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Technical / Re: BRe gel coat repairs
« Last Post by Nicky R on Today at 21:12 »
The difficulty is that the gel coat will have changed colour with exposure to uv. Mark just did a small gel coat repair to Sulis, and despite being kept undercover for the last two years, the colour had changed so the patch is noticeable. When we had Grace (our BRE) we took her to a specialist to make good a couple of places. They were able to match the colour perfectly (to my eyes).

So in summary, if you want not to see the repair, take it to someone who specialises. If you’re not so worried, I’m sure the filler kit is fine!
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General Discussion / Drying moorings
« Last Post by trailing by on Today at 12:35 »
I wonder if anyone with a BC23 has a drying mooring and has any advice to offer.  I have only had full swinging moorings before or marina berths so having the boat dry out around every LW is new to me.  Are there any issues with the copper coat or with the keel getting stuck or anything else that I haven't even considered?
The mooring I am being offered is soft mud on the bottom and will dry for around an hour or so either side of LW.
Thanks in advance.
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Technical / Re: BRe gel coat repairs
« Last Post by TheOldDuffer on Today at 11:09 »
Tcave

I am no expert on fiberglass, prefering wood. But - needs must and now taht I have a grp BR20 I have attempted to repair scatches in the gel coat. To get the right colour I suggest you contact Swallow and ask as this is critical. Thereafter I guess it depends on the type of damage - chips / scratches or stress cracks. If you buy a decent repair kit it will come with everything you need and clear instructions. Esentiallly it is a matter of roughing out the damaged area and then filling in with reson first is its deep, follwed by gel coat as a second operation. My kit came with bits of clear polythene? to cover repairs on vertical surfaces to deter running / sagging. After it has cured then rubbing down with progressivelyt finer grades of wet and dry to final polishing.

Good luck!

Gareth Rowlands
GRP BR20 Halen Y Mor

Standard repair gel coat filler is whiter than the BRe. You could ask Swallow for a sample but the hulls are molded in Poland?
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Technical / Luff reefing lines
« Last Post by TheOldDuffer on Today at 10:36 »
On one outing last season my luff reefing lines got tangled such that I disconnected them just to get the sail up and start sailing. Now I can’t remember how they go back. I have the though the jam cleat and block and through the holes in the sail, but where are they anchored?

On another note, how do you keep the aft reefing lines out of the way when using the stack pack?
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Can we not keep “Pippin” in the UK?

I have had only three serious enquiries from within the UK.  But I am now getting equally serious enquiries from Florida, Maine and Washington State in the US, all of whom are exploring shipping options.

I would love her stay in the UK but …….
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General Discussion / Re: Baycruiser 23 Engine
« Last Post by trailing by on 19 May 2024, 22:21 »
Re-reading my last post, I see that I have, without meaning to, implied that the production BC26 can't be a good looking boat.  I did not mean that!  It is a good-looking boat, it really is.  Just not quite as pretty as the prototype in those magazine photos.
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General Discussion / Re: Baycruiser 23 Engine
« Last Post by trailing by on 19 May 2024, 22:11 »
Thanks for the interesting stuff about towing.

My Shrimper towing days were many moons ago but I remember it as a heavy old beast struggling up Devon hills, so contemplating going back into it now, I am reassured - thanks Nicky R - that the 23 sounds ok for towing even if she's close to the limit of comfortable.  60 mph is often good going on the motorways these days, whether towing a boat or driving a Ferrari.

I think I may have been using the terminology loosely: my version of trailer-sailing will be - I hope -  taking the boat to a new cruising area for a reasonable chunk of time, maybe even a good part of the season...as Graham W describes.  Launching & recovering all the time is not what I have in mind.

Being new on here, I've had a good voyage around the excellent website and found loads of good stuff, including the blog about the 23 sailed around Britain over a number of seasons.  I also came across the prototype BC26 review in an American publication: what a pretty boat!  The issue of standing headroom is the thing as ever: good looking small boats just can't have standing headroom can they?  Any exceptions?  But what is the actual headroom on the BC26 1001 - if that is the number?

Going back to the original discussion, I have seen an image somewhere of the propshaft arrangement for an inboard 23 and when I find it, I'll see if I can figure out how to upload it.  
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General Discussion / Re: Baycruiser 23 Engine inboard? Outboard?
« Last Post by Sea Simon on 19 May 2024, 09:00 »
OP, as you've already experienced both a Shrimper and a Red Fox, seems to me you'll have a good idea of what to expect?

My BC 26 is a pre production prototype and, imho, very much in the Shrimper/Crabber camp as regards being a small sailer that is trailerable. Mine not a trailer sailer...at least to me! Current BC 26s differ in configuration.

The unknown here seems to be what exactly is the configuration of an inboard BC23? Shaft or Sail drive? Legs required to dry out?
Mine sits on a sort of tripod, formed by the keel bulb (drop keel, not centreboard type arrangement) and the two rudder stocks. The yard did not recommend that I left it on a semi drying mooring full-time, it's  very hard on the boat (hence it lives permanently afloat).
I'd be surprised  if an inboard BC23 dries out like this? Maybe a shaft drive exiting via a small skeg is tucked up enough for it to sit on its hull bottom? Anyone have photos please?

That said, where I live many Crabbers, Shrimpers, Cape Cutter even a Golant Gaffer and the like do regularly dry out here. Some require beaching legs. Some old "banger boats" appear not to even bother with legs (when obvioulsy they really should) and still survive years...
However, in the 35 years I've been watching this river, I've seen bilge keel Centaurs and a Southerly lift keeler sunk by conflabs with their mooring chains! The very lovely Golant Gaffer didn't  stay long....even here in Golant!

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General Discussion / Re: Baycruiser 23 Engine
« Last Post by Nicky R on 19 May 2024, 07:56 »
I think there’s a lot of difference between trailer sailing the 23 and the 26. I don’t know what towing the 26 is like, but we find that the 23 is the right side of far enough! We exclusively trailer sail our 23, which is stored in a caravan storage site near home. You will need a reasonably large car - we tow with a four wheel drive A6 - but have found trailing her relatively easy provided we don’t go above 60 mph. (She tows beautifully up to 60mph, but unless the road is very smooth, starts to feel a little bit light if we go much beyond that speed.)

Hopefully you will enjoy trailer sailing as much as we do. We love the freedom to explore new places and to decide on where to go based on the weather and tides.
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General Discussion / Re: Baycruiser 23 Engine
« Last Post by Graham W on 18 May 2024, 19:15 »
My first boat was a Norfolk Gypsy with a Yanmar 10hp inboard https://www.neilthompsonboats.co.uk/preowned/norfolk-gypsy-turaco/.  This is the same boat that I owned - she had a navy blue hull when I had her.  Although the same length as the BayRaider, she weighed nearly three times as much and was reassuringly solid.

As with the BC26 mentioned above, I never intended to use her as a trailerable day sailer, flitting from place to place.  But she could be towed to a new sailing area at the start of each season, before boredom had a chance to set in.  That involved a tow car with a large engine (a Vauxhall Senator) and finding a new secure mooring each year, usually a marina with pontoons.  An expensive way of going about things with a relatively small boat and this was the reason why I eventually sold her.  On the other hand, secondhand values for older Gypsies have tended to rise rather than fall, compensating for sometimes eye-watering operating costs.
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