G’day,
J In short, I think your case is overstated. Take no offense.
R Take more than that to offend me.
J Well, if I believe what I read, the
safety of a catamaran broadside to a wave is such that it is spared being flipped (assuming no sail is flying) until the wave height exceeds BOA. This is a theoretical statement, and I am confident that all manner of "just wrong" conditions could see a diminution of the parameters. The HP
concept requires that, in the process of shunting, the vessel be brought beam on to the waves. Not a requirement for a cat. Now, to be sure, I expect that 27 ft high waves (beam of Vissionary) are not common to most sailors. The average height in the North Atlantic is approx. 12 ft (REF. NOAA, IIRC). But, the point is that a catamaran, in the process of tacking is not required to make itself more vulnerable to
capsize. No, we do not need to get into a discussion about possible pitchpoling.
R If the waves are that high (and steep enough), you will not be tacking, or shunting, you will have the parachute out. Your 35' cat will have a beam of less tha 20'. The chances of the cat getting beam on to those waves at some stage while sailing in those conditions are 100%. Therefore it is more likely to capsize.
J Well, we try to avoid backing on the rudders in seas. It seems to me that, in the process of shunting, rudders/boards would be at least as vulnerable to being pressed the wrong way.
R Trying is unlikely to be enough in big seas. The harry rudders are much less vulnerable, as the boat does not get pressed back onto them by the force on the
jib trying to blow the bows around.
J I disagree completely. Second hand alloy rigs are available and have crossed the seas for decades. The materials and component design is a thoroughly known and familiar quantity. Inspection is easy. Many sailors use second hand rigs. My own rig is nearly thirty years old. Other than a few fasteners, no fittings replaced so far. I do not inspect it frequently. I built it from scratch. I occasionally inspect it as any prudent person would. And, I would inspect any rig of any material or design. Anyone who does not inspect the vessel at least before a voyage is a fool unto himself. I think you do not fail to check your vessel and so regard your statement as disingenuous. I know, I know, you are selling. Well, just so you know, I know.
R As you like, it is your
head it will fall on. According to most riggers you are asking for trouble with standing
rigging older than 7 years. Cost and weight are only some of the reasons unstayed rigs are better.
J"Half the work"?? Half the weight does not equate to half the work. I reviewed the making of some of the harrys and vissionarrys and I cannot believe that, with the making of so many of the fiddly bits and all that massive amount of fairing, the building of two completely different hulls which cannot use the same mold/frame set, and two large beams AND the spars, steering wheels (two required!) from dead scratch could be any less labor intensive and therefore time consuming than building a cat in the 35 ft to 40 ft. range. In fact, the cats I mention earlier in the thread make use of flat
panels and so can be much easier and less time consuming to build. And, oh BTW, part of the reason for that is the use of ready made components from hinges to spars.
R Sorry, half the work applies to the variation on KSS we are now building from. Not the strip planked boats. Building your own composite components is lighter and cheaper than
buying them for amateur builders, plus they don’t need to be screwed and bolted on and don't leak or corrode. Guess it depends on what you want.
J Well, yes and no. Most designers seem to "derate" some of their offerings as being suitable only for coastal
passage. Ever sailed the
Gulf Stream? There is an
offshore current that, I suspect, no one considers less significant than currents found near shore. I think I detect a nonsequiter in your reasoning. It is more dangerous sailing near shore, but boat design has naught to do with that. Things to be hit care not the size nor capability of your vessel (unless your ship can fly perhaps or is a super tanker)
R The main thing ocean cruisers hit is the shore. One of the reasons for this is their inability to get off a lee shore in a gale, and particularly to successfully tack in short steep seas with insufficient sail to overcome the drag of their rigs and superstructures.
* "must handle well, easy to tack, responsive
* A bow and a stern
rudder are by far the most responsive combination."
J Not to mention the more complicated. I have no need to push the technological envelope by asking foils to act as "lee boards" as well as steering foils. I think that I would not receive enough benefit for the complexity and, I suspect, a reduced margin of error.
R 2 foils able to kick up in a
collision more complicated than 4? Any of which can rip a hole in the boa in a
collision? All rudders act as leeway preventers to a greater or lesser degree.
Water foils built to withstand sailing loads have far more margin of error than ones built to hit rocks.
* "motion in sea way as comfortable as the length allows
* Zero rocker and weight concentrated in the middle of the boat."
J Well, I suspect that moments of inertia are at least as important as the two parameters you list. However, too lazy to dig into the calculations. I think more consideration of important parameters is necessary when comparing designs.
R Moments of inertia are based on distance form the centre. Harrys have nothing outside the beams. Everyone who has sailed on them has mentioned how little they hobbyhorse compared to cruising cats. You dictated the parameters, I am only responding to them. If we only work on the important parameters, you would already be building a harry.
* "rig to be common, simple to make and maintain, good in light or strong winds.
* This is not a good description of an alloy mast with headsail and diamonds."
J See my remarks above on spars. I think it is a good description of an alloy mast with
head sails. Buy components. Assemble. No scrounging about for carbon fibre. No expensive epoxies, time consuming molds. A bit of work with welding machine,
electric drill
motor, a few hand tool and
paint roller and one has spars beyond necessity. The diamonds and the aft lead shrouds are problematic for wear on the
sails and when desirous of reducing sail off the
wind. However, these are not insurmountable problems, as I am confident you are are aware. Examples are extant of owners solving or mitigating these shortcomings; full Marconi rig, batten cars, battenless main sail.
R There is more to solving those problems than saying they can be. Battenless mainsails are a short lived joke. Batten cars are expensive and break. Dropping the main ddw on a 3 stay rig is a very scary experience in a gale regardless of the system. The whole experience of sailing a modern
sloop rigged cat is just plain hard work compared to an unstayed rig. You should try it, you will be astounded.
JI think that either of the designs I mentioned in previous posts in this thread will provide accommodation nearer the vissionary (15m/10m ?) than the smaller harry. After all, the leeward hulls of the HP designs seems not practical for accommodation nor any other than light weight
storage.
R Not at all. Any surplus weight can go in here with no effect on the structure, unlike an overloaded cat. There is a huge amount of avail able space in there. You said two doubles, that is what a harry has.
J I read that you and Mr.
Kelsall are in a colaboratiuon. Hope you will keep the Planet posted.
R Sure will. KSS is the fastest, easiest, cheapest way I know to build a conventional hull and decks. The changes I have made enable us to build rockerless, vertical stem, U section hulls even quicker. I am working on a quarter scale model of a 60'
charter proa lee hull. Take out the thinking time and it will be about 12 hours work all up. No fairing above the waterline, no cutting or shutting or frames required.
Seems the only things we really differ on are the rudders and rig. There is nothing stopping you putting leeboards and rudders in the hull (I had this on my earlier boats, did not like the danger) and a second hand alloy stayed rig, which I also used in the early days before realising the benefits of unstayed. Do these and a harry would fulfil all your requirements.
Regards,
Rob