What the heck are these?

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by PlumKrazy

if his designs are so rock-solid, why would there be massive holes in the deck to allow ventilation and a high risk of sinking in bad weather?

Erhm ... risk of sinking? Are you being serious or just plain trolling?

I am sorry, I know this'll sound rude and I don't want to be unkind, but before you can even have a "dream boat", you should learn what a boat is, and what keeps them afloat and what doesn't.

And never, ever forget that pretty much any half decent boat, even a little old lady like mine, will take you around the world if YOU are capable. Boats are rarely the issue, the crew is.

Most boats that go down, either go down due to human error or a domino effect of the crappiest of luck and one-in-a-million-chance stuff happening (and human error). And there is no boat design that can prevent that from happening ...

[bsurvey]

they are dorade boxes they let in air but not water.


if you don't know what they are how are you going to maintain them


you may want to start with a little more fundamental boat and get some training

[Cruisingscotts]

just becuase....

The varnished wood boxes are Dorade boxes, named after said vessel Dorade as first instaled by there designer and vessel owner Olin. The metal vent or cowl is not a dorade.

[Stu Jackson]

You might want to do search on this forum for BOOKS.

One that for folks in your position should be mandatory reading is Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Yachts.

Another good one is Calder's Cruisers Handbook.

You NEED to do some more research and homework, but the information is out there, beyond asking questions on a website.

Good luck, nice dream you have.

[Horus]

Take a board and stay on the beach!

[Tessellate]

Wow, so many critics on CF today. I laughed at the original post too, mostly only out of a good natured way - like "I can remember the days where I might have asked a silly question like this."
But some people are being a bit harsh. It's not that hard to see how someone could be unaware of dorade boxes. Many modern boat designs no longer include them. I only learned about them early on by reading The Voyager's Handbook. Prior to that I had sailed on 20 different boats, none of which had dorade boxes.

The funny part is he called a thing a lot of people like an "eyesore" and predictably, half the people rushed to be offended. At least it was entertaining. : )

Even the idea these might increase risk of sinking is not that outlandish. People talk of small cockpits, strong companionway hatch boards, strong portlights, etc. Two of these dorades are well forward of the mast and the other two at or slightly fwd of mast. If one of the boxes got ripped off and he didn't have a good plug, it's not that hard to imagine it being an issue. I've heard stories of similar things being an issue - ex, a broken portlight near the foredeck would be a concern.

@PlumCrazy, I wouldn't worry about deck lounging space - it looks like there's plenty of room in between the two fwd dorades to plop a cockpit cushion and lounge. Or forward of that, behind the anchor locker. On many boats the slope of the coachroof provides a nice backrest.

[stillbuilding]

This surely has to be the silliest troll of the month.😃😃
Have to do better than that my friend. Although you did pull a few.😆😆😆


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forums lily hhrn

[Cheechako]

You will find that the foredeck or the cockpit are just as great to lay around on as the cabin top... possibly better.
Besides, you wont be laying around anyway... you do know that Cruising is actually "doing boat maintenance in exotic places" right?
The Dorade setup in your pic is rather elaborate for sure. Nicely done but a lot of "stuff" for the ventilation you get. Not sure I would opt for those either. But nicely done.

[Blue Stocking]

Very few things on a sailboat are practical when compared to a landbased solution.
We are just suckers for punishment

FWIW, you DO have good taste if you are attracted to Crealock's boats.

[PlumKrazy]

Thanks Stu and Tess!

The only books I have so far are Practical Yacht Handling by Eric Tabarly, Against the Sea and a couple of others that aren't widely known. I have heard of The Voyager's Handbook though, so it must be a good read. Definitely be checking into the two that Stu recommended as well.

Perhaps my "worse-case-scenario" imaginations are just a fool's perception rather than something to actually be worried about at-sea. When I originally saw the dorades I didn't realize they could swivel for better protection against the water or that the boxes were actually a safety feature for allowing water to escape from the bottom. I did think they went straight into the cabin or perhaps into a vent system for diesel or head exhaust purposes. Now I know better.

