Albin Vega Questions

[jhenson]

I guess this question is directed to Peter or anyone with knowledge of the Albin Vega.

I'm on a quest to collect internet images of boats that have a similar size and hull caracteristics as the Triton. I spend a fair amount of time on layovers on my laptop with nothing else to do. The thought is to extract some ideas on subtle design modifications for the interior and exterior of my boat by doing a survey of boats that are:

-27 to 29 ft. LOA
-8 to 8 1/2 Beam
-aft galleys
-traditional hull shape

I came across photos of the Albin Vega recently. I'm curious about the details of the cockpit table:



and:



I assume the table is removable, so is there a dedicated place to stow it? Does the lack of a fiddle on the aft end of the table have something to do with its storage location? Are the legs inserted into the sole with some special base fittings? Is there the ability to move the table surface laterally on the legs so one can move aft to head?

It also looks like the galley extends over the starboard settee. If so, what is the clearance above top of the cushion to the underside of the counter?

Thanks,

Joe

[Peter]

Joe: So Many questions!
I'll have a stab at it and take some photos tomorrow, too.

This particular Vega is in very nice (stock-looking) condition. The only modification I can see right off the bat are the windows. Vegas came with a rubber moulding, holding in a tempered glass window. These are an upgrade aluminum framed kit ... very nice.

OK, to the questions:

I'm curious about the details of the cockpit table:

The table is removeable and stows under the deck over the v-berth in two teak brackets ... it just slides in, right up to the anchor locker, and stays in place even in the roughest weather. It's far enough forward that it does not interfere with v-berth access.

There are fiddles all the way around on mine. Maybe this one was modified. One nice thing about the fiddles is the corners have been cut off, allowing crumbs to be easily swept to the floor ... no more messy crannies :-)

The table has two 'S' shaped legs that fit into two holes in the sole OR two holes in the cockpit floor, for outdoor dining! The holes are offset to the port side, and the fittings on the bottom of the table are also offset. These offsets, and the 'S' shaped legs, allow the table to be:
1. mostly over the port settee, leaving the companionway clear, but no room for seating on the port side.
2. partly over the port settee, still leaving the companionway navigable, yet allowing seating on the port side.
3. Centered on the companionway (for those large dinner parties), as shown in Joe's pictures, and ...
4. same as 2. but over the starboard settee.

The top is made of 9mm sapelle-veneered plywood with teak fiddles. It is surprisingly light weight yet strong.

It also looks like the galley extends over the starboard settee.

You're right: the starboard galley counter overhangs the settee, although the counter top matches the port side for length. This gives the starboard settee an extra 4 inches of length, making it about 6' 6" overall. The port settee is only about 6' 1" long. (I may be a little out with the numbers, but I'm 6' 3" and can sleep well on the starboard side, but have to scrunch up on the port side. The V-berths are also different in length from side to side, about the same as the main cabin, except the longer berth is on the port side ... probably for trim when sleeping four adults ... those clever Swedes didn't miss a trick!)

Everything I investigate on the boat has been well thought out and carefully engineered. I've been cleaning up the wiring lately, and was wondering why they used two fuse panels. (Yes, I know they're Volkswagen fuse boxes ... this is an economy boat, remember?) Anyway, the power from the navigation lights switch energizes the second fuse panel. Each bulb in the nav light system has it's own fuse, so if one shorts out you don't loose all you lights ... just the one.

I guess I'm beginning to sound like a Vega commercial, but I don't apologize. These are 'cheap' boats, but there was money and time spent on planning and engineering before they went into full production, plus the quality of workmanship is very high.

Anyway, Joe, I'll take some pictures of the areas you asked about and post them tomorrow. Let me know of any other areas you'd like to see.

PS Both the main cabin and V-berth bunks sit parallel to the waterline.

[Tim]

It's funny how those photos make the Vega interior look cavernous! It's a little cozier in reality than it appears here.

That's an extremely clever table design. Even in the "center" position, there's still room to squeeze by on one side. Nicely thought out. The overhead V-berth storage is also smart.

Do all Vegas come with ghostly apparitions? ;<)

PS Both the main cabin and V-berth bunks sit parallel to the waterline.

Show off!

[jhenson]

Peter,

Thanks for the reply. I look forward to seeing the pictures. Designing a well thought out small offshore cruiser has to be a difficult task. Making it affordable is an even bigger challenge. The Vega is very cool indeed. There is much here for me to learn from other boats like yours. I go the Annapolis boat show every year, but there is very little there in common with what I'm re-building.

