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Newbie here

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:49 pm
by Tahoesailer
I have been a previous Catalina 22 and O'Day 25 owner and was just given what seems to be a fairly solid 1967 Daysailer. I know nothing about these boats but I am eager to get started on this one. She came with an extensive inventory of sails but condition is yet to be determined. All I have done so far is pressure wash the bird droppings off of all the gear inside and get it in storage. The boat will get pressure washed in the next day or so to begin the refitting. Thanks for all of the previous topics I can poach information from. I will post some photos later when I get them properly resized.

Thanks

Re: Newbie here

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:50 pm
by Shagbark
Welcome aboard! You'll find the centerboard aspect of these boat to give you quite a different sailing experience than keel boats. They are not quite as forgiving, but my opinion is that it makes you a better sailor. Rudy from D&R Marine will become your next best friend.

Re: Newbie here

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:12 pm
by GreenLake
Welcome.

A DS is relatively stable, but note the term relatively.

You will need to balance it from moderate conditions on, mainly to keep the boat nice and flat so it sails well. At some point, you'll need to luff up, ease sheets or eventually reef to keep heeling from gusts or stronger winds in check. The transitions tend to be smooth, and compared to smaller, lighter centerboard boats they can feel "deliberate", giving you usually enough time to react.

Unlike a keelboat, you don't want to sail the DS heeled, except temporarily as you regain control from a gust, or later, when experienced, you might like to ride on that knife's edge of vanishing stability. But until you get the hang of the difference, try to keep the gusts to well under 15 as you figure things out.

Sailing areas that have obstructions like bluffs and tall buildings can have eddies that produce large wind shifts. The reaction to these can be quite dramatic and I'd advise you to avoid them. That said, the DS, more often than not, will simply round up and twist out from under a gust if overpowered.

But, all that can wait until you are on the water (if I haven't scared you off :) ).

Good luck with sorting sail and rigging. Patiently digging around in the older posts should uncover a trove of useful detail -- however, I'd advise against making too many modifications prior to your first season: you will have a better idea what works for you, if you try the existing setup. As long as it is solid, that is.

Well, we broke a jib track on the maiden voyage, so that's par for the course I guess.

Re: Newbie here

PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 3:59 pm
by Alan
Hello, Tahoesailer,

Welcome to the forum! Crew and self sailed our 1980 DSII on Tahoe for several years, but with the Meeks Bay marina closed, we haven't found a suitable combination of a place to stay and a place to launch, so the last couple of years have had to make do with a sailing kayak and sailing canoe.

Going slightly off topic here, where do you launch from?

Back on topic, I'd agree with GreenLake that the Daysailer is relatively stable. My crew could stand on the foredeck, holding onto the mast while chatting with other boaters as we motored out of the marina,with no apparent effect on the balance of the boat. It's also forgiving - on a beam reach, ours will flatten out instantly when the mainsheet is let out.

Re: Newbie here

PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:51 pm
by goldtoothgirl
GreenLake wrote:Unlike a keelboat, you don't want to sail the DS heeled, except temporarily as you regain control from a gust, or later, when experienced, you might like to ride on that knife's edge of vanishing stability. But until you get the hang of the difference, try to keep the gusts to well under 15 as you figure things out.


Would anyone like to expand on this quote? I am familiar with Catalina 22 & 25 and on strong days it seemed that is how we sailed all day long- heeled. Both the 22 and 25 Catalina are swing keels.
Newbie, glad to be here.

Re: Newbie here

PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2019 12:10 am
by Alan
The Daysailer has a planing hull, not a displacement hull.

Re: Newbie here

PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2019 4:16 pm
by GreenLake
@GoldToothGirl: great question and while it's a bit off topic here, it's something that's of general interest.

Let me grab a few of the posts here, and see whether I can use them to start a new topic.

In the meantime, welcome to the forum!