First time under sail on new HC

[Aldebaran_III]

Last weekend we finally got to go sailing on the new HC.

Taking it easy at first we stayed inside the Simpson Bay Lagoon. A few small issues with raising the sail and the rudder locking handle, but it was first time out, so to be expected.
In fact it's the first time we ever sailed a gaff rig or cat headed boat.
We were very pleasantly surprised, especially going to windward. We probably weren't pointing real high, but we seemed to get upwind a lot quicker than I imagined we would.
We're really happy with the HC and had two great days out. Hopefully the weather will co-operate so that we can get out on the sea this weekend.

Anyway the captain was happy


and even more important, so was the Admiral!!


Cheers,
Derek








lst

[CaptRon28]

"A few small issues with raising the sail"

First - make sure the track is lubed. I like McLube Sailkote, a dry PTFE spray. Comes out as a liquid, but only the tiny particles hang around. It's colorless so it won't stain the sail. Once a month is probably OK. There are a number of other similar PTFE sprays.

Second - You've got 2 halyards. The throat halyard is near the mast and the peak halyard is fastened to the outer portions of the gaf. You've got to raise both at the same time or alternate a few pulls on each. Try to keep the aft end of the gaf a little higher than the throat. But if the gaf is pointing too high, the throat halyard will be fighting it. The same strategy works on the way down too.

Third - Give the mainsheet about a foot or two of free line to let the boom raise up when the sail approaches it's maximum height.

I prefer pinning the boom (and gaf) above the hinge after the mast is up. I normally won't remove the pin until I have to lower the mast - could be later that day or in 3 months. The hinge area sometimes interferes with the two large metal slides and this will remove that problem. Also - the slightly higher boom makes life a little easier in the cockpit when the sail is down.

Also remember that this is not a sloop and won't respond the same way. For example, you can't sheet in the boom so that its close to the centerline when close hauled. The sail will stall. The boat is capable of pretty good performance. I can stay with or pass most normal sloops in the 20 to 25 foot range.

[Aldebaran_III]

Hi CaptRon,

thanks for all the advice.  I really should have been a bit more specific. The problem actually was with the mast hinge bolts. There was excess thread sticking out on both of them. With the sail being new and stiff, the bolt rope managed to snag one of the bolts. The bolt threads are very sharp and even managed a small tear behind the bolt rope.
A couple of minutes with a hacksaw and a file solved this, and now the sail goes up smooth and easy. Some sticky back sail tape will hold off stitching till when I feel like taking the sail off.

I'm looking forward to getting out on the sea. Access is via a lift bridge with only a couple of openings a day. A major plus for the HC with its easy mast up/down.

Cheers,
Derek

[Craig]

I see a tiller! Wow the first I have seen on an HC! I didn't know they are an option. Very cool! Learning to sail a gaff rigged catboat takes a little getting used to but you will soon learn its idiosyncrasies you will love the way she handles! Love our HC, Kailani. My favorite of all the boats I have owned (8 in all).

[Aldebaran_III]

Hi Craig,
those guys at Hutchins are great. If you want something different they'll do it.
Originally they were going to cut a big notch in the transom for the tiller. I asked them for a slot to maintain the line of the coaming at the stern. I think it looks better this way.
They did say it might become a regular option in future. I'm really happy with the feel of the boat through the tiller.
We got out on the sea today, no waiting for the lift bridge. It's great how easy it is to lower and raise the mast.



There was a 35 knot squall to start, but we sat that out on anchor!! After that we had 15 gusting 20 in the Anguilla channel with offshore wind keeping the sea flat.
An unusually cloudy day, but it saves on the SPF60 we usually need!
We had a great day. Aldebaran III might be the smallest of the 3 Aldebarans we've had, but she's rapidly becoming a firm favorite.

http://youtu.be/Wsr8mdR9aCY

Derek

[skip1930]

The SPF numbers, ie, SPF60 means ... if one burns in an hour normally without any sun screen, then by applying SPF 60 the 'burn' is held off until I hour plus 60 percent.

SPF100 your one hour could be stretched to two hours. No big deal.

skip.

[wes]

Sorry, Skip, that's not correct. SPF multiplies the equivalent time in the sun. SPF 60 means 60 minutes exposure while using the product is equivalent to 1 minute without using it. Few products achieve their rated SPF however, because of human error and real world conditions:insufficient amount of product used, incomplete coverage, loss due to sweating, etc.

Wes

[capt_nemo]

Aldebaran III,

In the video, it looked like all the external teak on your NEW boat is UNFINISHED. My NEW 2010 Sun Cat came the same way. While it is new and still clean, strongly recommend application of several coats of the finish of your choice to seal the wood against the elements.

I actually disassembled the interior of my boat and coated all the interior wood. Most of the external teak was glued and screwed, so to avoid damage in removal I taped well before coating.
















capt_nemo

[Salty19]

Derek-

Love the tiller, and the new HC!  Hope you enjoy her, she looks like quite a nice boat!
The throngs of voices praising the Horizon Cat seem to indicate she exceeds owner expectations on many levels.

Congrats, and welcome to the forum.

[Aldebaran_III]

Thanks Salty 19 for the best wishes. If there is a down side to the HC we certainly haven't found it yet.

Hi Capt_Nemo, we're not quite up to your finishing skills but agree about coating the teak. Our first job after delivery was 3 coats of Semco Natural (UV) on all the outside stuff. I like the natural look. The tiller was nicely finished from the factory and always lives inside when we're not on the boat.
The inside is an ongoing project using a water based clear finish. We do a bit whenever we have time. Being water based, it's easy to keep everything on board and still be able to wash out brushes etc. We can do odd little bits inside even whilst sitting at anchor. The teak and holly look sole is synthetic, so we don't need to do anything with that.
So far we've done the bunk fill boards and the table. There's no rush for the inside, just whenever we have the time. I'll probably take some of the easily detachable bits home to speed things up.

Cheers,
Derek

[Craig]

Good call on the Semco Derek. That is what we use on Kailani. Have tried just about every teak product known to man at one time or another and like Semco the best. Other finishes look pretty.......for a while, especially in tropical climes. Like you, we favor practicality and convenience over a "Bristol" finish. I LOVE Don's(Capt Nemo) finish on his Suncat but truth be told I just don't have drive enough to spend the time required to apply and maintain it, especially since Kailani is in a slip the vast majority of the time. We like easy cleanup on the boat too, one of the great things about Semco. We recoat  two or three times a year. Easy! Scrub with spray detergent,dry,recoat,smile! No noxious chemicals needed.

[Aldebaran_III]

Hi Craig,
a man after my own heart!
It's pretty much a 12 month sailing season down here in the Caribbean, so anything that saves time on finishing gets my vote. Semco needs to be re-coated fairly often, but it really is quick and easy, just as you said, and a little seems to go a long way.
We were out this afternoon and it was blowing pretty good. We had to pull in a reef for the first time.

Cheers,
Derek