fatschoonerrat

You'd do the opposite of weather-vaning. Your boat would have a persistent and probably dangerous lee helm. If you were only trying to head downwind, it'd be perfect!

Just found this and confirmed it's still available. $2,000 for the boat, trailer, and a motor. Not bad at all. https://buffalo.craigslist.org/boa/6118296938.html

More on that: http://www.jimsboats.com/webarchives/1999/1jul99.htm

Great ideas, y'all. I just had an idea. Since my current setup uses robands, what if I just left them the way they are and added a vertical reef? That way, I would just add a reefing halyard and downhaul and some way to brail up the sail to the mast. The snotter wouldn't be an issue this way, and I wouldn't have to drop another grand into the (hole in the bottom of the) boat. Ever seen a setup like that? I'm reading that was the way to do it back in the day. I had been planning on replacing the robands with a laceline. But this could be interesting.

Thanks for the thorough answer, Peter. They are lace-luff sails. Did some research and chatted with Stuart at Dabbler sails and got directed to this page about using lacing with reef points: http://www.dabblersails.com/blog/blog.pl?type=show&id=43&pic_id=14 Looks like that might be the answer for me. -Sean

Got a quote for a set of single reef rows. The local UK Sailmakers here said that'd run me $200 or so. Given that's about a quarter the cost of a new suit of sails, I'm wondering if that's worth it, or if I'd rather spend the cash for a new set and keep these as a backup. Been doing some heavy tree tree work on the homestead the past couple weekends and haven't been out sailing yet. Been pretty breezy, too. Need those reef points!

Thanks, y'all! I appreciate all the responses, as I definitely have a lot to learn here. Looks like it has some decent hardware in place. Though not having halyards totally threw me off. The boat isn't the prettiest one in the fleet, I'm sure. There's a chunky epoxy job on the bow where the previous painter eye must have been. But it was garage kept and no rot, which was my big worry driving up there. It does have bench box seats. I just have to look around and make sure they're watertight. Im a huge fan of old rigs. I learned to sail on modern boats, but I was cured of that working on a schooner in Maine for five years in my 20s. Sailing big gaff rigs is fun, but being able to point higher than 60° is good, too. My brother and I built a Reuel Parker sharpie with a cat ketch rig and way too much sail. Love just setting the sheets and going. I read someone call it "lazy sailing". Nothing like ghosting along and shifting your weight to steer.

Thanks. I'll definitely try to make it. A couple more questions if you have a sec. 1. I just rigged the boat in my back yard. Looks like there's just enough mizzen sheet for a run. Should I have more than that in case I want to let the sail weathervane or switch sides and have some spare? 2. Doesn't look like there's a drain. Am I going to want one? 3. There are bulkheads, but I'm wondering if I want to add some closed-foam insulation under the benches. I dont have a third mast step. After seeing the video tour of Graham's Carlita, I'd love to get mine set up for reefing on the fly. The ball/ramp setup is genius. Thanks in advance.

Sold! Well, ... bought! By me! I'm excited to join the CS ranks. Can't wait to get out for a sail. I only learned about the design a month or so ago. Looks like a fun, capable, comfortable craft. My boat will probably benefit from some minor modifications (no halyard on this particular rig -- I'm confused) and additions. This boat was built from plans. It has an older (?) sail without reef points. Alan from the B&B shop said that means it's a lace on sail. Anyone else out there have one? Is it annoying to try and reef by wrapping the sail around the mast?

I have been rowing the creeks behind Capers and Bulls Island for years. I have always wanted to explore the area further up towards the actual cape of Cape Romain but have only barely scratched the surface going fast in a friend's motorboat. It's difficult to find overnight parking, but you can either park at the Isle of Palms marina for a small fee or probably work something out at Buck Hall. I have heard that parking overnight at Garris Landing gets you a ticket. Camping on Capers Island is a favorite. Call or email the state for a free permit. I forget who, but you can google it. There are two islands further north that allow camping Murphy and one other, but I forget the name. Of course, if you're sleeping on board any protected cove or creek bend would work. I haven't personally, but you could probably sail all the way across Bulls Bay at high tide. It gets extremely shallow all the way across, as do all of the bays. The creeks can be quite deep. Fishing is amazing in here. Oysters, trout, reds, shrimp, flounder. The occasional ray and small shark. I've heard stories of big shark sightings in Bulls Bay when the bait fish are running. As with most of the water inside of the barrier islands, it's almost all salt marsh with labyrinths of creeks. Be prepared for twists and turns and getting lost. I like to take screenshots of aerial photos for reference so I'm not draining my phone's GPS. Don't know what charts offer in here. You'll find poles marking the channels here and there but the creeks mostly find their way through. If you're not in a hurry, it won't matter.