Dylan's perfect boat?

PuffTheMagicDragon said:
Of course, I would not question David Harding and I have not been on the boat itself.
However, seeing how the boat heeled on a flat sea in one of the videos on Youtube it seems to me that the boat is very tender and I would not like to be on one during a blow on an open sea passage. The very low ballast ratio and the shape of the hull do not help much in static stability, let alone in gusty conditions in the Med where I sail.
Just my opinion FWIW.
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What is the RCD rating? I would doubt it is exactly category "A". So one would not expect to be off shore & i doubt that it is being sold as an ocean going cruiser. So in all fairness one should be discussing its merits in the range for which it is designed
 
Yes, it is only a cat C although I take these things with a bit of a pinch of salt as they seem to be a function of size more than anything else. It has almost no stability when inverted which makes it safer than many larger boats in that one specific regard.
Does the RCD take any account of the build quality of a boat?
 
Kelpie said:
Yes, it is only a cat C although I take these things with a bit of a pinch of salt as they seem to be a function of size more than anything else. It has almost no stability when inverted which makes it safer than many larger boats in that one specific regard.
Does the RCD take any account of the build quality of a boat?
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Regarding stability - How does that make it safer than larger yachts?
Re quality of build- to what extent? I do not see how, say, poorly fitting doors, rough edges on panels & the like would have a bearing. However, half inch screws on winches might be an issue. It depends on how far your view of build quality goes
 
One of these turned up at Titchmarsh Marina, Walton on the Naze, late Autumn, was launched recovered, drove off and last time there re-appeared on the hard. Looked a big effort to launch and a very heavy outboard hung on the back.
 
Daydream believer said:
Regarding stability - How does that make it safer than larger yachts?
Re quality of build- to what extent? I do not see how, say, poorly fitting doors, rough edges on panels & the like would have a bearing. However, half inch screws on winches might be an issue. It depends on how far your view of build quality goes
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What I mean is, is the rudder fitted with pins off a Mirror dinghy, or with something that can take a beating? What section is the mast, what size is the standing rig? Thickness of hull lay up, fundamental stuff like that. And then there are the details. How are the windows and hatches secured? Heavy items like batteries, anchor, chain, is that stowed safely- or will everything go flying in an inversion?

Just wondering if the RCD bothers itself with any of this type of thing. Or if it's just a way of making it slightly easier for the big AWB builders to increase market share.
 
Kelpie said:
Heavy items like batteries, anchor, chain, is that stowed safely- or will everything go flying in an inversion?...Just wondering if the RCD bothers itself with any of this type of thing. Or if it's just a way of making it slightly easier for the big AWB builders to increase market share.
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Once the full RCD on this is published, the stability curve will probably be very similar to the Haber 660 - which has 0 degrees inverted stability. That means that if the buoyancy of the wheelhouse doesn't stop it inverting in the first place (ie it gets rolled by a big wave), it should immediately self right - unlike most AWB's. Can't imagine where you'd sail one of these in those conditions. I notice there's quite a lot of mild prejudice against relatively new and unfamiliar designs on sailing boards - even against internal buoyancy. I had a Hawk 20 with internal buoyancy. It was the stiffest centreboarder of that length I've sailed, sailing or at rest - try one if you're in any doubt. At the other end of the scale, many Ovni yachts with centreboards and internal ballast are used for ocean voyaging. Some of their owners claim they reduce centreboard depth in storms and breaking waves as a safety routine, as a shallow draft hull will slide down a wave rather than trip up. New sometime means good.
 
As others have said.

I am not that keen on the thing - first of all 40K would buy a top spec fisher 25 that can be steered from inside. An outboard on a bracket is fine for calm days when you get a rope around the prop but not for any time motoring to get somewhere in any sort of chop.

I shall stick with old four knot shit boxes for the time being.

D
 
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