Displacement and trial horse testing

[Figment]

So you've established that the less heavily loaded Dasein has a speed advantage over Glissando in light air, however slight. It stands to reason then that you'll be able to exact your revenge once the Daysailor is finished, as one might assume that this boat will be lighter still!

This got me thinking...... There's gotta be a tradeoff here. You guys need to (I'm certain that you would anyway) do some testing against each other in moderate and heavy conditions to see how much of the advantage is given back as the weather picks up. Might this reveal a need to reballast the Daysailor? Particularly if she's so light that she doesn't really sit to her lines?

I'm sure you've given this some thought, Tim, so I'm really just picking your brain here. Are you planning on some provision for securing lead pigs in the bilge from day one, or do you think that's something remedied easily enough after she floats?

Of course, to make the Dasein - Glissando testing even more objective, you need to trade boats once in a while to take the sailor's hand out of the equation ;)

Do you two sail Wednesday night beercan races in a larger fleet?

[Tim]

You guys need to (I'm certain that you would anyway) do some testing against each other in moderate and heavy conditions to see how much of the advantage is given back as the weather picks up.

Hey Nathan--that sounds like a direct order to me! (Sigh) How awful--more sailing has to be done in order to get a better handle on various effects. What a shame. It's hard being us!

In Falmouth, our beercan races are Thursday, and I don't partake any more. Until recently, I sailed with a friend on his J/24 on these races, but I just got sick of it, and the whole atmosphere changed to boot. Been there, done that, and at this point it holds no further appeal. Besides, the races held by my club tend to be more (rather than less) competitive--not as truly informal as I might be interested in. I ditched the racing bug years ago and could only see being involved again in a fun, relatively informal, classic one-design fleet of some sort--Ensigns, or some such. Yet another reason why we need to move to Buck's Harbor--they have a sizable Ensign fleet there that would be fun to join someday.

That doesn't mean I don't remain competitive...every boat I see is a potential sparring partner, even though most never even know it! :<) I find it keeps my skills sharp and helps me sail the boat as well as I can. That much "competition" is fun.

Maybe when the Daysailor is done Nathan will crew and we'll take it out for a race or two. Who knows. It's not high on my list now, but maybe.

Mike--seriously, though, I have given high-level thought to what effects, if any, my radical modifications may have on the boat. I do have every reason to expect that the Daysailor will be lighter than stock. How much lighter is the real question, and will it be a negative thing in any way.

While I am certainly taking weight out, I will also be putting weight back in the form of a wood/glass deck, cockpit, and basic interior. So the weight reduction is not as extreme as it seems at the onset. Of course, I haven't been smart enough to weigh the garbage coming out so I have some clue as to how much is going back in, but my gut feeling is that I don't have to be quite that technical about it. The removal of interior weight will, in theory (can't believe I said that-I'm not a theory guy), increase the ballast-displacement ratio somewhat, which should enhance stability. I also expect the boat will be lighter aloft and at deck level than original (especially with all that water-soaked core gone!). If the boat floated radically higher (doubtful), I would have no problem adding lead as necessary.

I've been giving some consideration to consulting with a marine engineer or naval architect about some minor rig changes and balance issues. While I don't intend any sweeping changes, what I would really like to do, since I have the opportunity, is to allow the boat to be sailed well in all conditions with a mainsail and self tacking jib. The smallness of the jib would seemingly require a slight reduction--or, more accurately, a shift in area--to the mainsail to prevent weather helm from worsening. Perhaps this means a slightly taller spar, located in the same place, but with a shorter boom to move the mainsail area forward. This is out of my league, and I wouldn't make such a modification without consultation. After all, I want this boat to sail well above all else.

I'm not married to the self-tacking jib, but it would certainly make the boat gentlemanly in nature! Just shooting ideas out at this point. Rigging is way down the road.

Quite honestly, I'm more concerned about being able to paint the waterline in the correct place than I am about any truly negative effects on the stability and/or sailability of the boat as a result of my mods. Since I have already determined that the original designed waterlines marked on the Triton hull are hopelessly off, I'm not sure where to begin. I have more than half an inclination to do a test launch when the boat is complete, except for painting, to see where she actually floats, and then to haul her home again for the final painting. Doing that would probably cost less than hiring someone to calculate it for me--and would be more accurate, probably.

Phew..blather on, I do!

[dasein668]

Hey Nathan--that sounds like a direct order to me! (Sigh) How awful--more sailing has to be done in order to get a better handle on various effects. What a shame. It's hard being us!

Yeah, right. Like we're ever going to be out sailing against each other ever again... Sheesh, Mike--Glissando was no competition at all! I need to be racing the J-boats! hehehe

Seriously though, it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. Since neither Tim or I are planning any lengthy cruises this season, it seems likely that we'll be out there "sparring" quite a bit. Looking forward to it, in fact!

And I'm really looking forward to seeing how the daysailor handles!

[Tim]

Sheesh, Mike--Glissando was no competition at all! I need to be racing the J-boats! hehehe

Sigh. Good manners dictate that I shrug off such childish boasting and stuff-strutting...! I know the truth.

That's all right. I can take it! Lord knows I can dish out more than my share, so I guess this is all fair enough!

;<P

[dasein668]

Sigh. Good manners dictate that I shrug off such childish boasting and stuff-strutting...! I know the truth.

Touch?! hehe

Lord knows I can dish out more than my share, so I guess this is all fair enough!

Ain't that the truth! ;-D