She is here (almost)

Nice

Jeepers, I have never realised you could just "buy" a whole boat, ready to go!!!

Wow, are the sails and the assembly/rigging instructions all in there? Unwrap it, stand the mast up, hoik up the main and go???

That's radical!!!

I might get one

Hi Shaggy

Unfortunately i think the next time i see her she will hopefully be in the water ready to sail

I am working all next week and i am hoping to be able to help bring her down but it all depends on when she is ready

The first race starts at 2pm next Saturday and next weeks weather forecast looks ok so fingers crossed she will be ready

Regards Don

Hi Gravy

The opening race of our club season is tomorrow but unfortunately we will be using my Sailmaster instead of the 349 as she is not ready yet

I spoke to Jeff on Tuesday and he said she had actually gone backwards since last Friday as some of the masking at the waterline had blown off in last Sunday's gales and they expected she would not be ready until late next week (as long as the weather was kind)

The weather was good down here today and hopefully up in Hobart as well so I will ask Jeff tomorrow (he will be helming my boat) how she is progressing and let you know

Regards Don

Looking at the forecast tomorrow's race could be interesting

Regards Don

Hi Don,
With the delay on her slipping, does that improve the chance of getting any pics of the prep? My memories were both of excitement at unwrapping and assembling a big shiny present, and collapsing every night exhausted from the volume of minute details. Great fun and challenging times!
It is strange to think it was only 9 months ago we were doing the same thing, feels like a lifetime ago.
Tell Jeff we need some pics! I'll give you some incentive
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Hi all

Still waiting for the new boat to be commissioned and the latest is hopefully this week as we have the first of the long distance races next Saturday

We raced my Sailmaster again yesterday in a pursuit race (at least 100 mins duration) and didn't do too bad

There were 4 boats in the fleet, a Marauder 27 who had 22 minutes start on my 28 foot Sailmaster and a Doven 30 (we started together) and the last boat was a fairly light (27 footer i think but i am not sure of the design) timber boat that goes well in light winds that started 10 mins after us

The weather was a bit changeable with squalls coming through bringing 20 knots plus in the river but some calm patches when coming in to round the mark in the bay between the squalls so before the race we had the hoisted the number 1 until the first squall came through but we decided in the end to go a with full main and a number 2 head sail but this meant we were under canvassed in the light stuff but ok when it was blowing hard

The Doven 30 has good sails ( i think mine are 1984 originals) and a furling head sail and he was able to wind it on and off to suit the conditions at the time

On the 2 long runs back up the river we and the faster lightweight boat hoisted spinnakers but the Doven and Marauder (the Marauder only had 2 on board) just used white sails

The staggered start was a bit confusing as i believed that us and the Doven received our 1 minute warning a minute to early (i set my countdown timer for 27 minutes off the Marauders 5 minute warning horn) and for the duration of the race we stayed with the Doven with him being faster on the upwind legs and us a bit quicker down wind with the spinnaker up and with all of us at different times being becalmed in the bay

The lightweight boat retired after doing a fast first lap (not sure why) and the Doven and my boat slowly gained on the Marauder

On the second lap the spinnaker pole topping lift went up the mast so i stood on the fore deck and held the pole up which was ok when it was blowing but hard work when the breeze dropped out

Coming in to the bay on the last lap all three of us were side by side (the handicapper was spot on) and the Doven rounded the mark first with us second and the Marauder third

We had a bit of a issue with the head sail as we had loosened the halyard coming in to the bay as the wind had dropped out but as we rounded the mark the wind picked up and the head sail was not setting correctly so the Doven drew away from us

We had a spinnaker ready to go up but it was only a short run to the finish line as as we didn't have a chance of passing the Doven and we had bit of a lead on the Marauder and we assumed that we had second in the bag we just kept the head sail up and crossed the line

Went to the yacht club after the race for the BBQ and when the results were announced it was announced that the starter had set the Marauder off a minute late (that is why my starting time did not work out) so the Marauder had a minute taken off its elapsed time which meant that the Doven won by 5 seconds, with the Marauder second, and us in third 4 seconds behind, so first second and third were separated by 69 seconds

Had we known about the minute and hoisted the spinnaker for the short run to the finish line we probably would have made up the 4 seconds and got a second instead of the third but not to worry as we had a fun afternoon

At the end of the day was had some close racing and a bit of fun with the only cost being 2 hats and a winch handle lost overboard and the topping lift up the mast but it is only at spreader height so it should be not too bad to get it back down

I will be glad when the new boat arrives as it is hard work on the fore deck on my boat with everything but sheets finishing at the mast so i was busy skirting the head sail, hoisting and dropping the Spinnaker and head sail and repacking the spinnaker after the runs and i am still feeling it today

This is a photo of the lightweight boat if anyone knows what she is

She has a lifting keel and a outboard in a well as was locally built here

Regards Don

It is a Humphreys 28.
Designed for kit construction
sure it is not alloy.

Select to expand quote

lydia said..
It is a Humphreys 28.
Designed for kit construction
sure it is not alloy.

Hi Craig

No she is timber built down here by Roger Harwood

Next time you are down she is on a mooring in Risleys Bay just upstream from the Yacht Club

Regards Don

Hi all

She is here

Jeff and Chris sailed her down today and arrived at 8.30 tonight

They were impressed with her performance seeing 9 knots at one stage upwind

We are racing her tomorrow so i will take some photo's and post them

She feels a fair bit larger than the previous 33 footer and has a lot more beam

Regards Don

Hi all

A couple of photos taken today on her first race

Hopefully i might be able to get some of her in action taken from the starters box with Bev's long lens









Jeff A happy skipper

Chris trimming the spinnaker


S



Shane Headsail trimming today

Interesting traveler set up and yes bloody nice looking yacht!

Select to expand quote

southace said..
Interesting traveler set up and yes bloody nice looking yacht!

Hi Southace

Instead of a traveler she has a dyneema bridle and when hard on the wind if you pull the mainsheet on hard the boom will pretty much sit on the centre line of the boat and instead of genoa cars she has adjustable friction rings but i am not sure that they are as effective as the genoa track and cars on the previous boat

The Doyle Stratis Ice sails are still being made so when she has a decent set of sails on board we can see how effective the friction rings are under various conditions

Regards Don

Anchor fairlead looks weird if practical. What is the jammer up near the bowsprit for? I'm guessing for the asymmetric spinnaker. The anchor well layout looks good and I'm guessing there is a winch underneath.

Hi Don,
Great to see another SO349 in the country! Congratulations to Jeff and yourself.

It looks like you have the jib barber haulers rigged to the factory specs with the purchase pulling the sheets outboard. If so, you may find that the opposite is more effective.



This is the way that most boats in Australia are rigged. There is some discussion of the differences on the owners forum at jeanneau349.freeforums.net/

What mainsail does she have? The standard or the square-top 'performance' main?