Whats going on with this boom and spray hood combo?

If you look on the cockpit floor you will see an eye that the main sheet can be fastened to instead which allows you have a less complicated system with the advantages of the traveller
another option is to put a traveller in top of the cabin roof
each system has its advantages and disadvantages
a lot depends on how well you wish to control the mainsheet
Outlaw a design by illingworth and primrose had the wheel ahead of the cockpit winches
 
This is a bit disparaging of what is in fact a Nic 55, isn't it?

Well, the Nic 55 has been my dream boat for almost all my sailing life. I never for a moment thought I would sail on one, let alone own one. I think she is absolutely wonderful. When I say that my son’s Squib is her little sister, I mean that she handles just like a big (very big!) Squib. She has perfect manners. Everyone who takes the wheel develops a huge grin after a couple of minutes.

I think she’s wonderful! But she has the accommodation of a modern 38 footer in 55 marina feet and her draft heads towards the Centre of the Earth! For me, the sheer delight in sailing her justifies this. But since she was for sale as an HMG disposal at a silly price when I bought her, it’s clear that I’m in a tiny minority.
 
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Well, the Nic 55 has been my dream boat for almost all my sailing life. I never for a moment thought I would sail on one, let alone own one. I think she is absolutely wonderful. When I say that my son’s Squib is her little sister, I mean that she handles just like a big (very big!) Squib. She has perfect manners. Everyone who takes the wheel develops a huge grin after a couple of minutes.

I think she’s wonderful! But she has the accommodation of a modern 38 footer in 55 marina feet and her draft heads towards the Centre of the Earth! For me, the sheer delight in sailing her justifies this. But since she was for sale as an HMG disposal at silly money, before I bought her, it’s clear that I’m in a tiny minority.
An old friend of mine was an Air Force engineer who took one of the joint forces Nics across the pond. He always said they were amazing sailing machines.
Pipe cots may not be that popular with the average marina queen, but from what I understand of them, 'ageing offshore racer' might be true but doesn't do justice to what is an astonishing boat.
I'm only a little bit hugely jealous. :)
 
An old friend of mine was an Air Force engineer who took one of the joint forces Nics across the pond. He always said they were amazing sailing machines.
Pipe cots may not be that popular with the average marina queen, but from what I understand of them, 'ageing offshore racer' might be true but doesn't do justice to what is an astonishing boat.
I'm only a little bit hugely jealous. :)

We never use the pipe cots because we never have a crew of more than six - that’s four pilot berths and two quarter berths! But yes, there are four pipe cots and the two settees.
 
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On reflection I now feel it was a silly question, but in case anyone is concerned by this, don't be, I have plenty more in the tank sir, plenty.
There are plenty of silly questions here, and even more silly answers, both of which provide entertainment, but the only stupid question is the one you don't ask, because you remain ignorant.
 
Could someone tell me what the metal bar is that crosses the cockpit please? I couldn't consider the boat due to this as I think it's too much of a hazard for kids (and me tbh).

Mainsheet traveller?
Yes. You soon get used to it. It's also useful as a step, to traverse the cockpit quickly over the top of crew sitting (notice I didn't comply with the current ungrammatical trend of saying "sat"), on the cockpit seats.
 
I think that “sat” is the past tense of the transitive form of “to sit”, i.e. you seat someone (in a particular spot, usually a chair, bench, sofa or other item of sitting equipment) and that person is then sat there. But I can feel the urge to grab the Shorter Oxford…
 
I think that “sat” is the past tense of the transitive form of “to sit”, i.e. you seat someone (in a particular spot, usually a chair, bench, sofa or other item of sitting equipment) and that person is then sat there. But I can feel the urge to grab the Shorter Oxford…
Should you not say: "that person has then been sat there"?
 
Should then the signs in restaurant doorways read "Please wait to be sat"?
I think the restaurant signs are OK. The process Kukri was referring to (transitive verb) is brief and what the sign refers to. But when it is over you are still seated and hopefully can stay that way. Maybe if you are sitting comfortably, Daphne Oxenford will read you a story...
(www.bbc.com/listen-with-mother)
 
Past continuous: sitting.
So he was sitting at the chart table
not
He was sat at the chart table

Unless, of course, the speaker is northern, then all bets are off. :)
Surely the historical bit is the "was"! Hence the BBC's "Are you sitting" is present tense.

(BTW I'd hoped to get a Brownie point for my punlet "Yes, that makes me tense up, too..."!)
 
Surely the historical bit is the "was"! Hence the BBC's "Are you sitting" is present tense.

(BTW I'd hoped to get a Brownie point for my punlet "Yes, that makes me tense up, too..."!)
The e.g. given above (crew sitting on the cockpit seats) is present continuous, so should still be 'sitting' not 'sat'.
 
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