what are the disadvantages of the canoe stern ?

earlestruggles · #1 03-25-2010

these boats are so beautiful to my novice's eye, and everything i read about them says that they make great blue water cruisers. so what are the drawbacks, don't hold back, i need to know before i spend some big dough.

JohnRPollard · #2 03-25-2010

Hi, Welcome to Sailnet!

It's largely an aesthetic preference, although a canoe stern arguably offers an advantage in severe weather conditions off-shore, with large following seas.

A down-side is that, for a given length, the hull will lose some interior volume. This is why canoe-sterns are even less common on smaller designs - they simply can't afford to give-up that interior space. Of course, there are some exceptions (Quickstep 24 comes to mind).

A while back, we had a good discussion about canoe sterns here.

Faster · #3 03-25-2010

Less spacious cockpits, too, although for offshore work that's not necessarily a drawback.....

wwilson · #4 03-25-2010

"I use the tumblehome canoe stern to help pull volume aft to keep the fanny from squatting and add sailing length. Would a transom work better? Yes, it would, but my client likes the look of the canoe stern. So that settles that." [Robert Perry]
Sailing Magazine | Sawyer 48MS

Cruisingdad · #5 03-25-2010

Everything above is correct. I will add one other, being someone very familiar with them (Tayana 42), they do not slap at a morroing (or anchored with an opposing tide). A flat butt transom will drive you crazy smoetimes. No exhageration, my wife an di have left teh aft cabin at a marina once (actually more than once) and slept in the salon because the slapping from the waves on teh stern (due to stern blowing wind) was so bad. Understand, 99% of the time this will not happen at anchor with a sugar scoop because you point into the weaves and apparent wind. Generally only at a marina... but there are exceptions and they will drive you crazy.

Many sugar scoops dig into the water when beating, so you will find them less desirabel than something that can cut the water behind it. However, all in all, I would still opt for a nice large transom for LA and cruising for the many other positive tradeoffs.

My boat to left, and dad's to center... which one would you rather swim off of and get out of the water of?

wwilson · #6 03-25-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

A flat butt transom will drive you crazy smoetimes. No exhageration, my wife and i have left the aft cabin at a marina once (actually more than once) and slept in the salon because the slapping from the waves on teh stern (due to stern blowing wind) was so bad.

I will second that from personal experience. My boat has "lovely" overhangs. We tied by the stern to a mooring in order to get some breeze through the boat one hot, still night in Havre de Grace. By 2:00 a.m. there was 6-8 knots of wind that had blown up maybe a foot of chop. It gets a really nice resonance when it thumps from under the stern overhang. It was not something to sleep through: I walked the painter back to the bow at 2:10 a.m.

There's a + for the canoe stern.

christyleigh · #7 03-25-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

My boat to left, and dad's to center... which one would you rather swim off of and get out of the water of?

You think that's bad....... add another few feet to climb up to my '2nd story' cockpit

After having 2 sugar scoop Catalinas I used to say I would never have any other kind.....but.... other desires....

My stern isn't quite the pointy thing your dad's is, mine being almost round but I still lose some space. The sterns on these NC 40's in this "Christy Leigh sandwich" is what I would like when I hit the lottery........