Gordy Hill

I was picturing the block horizontal and sending the line out the side of the trunk at the kingpost and under the trunk cap and seats. A few fairleads should handle things from there.

Joe, I think I'd consider having the uphaul exit the trunk at or near the kingpost. It looks like you might have a chance for a slack uphaul to drop down to the top of the board when it's down and get pinched. I think Murphy was an optimist.......

It seems to me that any boat one has for any length of time is two feet too short. Thus, the perfect boat is X+2 feet. This works well until the boat is large enough to need a dinghy. The dinghy, though functional, is too small. In order to have a 'proper' dinghy, one's boat needs to be two feet longer. One then discovers that the dinghy is used much more than the big thing tied to the dock, and is really much more fun. Actually, the dinghy would be perfect if it were just two feet longer....

Hi Scott, I think you should keep the beam below 8'6" to be legal trailering in most states. I like the companionway offset, especially since the mizzen mast is right there, but it looks like you'd have someone step up onto the seat and then down the steps. I'd move it as close to center as possible taking into account the mizzen. If the centerboard were on the same side as the companionway it would leave a huge area on the other side for a double bed quarter berth. ....or a head with a jacuzzi ...or a dinette... The swim platform might require an inboard rudder. More problems than it's worth. Maybe a "sugar scoop" transom with a cutout for the rudder could work. I've been trying to mock that up on my own imaginary boat. You might want to swap the stove and icebox. It can really be handy when the icebox is also accessible from the cockpit. It's much easier to load the ice and a nice cold sasparilla is always close at hand.

Racers don't reef. Most one design boats are not set up for reefing. Learn to deal with wind gusts by luffing up or letting out the main. Thank you Joe! I kept looking at the tiny little waves and the boat sitting upright and felt I was missing something!

Yah, Ok, That's nice... Where are the pictures??? I used to pretty much ignore the mizzen as well. I'd check it occasionally, but most of my attention was on the lower tell tails on the luff of the main. For those of us with limited skills I've found that a tighter, flatter sail in the wrong conditions is much more forgiving than a looser sail in it's 'wrong' conditions. I'd start out with a rather tight downhaul and snotter. If it was wrong the boat would still sail and either the wind would increase or I'd have plenty of opportunity to tweak.

I've been in some pretty heavy stuff with the main wrapped around the mast and the mizzen in the center step. The boat stayed amazingly flat and just accelerated with the gusts. I was alone and certainly never considered toting along another 300 pounds or so of water. Scotch maybe, but not water. There are boats that may need water ballast, and there are many sailors who know more about this than I do, but I think the water belongs on the outside. If the boat is designed for water ballast that's one thing. But even then I question whether the designer is trying to cover a design flaw. I have to admit that designing a boat for a limited tow vehicle makes sense. Of course, on a nice light Core Sound you could probably get the same response if you reef and then tie a couple life preservers to a line and trail them behind the boat so you'd get the same loss of performance.

I kinda have to go with Ray on this. I hate to because I'd rather argue with him, but it's not easy when he's usually right. When you're going downwind you could have a plywood sail and it wouldn't make much difference. Upwind you have an airfoil. When the leeward tell tail points to the sky you don't have an airfoil. The sail stills works, but not nearly as well. I had my tell tails about a foot from the luff and was contemplating a little triangle window so I could see both ribbons. Were I to enter the Everglades Challenge I'd look into a tiny LED for night sailing. I had one tell tail about three or four feet above the tack where it was clear from interference from the sprit. It was comfortably in view. Since the package came with who knows how many ribbons I put another set up higher to give me something to look at when I got bored.The theory, anyway is that when the act the same the sail is tweaked right and should stay tweaked as the sheet is adjusted. Never worked for me so I just ignored the higher ones Probably couldn't keep up with Sukie, but I like to think I'd outrun Ray. No reason to believe it, but I'd just like to think I'd outrun Ray.

I have found that if I leave the bailer open when I come to a stop it really sucks.....

Darn! That's a shame Ray! Now you'll just have to get out sailing more often. The business requires it. I bet you could write off all the fuel your boat burns. For me, I just watch the luff tell tails closely and keep the sail flatter when it's windy. That just about uses up the knowledge I've acquired over the years. Beyond that you'll have to find someone a bit more helpful.

