Angled Sidedecks

[Snowgoose-1]

It seems that many yachts have slanting sidedecks . Slanting in the direction to chuck you overboard.

What do think of yours ?

 

[B27]

Mine slope by varying amounts according to the wind.
The windward deck tends to slope down towards the centreline if we're making progress.

You need the decks to drain when the boat is at rest, or you will get puddles of green slime.

 

[Sandy]

It seems that many yachts have slanting sidedecks . Slanting in the direction to chuck you overboard.

What do think of yours ?

It is to clear the decks of vomit when one of the crew had eight pints of beer and a vindaloo the night before you cast off at 0435 and he did not quite find the bucket.

 

[johnalison]

I’ve had boats with and without angled decks. The Cirrus and Sadler 29 were angled. I think the idea, as well as giving more room below, is to give decks that are level on the windward side when sailing. I don’t think they are ideal but you get used to them.

 

[lustyd]

What do think of yours ?

The SO36.2 is appallingly designed in this one small area (excellent elsewhere!). Side decks slant quite a lot outboard, but to add insult to injury there are no real scuppers so it also leads to pooling water and dirt. There are a couple of "scuppers" that are approximately 1mm deep and block at the slightest hint of dust.

 

[johnalison]

The SO36.2 is appallingly designed in this one small area (excellent elsewhere!). Side decks slant quite a lot outboard, but to add insult to injury there are no real scuppers so it also leads to pooling water and dirt. There are a couple of "scuppers" that are approximately 1mm deep and block at the slightest hint of dust.

A properly designed boat shouldn’t collect standing water. The boats I’ve had have had gaps in the toerail for drainage, though they may not have worked perfectly. My current HR has drainage built into the deck. My nemesis is the cockpit drains that have a recess that is always dirty.

 

[lustyd]

It's an aluminium toerail with plenty of holes, they're just raised a bit from the deck. I'm sure they thought it would be fine during design phase.

HR have the advantage of being 20 years behind the curve on design, so I'm sure take advantage of that hindsight to avoid such issues

 

[RunAgroundHard]

My angled side decks, slope down to the gunwale, were designed to catch rainwater and fill the water tank. The scupper is slightly aft of the lowest point and when plugged, the side deck fills to the level of the fresh water intake, about 1" and then will flow over the filler cap spigot and into the tank. It is an incredibly simple and effective system. However, when not in use, it does mean that there is always a very shallow puddle between the low point and the scupper which does get slimy. It is very easy to clean though, a quick wipe with a sponge does the trick.

 

[johnalison]

It's an aluminium toerail with plenty of holes, they're just raised a bit from the deck. I'm sure they thought it would be fine during design phase.

HR have the advantage of being 20 years behind the curve on design, so I'm sure take advantage of that hindsight to avoid such issues

I've never had a boat with an aluminium toerail. Many of them tend to leave grey streaks down the topsides, which I consider a disadvantage. HR never get anything wrong. At least, that's what they want you to think. Much as I love ours, there are a few really silly little things that could have been avoided, some of which were changed in the replacement model. Our design essentially dates from about 1990 and is thus virtually antediluvian.

 

[lustyd]

there are a few really silly little things that could have been avoided

Ooh what are those? I've never seen anything wrong on an HR that I can think of, apart from the price!

 

[lustyd]

were designed to catch rainwater and fill the water tank

I'd never thought about this but the shallow scuppers on mine would do exactly this if I put a drain in so perhaps that's what they were thinking. I could also quite easily install a real drain if I wanted, so perhaps I'm part of the problem

 

[Mark-1]

It seems that many yachts have slanting sidedecks . Slanting in the direction to chuck you overboard.

What do think of yours ?

I've got flat decks and they actually pool water in places, and then stuff grows in the puddle. Slanted every time for me.

Of course, upwind the windward side is nice and flat which is exactly what you want.

 

[srm]

It seems that many yachts have slanting sidedecks . Slanting in the direction to chuck you overboard.

What do think of yours ?

Depends on the angle.
Not my boat, a somewhat bigger charter one I was paid to skipper. Fairly steeply cambered side and fore deck coupled with a stylist's tastefully short hand rail on the low coachroof. Inflatable lifejackets on board but not harnesses or jackstays. Never felt more insecure standing on a boat at anchor or in a marina, all the components set up for a fatal accident.

 

[johnalison]

Ooh what are those? I've never seen anything wrong on an HR that I can think of, apart from the price!

