheel steering, a double whammy comes into play -- weight of the gear and crew weight forced to be aft, depressing the stern, (not to mention you've used up a huge percentage of your cockpit space with this bulky round thing that won't tilt up and out of the way when at anchor).
On the smaller CD's, the depressed stern unbalances the entire boat --sail plan, underbody, helm, etc., and can't be corrected until the weight situation is resolved. Hang a barbecue, stern ladder, Life Sling, dinghy, spare anchor, ad nauseum, near the back of the boat and it will be permanently out of balance and slow. Sit a couple of live bodies back there because it's a great place to fish or see things, and you've got stop city. There are some who actually try to prove Mr. Alberg was stupid by raising their waterlines aft to account for the excess weight they've put back there. I have always had the impression that he knew a lot more about his boats' waterlines than I did.
The boat tells you when she's in the groove. It's a balance thing. Properly set up, a CD will go to weather with only a slight weather helm, usually easily controlled with a finger or two on the helm. If more than this, then something is out of whack. Even in heavy air the helm should be relatively light. While a CD won't "point" with the racing boats, the tracks over the bottom aren't all that different. Off the wind, especially with a spinnaker, the CD is a much more stable platform that an ULDB.
If I were in your shoes, a reputable sailmaker would be someone to do an on-the-water consult with you. For a modest sum (usually given back as a discount down the road if you buy a sail or some canvaswork), he will be able to pinpoint the basic problems of the boat, rig, and sails. Be sure to find someone whose knowledge and experience extends beyond the fin keel, spade rudder, lightweight racing boats that have become so prevalent. Sail lofts these days seem to be overrun with these young "rock stars." A full keel boat is a different enough animal that some experience and understanding of the design is necessary.
Getting good advice is essential. Beware of your more "experienced" buddy down the dock. He is, more-often-than-not, a source of anecdotal misinformation backed by a lifetime of mistakes, biases, and misconceptions. He means well and is inexpensive but is likely to overlook the very basic problems and focus on less important stuff.
I hope this answers some of your questions and helps you get to the bottom of your performance problem. None of the things I mentioned are specific to Cape Dories and most of them come right out of basic racing boat experience. The stern weight problem is a biggy, though, and that would be the first thing I'd tackle. In a previous life I was a sailmaker, so my focus tends towards sails and rigs, but sails and their supporting structures are the boat's powerplant. Sails make the single (and most cost-effective) difference in your boats performance, but only if the platform under them is performing as designed.
Hope this helps.
Andy Denmark
CD-27 "Rhiannon"
Oriental, NC
and10128@aol.com
-
Ken Coit
Andy, you seem to have some views on this!! Thanks. (n/m)
Andy Denmark wrote: Hi Peter,
First, a blanket condemnation of Cape Dory boats as being "slow" tells you something of the people who make the comment. IMHO, many of them don't know enough to know what they don't know. Larry makes some good points and a really questionable one (mast in column) but I'm not debating him but trying to pass on some information that may help your situation.
I race my CD-27 with success in local races, with some class firsts and even some fleet firsts, against pretty skilled competition. Rarely are we worse than third. A Cape Dory 36 won a class first in the recent Annapolis-to-Bermuda Offshore Race (Compass Rose)and was third or fourth in fleet. A CD-30/K (Pocket Change)won the Oriental Cup (big race) last fall in heavy air. Properly sailed, set up, and equipped, your Cape Dory will be a competitive boat anywhere, and in all but the truly lightest conditions.
As I see it, the problem with dedicated "cruisers" is they never learn the myriad of things that make a boat sail correctly, those things that are "must do" items for racing. Racing is about learning the capabilities of your boat and equipment, techniques and skills necessary to sail (whether that be racing or cruising), and the things that bear on a boats performance. Some of these things I consider essential knowledge and may save your life one day (like clawing off a lee shore in 50 kts of wind, for instance). Many of the basics of sailboat performance are frequently overlooked by "cruisers" because of comfort or convenience. Here are a few that seem most prevalent:
Do you have roller furling? If so, then knock a few degrees and some speed off your performance to windward. Do you only have one big sail on your roller furler? Ditto the above, plus the sail will probably die an early "useful" death due to "reefing" with the furler past the point where the material is overstressed. (Yes, you need several sails even if you have roller furling.) Do you have old, blown out, or inferior (read cheap) sails? Inexpensive sails are usually made of inferior material and are great when first out of the bag but a couple of years down the road, they are misshapen rags. Do you have a cutter rig? Slow and outmoded. (Ever wonder why racing boats are never cutters? Besides, you will grossly shorten any genoa's useful life by constantly dragging it around an inner stay.) Do you have a jib boom on your boat? If so, you will not have the versatility of sail trim you need for optimum performance of the sail attached to it. Would you recognize good sail shape if you saw it? Many seem to think that if it forms a smooth, wrinkle-free shape then it's okay. Couldn't be more wrong.
