Quote:
Originally Posted by Green T
I stand corrected on the prop offset then. The west coast owners have been putting together a log of all the prop offsets, the data we've got from about 30ish boats seemed to indicate a majority of the pre 1980 boats to be starboard and the post 1980 port offsets, but there were exceptions and we haven't been able to find any builder info as to why they couldn't make up their minds. We know why the port offset boats maneuver better, but as to the lack of consistency on the STB or Port...it is a mystery.
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Most
current owners of
Ontario 32's do not understand a basic fact about their background: they were 'bespoke' boats. For those not familiar with the term, it is an old
English expression indicating a product which is made to exactly fit the needs and preferences of its buyer (ie. customized, if not fully custom-made). A true
English gentleman would never wear anything but a 'bespoke' suit.
In the seventies and eighties, if you went to
C&C or CS Yachts and said that you wanted to buy one of their 30-footers, they would say something like this:
"Great! We have a slot in the production line next April, it's yours. There's only
engine choice is the Atomic IV and the
interior fabric is the C&C tartan. Here is a list of a dozen available hull colours and do you want the optional
teak floorboards?"
When you went to Dick Kneulman and said that you wanted to buy an Ontario 32, he would sit down and ask exactly what your preferences were. Standard engine, or a different model?
Propeller on which side? What colour of
gelcoat for the hull? The deck? Did you want the
interior completely finished or only partially finished? Did you want a
teak interior or some other
wood? He would build the boat to suit your needs and desires. Remember, over a ten year period he only built 158 of them. C&C, in a ten-year period, built 800 30 Mk 1's and a similar number of 27's, while also building numerous other models of boats.
The preference of many Canadian builders in those days was for offset props, which allow for
removal of the prop shaft without having to drop the rudder first. It could also allow for the shaft to be more horizontal in its orientation, which maximizes the effectiveness of the thrust without wasting effort in 'lifting' the stern and pushing the bow down. My Ontario 32 was built in 1975 with the propeller offset to port and the shaft orientation basically parallel to the waterline. 'Intuition V' was built in 1979 and, judging by available pictures, has her prop shaft DEAD CENTRE, in line with the rudder. She is also the only 32 which I have seen with tiller
steering, apparently as desired by the original buyer. So, I wouldn't go looking for some
rule or guideline as to specific periods when 32's were built with port or starboard offsets. I also suspect that it was heavily influenced by the choice of engine at the time of building.
Interestingly, the original owner of my boat made a few non-standard choices, including re-routing the drainage of the
anchor locker, to avoid having a hole in the bow. He also scoured the world to find the best
autopilot available in 1975. The unit he selected was a commercial-grade unit manufactured in
England, for both yachts and
commercial fishing boats. He had it built right into the boat and integrated into the basic
steering setup by Ontario Yachts at the time of construction. Forty-six years later, it still operates perfectly, having had the
brushes in its motor replaced a few years ago.