Benford Fantail Resurrection

[boatpoker]

Posted this on the Trawler Forum but thought some of the sailors on this forum may be converted to the dark side by Our New (totally unique) Boat.

[kimden5]

A huge amount of work. Way more than most people would undertake, but what AWESOME results !

[boatpoker]

Boat finished but for some trim. leaving Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario on Wednesday morning, heading for the Bahamas

[Steadman Uhlich]

I enjoyed seeing the refit. Thanks for sharing it here.
You are a lucky man to have an Admiral who works beside you to make your boat so nice, and it is nice to see she is appreciated and loved in words too. And the boat does look so much nicer with all the improvements you have made. It looks great now!

I like the thruster, and the interior renovation is very pleasing too. I also liked the change to the white finish on the bead board and the cork sole too.

Benford has some distinctive designs, and I like the awning over the fantail cockpit too.
Have a safe and enjoyable cruise!

[boatpoker]

If anyone is interested, Sharon has started a blog to cover the trip.

The Countdown: Countdown

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

If anyone is interested, Sharon has started a blog to cover the trip.

The Countdown: Countdown

Sharon had a lot of trouble working with blogspot so we have moved the blog and our trip photo album to our website Port Credit Marine Surveys.

we are currently sitting out the gale in Cape May waiting for weather to run up the Delaware.

[Scout 30]

I love this boat!

[darylat8750]

Wonderful work on a great boat! I have talked to a guy with a broad beamed trawler yacht that added a steading sail and didn't think it helped enough to be worth the effort/$$/. But then I talked to another guy who was very happy with his added steading sail. A guy in his 80s who has spent most of his life racing sail boats and a good portion of it making sails said that the important thing on a motor sailer or steadying sail is that it is almost always "hard on the wind" so he would cut the sail completely flat. I know almost nothing about sail making and I didn't stay in a H. INN last night so this is tossed out for consideration.....

[Scout 30]

For a steadying sail to work it has to be quite large and the conditions have to be right. Paravanes / flopper stoppers are much more effective but can be a hassle to use. Active fins are probably the most effective & easiest to use but are crazy expensive & not very reliable. If you watch the videos of the Nordhavn Transatlantic Rally the biggest problem was fins breaking down. For coastal cruising most of us just grin & bear it and/or mitigate it by adjusting course.