As for the boat, the smaller CD's (less than 33') are very sensitive to weight in the stern. On my boat, nothing goes in the lazarette unless it floats (life jackets & bumpers), very little goes in the cockpit lockers, and that's mostly lightweight stuff, and no crew sits aft of the primary winches underway. Of course, with wheel steering, a double whammy comes into play -- weight of the gear and crew weight forced to be aft, depressing the stern, (not to mention you've used up a huge percentage of your cockpit space with this bulky round thing that won't tilt up and out of the way when at anchor).
On the smaller CD's, the depressed stern unbalances the entire boat --sail plan, underbody, helm, etc., and can't be corrected until the weight situation is resolved. Hang a barbecue, stern ladder, Life Sling, dinghy, spare anchor, ad nauseum, near the back of the boat and it will be permanently out of balance and slow. Sit a couple of live bodies back there because it's a great place to fish or see things, and you've got stop city. There are some who actually try to prove Mr. Alberg was stupid by raising their waterlines aft to account for the excess weight they've put back there. I have always had the impression that he knew a lot more about his boats' waterlines than I did.
The boat tells you when she's in the groove. It's a balance thing. Properly set up, a CD will go to weather with only a slight weather helm, usually easily controlled with a finger or two on the helm. If more than this, then something is out of whack. Even in heavy air the helm should be relatively light. While a CD won't "point" with the racing boats, the tracks over the bottom aren't all that different. Off the wind, especially with a spinnaker, the CD is a much more stable platform that an ULDB.
If I were in your shoes, a reputable sailmaker would be someone to do an on-the-water consult with you. For a modest sum (usually given back as a discount down the road if you buy a sail or some canvaswork), he will be able to pinpoint the basic problems of the boat, rig, and sails. Be sure to find someone whose knowledge and experience extends beyond the fin keel, spade rudder, lightweight racing boats that have become so prevalent. Sail lofts these days seem to be overrun with these young "rock stars." A full keel boat is a different enough animal that some experience and understanding of the design is necessary.
Getting good advice is essential. Beware of your more "experienced" buddy down the dock. He is, more-often-than-not, a source of anecdotal misinformation backed by a lifetime of mistakes, biases, and misconceptions. He means well and is inexpensive but is likely to overlook the very basic problems and focus on less important stuff.
I hope this answers some of your questions and helps you get to the bottom of your performance problem. None of the things I mentioned are specific to Cape Dories and most of them come right out of basic racing boat experience. The stern weight problem is a biggy, though, and that would be the first thing I'd tackle. In a previous life I was a sailmaker, so my focus tends towards sails and rigs, but sails and their supporting structures are the boat's powerplant. Sails make the single (and most cost-effective) difference in your boats performance, but only if the platform under them is performing as designed.
Hope this helps.
Andy Denmark
CD-27 "Rhiannon"
Oriental, NC
parfaitNOSPAM@nc.rr.com
-
Larry DeMers
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow??
Andy,
I know you are a proponent of taking the mast out of column, so that the sail can be depowered. The problem is that with the Cape Dory's, thier masts were purposely built stouter than 'bendy' masts are usually built..they are meant to stay in column, and doing otherwise is not needed. The manual also says to keep the mast in column. In order to reduce the draft of my main, I bought a loose footed main which allows me to use a set of blocks on the clew to adjust the clews position, which then adjusts my main from very full to nearly flat. No need to warp a straight mast back for draft control.
