Sailing in F5/6

[capnsensible]

I do love these threads

Where we park reality on an unused mooring somewhere

And dream of hauling in that pounding IMOCA 60 as the wind and seas slowly build

Giving him/her a cheery wave from our 1970s wonder as we sail serenely past.

Yeah, people can post 'my boats better than yours' and ' I've read about boat design a lot' stuff until Nelson gets his eye back, but in reality, going upwind in anything made out of wood or plastic in 25+ knots of windis always gonna be bumpy and uncomfortable outside of Lake Solent. ?

 

[Laminar Flow]

I do love these threads

Where we park reality on an unused mooring somewhere

And dream of hauling in that pounding IMOCA 60 as the wind and seas slowly build

Giving him/her a cheery wave from our 1970s wonder as we sail serenely past.

Indeed, I couldn't agree more.

I have also learnt a few things: short keels drop off, always, the only boats to raise kids on are IMOCA 60s, when they haven't already been cast adrift in an Opti during a F8 on some Breton tidal rip.

Modern 30 odd footers will plane you across the Atlantic with a crew of four while loaded for the eight month circuit; your trad boat will get your emaciated skeleton there eventually, a few years later, even if sailed hard by their troglodyte owners.

Long keels don't go to weather, or was it short ones don't ... sorry, I'm really confused on that one now.
Ah yes, but modern flatties pound themselves to pieces going to windward, unless they don't (go to weather, that is) and then they are really, really fast and comfortable, though you can only have the comforts of home for that kind of performance if you make the move to a more average 60' foot family cruiser in the 1.5 million pound sterling range.

Also, on the topic of comfort: old boats don't have fridges, calorifiers or any other kind of modcom; I think there is a law against it.

A 25' DWL is the same as a 40' DWL. Right, who would have thought?

On the upside, I have had the opportunity to upgrade my hard fought for heavy weather tactics repertoire by experts who got their diploma on the subject following the successful viewing of a couple of Youtube videos.

 

[Stemar]

in reality, going upwind in anything made out of wood or plastic in 25+ knots of wind is always gonna be bumpy and uncomfortable outside of Lake Solent

If you want uncomfortable, may I suggest Lake Solent with 25kts or so over a spring tide. That chop is nasty! Off hand, I can't think of anywhere apart from the Gosport boating lake that's nice in those conditions.

 

[dom]

Off hand, I can't think of anywhere apart from the Gosport boating lake that's nice in those conditions.

Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park?

Mind you, even there, modern boats are advised against crossing the pond in blustery conditions.
?

 

[capnsensible]

If you want uncomfortable, may I suggest Lake Solent with 25kts or so over a spring tide. That chop is nasty! Off hand, I can't think of anywhere apart from the Gosport boating lake that's nice in those conditions.

Been there, done that. ?

 

[Mister E]

Then there are Catamarans.

 

[Stemar]

Then there are Catamarans.

OTOH, [smug git] it seems than no one's ever managed to do that to a Catalac [/smug git]

 

[dunedin]

OTOH, [smug git] it seems than no one's ever managed to do that to a Catalac [/smug git]

Not sure anybody has got a Catalac either (a) racing with big asymmetric or (b) up on foils, before.
I guess Formula 1 cars crash more spectacularly than Austin Allegros ?

 

[Tanqueray]

To be fair to the OP (and others supporting the merits of traditional hull shape) - the opening post states that he is a 'middle aged cruiser not racer'.
I would suggest that hulls he might be considering, even if modern, would be light years away from IMOCA 60's and Gunboat G4's - and their performance would be much closer to the traditional shapes in a F5/6 than to the F1 examples introduced.
Besides, perhaps the OP possesses the skills necessary to handle a long-keeler in harbour that some posters apparently do not. ?

 

[capnsensible]

Go deep and watch a movie.

 

[Tanqueray]

Go deep and watch a movie.

Well I did notice that you tend to be a bit shy of tidal areas these days

 

[capnsensible]

Well I did notice that you tend to be a bit shy of tidal areas these days

How I miss it. However I did a delivery from Guernsey southwards a couple of months ago. Just to keep my hand in. It reminded me about sailing in thick fog for two days as well.

Then I remembered a couple of near gale downwind runs from Antigua and St Lucia to Panama in eek Bavarias and suddenly the spring range of two metres in the Canaries plus all the sunshine felt enough.

 

[DoubleEnder]

To be fair to the OP (and others supporting the merits of traditional hull shape) - the opening post states that he is a 'middle aged cruiser not racer'.
I would suggest that hulls he might be considering, even if modern, would be light years away from IMOCA 60's and Gunboat G4's - and their performance would be much closer to the traditional shapes in a F5/6 than to the F1 examples introduced.
Besides, perhaps the OP possesses the skills necessary to handle a long-keeler in harbour that some posters apparently do not. ?

I am the OP! (Yes mostly - not always- I can handle my long keel boat in close quarters though still learning of course) Really my reason for starting the thread was that I have almost no experience of sailing in boats with more modern hull shapes, and none at all in anything other than light wind and smooth seas. I’ve sometimes been impressed and a little envious when I’ve seen something shiny and chiney reach past me, heeling just a little, but again that’s been mostly in lightish weather and smooth water.

So I’m curious, as to how they work when conditions are a bit brisker - that’s all. thank you everyone for their input. It’s interesting, and who knows may be useful some time.

 

[Graham376]

If you want uncomfortable, may I suggest Lake Solent with 25kts or so over a spring tide. That chop is nasty! Off hand, I can't think of anywhere apart from the Gosport boating lake that's nice in those conditions.

Try around Anglesey with a good wind over 5-6kts of spring tide, Solent will feel like a mill pond afterwards.

 

[geem]

Try around Anglesey with a good wind over 5-6kts of spring tide, Solent will feel like a mill pond afterwards.

I grew up sailing those waters. I always thought if you can sail around there you can sail anywhere. With South Stack, Swellies, Caernarfon Bar, etc, there are a few challenges for a new sailor.

 

[Iliade]

How about these foiling boats? Can you make them go slow enough to point into wind at all? If so, do they cut through the waves nicely or hit every tenth one and fall over?

The idea of a Centaur with foils has always appealed, rather like the Reliant with a V8 idea...

 

[Stemar]

The idea of a Centaur with foils has always appealed, rather like the Reliant with a V8 idea...

I had a Snapdragon 24 with 28hp under the bonnet. I wanted to put a monoski under each keel and take on the Ryde fastcats, but Milady wouldn't let me ☹