Friday, September 12, 2014

A couple of thoughts relating to changing stuff on a sailboat...

Thought provoking, some sense being made, and worth watching...

The other day I heard someone advising on the stupidity of moving their bow water tank because it would throw the balance of the boat off...

It got me thinking...

First off, the advice, to a degree, makes some sense as balance in a boat is a goodly thing and best not to be trifled with if you don't have to.

The second thing that came to mind was just what sort of balance the designer actually had in mind when he (and this would be Bill Tripp) actually designed the boat.

Now, as I recall, back in the late 60's when Mr Tripp was designing the Columbia 34 the current fashion in ground tackle was a short 6' length of chain, some rode, and a small plow or Danforth anchor...  For those of a curious nature, Columbia's recommendation for the Columbia 34 was a twenty-pound plow and 150' of 5/8" rope.

You might say things have changed.

While I tend to respect a designer's wishes about where large chunks of weight on a boat are deposited, I also try and keep in mind what the original design parameters actually were when the boat was designed.

The boat in question currently has a 33-pound Bruce, 150' of 3/8" chain, another 150 feet of 5/8" rope and a fifty pound windless... Not exactly what Mr Tripp envisioned I suspect.

Offhand, I'd expect that moving the bow water tank aft would be advantageous...

Listening to Shovels & Rope

So it goes...