A good friend of mine had a continuous rolling furler with a code 0. This was hoisted only for use and was lowered when not needed (to avoid the windage) I dont think you will get this to work with a spinnaker as there is to much materiel to furl, you will have a huge mess of sail if you try
I have been thinking about options for a spinnaker/genniker/code 0 system and have thought about putting one on a continuous roller furling and generally keeping it hoisted unless the weather is really nasty, in which case it could be lowered and lashed to the tramp. Has anyone done this, or have thoughts about it? It looks like the Hobie pearl does this...
mystere 6.0 xl
10' beams with wings
extra width for extra stability, wings for area to sleep/stow gear
+1
I had this exact setup, but finding one with wings is a needle in a haystack. Mine had modified Hobie wings.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures?g2_itemId=106278&g2_GALLERYSID=80eaaa4759e2c082aa8c1809f70c99b3
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures?g2_itemId=109394
There are a handful for sale right now, BUT, they are all in Quebec, not exactly a quick or cheap road trip.
http://www.kijiji.ca/b-quebec/catamaran/k0l9001
I would give up on the "Rowing, possibly for days" idea. Yes, it can be calm on the inside passage during that time, but it is rarely dead calm. A 2-3mph zephyr will move a cat far better than two can paddle.
With the exception of localized breeze, (I'm thinking outflow from Howe Sound etc) your predominant winds should be westerly, giving you reaching conditions. Of course you know crossing Hecate Strait might be as hairy as any ocean passage.
The one thing I would be most concerned about, & so far not mentioned, is the climate. The water is pretty bloody cold that time of year. I have sailed for hours in a cold drizzle, helming a 38' leaner up to Hakai, & Desolation. It would have been misery on an open Cat.
I'm assuming you will go dry suit? Or have your skin rot off after 2 weeks of constant wet suit. I would favour something like a Stilleto 27, with the small cabins to sleep/get out of the weather. There were a couple for sale around or west of Chicago.
The other consideration is not wanting to stop. You will have to, & this means possibly beaching/camping. As you know, the Wet Coast can be pretty isolated, with rough terrain. You would need a boat that will handle some bumps, yet be light enough to haul up a gravel beach.
For me, that would rule out the lighter fragile boats.
I wouldn't get hung up on the skeg boats perceived upwind performance, if you get weight forward & the lee hull into the water, you don't loose very much. It has more to do with the skill of the skipper.
I have hit floating logs, twice, once at speed on my 5.7, with no ill effects.
A few Cats have reefing, I have sailed the 5.7 in as high as 30mph(not fun, survival). If you get into a real blow, drop the main & lash it to the tramp, a 5.7 will still go 11mph on jib alone. The 570 may not be the "perfect" boat, but it may come down to what is available, & that would be a very close third behind my 20'x10' winged Mystere. 1st would be something with the cuddies in the hulls.
ou would need a boat that will handle some bumps, yet be light enough to haul up a gravel beach.
Hobie Gary made lightweight beachwheels out of pvc and boat bumpers to pull his cats up catalina island
Jan 29-2015
Near Everett WA
I'm thinking of entering the Race to Alaska this June. I have a prindle 19 .. stock. So, basically would rely 100% on wind, and a good anchor system for areas of currents during times of dead air . I keep envisioning being sent into the rocks and having these egg shell hulls destroyed and then walking out the canadian bush. I think two sailors could do some limited paddling from both sides of the boat if needed.
4 months to the race, so time to practice. looking to find another sailor for this ... event. Not sure about the return trip. Sail back, trailer it, sell it.. give it away...
If the winds are favorable.... there is a real possibility of winning this $10,000 prize...
The Stilleto would have some real load carrying capability, as well as some shelter. If you could find a Reynolds 21 you'd also have both of those qualities. Not a fast boat, and I'd look into stouter standing rigging, and maybe a heavier mast, something like a SC 20 mast. I've seen R21s from $5 to $10 K.
Dave
Thanks for all the ideas and recommendations. I just bought a boat! I ended getting a nacra 570 for a great deal from the interior of bc. Now to start sailing and moding the boat. List of projects include; solar system with li ion batts in cross beam. Roller code 0 on pole, and pedal power system! I think i will start a new thread when i start working on the boat.
tumbolo wrote: Thanks for all the ideas and recommendations. I just bought a boat! I ended getting a nacra 570 for a great deal from the interior of bc.
Congrats! Can't wait to hear about all your adventures.
I've had a furling screacher on a Reynolds 21, Supercat 20, and Flight Risk, a custom 24' cat. All used a Harken small boat furler, with a tapered furling line, so that the line on the drum was 1/8" dyneema, worked well. All the sails were all quite flat, designed specifically for cats, and furled well, providing it could be rolled while blanketed. If it was flogging, it would furl unevenly and too tightly, and there wouldn't be enough line on the drum to wind it all up. Big mess, had to drop it a couple of times in gnarly conditions. Overall a manageable problem. A continuous furled would also solve the problem, but I haven't seen any small enough for boats this size, and if they are made, I'd expect them to be pricey.
