Buck's Weekender launched

[buck]

I am languishing in the success of my weekender, which was launched 12 days ago on our summer holiday ( vacation) at Marahau, Nelson, New Zealand. The boat was a great success beyond my best expectations.

WE launched on an afternoon tide with little or no wind. Unfortunately by the time we got it in the water the wind had risen to 15-20 knots with accompanying seas. The damn thing took off, was a pig to tack and was fairly uncontrollable. I managed to get the jib up and the boat round to the inlet at Marahau and into calmer waters. An eventful first sail. Over the next couple of days in similar conditions I was able to sort it out a bit. I’ve been sailing many years so I’m no novice sailer but it took a few days to get used to Weekender sailing.

First thing I did was learn to tack. With the long keel she’s hard to get round to windward. Now I’ve set the jib with a loose foot and have a line either side back to the cockpit. The trick to tacking I found is to never let go of the jib, this way as the boat goes round the jib is first to catch the wind on the opposite tack (being at 15-20 degrees to the boat) and pushes you round to the new tack. After this tacking became a breeze and things began to sought themselves out.

I soon learnt to set the peak halyard to give a good sail shape, and my doubts about the Weekender being over canvassed (it is of course) soon disappeared. In 15-20knots she’s quite a handful to singlehand, but it would be a hard boat to capsize. I had the leerail under a few times.

As far as pounding, well what pounding? I couldn’t work out what people complained about. I had it often in 2’ seas with water flicking the tops of the bow and sure it does pound a bit but nothing more than what you’d expect from a 16’ yacht. I had previously thought it might only be flat water boat. No one really shows pictures in heavy sea conditions (in which it’s hard to take photos anyway) but I was very impressed with the general seaworthiness of the boat. Often I found myself 2 miles or so from land and in seas with waves breaking higher than the boat, but each time this little ship would rise over them leaving the cockpit dry. In fact it made surprising light work of everything. My longest trip was a voyage 9 miles down the coast to Motueka in 2’ seas reaching in 10-15 knots.

Beating hard into the wind is not the Weekenders forte (as with many yachts) It’ll do it but it slows right up. Put her a little off the wind (say 60 degrees) and it picks up speed and creams along. People commented on how fast she was. The secret of fast cruising was to plan voyages where windward capability wasn’t that important, rather than spend all day beating to some far off destination. I’m sure it would do it but it’s not that enjoyable. Better to be speeding along in full cry across the wind that spending every effort trying to cram windward ability out of her. And so it went, all the time I grew more confident in the boat’s abilities and it impressed me more and more. Sometimes with forums its easy to read too much into negative comments, take for instance the recent discussion on the Weekenders seaworthiness on the Wooden boat forum. My Weekender bore no comparison with the ill-conceived barge they were talking about (it occurred to me some distance off shore as the boat was blistering along they were talking about a very different boat to this one I now skippered) All that talk of weatherhelm! Did they have the jib up or the rudder down? I certainly didn’t notice weatherhelm worth complaining about.

So the truth is the Weekender is a fast and seaworthy little cruiser well capable for inshore coastal cruising. In the last 10 days I have enjoyed it immensely, being very taken with its abundant charms. So were a lot of other people! including some very credible yachties, a boatbuilder friend informed me he’d heard some very favourable comments about my tarpsails, I think many people were impressed by their simplicity and effectiveness.

One night I had it anchored off the renowned AbleTasman National Park as the moon rose over the Islands. Well that sent the tourist cameras clicking! I think for the short time it had been in the water it must be one of the most photographed boats around!

The boat does look excellent (from 20feet away!) It’s as rough as guts up close I’m no craftsman and never will be. Never the less it is strong!

New Zealander’s pride themselves on a ‘No 8 wire mentality’ That in the days before we opened ourselves to the world, we were a relatively closed society, We could never get parts for anything, we had to make do or make it or fix it ourselves (often with No8 wire) So even today theres a real love of simple, clever engineering and I think my Weekender hit a soft spot here. The plastic pipe jib fasteners & mast hoops, the deadeyes and tarp sails all show that you don’t have to have a lot of money to have a lovely boat.

Actually Peter Stevenson spent his early life in New Zealand and I like to think some of our ‘No 8 wire mentality’ rubbed off on him. The Weekender and its brothers are inspired pieces of simple engineering take that keel I think Peter always had a notion he could get away without a centreboard (the Stevensons modestly claim otherwise) but why else did he design it like that?

So I’ve done it, the holiday is over and the boat turned out a fabulous success and I’m left feeling very satisfied. I spent about $1200 NZ which is a little over $600 US. Thank you all of you for all the help. This and the other board are fine ports for small sailers and I’ve taken much good advice and encouragement from both. Thanks one and all. - Buck

PS Photos should soon be in gallery!

[Gordy Hill]

I don't really say things like "good on ya" but I have frends from NZ, they're great guys and they say stuff like that.

Anyhow, congrats!

Gordy

[Guest Anonymous]

Buck, thats an excellent review, thanks for taking the time to write. While there are many reviews of the weekender, yours is especially interesting to someone who has not yet sailed (nor seen in person) a Weekender. I too was under the (apparent) misunderstanding that this boat wants to be sailed in gentle winds on a calm lake. Your experience has changed that view.

Thanks

-tom

[Johannah]

Buck, the pictures you posted are an eye opener about New Zealand and the Able Tasman Park. Great crew you have. What do the kids think of the new boat? It looks a good size for your big kids.

[Mike Henderson (Oregon)]

Wow!

Buck, that really is something to be proud of!! Very Nice.

[Frank Hagan]

Great account of your first day out, Buck. And the pictures are great ... thanks for putting them up in the Gallery for us to see.

The boat sails better than we'll ever let on in places like the Wooden Boat forum. One reason is that you generate more heat than light in those "seaworthiness" debates. I freely admit to being an amateur and not at all an expert, but some tend to go the other way in public forums.

You guys in NZ have proved your sailing expertise over the last few years ... so it doesn't surprise me that you would be more adventuresome than I would. A few have capsized a Weekender, but everyone I've heard of did it during an accidental gybe. I've had the rail in a few times myself. I never felt like the boat was going over.

I think the real danger in any small boat would be getting in a situation where you get swamped by a wave (in fact, that's the cause of most small boat sinkings in the US). But as you and countless others have shown, the Weekender is probably the equal of any other 16', flat bottomed boat (even those Bolger boxes!)

BTW - I found the Weekender tacks on a dime ... unless you get caught in the kelp, of course!