Also, we have a disagreement about the staysail boom. But my approach is from a cruisers standpoint, where a self-tending staysail is indeed a blessing, while you approach from the racers pont of view and is correct in that respect. In my opinion, the club footed staysail IS a good combination of sail and utility, and will stay aboard my boat as is. If I were racing, I would probably think about other alternatives, but for cruising, I find the sail combinations with the staysail to be highly valuable and effective. They just have to be learned is all. I suspect that those that have removed their booms did so out of frustration in not seeing a benefit with the staysail boom, and as such, should have bought a sloop rig, and gotten their sail areas all in two sails rather than 3. For certain, they WILL be at a disadvantage against an identical CD, equipped with a working staysail. That I have already proven here on Superior. A very stubborn friend of mine bought an 81 Cd30, and we worked for a year together getting it rigged for cruising. He grew frustrated with the boom, removed it and ran a loose footed staysail only. Eventually, he grew tired of that sail also, so kept it mostly furled. Virtually every time we sail together, our boat is ahead of theirs, even when they leave the marina first. I can feel the extra power and acceleration that the staysail provides while beating. Last weekend, Jan was at the helm, and I was twiddling with the strings. I concentrated on the staysail only, and could easily gain or lose .5-.75 kt due to the trim of that sail. (If you are racing, this is a very significant difference, by the way).
Realize that the only differences I see between your approach and mine is the mast being in column and the staysail boom being used..both are racing issues more than cruising, and I suspect your history and main emphasis is in racing, and so your interest in these modifications. IMHO of course.
Cheers,
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Lake Superior
demers@sgi.com
I know you are a proponent of taking the mast out of column, so that the sail can be depowered. The problem is that with the Cape Dory's, thier masts were purposely built stouter than 'bendy' masts are usually built..they are meant to stay in column, and doing otherwise is not needed. The manual also says to keep the mast in column. In order to reduce the draft of my main, I bought a loose footed main which allows me to use a set of blocks on the clew to adjust the clews position, which then adjusts my main from very full to nearly flat. No need to warp a straight mast back for draft control.
Also, we have a disagreement about the staysail boom. But my approach is from a cruisers standpoint, where a self-tending staysail is indeed a blessing, while you approach from the racers pont of view and is correct in that respect. In my opinion, the club footed staysail IS a good combination of sail and utility, and will stay aboard my boat as is. If I were racing, I would probably think about other alternatives, but for cruising, I find the sail combinations with the staysail to be highly valuable and effective. They just have to be learned is all. I suspect that those that have removed their booms did so out of frustration in not seeing a benefit with the staysail boom, and as such, should have bought a sloop rig, and gotten their sail areas all in two sails rather than 3. For certain, they WILL be at a disadvantage against an identical CD, equipped with a working staysail. That I have already proven here on Superior. A very stubborn friend of mine bought an 81 Cd30, and we worked for a year together getting it rigged for cruising. He grew frustrated with the boom, removed it and ran a loose footed staysail only. Eventually, he grew tired of that sail also, so kept it mostly furled. Virtually every time we sail together, our boat is ahead of theirs, even when they leave the marina first. I can feel the extra power and acceleration that the staysail provides while beating. Last weekend, Jan was at the helm, and I was twiddling with the strings. I concentrated on the staysail only, and could easily gain or lose .5-.75 kt due to the trim of that sail. (If you are racing, this is a very significant difference, by the way).
Realize that the only differences I see between your approach and mine is the mast being in column and the staysail boom being used..both are racing issues more than cruising, and I suspect your history and main emphasis is in racing, and so your interest in these modifications. IMHO of course.
Cheers,
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Lake Superior
Andy Denmark wrote: Hi Peter,
First, a blanket condemnation of Cape Dory boats as being "slow" tells you something of the people who make the comment. IMHO, many of them don't know enough to know what they don't know. Larry makes some good points and a really questionable one (mast in column) but I'm not debating him but trying to pass on some information that may help your situation.
I race my CD-27 with success in local races, with some class firsts and even some fleet firsts, against pretty skilled competition. Rarely are we worse than third. A Cape Dory 36 won a class first in the recent Annapolis-to-Bermuda Offshore Race (Compass Rose)and was third or fourth in fleet. A CD-30/K (Pocket Change)won the Oriental Cup (big race) last fall in heavy air. Properly sailed, set up, and equipped, your Cape Dory will be a competitive boat anywhere, and in all but the truly lightest conditions.
