It's not a bug, it's a feature

[TwoLegged]

The joys of a torpedo bulb keel on a coastal cruiser



From a real story of the adventures of  an Archambault A31 in Suffolk, England: https://www.facebook.com/Brambles.Illustrations/photos/a.1847909165316683/3912786705495575/

 

[slap]

The one thing I miss about an old boat I used to have is that with its long keel and keel attached rudder it could sail through crabpot infested waters with impunity.

 

[slug zitski]

The joys of a torpedo bulb keel on a coastal cruiser

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From a real story of the adventures of  an Archambault A31 in Suffolk, England: https://www.facebook.com/Brambles.Illustrations/photos/a.1847909165316683/3912786705495575/

Yah and when you ground out with a bulb it’s very difficult to break free wth your motor 

don’t even mention tangling with moorings and tails when stern  too in a crowded harbour 

The bulb keel Is bad idea 

 

[DDW]

I wish many, many more would sail through the infested waters of Maine, using their kelp cutter liberally and often. 

 

[Remodel]

I wish many, many more would sail through the infested waters of Maine, using their kelp cutter liberally and often. 

Ha!

But be careful not to mention that in any waterfront bars surrounding the Gulf of Maine...

 

[olaf hart]

I have often wondered about running a dyneema line from the aft tip of the keel to the tip of the rudder skeg...

 

[wick]

I have often wondered about running a dyneema line from the aft tip of the keel to the tip of the rudder skeg...

What skeg?

 

[Ishmael]

What skeg?

You can glue one on.

 

[sail2win]

I have often wondered about running a dyneema line from the aft tip of the keel to the tip of the rudder skeg...

Wouldn't it be more effective from the cutwater at the bow to the forward point of the bulb?

 

[batkinmok]

Up here in northern BC I've had my prop tied up tight with bull kelp, just from sailing through a patch in the dark, on a full keel boat. I cant imagine what that would be like with a bulb keel, probably just collects until youre going nowhere.. Then theres those logs that stop you dead from 6 knots, i wonder how a modern boat would hold up, especially because it would probably be doing 8kts or more

 

[ziper1221]

can a fisherman be held liable for laying traps down the middle of a marked channel?

 

[DDW]

I don't know, but in practice they are not accountable. I'd have a more sympathetic attitude if they showed the slightest restraint, but sadly no. Middle of channels, strewn through anchorages, carpet bombed around fuel docks. I'd suggest routine mine sweeping of channels and anchorages. The gear costs money, and if they lose enough of it perhaps they'd learn. 

 

[Sail4beer]

In Japan if you snag a crab trap with your boat, you can get a $250,000 fine.

Back in 2000, a Japanese man had a full keel with attached rudder Ensign built and shipped to Japan so he could sail.

 

[TwoLegged]

In Japan if you snag a crab trap with your boat, you can get a $250,000 fine

Do you have a reference for that?

I usually find you very straightforward and credible, Beer ... but that sounds so extreme that it seems improbable.

 

[TwoLegged]

I have often wondered about running a dyneema line from the aft tip of the keel to the tip of the rudder skeg...

A few decades ago, a pal of my father's ended up with a fin-and-spade boat as a diversion from his usual long-keel vessels.  It was one of the 1970s-style spades with a fairly rectangular shape, so continuing the rudder shaft line downwards came out at a point on the flat bottom of the rudder.  Pal fixed a stainless pipe from there to the bottom trailing edge of the keel.  He said that it worked.

 

[Cruisin Loser]

Lobstermen have chosen a hard way to earn a living, and deserve our respect.  Traps are an inconvenience, but sailors are out there playing, not working. We do all we can to avoid traps, and to get them off without cutting if possible. 

Avoiding them is a learned skill, you read wind and current, figure if it's toggled or not, it becomes part of the challenge. I sail Maine a lot, it's been a couple of years since I've snagged one. 

There are lobstermen we've met over the years who are on our Christmas card list. I get along better with many of the lobstermen I've met than I do with some of our fellow "yachtsmen". They're good people. 

The Tee keel has it's place, but not on small cruising boats.

 

[Sail4beer]

Do you have a reference for that?

I usually find you very straightforward and credible, Beer ... but that sounds so extreme that it seems improbable.

He raced with this handsome twin brother in the National regatta at Lake Canandaigua, NY, in 2011, the 50th anniversary, not 2000, sorry! We are discussing it as we speak!!
Takazima(Take) wanted to learn how to sail the boat before his new one was shipped over to Japan. I was busy raising kids and couldn’t attend or we would have won!

Twinbro said that he will dig into his Apple to find the pic he took of Take and Gary Jonson at the regatta. I don’t want to have to take a video of my Dad defending the facts since it was his boat, the Irish Mist that Take crewed on. He made my brother take Take as crew!!! Brother loved it!

 

[Sail4beer]

So now it was that he bought his boat in’08 and wanted to attend and race in the regatta. He didn’t speak sailing language and the crew was diverse but not experienced. My Dad wanted the boat raced and it was, just not very well. 

 

[Sail4beer]

Zeke Durica, owner of Ensign SparsLLC during that period would have the build # and delivery information to certify the shipment of a 2008 era Ensign Classic to Japan.