You will have to receive this in confidence, since I may want to sell my HR34 one day. As I said, they are minor but daft.

The inlet seacock for the heads is alongside the engine and only reachable by removing a couple of panels in the aft cabin, as one would in an engine service.
The sprayhood slightly restricts a crew or passenger's headroom if sitting forward.
The aft zip on the sprayhood has to be unzipped when running free or the mainsheet will bear on it
The base of the fridge slopes
The aforementioned dirt-collecting cockpit drain sumps

Having said that, the boat has been ideal for us and has performed far better than we had hoped. And the side-decks don't slope! It's replacement, the 342, which our friends have, has some improvements but is less desirable in other ways.

 

[Sandy]

In a more serious note to my original post. I don't believe that any designer requires decks to 'chuck you overboard'; they should be angled to allow water to run off when the boat is either sat on its mooring or, more importantly, sat on the hard.

My own boat has an aluminium toerail and a previous owner took it upon themselves to block a couple of drain slots with some sealant! It has been the devils own job clearing that bodge up.

 

[Mark-1]

You will have to receive this in confidence, since I may want to sell my HR34 one day. As I said, they are minor but daft.

The inlet seacock for the heads is alongside the engine and only reachable by removing a couple of panels in the aft cabin, as one would in an engine service.
The sprayhood slightly restricts a crew or passenger's headroom if sitting forward.
The aft zip on the sprayhood has to be unzipped when running free or the mainsheet will bear on it
The base of the fridge slopes
The aforementioned dirt-collecting cockpit drain sumps

Having said that, the boat has been ideal for us and has performed far better than we had hoped. And the side-decks don't slope! It's replacement, the 342, which our friends have, has some improvements but is less desirable in other ways.

Here lies a man who shifted position because of poor sprayhood headroom by grabbing the mainsheet which was red hot from friction on the sprayhood so he tried to put his hand in the fridge but dislodged the fridge because it sloped which caused a crack in the heads pipe which couldn't be stopped because he couldn't quickly access the seacock.

He tried to bang an SOS on the cockpit drain sumps but the dirt muffled the sound.

 

[Wandering Star]

You will have to receive this in confidence, since I may want to sell my HR34 one day. As I said, they are minor but daft.

The inlet seacock for the heads is alongside the engine and only reachable by removing a couple of panels in the aft cabin, as one would in an engine service.
The sprayhood slightly restricts a crew or passenger's headroom if sitting forward.
The aft zip on the sprayhood has to be unzipped when running free or the mainsheet will bear on it
The base of the fridge slopes
The aforementioned dirt-collecting cockpit drain sumps

Having said that, the boat has been ideal for us and has performed far better than we had hoped. And the side-decks don't slope! It's replacement, the 342, which our friends have, has some improvements but is less desirable in other ways.

Bearing in mind the list of serious defects, I’ll offer you £5k for your HR and no survey required. This would enable you to move swiftly on to to the MK2 version you so obviously covet. The £5k is my max budget for a new sailing boat so not negotiable.

 

[Bouba]

As a motorboater, this is what we think when we hear the term ‘angled side deck’

 

[johnalison]

Bearing in mind the list of serious defects, I’ll offer you £5k for your HR and no survey required. This would enable you to move swiftly on to to the MK2 version you so obviously covet. The £5k is my max budget for a new sailing boat so not negotiable.

I'll think about it.
As it happens, I really wouldn't want a 342, even though they are desirable in comparison to most of the opposition. Although they have solved most of my defects and the head and forecabin are slightly improved, there are features I would find hard to live with.
The mainsheet track runs across the cockpit at seat height instead of conveniently low in mine
A s/s rod from the rigging intrudes into the saloon
Saloon cushions are retained by velcro instead of a substantial fiddle
Interior lockers are vented instead of the traditional HR louvres
A person sitting ahead of the table by the bulkhead can't easily get out when the outer table flap is down
Additionally, the boat's sailing character is altered. With a longer waterline and slightly more sail it is a bit faster off the wind but my impression is that we go better to windward in a blow. The boat is more sensitive on the helm and also sensitive to sail adjustment. With more freeboard, getting on and off can be harder, but it may be a bit drier.

 

[MoodySabre]

I often sail on a mate's Oceanis 31 and I hate the sloping side decks. Most use of them is in the marina getting ready, dealing with mooring lines and fenders. The side windows also slope a lot so it is a big step up on the coachroof. Give me flat decks and upright windows any day.