RAINMAKER DISMASTED OFF HATTERAS IN GALE

[House Salad]

you mean the two inside doors should be more robust..?

they look ok to me - probably not waterproof, but you won't have standing water in the salon.., it will drain quickly

if one wouldn't close, i think that is worth looking at

but again - most cats have _nothing_ here...

maybe a few inches of a "lip" at the bottom would help

Yes, the inside doors. If their track gets damaged, they are of no use. Do other cats claim to be ocean going vessels? Since the '79 Fastnet, even monohulls need a device that prevents hatchboards from falling out of companionways during a rollover.

They should also look at the size of those windows. How big a wave would it take to break one of those?

 

[us7070]

i think he's talking about the door between the salon and the outside - not the doors down into the hulls

but it's a bit unclear

edit - i take it back.. i don't know

I think by the term mullion he is referring to the black almost vertical support for the window. I can see how if it was damaged and pushed down toward the companionway it would prevent the companionway slider hatch from closing, thereby leaving the hull vulnerable to flooding. Just a guess.

but he describes the mullion as being part of the pilot house - which is what leads me to believe it was the door to the outside that wouldn't close

but on the other hand - the glass to that is broken, so it wouldn't matter ...

anyway, the point is that GB has anticipated a need to stop downflooding on this boat - it may not have been operable in this situation, and might need review

i think most cats have nothing...

Right, the mullion is part of the pilothouse. If you look at the photo taken from the freighter in post 1328, you can see the damage to the mullion. From his statement it appears that this damage prevents the companionway door from closing. I would think they would want a more robust way to close off the hulls with a real watertight door.

But, aren't sliding doors generally known for their watertight integrity?

;-))

Even something as simple as a pair of additional vertical channels on the door frame into which conventional washboards might be dropped, would at least seem to be better than nothing as an emergency backup...

having never been aboard the 55 and seen the arrangement myself, this is purely speculation, of course...

i agree - i suggested boards before i knew there were sliding doors

but again look at any other cat - most have nothing here - just a big open space!

so i wouldn't be too hard on GB - at least they have something

i think it may have been mostly put there for security - because you can't lock the salon - but still...

 

[Canal Bottom]

the other thing is i was reading about the boat somewhere, and it seems the GB 55 does have doors that close off the hulls from the salon, and could stop down flooding into the hulls

Yes, but as explained in part 2 of the interview: "The boom and rig impacted and compressed the pilothouse port mullion above the companionway. This bent the port companionway sliding hatch frame so we cant shut it all of the way".

that's a different door - the door that wouldn't close is the door from the salon out to the area in front of the window by the mast base - it's open in the picture

what i am talking about are two doors that are inside the salon - they can't be seen in the picture.

the two doors i am referring to close off each of the two hulls from the salon.

earlier, it was suggested that the boat was too low and that either seas coming on board over the transom, or through broken windows would downflood the hulls

it now appears that there is a way to stop that

so occasional waves washing through the salon doesn't have to be itself a catastrophe - they will drain quickly aft.

in this case, they lost electronics.., but as i mentioned above, that isn't really a big deal, and anyway, it should be possible to position the electronics so that the panel and other critical pieces are at least as protected as on a typical monohull.

once you view the glass and roof as just a big dodger, and you can close the hulls, i think the design is pretty seaworthy - i mighty choose polycarbonate for the front windows.

I dunno, the way I read that is that he's describing the door/companionway to access the port hull... Would make sense that would be the one damaged, as it is directly below the main point of impact, and breakage of the port window...

As I understand it, that's a sliding door that goes into a recess behind that seat back...

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

And the wheel, all those displays.... Starting to see more and more why you need to hire a special gas jockey to drive Daddy's 55 ft. toy around for the enjoyment of the family. Why not just stay home on a real sofa a play the video game yourself? Where do the tails of those lines end up? Do you feed them into the bilge or cabinet somehow along the lines of a chain locker?

 

[TwoLegged]

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

Tsk tsk. The word is "disruptive".

