Joshua Slocum's boat 'Spray'

[Frogmogman]

I love the way people are criticising here but none have done what he achieved. Blunt noses dont matter, its hull length that decides speed, and he built the boat based on a working lifetimes experience. To suggest he was given the boat for free, means that person did not read the book, it was rebuilt from the ground up. I'm in admiration of the man, I could not do what he did.

He resurrected an old boat, just as you have done this old thread.

I loved his book when I first read it as a teenager; I revisited it a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it every bit as much. Such a great tale, well told.

 

[Laminar Flow]

There was a book published called "In the Wake of the Spray" that goes into some detail as to the hydrostatic qualities of the design; I read it many years ago. As someone else posted there is also an evaluation by Kasten Marine.

AVS, as I recall, was between 100 and 110 degr. One of the early replicas did capsize, but righted herself somewhere in the southern ocean. Multies, with a much lower AVS and a lower righting moment, seem to manage.

The original never did have a centreboard; the idea that a professional, taking off the lines, somehow "missed" such a significant feature seems somewhat far-fetched even though the ultimate accuracy of her lines has been disputed by some.

Slocum made fast passages and the Spray was no slouch with her 1200sqft of SA. That equates to a SA/Displ. ratio of 20.5 or the equivalent of a modern cruiser racer! By comparison, the Bruce Roberts varieties are under rigged. One replica was clocked doing 12kts, another was a regular participant in our local gaffer's race and it was by no means always the last one in. The blunt nose is a mess to windward, but this is not a quality needed for ocean cruising. Besides, very round bowed traditional Dutch craft regularly beat much more modern designs, boat for boat.

I have been on a couple of faithful copies and spoken to their owners. Both had undertaken long ocean passages and each owner was happy to confirm Slocum's claims. The DIY plans on offer have as much in common with the original model as with an aircraft carrier. It is reasonably common for most boats, including modern fin keel jobs, to self-steer when on the wind. The real point is that Spray, in the hands of a consummate seaman, could achieve that on all points of sail.

 

[Sgeir]

We can generally leave her to steer herself (without autopilot or windvane) when tacking into wind. Both our current Vancouver 34 and previous Roberts 34 are/were good that way.

 

[38mess]

I have had a few long Keeler's, they all could steer themselves for hours on end on certain points, I used to love sitting up on the bowsprit on one of them feeling her come off the wind back on course as if an invisible person was steering.
I have also crewed for other people on their boats where the tiller can't be left for a minute without the boat rounding up