They were all laminate sails, which ultimately suffered near the luff where it was furled most tightly. Eventually, maybe 4 or 5 seasons, the mylar began to break down. And when the sails were furled and dropped, I tried to minimize the folding of the rolled sail, as these sharp bends were also hard on the mylar. So I kept the the furled sail aloft most of the time, it was in the way on the tramp. If it was blowing when I left shore I'd drop it and leave it ashore. I sewed a long zippered sock to protect it from uv when parked, the less the sail is handled, the better, in my experience.
The screacher did not work nearly as deep as a spin, but for recreational use, just additional power for light and moderate air, the ease of furling and unfurling was really nice, easier to do solo than snuffing. I really liked them. I'd like to do it again for this SC20 I'm working on. For a while I was finding them lightly used for around $500, but I haven't seen any for sale in quite a while. I suspect one needs to have one built by one of the experienced multihull lofts specifically for the boat. If you really want vmg downwind, a spin is a better choice.
Any one have lines on sails or furlers?
Dave
Dave,
Tom at Aquarius has worked out the top down curlers on the ARC22 and the smaller boats as well. I've got a friend who is in the process of getting a system for his SC20 right now. He is using his existing spin he has for his 20 with some slight modifications at the head and tack of the sail. I know someone else who has just about completed this system on his smaller SC, maybe he will chime in.
I'm eagerly watching, maybe that's next up for my 20! Might be a SNU for sale in the future haha
Thanks Mac, I too am interested to see how a recut on a snuffed spin will work. I'd think a sail would have to be carefully designed to work with that system.
I haven't quite got it figured out, but I think rowing it can be done
I'm going to experiment with 10' sculling oar at center rear xbeam on my cat. I'll also use the oar for righting pole.
There is a Reynolds 21 here in L.A. for $5500, not a particularly fast boat especially as there are several fast tris in the race, but the cold is the most important factor to guard against. By the 2nd night, I don't know how you keep warm on a beach cat unless you come ashore & light a fire. Pete
Got out for the first sail yesterday, out of jericho beach in vancouver. My crew and i had a great sail in light to moderate air. This was both our first times on a cat! We flew one hull briefly and sailed circles around all the keel boats. Lots still to learn but we felt very good out there! One problem he had was getting the main down, any tips?
As for the code 0, i am going to have it custom made from a shop thats made lots of sails for me in the past. Then im going to put it on a ronstan series 60 small boat continuous furler.
I'm going to experiment with 10' sculling oar at center rear xbeam on my cat. I'll also use the oar for righting pole.
I would love to hear what kinds of speeds you can do with this. I used to use a sculling oar on a 27ft keel boat. Slow boat effective, i imagine it will work better for you!
I would love to hear what kinds of speeds you can do with this. I used to use a sculling oar on a 27ft keel boat. Slow boat effective, i imagine it will work better for you!
Control is more important that speed, especially with the sail up when it's windy next to the bridge pilings. I only need scull 500 yards through narrow channel, where it would be impossible to sail out of. To get in the open where the wind is. And to get back to the ramp etc. Of course I could use the oar/pole to keep from hitting the rocks too! 😆
One problem he had was getting the main down, any tips?
Which 570 did you pick up in B.C.?
There were a couple, one in Armstrong, one in Vernon, & I believe one other. One was actually a 5.7 with 570 mainsail.
Is it a 570 mast with the "ring" at the end of the halyard, or the old 5.7 style mast, with a ball swaged onto the halyard?
If it is the "ring" that drops onto a hook on the mast, do a search here, there are several threads addressing this exact problem. Mostly it has to do with how the ring is tied to the halyard. I could not get my 20' Mystere to come loose, until I changed the knot.
Once I made it look like below, no problem. You must pull the halyard,(raise the ring just off the hook), then rotate the mast, to get the hook out of the way. Then while holding the mast rotated, drop the sail. This will prevent the hook from re-engaging the ring.
There is a write up somewhere that stated the knot must face the mast, or vice versa. My boat was opposite of the write up.
What I did was tip the boat over on the lawn,(Hell sail it up onto the sand at English Bay) then raise & lower the sail a few times. You will be able to see exactly what is causing the problem, & rectify it.
Which 570 did you pick up in B.C.?
I picked up the one just outside vernon, a 2003 570. It has the halyard ring, i have been reading some threads about it and seems i need to pay more attention to the orientation of the knot, or tie it the way you have it. Ill give it a shot later this week. Thanks
Hey Tum, all the best on your race, there is a wicked 24 in Kijiji in Cowachin lake, bit pricey though...
We'll be on the Island next week for a week, looking to move there.
Hope to log many fun nm.
We'll be on the Island next week for a week, looking to move there.
Hope to log many fun nm.
Where on the island are you moving? Im moving out to vic next week, lots of good wind and close by islands, but very limited options for storing the boat with the mast up.