Cascade 29 or Haida 26 ?

[reinellsailor]

Hello to all;

I just joined this forum and would like to get some input/advice on what I'm about to do. More like if my action does make sense or not.

4 years ago, woke up one morning and decided that I wanted to start sailing. Packed up everything I owned and moved from Vancouver to Victoria. (just like that).....Found a 1975 26ft Reinell Sailboat being sold in Cowichan Lake, BC for $5000 that was in fair condition with a fairly new 9.9 Yamaha High Thrust outboard. Thought it was a good deal so I bought it for $4500 and started learning how to sail the boat for a few months before I decide to buy a better one.

While learning how to sail on the lake, i decided to start looking for something that is more stable that would take me further than just a 34Km lake.

A year later, just before summer, I found the 21 foot sister ship of the famous Trekka sailboat made by John Guzzwell. Decided to buy it, had it moored at Oak Bay Marina and started to hone my sailing skills on that nice wooden sailboat. I also paid $4500 for that boat and it came with a 5HP Mercury 2-stroke.

For emergency reasons, not mine but family related, I had to sell both boats and headed back out east.

I am now back out in the West Coast and can't wait to get back on the water.

Found a couple of boats that caught my eye, a Cascade 29 for $6800 and a Haida 26 for $4500. Regardless of which boat I decide to purchase, I'm sure I'll be happy with it. I plan to sail to Hawaii and some parts of Asia. Remember, I really haven't had a chance to go too far when I started sailing.

Here's what I want to do with either the Haida 26 or the Cascade 29.

I want my hull to be stronger so I would like use the existing hull as a mold to bond it with wood and when it's dry and ready, I would like to cover the wood with fiberglass. In other words, it would be fiberglass over wood over fiberglass.

Does that make my boat stronger and what are the cons on that idea? Aside for the cost to do it.

Thanks..

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, reinellsailor.

I don’t think either of those boats would make good trans-pacific voyagers.

Neither would I encapsulate wood, as you propose.
Depending upon how good a bond you achieve, between layers, it may strengthen the hull; but at greatly increased weight. This will destroy the boat’s designed sailing characteristics.
Wood doesn’t do particularly well, when encapsulated.

[reinellsailor]

Thanks for your input.....

Do you suggest I just get a larger boat instead?

The main issue I have is that the slip I found is for a 30 ft boat. Not much 30ft sailboats being sold in Victoria. There are a lot of 26ft and a couple of 29ft. I know of a 30ft Catalina for sale but I feel safer on the Haida or Cascade. I've thought about the weight issue too. I guess I have to find something on the 30ft range that's better made for bluewater cruising.

[Triton318]

Either boat is capable of taking you across the Pacific. A Cascade 29, Hooligan, completed a circumnavigation. Neither would, in my opinion, require strengthening of the hull as you described. There might be some structural modifications you'd want to make here and there, but the hulls themselves would be fine.

GordMay -- why do you think neither would make good trans-Pacific voyagers?

[tager]

I have a haida and love it. I spend a lot of time on boat projects, but it is a well built boat. I have the Mark I. I would suggest getting the Mark II. The one with a molded deck. So superior to the dynel-over-ply deck that my boat has. The Mark II also has a GFRP rudder, superior to the solid-wood version on the Mark I. Even with these small problems I really love my boat. The Haida is an excellent design.

[tager]

I was speaking with a guy that sailed his Haida to NZ and he had a few tips:

Double backs and a solent stay or inner forestay for serious rig security.
Stiffening ribs in bilge.
Beefier pintles and gudgeons.
Trim tab wind vane.
Watertight deck.
Reduced cockpit volume/increased cockpit drain capacity.
Tiller Extension.
Weather Cloths.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Triton318

... GordMay -- why do you think neither would make good trans-Pacific voyagers?

Cascade 29
Fresh Water Tanks: 12 Gallons
Fuel Tanks: 1 Aluminum 20 Gallons
The boat could make it; but (IMHO) cannot support (even a single) the crew.
Think "stuff" - where do you store it?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Triton318

Either boat is capable of taking you across the Pacific. A Cascade 29, Hooligan, completed a circumnavigation...

Indeed: Ed Hart's Circumnaviation

But in light of:

... 4 years ago, woke up one morning and decided that I wanted to start sailing. ....

[Triton318]

Originally Posted by Triton318

Either boat is capable of taking you across the Pacific.

Either boat is capable of taking you across the Pacific with some modifications. You may need to increase water tankage and/or fuel tankage and add some secure storage areas.

Thanks Gord!

[bangkaboat]

Reinellsailor,
Just a thought; We're presently in L.A. Harbor, prepping our boat to head west. The guy in the berth next to us has a Sun 27 that he's asking $5,500 for. Another guy here just bought a Cal 34 for about $3,500. The point being, there are boats being sold cheap, even give-aways, down here.
Mike

[reinellsailor]

Thanks for you input guys.....
Bangkaboat (mike) those are great prices. I was planning on sailing to the Philippines too. Gotta meet some relatives down there that I've never met before.

Not sure if the if the Haida 26 is a Mark II.....

The Cascade 29 Sloop is a 1972 Version.

Both boats are in perfect to mint condition are all well maintained with fairly new outboards.

See attached pictures of the boats I have in mind.

[tager]

That is a MKI. It has dynel-over-ply decks and probably a solid wood rudder. Check for rot up underneath the coamings, around the cockpit seats, around the motor well endgrain, and anywhere that deck fittings go through the core. It is possible that the rudder is rotten, too. Mine was. It looks to be in great condition, I would say go for it, you will like it.

[Butler]

Don't know the Haidas. Other than the stowage isues the Cascade 29 is a good boat for open ocean based on my having sailed on one a number of times and from stories I have read (2) of Pacific crossings. They are good sailors too. Gord is also right about trying to encapsulate wood. What you are considering along these lines would ruin either of these boats.
Keep it simple, keep it simple, keep it simple. That house on the Cascade will be wanting plenty of maintenance. Particularly if you are going to be in the tropics.

[tager]

I'll be the one to say, you should paint the house white on either of those boats.

[reinellsailor]

I was thinking of painting the whole boat white too.
Also, I'm going to get the boatyard to reinforce the boat to make it stronger and maybe change the tiller to something stronger.
As for the hull, maybe i'll just get them to add another layer of fiberglass just to be on the safe side. Still not sure which one of the two I'll end up getting.