I'm looking for ideas on:

-how to extend the Triton galley surface aft without losing the starboard berth

-with the above mentioned extension, using a drop-in module for a small two burner stove, so the stove can be removable at night for the space underneath.

-having a center table that is completely removeable and stowes in an unabtrusive location. I wonder if one could design it to have the capability to slide athwartship enough to sqeeze past it to the head (and lock in the center).

-explore the possiblilty of a retractable or folding basin above and behind the toilet with storage on either side of it.

I noticed in my picture archive a couple of shots of the heads in different Vegas. There are a couple of sliding "pull-out" basins. Does yours have this feature, and if so, could you describe it?

Thanks for the info! Level berths--- What a concept!

Joe

[Peter]

First some pictures in the main cabin, which is just about finished. (BTW Joe, the berth length estimates in my earlier message are acurate.)
Here's a picture of the starboard berth that gives a good look at the galley top overhang:


And the port berth, slightly shorter with no overhang. There's an Origo 2 burner stove under a removeable counter top. Some owners have put in supports so the removed top extends the counter out over the berth ... something I must investigate further.
Yup, that's a plexi window where the engine controls used to be. They are getting moved to where they were originally (pre Yanmar) on either side of the bridge deck (present project).


... and an overall shot back towards the rear hatch. The electrical panel lurks behind the cover just above the engine, with only a voltmeter and hour meter showing. The panel flips down to give easy access to wiring and the two VW fuse panels.

It's funny how those photos make the Vega interior look cavernous! It's a little cozier in reality than it appears here.

I've been in a couple of Tritons. The Vega is a bit roomier, especially for a tall person. Maybe it's the coach house width ... ?


Now back to the table:
Here it is in storage. Note the peeling vinyl and old glue on the hull sides. This is what I've replaced in the main cabin. The forward cabin is next on the list ... right after the wiring ;-)


This shot shows the brackets it hangs in. There is a small shelf under the forward bracket ... probably not much use when the table is in storage.


Here are the legs in place, position 1 in my previous post:


And with the top on, position 3.

I noticed in my picture archive a couple of shots of the heads in different Vegas. There are a couple of sliding "pull-out" basins. Does yours have this feature, and if so, could you describe it?

My boat had two slotted rails, one on either side of the head, and about 10" above it. A small plastic sink mounted in a piece of plywood slid out from behind the head and drained into the head. There was a footpump for fresh water. I removed the works.
The rails are now used to hold the sliding engine cover (moved forward for added clearance for insulation), and the single-acting Albin pump replaced the wasteful double-acting whale gusher in the galley.

Hope this helps you find your ideal design!

[jhenson]

Peter,

That boat looks in very good shape. I really appreciate you taking the time to post the photos.

A couple of other questions:

Do the table legs sit in a metal flush mount base fitting?

Since the cockpit sole usually has a angle for drainage, how do base mounts differ there?

Is there an ice box in the galley?

Thanks again!! It was a pleasure seeing your new boat. I look forward to seeing the exterior shots. I doesn't look like you have much of a re-fit ahead with this boat.

Joe

[rshowarth]

Peter-

I have pulled off the peeling hull liner on my Mariner. It was in terrible shape.

Can you describe what you did to remove the glue underneath and prepare the hull for reattaching a new liner? Or for painting?

For my boat, which is really a daysailor, I was considering painting the inner hull.

[Summersdawn]

Peter

That is a beautiful looking boat. There is a Vega 2 boats out from me, unfortunately, the owner built a big, solid hard dodger, with no windows in it, which he stores fenders in. The only other purpose to it (as far as I can see), is to obstruct your vision. Kinda ruined the whole lines of the boat.

You said you were 6'3". Can you stand inside the Vega?

[Peter]

Do the table legs sit in a metal flush mount base fitting?

There are two flush metal inserts (1" diameter) in the fibreglass floor, offset to the port side, and the same in the cockpit floor. The cockpit floor is slightly sloped to the stern, and has a sloping gutter running down each side to a drain. The cockpit floor is also removable, held in place with 10-1/4" screws fastened into well nuts.

Is there an ice box in the galley?

Yup, on the starboard side, just aft of the sink, extending under the cockpit overhang. It has a small drain to the bilge.

I look forward to seeing the exterior shots.

