Joe Nelson CS#35

If I recall, the Lightning class does not call their races off unless the winds are in excess of 35mph. I've been in some races about 30 and it was crazy. Still using the spinnaker and flying downwind. No reefing, but sails set to spill as much air as possible...lots of twist in the main and boom just bouncing in the wind gusts.

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.

You could go wing on wing and ease your sails more forward and spill air from them. I prefer wing on wing when in heavy downwind air.

It is a concern that if you keep your boat in the sun that the air inside the tank will find a way to get out due to pressure caused by heat (ever see a plastic gas can swell up when in the sun). So air will eventually get in and out. So why not install a $10 screw hatch so you can improve air circulation and still have a viable flotation chamber. Leave the hatches open during non use.

The governing class want us to hate business and capitalism. But you show me one country that is doing better under the socialist model than capitalist. The money has to be generated by someone and government doesn't do anything except collect, print or borrow. Support business, small and big.

BoatUS has good rates and generally no survey for small boats.

And I cant even get a 22' belhaven designed.

I guess the big downside is that the mizzen is located such that it could not ride folded. You would have to detach it for trailering. So not a big advantage.

Is it feasible to convert a standard built CS20 to have tabernacles? The main would seem to be the issue.

Do you bother to tie the sails up or just let it bag in the middle? Do you have more than one reef point? If so, how are you dealing with the multiple reef points?

I saw in an earlier thread that Travis was working on jiffy reefing. Did that work out and how would you do it?

I appreciate all the comments. I would be uncomfortable knotting the end of the sheets if they were not closer to the center of the boat. A knotted and bottomed out sheet could prove to be disastrous if you could not reach to other end to play out the main sail. So I guess I am back to leading the sheets to the center like Tom's Lapwing. This would allow for faster access to the opposing sheet Plus with the mizzen sheet right behind the mizzen mast, all controls will be centrally located. Not much more of a reach for the opposite sheet. Also less wear on the sheets sliding through the jam cleats. I am also working on setting the main up with a downhaul halyard run to the cockpit and a snotter setup for the mizzen like that on the main (instead of the slot in the front of the yard and a jam cleat). It will be nice to be able to lower the main without going forward to pull it down. Anyone play with a continuous halyard for up and down? I started out simple and have continued to complicate things. Wish I would have had the option to build tabernacles when I built my boat. Anyone else thinking of doing a conversion? Does anyone have more purchase on their snotters? Do you find that you have a hard time getting enough tention on the snotter? Same question for the cunninghams.

Anyone else have a hard time managing the main sheet? I was racing last weekend on my CS20 and lost the main sheet twice through my hand and it was short and ended up flying and the main went out and those small mistakes cost me races. Is there any way to make the main sheet continuous? Then you would not need to worry about managing the length on the two ends. The other option is to make two separate sheets. What is being done on the princess boats? Michael Storer, Australian small boat designer was at our messabout this weekend and he was impressed with the Core Sound. He had only one comment...the top batten in the main was too stiff and not bending. I will get a tapered batten for that. Michael can sail a Goat Island Skiff as fast as I can sail the Core Sound. Very impressive!!! He commented that the Core Sound 20 is big enough to feel yachty, yet responsive like a dinghy. He enjoyed sailing my boat. He likes to proportions. Says a lot of boats are too blocky and have too wide of sterns and get pushed around in heavy downwind conditions. We had 10-15 winds and he liked the way the boat handled. He had always wanted to sail a Core Sound. He was quick to mention that Graham was also from Australia. Now we need Graham to come to one of our west coast messabouts! Michael races Norwalk Island Sharpies in Australia. Says they are really good boats, but do heel a lot initially. He is well aware of how to sail a cat ketch. He thinks the Princess 22 would be a good boat and would sail a lot more upright than the NIS's.

Not to hijack the thread, but what does the higher sheer do to the stability curve? Not asking for exact numbers, just a general statement.

Look at the pics here http://www.messing-about.com/forums/index.php?topic=4816.0 Is this the standard layout with a drop-in panel to make the vee berth or the vee berth option? Looks nice. Dont think I would want the bathroom next to the companionway though.

Have any details of the berth panel that converts to a table? Sounds like a great feature!

So, any major issues involved? You probably wont need to go all the way back to the front of the centerboard case with the berth? Makes for a clean layout though. Where would the porta-potty go? Are you talking the standard length cabin and standard sheer height?

Is there an option to make a vee berth in the Princess 22? How much room would be left for a cabin floor area with a vee berth (length). My current plan is to build with the raised sheer and extended cabin. But my wife will not accept a boat without a vee berth.

I am fearful that this is what we are heading for here.

Fred, Nice addition to this thread! My Wagner HVLP system ($99) gave up recently and I think I will try one of the Earlex setups. I think it is a good price point and looks to be a lot better than the Wagner unit. I have been hesitant to move up to a more commercial unit. Thinking I would just buy another $99 unit for every project. But this looks to be a good semi permanent solution at the right price.

A lot of boats are built with non marine ply. You just may need to encapsulate more of it with glass and epoxy. Fir plywood fir instance is used a lot here. Norman's Princess was built with fir. As long as you can get fiberglass and epoxy, you are good to go! Do not let the dream pass you by. I would rather use non marine that to use the thicker stuff you can get.

Construction pics http://www.messing-about.com/forums/index.php?topic=5840.0 Centerboard case and motor well; http://www.messing-about.com/forums/index.php?topic=1357.0 Pouring the lead keel; http://www.messing-about.com/forums/index.php?topic=2843.0 Rolling over the hull; http://www.messing-about.com/forums/index.php?topic=973.0

A few sailing pictures http://www.messing-about.com/forums/index.php?topic=6850.0

I have been searching for Princess pictures. Had an idea that maybe you guys would post them all here, so it would be easier to see them all in one place. Post links here for pictures of building and sailing threads. Or just post the pictures here. Hoping to collect an archive of Princess pics at one location. Unfortunately, most of Charlie's pics from the Trailer Sailor forum do not work anymore.

Well, lets see...it is faster, no rollers or brushes to clean or throw away, no roller pan to clean or throw away. I admit that the boat insides have a higher benefit ratio than the outside. But once you get good at it, you don't look back.