This Forum is supported by C&C 27 owners like you whose membership in the C&C 27 Association makes possible this Forum and the accompanying site. Thank you, members, for your continuing commitment.
You are not logged in.
Pages: 1
I would add Derek Lundy's The Way of a Ship, which wraps a neat narrative around how a square-rigger functioned; and also Cape Horn: The Logical Route by Bernard Moitessier, which is an incredible adventure story and really interesting in light of Moitessier's eventual fate. And I agree with David about Moby-Dick; terrific book, but how a non-sailor could get through it is beyond me.
cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Doug -- Looks like a terrific book, judging by the page excerpts on Amazon. If you have re-acquired the rights, you might want to consider re-purposing it as an e-book and selling it yourself on Amazon. (Look up Kindle Direct publishing, or check out calibre-ebook.com.) Much faster than traditional publishing, you retain all the control (price, updates) and almost certainly more lucrative than any publisher's re-print deal would be for you. And all of us who would like a copy could get one sooner, for much less than the current going price. <img src="emoticons/icon_exclaim.gif"> The only downside is here's no paper edition -- though you could also do special-edition one-off reprints through a short-run printer like Lulu.com if somebody really had to have a book.
cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
How Boat Things Work, by Charlie Wing. (Picked it up at the Toronto Boat Show last weekend.) Mostly you should have it on your shelf if your boat has a Yanmar diesel, because it has a fantastic description of all the main components and how they work. (My boat actually has an A-4, but I still found the Yanmar info to be really informative.) The rest of the book has a combination of basic and not-so-basic stuff, all useful, well-illustrated and clearly written.
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=0071377549 if you want to check it out.
My question is, what are the books you have found to be indispensable and/or just really good boat reading?
Admin, could the site have a recommended reading list?
Cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Terrific work. I hope we can work out a way to make it a fundraiser for the site (copyright and payment processing etc.). I'd happily pay ($10? $20? what's reasonable?) for a copy of the .AI file, both to frame and as a reference.
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Terrific work. I hope we can work out a way to make it a fundraiser for the site (copyright and payment processing etc.). I'd happily pay ($10? $20? what's reasonable?) for a copy of the .AI file, both to frame and as a reference.
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
I certainly get your point about Georgian Bay. (I'm only really comfortable there sailing with somebody with a LOT of local knowledge.)
Perhaps the iPhone5 will improve the GPS pointing, but if I'm not mistaken the GPS system is restricted by the US military to only a limited level of accuracy anyway. (Possibly not tight enough for Georgian Bay shoals!)
Thanks for the Topographic Maps Canada tip, I'll def look it up.
cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
No, the app lives in the phone (the maps are downloaded) and uses its built-in GPS. No cell reception or wireless needed. But the GPS sucks a lot of battery, and you want it set to stay on & not sleep, so you really need the charger.
Really, though, if I had Garmin stock I'd being dumping it.
The Navionics app costs $25 (lots of options are available, depending on where you are, I use the Great Lakes set), and the maps are updated regularly. I've found them accurate to within a few metres for marks in an around Toronto. It has lots of great features for tracking, waymarking, measuring point-to-point & taking pictures while you're at it.
Compare this to $300 for the Garmin unit which comes with a map so basic it doesn't even show my marina (in fact the entire Outer Harbour Marina peninsula doesn't even exist on it). If I want a map that's at all useful I'll need to pay another $400 for a memory chip that has maps pre-loaded but I have to buy ALL of Canada to get Lake Ontario AND oh yeah, I have to buy a new one every couple of years to keep it up to date.
Download an update? Not a chance. Buy a map online? Sure, but only if you have a PC, the process is ludicrously complicated, it will cost you a minimum of $100 and the maps are sectioned off in a way that guarantees anyone on the Great Lakes has to buy at least two if they plan to sail for any more than a day at a time.
Did I mention the tiny, lo-res screen and the utterly crappy user interface?
As it is I use the Garmin mainly for a speedo, timer and extra compass; the MOB button adds a little sense of extra security. But really the only downside of the iphone is its touchscreen doesn't like damp fingers.
But apart from that, for most uses you'd do a lot better buying a 2nd-hand iphone 3GS on craigslist for $100 & the Navionics app for another $25 than 5x that much for a basic Garmin unit.
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Peregrine's previous owner had wired a basic 12v outlet to the binnacle for use with the GPS unit he had mounted there; with some trepidation (worry about delicate electronics) I put a small USB car adapter into it to keep my iphone charged. Works beautifully. (The key is to mount it pointing down to keep out moisture.)