A little old, a little faded, and quite a few holes to patch, and ... that lovely blue canvas ... but that can all wait for the summer!

Can you describe what you did to remove the glue underneath and prepare the hull for reattaching a new liner?

I started with a stiff brush and my shop vac to remove all the loose stuff. The rest came off with a 3/4" (old) wood chisel ... it took quite a while! Paint would work well, too. But you'd have to go further in the prep work. The glue on my hull was still tacky in places so I concentrated on removing all the loose stuff then glued the carpet over top.

You said you were 6'3". Can you stand inside the Vega?

The Vega has about 5' 9" headroom, so I can stand up as far as the top of my shoulders, then it's all downhill from there. On the San Juan I used to get "boat back", now I just get "boat neck" ... much better :-)

[Tim]

Peter,

This is off topic, but last winter I read a book called Beserk, about some people who sailed an Albin Vega to Antarctica. The characters were...um...characters, to be sure.

The book focuses very little on the Vega, and the only photos are on the jacket (I don't know how one could publish any book about Antarctica without photos...), but you might be interested nonetheless. My copy is packed for our move, and I don't see it come up in a quick Amazon search (I don't remember the author's name, or if that was the whole title or not), but maybe you can dig it up.

[Greg]

The book is called Berserk : My Voyage to the Antarctic in a Twenty-Seven-Foot Sailboat by David Mercy

[Rachel]

There is also a DVD of Berserk's Antarctica trip - and yes, they are characters :-)

Some of the footage is simply amazing, and they're a fun crew. One of those trips I see/read about and think "Well, I might have been able to lived like that in my 20s" You know, they're all crammed in, have somewhat inadequate clothing, lord knows what they're eating, stuff's strewn all over the cabin... They're having a great time though, and the spirit of it really comes through. They really are neat guys.

The boat does really well too, in all kinds of conditions, except for the large cabin windows. I don't want to reveal *too* much, but although they had large plywood storm shutters over the windows, with only about a 5" x 10" hole cut for light, they did suffer the complete loss of a window when it was stove in by large seas. I believe they had the original rubber moldings, not the aluminum frames.

("Windows" sounds so un-nautical, but I never know what else to call the really large fixed ones.)

I almost hesitate to say this becaue I might be remembering it wrong, but I think it was a bit difficult getting the DVD from the Berserk folks (I watched it with a friend who had bought it from them). Definitely worth a viewing though, and any extra effort it might take to get it - especially if you're interested in that area.

I looked at a Vega a year or so ago, and they are really neat boats. I especially liked the comfortable, sheltering cockpit and the beautiful sapele plywood down below. Your boat looks fabulous, Peter.

--- Rachel

[Peter]

Thanks for the tips on Berserk. I just finished it and returned it to the local library. I found it an interesting read because it was written by a 'non-sailor' and had an interesting perspective. I'm amazed at the punishment that little boat endured, only to hit a floating container and sink on the coast of Argentina. The details of her demise were quite sketchy.

Rachel: Thanks for the tip on the DVD. I think I'll order it from their website. There was also some recent discussion on the book/dvd on the Yahoo Vega forum, so I guess I need to have it. It will occupy a spot on my boat shelf, right beside my autographed copy of John Neal's "Voyage of the Mahina" :-)

[Tim]

("Windows" sounds so un-nautical, but I never know what else to call the really large fixed ones.)

I would suggest "deadlights" as an appropriate term. "Large fixed ports", while cumbersome, also works for me.

I didn't know about the Beserk DVD. Sounds like an interesting one!

[Rachel]

I would suggest "deadlights" as an appropriate term. "Large fixed ports", while cumbersome, also works for me.

I guess I always think of deadlights as shippy little units that are shaped pretty much like opening ports, but just weren't designed to open. So I find myself saying "windows" when it comes to the big ones on Tritons, etc. I'll try "large, fixed ports" Tim, thanks :-)

--- Rachel

PS: Oh I almost forgot to say that while they may need some kind of storm shutters or other modifications for offshore work, the light they admit down below, and the view they provide looking outwards sure are appealing! So if I sounded all nautical and stuffy... well, that's not the way I meant it at all.

[Duncan]

Here's a buddy's Vega going into the water last spring. He's very enthusiastic about it, and spent a whole summer cruising the Gulf of St. Lawrence.



