|
|
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
From: phildowneyuk (no email)
Date: Thu Jan 03 2008 - 20:18:42 EST
--- In , "Neale" <nealeclark at dot dot dot > wrote:
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> This is my first post on this board.
>
> Here is my situation. I want to pack my family up, put us on a
boat, and sail across the
> Pacific to my native Australia. I've always been fond of ketch
designs, including the
> Freedom Cat Ketchs. They are touted as great seaworthy boats.
Does anyone have
> personal experience with the Freedoms?
>
> I also like Bruce Robert's designs, does anyone have experience
with those? I know there
> seems to be much division about the seaworthiness of his designs.
They certainly are nice
> looking boats. But I don't want to look good as I sink to the
bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
>
> Also if anyone has suggestions for other designs that are good for
long ocean pasages, I'm
> all ears. There will be 6 of us 2 adults and 4 kids, so I'm
looking for something in the 40 -
> 45 ft range to give us the room we need.
>
> Thanks,
>
> NealeinMI
>
hi this is also my first post,
we have just bought a freedom 35/33 cat ketch and have only sailed
her 3 times so far in winds from 3 to 36 knots on the solent and sea
state flat calm up to large 1-2m ish short breaking solent chop.
compared to the ior half tonner that i have done much of my sailing
in she is rock steady and wont flick through a tack as easily but
there you go , theyre opposite ends of the spectrum. essentisly she
is docile yet very fast offwind and in normal ketch rigged cruiser
with long keel territory upwind.
so far as performance goes she certainly dosent hang about on a
reach she can sail fast close reaching in a strong breeze when others
are loosing grip and rounding up shes in balance she can hold her own
against similar sized racers in a tight non planing reach
upwind at first i couldnt make her go but after experimenting with
sail trim and getting the main sail in tighter she powered up and
pointed surprisingly high aprox 30 apparent on the instruments
she can be made to steer herself if sail balance is right even in
nasty solent chop
the big selling point of the whishbone cat ketch for me is the lack
of shrouds and the ability to let off the mainsail on the windward
side forward of the beam and set a staysail off the mizzen, thus
mooving the centre of effort forward getting rid of weather helm and
stopping rounding upinto the wind and letting you carry a tremendous
sail area as remember we, unlike boats who drop genoa and up
spinnacker down wind we just add a large staysail spinnaker to our
goosewinged sailplan
unfortunately the mizzen staysail thus rigged limits your
manoucerability as it must come down before you can gybe which means
round the cans racing its a pain but out at sea its less of an issue
as i say i have hardly sailed her yet but for our familys voyaging
plans she seems promising is a doddle to sail in cruising mode as to
windward tacking in volves pushing tack on the auto pilot or putting
the helm over and reefing is easy oh and boats with wrap around the
mast sails can raise or lower sail on any point of sail even dead
down wind. try that on any other boat!
i would be very interested in peoples thoughts and experiences with
freedoms by the way , as far as i can gather one "castaway" has
sailed the atlantic 3 times there and back and a number of others
seem to crop in interesting places pete hill of "voyaging on a small
income" fame owns one the freedom 40 or 44 would probably suit you
well but i have never sailed one, the 35 is too small for 6 in my
opinion
oh on bruce roberts ,
i have heard good things about his designs but check the stability
curve of the spray replicas im not so sure they are self righting due
to shallow draft and wide beam , i may be completely wrong on this so
check it
mind you i have never heard of this feature causing anyone a problem
and they are massive inside and go in a straight line
i hope this will help you select the right boat for yor situation,
sorry for going on a bit,
phil d, uk
|