Carol and I got out today in the 216. First time out with the 400 lbs of sandbags next to the centerboard trunk. Wind was 15-20, gusting a bit higher. We were under the reefed main, and no jib. We were STILL overpowered! The only thing I can say for certain from our first test of the ballasted boat was we got more spray over the rails from the somewhat choppy Indian River. Stay tuned for the continuing tests! Another topic: The rudder, with the new Delrin bearings was GREAT! Smooth as silk! Can't say about the new jib with the UV shield, as it stayed rolled up. START THINKING: I believe that once I get Carol on the H27 I took my Basic Coastal Cruising course on, with the bimini, inboard diesel, and wheel steering, PLUS the ability to handle a bit more weather, the 216 will be on the blocks VERY shortly thereafter! Not yet "for sale", but initial inquiries will be accepted! Bob
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Reef the main
In that kind of wind the 216 would sail very well with a reefed main. This time of year on the indian river you should reef the main before you leave the dock. On that boat i think it will sail faster if you reef it any time the wind is over 15 knots. you'll still have a lot of sail up for a boat that size.
In that kind of wind the 216 would sail very well with a reefed main. This time of year on the indian river you should reef the main before you leave the dock. On that boat i think it will sail faster if you reef it any time the wind is over 15 knots. you'll still have a lot of sail up for a boat that size.
216 and a reefed main
Frank, If you take a look at my original post, you'll see that I DID do the single reef that the main is equipped for, and was STILL overpowered. I'm ordering the kit from Sailrite to put a 2nd reef point in the main. The next time out, I'm going to tie the boat up to the dock and take out sandbags until it just doesn't sit " tail heavy" any more. 400 pounds didn't really make the boat any less "tender", from what I could tell. That, plus the ability to do 2 reefs in the main should make the boat usable in most sane wind conditions. Bob
Frank, If you take a look at my original post, you'll see that I DID do the single reef that the main is equipped for, and was STILL overpowered. I'm ordering the kit from Sailrite to put a 2nd reef point in the main. The next time out, I'm going to tie the boat up to the dock and take out sandbags until it just doesn't sit " tail heavy" any more. 400 pounds didn't really make the boat any less "tender", from what I could tell. That, plus the ability to do 2 reefs in the main should make the boat usable in most sane wind conditions. Bob
How tender is it?
Bob: the one I sailed did not have a inclinometer. Does yours? If so What is the angle of heel you are getting with a reefed main?
Bob: the one I sailed did not have a inclinometer. Does yours? If so What is the angle of heel you are getting with a reefed main?
216 inclinometer
Frank, Yes, my 216 has an inclinometer: Her name is Carol (my spouse)! After our little run-in with a microburst while returning to port, she's a bit "spooked" when the whitecaps appear and the world view passes a certain angle. Truthfully, other than her finely tuned equilibrium, I have no real gauge for judging the heeling angle. I determine when I'm overpowered largely by the amount of rudder I have to use to hold a line more than the heeling angle. With a total crew weight of only about 300 pounds and all that sail area, it doesn't really take a gale-force wind to make things interesting! Fact is, if one reef doesn't do the job, I probably have no business being out there anyway. Bob
Frank, Yes, my 216 has an inclinometer: Her name is Carol (my spouse)! After our little run-in with a microburst while returning to port, she's a bit "spooked" when the whitecaps appear and the world view passes a certain angle. Truthfully, other than her finely tuned equilibrium, I have no real gauge for judging the heeling angle. I determine when I'm overpowered largely by the amount of rudder I have to use to hold a line more than the heeling angle. With a total crew weight of only about 300 pounds and all that sail area, it doesn't really take a gale-force wind to make things interesting! Fact is, if one reef doesn't do the job, I probably have no business being out there anyway. Bob
Audible Alarm
Hey Bob - I got one of those too! Only mine is also audible. *yks The only problem is, it can be a little difficult to "turn it off" once it gets activated. *cry Also, to make matters worse, once activiated the sensitivity level (or, in engine gauge terms like for the oil or water temperature, the "set point") seems to actually increase and it takes a very long time to return back normal.
Hey Bob - I got one of those too! Only mine is also audible. *yks The only problem is, it can be a little difficult to "turn it off" once it gets activated. *cry Also, to make matters worse, once activiated the sensitivity level (or, in engine gauge terms like for the oil or water temperature, the "set point") seems to actually increase and it takes a very long time to return back normal.
Inclinometer Characteristics
Mine malfunctioned so bad, I had to change the name of my boat......., "Panic Stricken"!!!! Of course, I had always had trouble from the begining. It was never quite..... on the level.
Mine malfunctioned so bad, I had to change the name of my boat......., "Panic Stricken"!!!! Of course, I had always had trouble from the begining. It was never quite..... on the level.
