Typhoon Weekender vs. Sea Sprite in Light Air

[Laura Calderone]

Hi,
This is a very helpful message board, I have read the past threads on Cape Dorys vs Sea Sprite. Does anyone have a particular opinion about which would be better in the light air of LI Sound? What's the PHRF of the Typhoon, is that a basis for comparison?

We will be based at City Island and cruising along the North Shore of LI and are beginners.

thanks, Laura



lac@oup-usa.org

[Harris]

I sail a Sea Sprite 23 on Barnegat Bay..NJ. I have to admit though that I am so avid that I cut out of work when the breeze is up. Therefore I try to limit my expose to those hopelessly light air days. What I know is that the phrf of a Ty is over 300 and a SS is about 270. You cant go by that as the handicaps are over a range of conditions in a certain area. I can say this for certain....and no offence guys.....the Ty has to be one of the slowest light air boat that I have ever seen. I have gone by Tys that were stationary and I am doing 2 knots.The Ty seems to hobby horse quite a bit. Both boats suffer to some degree as does any boat with a big overhangs. In this cas.....the longer the waterline...the better.
The plus of both boats is that in sloppy conditions in real light air the extra weight helps them retain momentum when lighter boats stop dead. In calm water and lighter air a lighter boat with a centerboard or Dagger board will sail past me like I am standing still. Now to get on the good side of the CD guys.....in my observation the advantage of the Ty is performance in high winds. The Sea Sprite is a powerful boat and takes experience to handle in 20 knot winds..even reefed. The Ty seems to excell in higher winds. A freind of mine now has a SS and sails offshore out of a small inlet into the gulf stream. He says he misses his Ty which....believe it or not.....handled 20 knot onshore winds and 6 foot seas better...although slower.....than the Sea Sprite. For a more complete answer......pick a day with no wind......and come to NJ! Better yet...move to NJ and learn to contend with the best winds in the country. Set your watch by a 11:20 AM sea Breeze that builds to 15-20 by 3PM.Makes a 25D seem all the more appealing......



hg@myhost.com

[M. R. Bober]

Do I understand that your 23' SS can best a 19' Ty? Pick on somebody your own size, bully.
M



thebobers@erols.com

[Harris]

When ever I pass a Typhoon (or one passes me..not..hehe) I always say..."hey mister.....who shrunk your boat?" Half the people think I am insulting them and the other half get the joke. For those of you that don't get it.......the Sea Sprite and the Ty are both Carl Alberg masterpieces.....the Sea Sprite is just a 50% magnified version....or visa versa.......




hg@myhost.com

[Ron]

Hi,
This is a very helpful message board, I have read the past threads on Cape Dorys vs Sea Sprite. Does anyone have a particular opinion about which would be better in the light air of LI Sound? What's the PHRF of the Typhoon, is that a basis for comparison?

We will be based at City Island and cruising along the North Shore of LI and are beginners.

thanks, Laura

I am the Gulfstrem sailor referred to in Harris reply. I sailed a Typhoon for severl years out of Ft. Lauderdale Inlet, and then switched to a SS23 for the past two years.
It's not a fair question to ask which boat is 'better' in any air really.Their relative size gives each unique and different characteristics. Both are superb boats. But bigger usually wins outwhen it comes to speed and overall performance. The SS is much faster due to it's longer waterline, and punches through a chop much better due to he extra weight. With 7 or 8 feet more mast height the SS does better in light air every time in my experiance. But hang onto something when the wind goes to 20, because reefing becomes survival. I normally reef the SS at 12/14. I rarely reefed the TY, and frequently sailed in heavy seas and high winds, with a feeling of complete control and safety. The SS is much more tender, and needs much more handling to keep in control.
In answer to your question, I would rate the SS over the Ty for Long Island sailing by a factor of 50% which is exactly the difference in size.But, you will love whichever boat you pick. I'd like to have both on my dock.
Regards Ron Brassord Lighthouse Pt. FL.

[zeida]

Laura: The Ty is a much more secure boat for beginners. With her full keel, she is perfectly balanced, as well as the Sea Sprite, but latter is slightly more tender. LI Sound may have light airs, but it can also be blustery, and you should not stay in the dock just because it's blowing 15 or 20 kn. the TY can handle that! Good luck.
Zeida



zcecil@ibm.net

[Laura Calderone]

Thanks to everyone who participated in this discussion.

We made an offer on the Typhoon today, following the advice to buy the boat you need today and not one that might be better in a few years.
As a beginner, the Ty seemed better. A friend said "that's a safe stable choice" and something about poking along that made me regret my decision! (The irony is that he has a wooden Marchall Catboat that is either SLOW or hard to handle -- although the cockpit is comfortable).

So Zeida, thanks for your comments! Who knows, maybe like a lot of people I will someday have owned a Ty, a Sea Sprite, a CD 25D......

Laura

Laura: The Ty is a much more secure boat for beginners. With her full keel, she is perfectly balanced, as well as the Sea Sprite, but latter is slightly more tender. LI Sound may have light airs, but it can also be blustery, and you should not stay in the dock just because it's blowing 15 or 20 kn. the TY can handle that! Good luck.
Zeida

lac@oup-usa.org

[M.J. Marroni]

I thought that I would wade in on this TY vs SS23 discussion. I have not owned a TY but have sailed on friend's boats. I owned and sailed SS23's out of Essex, CT and Hingham, MA. I loved my Sea Sprite although she was tender and a bit of a handfull in a stiff breeze. We never had any problems sailing our Sea Sprite in LI Sound or out and around Boston. I definately think that she handled light air better than the TY. We moved up from the SS23 to a CD25 which we just sold when we moved to Portland, OR. The CD25 was a great boat to sail and we loved her very much. However, my heart will always belong to the SS23.

P.S. I am looking for a CD27 or even a SS27 on the West Coast. Does anyone have a lead?

Thanks!

Mark Marroni

[Stu Timm]

I HEAR YA!
I spent my summers as a kid out on Barnegat Bay out of Waretown. Those early afternoon southerly breezes were quite a blast that humbled many. Being from a powerboat family, the breezes only made our Hubert Johnson Sea Skiff ( a 23' lap strake wood bass boat - full keel, semi displacement hull, great lines!) cut and toss through the afternoon chop with glee. When I took my Laser-1 out for a sail on the Bay for a bit of nostalgia, I was promptly handed tons of eel grass in my cockpit ( how the hell does that stuff get in there?) as well as a nasty chop for a 14 foot centerboard "canoe" sailboat. Needless to say, it was a wild ride, full of spray, taking water over the bows of my boat constantly. Have a great summer, and stay out of the shallows!



mitshu@juno.com