Plus it means I can use the Navionics iphone app as a backup for my Garmin unit. Without the charger it only lasts a few hours. (Actually in most ways the app is way better that the Garmin, but the iphone isn't exactly... weather-friendly.)
cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Great stuff, thanks Doug. I get something similar with my old sail as well. I'm guessing the bagginess of the old main makes it harder to get it decently flattened for higher winds, hence the need to reef sooner.
cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Confused, amazed, and also well-informed & well-armed for making a decision.
Not to mention entertained.
It seems there is always a fascinating back-story to businesses that cater to a passionate, eccentric, opinionated, detail-oriented, expert clientele. If I were Calvin Trillin or Adam Gopnik I'd be writing this up for the New Yorker.
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Thanks Roger. I appreciate the line simplicity part especially. Foredeck person or cockpit responsible for the switch at gybe?
cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Thanks Tal, and indeed all who contributed (yet again) to my C&C education. I bow down to the generosity of the community.
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Much appreciated, gentlemen.
cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Thanks Steve, I'll get in touch with him.
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
I'm considering replacing the main on my mkIII (which may actually be 1976 vintage OEM and thereby a bit on the baggy side). Plus I'm intrigued by the reports of improved performance with a full-batten sail.
Any suggestions for good sailmakers in the Greater Toronto Area (or a bit further afield) gratefully received. I've had Robert at Hurricane Sails on Cherry St do some repairs for me which were great, but I'd love a few other suggestions. (Cruising, with aspirations to race eventually, if not competitively.)
thanks!
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Awesome, thanks. I think I have all the pieces in place now.
Time to get it up, and as you say, practice!
all the best.
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Wow, Clare, that's great, thanks! Cleared up a lot of things.
Two further clarifications if you would:
The tweaker, as I understand it, consists of a block on the end of a line which runs through a second toe-rail mounted block amidships and then cleated. The sheet/guy runs through the first block and this then gives you downhaul control. (Like this Harken set-up: http://www.harken.com/rigtips/spinnaker.php) Does the sheet-side tweaker get uncleated for the end-to-end jibe? Or can both sides be set and cleated and kept that way unless adjustments are required?
And the location of your turtle bag: all the way forward on the pulpit? It seems to be there on your Fleet photo. (Man that looks great!)
And David thanks for the furler warning. Duly noted.
cheers
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Hello C+C27 community,
I've owned my Mk III for about 3 yrs now & lately I've also been racing with a friend on a 24' Thunderbird, working as foredeck crew and manning the spin pole. Bit of a learning curve, but I've pretty much got it down now, & as a result have gotten interested in flying the kite on my own boat. It came with the spinnaker & pole in good shape (the sail looks like early '90s vintage, tri-radial, & clearly not a lot of wear on it; the previous owner never used it); it also came with some lines fixed with shackles that could well be sheets and/or a halyard.
I have 2 sets of questions, on rigging and on process. I put this to you all because while I have found lots of generic spinnaker info, and on this forum lots of individual details, but not the whole process put together, and specific to the CC27 (the OEM Manual was no help). Judging by the lovely photos of the fleet flying their kites proudly, clearly the real expertise is here. (I will admit that there is an aesthetic element to wanting to see my boat's spinnaker in action. Y'all know what I mean.) Apologies in advance for the length of this thing and any obvious stupidities.
A. Rigging:
1. What is your preferred arrangement for the uphaul, downhaul & spin halyard lines? Currently I have the main halyard & vang on the starboard side of the cabin roof, and on the port side a single jiffy reef. (The genoa is on a furler so its halyard is cleated at the mast.) I'm thinking about putting the spin halyard on the starboard side and the up/downhaul on the port.
2. There is a block about 3/4 way up the mast which I assume is for the uphaul. I'm guessing the line should come down to a block at the foot of the mast and then through the fairleads back to the cockpit (there are a couple of large round fairleads on the cabin roof that look like they are meant for this purpose). And for the downhaul, I am assuming another block at the base of the mast and then through fairleads to the cockpit.
3. The lines I have that may be spin sheets seem to me a bit heavy compared to the rather light lines we use on the Thunderbird kite (though it is a smaller sail); they are 3/8 braided without much stretch. Possibly they are another set of genoa lines, but my understanding has always been that shackles are not a great idea on a genoa just because you don't want that much metal potentially flapping around and cranking somebody in the head. Possibly they are the up/downhaul sheets? If I need to buy new sheets, how long should they be, and what's the preferred type of line?
3. There are 2 internal halyards with sheaves at the head of the mast; one I use for the furling genoa. I'm guessing the other is for another genoa (the boat came with a storm jib). There is also a harken block on a swivel up there which I'm guessing is for the spin halyard, which would run outside the mast. If I can use the internal it spares me going up the mast but I suspect the head of the spin needs to be able to swivel, hence the block.