He has a nice mast-raising system (sorry, no picture), which is based on a stainless "hoop" about ten or twelve feet high. It attaches at the chainplates for the forward lowers. I don't know if it is original equipment, but it is certainly well-designed, and very neat.

[The Good Goose]

joe

you said you are looking for ideas to increase the galley size. I had planned to cut a foot well into the hanging locker on my triton. The consensus seemed to be that the bulkhead wasn't structural so removing a portion of it would be ok. I am 6'4" so i just wanted a longer berth but it would give you around 20 inches of extra galley space if I recall correctly. you could still get alot of storage if you reconfigured the hanging locker space with storage above and below the berth.

The only problem I saw with this solution was where to hang my lime green pants and blue blazer):

I never did the modification but it seemed like a good Idea.

Brock

[A30_John]

Thanks for the tip on the DVD. I think I'll order it from their website.

Peter - did you manage to find this DVD for sale? I'd like to buy a copy but can't find it.

[jhenson]

Brock,

I had planned to cut a foot well into the hanging locker on my triton. The consensus seemed to be that the bulkhead wasn't structural so removing a portion of it would be ok. I am 6'4" so i just wanted a longer berth but it would give you around 20 inches of extra galley space if I recall correctly. you could still get alot of storage if you reconfigured the hanging locker space with storage above and below the berth.

This is one of the options I have been considering. I am willing to give up the hanging locker for more storage. I'm a bit reluctant to modify the bulkhead for structural reasons though. I seem to remember someone asking about modifying Triton bulkheads here on the forum and they were cautioned to do so only with great care. I cannot find the thread. I would very much appreciate the reference if someone else can remember it.

I have lots of pictures of similar length boats with foot wells:

Beneteau 27:



Shannon 28:



More Shannon 28:



Dana 24:



(both settees have a foot wells under the v-berth)


It seems to me that if the opening would have say 4 inches inboard remaining and 10" outboard, then the majority of the structural properties of the bulkhead would remain, but I don't know. The size of the opening on the Shannon 28 seems about what I'm considering. It seems like this area would be great for stowing bedding or "luggage" during the day.

Another alternative is to go the other direction and have the foot well under the galley. I think this would be difficult to keep sink drain and faucet hoses away from ones feet though. Or, I've thought of having the stove aft over this area and being able to remove it at night. I recently purchased a Taylors stove that is light enough to be portable.

An example of this would be the Catalina 27:



This option has less appeal to me, but keeps from modifying the boat substantially. One could install an original size galley (if desired say to sell the boat).


Joe

[Rachel]

I spent a lot of time on a Baba 30, and "my" berth was the starboard settee, which had a footwell under the nav station (where the galley would be if you did it on a Triton). I'd say that approximately the last 18 -20" of berth was in the well. You mentioned stowing bedding there, and to me, that was one of its best features because it made the twice-a-day "conversion" a breeze. Just roll everything toward the foot and stuff it in there. Done!

I like the idea of putting a footwell in the hanging locker on a Triton because then you could extend the galley and either have an oven or more galley stowage, which I consider to be handier - because even if you don't use it for galley stuff, it's right near the companionway. Since that after main bulkhead is only a "semi-structural" one (i.e. the mast bears on the forward one), I don't see why you couldn't make a small cut-out - perhaps reinforcing with a "header" of some kind if necessary.

Actually, if you're a confirmed v-berth sleeper (I'm not), perhaps you don't even need a fourth berth and could just shorten the settee but keep it long enough for loungability.

Speaking of which, after spending a good deal of time aboard, this is one of the first things I think of when looking for a boat (well, pertaining to the accomodations, anyway): Are there good places for two people to lounge around and read or chat - not to sit with feet on the sole, but to put your feet up and sit parallel to the length of the boat. That's proper lounging! :-)

So, I always look for there to be a backrest area at one end of each settee, which might influence footwell planning. I think the most pleasant way to sit is leaning up against the main bulkhead looking aft out the companionway, but there is something to be said for having one settee each way so that when there are two of you you can face each other and chat companionably. Of course you could probably lean against the footwell end if you had a semi-structural cushion there, or some other filler.

