Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 04-06-2018, 18:05   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: HI
Posts: 81
Schooners and cutters

How much more difficult is it to sail a schooner one handed vs a cutter all things otherwise being equal?

I'm older now and I'm recovering from serious illnesses. So safety and ease of sailing are important to me the latter probably more so than you young guys.

I've been looking for years but somehow I always get derailed.

It's probably impractical but if I'm looking at remasting for furling etc how much are we talking in a 55 mono to go from the schooner to cutter...roughly speaking? Yes, it is probably more practical to just find the right boat but I'd still like to know
jobberone is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2018, 18:44   #2
Registered User
 
Greg4cocokai's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Long Beach, Ca. USA
Boat: Norseman 447
Posts: 403
Re: Schooners and cutters

We sailed this 75' schooner around the world for 9 years, double handed. She had 7 sails so was easy to shorten sails. 3 were on furlers. Easy to just douse sails for bad weather!Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_7120.jpg
Views:	185
Size:	176.9 KB
ID:	171106
__________________
GREG, s/v Sirena
currently, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico cool:
Greg4cocokai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2018, 18:48   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: HI
Posts: 81
Re: Schooners and cutters

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg4cocokai View Post
We sailed this 75' schooner around the world for 9 years, double handed. She had 7 sails so was easy to shorten sails. 3 were on furlers. Easy to just douse sails for bad weather!Attachment 171106
What a beautiful boat!
jobberone is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2018, 18:56   #4
Registered User
 
Suijin's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Bumping around the Caribbean
Boat: Valiant 40
Posts: 4,625
Re: Schooners and cutters

I think if you're looking at a 55' boat there is some wisdom to going with two masts. 55' is right where sails on a sloop/cutter start to get *really* big. Smaller more manageable sails could better fit your needs. Furling sails help, but you might also want to think about electric winches.
Suijin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2018, 19:27   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: HI
Posts: 81
Re: Schooners and cutters

Quote:
Originally Posted by Suijin View Post
I think if you're looking at a 55' boat there is some wisdom to going with two masts. 55' is right where sails on a sloop/cutter start to get *really* big. Smaller more manageable sails could better fit your needs. Furling sails help, but you might also want to think about electric winches.
First I've heard this. This is important. Would I be ok with electric winches on a cutter?
jobberone is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2018, 19:38   #6
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Coming to a Marina Near You
Boat: Hallberg-Rassy 49
Posts: 303
Re: Schooners and cutters

Electric winches work on any rig. Soon they will be standard on all new boats....unfortunately. I'm 62 and my manual winches are one of the things that keep me young.

My nephew bought a new mast for his 30 foot boat last year. The full package with all new standing rigging and halyards was $22,000. And this was just a plain old hollow aluminum mast. No furling or anything fancy. Two new masts with furling for a 55 footer would probably cost you close to $100k.
__________________
Professional Reality Checker
KeelMe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2018, 20:32   #7
Registered User
 
Greg4cocokai's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Long Beach, Ca. USA
Boat: Norseman 447
Posts: 403
Re: Schooners and cutters

Quote:
Originally Posted by KeelMe View Post
Electric winches work on any rig. Soon they will be standard on all new boats....unfortunately. I'm 62 and my manual winches are one of the things that keep me young.



My nephew bought a new mast for his 30 foot boat last year. The full package with all new standing rigging and halyards was $22,000. And this was just a plain old hollow aluminum mast. No furling or anything fancy. Two new masts with furling for a 55 footer would probably cost you close to $100k.


Manual winches keep you in shape!
__________________
GREG, s/v Sirena
currently, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico cool:
Greg4cocokai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 15:33   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 74
Re: Schooners and cutters

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg4cocokai View Post
We sailed this 75' schooner around the world for 9 years, double handed. She had 7 sails so was easy to shorten sails. 3 were on furlers. Easy to just douse sails for bad weather!Attachment 171106
What's happened to that boat?
Bigmarv is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 15:39   #9
Registered User
 
Greg4cocokai's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Long Beach, Ca. USA
Boat: Norseman 447
Posts: 403
Re: Schooners and cutters

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigmarv View Post
What's happened to that boat?


She is being chartered by my girlfriend. She's up for sale, good price, great Boat! She's in Southern California currently.
__________________
GREG, s/v Sirena
currently, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico cool:
Greg4cocokai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 15:54   #10
Registered User

Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 3,525
Re: Schooners and cutters

You sound like a man who needs a ketch.

Turning a schooner into a cutter would be really hard and you're left with a huge mainsail and headsail. Why not a ketch? This keeps the sails small and allows the wonderfully balanced jib and jigger when the wind gets up. And downwind a mizzen staysail that doesn't require a trip to the foredeck to set like a cruising chute.

Given your physical issues, I'd also keep the sail area on the small side.
Set her up so you don't have to think about reducing sail until 20 knots. At that point take down the main and be good to 30+. Sure, you'll run the engine in winds under 10 knots but most people do anyways.

That said, moving masts is likely to have serious structural challenges. Both for the downward force of the mast and the upward pull of the shrouds. You'll need a good marine architect.
CarlF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 16:10   #11
CF Adviser
 
Pelagic's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2007
Boat: Van Helleman Schooner 65ft StarGazer
Posts: 10,280
Re: Schooners and cutters

Quote:
Originally Posted by Suijin View Post
I think if you're looking at a 55' boat there is some wisdom to going with two masts. 55' is right where sails on a sloop/cutter start to get *really* big. Smaller more manageable sails could better fit your needs. Furling sails help, but you might also want to think about electric winches.
Exactly!... Much easier to manage 2 shorter masts and corresponding sail, than one large one.

We have a 65' schooner with behind mast furlers as is the foresail.

Easily handled without power winches by my 90lb partner.

Click image for larger version

Name:	1 sealife DSC_0004.jpg
Views:	126
Size:	35.3 KB
ID:	171138.Click image for larger version

Name:	Banton 2 SG.jpg
Views:	121
Size:	118.2 KB
ID:	171134Click image for larger version

Name:	Sail8.jpg
Views:	122
Size:	87.5 KB
ID:	171135Click image for larger version

Name:	1ac Stern boarding.JPG
Views:	128
Size:	91.0 KB
ID:	171136Click image for larger version

Name:	1ab <a title=Deck.JPG Views: 111 Size: 58.7 KB ID: 171137" style="margin: 2px" />
Pelagic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 20:25   #12
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 74
Re: Schooners and cutters

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg4cocokai View Post
She is being chartered by my girlfriend. She's up for sale, good price, great Boat! She's in Southern California currently.
I'd be interested in knowing more about it. Construction details etc. Plus about the rig, massive masts, upwind performance etc.

Cheers
Bigmarv is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
cutter

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Sailing Schooners jalmberg Monohull Sailboats 4 28-03-2016 16:01
30-50 ft LOA non-wooden Gaff-Rigged Sloops and Schooners? SuddenlySailing Monohull Sailboats 63 02-12-2015 15:11
Haitian schooners ameehan Atlantic & the Caribbean 0 21-03-2015 03:36
Big Schooners and Black Tie Parties Steve1944 Monohull Sailboats 7 03-09-2014 16:05
Luke Powell's new book Working Sail. Building and sailing trad. pilot cutters Aftstarboard The Library 4 03-11-2012 13:17

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:27.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.