CD30 Cutter rig to sloop conversion

[Louis Gerhardy]

I am considering converting my CD 30 C to a sloop rig using a Hoyt boom. Has anyone done this and if so, how do you like it.

Since I almost always sail alone I am looking for ways to simplify tacking while maintaining boat performance.

[Tom in Cambria]

Louis,

You haven't been flooded with responses so far which, I suppose, means no one has used one to report about them to you. I haven't used one either, but I did look it up and watch the video, so I can five you my take on it.

It looks pretty handy especially downwind singlehanded, but here's a couple of thoughts that come to mind for what they are worth. First of all, I doubt that a well trimmed jib can equal the performance of a 140% overlapping genoa. Maybe a small genoa like the yankee that was designed for the 30 originally, but even then I doubt it. I didn't see any way to reef the jib, but perhaps it's a roller furling jib? It seems like in really heavy weather where you'd want to put on a very stout jib and reef it down that you'd still have to go forward. Maybe you can just roll up the jib to reef it? But then without changing the jib you'd have to go all the time with a heavyweight cloth and in light wind that might impede your ability to trim it to perfection. This looks like it might be designed to use for day sailing where you aren't likely to get caught offshore in a real blow.

With a cutter rig you can always douse the genoa and just tack on the staysail. It's self tending but I'm not sure what you mean by maintaining performance. Do you feel that the staysail isn't efficient when tacking? It always seemed to me that they are pretty handy coming about, and if you have a roller furling genoa you can just roll up the genoa and sail on the staysail alone when you want to tack. Performance isn't compromised much in my view. Of course if you're racing performance would be more important, but then you'd probably have to get re-measured with the new sail configuration and couldn't race against other Cape Dorys boat on boat. That wouldn't necessarily stop me, it all depends upon what kind of sailing you plan to do.

Some might think it's kind of a high tech looking rig and perhaps out of place on a traditional style boat, but you only have to please yourself. I'd like to sail one before I invested in such a big change, but it's an interesting concept and quite a good video.

For those who want to watch the video and have a high speed internet hookup you can google up "Hoyt Boom" or here's an address:

http://www.alerionexpress.net/sitebuild ... oomlargeme
dium.swf

If you install one, let us know how it works.

[Bob Ohler]

Louis, The CD30 will tack easier if you have the staysail up. I took this advice from someone here on the board, and until you try it and experience this for yourself, it may hard to imagine. Essentially, the yankee will come across and ride the back of the staysail through the slot between the stays. Light air can still be a challenge of course.

Good luck

Bob Ohler
sv Aloha Spirit
CD30 #335

[Bob Emmons]

Hello all,
I removed my staysail from my CD30 last year and had my Yankee modified with a luff rope for a better shape when reefed. This year after much sailing I was satisfied enough without the use of the staysail that I removed all of the hardware from the deck. I redid my nonskid, epxoy'd the holes so now there is no evidence of any bracket on deck. This might seem radical to some but I now have immediate access to the anchor, and this clears the foredeck for any task at hand, and allows all of my boat babes to lay on with bikinis( just kidding!). The boat sails just fine with a reefed Yankee and a reefed Mainsial in anything over 20 knots. So know my boat is a sloop with a high cut Yankee, and you know what? ......she still sails well as most boats with a fin keel because of the fine design and narrow beam!

Bob Emmons