Hmmm, I don't want to make it sound like all I do is sit around, but at the end of the day (or when you're stuck at anchor), kicking back with a good book (or a cruise-mate) and a beverage is a wonderful thing :-)

--- Rachel

[The Good Goose]

joe

I Don't believe that the bulkhead is structural. That being said I was planning on connecting it to the other bulkhead and leaving the section of plywood bulkhead between the seatback and the hull intact. I think if you tied the two bulkheads together with the plywood back and bottom for the footwell as well as a front and top I would think the resulting structure would be stronger then what is there now depending on the thickness of the ply and how large of access was cut into them. It would seem to me that other then providing a partition this bulkheads only structural function would be as a hull stiffener. I think a five or six inch piece of ply left at the seat back would be more then adequate for this function.

Tim you must have a pretty good feeling for the stiffness of the hull at this point with your work on the daysailor. What is your opinion?

Brock

[Tim]

Hmmm, I don't want to make it sound like all I do is sit around, but at the end of the day (or when you're stuck at anchor), kicking back with a good book (or a cruise-mate) and a beverage is a wonderful thing :-)

Absolutely! There's no reason to apologize for kicking back and relaxing--cruising is supposed to be about relaxing, after all! Just hanging out is one of my favorite parts of cruising; the boat happens to be the nicest conveyance to travel anywhere, that's all. For me, cruising is about the only time I truly sit back and relax with no agenda, so the comfort of cabin and cockpit is always very important to me.

When I shortened the settee to make room for the stove on Glissando, I carefully planned it so that I could sit comfortably with my legs stretched out on the seat. Nevertheless, I still prefer the 6' settee on the port side, so Heidi and I alternate nights on the "short berth" when we're relaxing in the cabin. We don't sleep on the settees.

I'm a bit reluctant to modify the bulkhead for structural reasons though. I seem to remember someone asking about modifying Triton bulkheads here on the forum and they were cautioned to do so only with great care.

The saloon bulkhead in the Triton is generally non-structural. While I wouldn't advocate doing away with it entirely (not that you're suggesting that), there would be no problem installing a footwell.

I don't recall the thread you're referencing, but in any event I think you can feel free to consider a footwell if you so desire.

[Robert The Gray]

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This is a somewhat long distance shot of the hole I made in the bulkhead of my triton. I did not cut the bulkhead out all the way to the hull. I left about 2 inches of the plywood still tabbed into the hull. I saw no deflection in the hull the last time I hauled out. I wanted room for the wood burning stove. I wanted a seaberth, I wanted a decent galley. I did not need to sleep 4 adults down below. I will rarely spend more than 5 days on the boat. The hole is a bit tight but if das kinder or mi amore wants to nap, the seaberth if just perfect. I made a bunk/lee board to keep one inside when on starboard tack.

R.

[Robert The Gray]

[img][img]http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads ... 6e4884.jpg[/img][/img]

[jhenson]

Robert,

Your cabin is very, very nice! I always enjoy seeing pictures of it. How long did you work on the cabin?

I think a foot well into the wet locker it shall be! Thanks everyone for advice on this. I had been deliberating about this for some time.

Joe

[Peter]

He has a nice mast-raising system (sorry, no picture), which is based on a stainless "hoop" about ten or twelve feet high.

Does he have a hinged mast step? I'd love to hear more details on his mast lowering/raising rig. I have to take mine down this summer to re-wire the nav lights and VHF antenna.

Peter - did you manage to find this DVD for sale? I'd like to buy a copy but can't find it.

I finally got a reply and the cost was $40 ... I cheaped out and didn't order it :-(
Maybe I'll get it for my birthday ... next November :-)
Their method of payment was a bit conbobulated ... they also suggested simply slipping the cash in an envelope. Those "Wild (and crazy)Vikings" ....

You can contact them at http://www.wildvikings.com

Re: foot wells.
I think they're a great idea, giving more daytime space and nice long sleeping space at night. It's nice to be able to sit with both back and feet braced against a bulkhead while under way.

[A30_John]

You can contact them at www.wildvikings.com

Thanks!

[Robert The Gray]

On the refurbishment of my triton I spent about two and one half years or so. I live where a lot 25' x 50' costs about $500,000, and that is with no house on it, so the high cost of having the boat on the hard and the slight chance that the marina may fill up and I would be left on a waiting list to get the boat a home behooved me to do all the work at the slip while she was in the water.

