Lake Superior Cape Dory 33 - 2 of 2

[Paul D.]

1. Reefed down in 25 knots

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2, Dark and Stormies in the cockpit

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3. Rainy Day in Presque Ilse Bay

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[Chrisa006]

Nice pictures Paul!! So sorry you appear to be out of adult inspiration.

[barfwinkle]

Oh My. Not the Rum! Why is it always the Rum????

[John Stone]

Paul, great pictures. She is a great looking boat too. What kind of awning do you have up? How do you like it?

John

[Paul D.]

John,

The awning came with the boat and I have modified it a fair bit over the years. Basically it is a canvas rectangle with four athwartship PVC tubes in sleeves. There is a zip opening for the topping lift as the whole thing rolls out over the boom all the way aft to the backstay. I simply tie it down to the stations with taut line hitches. It is surprisingly strong and believe it or not I've had it up in a couple storms with up to fifty knots, though there's a couple stories there. I can tie it lower in windy conditions by lowering the topping lift/boom etc. Otherwise at 6 foot, I can stand and toss back an IPA under it.

In a flash of brilliance before a family voyage to Isle Royale National Park in a rather wet and buggy early July, I sewed in velcro to the edges and made up an insect netting screen with a chain weight down the bottom that encloses the entire cockpit. It works pretty well - if you remember to close it up where it comes together. More stories.

You cannot raise the main with it rigged but I have sailed under genny alone with it, though visibility is not ideal. As the PVC pipe is full length, it now lives made fast to the starboard lifeline when not rigged. I got sick of cleaning the starboard coachroof handrail area where it used to be. And it had obtained some good mildew stains from being stored there and staying wet. Also dress up access to the handrail which I feel is important.

You can sort of see how its laid out in the first shot. Holding the whole affair tight forward is a line from the center on the boom, forward to a cleat either on the boom or mast depending on whether we have the sail cover on. Second shot shows the center zip that goes around the topping lift then aft. I have a nice leather border around that opening for chafe. Third shot shows one of the eight tie downs that go to the stantions. In all these pictures I have the screen attached, which I rarely do unless we are in a windless and buggy anchorage. We like wilderness cruising up here in western Lake Superior so it happens. It is a pretty quick maneuver though to rig it or pull it off and stuff in it's own bag, which is about as big as a reusable grocery bag. The chain gives it a bit of heft.

I think anyone with a basic sewing machine could sew one of these awnings up (Use the length from the forward part of the sea hood to the backstay at the level of the top of the boom and get the width from the beam at its widest.) and it really gets a bunch of compliments from other sailors. As you know, an awning like this makes a huge difference in sun and it also makes the cockpit a pretty pleasant space in the rain. This awning really makes 33 feet of older, narrow beam sailboat design seem quite larger.