Do try to keep up

 

[us7070]

i see a chartplotter, 4 B&G's, and a compass,

pretty much like lots of cruising boats

i understand that you don't like the boat, but plenty of hinckleys have the same electronics

 

[Edith Bicknell]

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

Tsk tsk. The word is "disruptive".
Do try to keep up

Wet rope tails short the dashboard electronics which kill the stbd engine control so it won't work anyway.

 

[Ishmael]

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

Tsk tsk. The word is "disruptive".
Do try to keep up

Wet rope tails short the dashboard electronics which kill the stbd engine control so it won't work anyway.

Why would they get wet? They are inside out of the environment. Nothing can get wet in there.

 

[TwoLegged]

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

Tsk tsk. The word is "disruptive".
Do try to keep up

Wet rope tails short the dashboard electronics which kill the stbd engine control so it won't work anyway.

Why would they get wet? They are inside out of the environment. Nothing can get wet in there.

The ropes lead outside. That's kinda the point of them.

 

[zzrider]

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

Tsk tsk. The word is "disruptive".
Do try to keep up

Wet rope tails short the dashboard electronics which kill the stbd engine control so it won't work anyway.

Why would they get wet? They are inside out of the environment. Nothing can get wet in there.

The ropes lead outside. That's kinda the point of them.

I thought they were decorative, to remind you you're on a sailboat.

Would be fun to try to use those winches if the electrics failed, eh?

 

[AYACHT]

Full time Pro Captain ?

So experienced and professional that a simple sheet of plywood and a few basic tools and screws, is not stuffed under one of the palatial beds for a winter excursion in the North Atlantic.

No , wait, safety gear is the stuff a professional squeals for help with.

OR Cover it one of the sails just a few feet away!

 

[jzk]

Is it the forward sliding hatch that got damaged? The glass has nothing to do with making abandonment necessary. The only glass aft is isenglass. There are hatches that slide over the hull compartments to keep water out. Did they get damaged?

*** Ok, port hull sliding hatch wouldn't close. That is a problem, obviously.

^^ FORA and MORC too...

No matter the era I have never liked a boat with a ton of exposed glass, as this case points out. The hulls, etc. look totally seaworthy, but the blown-own glass along with the damaged hatches make abandonment necessary.

Get the kite up on deck...

 

[Canal Bottom]

So I take it one of the those winches would be for halyards.. then jibs and large headsails... How do you trim the main... just the push of electric buttons? With no outside cockpit on the 55 is everything really clustered around that single station?

 

[jzk]

That is exactly right. The glass is a big dodger. There isn't even glass aft, but rather isenglass.

the other thing is i was reading about the boat somewhere, and it seems the GB 55 does have doors that close off the hulls from the salon, and could stop down flooding into the hulls

Yes, but as explained in part 2 of the interview: "The boom and rig impacted and compressed the pilothouse port mullion above the companionway. This bent the port companionway sliding hatch frame so we cant shut it all of the way".

that's a different door - the door that wouldn't close is the door from the salon out to the area in front of the window by the mast base - it's open in the picture

what i am talking about are two doors that are inside the salon - they can't be seen in the picture.

the two doors i am referring to close off each of the two hulls from the salon.

earlier, it was suggested that the boat was too low and that either seas coming on board over the transom, or through broken windows would downflood the hulls

it now appears that there is a way to stop that

so occasional waves washing through the salon doesn't have to be itself a catastrophe - they will drain quickly aft.

in this case, they lost electronics.., but as i mentioned above, that isn't really a big deal, and anyway, it should be possible to position the electronics so that the panel and other critical pieces are at least as protected as on a typical monohull.

once you view the glass and roof as just a big dodger, and you can close the hulls, i think the design is pretty seaworthy - i mighty choose polycarbonate for the front windows.

 

[Ishmael]

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

Tsk tsk. The word is "disruptive".
Do try to keep up

Wet rope tails short the dashboard electronics which kill the stbd engine control so it won't work anyway.

Why would they get wet? They are inside out of the environment. Nothing can get wet in there.

The ropes lead outside. That's kinda the point of them.

I guess I should have used the purple sarcasm font.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Is it just me, or does that cockpit look like the boat was a big power cat and sometime later got converted to sail kind of haphazardly?

