Plastic Classic Forum

Noah

My Swede 55 is frac rigged, with either a masthead or fractional spinnaker. Above 10 knots the 100% jib is fine. Under that you want more sail area - for racing a 155% is the ticket. With the 100% we are looking at a sail area to displacement of 20.2 or so. With a 155% you get up to 24.9, which is g...

Noah

I have Self Tailing Lewmar 55's on my Swede.

Noah

Hi Bill, Sorry I didn't answer your question about the Asym earlier - The answer would be that the sail works at all apparent wind angles - I know that sounds silly, but it this shot the apparent wind was coming from dead ahead - we were doing about 8 knots in 5-6 knots of wind on a reach. We can al...

Noah

There is no doubt it's a cool boat - I love mine! That said, it's totally impractical. I pay for hauling and storage of a 55ft boat and still bump my head in the head...But they are really fun to sail, and very easy to make go fast - especially downwind. There is no question that it's a blue water b...

Noah

From APS - essentially you splice a loop into the sheet (or all 3 in this case) and then connect them together, much like you would with a luggage tag on a suitcase. 12 Strand 'Luggage Tag' Splice http://www.apsltd.com/images/gallery/8524-1.jpg Applies to single braids (Vectrus 12, Ultrex 12 and AmS...

Noah

Here is an image - you can just see the sheets, and what it looks like.

Noah

Yep, that's about right. The Spinnaker Foot is 33'6", and the Spin blocks are at the back of the boat, so I have an extra 20ft between the block and the clew of the kite. Still, I can't really ever picture wanting to strap down a spinnaker that tight anyway. Usually a reacher or code zero would...

Noah

Ok, let's try this one again, and see if I can explain it better. The basics - I'm using an Asymmetrical Spinnaker, so it has (for these purposes) a fixed tack, and a single clew. I use two spinnaker sheets - the "lazy" sheet is the one that's not doing anything on one jibe - generally the...

Noah

Headroom is probably 6'5" in the galley/nav area, 6'2" near the table, and decreasing as you move forward. Maybe 5'10" in the head and 5'8" in the v-birth area. BTW, sorry for the crappy photo http://www.morebutter.com/Swede/looking_forward.jpg The galley (with funky Eno propane ...

Noah

Thanks for the comments. That's just the lazy sheet going to the clew. I "luggage tag" the two sheets onto a short 6ft light spectra pendant so you only need to untie one knot on the spinnaker and it keeps the weight off the clew for light air performance. We do inside jibes, meaning that ...

Noah

Nice job with your first year of racing - it takes a long time to build crew and figure out how to make your boat go fast in all conditions. This is us getting a second on corrected in A Class on the last race of the season. We were pretty happy as we were double handed for the race. We couldn't cat...

Noah

We set the Spinnaker on a tight reach, and sailed back to the mooring. We were definitely strapped trying to carry the Spinnaker, but it's an Asym so it does pretty well. http://www.morebutter.com/swede/nov_2-030.jpg Good speed, but we could have used more wind: http://www.morebutter.com/swede/nov_2...

Noah

Still another week before I put my Swede 55 away for the year, but today was nice, so we decided to go out for a sail. Probably only 8-9 knots of wind, so we could have used a bit more power, but 7.7 isn't bad upwind. http://www.morebutter.com/swede/nov_2-002.jpg We sailed out of Shelburne Bay, and ...

Noah

I thought I should mention that I have seen the boat (in the yachtworld link). The cover was still in good shape when they moved the boat and pulled it off. I've only looked at the hull. The paint all bubbled off from the cover, but generally speaking the hull looks like it's in pretty good shape.

Noah

We use that sail on my Swede 55. Lately we have been using a snuffer on it - makes it a bit easier to get it down in one piece with a green crew. If you would like to be my sailmaker I will need a sample of your work. Perhaps you could whip up a racing main for me. Say 50' luff, 17' 6" foot, ma...

