New BayCruiser 23

[Peter Taylor]

That ipad holder idea is really neat, I'd not really thought about not being able to use the chartplotter with the washboards in.

Originally the holders were alternatively to be used to hold the remote throttle for my Torqeedo outboard which I've also mounted on a similar sized bit of ply. Pity the Torqeedo was not up to the job!

As shown in the photos, I used spirowrap to keep the cables together and give some protection. However an article in the latest Practical Boat Owner  (December 2017, p.66) shows slit flexible trucking which I previously didn't know about. It comes in various sizes and looks to offer better protection than spirowrap. I've just ordered some (for a different application) and will see what it's like.

Peter

[Nick myerscough]

Hi everyone - I too am a new Baycruiser 23 owner having moved up from a Shrimper mainly for increased accomodation, better sailing performance and ease of launching/ recovery. I bought Richard Bottom’s “Andante” - I think no 16. Living in Northumberland, I have had a month’s excellent sailing out of Amble getting to know what each piece of string does what! So I look forward to many trips with David and Mark in the new Swallow yachts northern fleet.
I have encountered the usual issues - mainsail battens snagging on lazyjacks when hoisting, almighty clunking from centreboard especially when crossing a big swell and difficulty in keeping head to wind when reefing. I know there has been much correspondence re centreboard clunking but has anyone actually had a problem with the Baycruiser and do I need to modify it.
I’m happily retired so boat will be going south for a month in April and then west coast of Scotland in June for as long as I can stand the midges.

Cheers. Nick

[David Hall]

Welcome Nick!!

My previous yacht was a Bavaria 32 and when I joined the Bavaria Owners Association, I found that I was the only one who had bothered to join in Northern England. All the chat was about the Solent and all the events were on the South Coast

So, one of the reasons for choosing the "UK's best trailer sailer" for my next yacht was that I could at least go off any join with others and not be such a "Billy-No-Mates" stuck in the North, so I am absolutely delighted to find out in less than a week of joing the Swallow Yachts Association that there will be at least four BayCruisers in the North (You, Mark, Andy and soon to be me with 23s) and who knows how many more!!

We will be holding our own Raid if we keep growing at this rate!

David

[charliea]

UK's best trailer sailer™

 

[TimLM]

Hi,
I know my boat is an expedition but, I've had an excellent cover made by Moat sails, photo below.
Steve Moat from Moat Sails has estimated a cockpit tent would cost about the same - £600 incl vat.
He uses crusader breathable fabric from the Crusader colour range - mines silver grey to match my spray hood. I'll be getting mine early next year in preparation for Mylor &etc.
Moat Sails Portland 01305824254.

[Rob Johnstone]

I was at Gwbert the other week and saw "Golightly" being given a spit and polish by the lads. It's quite interesting how things there are changing. Two BC23s were being built at the same time - this should make the build more efficient! There's book of photos and work instructions showing the guys how to put them together - so (hopefully) the same mistake is not made on both boats.

Two more are on order for build in January. One, RiffRaff, will be my replacement for Vagabond, with a few extra tweaks....Terence has been uprated in readiness and waits patiently in Gwbert.

[markbatey]

So, first report from sail number one in Juno (ex Golightly) on the Tyne. Discovered a few things, like the jib sheet cleats work much better if you have them both the right way round, and that the boat turns much better with the centreboard down. I couldn't understand why I was having such trouble manoevering into a marina pontoon until I realised I had forgotten to drop in when we launched, it's amazing she sailed as well as she did with it up. As a friend said the other day, there's nothing like sailing to teach you humility!

But all in all a good little first trip out, and when this force seven goes away I'll be out again.

One thing I could do with tips on - I was finding that the jib tended to wrap itself round the forestay at the top when unfurling. Any suggestions?

Looking forward to the northern fleet of BC23s getting together, although I'm not sure if Andy and Equinox qualify, being on the south side of the Humber and therefore soft southerners. But we could have you as a guest member I suppose.

Mark

One

[Rob Johnstone]

I've not had that one happen to me. On Vagabond the head of the sail was secured to the "point" of an L shaped "bracket". One end of the L was then secured to the halliard and the other to a shackle which slid up and down the forestay.

