keeping water out after lowering coaming

[K.C. Walker]

So yesterday was a great force 4 sailing day and it was a lot of fun though very hectic and wet. Today I'm really tired but I'm thinking about improvements.

I'm glad I have the coaming lowered for comfort as we were on the rail and hiked out for hours. However, I was getting a lot of water into the cockpit from the spray on the deck. The water was coming down the deck in sheets and soaking our butts and at times I could feel water just running down the back of my legs into the cockpit. I'd left approximately 3/16 of lip as to not be uncomfortable but hopefully divert some water. The comfort part is so much better but the diverting water part, that doesn't happen.

So I've been thinking of different ways to divert the water. I was thinking of adding some coaming to the side deck just forward of the cuddy opening. I noticed while looking at the DaySailer NAC pictures what looks to be some closed cell foam on the side deck of Measures Up. Maybe this would serve two purposes, diverting water and adding comfort for hiking out. I am guessing that it would make it harder to scoot forward and back on the side deck, though.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated and especially if anyone has seen the set up on Measures Up (or one like it) and might know how it works.

[navahoIII]

Hmm...how about spraying some Teflon on the closed cell "cushions/dams" for some quick reaction time!

[dannyb9]

what about a coaming in the sunfish style that extends out from the side of the aft edge of the cuddy at an angle across the side deck to divert the water? could be closed cell foam (prototype form) maybe 3" x 3" x 15"? artistically shaped and temporarily stuck on with contact cement. just a thought, i never tried it : ) it would be easy to do

[GreenLake]

I'm a firm believer in keeping the original coamings. What I'm working on is substantial foam pads to go on the deck outside the coaming, for some more comfortable seating and harder hiking.

Reading this thread makes me wonder whether I shouldn't provide these with a "channel" at the bottom, so water can run underneath them.

[navahoIII]

I agree, GreenLake, I feel it is something of an insult to cut down that brightwork. It gives the hapless fibreglass (its wonderful qualities notwithstanding) a much needed measure of natural warmth and beauty --nautical flair, if you will. (sorry KC)

I also think your cushion idea, up against the outside coaming (with a channel through them!) is a good one.

[GreenLake]

My latest idea for how to fix them (not yet tested) is to use a pair of "j" hooks with a bungee to clip onto top/bottom edge of coming. That's the "anchor". To that, somehow, fix a loop of webbing that goes like a belt around the actual foam.

In other words, I'm planning on fixing the foam only near the coaming. I believe that, in use, there's no need to hold it down at the outer edge, but that idea hasn't seen real-life testing.

[K.C. Walker]

Danny,

Thank you for your thoughts. Prototyping with foam is a really good idea! I was thinking of something like sunfish coaming as you suggest.

Green Lake and Navajo,

I too like the look of the coaming and that's why I moved it down rather than cut it down. After doing so I am a firm believer in how much better I like the boat. This was one aspect of the boat that I pretty much hated. The boat sails so much better when sailed flat and that's impossible to do without hiking out and that is so uncomfortable to do with that coaming sticking in your backside.

There's no question that we would have got wet yesterday, regardless. The spray had the sails soaked a third of the way up. It's always good to have crew on a day like this to block the spray! I mean we were planing the boat a good bit of the time for 3 hours and believe me that would not have happened with the coaming in the way.

So, what do you guys do when you have a perfect force 4 day, take down the jib, reef the main, and sit in on the seats so you can sail slow?

[Bob Hunkins]

Elvstron Bailer and hiking straps. Reefing is for wimps.

[GreenLake]

We heave to and contemplate the beauty of mahogany. What else?

We don't run to strong winds as often as other areas. When we do, I've usually found a way to keep the boat flat - my backside isn't as tender, I guess.

Once I get the foam set up the way I want it, the main difference would be that I would be sitting 3" higher. Should that worry me? I should think I have the leg length that it wouldn't matter, and as I am "racing" against a 5o5 on uncorrected time, I'll be last no matter what I do...

[K.C. Walker]

Green Lake

Well… if you are "racing", with uncorrected time, against a 5o5, all you need to do is bring your Hobie Cat and you'll go by him like he's standing still! It seems to me… that racing has the potential for a good arms race.

A perfect force 4 day with a good steady 15 to 18 kn is exceptional. However, I dream about them all year long! I suppose the reality is that I should get my windsurfing chops back, those guys were having a blast! Or, buy one of those Hobie Cats that I keep looking at on craigslist.

Bob

It keeps coming back to bailers!

Did you happen to look at Measures Up? What did you think about the hiking pads? I have the feeling someone might tell me that hiking pads are for wimps. Also, do they have scuppers cut in the transom?

[navahoIII]

K.C.,

You did say "lower" the coaming, my mistake.

Speaking of Force 4 winds, how, I wonder, would a Laser fare under those conditions?

[dannyb9]

navajo, i can say from experience that force 4 in small race boats is often like sitting in front of a fire hose. not to mention possibility of submarining downwind and frequent capsizes while jybing. my DS is wonderfully capable and relatively dry in those conditions.

[K.C. Walker]

Yeah, Danny's right it is like getting hit by a fire hose and the same thing on a Hobie Cat. Your best wardrobe is a wetsuit for those days, with those boats, at least around here.

[GreenLake]

Well… if you are "racing", with uncorrected time, against a 5o5, all you need to do is bring your Hobie Cat and you'll go by him like he's standing still! It seems to me… that racing has the potential for a good arms race.

It could - I'm still "new" to the game, and it's more about getting on the water more regularly. A lot of the boats are not class legal, for their classes. Some enterprising souls have found ways to add spinnakers to small boats that don't normally have them, and we hear talk of a trapeze to come to another boat. It's all in good fun, and on the cheap (used sails, used parts). So if the right (used) boat comes my way - who knows.

But I expect I need more practice first. There was a guy in skiff who showed up one night but didn't even manage to get around the course (crazy winds, from nothing to whistling in the rigging). Unfortunately, that seems to have scared him off - we've not seen him again. Too bad.

A perfect force 4 day with a good steady 15 to 18 kn is exceptional. However, I dream about them all year long!

I believe it. I haven't seen anything steady in that range here yet. When we get up there, it's been blustery.

[Mike Gillum]

You're not sailing fast enough if you're not wet!
Last week at NAC's in Seabrook we had lots of waves/chop either flying into or rolling down the deck into #2772. The afternoon races were incredible and the water very warm at 85 degrees.
Out of habit we were still ducking into smaller forms and turning our backs when we hit a wave but then the Bath Tub Wave hit and we laughed at ourselves.
As we were sitting about 12" back in #2772 from the normal upwind position because of the chop most of the deck water rolled right into the boat.
Made my wife Mardi really want at least one if not a pair of automatic Andersen Bailers in the bottom of #2772 to help keep her from having to bail out #2772 between races.
Also would've made our lives a little easier after the races after washing the salt water out of #2772 as we wouldn't have had to sit on the aft deck of #2772 as it sat on it's tilted trailer peeing out of the 1/2" transom plug.
My coaming is flush with the deck except for the aft 18-24" that raised to the original factory height.
Later this summer the remaining coaming will also be cut flush and a set of Andersen Bailers installed for the "Bailer Down" racing days we regularly experience in the Thistle and from time to time in the Daysailer.