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Old 02-04-2013, 13:11   #1
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First 27.7 mast raising

Anyone out there understand the mast situation on a First 27.7 ? Does this mast go the keel ?

The lifting bulb keel looks like a boat ramp launch/retrieve, but a keel stepped mast implies a yard should to be involved with the launch/retrieval.

am curious...
-Frank.
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Old 02-04-2013, 15:10   #2
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Re: First 27.7 mast raising

Yes, the mast on a First 27.7 goes trough the deck, down to the keel.

I have no experience with the lifting keel, I only sailed fixed-keel ones and never pulled the mast.

Alain
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Old 02-04-2013, 16:11   #3
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Re: First 27.7 mast raising

Thanks, probably works okay to let the yard deal with the mast. Not the sort of boat I would take to a local fishing lake. With the lifting keel she would trailer very low.

Interestingly (to me anyway), the laws here in the states let you trailer a "wide" load with a small annual fee. Each state has their own law. Looks like Florida is $20/year, Ohio is $100/yr...

This past weekend I looked at the First 25S in Annapolis, MD dealership. Unfortunately this design tried to pack a lot in a small tube - i'm fairly tall and couldn't use that interior at all. A person should be able to sit on the settees without having your head jammed into the deck.

cheers,
Frank.
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Old 03-04-2013, 13:54   #4
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Re: First 27.7 mast raising

I'm not really tall (5'9") but I have never been comfortable in a First 27.7: I can't stand erect in front of the galley stove and the saloon berths are too narrow for me. I don't like the position at the helm, I find it cramped and tiring.

And I have been disappointed by the abrupt motions in a seaway and the sail-carrying power: it is necessary to take the 3rd reef in the mainsail when the wind is Beaufort 6. In a stronger wind, you have to lower the main completely, then you can't go to windward anymore.

To sum it up, the First 27.7 isn't a cruising boat: you can't prepare meals or sleep underway in a seaway. It's just a boat where you can sleep in harbor. But at 3 tons displacement, it's a bit heavy to trailer.

Alain
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Old 03-04-2013, 15:50   #5
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Re: First 27.7 mast raising

Alain, thanks for the advice, I haven't seen this boat first hand so is tough to gauge.

I don't mind the motion at sea, I don't mind the reefing, the helm position on this boat is not recoverable though. The designers appear to have put you out on the corner totally exposed with no back support. I'm thinking survival suit is what you wear while tightly tethered.

thanks.
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Old 04-04-2013, 14:04   #6
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Re: First 27.7 mast raising

In fact, I didn't feel so exposed at the helm: I just wore foulies. I don't want a back rest for helming in rough conditions: I prefer being free to move, to be able to use my upper body strength, not just my arm.

But I couldn't sit comfortably and I had a lifeline just behind my back, preventing me from keeping my torso upright when the boat was heeling.

Alain
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