When the sail was raised, this bracket lifted the forestay away from the leading edge of the sail to prevent such wrapping.

I think that might not be fitted correctly.

[Andy Dingle]

Oi! Can't let that one go without comment Mark.. soft southerner indeed!
My origins may be from the South West..  (hence I am legally allowed to fly the Kernow flag)..  but fate (aka a woman!) bought me north and I've adapted well I think... even had my own whippet once.
I'd put the Humber up against the Tyne on a 'challenging' challenge any time! A photo of the sort of things I need to dodge attached... that monster was moving at about 20 knots..

Re your jib issues, like Rob I've never heard of that one, as he says, is it correctly fitted up there? Apart from my endless advice to get an aero luff system (!) - which does (did) have a 'spacer' to separate jib halyard and  forestay. A simple plastic disc, which actually broke and I found I never needed it anyway, so I now don't bother. But I've found a similar description on the Barton website that is often used by dinghies I understand, that may resolve your issues.. again diagram attached.

http://www.bartonmarine.com/tech-info-jib-furling-fitting-instructions-sail-hanks.asp

Quote from the link..
Caution is needed when the sail is being furled as the sail head will rotate and may come into contact with the forestay if too close, to prevent this from happening a round thin Perspex (or any other Non corroding material) spacer disc can be inserted between the swivel and the shackle, this will prevent the two coming into contact.
Unquote.

Cheers ..  Andy

[Peter Taylor]

One, RiffRaff, will be my replacement for Vagabond, with a few extra tweaks....Terence has been uprated in readiness and waits patiently in Gwbert.

So I didn't persuade you to get a BC20, Rob! I wonder what the extra tweaks for RiffRaff will be?

Re. the jib furling, Seatern came with a spacer bar between the head of the jib and the forestay but I had more trouble with it than without - I think the friction actually made the two wrap together. I haven't used it since the first few trips. I just keep the forestay taught (although the jib is more taught) and all seems OK (...says he touching wood etc.).

For Andy: us soft southerners have things to dodge too!

Peter

[Andy Dingle]

With your previous Peter, I think you have a streak of Viking in your blood..!  - Didn't they land an army or two down there ..?  That reminds me, I've not paid my Dane Geld this month..

More seriously though, I think you have hit on something re the forestay and very relevant to Mark's issue - I recall Matt mentioning something about the taughtness of the forestay and that (either he, or another owner) used a bungee to keep the forestay taught when the jib was tensioned. Like you my forestay is always taught, if not twang tight when not under tension, but if it did hang slack then it would snaffle up with the jib when being furled..?

Mark, you may want to look at the taughtness of your forestay.. and maybe use a bungee or shock cord to keep it tight when the pressure is taken up on the jib halyard..?

Regards

[markbatey]

My forestay hasn't got any slop in it, but the jib halyard is a lot tighter. There's a spacer fitted to the top swivel which is meant to keep the halyard and forestay apart. It's a new jib which because it's still stiff isn't wrapping tightly at the top when it's furled, maybe that bit is catching? I'm heading out today, I'll try keeping the jib under tension while I unfurl it and see if that keeps it inside the forestay.

Thanks for the ideas, all good...

M

[JGBaynton]

 Two BC23s were being built at the same time - this should make the build more efficient! There's book of photos and work instructions showing the guys how to put them together - so (hopefully) the same mistake is not made on both boats


I guess one of them is my new BC23! How was it looking? We will be visiting next week to check on progress! We sold our Coaster Appuskidu a few weeks ago and will be probably keeping the new boat at Rutland Water and sailing there, the Orwell and the south coast. No name for her as yet!
Jonathan & Sabrina

[Rory C]

A comment on covers for boats kept outside with mast down.
The SY standard full cover supplied with my BRe covers the mast from top to bottom ie its full length. I really appreciate this when I feel how hot the black laminate gets when exposed to the sun when uncovered. There was comment on another thread about the advantage of painting masts for UV protection. I would recommend covering a horizontal spar wherever possible.
Rory C

[Rob Johnstone]

When I was at Gwbert (4 weeks ago) the hull and deck had not been joined together on either boat. I see from Facebook that one of them has been delivered to Holland (?) today.