Noah

Yep, my Asym spinnaker is 165 square meters (1776 sq ft) and after a long trimming session just about everything is burning. It's still the only way to roll - I hate going slow downwind. We took a 3rd in last nights Beer can racing in the A2 class. We would had second or first, but a senile dolt in ...

Noah

I know I owe all of you an update with photos, but this is all I have right now... So this spring I took on a major refit of my Swede 55. The boat got in the water late, and I've been busy ever since purchasing a new house, etc etc. Anyway, I finally got out for a nice sail on Saturday. Wind was pro...

Noah

Take a look at the new marine VHF's - the one I got has a whole bunch of signals pre-built into the unit - all you need is a speaker to hook up to it and it will do the rest.

Noah

Not a fan of black spars? Hater... (I bet they are carbon :) )

Noah

Here is the link to the thread:

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index. ... 48674&st=0

Noah

Really nice boats - I started a thread on them on sailing Anarchy which just got brought to the top a few days ago. I suppose I should have told a few people on here that I had a lead on one with a blown motor for 15k. It had done the Newport to Bermuda a couple of years earlier so I couldn't have b...

Noah

To reassure myself, a quick internet search turns up lots of sources:

While I will have to check the tube to see what's really in it:
http://paint-and-supplies.hardwarestore ... caulk.aspx

Noah

I thought I should post an update: While I was going to purchase the TP sprayer, a Fuji Q4 came up locally on Craigslist for a good price, so I drove down and purchased it tonight. It has the #4 air cap, which appears to be correct for what I want. On the plus side, the turbine is pretty small, whic...

Noah

I just looked through Lowes and wasn't able to find Butyl in either form - I will keep looking as I will need it soon. With my fixed ports I think the only way I will be able to make it work is with the tube kind.

Noah

The boat is a Swede 55 built in 1977.

Mike, you might be right. I believe it is HA. M - I still think it's pretty funny.

When I was building houses we wrote some pretty ugly things in hidden places for others to find. Some day it will be good for another laugh.

Noah

Would you call that a Gaggle of Concordia's?

Like Tim said, nice view.

Noah

I thought you guys would like the note I uncovered when I removed a "charlie noble" from the cabin top that had been used for an on-demand water heater. On the bronze fitting it's self is written: "Your Dame American. This boat is very bad built. You ("are" crossed out) have...

Noah

Heck, I would be happy with a thinner hull - it's survived just fine till now, and it means you have a lighter boat - which is a good thing - for cruising you can carry more gear, or for just sailing you will be that much faster in all conditions - good stuff. Each time I pull apart my boat and see ...

Noah

Wow, great write up! I just pulled my ports (fixed) to paint and will have to re-install them in a few weeks. I'm not sure what the best way is to bed them - I will post pictures soon.

Thanks,

Noah

Noah

Yep, the pushpit bore the brunt of some 30fter that came loose in a hurricane down in Florida, though word is my pushpit won that match. I have since removed it - I don't want all that weight back there, and there was no real reason to have it. Perhaps someday if we go cruising I will have a new one...

Noah

You are correct, you couldn't use all the jam cleats, so there was no point to them. Pretty silly really. BTW, I didn't mention that the halyards all run under the top of the deck, and will continue to with this system. I was asked on another forum how the main sheet system worked: The centre jam cl...

Noah

The other big project I've been working on is the halyard winch system. It used to be that the halyards went around the winches and into these crappy jam cleats. The cleats slipped all the time, and it also meant that the winch was always occupied by the line. I decided to cut out the portion of the...

Noah

I figured I would post an update on the work that I have been doing on the Swede. First it was time to install a traveler - the original setup might have been good for 1977, but it didn't cut it by today's standards. You can see the "Y" setup that made the mainsheet 2-1. It had these crapp...

Noah

Well the boat yard is debating if I can spray my decks - the winter cover goes down well past the toe rail, but they aren't sure they will allow it. Perhaps they will move the boat well away from others and let it happen. I'm kinda screwed right now if they don't let me - I can't imagine a roll and ...

