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Boat choice

S

SeanRhone

New member
I'm looking at several possible boats for the 2018 (at least I'm hoping to join the 2018 race) and wanted to get some veteran's thoughts on boats I'm looking at. For the most part Olson 30's are out since very few seem to make it this far east (North Carolina), I cannot afford the Dana 24 I was hoping to buy but I'm currently thinking about either a Capri 30, Tartan 10, or a Pearson Flyer 30.

Anyone with experience with these boats who would like to provide insight it would be greatly appreciated.

Sean
 
Never looked at one till now. I like the fact the beam is 8 feet and the keel is retractable. Question - Anyone know laws about towing a boat cross-country? I think the Hobie 33 would be good but a boat like Capri 30 would be over-sized and require permits. Am I right in this thinking or am I wrong?

I would like to buy a boat on the East coast and then trailer it to San Francisco in early 2018 for the race. I'd like to drive it my-self since hiring someone is too expensive.
 
A Tartan 10 did well in the 2012 SHTP. 1st in class with no unusual problems as far as I know. Two Capri 25's and one Capri 30 entered the 2014 SHTP. One of the 25's was damaged in his passage down from Oregon and failed to make the start (broken keel bolt). The second had rigging failures during the race, but made it to Kauai having made jury fixes. The Capri 30, altho sailed by a 2-time veteran of the race (twice in a Crealock 37, once 1st in class) did poorly. The skipper did not seem to be sailing it aggressively racing or returning...I suspect he felt the boat was not durable enough. I don't think either model of Capri has any business being entered in this race, and I know my opinion is shared by at least one experienced competitor from the 2012 and 2014 SHTP. I like the Hobie 33's chances. The diminutive Moore 24 has been raced successfully eight times in the race, with varying placings by 5 different skippers. Too small for this octogenarian tho! In this regard, relating to engineless boats, if you are planning to use electric autopilots exclusively, be sure to take a portable generator along. Your solar panels will not suffice to keep the batteries up.
Cal 2-27 is a boat which seems to sail well to its rating, in my opinion. I would highly consider the Express 27...all which have been entered have made it to Hanalei.
Most problems encountered by racers have been standing rigging (including tangs and chain plates) and rudder failures. Be diligent in tending to these prior to your entry. I don't trust swage fittings and don't like to venture forth on long distance sailing with standing rigging over 5 years or so old. I use Norseman/Staylock type rig fittings. Finall, I commend to your reading "Singlehanded Sailing" by Andrew Evans (veteran of one of our SHTPs). I agree with "almost" everything in his book...Fair Winds to you. Oh, by the way, you should plan on heavy air right off the bat in the race (not always tho) but be aware that you are likely to encounter very light winds at some point. So plan your sail inventory accordingly.
 
In this regard, relating to engineless boats, if you are planning to use electric autopilots exclusively, be sure to take a portable generator along. Your solar panels will not suffice to keep the batteries up.
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If everything is planned correct (i.e. tested over a long period) you can do solar only for the race and I will the next time I go, albeit with much more solar output. I did it with only 8amps of solar and only 100Ah in two batteries. The autopilot basically drove the entire trip except may 15-20 hours. A gas generator or fuel cell could augment the solar and not weigh much and could be deployed at night!
 
I have sailed to Hawaii from California when I never saw the sun until within 50 miles of the island. I get 8 amps from my solar when the sun's orientation is ideal. That only lasts part time. I figure 50AH per day at best...and I'm talking "tested over a long period".
 
Other fun boats that have a LONG track record of successful track crossings to Hawaii are the Express 27 and Santa Cruz 27. One advantage of these small boats, along with the Moore 24, and the Hobie 33 is they usually have trailers which makes shipping the boat back quite easy if you are time limited.
 
