Post by mikec on Aug 13, 2010 18:06:21 GMT
Hi,
I'm Mike, aged 62, been sailing in the Thames Estuary for donkeys years, local cruisng and club/interclub racing. I have had Mescalito, a Catch 22 twin keeler, for 5 seasons now and really like this boat.
OK, this forum is very much about performance and racing, but do read on, you might find it interesting I hope.
With a drying mooring at Benfleet, shoal draught is essential and this severely limits the choice of boat. When a few years ago my wooden 21ft boat was showing her age, I started looking for a replacement; I sail alone a lot of the time so didn't want anything too extreme, but did want speed and weatherliness.
All the usual twin keelers .... yuk. My then boat Tiptoe murdered them to windward. Pandora CB or 2K, again I was already beating them so not impressed.
Sonata drop keel was a candidate, a very good boat, but not right for me, too like a dinghy with a lid on.
I had a lot of details about the Catch 22 (from a boat show many years ago) and knew that they made some with twin keels and I'd been impressed. They have a reasonable draught of 3ft 1 ins and decent ballast. So I looked for one ....
No luck.
Then an evil idea took shape in my mind.
Could the single fin be removed and twin keels added to my own design? What then if I gave her a bit more draught and a bit more ballast ... what results might be possible by a 'no compromise' approach to twin keels?
A lot of study and analysis suggested the project was possible, so Mescalito was bought in late 2005; a fin keel Catch 22 in sound but run down condition, fine for my project.
I designed the keels giving 3ft 3ins draught and about 1300lb ballast, about 200lb more than standard. A lot of work went into getting the trim right with the extra ballast; and I chose fin and bulb keels to get the weight down. A pattern was made by me, and the keels were cast. I reinforced the interior and added substantial wood floors to take the keel bolts. The keels were aligned most carefully in a jig and then came the nervous moment when the hull was lifted onto them by the boatyard .... and fitted!
As soon as one bunk was fitted, I launched her; keen to know if she would sail.
The first sail ... on my own, away under no 2 genoa, down to near Southend pier and main up in F4 to 5 NW; glorious reach over to the Medway, then put in a few tacks to try her to windward. Disaster no 1; the mainsheet lead down to an eye on the cockpit floor (awful), and as I tacked it caught my glasses and flipped them overboard. Fortunately I had a spare pair with me.
Disaster no 2; in Stangate Creek came a nasty squall so I dropped the main, to go in and anchor under genoa. But while getting the main under control she gybed, and the old and very tired genoa shredded itself. Had to motor to the anchorage.
So was I depressed at all this? Not in the least! Because during those few tacks, she was a delight to sail and I knew she was the fastest boat to windward I had ever sailed on, and I've sailed some extreme fin keelers. I knew she would win races .....
But she didn't win anything in 2006, her first season. I race in the 'Combined Cruiser Series' - a combined fleet of the major clubs in the Southend area.
2007 started with a race from Southend to Upnor on the Medway, a tough beat against the tide into what was officially stated as F5 to 7. Only five boats turned out. I was last after 2 legs off the wind, but flew up the beat, hard pressed with 1 reef and the new no 2 genoa. Managed to catch and pass the fast well sailed Kelt 29 ft CB'er ... they were very impressed!
Only 2nd on h'cap, beaten by a big Sun Oddysey FK, but I sail to 1070 PH.
That season I did manage a first overall out of 30-odd in the CCS race to Queenborough, managing to set the spinnaker a couple of times when singlehanded, and leading the entire fleet at one point.
2008 was a washout as I broke a finger in May and wasn't sailing until late August.
2009. The big local race is the Nore Race, usually a few hundred entries from far and wide. That time it was F6 SW, dinghy classes were cancelled, and the inshore course was set. That gave a long beat against the tide from the Nore Swatch to the East Blyth; Mescalito's conditions!
Out of a sizeable fleet of cruisers, we were 6th boat round the windward mark, and 6th to finish; beaten home only by a Sun Odyssey 40, Hanse 370, Moody 31 FK, Hydro 28, and narrowly by a Sadler 32. Comfortably ahead of Super Seal 26, Parker 27, GK29, etc etc. 4th on handicap.
Also in 2009, we had a race to West Mersea which gave a long beat into NE F5. With full sail she went well, leaving many much larger boats behind, and gained 1st in class (fast monohulls) and 2nd overall.
So for a 22ft twin keeler, she is no slouch. But that's not really the point. To sail her, you would not believe she had twin keels, she sails just like a very good fin keeler. An absolute delight to sail.
It's hard to know how she would compare with a Catch 22 fin; I think the result would be the opposite of what you'd expect. I mean, twin keelers are poor to windward, especially in a stiff breeze,right? Well I think to windward in F5 and over she'd compete, and quite possibly win. In light winds she'd lose due to the extra keel area.
Anyway, for what I want she's *ideal*; the convenience of 2K and very much the performance, and sailing pleasure, of a fin. I'm a happy bunny and I love her to bits!
I doubt if I'll ever race in this Minitonner class (that's if I qualify), but you never know; it could be interesting.
I hope I have not bored my readers ....
