Van de Stadt

[Bonnach]

I can't upload images yet so please bear with me. For an idea of what I'm talking about do a google images for 'status 580'.
She's a lovely little boat, simple and sea-kindly. She was designed by VdS shortly before he retired sometime in the 70's. Ours is an original Dutch built boat.
Would it be a crime to modify her a wee bit? I'm thinking...
Seats!
Canvas cuddy door and side-locker covers
transom locker/sear
boom tent
roller furling jib
bow rail
basic 12v electrical system
navigation & safety lights
maybe too ambitious for now; electric propulsion with solar battery charger etc.

Ultimately she would make a fantastic 'weekend camper' for a family of four plus two dogs!
My main concern is to make the alterations without compromising her safe sea-handling abilities. I've sailed through force five without getting wet!
Any ideas? She needs most of her hardware replaced, including the mast and rig.
Cheers everyone!

[Bonnach]

Try here www.rlyachts.net/indexStatus.asp to see what I'm talking about.

[jg451]

If gooseneck rides in luff slot, boom can be portion of demountable canvas tent, providing cover man tall and outboard of rubrails at max. Can be made to be set up small, medium, and full size. Here in the States, camper tech. is widespread, you name it someone has done it. Seats 38cm above cockpit sole, out 60cm from edge of sole to vertical wall of tenting, bag storage under seats. It'll look strange when up and windage may be an issue (I don't know how tender your boat is), but you'll be seeing it from the inside anyway. Clear panels, screen panels. solids and directional vents, flexible galley vents, mix and match. W/ some dimentions I could probably rough sketch something (I've never uploaded online so...). Yes, it would be pencil/paper/scan NOT autocad (Bah Humbug). OH, the dogs. One hopes Pekes, Terriers not Rotweilers, Shepherds.

Good Luck, Jon

[Bonnach]

If you take a good look at her you might scratch your head and like me, wonder why on earth...? I dare to say this: does any one else think this boat is under-designed? Take the stern for example; she was based on a Dutch 'spanker' (unfortunate name for various reasons) which incorporates a transom deck and shifts the crew ballast forward. On our boat this is an empty space. If you argue that she was built for competition and weight is an issue. Why is there no trapeze or footstraps? These would make her further competetive. Another example; Why is there a double-lip edge around the cuddy hole entrance if not for an after-market door? If you ask me the whole boat is an enigma and I wonder if her purpose from the start, in the mind of VdS was versatility?
I can email photos of original boat if it helps. Just post address.

For our exciting purpose we don't want her to sail fast, just safely.

Thanks for the interesting boom tent ideas. Let me know what dimensions you need. In the perfect world our boom tent would function for us in 3 stages; moored - fully closed / engine underway - half open / sail underway - fully retracted (rolled). I'm going to change the mast so let's assume the gooseneck will slide in the luff slot. It's a good point to consider. Thanks.

One point I would like to consider is how these changes might effect her behaviour in the event of a capsize.

All the best.
Ps two well-behaved golden retrievers!