Buccaneer 24 Builders Forum

mogsnz
Welcome and thanks for dropping in, I hope you hang around join in.

 

Look at that clean wake, OS7; crossing the Firth of Thames to Coromandel.
Cleaned up the image a little, Morgan, hope you don't mind.
Have some nervous times on my hands, worrying a little about Sid and Groucho in this north-easterly blow, checked lines just before dark, now just have to wait. Wing masts are marvelous things - but when it blows and the mooring dries out .... ??

 

getting the cabin pieced together!

 

Cheers Gary, I hope your toys stay upright through this weather, it's gusting over 50 at Tiri just now.

That photo was taken on a reach back from Elephant Cove back to Colville Bay. We were matching my uncle's Echo/GBE-II carrying a symmetrical spinnaker.

Perfect sailing day.

 

looks like a boat! I'm interested to see details of how the parts go together round gunnels.As example, I see rail goes down sides into cabin area, is there false floor on the bunk areas there to cover all that? or inside is that the floor and theres a lip inside.


Barry

 

Barry,
I think what you're seeing is where I am planning on a catwalk area to the front. That rail is where it'll be fastened. It only goes in so far and not past the crossbeam tube.The photo may be misleading because I have not trimmed the floor back yet. I've been putting the rear together and haven't got far on the front yet. As slow as I'm going, I'm not expecting to be on the water this summer after all. Looks like next summer, for sure. Got my wife semi-convinced on a sail to the bahamas, but I wonder if the Buc is a big enough boat for that.

 

Not from Kansas! Lol

But I think I see what you mean now on rail


Barry

 

Question about rigging a B24: Why is it better for the job tracks to be low on the cabin side versus on the cabin roof? Seems like on the side you wouldn't be able to pull the jib in as tight? Or does one not want to go that tight and the lower position is more favorable?

 

track angle

Fred, I have tried most all possible jib track angles with multiple different jibs and about 9 degrees seems to be the sweet spot, where ever the tracks fall. My 155% works best at about 8 1/2 degrees, all the others a little more open. If you have your sails made to order, you can use very short track sections fore and aft, or even run short pieces across the boat like some of the current race boats do. Eighteen inch long pieces are plenty if they are properly located. In my experience it is practical to barber haul out for heavy air and/or off wind points of sail but the lead angles and loads don't usually allow much in-hauling on our boats. My 24's self tacking blade is on a cross track just in front of the mast (I don't have lower stays), and I adjust it for the conditions, but it is often set at about 9 degrees also. Since I often raced against a tight one design fleet of Melges 24s, I had ample comparisons when I made changes.
Draw a line on your plans from the forestay and come as close as possible on your boat.
B

 

Thanks Bruce, that's what I needed to know.

Fred

 

more track info

Fred, after trying several different jib combinations, I limited my inventory of jibs to three. I have a Harken roller furler so any of them can be roller reefed if necessary in a pinch. My self tacking jib and a 115% blade both have vertical battens. I have a three to one car on the self tacking car, I use a two to one system for the 115% with small blocks on the clew, and the 155% has a standup block on the genoa track way aft with a turning "foot" block behind it to get a good lead to my winches. I usually don't need to use the winches for the smaller jibs, but the 115% is led to them when necessary. I had the most trial and error with the 115% but when correct, it is a good all purpose sail. I only use the 155% when racing or showing off. I expect your boat will be a little less powered up since my main is larger, but the basic set up will still be "Buc 24" since the hulls are the same. All the jibs need to be heavy duty compared to mono sails for about the same sizes, the 24 has a large righting moment and uses its sails hard. The jibs should be cut to allow for more headstay sag than usual with monos and/or backstay equipped boats.
B

 

Would there be an advantage to rigging a backstay on a buc?

 

Malcolm Cheadle rigged a tensioning strop to the sidestays (Miranda was altered from masthead to 3/4 rig and had rotating mast - but you could do same with fixed masthead too); you tightened the windward one which pulled the stay aft and tightened headstay, reduced headsail sag - and also acted somewhat like a backstay setup but without the floppy line(s) attached to transom.

 

Backstay?

Fred, I can't imagine why you would want a backstay on a 24. They were designed without one, work fine as is, and as Gary has suggested, the side stays can have a simple tackle system added if you should want/need them. I use a powered up mainsheet/traveler set up that keeps the headstay tight when I need it. A backstay limits or complicates using a fat head or square top main, and the stock 24 can really use the extra sail area.
I removed the backstay on my 33 and shifted my side stays back on the floats, (just like the 24), added the tackle adjusters, and so far, it is all working great. With low stretch synthetic side stays, the forestay stays really tight, even with my 390sq ft genoa.
B

 

worse case couldn't one just rig up a limiter, that way you'll "feel" comfortable with something on boom, i.e. helping mast, and you get to free up some cockpit space at times.

Barry