4. The sheet/guy lines come back around outside all the rigging to snatch blocks clipped to the toe rail aft of the winches; how far back should those blocks be? Also: I only have one set of winches in the cockpit, though I have 2 smaller ones on the cabin roof -- I use the starboard one for the main halyard; I assume these are not meant for the spinnaker.
B. Process:
1. Mostly my issue here is with how to coordinate raising & dousing the spinnaker when the boat has a furling genoa rather than a hank-on that gets raised & lowered. My assumption is it works similarly: the turtle bag gets clipped on the port side up near the pulpit, and the spin gets raised up on a starboard tack in the lee of the genoa until it catches a bit of wind. Then the genoa gets rolled up.
To douse, the process is reversed: unfurl the genoa to take the wind out of the spinnaker. Should you douse on the same (starboard) tack?
2. Does the spinnaker get hauled down back around the genoa and into the companionway to be re-organized? or should it come back in front of it and into the hatch? or right into the bag? (or is that even possible?)
3. I assume this requires a crew minimum of 4: helm, foredeck for the pole, spinnaker trimmer, & middleman to hoist & help haul it back in.
4. Anyone ever used a chute scoop or similar dousing sock? Are they worth considering? Any other advice?
Finally, perhaps this could be the basis of a Black Arts entry that addresses all things spinnaker (like the props entry), so newbies like me don't have to bug everybody with ridiculously long-winded questions.
Thanks for any & all help on this!
Richard Bingham
Peregrine
553/Mk III 1976
Toronto
Newly purchased Mk III, and wondering about the combination of the windpoint guage beside the companionway and what looks to me like an anenometer mounted on the masthead. (Made by Signet Scientific.) As far as I can make out, they are connected (8-pin connection from the device to the cable in the mast and again through the cabin roof). According to the previous owner it was not working. In any case, I can't see how the masthead device (which doesn't pivot, and has spinning wind cups) measures windpoint; speed, sure, but the gauge doesn't show that. Can anybody enlighten me on this one? I've seen the identical gauge on another 27, so I'm guessing it was optional/OEM. Additionally, is it worth rehabilitating the thing? Anybody still use theirs? Just about to step the mast, so I need to make a decision about hooking it up.
thanks, richard
Would have loved to do it, but work commitments made it impossible. However, I agree with taking the adventurous approach when possible. In the end we got a good deal on shipping it to Toronto (another boat was being delivered to the same marina in Sarnia & we got the return ride cheap). We'll get in sooner if we can, and use the time on the hard to get a few things tidied up.
As for the mast stepping, on closer inspection the whole business looks less daunting than I thought. Helps to have the thing right in front of you in stead of 300 km away.
cheers, richard
Thanks David.
Union boatyard -- hadn't occurred to me. Might explain the pace of things around there (like the 24' cabin cruiser that's been sitting in the travelift for the last 2 days). I do like the location, though, & the manager is very pleasant... Anyway, if I don't do it there I'd rather go to Port Credit just so it isn't too long a haul on our very first trip. So I'll call them & see what can be done. Advice very much appreciated!
Richard
Windsong (soon to be Peregrine as soon as we can get up the guts to ignore superstition and/or do the appropriate Neptune-appeasing re-christening ceremony)
Mk III 553
Most likely myself and co-owners (brother & dad) plus any other handy types we can recruit as necessary (we have a number of friends with boats, though none with a 27); and using a mast jack. The whole thing is complicated by the need to first transport the boat from Sarnia to the Outer Harbour Marina; there we will have to wait til May 28th for the first available launch time. So we are thinking of trying to get it launched at Port Credit and sail it to Toronto, which might be faster. But this still requires the organization of both the launch and the mast step -- in another town. Perhaps there are riggers in Port Credit who could be hired there to do it. At least then I wouldn't worry about something not being set right halfway between Port Credit & Toronto. But sooner or later we have to do it ourselves, and figure it all out.
Then there's the whole deal of arranging the transport, which is its own kind of Tetris game. But that's another story. All of which adds to the general nervousness, all of which will be gone as soon as the boat is sitting happily in its slip.
Any & all suggestions happily received!
thanks
richard
Bought a lovely MkIII last October & am about to get it in the water soon. My only concern is stepping the mast, a procedure I have never done before. (Not on anything this big, anyway.) You can only read so much about how it gets done, and once you actually do it once I'm sure it becomes quite strightforward. Right now, however, it makes me nervous.
My question is, any tips on specific C&C27 (general or III-specific) quirks, things to watch for, easy mistakes to make? Thanks, and great forum by the way. (I've sent in my memebership fee!)
cheers, richard
Pages: 1