As I see it, the problem with dedicated "cruisers" is they never learn the myriad of things that make a boat sail correctly, those things that are "must do" items for racing. Racing is about learning the capabilities of your boat and equipment, techniques and skills necessary to sail (whether that be racing or cruising), and the things that bear on a boats performance. Some of these things I consider essential knowledge and may save your life one day (like clawing off a lee shore in 50 kts of wind, for instance). Many of the basics of sailboat performance are frequently overlooked by "cruisers" because of comfort or convenience. Here are a few that seem most prevalent:
Do you have roller furling? If so, then knock a few degrees and some speed off your performance to windward. Do you only have one big sail on your roller furler? Ditto the above, plus the sail will probably die an early "useful" death due to "reefing" with the furler past the point where the material is overstressed. (Yes, you need several sails even if you have roller furling.) Do you have old, blown out, or inferior (read cheap) sails? Inexpensive sails are usually made of inferior material and are great when first out of the bag but a couple of years down the road, they are misshapen rags. Do you have a cutter rig? Slow and outmoded. (Ever wonder why racing boats are never cutters? Besides, you will grossly shorten any genoa's useful life by constantly dragging it around an inner stay.) Do you have a jib boom on your boat? If so, you will not have the versatility of sail trim you need for optimum performance of the sail attached to it. Would you recognize good sail shape if you saw it? Many seem to think that if it forms a smooth, wrinkle-free shape then it's okay. Couldn't be more wrong.
As for the boat, the smaller CD's (less than 33') are very sensitive to weight in the stern. On my boat, nothing goes in the lazarette unless it floats (life jackets & bumpers), very little goes in the cockpit lockers, and that's mostly lightweight stuff, and no crew sits aft of the primary winches underway. Of course, with wheel steering, a double whammy comes into play -- weight of the gear and crew weight forced to be aft, depressing the stern, (not to mention you've used up a huge percentage of your cockpit space with this bulky round thing that won't tilt up and out of the way when at anchor).
On the smaller CD's, the depressed stern unbalances the entire boat --sail plan, underbody, helm, etc., and can't be corrected until the weight situation is resolved. Hang a barbecue, stern ladder, Life Sling, dinghy, spare anchor, ad nauseum, near the back of the boat and it will be permanently out of balance and slow. Sit a couple of live bodies back there because it's a great place to fish or see things, and you've got stop city. There are some who actually try to prove Mr. Alberg was stupid by raising their waterlines aft to account for the excess weight they've put back there. I have always had the impression that he knew a lot more about his boats' waterlines than I did.
The boat tells you when she's in the groove. It's a balance thing. Properly set up, a CD will go to weather with only a slight weather helm, usually easily controlled with a finger or two on the helm. If more than this, then something is out of whack. Even in heavy air the helm should be relatively light. While a CD won't "point" with the racing boats, the tracks over the bottom aren't all that different. Off the wind, especially with a spinnaker, the CD is a much more stable platform that an ULDB.
If I were in your shoes, a reputable sailmaker would be someone to do an on-the-water consult with you. For a modest sum (usually given back as a discount down the road if you buy a sail or some canvaswork), he will be able to pinpoint the basic problems of the boat, rig, and sails. Be sure to find someone whose knowledge and experience extends beyond the fin keel, spade rudder, lightweight racing boats that have become so prevalent. Sail lofts these days seem to be overrun with these young "rock stars." A full keel boat is a different enough animal that some experience and understanding of the design is necessary.
Getting good advice is essential. Beware of your more "experienced" buddy down the dock. He is, more-often-than-not, a source of anecdotal misinformation backed by a lifetime of mistakes, biases, and misconceptions. He means well and is inexpensive but is likely to overlook the very basic problems and focus on less important stuff.
I hope this answers some of your questions and helps you get to the bottom of your performance problem. None of the things I mentioned are specific to Cape Dories and most of them come right out of basic racing boat experience. The stern weight problem is a biggy, though, and that would be the first thing I'd tackle. In a previous life I was a sailmaker, so my focus tends towards sails and rigs, but sails and their supporting structures are the boat's powerplant. Sails make the single (and most cost-effective) difference in your boats performance, but only if the platform under them is performing as designed.
