Purchased a Soverel 33 Project Boat
- Thread starter DayDreamer41
- Start date
Your boat looks great. I just purchased Renegade and will be bringing her back to the Long Island Sound for racing. Will be training my kids (my son and several young people that wok for me) how to sail this coming spring.
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Well the 2021 race season has come to an end and with that my son @daydreamerjr did a fine job of not only learning how to sail/race but also how to do it on a Soverel 33 and highly technical sailing craft and finish 2nd in his class, still waiting to hear how he did over all the fleet. So not only did he do a great job of prepping the boat for the season but he also sailed the crap out of her, I joined him on a couple of races both of which the big fan was blowing hard with gust over 30 kts, this boat is like sailing a dighy where the main has to be worked hard when its blowing, but man what fun!!!
Well my son added a porta potty, but there is no V berth, don't know that there ever was on this boat, still plenty of room to lay your head down for a nap, if really needed.I looked at one of those before I bought the Beneteau. Wife saw the porta-potty in the "V" of the V-Berth and said "Hell No".
Thanks for updating dad. It’s been an awesome season and the boat and crew have performed brilliantly. It was a little ruff at the beginning of the year trying to learn the boat but once I figured her out she absolutely flys.
Howdy, I am doing a trial sail of a Soverel 33 on Sunday, to confirm if I want to proceed to purchase it. It will be sailed in the windy San Francisco Bay, and 95% of the time it will be sailed double handed. I've recently stopped racing, having done that for around 45 years, so the Soverel will just be a fun and fast daysailor.
So the question is whether or not the Soverel can be sailed double handed safely in windy conditions? Again, I won't be racing, so I will shorten sail early, not having crew weight to keep her flat.
The biggest concern are the runners, especially because there's just the two of us. Can you tell me if the runners are critical to keep the mast up, or are they more for tune? We intend to use them, but don't want a boat where any mistake could cost you the rig.
Thanks for your feedback.
Hopefully your enjoying your winter! The soverel is a tender boat but it can manage a breeze but requires knowledge of the boat and bodies on the rail. That’s not to say it can not be short handed in that wind. My father and I had it out in over 20 knots full main (I don’t have reef points) but I think most people would not find it enjoyable.
To answer your question, yes you need the check stays. It’s a straight rig so it will pump in high winds which I’ll be a bad day.
I imagine there are things that could be done to make it a decent cruiser but at its core it’s a racer. There are going to be a lot of boats better for what your looking. As a racer it’s a great boat though.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,210
Which of the rigs? What year and where produced?
Looking at images the mast and rig look to be slim, flexible (tune-able). This would lead to the need for the runners. The below link observes the stress placed on the inner shrouds affects the inner chain-plates and how the deck is designed. One of the builders decided the need for increasing the strength of the deck design.
www.practical-sailor.com
I can admire the lines and power designed into the Soverel 33. She looks like she would take to the SF Bay waters more like a thoroughbred than a quarter horse.
Looking at images the mast and rig look to be slim, flexible (tune-able). This would lead to the need for the runners. The below link observes the stress placed on the inner shrouds affects the inner chain-plates and how the deck is designed. One of the builders decided the need for increasing the strength of the deck design.
Soverel 33 - Practical Sailor
Since 1974, Practical Sailor’s independent testing has taken the guesswork out of boat and gear buying.
www.practical-sailor.com
I can admire the lines and power designed into the Soverel 33. She looks like she would take to the SF Bay waters more like a thoroughbred than a quarter horse.
I don't know anything about the Severels but I don't think you want to mess with check stays double handing on a body of water known for being windy. If you want to get dismasted just get a Star.
As far as I know all the second gen 33’s had a similar rig. They have straight spreaders with zero rake. Its also a very bendy mast which is great for controlling shape. These things (particularly the straight spreaders) are why the check stays are required. They are actually quite simple to manage the way they are set up on my boat and can be a powerful draft control tool on a light air day. There are a lot of strings to pull but if you know how to pull them the boat absolutely flys.
If you end up getting it anyway and want to double hand it here are some things I would consider-
-a main sail with a deep reef (this boat has a massive amount of sail area full sail)
-a number 3 or 4 with battens (unless your furling) maybe even a storm sail
-a(n) tiller pilot (everything is run to the cockpit so hoisting sails with two people is a task)
how to handle a breeze
-tighten the head stay at the dock head stay tension is your friend
-tighten backstay a lot!
-check stays should have just enough tension to stop the mast from moving. Always back stay first then check stays
-halyards (and Cunningham) tight
-tight vang (this makes more difference then you think)
-weight placement is critical make sure you have a tiller extension and steer from the high side. Helmsman will probably have the main sheet in their hand when single handed. Don’t fight the rudder. If you can let the main sheet out and control the boat that’s going to be better then the rudder. Fighting weather helm on this boat is a loosing battle. It has an massive rudder which will punish you with excessive weather helm. Not to mention it’s much slower.
