Rosborough Roll

[johnharvey]

My neighbor has just purchased a second hand Rosborough RF-22 SeaSkiff and we took it out for a run yesterday. She performed well except for the fact that in a swell she would list over up to about 25-30 degrees either direction and would resist efforts to bring her back until she righted herself naturally - maybe upto 20 seconds. It was like she had a full bilge slopping all over the place - the bilge pump put rest to that theory. We pondered the possibility that the keel may be causing this lean by inhibiting side-slip. This is a design I am unfamiliar with (down in little ole' New Zealand) and was wondering if any of you experts have any knowledge or have had any experience with this. Maybe she's supposed to do it?
Cheers.

[Eric Sponberg]

John,
Heeling in a swell such as you describe is a bad characteristic and should not happen. The center of gravity is too high, and/or she may have a poor hull geometry below the waterline, inlcuding the keel or lack thereof, for rough water conditions. To discover the precise reason for the bad behaviour may take some investigation and measuring by a qualified naval architect, a few of which should be available in New Zealand. Typically, when boats behave as you describe, we try to find out the reason and correct it, because it can be dangerous.