Two quick questions about my Neptune 24

Hooks

.
Oct 11, 2014
49
Neptune 24 Slidell, Louisiana
1) She's a shoal draft and you can adjust the daggerboard from 2 ft to 3.6 ft draft. The previous owner said he had the keel locked at 3/4 of the way down. The section 2.2 of the manual I found here - http://capitalyachts.info/neptune24/N24_owners manual.pdf - is missing section 2.2. I can't find any other resource online. I'd like to be able to adjust it again.

2) How tall is the mast? I need to sail under some bridges and can't find this number anywhere. I can find websites that show rigging length but nothing about mast height. I did find this one guy describing his boat and says it has a 29' mast (http://www.mostsailboats.org/1981-capitol-yachts-neptune-24-2/). I just wanted to be 100% as there are 2 bridges I have to sail under (Causeway bridge has two bascules [one with drawbridge] at 45' and 50' and the Twin Span has a 65' bascule). I know I'm just being overly nervous here but wanted to verify before I go sailing and hurt my boat.
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Twin Span (73 feet) will not be a problem and I think you'll be able to get under the Causeway Bascule without opening,. The lower "humps" in the Causeway are too low for most sailboats at 22 feet. The Causeway North Draw is 42 feet closed. The big hump to the south is 50 feet .. Highway 11 has to be opened.. I had a spirit 23 that I sailed a lot ; it was a smidge over 30 feet to mast top.. I am guessing that you'll be under 40, but you can check by hoisting a tape up the halyard, measuring to the deck then measuring from deck to water.
 
  • Like
Likes: LloydB
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
Measure the mast!!

Tie a line to the halyard, run it up the mast, mark it at deck level and bring it back down.. Measure that, then add from the deck level (where you marked) to waterline, give yourself a foot or two for antennas.etc, and then you'll know YOUR boat.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Hope you understand that the dagger board is not ballasted and its only purpose is to resist boat's side slip to help optimize pointing ability. When motoring or sailing straight downwind it is best to raise the board as they are only inducing drag and not providing any benefits. I would not lock a dagger board in shallow waters to avoid breaking it in the event of an accidental grounding.
 

Hooks

.
Oct 11, 2014
49
Neptune 24 Slidell, Louisiana
Could you put that in lamen's terms? I thought it was setup where if you put it down you'd have more stability in the wind but if you were moored or just using a motor to go down a river you'd lift it so you could be in more shallow water? I'm sorry for not fully understanding :( New to all of this.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Could you put that in lamen's terms? I thought it was setup where if you put it down you'd have more stability in the wind....
Your sail is actually a foil like the wing on a plane and it is what allows you to sail into the wind, not directly, but still into the wind as it 'lifts' the boat in that direction like a wing lifts the plane upward.

Without the keel or centerboard down the boat would slip back to some degree with the wind. The centerboard counters that and prevents a lot of that slippage. Most centerboards (and rudders) are also foils under the water that help oppose the forces trying to force the boat off track by lifting the boat into the direction the wind is coming from like the sail is doing.



Looking at the cross-section we can see the 'wing' shape. A little hard to see on the picture above but this centerboard has a leading edge and a tapered trailing edge just like the wing on a plane.



The rudder (above) on the Mac also has the same features.

This is the rough explanation. For more get the book ;),

Sumner

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links
[/FONT]
 
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
Your boat doesn't have a dagger board. It has a stub keel and a centerboard. The draft is 2 feet with the board up, and 3.6 with it down.It can be adjusted, and used at anythingnin between those two, as needed.. For example sailing upwind, leave it down, for reaching maybe half board. For down wind, usually can pull it all the way up. All of course depending on wind and sea state

As for stability- the Neptune has 1200 pounds of ballast under there- THAT's where your stability comes from.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Oct 26, 2005
2,057
- - Satellite Beach, FL.
A keel, regardless of style, provides lateral resistance to limit the boat being blown sideways.
Keep it all the way down for tacking ( sailing into the wind) and up when running (downwind sailing).
For reaching (sailing with the wind to the side) it can be adjusted to help balance the boat.
 
  • Like
Likes: LloydB
May 11, 2019
1
Capital Yachts Neptune 24 Checotah, OK
I just bought a Neptune 24. Can you give me your opinion on how sea worthy your boat is?
 

LloydB

.
Jan 15, 2006
804
Macgregor 22 Silverton
" The previous owner said he had the keel locked at 3/4 of the way down. " The previous owner misspoke as he locked the daggerboard down he could have said the daggerboard was locked 1/4 way up but that is just part of the entire keel. The keel is generally the center line of the bottom of a mono hull sailboat and includes the built up fin that protrudes below the bottom of the hull. The fin and keel resists the wind from blowing the sailboat sideways and weights the bottom of the boat down so to keep the the sail pointed up. The longer and heaver the fin, the more resistance to tipping the sailboat over. The longer and heaver the fin, the more resistance to going forward faster.