-when pointing when you think your trimmed tight enough, trim more. Then the name of the game is playing the edge of pointing and pinching. (Side note, this boat points like nothing you have ever seen) I put point just about everyone at my club. if you do race it don’t be fooled by the boats going faster you’ll be out pointing them by 10* or more most of the time. You’ll beat them to the mark every time. Then when you go down wind they don’t have a chance.
I love the boat and it suites my needs quite well. My first year racing it we did exceptionally well. If I was looking for a cruising boat however, I would probably look at other boats. It certainly has the potential to have a nice cabin and they are a beautifully sailing boat, but they are like someone above mentioned, thoroughbreds. They like to go fast and will punish you for lapses in judgement.
Best of luck going forward. It would be nice to see the boat live on with a proud owner. They are truly beautiful boats.
If you end up getting it anyway and want to double hand it here are some things I would consider-
-a main sail with a deep reef (this boat has a massive amount of sail area full sail)
-a number 3 or 4 with battens (unless your furling) maybe even a storm sail
-a(n) tiller pilot (everything is run to the cockpit so hoisting sails with two people is a task)
how to handle a breeze
-tighten the head stay at the dock head stay tension is your friend
-tighten backstay a lot!
-check stays should have just enough tension to stop the mast from moving. Always back stay first then check stays
-halyards (and Cunningham) tight
-tight vang (this makes more difference then you think)
-weight placement is critical make sure you have a tiller extension and steer from the high side. Helmsman will probably have the main sheet in their hand when single handed. Don’t fight the rudder. If you can let the main sheet out and control the boat that’s going to be better then the rudder. Fighting weather helm on this boat is a loosing battle. It has an massive rudder which will punish you with excessive weather helm. Not to mention it’s much slower.
-when pointing when you think your trimmed tight enough, trim more. Then the name of the game is playing the edge of pointing and pinching. (Side note, this boat points like nothing you have ever seen) I put point just about everyone at my club. if you do race it don’t be fooled by the boats going faster you’ll be out pointing them by 10* or more most of the time. You’ll beat them to the mark every time. Then when you go down wind they don’t have a chance.
I love the boat and it suites my needs quite well. My first year racing it we did exceptionally well. If I was looking for a cruising boat however, I would probably look at other boats. It certainly has the potential to have a nice cabin and they are a beautifully sailing boat, but they are like someone above mentioned, thoroughbreds. They like to go fast and will punish you for lapses in judgement.
Best of luck going forward. It would be nice to see the boat live on with a proud owner. They are truly beautiful boats.
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Thanks for all the helpful information.
This Soverel is one of the last made, built by George Olson's Pacific Boat Works in Santa Cruz. It was previously owned by a rigger, so everything is up to date, including structural upgrades to the hull and at the chainstays.
Again, really curious how forgiving the mast is, or will it really break at the slightest mistake?
Just one point to clarify is that I am not looking for a cruiser, but only wanting a fast daysailor. My current boat is a Columbia 5.5 Meter, which we daysail always, instead of racing.
This Soverel is one of the last made, built by George Olson's Pacific Boat Works in Santa Cruz. It was previously owned by a rigger, so everything is up to date, including structural upgrades to the hull and at the chainstays.
Again, really curious how forgiving the mast is, or will it really break at the slightest mistake?
Just one point to clarify is that I am not looking for a cruiser, but only wanting a fast daysailor. My current boat is a Columbia 5.5 Meter, which we daysail always, instead of racing.
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Is it going to break at the slightest mistake? Probably not. But without the check stays it’s going to pump and would eventually lead to issues. As I mentioned, the way it’s rigged it pretty much requires the check stays. That was fairly common for boats like that of that vintage. Side note, that’s a beautiful boat you posted by the way cheers. It reminds me of an old 30 square
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Now that I think about it though there is something you could look at. A lot of boats of that vintage used a baby stay forward of the mast. Perhaps that could be a mod that would achieve the stability you desire without the need to fuss with a check stay? It might be worth looking into
This boat has both running backstays/checkstays (connects to mast near the top of the headstay, and again halfway down the mast), as well as a babystay in front. We certainly will use them to keep the mast from pumping. Our fear is what happens if we are suddenly needing to do an emergency tack and don't get to the runners?
Here is the boat I will trial sail on tomorrow, and hopefully purchase.
Here is the boat I will trial sail on tomorrow, and hopefully purchase.
Looks like a nice boat. I see a bow sprit on it which is a nice touch. Every time we tack there is a period of time the check stays are off. We also let the main fall down during that switch so the rig isn’t powered up. That gives us a chance to get boat under control on the new tack. If done quickly little speed is lost and what is lost is quickly recovered quickly once the main comes back up. My check stay are set up a little different in that the have a bungee that pulls them up out of the when you release them which is nice. My back stay is also set up very different but it’s easily adjusted from either side of the cockpit. I would be happy to come out and give you a hand if you do purchase it (I’m an airline pilot and can fly for free). I’ll also add a couple pictures of my set up if you feel it would make it easier.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,210
The test sail went well and I will be purchasing the boat. Thanks for all the info. I am sure I will continue to have questions, and will be reaching out to you all again.