*! Trailer Sailing....The way to Go????? *!

[caguy]

One way old cat would be to make the entire mast

out of composite material such as graphite. The weight would be less than half and the mast just as strong if not stronger with greater options of flexiblility. One old man could pick it up by himself.Frank

 

[Brian M H23]

I'm happy

With my 23 ft swing-keel hunter, because while trailerable it has lots of desireable traits that I don't see in very many boats! I really like the keel configuration best of all, and I don't see any other boats with anything like it! (For those unfamiliar, when retracted, rather than hiding inside of the ballast like most centerboard boats it simple flips up behind it, giving the effect that could be compared with a long yet shoal keel boat - Yes it is "bigger" when it comes to getting on the trailer, and the mast is a bear, but like we've said it's doable with a little ingenuity! I just need to get my trailer in better condition..the single axle and iffy brakes make me hesitant to take the boat out except for trips to and from the slip

 

[Chris]

Composite Mast!

This sounds like an excellant idea. Do you know if any builders are offering this?

 

[OldCat]

Those are good ideas.

soling42, caguy, Chris, those are some great ideas. Really good brainstorming. If someone were an engineering prof - it would make a great school or class project. Somewhere, someplace - put some of these ideas together - figure out what works cost and performance-wise and maybe someone would do it. Composites are a good idea if the cost works out OK.Some other ideas, this time for the keel. Why not a hydraulic swing keel. Easy to lower - just open a valve. Easy to lock down so inversion is not as dangerous - just close the valve. Pump it up like you jack up your car - should be no harder to do. When down it could have some built in shock absorbtion - to soften the blow if run aground.Better trailerables can be built - I can just feel it.OC

 

[sand sailor]

old cat the hydrolic swing keel has been done!!!

check it out its not as James Bond as you think a very fast 40' trailer sailerya you read it right 40'long comes with a trailer standard

 

[OldCat]

Pretty Cool

The Schock is cool - probably out of my price range though. Research indicates that Hunter may have done a hydraulic swing keel on their 21' boats - why they did not do this for their new 25 mystifies me.OC

 

[sand sailor]

i like my 27 its old and bare bones below but is

set up for racing it has all the right go fast equipment some i don't understand but i have a lot of room to grow into this one before i think about trading up

 

[Brian M H23]

Schock

is still going to be really tall and wide on a trailer..hardly "trailerable" but a nice boat none the less! I guess the only bad part of the hydraulics is keeping a good pressure seal underwater. I'd be all for it if i was moving my ballast! but for just a fin, I like rope.

 

[sand sailor]

hey brian

did you look at the whole system maybe you should look again at the fore and aft foils that work with it take the virtual tour