NigelBirch
Well-Known Member
These look very nice and get billed as "high performance" does that mean they are skittish and a bit of handful?
Super Seal 26: How do they sail?
- Thread starter NigelBirch
- Start date
G
Guest
Guest
They sail really well. Very fast for their size, but designed to be handled by a cruiser crew. Not the right boat for crossing wide seas, but great for estuaries and coastal sailing.
Seal_surfer
Well-Known Member
We are very happy with ours after looking at several alternatives (Hunter Delta, Horizon 26, Dehlya 25, Gibsea 24?, Macgregor (beached whale), etc
They are very rewarding to sail with lots of opportunity to experiment to get her going just how you want. There is no external ballast, the keel is literally a heavyish (300lb) daggerboard that goes in a trunk slot running right through from the coachroof just forward of the mast. Lots of moulded in ballast right across the whole bottom though. I can see when I have raised keel fully from the lifting line in the cockpit when the top of the board appears poking up on deck forward of the mast. This means you then draw about 1 foot, plus whatever you need for the rudder. Great for drying moorings and beaching and explore "dinghy territory".
Get the rudder blade balanced right and she will sail to windward by herself with nothing more than a piece of heavy elastic across the tiller as a cheap effective "autohelm". So not skittish I say. Stability is much better than you might expect due to her almost flat bottom and firm bilges, although the motion can initially feel a bit odd as its mostly "form stability", assisted by generous beam. She seems surprisingly dry (fine bow entry) and seems able to punch through F7, gusting 8 in the East coast's lumpy Wallet coastal route at a good rate, with only a scrap of sail up. Don't sail her on her ear and she'll go so much better. Most boats under 30 foot are soon left in our wake without trying very hard. I think pointing ability isn't as good as it could be (with No1 RR Genoa anyway), due to wide sheeting base, but smaller headsail and inboard tracks/haulers might help if really keen
Once sailing free-er for any time, I often raise the board as it helps balance the helm (and reduces drag
). I have full width main traveller and combined with fractional rig's adjustable backstay can play the rig to suit conditions very effectively.
I am often single handed and always manage to pick-up fore & aft moorings in a tight space (little depth also) OK, but occasionally use the keel as a "handbrake" if tricky crosswinds - gently of course! General sail handling is fine with lazyjacks & RR. She generally holds course OK while I go up forward to reef, stow the main, get anchor ready, etc.
Note of caution - I wouldn't want to provoke a complete wipe out and risk inversion though, with no self righting ability/poor AVS.
Excellent family boat with a surprisingly spacious properly fitted out interior that seems bigger than the boat suggests. You probably wouldn't even spot the keel case unless you were looking for it.
They are very rewarding to sail with lots of opportunity to experiment to get her going just how you want. There is no external ballast, the keel is literally a heavyish (300lb) daggerboard that goes in a trunk slot running right through from the coachroof just forward of the mast. Lots of moulded in ballast right across the whole bottom though. I can see when I have raised keel fully from the lifting line in the cockpit when the top of the board appears poking up on deck forward of the mast. This means you then draw about 1 foot, plus whatever you need for the rudder. Great for drying moorings and beaching and explore "dinghy territory".
Get the rudder blade balanced right and she will sail to windward by herself with nothing more than a piece of heavy elastic across the tiller as a cheap effective "autohelm". So not skittish I say. Stability is much better than you might expect due to her almost flat bottom and firm bilges, although the motion can initially feel a bit odd as its mostly "form stability", assisted by generous beam. She seems surprisingly dry (fine bow entry) and seems able to punch through F7, gusting 8 in the East coast's lumpy Wallet coastal route at a good rate, with only a scrap of sail up. Don't sail her on her ear and she'll go so much better. Most boats under 30 foot are soon left in our wake without trying very hard. I think pointing ability isn't as good as it could be (with No1 RR Genoa anyway), due to wide sheeting base, but smaller headsail and inboard tracks/haulers might help if really keen
Once sailing free-er for any time, I often raise the board as it helps balance the helm (and reduces drag
). I have full width main traveller and combined with fractional rig's adjustable backstay can play the rig to suit conditions very effectively. I am often single handed and always manage to pick-up fore & aft moorings in a tight space (little depth also) OK, but occasionally use the keel as a "handbrake" if tricky crosswinds - gently of course! General sail handling is fine with lazyjacks & RR. She generally holds course OK while I go up forward to reef, stow the main, get anchor ready, etc.
Note of caution - I wouldn't want to provoke a complete wipe out and risk inversion though, with no self righting ability/poor AVS.
Excellent family boat with a surprisingly spacious properly fitted out interior that seems bigger than the boat suggests. You probably wouldn't even spot the keel case unless you were looking for it.
tyce
Well-Known Member
are you sure they dont have self righting ability, i would have thought the steel slab would flip it over.
NigelBirch
Well-Known Member
Thanks for such a compreshensive post!
Seal_surfer
Well-Known Member
Self righting
What I mean is that if you managed to put the mast "below" the keel by any great amount, she could stay upside down quite happily. Mainly due to the lack of leverage of ballast at the end of a keel and also her beam working against her if wrong ways up!
However, how many thames barges and other non-ballast keeled craft (excluding broken-off keels) do you know that have had that happen!!
What I mean is that if you managed to put the mast "below" the keel by any great amount, she could stay upside down quite happily. Mainly due to the lack of leverage of ballast at the end of a keel and also her beam working against her if wrong ways up!
However, how many thames barges and other non-ballast keeled craft (excluding broken-off keels) do you know that have had that happen!!
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Self righting
I'd also worry about the dagger board dropping out the top!
I'd also worry about the dagger board dropping out the top!
Rêveur intégral
New Member
Re: Self righting
At that point the dagger board would not be of any use! But if you manage to right up the boat I don't see why you could not sail without it...
;1264133 said:
At that point the dagger board would not be of any use! But if you manage to right up the boat I don't see why you could not sail without it...
Kelpie
Well-Known Member
Re: Self righting
Having been beaten by one several times in races, I would say they sail very well! Roomy inside too. Basically a big dinghy with a lid...
Having been beaten by one several times in races, I would say they sail very well! Roomy inside too. Basically a big dinghy with a lid...
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
Re: Self righting
Seem to perform well under handicap
Seem to perform well under handicap
macd
Well-Known Member
Pinnacle
Well-Known Member
Other threads that may be of interest