More technical details provided on request, and photos etc.
Regards
Mike
I'm Mike, aged 62, been sailing in the Thames Estuary for donkeys years, local cruisng and club/interclub racing. I have had Mescalito, a Catch 22 twin keeler, for 5 seasons now and really like this boat.
OK, this forum is very much about performance and racing, but do read on, you might find it interesting I hope.
With a drying mooring at Benfleet, shoal draught is essential and this severely limits the choice of boat. When a few years ago my wooden 21ft boat was showing her age, I started looking for a replacement; I sail alone a lot of the time so didn't want anything too extreme, but did want speed and weatherliness.
All the usual twin keelers .... yuk. My then boat Tiptoe murdered them to windward. Pandora CB or 2K, again I was already beating them so not impressed.
Sonata drop keel was a candidate, a very good boat, but not right for me, too like a dinghy with a lid on.
I had a lot of details about the Catch 22 (from a boat show many years ago) and knew that they made some with twin keels and I'd been impressed. They have a reasonable draught of 3ft 1 ins and decent ballast. So I looked for one ....
No luck.
Then an evil idea took shape in my mind.
Could the single fin be removed and twin keels added to my own design? What then if I gave her a bit more draught and a bit more ballast ... what results might be possible by a 'no compromise' approach to twin keels?
A lot of study and analysis suggested the project was possible, so Mescalito was bought in late 2005; a fin keel Catch 22 in sound but run down condition, fine for my project.
I designed the keels giving 3ft 3ins draught and about 1300lb ballast, about 200lb more than standard. A lot of work went into getting the trim right with the extra ballast; and I chose fin and bulb keels to get the weight down. A pattern was made by me, and the keels were cast. I reinforced the interior and added substantial wood floors to take the keel bolts. The keels were aligned most carefully in a jig and then came the nervous moment when the hull was lifted onto them by the boatyard .... and fitted!
As soon as one bunk was fitted, I launched her; keen to know if she would sail.
The first sail ... on my own, away under no 2 genoa, down to near Southend pier and main up in F4 to 5 NW; glorious reach over to the Medway, then put in a few tacks to try her to windward. Disaster no 1; the mainsheet lead down to an eye on the cockpit floor (awful), and as I tacked it caught my glasses and flipped them overboard. Fortunately I had a spare pair with me.
Disaster no 2; in Stangate Creek came a nasty squall so I dropped the main, to go in and anchor under genoa. But while getting the main under control she gybed, and the old and very tired genoa shredded itself. Had to motor to the anchorage.
So was I depressed at all this? Not in the least! Because during those few tacks, she was a delight to sail and I knew she was the fastest boat to windward I had ever sailed on, and I've sailed some extreme fin keelers. I knew she would win races .....
But she didn't win anything in 2006, her first season. I race in the 'Combined Cruiser Series' - a combined fleet of the major clubs in the Southend area.
2007 started with a race from Southend to Upnor on the Medway, a tough beat against the tide into what was officially stated as F5 to 7. Only five boats turned out. I was last after 2 legs off the wind, but flew up the beat, hard pressed with 1 reef and the new no 2 genoa. Managed to catch and pass the fast well sailed Kelt 29 ft CB'er ... they were very impressed!
Only 2nd on h'cap, beaten by a big Sun Oddysey FK, but I sail to 1070 PH.
That season I did manage a first overall out of 30-odd in the CCS race to Queenborough, managing to set the spinnaker a couple of times when singlehanded, and leading the entire fleet at one point.
2008 was a washout as I broke a finger in May and wasn't sailing until late August.
2009. The big local race is the Nore Race, usually a few hundred entries from far and wide. That time it was F6 SW, dinghy classes were cancelled, and the inshore course was set. That gave a long beat against the tide from the Nore Swatch to the East Blyth; Mescalito's conditions!
Out of a sizeable fleet of cruisers, we were 6th boat round the windward mark, and 6th to finish; beaten home only by a Sun Odyssey 40, Hanse 370, Moody 31 FK, Hydro 28, and narrowly by a Sadler 32. Comfortably ahead of Super Seal 26, Parker 27, GK29, etc etc. 4th on handicap.
Also in 2009, we had a race to West Mersea which gave a long beat into NE F5. With full sail she went well, leaving many much larger boats behind, and gained 1st in class (fast monohulls) and 2nd overall.
So for a 22ft twin keeler, she is no slouch. But that's not really the point. To sail her, you would not believe she had twin keels, she sails just like a very good fin keeler. An absolute delight to sail.
It's hard to know how she would compare with a Catch 22 fin; I think the result would be the opposite of what you'd expect. I mean, twin keelers are poor to windward, especially in a stiff breeze,right? Well I think to windward in F5 and over she'd compete, and quite possibly win. In light winds she'd lose due to the extra keel area.
Anyway, for what I want she's *ideal*; the convenience of 2K and very much the performance, and sailing pleasure, of a fin. I'm a happy bunny and I love her to bits!
I doubt if I'll ever race in this Minitonner class (that's if I qualify), but you never know; it could be interesting.
I hope I have not bored my readers ....
More technical details provided on request, and photos etc.
Regards
Mike