Hope this helps.
Andy Denmark
CD-27 "Rhiannon"
Oriental, NC
demers@sgi.com
-
Warren Stringer
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow??
Andy,Andy Denmark wrote: I race my CD-27 with success in local races, with some class firsts and even some fleet firsts, against pretty skilled competition. Rarely are we worse than third. A Cape Dory 36 won a class first in the recent Annapolis-to-Bermuda Offshore Race (Compass Rose)and was third or fourth in fleet. A CD-30/K (Pocket Change)won the Oriental Cup (big race) last fall in heavy air. Properly sailed, set up, and equipped, your Cape Dory will be a competitive boat anywhere, and in all but the truly lightest conditions.
Andy Denmark
CD-27 "Rhiannon"
Oriental, NC
When you refer to racing results, are you talking about corrected or actual time? When I see this type of comment I assume that what is meant is corrected time, which says nothing about actual boat speed, only which boat was sailed closest to its potential.
The rest of your post I agree with.
Warren
wstringer@aristotle.net
-
Tom G
Re another possible answer
Tom GAndy Denmark wrote: I believe the great god of sailing John Candy answered this question in the movie Summer rental. All us cruisers are carrying food in our refrig. slowing us down.
Hi Peter,
Andy Denmark wrote: First, a blanket condemnation of Cape Dory boats as being "slow" tells you something of the people who make the comment. IMHO, many of them don't know enough to know what they don't know. Larry makes some good points and a really questionable one (mast in column) but I'm not debating him but trying to pass on some information that may help your situation.
I race my CD-27 with success in local races, with some class firsts and even some fleet firsts, against pretty skilled competition. Rarely are we worse than third. A Cape Dory 36 won a class first in the recent Annapolis-to-Bermuda Offshore Race (Compass Rose)and was third or fourth in fleet. A CD-30/K (Pocket Change)won the Oriental Cup (big race) last fall in heavy air. Properly sailed, set up, and equipped, your Cape Dory will be a competitive boat anywhere, and in all but the truly lightest conditions.
As I see it, the problem with dedicated "cruisers" is they never learn the myriad of things that make a boat sail correctly, those things that are "must do" items for racing. Racing is about learning the capabilities of your boat and equipment, techniques and skills necessary to sail (whether that be racing or cruising), and the things that bear on a boats performance. Some of these things I consider essential knowledge and may save your life one day (like clawing off a lee shore in 50 kts of wind, for instance). Many of the basics of sailboat performance are frequently overlooked by "cruisers" because of comfort or convenience. Here are a few that seem most prevalent:
Do you have roller furling? If so, then knock a few degrees and some speed off your performance to windward. Do you only have one big sail on your roller furler? Ditto the above, plus the sail will probably die an early "useful" death due to "reefing" with the furler past the point where the material is overstressed. (Yes, you need several sails even if you have roller furling.) Do you have old, blown out, or inferior (read cheap) sails? Inexpensive sails are usually made of inferior material and are great when first out of the bag but a couple of years down the road, they are misshapen rags. Do you have a cutter rig? Slow and outmoded. (Ever wonder why racing boats are never cutters? Besides, you will grossly shorten any genoa's useful life by constantly dragging it around an inner stay.) Do you have a jib boom on your boat? If so, you will not have the versatility of sail trim you need for optimum performance of the sail attached to it. Would you recognize good sail shape if you saw it? Many seem to think that if it forms a smooth, wrinkle-free shape then it's okay. Couldn't be more wrong.
As for the boat, the smaller CD's (less than 33') are very sensitive to weight in the stern. On my boat, nothing goes in the lazarette unless it floats (life jackets & bumpers), very little goes in the cockpit lockers, and that's mostly lightweight stuff, and no crew sits aft of the primary winches underway. Of course, with wheel steering, a double whammy comes into play -- weight of the gear and crew weight forced to be aft, depressing the stern, (not to mention you've used up a huge percentage of your cockpit space with this bulky round thing that won't tilt up and out of the way when at anchor).
