Recommended cruising boats - Page 2

Jeff_H · #11 (**permalink**) 10-20-2003

Jack, with all due respect, I believe that you and I are talking about two different models. The Hunter that I am refering to had a partial skeg hung rudder and a beefy hull deck joint consisting of an aluminum toe rail closely bolted through the deck and a wide, thick inward facing flange. These boats appear to be pretty close in quality to the Brewer designed Morgan 38 although you might be right that the Brewer has a potentially more robust skeg hung rudder.

Respectfully,
Jeff

Jeff_H · #12 (**permalink**) 10-20-2003

Jack, with all due respect, I believe that you and I are talking about two different models. The Hunter that I am refering to had a partial skeg hung rudder and a beefy hull deck joint consisting of an aluminum toe rail closely bolted through the deck and a wide, thick inward facing flange. These boats appear to be pretty close in quality to the Brewer designed Morgan 38 although you might be right that the Brewer has a potentially more robust skeg hung rudder.

Respectfully,
Jeff

h37skipper · #13 (**permalink**) 10-21-2003

I would invite Jack to crew on my ''79 H37C on Lake Erie. We only, if not too crazy, sail in six to eight footers. But when you consider the wave period averages three seconds we get considerably more stress than many other bodies of water(I have sailed extensively in the Atlantic).

On a recent return from Canada in 30+ kts we were constantly at 40 degrees and surfing over 9 kts. The crew was never uncomfortable or in danger. The only structural changes to the boat are new bronze portlights. All else is original. The cutter- rig is an excellent sail plan, I often single-hand.

sailingfool · #14 (**permalink**) 10-21-2003

Skipper,

You must have a real charm to find conditions like that on a regular basis, I suspect most of us see such conditions once or twice a season. I am curious to understand the physics of constantly heeling 40 degress and surfing - our keel boat usually only heels materially sailing close to the wind, or surfs when running before the wind, but never the two together. How do you manage to combine these two behaviors, other than perhaps during a hopefully transient, spinnaker broach?

h37skipper · #15 (**permalink**) 10-23-2003

Unusual for us too. We left Canada with a nice NE breeze and jib(yankee) alone. The winds built and were coming over the port quarter. You have to see 8-footers only three seconds apart to appreciate how that makes a 20000# boat roll. True, there was a better point of sail but it would have taken us way off course. Besides, not every day do you get to sail at 9 knots.

WHOOSH · #16 (**permalink**) 10-23-2003

H37C Skipper, Jeff and the Group:

I surely didn''t mean to (and don''t think I did) criticize the design nor the sail plan. And perhaps I''m thinking of a different model? The one I''ve watched being cruised first hand was a Cherubinni (sp?) design, built in the 70''s. Tabbing failed, the rudder post bent like wet carboard, and the prop shaft/strut similarly bent on another occasion, all from inside cruising on the ICW. There were other ''issues'' which were more cosmetic than structural but resulted from humidity (and some leaks due to lack of proper bedding) and which the crew still had to address with much disgust. Some of the working gear on the rig was hardly suitable for offshore work which, after all, one may find one has to do when trying to work to windward getting down to the Caribbean). This was a new boat, on it''s first 2-year cruising run (PEANUT BUTTER by name) altho'' I did hear similar comments from a 2nd H37C owner based in Charleston...but I never got below on the boat. Perhaps it was a lemon? Perhaps I''m being overly picky? Perhaps I''ve got a different boat in mind? And/or perhaps two data points don''t describe a full continuum.

Jack