A day with Bernadette on Decatur.

[rufustr]

I was privileged to spend a day on Decatur yesterday.
Bernadette invited several of us to go for a short sail with her on Moreton Bay.
The crew consisted of Bernadette, a friend of hers Steve, JimJ from the WBF and his wife Helen, Tony a friend Of JimJ's, myself, and Dave a friend of mine.
Steve had sailed on Decatur before, but the rest of us were new to the boat and to Gaff Rig.
Bernadette was patient with our fumbles and we had a fantastic day.
Decatur is a beautiful boat, a credit to Bernadette and her father, and she is kept in absolutely pristine condition.
A big thank you Bernadette, for a great day, and the opportunity to sail on such a beautiful boat.

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[Thad]

Thanks much. Good go!

[JimD]

Lovely! Got any more?

[rufustr]

I have a few more, and I know the others were taking photos as well.
Perhaps they will post as well in due course.
It was a glorious mid winter day here.

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[WX]

looks like it was a good day. I hope to be out there next weekend.

[John B]

Love to see Decatur photos.:D

[bamamick]

word of the day? :)

Mickey Lake

[JimJ]

Well what a day it was. After following the building of Decatur on this forum and then to see her real life is amazing.

Bernadette was a perfect host. Of course we had to crew. That was the best part.

But once we were under way, we had time to admire the workmanship that has gone into Decatur. Beautiful timber and a wonderful finish.

Bernadette, thanks for the invitation and the sail and thanks to your father for the fine boat he created.

Jim



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[David Tabor (sailordave)]

AWESOME!!:)

I am SOOOoooo jealous of you guys.

Way to go Bernadette!

[Lew Barrett]

Beautiful. Spectacular. More photos, please.

[Bernadette]

thanks to my scurvy crew too!
they were an easy mob to handle!

did anyone mention we got up to 8.3 knots just under main and foresail in what i would say was obviously less than 15 kts of wind(will gladly be corrected on wind speed there). seas were flat though as the wind was from the south west across the mainland. average speed i gestimate was about 7.5 knots with just the main and foresail.

i hoisted the now "boom less" jib when the winds died somewhat following our run north...with just some more refinements i will have completed another modification on my yacht to making her "girl friendly", easier to handle, and much safer on the bow.

and on the return i then hoisted the kite in way of the jib. this is a great sail and even good for a broad reach as such.

but after this, the wind did die off completely and with my steering gone kaput! we had to motor home.

bernadette

[PeterSibley]

You are going to keep her aren't you Bernadette ? :) Lovely ,lovely boat !!!!!!!!!!

[rufustr]

Bernadette took lots of photos of her scurvy crew, while I only had eyes for Decatur.

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[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
So nice to see mast lacing done the right way, too....
.

[Bernadette]

when we had PEQUOT we tried other methods for mast lacing but none worked quite as well as the current lacing...i was wondering the other day about mast hoops...just what they are like by comparison?

[Ian McColgin]

I like lashing in this case as it's convenient to trim the luff after reefing on a schooner. I put hoops on Marmalade because I had to have a reefing system that can be handled entirely from the cockpit - otherwise I'd go with the lashing because it's kinder on the mast, cheaper, easier to maintain, and less likely to jam.

Hoops can jam unless they are connected by a line fixed to the gaff parrels and running along clove hitched to each hoop. This keeps them horizontal as they go up. It also makes it more convenient when you or some bright energetic young thing decides to swarm aloft for a look-around. Now that's one of the trescool bits about hoops.

As sails get really large with long luffs, the loose lashing line when the sail is struck can get to be a jumble but so long as the halyards and lifts are led to a pin rail, it's not an issue.

I did not see how you handle the reefing clew lines. I like them leading along the boom to a point handy to the halyards and reefing tack lines.

There are other threads where I disagreed with those who like Highfield levers for the running backs. Especially for the single hander, the ease of hauling a 3-part purchase beats, in my book, the bit with popping the wire on a snatch block and then slamming the lever. Many prefer a rope clutch as a positive way to handle the tail but I found that a nice wooden cleat does fine as I could trim fast around the cleat’s ear while it was unloaded, snub fast and if needed sweat the line a tad, and then belay. Casting off a clean cleat knot is not really slower than popping a rope clutch.