On the smaller CD's, the depressed stern unbalances the entire boat --sail plan, underbody, helm, etc., and can't be corrected until the weight situation is resolved. Hang a barbecue, stern ladder, Life Sling, dinghy, spare anchor, ad nauseum, near the back of the boat and it will be permanently out of balance and slow. Sit a couple of live bodies back there because it's a great place to fish or see things, and you've got stop city. There are some who actually try to prove Mr. Alberg was stupid by raising their waterlines aft to account for the excess weight they've put back there. I have always had the impression that he knew a lot more about his boats' waterlines than I did.
The boat tells you when she's in the groove. It's a balance thing. Properly set up, a CD will go to weather with only a slight weather helm, usually easily controlled with a finger or two on the helm. If more than this, then something is out of whack. Even in heavy air the helm should be relatively light. While a CD won't "point" with the racing boats, the tracks over the bottom aren't all that different. Off the wind, especially with a spinnaker, the CD is a much more stable platform that an ULDB.
If I were in your shoes, a reputable sailmaker would be someone to do an on-the-water consult with you. For a modest sum (usually given back as a discount down the road if you buy a sail or some canvaswork), he will be able to pinpoint the basic problems of the boat, rig, and sails. Be sure to find someone whose knowledge and experience extends beyond the fin keel, spade rudder, lightweight racing boats that have become so prevalent. Sail lofts these days seem to be overrun with these young "rock stars." A full keel boat is a different enough animal that some experience and understanding of the design is necessary.
Getting good advice is essential. Beware of your more "experienced" buddy down the dock. He is, more-often-than-not, a source of anecdotal misinformation backed by a lifetime of mistakes, biases, and misconceptions. He means well and is inexpensive but is likely to overlook the very basic problems and focus on less important stuff.
I hope this answers some of your questions and helps you get to the bottom of your performance problem. None of the things I mentioned are specific to Cape Dories and most of them come right out of basic racing boat experience. The stern weight problem is a biggy, though, and that would be the first thing I'd tackle. In a previous life I was a sailmaker, so my focus tends towards sails and rigs, but sails and their supporting structures are the boat's powerplant. Sails make the single (and most cost-effective) difference in your boats performance, but only if the platform under them is performing as designed.
Hope this helps.
Andy Denmark
CD-27 "Rhiannon"
Oriental, NC
Tgrant9008@AOL.com
-
Jim M
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow??
I have found that my CD 25 is fast both corrected and elapsed. I race in a 7 boat class ranging from a low of 250 PHRF to my high of 298 (97% jib on a furler to get that ) I have won elapsed once and been 2 seconds off once and 30 seconds off once. On corrected they were all wins. You need to have good sails and a properly tuned rig. A clean bottom doesn't hurt either. Bottom line is you have to know how to keep the boat moving! I think it is a very good experience to crew with a racing friend and see how they are doing it. see what the winners are doing that you are not!
As was said this is important for racing and cruising. That engine doesn't always start when you need it and you need other options!
jmyers@styluscentral.com
As was said this is important for racing and cruising. That engine doesn't always start when you need it and you need other options!
jmyers@styluscentral.com
-
Peter K.
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow?? Thanks everyone!!
Just wanted to say a quick 'thank you' to all of you who responded to my question. You've given me lots to think about and a further realization that I have much much to learn.
This list is the greatest, I check it several times a day.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Waltzing Matilda
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42
waltzingmatilda@sailnet.net
This list is the greatest, I check it several times a day.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Waltzing Matilda
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42
waltzingmatilda@sailnet.net
-
Peter K.
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow?? Thanks everyone!!
Just wanted to say a quick 'thank you' to all of you who responded to my question. You've given me lots to think about and a further realization that I have much much to learn.
This list is the greatest, I check it several times a day.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Waltzing Matilda
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42
waltzingmatilda@sailnet.net
This list is the greatest, I check it several times a day.
Fair winds,
Peter K., S/V Waltzing Matilda
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42
waltzingmatilda@sailnet.net
-
skipper
Re: Why is my Cape Dory so slow?? Thanks everyone!!
I use ribbon or yarn streamed (telltales) from my shrouds, so I can see the wind direction and the fluctuations (windexes on top of the mast give me neck aches). If there are variations in the wind, I'm able to make adjustments right away. A simple adjustment such as moving the tiller a tad can make a difference with wind fluctuations. Telltales on the sails also help to see if the sails are actually working or adjusted to the situation.
spyronica@aol.com
spyronica@aol.com