Since making my post regarding the surgery to ‘Pippin’, in which I mentioned that the yard had cut into her stern and fitted the more recent rudder hanging, I have bought a second Bayraider 20 which is GRP, and which I shipped to California.
‘Kelpie’ is a 10 year old GRP boat in good condition but with her original Dolphin sails. In contrast to the wood boat she has no hard chine, so is a very different hull shape, and is also considerably heavier. (328kg to 550kg).
‘Pippin’ has the very slightest weather helm which never increases as she heels over; two finger steering in all conditions. Perfect!
In contrast ‘Kelpie’ develops considerable weather helm as soon as she is not flat. Whether this is the difference in hull shape, or the difference in rudders, I have no idea. I suspect it is some of both.
Both boats have near identical rigs although the previous owner slightly reduced the length of the gunter yard on “Kelpie” so that it clears the mizzen when dropped. The loss of mainsail sail area forward of the centre of resistance of the board is absolutely minimal as the main was recut with a top batten and a slight roach, so I don’t think this is a factor.
Here in Northern California, on Tomales Bay, GRP ‘Kelpie’ sometimes sails in company with “Dancing Otter”, Bayraider hull number 2, and wood. She was fortunately bought from her original owner in Oregon by close my friends, Jim and Ashley. They sailed on “Pippin” at Mylor some years ago and were determined to track down a wood Bayraider and got lucky.
There is no doubt that the wood boat, even with the old rudder arrangement, points higher and goes faster than the GRP boat. (At least that’s what I tell Jim every time he beats me to windward!). And she is light on the helm, which tends to suggest that the hull shape, at least when heeled to windward, has a lot to do with the weather helm.
To throw in a bit of a curve ball; my new Baycruiser 23, with a hull more similar to the wood Baycruiser in that it has a chine, and the newer more vertical hung rudder, is perfectly balanced.
So, if I too win the lottery, I would modify the stern of ‘Kelpie’ but would still expect to have to sail her flat to avoid weather helm due to her rounder sections amidship.
Every boat that I have ever owned or sailed with a bit of a belly amidships, has needed to be sailed flat to avoid weather helm and track straight. The IOR ‘rule beaters’ of the 70s and 80s were classic fatties; they rounded up in a gust and, terrifyingly, rounded down when leaning to windward with blooper, often dumping a few crew in the process!
These boats are worth the constructive criticism. As you can tell, I think they are great!
Fair Winds,
Mark
P.S. “Pippin” might come on the market after the Caledonia Raid, but only if we are successful in sailing with 3 brothers on board, an aim we have just missed in the past three entries due to life (and pandemic) getting in the way.
