cutter rig for Hunter 40.5

[Dad21fjggh]

I am in the process of purchasing a '94 hunter legend 40.5, and was wondering if anyone has tried to convert to cutter rig? I think I much prefer cutter rig to sloop. I thought I saw something about an owner having converted to cutter. I don't see it being a big issue to add a staysail.

:dance:

 

[Rick D]

Factory Option

I am in the process of purchasing a '94 hunter legend 40.5, and was wondering if anyone has tried to convert to cutter rig? I think I much prefer cutter rig to sloop. I thought I saw something about an owner having converted to cutter. I don't see it being a big issue to add a staysail. :dance:

Yes, I have one which was a factory-installed option. The set up should be in the manual. I have some photos on the other computer. I will post some photos later today.

What is your objective? I have never flown my staysail in 15 years. I have reefed my 133 genoa plenty of times though. It is a bit of a PITA to tack with the stay attached. I usually have it pulled back. If you were going to do some longer duration cruising in particularly windy areas, it could be good option.

 

[Dad21fjggh]

Yes, I have one which was a factory-installed option. The set up should be in the manual. I have some photos on the other computer. I will post some photos later today.

What is your objective? I have never flown my staysail in 15 years. I have reefed my 133 genoa plenty of times though. It is a bit of a PITA to tack with the stay attached. I usually have it pulled back. If you were going to do some longer duration cruising in particularly windy areas, it could be good option.

Well, I like the look of the cutter rig......and as the boat will be in NJ, I would like to sail her up to newfoundland atleast once......so that would be some good distance cruising......I was also thinking the staysail could be good when at anchor sometimes. Have you flown a gennaker on your boat? I'd love to get one to fly downwind on a run. Would love your overall opinion on the boat as a liveaboard or long distance cruiser......

 

[Rick D]

Sure...

Well, I like the look of the cutter rig......and as the boat will be in NJ, I would like to sail her up to newfoundland atleast once......so that would be some good distance cruising......I was also thinking the staysail could be good when at anchor sometimes. Have you flown a gennaker on your boat? I'd love to get one to fly downwind on a run. Would love your overall opinion on the boat as a liveaboard or long distance cruiser......

First, I would look at the owner reviews under the Boat Info tab. You will see they are all over the world and many have got there on their own bottoms. I have met several people who have sailed them long distances. The last was one which had been docked next to me which was sailed by a couple to Australia. It wasn't eventful except when a whale fouled their anchor rode and tried to pull them out to sea in the Marquesas. Tore off the roller and some repair was necessary as the whale wanted to keep on going, the coral head said no, and the boat was in the middle. Anyhow, the downside is principally tankage, specifically fuel. Some bladders under the aft stateroom berth ought to take care of that, depending on your preference.
If you fly an A sail from the anchor roller end which is most common and logical since it's just like having a spirit pole for the tack. However, the same couple who took the boat to AU reported after a long ocean sail, they noticed the anchor roller was trying to detach itself upward. The solution would be to run a bobstay from the anchor roller platform to the U bolt near the waterline on the bow (which is what they did).
The chainplate for the stay is a S/S fabricated piece which taps into an aluminum plate moulded in the deck on the aft portion of the anchor locker. You'll see the recessed area.
Here are some photos for you:

 

[Marco Garcia]

Hi Rick,

I had a chainplate set fabricated per the original drawings and it has an SS backing plate. Does the deck comes with a built in plate?.
Your picture shows the plate not centered in the opening, offset to starboard. I wonder if the Stay is on the centerline. I was planing to install mine this year, but not sure if worth the trouble. I guess I'll have to verify the centerline against the opening space for the plate.

 

[Rick D]

Centerline...

Hi Rick,
I had a chainplate set fabricated per the original drawings and it has an SS backing plate. Does the deck comes with a built in plate?.
Your picture shows the plate not centered in the opening, offset to starboard. I wonder if the Stay is on the centerline. I was planing to install mine this year, but not sure if worth the trouble. I guess I'll have to verify the centerline against the opening space for the plate.

I think the backing plate is actually bonded to the back of the locker panel. See the photo, at the top. The stay is on the centerline. I think the indentation is wider than the chainplate to allow for some mis-alignment. I would check the centerline via a tape from each toe rail.

 

[Dad21fjggh]

I think the backing plate is actually bonded to the back of the locker panel. See the photo, at the top. The stay is on the centerline. I think the indentation is wider than the chainplate to allow for some mis-alignment. I would check the centerline via a tape from each toe rail.

so there actually is an indentation for a staysail baseplate? I'll have to keep that in minbd when I look at the boat on thursday.....might have to get in touch with hunter and see what they can do about sending me the parts......and I'll have to check to see if the boat has the spinnaker option as I want to use a gennaker and get as much speed downwind as I can.....

 

[Dennisail]

Hey guys. I am the one who sailed to AU from CA with the 40.5. It was a great boat to do the trip. Fast and comfortable. The addition of a staysail would have come in handy only one time. When we got hit by 50K winds between New Caledonia and Brisbane.

We did get and additional sail though, a cruising code zero which clipped to the end of our anchor roller with and endless line furler. Unlike a potential staysail, we uses this a LOT and we did not need extra fuel as we sailed in very light wind. And because it was such a big sail it meant when new had the genoa made, it could be much smaller then 133% as it id not need to function as a light air sail.

The code zero needs a very tight halyard, unlike a regular spinnaker. This put a lot of stress on the long and cantilevered roller. It was flexing a lot and I had to make my own bobstay out of kevlar rope halfway to the Marquesas. Anchoring loads put a large downward strain on the long roller too. The best option for a long distance cruiser would be to make solid bobstay out of say thick wall 1" stainless pipe that bolts to the bottom of the roller at attaches to the small bail on the front of the chainplate. This will stop flexing in both directions.

Anyway, nothing would have stopped the whole lot getting ripped off why a whale!

Here is our blog if you want to read it. With pics of the damage and code zero, which was also destroyed by the whale. That sail was awesome!

http://knottyladypacific.blogspot.com.au/

PS, Rick, we miss you and Marlin and congrats on the racing results!

 

[Dennisail]

It looks pretty much like a cutter too. But you wouldn't use both sails at once.

 

[Dad21fjggh]

I am not getting the 40.5 after all, but going with a 44ac.....the legend needed a bit of work that I wasn't prepared to put into it......