I am curious why a transom hung rudder gets the highest score. Is it due to better tracking? In my experience they can also be more of a handful when things get really sporty.
My Cape Dory 22 with keel hung rudder is very easy to manage and less fatiguing to hand steer than boats I have owned with transom hung rudders.
Perhaps they generally can go in shallower water (kick up) and are beachable? One could argue they are less exposed in a grounding and are easier to repair? You have to take this test with a grain of salt! There are a lot of assumptions/biases in both the design of the test and the test taker! Heck, there’s 20 points in your own judgement of your skills, ten points in your perception of quality construction, and 18 points in safety gear on board.
C&L 16 (Wayfarer). 111. Only oar auxiliary power. I can carry an outboard but I consider it a serious liability as the main sheet can easily get fouled on it and cause a capsize. I’ve sailed in sustained 25 mph winds (per weather report) in camp/cruising trim more than once (unfortunately). Used the roller reefing boom main reefed with the head at the height of the fractional forestay (any lower and the leech let the end of the boom hit the transom). The roller reefing jib couldn’t be reefed safely/reliably in those winds so we kept it full. Made it to windward just fine except that I was surprised the main didn’t tear as we had to luff it substantially. Despite a foredeck, spray rail, and side decks I still had to bail periodically. Waves and spray came over front quarter. Self bailers don’t really work in bigger seas and weighed down with camping gear. I do have to move gear from under the bow deck to the aft locker in such conditions to keep the bow light.
I am very impressed with the boat’s ability to go to windward and handle fairly steep seas despite its very high SA/D ratio of 42 (29 with 300lbs of people/gear). I think my Achilles heel is the very long main sheet (a lot of purchase). I imagine eventually it will get fouled on something and prevent me from easing the main quickly enough.
Despite loving the boat I am on the search for a 17ish foot cabin equipped sailboat with outboard. I’d love to be able to drop sail and motor thru rough conditions and to get out of the weather. The V & M Siren is on the top of my list as it still has a decent SA/D and is fully beachable.
This is a great article and quiz/list, and needs reading by any serious sailor. I was so fortunate to have a seaworthy boat when I sailed from Hawaii to California - we went through one really really bad storm as if it was a sunny day in the park. Well, not really - it was cold and dark and scary as all get out, but we made it through easily because we had checked off all the points and more. Otherwise I'd be down smoking something with Davy Jones right now!
Kayaks can be very seaworthy in capable hands. But their survivability can be lowered if they do not have bulkheads fore and aft of the cockpit (I have known boats with only a rear bulkhead that go vertical if swamped (we call that "Cleopatra's needle"); if the cockpit is very large and open (such as with many department store boats), if they are so broad of beam that the paddler can't hold them upright when encountering a beam sea; if they lack means of locking in the paddler's knees and thighs thus making a roll problematic or impossible, and making it generally difficult to to control the boat; if they lack solid and properly adjusted foot braces; if they have a hull shape that makes steering impossible without a functional keg or rudder (I have known such boats, that are impossible to control if the rudder should fail); if they have excessive freeboard thus making them overly susceptible to wind forces; if their hull shape should lack strong secondary stability (which should come into play when the boat is heeled); if there is no spare paddle at hand incase of a lost or broken paddle; and, of course, the paddler should be wearing a wetsuit (at minimum) or dry suit, which is much preferred); and there should be the usual means of summoning help--flares and handheld VHF, especially one that incorporates GPS so that rescuers can pinpoint your location.
Note: inflated flotation bags, or dry bags filled with lightweight stuff such as clothing, can supply the needed reserve bouyancy, but should be secured in the boat so they can't come loose in case of a capsize, which they have been known to do.
Directional stability can be predicted by looking at hull shape: a full (convex) waterline at the stern implies a boat that will be almost impossible to hold on a course without a rudder; whereas a hollow (concave) waterline at the stern will provide directional stability. I have owned a kayak with a full waterline aft which was extremely difficult to steer without rudder. And I have known of boats built from popular plans and kits with this fault. A friend built one, and ended up selling it after trying it out on a wilderness trip (Vancouver Island outer coast). I won't name the purveyor of this kit. You can also identify a hull like that by looking at the stern keel profile; if it sweeps up in an arc. it is probably going to have a full waterline aft.
About rudders: most kayaks with rudders come with sliding foot pegs. This isn't a problem unless a steering cable should break. Better that the peg pivot rather than slide. Gives a much solider foot brace. Retractable skegs have become popular. These can be very good, but are susceptible to jamming (in the slot) when launching off a gravelly beach, in which case you may have to ask a fellow paddler to come to your aid, or land again to deal with it.
152 for a Potter 15. "Average seaworthiness for medium and large boats"...I guess that's pretty good for a midget. Upgraded with a thicker SS centerboard. NO cockpit lockers, and aft cuddy to keep all "movable ballast" up forward when in the cockpit.
Thanks for posting this. I've been long impressed with John Vigor's writings. Check out "10-Small Boats to take you Anywhere". I especially respect his chapter on "Think Inverted". Very worthwhile reading.
