Maple Leaf 42'

[witzgall]

Congrats, a very nice boat!

Chris

[eskfreedom]

Thanks guys, still looking for info and advice though. I cant belive with all the info on the web boats are the hardest to research.

[eskfreedom]

Just got some good news. We got a approved for the loan. I am officaly getting scared. I have been dreaming for so long I cant believe its realy happing. Shure hope its the right boat!!

[Meridian]

Shure hope its the right boat!!

ESK...When its YOUR boat, its the RIGHT boat.
Congratulations...I remember those sleepless nights, wondering "what-in-the-world-am-I-doing" . Looking back, I wouldn't do anything differently!
Outfit it, use it, enjoy it.
John

[Flyer]

Nice looking boat , best of luck with her. The K/C is a obviously a compromise. It offers somewhat improved efficiency to weather, and the ability to get into shallower waters. It also may create some tenderness due to the depth of the ballast. Marine growth up inside the trunk must be kept in check. The hoisting lanyard and pivot pin are maintenance items that may be difficult to access. There is some slap that occurs when the board loads, unloads and the weak point of the board as it exits the keel, and the molded trunk should be inspected.

[Brent Swain]

With their lean bows and excessively huge stern, I've heard that they are extremely hard to control downwind, in strong winds. Altho not as bad as the Maple Leaf 48, they can be a real workout of places like Cape Mendocino in a northerly. A friend helped sail a 48 from BC to Frisco and he said it was amost hopeless trying to control her downwind in strong winds and following seas.Have a good drogue ready when rounding Mendocino or Point Conception. Their total lack of hull balance and directional stability is abysmal.
Brent

[eskfreedom]

Well that's concerning!! I was looking at pics of one on the dry and noticed the rudder seems small. I wonder how hard it would be to replace with a larger one, corecting that problem. If it would correct it at all.

[eskfreedom]

I wonder if a hydrovane would also corect that problem

[DeepFrz]

I wouldn't worry about it to much untill you do some sailing in it. Take it out and try it downwind in some waves and see for yourself. I take everything that Brent says with a big grain of salt. I bet it sails just fine and probably handles downwind better than 90% of the new boats made these days.

[eskfreedom]

Anybody else have input this? My fisherman buddy said to wedge my rudder he said they used to do it all the time.

[Brent Swain]

They do have a smaller stern than the 48 so should handle better. A bigger rudder and skeg might work and wouldn't changer the balance at all. Over build the skeg and gudgeons, they have a high failure rate.The only way they get the round the world racers under control is by going for twin rudders. People who use them swear by them. Try driving her downwind in strong winds with a at least a hundred miles of fetch ,before doing the run down the Oregon coast. Best to enable yourself to make changes when you are still close to home.
Brent

[DeepFrz]

My fisherman buddy said to wedge my rudder he said they used to do it all the time.

What did he mean by this? I've never heard that term before.

[Flyer]

Maybe the wedges that the fisherman irefers to is a T foil.

[johnw]

This looks like one of the ML42 built by Sven Pederson (?). I had a ML42 but the full keel version. After sailing on a friend's ML42 from Vancouver to SF, I had the rudder on my boat redesigned and enlarged and several other owners did the same thing. Going downnwind in follwing seas we could not steer the boat and drink coffee at the same time. These boats were well built but were more suited for coastal work then offshore. e.g. the windows (not portlights) where by Diamond Glass and better suited for RV's then boats. That said, I have 2 friends who sailed their 42's from the BC to Mexico and back with their families and had a great time.

[eskfreedom]

The broker said this was one of the few M.L's finished at the factory. I realy appreciate the info and feedback guys. I would verry much like to talk to your two friends concidering we are going to Mexico and beyond also.