I would go nuts trying to run some of the narrow and dark channels around here with all that light in my face and reflections off the glass.

 

[us7070]

So I take it one of the those winches would be for halyards.. then jibs and large headsails... How do you trim the main... just the push of electric buttons? With no outside cockpit on the 55 is everything really clustered around that single station?

i'm not a fan of this set up

the bigger GB's with the forward cockpit are much better - i think.

the main is hydraulic

 

[Tucky]

according to the interview, they collided with the freighter on the side that is shown in the pic ... no trace to be seen, wow, I want some of that scratchproof stuff too on my 5ktsb B)

I know that conspiracy is everywhere these days, but is there any reason to assume that this picture was taken after the two boats scraped rather than before?

 

[adrumm]

There is a pretty cool video of RM om Youtube, must have been shot during the Annapolis Boat Show........

Based on the pictures provided above, the hull appears to be in decent shape, she was at the very least floating on her lines (quite literally) and not taking on water other than the large gaping hole in the main saloon.

Chances are the owner is a heavy hitter with plenty of toys and tons of money. I would bet he has been made whole and the insurance company is looking to subrogate. With several seasons on the mast, chances are the tube was fine. I'm thinking after the off-season refit, the rig was simply not back in tune, or they missed something when re-stepping the mast.....this of course assuming the mast was removed during the refit. My bet is the last guy to touch the rig is shitting his pants right now.

I just cannot imagine RM just floating out there. Based on the pictures provided, the hull certainly appears to be worth salvaging. I wonder if anyone is even looking for her. If other vessels spot her, who will they report back to....USCG? Would their be some type of APB sent out to vessels in the general area, or who really gives a shit anyway?

This is a great thread, plenty to be learned for sure!

 

[AYACHT]

i see a chartplotter, 4 B&G's, and a compass,

pretty much like lots of cruising boats

i understand that you don't like the boat, but plenty of hinckleys have the same electronics

I thought they lost the electronics from the water damage LOL....

 

[adrumm]

the other thing is i was reading about the boat somewhere, and it seems the GB 55 does have doors that close off the hulls from the salon, and could stop down flooding into the hulls

Yes, but as explained in part 2 of the interview: "The boom and rig impacted and compressed the pilothouse port mullion above the companionway. This bent the port companionway sliding hatch frame so we cant shut it all of the way".

that's a different door - the door that wouldn't close is the door from the salon out to the area in front of the window by the mast base - it's open in the picture

what i am talking about are two doors that are inside the salon - they can't be seen in the picture.

the two doors i am referring to close off each of the two hulls from the salon.

earlier, it was suggested that the boat was too low and that either seas coming on board over the transom, or through broken windows would downflood the hulls

it now appears that there is a way to stop that

so occasional waves washing through the salon doesn't have to be itself a catastrophe - they will drain quickly aft.

in this case, they lost electronics.., but as i mentioned above, that isn't really a big deal, and anyway, it should be possible to position the electronics so that the panel and other critical pieces are at least as protected as on a typical monohull.

once you view the glass and roof as just a big dodger, and you can close the hulls, i think the design is pretty seaworthy - i mighty choose polycarbonate for the front windows.

I dunno, the way I read that is that he's describing the door/companionway to access the port hull... Would make sense that would be the one damaged, as it is directly below the main point of impact, and breakage of the port window...

As I understand it, that's a sliding door that goes into a recess behind that seat back...

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

I like the way that rope clutch is angled straight towards the starboard engine control, inviting the possibility of a rope tail snagging it... Sweet...

And the wheel, all those displays.... Starting to see more and more why you need to hire a special gas jockey to drive Daddy's 55 ft. toy around for the enjoyment of the family. Why not just stay home on a real sofa a play the video game yourself? Where do the tails of those lines end up? Do you feed them into the bilge or cabinet somehow along the lines of a chain locker?

Also quite an interesting layout. Better for sail management, but imagine the shit storm when this rig fails. I'm not a cat guy; however, i'm thinking that keeping the rig on the outside might be a decent idea.