Ballasting options

[John Turpin]

This June, I'm planning a little coastal cruise and, for the first time, I may be taking the Lapwing into rough water. I'm not doing the Texas 200 this year, but am sailing just to the northeast of this event and will finish at the same time as the TX200ers in the same destination, Seadrift Texas. While TX200 participants will have to cross numerous big rough bays, I'll only have to cross one--Matagorda Bay. But, this is a huge bay that will take me completely out of sight of land. It's a very shallow bay (10 to 12 ft max) and the expected wind should whip up steep, quickly-coming rollers. This is typical of big bay conditions in these waters in June. The prevailing winds mean that I'll be close-hauled and dealing with waves on the nose or quarter.

I'll be sailing solo and am considering adding some ballast to settle down the boat in those messy seas. I'm just not sure about the best way to approach this. I sailed Blue Peter quite a bit last year, but never in rough conditions. Actually, last years' sails were almost always in very light winds. I really don't know what to expect from this very light boat in big wind and chop. It seems like some additional weight center and low would help me in the potential washing machine of Matagorda Bay.

My initial thought was to mount 60 to 100 lbs on top of the keelson alongside the centerboard trunk. That weight might be as exotic as cast lead plates or just some dumbbells strapped down. I guess my question for the group would be: 1) Would that much/little weight make enough of a difference to be worth the effort? 2) Would it be better to put the weight further forward in the forepeak? 3) Is there a better way to do this, i.e. just buy some bags of lead shot and move them around until I like the boat's balance?

I'll have a hiking strap in the cockpit and a tether to a padeye, so I can deploy my 210 pounds of moveable ballast as needed. But, if there is a way to give the boat some extra stability for those conditions, I'd like to consider it. Thoughts? Opinions? Lathrop, keep me out of trouble here.

[Brent]

My CS20 sails solo in plenty of big water. I prefer to keep the boat light myself, and plane over the waves. The idea of weight bouncing around in the boat doesn't appeal at all. I do like the hiking strap. I use a clip on harness myself, plus sometimes rig a line to the mizzen just for hanging on to. Hiking out does help to keep the boat running flat and fast. I also carry good water proof clothing, knowing I am going to get wet when sailing fast in a chop.

In big wind I reef down and keep the boat running flat. The boat is acutally faster reefed than sailing under full sail with a rail continually in the water. Running wider angles on the wind helps when the stink is really blowing. I would expect you know all about that sailing in Oklahoma.

The additional gear I carry for expeditions creates a small but noticeable impact on boat performance versus day sailing weight, and a second person an even more noticable impact. I expect the shorter water line Lapwing to be more weight sensitive. Before adding dead weight I recommend experimenting with loading the boat with appropriate provisions, keeping the cargo low and forward of the mizzen. Consider a selection of wines to pair with some fine beef nicely iced down. Take the dutch oven for cooking rasberry cobler on the beach at sundown. Carry a gallon of water per day per person, plus a few more. I like having a beach chair...

Take the boat out at expedition weight and then decide if you want more weight.

[Peter HK]

I agree with Brent.

I've been thinking of a longer trip, going whale watching in Hervey Bay here in Oz.

There's a great place to anchor called Wathumba creek, about 25 miles across the bay. The plan would be to stay a week or so. I felt provisions well stowed centrally and especially fresh water in 10- 20 litre plastic jugs lashed around the centrecase would be all the ballast you'd want. If you use up most of the fresh water you can always fill up with salt to use as ballast on the way home if needed.

Cheers

Peter HK

[matoi]

I would be greatful if Brent or anyone who feels to be satisfied with their clothing arrangement could explain in a bit more detail what you use?

Thank you.

Mato

[Peter HK]

I would be greatful if Brent or anyone who feels to be satisfied with their clothing arrangement could explain in a bit more detail what you use?

Thank you.