The Pearson Commander, designed by Carl Albert, has a very large cockpit and small(er) cabin (think Santana 22). The Pearson Ariel has a "standard" size cockpit with a full cabin. Both were built on the same hull with a very similar rig. Most Commanders use an outboard in a well. Some Ariels have an inboard (usually a gas Atomic 4), but many use the outboard/well set up. Both boats were SF Bay racers in their day, a step up from a Cal 20 or similar boat. Both are slow by today's standards.

With the semi-full keel, large rudder hung on the aft end of the keel they share Carl Alberg's Triton's, and similar designs, weather helm if the sails are not balanced almost perfectly. They also share Alberg's "wet boat" syndrome when going to weather.

Either would probably make a decent Hawaii direction boat, if you weren't in a hurry. Going downwind the full(ish) keel and large rudder would keep them going in one direction. The Ariel would have more comfortable living quarters with a standard-size cockpit; the Commander a huge, fillable cockpit and sitting headroom in the cabin.

As would be the case with any boat nearly 50 years old, a complete survey and a good going over would be in order. For the hull: keelbolts, chainplates, tabbing, hull/deck joint, rudder fittings, windows, deck fittings, etc. Probably a wholesale replacement of wiring, although it's not very complicated. For the rig: probably new standing rigging, spreader concerns, gooseneck (orignally roller furling), spar condition, chainplates, etc. For sails: Unless it's an unusual older boat, a complete new suite of sails: main, several jibs, spinnaker(s). If it's an Ariel with an inboard, a complete check up.

I crewed on both types in the 1970s. After that experience, when I purchased my first large(r) boat it had a fin keel and spade rudder. If I were looking at boats in that length range today, I'd certainly look at a Cal 2-27 harder than a Commander.
 
The Pearson 35, while was a very nice boat, just wasn't right. My main issue, right now, is I need a boat I can sail on Lake Norman and I really want to start this season. I'd love to look at a Hobie 33 and I think it might be a good boat for the race (trailerable, retractable keel, and good LWL) I just can't seem to find one anywhere near me. I'm looking at a Pearson Flyer next Saturday that is on Lake Norman; it might not be the boat I use in the race but I'm hoping that over the next two season I can use it to sharpen my skills and sell to buy something like a Hobie 33 or Olson 30. I'm thinking it doesn't make sense to pay to have a Pearson Flyer hauled to San Francisco and I could sell it buy something 6 / 8 months before the race and fix what needs to be done.

Thanks for everyone's input and guidance on this topic!
 
Don't underestimate how long it takes to prepare a boat for offshore racing. We bought our boat 22 months before the 2016 SHTP and feel that is barely enough time, and we've already prepared and raced a different boat to Hawaii recently.

I would strongly recommend taking a few months to a year to find the boat that will be the boat you sail to Hawaii in 2018.
 
Thanks for the heads up. Has anyone ever published, blogged etc about all the prep they put into a boat to get it ready for the race? What is your opinion of the Pearson Flyer?
 
Barry Bristol (referred to above as the Capri 30 sailor) and I both think that a glass Thunderbird would be a great boat for the Transpac (with the later model rudder). It has good speed off the wind, is well built, is very affordable, and it has a really high rating. It has more head room than the Capri 25 or 30 we sailed. Just a thought.

FYI: While Barry and his Capri 30 may not have placed well, I can assure you (we see each other often) that he does think the boat is up to another Transpac and is considering 2016. I cannot sail 2016 as I have other commitments, but I plan to sail in 2018. Neither Barry nor I had any structural concerns (Barry sailed both ways). My rig failure was due to an error on my part, not a fault of the boat design. Both Barry and I reenforced our boats structure prior to the race.
 
Doug
Please elaborate on the reinforcement mods that you and Barry made. My impression as to Barry's not pushing the Capri 30 could certainly have been for other reasons than concern over it's structural integrity. I have a boat that has been well proven in the race, but I certainly didn't push it in it's first race in '84. I suspect that most of us will agree that it takes takes a while to really learn your boat, especially if it you have not taken it offshore competitively. (Just my 2 cents).
 
svShearwater said:
Don't underestimate how long it takes to prepare a boat for offshore racing. We bought our boat 22 months before the 2016 SHTP and feel that is barely enough time, and we've already prepared and raced a different boat to Hawaii recently.
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+1

One is not only preparing a boat for SHTP, but leaving behind a homelife for a significant length of time.