Advice
I helped things a lot buy installing an official inclinometer and telling the crew that we sail fastest at 15 degrees. Any less we are going slow because of not having up enough sail and any more and we are going slow buy having the hull buried into the water too deep. Since then it has been smooth sailing and we've all got used to sailing at 15 degrees. We'll put up with gusts that occasionally take us to 20 degrees but if it is regularly over 15 then we reef.
I helped things a lot buy installing an official inclinometer and telling the crew that we sail fastest at 15 degrees. Any less we are going slow because of not having up enough sail and any more and we are going slow buy having the hull buried into the water too deep. Since then it has been smooth sailing and we've all got used to sailing at 15 degrees. We'll put up with gusts that occasionally take us to 20 degrees but if it is regularly over 15 then we reef.
I love tender!
Hey Bob, I don't mind the tenderness at all. In fact, I prefer it as my sailing club is basically a dinghy club and I want to be competitive with the Thistles, Windmills, FDs, cats, etc. Because I have come from dinghys, I think the Hunter 216 is pretty easy to control and I don't mind, and have become used to, dragging the lee rail. My Geary 18 has no reef points on the main and the jib cannot be lowered while underway...so it is pretty dicey in 20-25 mph winds...but managable. But, dragging the lee rail in the 216 is uncomfortable - more than in my Geary as there is little to hang onto...and WORSE, speed is lost. I am planning on adding several more reef points so I can fly both the jib and main in most winds and get max speed. I didn't think the ballast would work. Placing 400# near the centerboard trunk simply puts more weight very close to the center of rotation of the boat! If you could get the ballast to the winward rail or at the bottom of the keel, then it would do some good. I was out in 20-25 mph winds this Saturday flying the main, unreefed, with the jib furled. To me with my dinghy background, the 216 was very well behaved...but the lee rail was dragging pretty often. Of course, I pulled the outhaul tight to flatten the sail (I have added a couple blocks, etc. on the outhaul so I have something like a 6:1 mechanical advantage), adjusted the outer shrouds to 425# to bend the mast/flatten the sail, and ran with the boom vang totally off once the wind really kicked up. I am planning in putting in more reef points...perhaps even three of them so I have lots of adjustment. As per my measurement, the factory installed reef points reduce the sail area by 28%. I am thinking about reef points that reduce the sail are by 10%, 20%, 28% and 50%. This way, I could make the sail as comfortable as I want...plus I could get max speed with the proper amount of heel.
Hey Bob, I don't mind the tenderness at all. In fact, I prefer it as my sailing club is basically a dinghy club and I want to be competitive with the Thistles, Windmills, FDs, cats, etc. Because I have come from dinghys, I think the Hunter 216 is pretty easy to control and I don't mind, and have become used to, dragging the lee rail. My Geary 18 has no reef points on the main and the jib cannot be lowered while underway...so it is pretty dicey in 20-25 mph winds...but managable. But, dragging the lee rail in the 216 is uncomfortable - more than in my Geary as there is little to hang onto...and WORSE, speed is lost. I am planning on adding several more reef points so I can fly both the jib and main in most winds and get max speed. I didn't think the ballast would work. Placing 400# near the centerboard trunk simply puts more weight very close to the center of rotation of the boat! If you could get the ballast to the winward rail or at the bottom of the keel, then it would do some good. I was out in 20-25 mph winds this Saturday flying the main, unreefed, with the jib furled. To me with my dinghy background, the 216 was very well behaved...but the lee rail was dragging pretty often. Of course, I pulled the outhaul tight to flatten the sail (I have added a couple blocks, etc. on the outhaul so I have something like a 6:1 mechanical advantage), adjusted the outer shrouds to 425# to bend the mast/flatten the sail, and ran with the boom vang totally off once the wind really kicked up. I am planning in putting in more reef points...perhaps even three of them so I have lots of adjustment. As per my measurement, the factory installed reef points reduce the sail area by 28%. I am thinking about reef points that reduce the sail are by 10%, 20%, 28% and 50%. This way, I could make the sail as comfortable as I want...plus I could get max speed with the proper amount of heel.
Ballisitng Dream
I had hoped the sandbag near keel trick would have offered stability but from the discussion, this is plainly not the cure. So my wild imagination tells me the perfect solution is some type of moveable weight (not human) that shift to windward with little effort. Trouble is not how to rig somehting up, but how to keep it under seats, or at least from bisecting cockpit. In the world of aftermarket marine equipment, does anyone know of anything?
I had hoped the sandbag near keel trick would have offered stability but from the discussion, this is plainly not the cure. So my wild imagination tells me the perfect solution is some type of moveable weight (not human) that shift to windward with little effort. Trouble is not how to rig somehting up, but how to keep it under seats, or at least from bisecting cockpit. In the world of aftermarket marine equipment, does anyone know of anything?
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