Hughes 26?

"I'd just grab some marine ply, epoxy and triaxial and extend that thing up a couple more feet and be done with it. No little covers to replace over the years and no water inside at all. It would cost next to nothing..."

That's my point though, there isn't anything stopping you from doing exactly that as have others. But it would make a major difference to access in these narrow hulls. His 40 footer is narrower in internal space than my 23 footer. So he lives this stuff also. It's like shoulder width pipe in there. And also I imagine that if one is convinced a detail like his works, it become part of the radical mix. He does it that way, and is going to keep doing it that way as long as it works.

Personally, on very small boats like the 23 it is probably better to have a Tremolino, Argonauta, Horizon 26, etc... approach with two small cabins one central cockpit and the daggerboard in the cockpit where it does a lot of good. They don't seem to do a lot of race boats that way so it must be a looser on some count, but it would suit me. And on really small boats, it's a trim thing (I think 26 feet is a much bigger boat though).

Jason, I will look for those pics, very generous. My case doesn't create any problems, it's all in the details except if you were looking at mine it's pretty rough so there goes that theory By the way, I am in NB at the moment, not far from Maine.

My boat is pretty dead on the helm but then the powerplant is pretty low. That said, we get lots of heavy wind and the rigging throbs, that's as close as I get to GPS!

 

Another thing is that the board set up is really simple when done this way. The slot is about 16", and my tooling around board is 48" total, made out of 6 bucks of floor underlay, a 2x2, and a bunch of glass. It drops in without any cut overhead. Just firm up the two crash blocks. Weighs about 10 pounds, and it gets the boat pointed pretty nicely for the most part. The boat is protected if it grounds, the board extracts like a miniteman missile. It's just a good little system for what it does. No ropes or any mechanicals. I have a much longer and more precise board, but the boat works so well with the small one, I don't use the longer one for now.

 

Every one I've met with a short trunk has gotten water through it at one time or another, sometimes in waves with considerable velocity. While I think the attraction is having a more open cabin, at anchor with the board raised so you don't sail around you are the looking at the board anyway! Having the trunk up to the cabin roof can also ad support to the trunk and the deck over head. A hard core inshore racer might like saving the few pounds but for a overnighter having a dry bunk is huge for moral.

 

My boat sails around with the boards up! It never stops moving. So please tips on stopping that, and on lubing my bolt rope!

The water level dagger board slot makes a good bidet!

 

Use a bridle on the bows, out to the amas if you need to. Mine hunts around as the wind builds but tieing in another line (camel hitch) and spreading them out works. You might also see what happens with the rudder raised. My trailer sailor needed that approach. And finally bidet water powerwashing the cabin is , um , not really Bristol fashion......

 

I tried bridals and it wasn't effective. I have the boards up, and I have had them down. I will try to go for a wider bridle this year and hope for the best. Just getting the boat in the water this week for a month's sailing.

I'd love to see more pics of Kurt's boats. He has had some of the same photos of boats for 20 years. I was at his office one day, and there were three sales going through for big cat plans at the time. Yet I don't see many boats picttured and there is little youtube. Mostly I see his boats when there is a Hawaian golf tournament? So if you got one share them.

 

Hi Thom, I barnstorm an old Hedley Nicol Vagabond MK2 so no pictures of Kurt's boats just years of anchoring different things and watching others. Some people anchor off the stern. Have you ever tried a variation of a riding sail off the stern for drag, not thrust? The wider the bridle the better it works.

 

Thom,

If the bridal doesn't work, you can try doing the same thing people do on a monohull - fly a small triangle of sail off the backstay - an anchor riding sail. It'll keep you lined up with your anchor line, for the most part. It would reduce any serious yawing to acceptable levels.

I wish I had some pictures of a Kurt Hughes boat to share. There are a couple on yachtworld and some other sites that have boat listings. Only 2 for sale though. That amazes me, given the man is one of the busiest guys I know. There are currently 3 of his boats being built in and around FL that I know of. When I call for my supplies, people tell me they just sold the same thing to so-and-so.

I've noticed an interesting thing about the few business people from the Seattle(ish) area I've met and worked with:

They put nothing into marketing, but they are usually extremely good at what they do.

 

Hers's a pic that only just shows the bridle on Caiman's moorings.She also moves about on her mooring a bit,but not excessivly.The alternative to a steadying sail might be to trail a drogue of some kind?I think someone has suggested trailing a bucket?When anchored overnight,I usualy lift the foils and anchor as 'normal'.I have not had a problem yet,but it is still early days. I have had it in mind to make up an anchor bridle,but I reckon that I can improvise by tying two ropes to the anchor line using rolling hitches,take one rope out to the cleat on each ama,and then adjust all three lines so each bears an equal load.
Cheers

 

I've used a bridle on this and my previous tri and they have worked well.
One line to the bow of the main hull, the other to an ama just forward of the aka. The lines should be short and converge at a point that lays half way between the main hull and float and just a little forward.
This way the boat is slightly weather cocked which reduces the tendency to sail around and the pennant to the main hull cannot chafe the bowsprit bobstay.
ThomD. I was to take a photo of the motor mount for you, perhaps one of the mooring pennants if any one is interested?

 

Caiman, thanks for the info. I would love to see more photos of your boat, and also sailing video. There should really be more Kurt Video on youtube if you are so inclined

Jason, I'd love to see more pics all around. Part of my problem is I haven't as yet installed the forward cleats on the amas. I tied to the beams which is too far back on these boats

I'd also like to see deck hardware, I haven't installed much of that either. I take heart in the fact that Jules Verne types are using spectra cordage in place of hardware, and get by with tied on stuff. Some day I will need to grow up and install some harware!

 

One point, seems we all have sorta old version of these boats (or in my case the 24'). I bought the up to date plans for the 23, whoa! Really improved! Quite different considering it is the same boat. I would consider building it again the new one is so nice!

 

Thom D, whats changed between the version you built and the new one?

Pic of NZ built 23/24 (Idon't know how old this boat is) used primarily for racing it now sports a standard length GBE mast (about 11.4 metres IIRC).

 

ThomD, some pics of things lashed on with spectra.

Three pics are of the bow sprit.

The picture of the outboard end shows the bob stay (black), side stays and the screcher attachment strop. The stays have a mobius brummel splice on the end and are then luggage hitched around the tube. The webbing strop prevents the hitched lines from creeping down the tube. Forward of the stays is the spi tackline block and the spi halyard(green fleck).

I had intended to attach the bow sprit bob stay to the hull with a U bolt but due to the way the bow was constructed this was not possible. I drilled out a triangular hole, radiused the edges and reinforced the hole with strips of bias cut carbon forming a thimble. There is a length of plastic water pipe over the bob stay as chafe protection. The yellow line you can see on the stay is printed on the pipe.

Guy

 

Some other pics.
You can see the mooring bridle arrangement I described in an earlier post.
Also, ThomD, the motor mount.