Ballast bags

[Captain Kidd]

I got out yesterday afternoon for a short sail. Nothing earth shattering to report except that I added ballast on this trip. The wind forecast was 11 mph, which for my boat (which is well-canvased) and skill level calls for one reef. If you remember, I almost capsized last sailing outing (not counting the rowing trip), so I've been a little uneasy about going out again with the water still being cold. Yesterday air temp was low 70's, but still....

I took two partial bags of play sand and a bag of small, landscaping river rocks and put them in three duffle bags. Total weight would have been 80-100 lbs. The boat was noticeably more stable and I felt very comfortable even in the puffs.

I've collected about 100 lbs of lead and had planned to make some 25 lb ballast bars. I posted this on the CIY FB page and Clint Chase (the designer) commented that lead ballast is not your friend in a capsize. Hadn't considered that. I can't see where it would make righting the boat harder, but I suppose it would make bailing harder, especially if the trunk were below water level. He recommended ballast bags.

These are a little pricey but sounds like a good idea to me. Saves carrying around 100 extra lbs (which was a bit of a pain yesterday). I think I'll add a pair to my "things to buy" list.

[rfrance0718]

A Thistle cb is 70-75 lbs. The weight makes riting pretty easy, but the weight is all well below the water line. If the board is partially housed, the weight is still below the water line and the boat is still easy to rite. If the board is totally housed, you probably won't capsize in the first place. I know that sounds strange but the boat will actually just skid sideways instead of tripping and falling down. Thistles come up about half full of water, which is the trade off for hardly ever turning turtle. I would think that 70 lbs, well secured, with some kind of straps to keep it in place, would be beneficial. I would also suggest raising the board about 40%, for the reasons stated above. Capsizes should be less frequent, upwind performance will suffer, and you'll have more water to bail out. Good trade, me thinks.

Also, if you reef the main, the board should be cocked back to equalize the coe and cor.

[rfrance0718]

Raising a dagger board will still move the cor back some because it puts less resistance at the dagger while the rudder's resistance remains the same. Reducing the overall resistance will also still reduce healing at the expense of upwind performance. I've sailed heavy air Laser races where the finish was way downwind from the docks and the sail back to shore was daunting. Lifting the dagger about 40% makes it easier to keep the boat flat without so much hiking. It makes for a longer sail back in, but with less work. I think that an experimental capsize is very important. Have fun!

[Captain Kidd]

Raising a dagger board will still move the cor back some because it puts less resistance at the dagger while the rudder's resistance remains the same. Reducing the overall resistance will also still reduce healing at the expense of upwind performance. I've sailed heavy air Laser raises where the finish was way downwind from the docks and the sail back to shore was daunting. Lifting the dagger about 40% makes it easier to keep the boat flat without so much hiking. It makes for a longer sail back in, but with less work. I think that an experimental capsize is very important. Have fun!

thanks for your replies. I deleted my first reply apparently while you were posting this one. I second guessed myself that it made sense.

In any case, I still have much to learn about how the CIY performs. Very few hours in her yet and mostly in fluky winds which really make it hard to judge her capabilities. I'll consider your suggestions. I've also sent some questions to the designer for some clarification.

[Riley Smith]

A warning for those married less than 40 years. It is NOT appropriate to refer to your crew as BALLAST

[Wayne Howard]

A warning for those married less than 40 years. It is NOT appropriate to refer to your crew as BALLAST

Or rail meat. 

[rfrance0718]

or bag!