I feel like I should mention that I wasn't thinking about buying a 44 footer within the next week or two. Too poor for that right now. But I am preparing to build my first boat (A sail-powered dinghy) to get going and purchase a true cruiser as soon as possible after that.

[Nevertheless, the Crealock 44 is still my dream boat.]

I actually kind of look forward to the hands-on aspect of having a sailboat. At least I won't be bored after bobbing for a week or two around the harbor/anchorage somewhere in the Caribbean.

I really do love Mr. Crealock's designs, Blue.

[MCOS]

Dear Plum, or do you prefer Mr Krazy?

If you can afford that ship, I suppose you can do with it whatever you desire. It would be a shame and a nautical sin to tamper with such an elegant design and to upset the designers carefully thought out ventilation system. Dorados are meant to scoop in fresh air to displace the stagnant air that accumulates within the hull. Most have a means for removing and a suitable covering for the opening meant to be used in extremely heavy seas, you know, those times when keeping water from entering is more important then airing out the cabin. Remove or block them at your own peril. Remember that all your cooking odors along with head smells and farts will linger as stagnant musty air builds up in that beautiful interior. Since it will also become quite damp, mildew and mold, perhaps even mushrooms will most likely soon spring up to enhance the traditional "Old Boat" smell. Before long none of your friends or family will be bothering you to "go sailing." Maybe that was you intent all along??

Buy lots of Febreeze and Air Wick, maybe an oxygen tank and you should be able to stand your self for a weekend or two.

[Trumpet]

I joined this forum recently because it seemed a good natured, genuinely helpful place. Responses to this post are making me wonder if I was mistaken ....

For what it's worth, my current boat came with three dorade vents, one forward of the mast and the other two aft. I have just had the forward one removed and replaced with a mushroom vent. I did this having had the boat three years, sailing in Northern waters - but with the expectation that I may take the boat to the Mediterranean in the future. I considered particularly that removing the forward vent would impact on circulation, because the forward/aft configuration of vents is designed to suck air in - but there was already one mushroom vent forward, and I've now got a second, plus the forward hatch can add ventilation at anchor. I decided to remove the dorade vent (and attendant frame) because it seriously impacts on space on the foredeck to stow a dinghy.

All I would say in respinse to the origianl post is this: buying a boat is like buying a garden: sail (or grow) for a few years before you make major alterations.

Good luck with your dreams.

[Sailorbob8599]

I strongly agree with you, they are definitely an eyesore and a downright danger to the safety of the vessel; besides which, you really don't need them on that beautiful boat.
For some foolish reason, I feel a strong obligation to help you with this problem. Please, carefully remove, and pack them in strong cardboard boxes. Ship them to me direct via UPS and I will dispose of them for you ... free of charge.
Such is the friendship and camaraderie to newcomers by all members on this forum. Furthermore, and just to show my generosity in this matter, I'm even willing to pay half the freight ... or even 75% should you insist.

[PlumKrazy]

Either/or mcos. They both work!

Ah, don't be too off-put Mr/Miss Trumpet. Most of us are pretty nice, but there are some salty ones and some downright bitter ones, too. If you toss a pinch of jest and anti-troll spices into the mix, it's not so bad.

I've really learned a lot and spent many entertaining hours here at CF.

Just grab some popcorn and enjoy the show!

[antoha]

Originally Posted by PlumKrazy

Thank you for the responses. I agree entirely about needing to learn more about sailing before I start, I appreciate your candid input.

To be honest, I suspected that they might be some kind of circulation vents but couldn't find a straight answer even in the brochure.

I found some vent designs at vetus.com and thought that they seemed very similar in nature to the pipes.

Do you think it would be a problem to remove the foremost "dorades" and seal them up? Or maybe even all 4?

Don't get me wrong I understand the importance of ventilation, circulation, etc, but this just doesn't strike me as a particularly stunning or even super useful design feature.

I'm simply asking candid questions about a subject for which I obviously still have a lot of learning to do.

Thanks again for reading and for the responses.

if you decide to get rid of them (together with the stainless guards around them), i would be very happy to buy them from you (and i also i hope you would be selling them inexpensively). i need stainless 4" dorade ventilators, but they appear to be too rich for me to buy new.

thank you!
anton