Mato

I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific. I'm in Australia in the subtropics so in winter I need a lightweight waterproof jacket- breathable/goretex/etc is nice. I have a light polartec top and some quick drying shorts. In summer I have a long sleeve shirt for UV protection. When my brother lived in England and sailed small catamarans he had a drysuit to keep warm with several layers underneath. I think you'll have to let people know what your sailing/climate conditions are to get a helpful answer.

Cheers

Peter HK

[Brent]

Clothing choices, more or less in order of adding them as the temperature drops

1. Long sleeve shirt and pants of quick drying synthetics. I wear these for sun protection year round. No cotton.
   
2. Good sun hat and sunglasses
   
3. Waterproof breathable rain jacket with venting jippers and a hood. Eventually I moved up to Goretex and other performance fabrics, and enjoy the results.
   
4. Heavy duty watermans bib overalls, typically worn under rain jacket. I went with the PVC coated fabrics here, which are not breathable, but stand up well to heavy use and dirt. The breathable jacket help to keep conditions inside reasonable, but also the bibs are worn without the jacket on heavy dew morning or when splashing about on a fast sail or crabbing etc.
   
5. Synthetic stocking cap and several layers of fleece.
   
6. Sea boots and waterproof gloves.
   

I carry most of this year round as I have found that nothing brighten up being in an open boat more than being warm and dry even in steady cold rain.

[wkisting]

John,

I'm not entirely familiar with the Lapwing's lines, but if the general proportions are similar to the CS20, I would think you would want the weight just in front of the CB case, firmly affixed, so that it also counterbalances your aft-seated weight a bit. I'm always asking Anna to slide forward on the seat when I sail with her, and it seems to really help light-air sailing in particular to have her further forward.

For a reasonably affordable test solution, I'd probably buy a few sandbags and then go sailing while experimenting with placement. The sandbags should stay put wherever you lay them and they would give a good sense of placement. If it turns out the added weight works well, you can replace the sandbags with lead or something denser which will take up less room, be easier to anchor down, and yield better stability. Just a thought.

Wes

[John Turpin]

Thanks Wes and everyone else. I'm soaking up all the comments, opinions and ideas. If I do choose to add some temporary ballast, I would find a way to fix it firmly in place.

Having spent some time lifting and lowering my Lapwing with straps over the winter, I was suprised to discover how tail heavy she is unloaded and unmasted. That center of gravity (probably not the correct nautical term) is behind the centerboard. My usual cruising gear finds two anchors in the forepeack and other bits and bobs help to get some weight up front. And, of course, there's the two masts that certainly add their weight forward. So, with me at the aft thwart, both masts in and gear distributed around, I'm just not sure where the sailing balance is (or should be for rough conditions). If I'm taking steep little waves on the nose and I've got too much weight in back, well . . .

All of my previous boats have been smallish cabin boats and the weight of those cabins keeps the boat balanced or even down some at the bow. This is the first open boat I've owned. Since I've never sailed the Lapwing in any real waves, I'm just unsure how she'll like them--especially with a solo sailor (about half the weight of a Lapwing) and questionable balance. The seas in South Texas bays tend to be small square breaking rollers. Two years ago, one of those waves threw my West Wight Potter completely out of the water. Some people enjoy that sort of thing; it terrorized me. And, that small Potter was heavier than this Lapwing. This is a light boat.

So, some temporary lead and water jugs forward could help in those conditions, but I'm not sure. Some people commenting here so far like the thought of a light boat that just climbs over and doesnt' dig in. That sounds good to me, but a nasty wave throwing my light little boat over sounds like something that I'd like to avoid. What to do? What to do? Adding weight or no weight?

[Peter HK]

So, with me at the aft thwart, both masts in and gear distributed around, I'm just not sure where the sailing balance is (or should be for rough conditions). If I'm taking steep little waves on the nose and I've got too much weight in back, well . . .