[img][img]http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads ... 31e966.jpg[/img]
[/img]
can you say clutter? I did all the work with power hand tools, and a sears and robuck table saw. I would haul everything off the boat in the morning, do as much work as I could, then load it all back up at the end of the shift. I worked under a tarp when it rainedbasic order of work:

mast beam replacement
interior gutting
dinnette design and build out
seaberth/wood stove design and build out
galley design and build out with water tank, ice box, sink, and camping stove.
Companionway D & BO
Head/hanging locker D & BO
chain locker
fore peak/vberth
sand sand sand
finish
upulstory
sliding doghouse hatch
anchor roller/hause pipe
install two battery electrical system no 110 volt system just 12 v
cabin lights, running lights, instruments vhf amfmcd player
prep and paint decks and cabin top with one part brightsides
haul-out paint bottom, replace cutlass bearing, repack stuffing box
buff out topside paint
replace rub rail
lead halyards aft
in the prepping for paint I removed all deck hardware pulpits and lifeline stantions, rebedded all when done

It is only when I see pictures of unmodified tritons that I feel any sense of accomplishment, it seemed to take forever and became such a part of my life I felt like vincent van gogh, insane and glorious at the same time. I have all the reciepts in a file and in ten years I will add them up.

[Tim]

I live where a lot 25' x 50' costs about $500,000

I have recurring nightmares that I'll wake up and find I live in an area with real estate costs like that. Ow.

[Rachel]

Wow, Robert, I'm impressed at all that you accomplished with your boat in the water.

Loved the photo; looks like a classic "shack-aboard" <grin>

As for the Wild Vikings DVD, I was pretty sure my friend had a bit of a hassle getting it, but wasn't certain I was remembering correctly. Sounds like I was. Pretty funny, in this day of Internet "shopping carts" and "secure transactions" to have them ask you to slip a bit of cash in an envelope, but, having seen the video, it sounds just exactly like them :-) It sure was fun to watch.

I haven't seen the second one (I think they go someplace north and cold in that one), but someone I know who has seen them both liked the first one a lot better, saying that in the second one they spent a bit more time mugging for the camera. The first one really did have the freshness of a new adventure.

--- Rachel

[Duncan]

He has a nice mast-raising system (sorry, no picture), which is based on a stainless "hoop" about ten or twelve feet high.

Does he have a hinged mast step? I'd love to hear more details on his mast lowering/raising rig. I have to take mine down this summer to re-wire the nav lights and VHF antenna.

It's a tabernacle, but I recall vaguely that there's "something different" about it. I'll get you some pictures when I'm back out to the boatyard and we have our spring rendezvous (if it ever quits snowing).

[Peter]

Thanks, Duncan.

[Duncan]

Well here's for a start, anyway.
Patrice wasn't around, so I didn't go aboard or get to ask any questions about the mast raising system. If I remember right, the mast starts off pointed aft, and the hoop acts as a combination gin pole and stabilizer as it goes up.
It's basically a big hoop that runs forward from the chainplate to the bow when it's not being used.



Bow detail:



Chainplate attachment detail:



One thing I remember from helping him last year - if things aren't going smoothly, don't ask your girlfriend to torque harder on the winch. That's what Patrice did (and I kept my mouth shut).
She cranked it good enough to bend the bolt running across the tabernacle, so then he said "Ok, no more", we identified the obstruction, then spent about an hour fixing things...

[Peter]

Duncan:
Thanks for posting the pictures. More food for thought. I'm probably going to go the two-legged, fore and aft stays, crane route to pull the mast. But I'm planing on adding a tabernacle this winter. The hoop looks like a good idea, gives good lateral support.

[Ryan]

A bit off topic, but can anyone tell me what wood/finish was used in the interior shot of the Dana 24 on the first page of this thread. I love the "dull" finish and the lighter color of the wood used and I'd like to do something similar on my boat.

[Duncan]

A bit off topic, but can anyone tell me what wood/finish was used in the interior shot of the Dana 24 on the first page of this thread. I love the "dull" finish and the lighter color of the wood used and I'd like to do something similar on my boat.

It's oiled teak. A friend of mine has a Dana, and the finish looks very nice, I agree. It soaks in/dries out more by the companionway, due to sunlight, so needs a bit more re-oiling there than elsewhere.

The hoop looks like a good idea, gives good lateral support.

Just happened across this photo of a Vega. You can see the mast-raising hoop, so it must be factory-built, but I wonder about the cutter rig?



The photo was in the log of another Vega's circumnavigation of Ireland, which makes very nice reading (and viewing):

http://www.bluemoment.com/ireland/index.html

I spotted photos of at least two other Vegas in the log.

[Ryan]

Thanks Duncan!