Ray, Great job of setting the saysail singlehanded. I don't think I'd have even attempted it. During the first half hour or so of The Great Race one year we had light winds slightly forward of the port beam and I was in my CS17 with sleeve luffs and no battens. We sailed away from Graham in the 20 and opened up a few hundred yards before the wind freshened and Graham sailed past us and out of sight over the horizon. Up wind the clean airfoil of the sleeve luff is hard to beat. Off the wind, the extra area of the battens are hard to beat. Up wind the leading edge of the airfoil is very very important. The staysail halyard along the mast can make a real difference. I'd like to try rigging super strong fishing line to lay along the mast. When the staysail is called for the halyard could be attached to the end of the fishing line and run up and through the block and back down. When you're through you could change back to the fishing line. Also, with a track luff, an internal halyard is worth considering.

I agree Tom! Also, it looked to me like the stern was digging in a bit with just one aboard and he was well forward. Some trim tabs might help him quite a bit.

Great great job, John!!!

Dale, How does "Lively" perfume on 2 hp? Are you happy with it or would you go with a larger motor next time?

According to Mercury Marine website the 4-stroke motors can be stored on it's side observing the "This side up" decal. Even if you didn't store the motor in a locker, most people would carry extra fuel...in a locker. I think it would be possible to properly vent a locker.

Scott, The guys with the West Coast Sailing Squadron use Honda 2 of 2.5 hp four strokes on their SeaPearls and swear by them. One towed another Sea Pearl all the way back from the Dry Tortugas to Key West when the winds were light and fluky out of the east. Personally, I'd go for the lightest, smallest motor I could find. I'd like one light enough to stow in a locker for the 99% of the time when I don't need it. For me, the transom cut-out would make the most sense. the motor wouldn't be so far away and easier to lift. If you don't have the rear lazerette you'd be closer to the motor. If you do have one, you could store the motor in the lazarette.

Tony, My vote is for the $300.00 galvanized. The springs will be for a much heavier boat and will give you a rough ride. Changing the springs is no big deal. Keep the other ones.

SAILING pictures John! We want SAILING pictures! The sprits look really nice.......

John you"re driving me crazy! There's no way I could build a boat as pretty as yours. I'd just have to get that sucker wet long before it's really finished. Your attention to detail and high quality can be truly annoying to us wood butchers. I'm tired of closeups of fine workmanship. I want to see pictures of her sailing! ..............................just my little rant. I feel better now.

I don't 'spose moving to Florida is in your list of options......

You make some good points Peter. I was hoping some of the guys who've made the change from sleeve to track might join in with the pros and cons. I think the smaller the boat, the more I'd be inclined to go with the sleeves.

That's COOL Peter!

The Hobi Islander has a really neat, long diagnal batten that I didn't get a chance to get a good look at. The battened sail gives a lower center of effort, but in the real world I don't think anyone would notice it. In theory the battened sail would be a scosh faster off the wind and the clean luff sleve would be a bit better upwind. Long ago in flight school I happened to be awake when it was mentioned that one simple wire - rod - line- haulyard had much more drag than one would imagine. Removing all the wires on a byplane made an incredable differance. The wings fell off. No, not really, but I just couldn't help myself. The Stagger-wing Beach is a case in point. Just because Graham kinda looks like Yoda doesn't mean he's ALWAYS right. Well ok, he's never WRONG, but everything is a trade-off and personally, I'd go with the sleeves.

Dave, I built CS 17 #11 before there was a forum. Really could have used these guys! At first I had two-part masts but found them a huge pain. I really think you should consider sleve luffs. They make a much cleaner airfoil and wrap neatly around the mast to store. This also allows for a window in the main since it rolls up neatly and it doesn't get folds in it when stored. Your sails are small enough for you to reef by rolling up the main and just picking up the mizzen, fully rigged, and putting it in the center position. Thus reefed, my boat was an absolute joy to sail when everyone else was heading for the ramp. I made pvc crutches and stored the masts with the sails rolled around them. The masts made a perfect ridge pole for a tarp. I had a long sleeve made to cover the masts with the sails on them. It had a long zipper and if the package doesn't fit in your shed perhaps there's a place outside where you could store it. I be sailing ten minutes after showing up at the ramp. This is really important. The easier it was to actually get on the water, the more often I'd go sailing. Every extra little step involved made it easier to put things off. If I were building another CS 17 I'd use the sleve luffs. If I were building a CS20 I'd go with the tracks. With your boat I personally wouldn't consider anything but sleve luffs. Just my two cents... You're gonna LOVE that boat!

I felt my boat could comfortably carry 5 adults, 10 children, 15 Viet Namese, or 27 Ethiopians.