Its very quiet!

[Marinka]

I should hate to bait the bear but oh well, can't be helped, too much fun. I like the furler and also the diesel. But outboards are also good and less expensive. A good technical howto would be good on this site. eg - I hear about storm boards on windows etc but have no bloody idea how to practically go about it on the top hat or any other boat for that matter. SO good to see some action on the site. had a great sail the other day with Karl on board and I need to check out his boat as well. I think the top hat is perfect for my type of cruising here for the next year or so as not living on board and she can take me up the coast and she does not cost that much. Nice little boat. Cheers Pete

[bearmcnally]

Hi all,

Re The perfect cruising boat, built a Swanson 32 Jia now sailing out of the HYC. Built a Swanson 38 ,two great yachts.Sailed a Swanson 30 and a Defiance 30 very similar which one was designed first ?.My choose would be a Swanson 28 pocket size on the outside big inside a bit like Dr Who's Tartis! About the same in costs to maintain, slip ,moor etc easily handled by 1 or 2 people. Nice size rig, canoe sten great in a following sea powerful little yacht bit of an ugly duckling.But again how about a Swanson 36 great bluewater classic and the list goes on ....
Eastcoast 31
SS 34
Magpie 34
Currawong 30
But not the Clansman ? bloody


Bear

[storm petrel]

Well Bear, I would be happy with your other suggestions but I don't think I could live with a Swanson 28. Yes, it would be super practical but I don't think I could admire it rowing to shore -they are just too ugly. I guess that is why I love my Tophat - it just looks and feels right(even though it is a little slow and a bit cramped).

Now there is a Currawong 30 moored near my boat that hasn't been out for over a year and there is that Brolga 33 around the corner with the aging owner, I wonder if I should.........

Just dreaming - it keeps you young.

[bearmcnally]

YOU SHOULD YOU SHOULD !!!!


PS Swanson 28s do grow on you Do like the Brolga ,Baker built I think no don't start that again




Regards Bear

[Marinka]

there is a Swanson 28 in the Mooloolaba Marina and I think she is a great looking boat and very seaworthy and plenty of room. like the sounds of the Brolga and Currawong but don't know much about them. Cheers

[Dolphin]

Here I go again reminiscing but in 92 my wife, Ingrid and I sailed, well actually motor sailed to Gt Keppel and back from Port Hacking. We met up with opthers that were doing the same trip in bigger boats, Swansons and a Hereschoff 28 etc. The increase in room is much greater when you get a bigger boat but the Top Hat could get into places that others couldnt go and she could take the bottom better as she has the long wide flat keel. It was a bit cramped but I tend to take a lot with me "just in case". The full headroom is worth more than just room. We bareboated in the whitsundays on a Farr 28 but you had to stoop because the headroom was about 5'6". That's really annoying and damages the boat where you keep hitting it with your head!
We ended up travelling with an Adams 32 which bent its lead keel on the Swansea Bar after they were given the wrong information and hit the coal seam.
I prefer the Cole 30, or traditonal 30 as they are sometimes called. It was fast, comfortable with a big cockpit and beamy. The berths are a tad short, you really can't stretch out. They come in about $k65
I met Anna Gash in Auckland who sailed a folk boat to England and back to play in a concert. She got around by picking the weather. It depends what you want. I like the top hat because if you want to go for a sail I don't have to organise crew. They're just great little boats.

[Shaun]

For you old folk, i agree....furlers are more convienient to you & that is probably a great comfort, allows you to at least get out on the water, but for us youngies that have youth on our side, its much more satisfying manually changing the heads'l, being able to select which one to put up & having to think ahead(still have a bit of the ole grey matter left) on what conditions may present themselves.
No wasting time thinking about inner forstays(but thats a whole different point), & hanked on headsails are more seamanlike, versatile, simpler & cheaper. Less complicated....which has its merits....heck, i even have oil lamps for the lighting on NightCap.
I cant understand why you foggies want to embrace all the new fangled technology, keeping up with the Jones'?

TIC

[Phillip]

Thanks Shaun

I'll have to tell you how old I am one day!

Phillip
SEAKA

PS. For those who don't know ,I do not have a furler!

[bearmcnally]

Hi Top Hatters.


Good on ya Shaun. you surprised me.

Egret II has 3 headsails, All orginal Laurie Mitchells 1973 and in good nick .My reflexes are still good enough to look at the weather and choose when to change up or down to suit the conditions. Well I choose the sail and tell my crew [my children] to change them ,but only when my wife isn't on board otherwise she makes me do it. Hank headsails have a better sail shape than furlers.But the best thing about hank headsails are they make great bean bags for havaing a beer and napping on after running up and down changing to suit the conditions. furlers don't

...............to be continued I guess !!



Bear

[Dolphin]

Right Mcnally !!
What do you do with the wet mop of Dacron that you've just unhanked from the forestay. Its wet, now where do you put it? How do you fold it? I used to lash it to the lifelines but it could fill with a wave and fall overboard so now you've got a drogue set from the bow! Get with the revolution. I'm waiting for one of you guys to get a square rigged Top Hat and a poop deck.
In the mean time the boat is bear (bare) headed (Pardon the pun) unbalanced and doesn't sail properly. People usually hang on to the sail until its overpowered and its risky working on the foredeck. That's not good seamanship.
The furler has a track on it so the sail is supported along every part of the luff and the shape is controlled by the way the sail maker intended. It doesn;t look like your old blanket pegged on the washing line!
If you use a padded luff in the genoa it will retain its shape when furled down once. You don't need to go out of the cockpit. If you need to reduce it more put the storm sail on the inner forestay (Oops).
I'm going back on my medication.
Greg.