Buccaneer 24 Builders Forum

Finally got the total weight of my boat. Totally loaded, including a deepcycle battery and trolling motor, mast, boom, etc. Ready to sail weight is 1620lbs. Heavier than I wanted, but lighter than I thought it would be.

 

Freddy I’m too lazy to go back through this huge thread, what ply and timber did you use and what was your target weight ? Or what weight would you have preferred it came out at ?
And, how much of the boat was sheathed in glass and what weight cloth ?
And what would you do differently?
Cheers,
RR

 

Well, I had heard the number 1400 bandied about. But I've got some 1/2 inch plywood in the floors and a few other places. The whole exterior is sheathed. 3oz I believe with double layer on bottoms. The only thing I'd do different is being a little neater with the epoxy. I'm not disappointed. Most if the ply was good lightweight marine ply. When i ran out I used 1/4 inch exterior grade which is much heavier. Mostly decks..

 

Mounted a solar panel yesterday. 100w. On the ama for now till I can build a rear mount.

 

Fred, you have done a nice job AND got it finished! You should be proud. Of course, now that you have done one you could certainly build a "better" one.
Get over it, just go sailing and have some fun.
Where do you sail? I know Kansas has plenty of wind, my parents were from the mid-west, mom from Kansas.
My boat, without a cabin, weighed about 1650 so you have done a pretty good job. Mine had quite a few repairs and heavy floats, yours is just fine.
Congratulations!!!
Bruce

 

Nice job Freddy. Good to see the newest B24 hit the water. Congratulations.

 

Thanks guys! Yeah, Bruce, yourey right. I could build a better one next time. But I doubt there will be a next time. I want to enjoy what I have. I have it moored at cheney reservoir, supposed to be best sailing lake in Kansas and only 20 minutes from my house!

 

Freddy, have you been for a sail yet ?

 

Yes. 3 times so far. Just in light winds. Got 8 knots once. But it seems there are issues. Lots of weather helm, I need a different rudder. Centerboard sticks, hard to move. Just using a trolling motor, its not enough. But when she gets moving it's a lot of fun!

 

Rudders! Fred, don't change anything until you post a pic of the rudder in sailing position and maybe a rig pic from the side. The 24 is really forgiving of mast position, but it is possible to have too much aft rake. Most likely the blade is swinging aft a little (even an inch is too much), and fixing the "weather" helm is nothing but a blade position issue. The forward bottom tip of the blade should be about an inch or a little more in front of the pintel axis. Raked forward. Properly adjusted, you will have a very light helm. All this assuming the dagger board is in a normal position and the sails are trimed.
B

 

Bruce, you nailed it. There is no rudder forward of the pintles. I used the rudder off the parts boat and modified it to swing up. It was a cassette style before. So I need to build one per the plans.

 

Rudder mod. Does your whole housing swing up or just the blade? Either can be modified, I have done both. The upper pintle can be spaced out from the housing, or the hole in the blade can be plugged and redrilled forward, which ever is appropriate. With any rudder combo, do not under estimate the forces on the lower pintle and its attachment to the hull. Most sport boats use a double lower pintle with a 1/2" pin or a double or single lower with a 1/2" rod through both upper and lower pintles. These boats are fast and really load up the rudder.
Bruce

 

What size outboard would push my buc? The trolling motor I'm using doesn't cut it. Had to get towed into the slip yesterday when the wind shifted against us. Btw, got her to 14mph yesterday! Very exciting!

 

Fast is fun!! Congrats!
Fred, I used both a 4 and a 5 hp two stroke mariner, and the current owner has a 6 hp merc two stroke. The 4 wasn't quite enough in over 15 kts of wind and waves.
The 5 always seemed enough, and so does the merc 6. All of them were propped about right. My Mariners weighed around 50 lbs, I think the 6 is around 65 lbs. The 2 strokes were light, simple and powerful, but good ones are getting hard to find. I guess if I had to buy new now, I would get a tahatsu 6hp four stroke, but the added weight would be noticed. If I were racing, I would find a two stroke.
B

 

Fred, a little add on to my post. When I leave and return to my marina, it is almost always under power, due to the prevailing wind. Heading out is mostly dead up wind with very little tacking room so often motoring out and then raising the sails is the only safe option. If I were single handing, I would have a jib rolled on the furler and the main with lazy jacks ready to go up. I would use the autopilot to hold the boat into the wind while I raised the main, then shut down the engine. I had to reverse the process coming back in as there is not enough space to turn and stop the Buc when it is under sail. My main is larger than yours - a tall fat head with full battens, so it probably has more drag and might need more power. My auto pilot needs a few knots forward speed to keep the boat under control, so that is what I based my engine needs on. The 4hp could motor at over 6kts with the sails down and smooth water, but could not maintain enough speed forward into 15-18 kts of wind and waves with the main up. I used a 3.5 hp to push the boat around the marina in light air, but it could not hold the bow into the wind even in fairly modest wind. Any location that has any current would also up the needs. A 5 or 6hp will give you a max speed of 6.8-7.1 kts with a comfortable cruise of just over 6 kts in most conditions while burning about half a gallon an hour. I usually used a 3 gallon remote tank.
Bruce