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Old 23-04-2013, 14:04   #346
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

I am currently moving from a C&C racer/cruiser to a dedicated cruising boat. Will I miss the speed, tactile feedback and overall fun of sailng my current ride? Of course.
On the other hand I'm a realist, this boat requires much more effort to sail than a simpler rigged cruiser, being an IOR design it's wonderful upwind and on beam reaches, downwind not so much.
They tend to want to yaw coming off a big wave when sailing downwind, it requires a lot of attention at the wheel. The one tonners tend to be a little better but an IOR design is an IOR design.
WHen sailing long distances you want a yacht that requires less physical energy to sail well. Having cruised with my current boat I know the good and bad sides of that equation.
Much better in light wind, but you have to reef earlier and carry more sails for the varying wind conditions since they tend to carry more sail area to displacement.
You can get there faster but it requires more effort.
It all depends on what you can compromise on.
All in all they are good performing boats but definitely are much more fatiguing to sail long distance than a dedicated cruising boat.
They're made to be fully crewed not sailed shorthanded.
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Old 23-04-2013, 17:47   #347
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

Fantastic thread, and beautiful job on the boat Weyalan. Nice skills with the carbon!! I have gone a similar route and own a Ross 40 in Auckland, but luckily most of the work was already done. The Ross is an early 80s lightweight kiwi speed machine (epoxy over cedar core) that was renowned as a tip truck with a big rig, but now, with a deepish "T" keel, and well balanced carbon rudder, she is easy to control. The runners are still a challenge, but not as bad as what I thought they would be.

I cruise and race, and, like you, am in the process of making it a little more cruiser friendly without adding too much weight hopefully. Marshall Law also has a tall spindly mast, 3/4 rig and runners, but I have sailed it no problem, just myself and the kids (14 and 11) or myself and my non-sailing partner..
Like you say, when you're cruising, you keep the sail area down, and we usually go everywhere on the cruising main and an old #3. We had a trip back to Auckland the other day, admittedly in only 8-10 knots of breeze where we ran the masthead asymmetrical and were sailing the angles. We gybed the whole deal around 10 times to keep the angles right, and didn't have any problems, (but it would have been different in 20 knots..) The kids loved it!

What many advocates of heavy cruising boats miss, is that the loads on these lighter boats are far less. When we get hit by a puff, we accelerate, not load up. Cruising in 20 knots flat off with a reefed main and poled out #3 we sit on 9kn to 13knots.. As long as we don't sail by the lee, the autopilot will handle it OK..

Some race boats convert to cruising just fine!
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Old 22-09-2013, 21:27   #348
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

Here is a little teaser of the galley refit, currently in progress...
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Old 23-09-2013, 00:12   #349
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by smithy09 View Post
Fantastic thread, and beautiful job on the boat Weyalan. Nice skills with the carbon!! I have gone a similar route and own a Ross 40 in Auckland, but luckily most of the work was already done. The Ross is an early 80s lightweight kiwi speed machine (epoxy over cedar core) that was renowned as a tip truck with a big rig, but now, with a deepish "T" keel, and well balanced carbon rudder, she is easy to control. The runners are still a challenge, but not as bad as what I thought they would be.

I cruise and race, and, like you, am in the process of making it a little more cruiser friendly without adding too much weight hopefully. Marshall Law also has a tall spindly mast, 3/4 rig and runners, but I have sailed it no problem, just myself and the kids (14 and 11) or myself and my non-sailing partner..
Like you say, when you're cruising, you keep the sail area down, and we usually go everywhere on the cruising main and an old #3. We had a trip back to Auckland the other day, admittedly in only 8-10 knots of breeze where we ran the masthead asymmetrical and were sailing the angles. We gybed the whole deal around 10 times to keep the angles right, and didn't have any problems, (but it would have been different in 20 knots..) The kids loved it!

What many advocates of heavy cruising boats miss, is that the loads on these lighter boats are far less. When we get hit by a puff, we accelerate, not load up. Cruising in 20 knots flat off with a reefed main and poled out #3 we sit on 9kn to 13knots.. As long as we don't sail by the lee, the autopilot will handle it OK..

Some race boats convert to cruising just fine!
I saw your boat when I was in NZ.

Nice work as usual Weyalan!
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Old 26-09-2013, 14:35   #350
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

Here is the original galley by way of comparison

We prefer the new look
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Old 26-09-2013, 15:55   #351
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

You are pretty much fitting out a bare hull (once you remove all the old stuff). They say that fitting out takes the longest when building a boat. So how many hours do you think a job like this takes? Are you keeping count?
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Old 26-09-2013, 16:47   #352
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

Lookin' good, mate! Get the stove in quick, and go kill a sheep!