I'd very strongly suggest you plan to have heavier items centrally i.e. keep weight out of the ends, even if she trims slightly bow or stern down. Nothing stops a boat responding to waves optimally more than weight in the ends. As an example, a few years ago I owned a crusing catamaran. The first time I went on a longer cruise (> 1 month) I utilised some storage areas in the bow under the bunks for heavier stuff and had lockers in the centre of the boat filled with lighter stuff. In rough conditions to windward she'd hobby horse and ship waves over the bow. When I next went cruising for a 3 month trip and with the boat fully loaded I was very careful to position the heavier stuff centrally. On that trip I never had a wave come over the bow...and we had some rough times ( one day I didn't see less than 40 knots on the wind instruments with the gusts coming through at 55-60).

Cheers

Peter HK

[matoi]

Peter and Brent,

thanks for your answers. I sail in the Adriatic. The conditions John mentioned sounded familiar so that's why I asked, though you are absolutely right, it was silly to ask about clothing without specifying the geographic area and time of year...

Best wishes,

Mato

[JeffM]

Couple of random comments. My CS 20 is commonly pretty heavily loaded, partly because of the added cabin, partly because I seldom daysail, and partly because I can't leave well enough alone. I know this slows me down, but comfort wins. I tried putting reserve freshwater (maybe 5 or 6 gallons) in the forepeak awhile back, and even this little weight so far forward made the bow plow in waves. Now the forepeak is just anchors and air. Two deep cycle batteries under the thwart give my boat positive righting moment (sans crew) to almost 90 degrees. Needing ballast for a new boat just built, I tried cannibalizing old car batteries (yes, that was a stupid idea--nothing but gray sludge and metal screen--and acid!--inside). After making a toxic mess with nothing to show for it, I figured to use intact batteries, but after weighing one and working out the (quite modest) density, bought a bag of pea gravel instead.

[Travis Votaw]

Would the additional ballast end up sinking the boat in the unexpected event of a capsize? Water ballast made up of water jugs would be neutral if submerged, allowing the natural flotation and any added flotation to have its full effect in rescuing the boat.

I once built a Wm. Atkin design 17' catketch (Aunty Helen). She was just an open flat bottomed skiff, fairly narrow with short forward deck and narrow side decks just wide enough to sit on to hike out in higher winds. I expect she weighed about the same as your Lapwing. Two men had no trouble picking her up. I sailed her up and down the Texas coastal bay systems, including a lot of sailing on Matagorda Bay, camp cruising when overnighting (she wasn't tricked out inside for sleeping aboard, and I never made the necessary modifications that would have allowed this). When cruising, I had plenty of weight aboard and appreciated the ballast it provided, which seemed very adequate.

Daysailing singlehanded was a different ball of wax, though. I was living in Kingsville, TX at the time and kept her in the water down at Riviera Beach, on Baffin Bay. Wind blew in the twenty's nearly every day, and the unloaded boat was very light which made sailing in the protected arms of the bay a lot of fun. I ended up lashing two 80 pound bags of sackrete (dry concrete mix) one on either side of the centerboard trunk for ballast. The effect was amazing in how much easier the boat sailed in the rougher water. The plan was to try out the ballast and if it was successful, to cast me two concrete blocks that would be removable and fit on each side of the trunk under the floorboards. As luck would have it, the sacks of concrete got wet while sailing and solidified in place. I never got around to pouring my concrete blocks and just daysailed with the sacks in place when by myself.

The boat had no flotation built in, and I don't know how much flotation the wooden hull and spars provided. I don't know what would have happened during a capsize while using the 160# of concrete - she might have sunk.

I later moved to Victoria, TX and did most of my sailing on Matagorda and surrounding Bays. Like John says, Matagorda can get pretty rough during normal summer winds, but my little 17 footer could handle it pretty well, especially with a little extra weight aboard. By the way, I never did capsize her in all the years I owned her. I finally sold her in the early '70s for $150.00. Wish I still had her. Most fun boat I ever owned