New Owner questions

[Admiral]

I have just purchased a Cat 30 and have some questions. First is how and what products do you guys recommend for cleaning the exterior? You know the black spotting and overall buildup. What is safe around lake waters? What is best to clean the standing rigging under the guards?

Next is the engine and its capacity. I am on Grand Lake in Oklahoma and the first trip other than the few times I have had it out sailing is going to be 40 miles up the lake to its new home at my dock. I have the Atomic 4 and I presume the 2 blade prop. What is the max wind strength that this vessel can push into without losing ground? I can make about 4 to 4.5 knots it seems without over working the engine. Does this sound good? There is no tack so I have to rely on sound and vibration. What speed would be the max?

 

[jrowan]

I have found that a product used for fiberglass bath tub cleaning called "Soft Scrub" is very effective at removing stains on old chaulky fiberglass hulls & decks. It contains the right amount of bleach & particles to remove stains when scrubbing with a green scrubbing sponge. You do not have to clean your stainless steel standing rigging. Stainless steel creates its own natural haze or tarnish at its surface, that helps to protect the surface of the steel from corrosion.

As far as the old venerable Atomic 4, moving along at 4.5 knots is not bad for an older engine, with moderate hull growth buildup. The best way to improve speed under power or sail, is to have your hull cleaned by a diver on a regular basis. I can usually almost double the efficiency & speed of my 5411 when the hull & especially the tiny 2 blade prop is cleaned. Your max hull speed is 6.3 knots theoretically, but wave height, tides, etc. make a huge impact. If your on a lake, then you don't have to worry about tides, but you loose the advantage of using a tide swell force to your advantage. I never push an old engine at max throttle, as you risk overloading it. If you see black smoke out the exhaust when throttling hard, then you are overloading the engine with too much fuel, & you should back off the throttle, otherwise you are just wasting gas & causing unnecessary wear. The more you sail, the more you will get to know your boat. The C-30 is a very forgiving & easy to sail boat.

 

[Admiral]

What kind of wind can this boat and engine combo handle before it is a defeating proposition? Like a headwind at 15 or 20?

 

[jrowan]

Well that really depends on a lot of different factors. I have a puny 5411 11 horse diesel, which can move the boat along at about 5.5 knots when she has a clean bottom & prop, & when there is minimal wave resistance, of about 1.0 foot waves. A 3 foot wave height will slow her down to about 3.0 to 3.5 knots even at 3/4 throttle. She will move along much faster under sail in high wind & wave conditions. I have sailed her in 25 knot winds & 5.0 foot seas & she can still press along at 4.5 knots or better, against a wind, & wave & tide resistance of approximately 3.0 knots. After 20 knots, all 30 feet & smaller boats start to suffer from potential pitch poling & rolling from large waves. Avoid waves hitting broad side to your beam, as this causes her to roll, badly. But this is true of all sailboats.

I usually try not to over canvas my boat in heavy winds over 15 knots. At that point I at least partially, if not fully furl my 150 genoa. Over 15 knots you are also wise to reef the main sail, but BEFORE you really need to. When in doubt always furl / reef your sails, as its a lot harder to when over canvassed & heeling excessively. Most sailboats will perform better when not heeling excessively (more then 20 degrees), as when they are on their feet, steerage & rudder control are much better.

The C 30 performs best reaching close into the wind at 30 to 35 degrees to the apparent wind. She is still strong on a broad reach, but her wide beam makes her slower on a run completely down wind. I usually sail her wing & wing when running down wind.
Most serious sailors will fly a spinnaker for better performance when running her downwind for extended periods, but this requires a competent crew, who can run the lines without fouling the spinnaker. Poling out a jib can substitute for a spinnaker in a pinch. When running out a main down wind, make sure you rig a preventer line to stop an accidental jibe of the boom from damaging your rigging, or causing crew injury.

But the bottom line is a have a philosophy that I sail for enjoyment, not to punish my self or prove anything to anyone else. I don't try to be Capt. Ahab, as heavy weather sailing has been done, & by sailors much better & more competent then myself. After over 30 years of sailing, I am really just getting to be a competent sailor, but all good sailors know their limitations, & their boats limits & don't push 'em to the max. Good luck & get out there & "make some memories." Cheers.

 

[Admiral]

Thanks jrowan. I am on a lake so tides are not a factor. Waves do not build as in the open water. But here in Oklahoma most "windy" days are 20 and above. And that is a lot of the time. My concern was at what point should I not attempt to go out or in under engine power and the head wind be too great to overcome. My fear is not making it out of the cove and being blown back and grounding. Now I do not have a diesel but an older probably tired Atomic. The numbers you gave sound real good and I would be happy to know that I could get 3 knots and even 2 as long as I could make way.

Love your philosophy to sail for enjoyment. I used to be that guy to sail in any weather but maturity has taught me that there will be many more days good days to sail.

Guess I should at some point just get in the clear, drop the sails and see how she responds under a good strong blow with engine power alone.

 

[Claygr]

A friend of ours just upgraded from a two-blade fixed prop to a three-blade folding prop from Flexofold and reported more than a knot difference on his top-end speed. He has the M25XP engine but a three-blade will definitely improve your performance.

If you are going to go with a stronger household cleaning product, I suggest "Bartender's Friend" instead of Soft Scrub. Soft Scrub is strong but it leaves a lot of residue and you waste a lot of water cleaning it off. BF is nearly as strong and rinses away better. BF is great on cleaning lifelines, by the way.