Anyway, this is really personal choice as plenty of folk with more sea miles than I like Highfields.

Safe easy anchoring is most important for single-handing. A traditional windlass mounted on those bits with a gypsy inside the drums so’s you can handle all-chain would be most shippy. I found with my schooners that with the staysail backed I could grind my way up the rode, break out the anchor and, with the boat staying pretty still hove-to there, get the hook up, cleaned and stowed all alone.

It’s really cool that Decatur can sail so well under main and fore alone. My schooners needed the jib up to balance the main. How does she sail on fore alone? For my old darlings, that was a wonderful way to depower for holding place or comfortable cooking and it was finastkind as we got up to a Strong Gale (Force 9, winds mid-forties).

We say about our one-sail boats, “Sloops drool. Cats rule.” Then it must admitted that schooners are the lionesses off the fleet.

Decatur clearly has a boatkeeper worthy of her beauty. I hope you and Decatur can share life for a long time yet and that the sports car is happy in it’s garage.

[rufustr]

David and I were intrigued with the mast lashing and it certainly works well and looks great, although it might be a bit tricky if you are short handed.
David also commented that he thought were were more motley than scurvy, and that if scurvy is a problem, he is more than willing to supply the limes.

[John B]

But, but then you'd be Limey, and that just ain't gonna fly.;)
I don't have any problem at all with hoops and you don't need the jackline if they're sized correctly for the mast. I did try a hoops jackline and got very immediately irate with it the first second and third time the bight hooked up in something as I was hoisting, and cut it off. There's a formula but I was told and I used a knuckles clearance and thats worked fine on a 6 /12 or 7 in mast.
The backstay levers can be set up quite simply so you don't have to unhook, but we went into that at the time Decatur was being rigged.
There is a big negative with them and that is they are only ever fully on or fully off , so you have loose backstay flying around looking for buoys or spreaders to catch on. You have to accomodate that flaw but apart from that I'm a fan.

[Kim Whitmyre]

Having heard much of Decatur, it is the eyes that see the feast!:)

[Bernadette]

ian
my clew reef points are not yet rigged. i had taken them off when i had to replace the boom and havnt got around to putting them back on. in any case they too are up for a "review". i have also to run the lazy jacks again and will be setting up a new array or fall of lines better suited to catching the voluminous aft end of the sail that is hardest to handle. in the meantime i will run mostly with a reefed main as she handles just as well with reduced sail. and in fact she would not have had so much weather helm last saturday with the reduced main and she would have kept her speed up im sure. im still experimenting with the rig so i havnt run under fore alone. i will give it a try at some stage though. never given it any thought actually. in a similar fashion, ive yet to figure how the trysail will rig in heavy weather.
i prefer mast lacing and have had no troubles with my current system other than the line does tend to snag on the goose neck fitting/mast bands. this is only a minor problem and one that will get an overhaul too at some stage. as its only a problem when hoisting the main it is low down on the list of things to remedy. ive never had to adjust the luff tension with the current system of lacing even when the main is reefed. the tack reef points are 'put in' with the quick and easy application of a snap shackle at each point.
i dont like my running backstay/lever set up for a number of reasons inlcuding the fact that it is mortally dnagerous for fingers(!), and is hard wearing on the deck with its all metal and heavy block tackle. running forward with the end let off backstay has proven to be a problem on many occasions as well. i have given it much thought and will be removing the system in favour of all rope upper backstay with block and tackle lowers cleating off somewhere near the helm position. so i will have a lovely pait of cast bronze myth levers kicking around looking for a new home....!!!!
i am installing a muir electric winch with a hand control switch as soon as i get the $ for it. again, this will make my life so much easier afloat! there really arent too many things i need to adjust on the yacht. and the beauty is, its such an exciting time doing all the work and changes myself!
oh and ian! my sports car is a good tonic for this schooner sailor...i get my fix of speed (and speeding tickets of late) then im right for awhile longer!!!
david and rufus, id hate to upset you scurvey lot, but limey! if ya wants to be motley, i aint gonna argue with ya!!!! so..."motley" yous are!!!!
bernadette