Noah

I will ask the boat yard what their policy is on spraying - the boat has a full cover over it, and I was planning on using an external air supply respirator, and wearing a full paint suit.

Noah

Ok, that's good information.

The interlux guy did say it could be sprayed (and they have info about it) but not specifically with an HVLP system.

Being my first time painting would you recommend a different product for this application?

Thanks,

Noah

Noah

I'm looking at re-painting my decks and cockpit in the next couple of weeks. I have the hardware removed and the non-skid sanded down. The non-skid was painted with Interlux Perfection paint and Interlux non-skid additive and rolled on. The rest of the decks are the original gel-coat. I thought the ...

Noah

That's easy to say, but I have 53ft of Epoxy painted deck to sand - not an easy task...I do have a spare sander if you want a trip to Vermont...

Noah

I just put down Bamboo in my bathroom and it seems to be working pretty well. It was 5/8" 3 layer with a T&G groove. The 3 layers are all contrasting layers, two "flat" and one on edge. I got it at Lowes and a 23sq feet was $60. It would be pretty easy to glue down I suppose.

Noah

Dang, I really didn't want to hear that...Let me try sanding the surface and see how quickly it comes off.

Noah

The Fein multimaster is really nice for these areas - either with the detail sanding kit, or creating your own custom sanding pad to fit a specific area if you have a lot of it to sand.

Noah

Ok, Clearly I did things in the wrong order last year. The update - last year I purchased my Swede, and realized that the non-skid was totally shot. I sanded it all down last spring and repainted just the non-skid with Interlux Perfection Epoxy paint and interlux non-skid compound. Now that I have l...

Noah

Sorry, didn't really mean anything special by that - just that this is a very special boat, and most of the classics that I have looked at have a corner piece for the cabin sides. They both give strength to the whole thing, and help seal the end grain. I'm sure it's not a big deal, but I thought I w...

Noah

I just thought I would mention that usually wood boats have cabin corner pieces so that no end grain is exposed on either the cabin front or sides. End grain is where you will get rot, especially on something like this. It also functions as a finishing piece both inside and out.

Noah

We have Spectra (amsteel) lifelines on the Melges 24 and they work really well. No problems with 4 fat guys hiking hard off them, and chafe hasn't been an issue. Because they worked so well on the Melges I put them on the Swede 55 as a test. Over-all I'm pretty happy with how they worked out. It was...

Noah

I just got off the phone with my dad and we have a fair bit of 8" X 3/4 cherry sitting in the barn. Figure 2 1/2" strips and I could get 3 strips before re-sawing and 6 after re-sawing - that's 15" wide per board. Figure most of the sole is only 30" wide or so and the cherry will...

Noah

I was planning on taking out the old sole (it's 3/4 ply) completely and installing the new sole on the old supports which are glass. I really like the idea of cherry - I don't like the idea of the teak and holly ply because of cost - and it's a bit cheesy. Ply would be the easiest by a long run beca...

Noah

The teak ply is the only sole, so I couldn't do Tim's teak strip thing without first cutting and putting down ply, so I would probably just go the teak ply route - which is my first choice. I just thought I would ask others what they thought and look for some nice alternatives.

Noah

My current teak ply sole is delaminating in places and is in pretty rough shape. I would also like to lighten up the interior and I think a brighter cabin sole would help. What do you folks think I should use? Keep in mind it's a pretty large area I need to cover (figure 3 sheets of 4X8 ply) so lami...

Noah

Just a note - red oak isn't very rot resistant so make sure it's well protected/sealed.

Plastic Classic Forum

Search found 190 matches

Re: Listing of Fractionally-Rigged Boats?

Re: Lewmar racing winches

A nice reach on Saturday - Finally out for a sail

A cranky Swedish Builder? Nice note Sven...or something

Swede Updates and work completed

Spraying my decks - what to use? Interlux Perfection?

Painting my Deck - Over the non-skid?

New Cabin Sole for the Swede