I also second the idea of a Thunderbird as an "sleeper" SHTP competitor. Having sailed many miles in company with Thunderbirds, will confirm they are as fast, or faster, on most points of sail as boats that rate half-a-minute/mile faster.

Horses for Courses. To my eye, a design that accomplishes about everything asked (seaworthy, family cruising, competitive racer, surfs downwind, low cost) is a Cal 27 or Cal 29.

You could win the SHTP with a Cal. Newbies forget that displacement hulls have an advantage in the SHTP for many reasons, the top three being:

1) a heavier boat can be sailed closer to its theoretical potential speed longer and easier than an ultralight.

2) you can sail dead downwind, or even by the lee, at max speed while the faster boats are sailing hotter, lifted angles, and more miles, often in the direction of lighter winds.

3) the sloped leading edge of a Cal keel (38 degrees) sheds plastic, while more modern keels drag around Pacific Gyre detritus for hours or days, at significant speed loss.

My 2 cents.
 
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“Has anyone ever published, blogged etc about all the prep they put into a boat to get it ready for the race?” SeanRhone

Here’s a partial list of prep performed on Frolic, a 1974 Islander 36 (which I think has the displacement boat advantages listed by sleddog, plus, imho, as a footnote to item 3, a skeg-hung rudder which is very strong and has never needed flossing):

2012 prep
• Survey, PHRF Rating, Qualifier...
• Inner forestay & trysail track… design & buy storm jib & trysail
• Design and build emergency rudder, set up wind vane
• New bridgedeck
• Larger, repositioned cockpit drains
• Inspect rudder post
• Chainplates & gooseneck – pull & inspect, replaced cracked backstay chainplate…
• Standing rigging – inspect, replace tangs, compression bolts, an backstay (others new in 2008)…
• Running rigging – inspect, replace…
• whisker pole, reaching strut and spinnaker net
• Sails – repair, ‘new’…
• Wheel to tiller conversion....tiller autopilot, compass, engine controls
• Liferaft, AIS Radio
• Reglass bulkhead tabs, sister floors, refasten cabin sole
• New engine mounts & cables
• Sextant, nautical almanac and plotting sheets
• Complete offshore medical kit
• Tethered tie-down hatchboard system, latching access boards
• Routine: bottom paint, pack maxprop, non-skid decks, batteries, engine, EPIRB batteries….
• Emptied boat of non-essentials (I tried)

2014 prep
• Replace tiller pilot with below-deck drive
• Self-tailing primaries and cabin top winches
• Remove and reseal toerails (ouch!)
• SSB line isolation, lightning protection & SWR meter
• Protected computer & remote display from spray: Chart table screen, Companion way cover
• New, bigger solar panels
• 2nd spinnaker pole, rigged outgrabber
• More spinnakers
• Inspected and tuned rig
• Running rigging replacement
• More bulkhead-hull glassing (had to tear apart head for this one)
• Routine: bottom paint, pack maxprop, non-skid decks, batteries, engine
• Continued weight reduction
 
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I agree a plastic Thunderbird might be a good choice. Unfortunately, the one I used to sail on has become part of a former sailing friend's chicken coop in Sebastopol. I would carefully check the tabbing on bulkheads.

Another interesting boat might be a Marieholm Folkboat. 26 feet X 7 feet. Full, cutaway keel, with keel hung rudder. Displacement 5,000#/ballast 2750#. Trailerable with a larger SUV/pickup and road legal. Usually available for $10,000 or less. Solidly built. Slower, but steady. The one I sailed on would sail hands off with the sails balanced for as long as the skipper wanted. Snug cabin, workable cockpit. Of course, like all older boats, a thorough survey and probably a list of fixes.
 
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