Cheers,

Jim
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Old 26-09-2013, 20:57   #353
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisail View Post
You are pretty much fitting out a bare hull (once you remove all the old stuff). They say that fitting out takes the longest when building a boat. So how many hours do you think a job like this takes? Are you keeping count?
When I built our Westsail 32 from a bare hull with engine installed, took more than a year of 12 hour days. Had to do the rigginng from scratch and much of the deck fittings like hatches, etc that may be already there on a finished boat. Wouldn't expect to do it in much less than 9 months unless you are a skilled boat carpenter, I wasn't but had to learm quick. Am into the 2nd year rebuilding my current boat but haven't been going at it with the enthusiasm of youth that I did with the Westsail.
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Old 03-10-2013, 14:19   #354
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Weyalan View Post
I am in the process of purchasing an old racing yacht, with the idea of converting it into a cruisinf vessel.

The boat I am looking at was launched in 1985. It is a VandeStadt designed 40' IOR "1-tonner". I was built by a proffesional outfit that built a lot of racing yachts at that time (Manda Marine in South Australia). It is 3/4 fractional rigged with in line spreaders and jumpers, runners, checkstays, etc.
It has a "new" (i.e. "reconditioned") volvo penta 3cyl 29hp motor fitted which has done less than 100 hours since fitting

Obviously the boat has a "very basic" fit out at the moment, and has lots of other things that are less than ideal for a cruiser: i.e. Mast is rather high for a cruiser (66') / Draft rather deep (7'4") / Running backstays / Small fuel & water tanks (120L & 120L).

But, on the other hand, it is a big roomy boat with plenty of room and very cheap. Basiically, I cannot afford to buy a 40 cruiser, but I can afford this, and, hopefully, will fit it out over the next 3 years to be a comfortable cruiser. Am I being a complete fool?
I purchased a 1968 Mahogany cold molded admirals cup racer a few years ago built in the Uk and designed by Angus Primrose.
She is a strong yacht and since owning her i have sanded her back to her bare timber and made some repairs in the hull and overall assessed the condition really.
I then replaced the old perkins with a brand new Nanni 43HP and the drive train was replaced with Hydraulic drive.

I am also in the process of a new mast being fabricated.

I have found that replacing parts with new ones is not that much more expensive and adds value to the boat if you can get the boat cheap enough in the first place..
The best thing is that not too many people want them as they are only fit for purpose to a select few.. She is set up for long distance cruising and i am prepping her for a circumnavigation.
Shes more than competent in the open ocean and alot of fun as well as super fast..
I do not think you are mad!
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Old 03-10-2013, 14:48   #355
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Weyalan View Post
Here is the original galley by way of comparison

We prefer the new look
Apparantly she was owned by a US patriot! haha
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Old 05-10-2013, 13:11   #356
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

thanks for taking the time to write all this down,

its given me some ideas and i await the next installment

regards Steve
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Old 06-10-2013, 01:41   #357
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

hey weyalan,
well ive done in the past what youre looking at doing and altho i did pay for most of the work to be done dueto working fifo i would never embark on such a project again im notture game to look at how much it cost i can just tell you with great certainty when i sold the boat i may as well have not done any of the work at all she was a custom 30 needed new deck the interior was a science project due to the leaking teak deck new sails and rigging winches upgraded and so it goes as did the money ...i will be buying a ready to sail boat in the future maybe in need of some electronics but no rebuilding...and wouldnt buy in western australia too expensive usually but good luck in your adventure
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Old 06-10-2013, 09:07   #358
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

What I see is a number of changes that will make the boat more salable at the end of the process. Every effort has been made to keep weight down, but establish a more civilised environment. It has been a lot of work, and I imagine, learning experience. Good on 'em!
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Old 06-10-2013, 09:12   #359
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

To the chap with the ex-Admiral's Cup boat. We met a similar craft, named at the time "Wai Kiwi". She was quite fast, and the family loved cruising on her. I really like it that these older boats are given a new lease on life, and provide enjoyment to successive generations of souls. When CFers moan about Water boats">blue water boats this and that, I think lookiing at older racing boats, from the days when one was expected to use the galley underway on long races, can sort of jump start your trust in the vessel's blue water capability. Solid hulls with speedy shapes, strong chain plates, and so forth, designed to finish races in difficult conditions. Not long on creature comforts, maybe, but can be really safe cruisers. FWIW
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Old 06-10-2013, 09:49   #360
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Re: Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

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Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate View Post
To the chap with the ex-Admiral's Cup boat. We met a similar craft, named at the time "Wai Kiwi". She was quite fast, and the family loved cruising on her. I really like it that these older boats are given a new lease on life, and provide enjoyment to successive generations of souls. When CFers moan about blue water boats this and that, I think lookiing at older racing boats, from the days when one was expected to use the galley underway on long races, can sort of jump start your trust in the vessel's blue water capability. Solid hulls with speedy shapes, strong chain plates, and so forth, designed to finish races in difficult conditions. Not long on creature comforts, maybe, but can be really safe cruisers. FWIW
Amen to that!
Mine sure proved itself on its passage to SF.
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