Looking at CD30K

Riptide · Post by **Riptide** » Mar 3rd, '10, 14:53

Hello All

I'm looking at a CD30K that is for sale in Fair Haven, NJ. Is anyone familiar with this boat? Any bias for/against the ketch configuration?

Mike
aka Riptide

Watermark II · Post by **Watermark II** » Mar 3rd, '10, 17:09

Mike,
We have had Watermark II, our CD30K hull #2, for five years and love it.
The ketch rig allows a proper sail arrangement for most any situation. This past season was a very windy and gusty one and we were comfortable in winds over 20 with jib and jigger only... maintaining hull speed and sailing relatively level (the Admiral likes less than 10 degrees of heel).
The ketch also does very well in light air.

Andy
Watermark II
CD30K #2

Riptide · Post by **Riptide** » Mar 3rd, '10, 17:19

Hi Andy

Does your have the "reverse wheel" (don't know the proper name)? If so how do you like it. It performs much like a tiller I assume. The added sail configuration is a plus. I sail in Lake Superior on a friends CD30 we often have to reef his sloop.

Mike

Kevin_P · Post by **Kevin_P** » Mar 3rd, '10, 20:03

Hi Riptide,
We have a Cape Dory 30 cutter with the "reversed" worm gear steering. It works very well. The rotation is the same as a regular steering wheel. The only difference is that it is based on worm gears, instead of pulleys and cables.

The worm gear steering doesn't have the same sensitivity that a pulley/cable system has, but the gears also make it less prone to failure. It takes a little getting used to, but once you're at the helm a while, it's great.

Hope this helps.
Kevin P.

MarcMcCarron · Post by **MarcMcCarron** » Mar 4th, '10, 20:48

Ketch - great idea - with weather the boat sails well without a main.
easy to sail.

wheel - works in a very small cockpit - mast takes getting used to but
is a safe pole to hang on to in weather.

Engine- inaccessible unless your very small.

I love mine but you have to get your arms around the fact that it's
a small 30.....

Very respectable speeds under sail in stiff winds.

seadog6532 · Post by **seadog6532** » Mar 5th, '10, 09:45

We have CD30K #112 and we love her. We have been living aboard for a little over a month and will be leaving to go cruising at the end of the comming hurricane season some time in November.
We have owned her for 2 1/2 years and have put a lot of time and money into her. We have also spent a lot of time sailing her in all kinds of conditions. She will balance well in any conditions we have had her in, always rides great and is always predictable. She will forgive your mistakes and keep on going
The CD30 is a very small 30 foot boat but after living on her for over a month we do not feel cramped and we have every thing we need. Keep in mind, we're still getting up and going to work so need a lot of things we will not need when we leave to sail south.
We also have the worm gear steering. You don't have a lot of feel so need to learn the feel of the boat to know when you are over pressed. One good way to tell is to watch how much turn you have in the wheel. If you start getting over half a turn it may be time to reef or drop the main and sail jib and jigger. Worn gear is one of the strongest wheel steering systems you can get.
If you have any more questions feel free to drop us a line and we will see if we can help.

mgphl52 · Post by **mgphl52** » Mar 5th, '10, 10:05

seadog6532 wrote: We also have the worm gear steering. You don't have a lot of feel so need to learn the feel of the boat to know when you are over pressed. One good way to tell is to watch how much turn you have in the wheel. If you start getting over half a turn it may be time to reef or drop the main and sail jib and jigger.

Being "new" to sailing a ketch (only since last May), I have also found that you can easily over-trim the mizzen and cause extra weather helm. I imagine that part of our issue is the age (and stretch) of our mizzen sail. But yes, a worm drive helm is great! Being able to walk away and mess with sails without the boat wandering around is great for single-hand sailing and taking non-sailors out as well.

-michael

seadog6532 · Post by **seadog6532** » Mar 5th, '10, 15:50

Keep in mind, with the ketch rig on any size boat you can carry a fishermans reef. Ease the mizzen a little till you have a little roll of luff. You don't want it to flutter around much and if it is flogging you need to sheet in till it stops. Play with it like this till you have a balanced helm. In the old days a ketch or yawl was a very popular rig because it is so easy to balance. This was much more important before auto pilots and windvanes. Have you ever wondered why Joshua Slokum sailed around the world on a yawl? I think I know.

darmoose · Post by **darmoose** » Mar 6th, '10, 17:47

Mark

I too have a CD30k, Mystic Rose, #122, and love her as well. You mentioned you are heading south soon. We live in South Florida and will be heading up the intercoastal waterway in April to move the boat to the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis. Are you coming down the intercoastal waterway, perhaps we will pass each other?

I use the head sail and mizzen a fair bit in South Florida as the winds can get a bit much and that sail arrangement works really well. The 30k is a bit small but one gets used to the size as you say, and the boat is really well equipped. Wherever I go she turns heads, even from owners of much bigger boats and especially non CD owners.

Good luck in your travels, and let me know where you are heading.

Darrell

Riptide · Post by **Riptide** » Mar 10th, '10, 12:58

Thanks everyone for the information on the ketch configuration. I'm going to pass on the one I was looking at but I'll file the info away in case I come across another.

Mike
aka Riptide

The Cape Dory Board

Looking at CD30K

Looking at CD30K

CD30K

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CD30K owner

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