I am curious why a transom hung rudder gets the highest score. Is it due to better tracking? In my experience they can also be more of a handful when things get really sporty.
My Cape Dory 22 with keel hung rudder is very easy to manage and less fatiguing to hand steer than boats I have owned with transom hung rudders.
I know one of our considerations was the accessibility of a potentially damaged rudder for repair.
Perhaps they generally can go in shallower water (kick up) and are beachable? One could argue they are less exposed in a grounding and are easier to repair? You have to take this test with a grain of salt! There are a lot of assumptions/biases in both the design of the test and the test taker! Heck, there’s 20 points in your own judgement of your skills, ten points in your perception of quality construction, and 18 points in safety gear on board.
C&L 16 (Wayfarer). 111. Only oar auxiliary power. I can carry an outboard but I consider it a serious liability as the main sheet can easily get fouled on it and cause a capsize. I’ve sailed in sustained 25 mph winds (per weather report) in camp/cruising trim more than once (unfortunately). Used the roller reefing boom main reefed with the head at the height of the fractional forestay (any lower and the leech let the end of the boom hit the transom). The roller reefing jib couldn’t be reefed safely/reliably in those winds so we kept it full. Made it to windward just fine except that I was surprised the main didn’t tear as we had to luff it substantially. Despite a foredeck, spray rail, and side decks I still had to bail periodically. Waves and spray came over front quarter. Self bailers don’t really work in bigger seas and weighed down with camping gear. I do have to move gear from under the bow deck to the aft locker in such conditions to keep the bow light.
I am very impressed with the boat’s ability to go to windward and handle fairly steep seas despite its very high SA/D ratio of 42 (29 with 300lbs of people/gear). I think my Achilles heel is the very long main sheet (a lot of purchase). I imagine eventually it will get fouled on something and prevent me from easing the main quickly enough.
Despite loving the boat I am on the search for a 17ish foot cabin equipped sailboat with outboard. I’d love to be able to drop sail and motor thru rough conditions and to get out of the weather. The V & M Siren is on the top of my list as it still has a decent SA/D and is fully beachable.
Siren 17 scores 146 with outboard and similar provisioning.
175, but at 23ft 7in Deja Vu is on the upper end of the small boat spectrum.
This is a great article and quiz/list, and needs reading by any serious sailor. I was so fortunate to have a seaworthy boat when I sailed from Hawaii to California - we went through one really really bad storm as if it was a sunny day in the park. Well, not really - it was cold and dark and scary as all get out, but we made it through easily because we had checked off all the points and more. Otherwise I'd be down smoking something with Davy Jones right now!
Scored 142 for my Com-Pac Sun Cat. Great article.
Kayaks can be very seaworthy in capable hands. But their survivability can be lowered if they do not have bulkheads fore and aft of the cockpit (I have known boats with only a rear bulkhead that go vertical if swamped (we call that "Cleopatra's needle"); if the cockpit is very large and open (such as with many department store boats), if they are so broad of beam that the paddler can't hold them upright when encountering a beam sea; if they lack means of locking in the paddler's knees and thighs thus making a roll problematic or impossible, and making it generally difficult to to control the boat; if they lack solid and properly adjusted foot braces; if they have a hull shape that makes steering impossible without a functional keg or rudder (I have known such boats, that are impossible to control if the rudder should fail); if they have excessive freeboard thus making them overly susceptible to wind forces; if their hull shape should lack strong secondary stability (which should come into play when the boat is heeled); if there is no spare paddle at hand incase of a lost or broken paddle; and, of course, the paddler should be wearing a wetsuit (at minimum) or dry suit, which is much preferred); and there should be the usual means of summoning help--flares and handheld VHF, especially one that incorporates GPS so that rescuers can pinpoint your location.
Note: inflated flotation bags, or dry bags filled with lightweight stuff such as clothing, can supply the needed reserve bouyancy, but should be secured in the boat so they can't come loose in case of a capsize, which they have been known to do.
Directional stability can be predicted by looking at hull shape: a full (convex) waterline at the stern implies a boat that will be almost impossible to hold on a course without a rudder; whereas a hollow (concave) waterline at the stern will provide directional stability. I have owned a kayak with a full waterline aft which was extremely difficult to steer without rudder. And I have known of boats built from popular plans and kits with this fault. A friend built one, and ended up selling it after trying it out on a wilderness trip (Vancouver Island outer coast). I won't name the purveyor of this kit. You can also identify a hull like that by looking at the stern keel profile; if it sweeps up in an arc. it is probably going to have a full waterline aft.
About rudders: most kayaks with rudders come with sliding foot pegs. This isn't a problem unless a steering cable should break. Better that the peg pivot rather than slide. Gives a much solider foot brace. Retractable skegs have become popular. These can be very good, but are susceptible to jamming (in the slot) when launching off a gravelly beach, in which case you may have to ask a fellow paddler to come to your aid, or land again to deal with it.
Great article. Really enjoyed that. Scored 113 for a half-decked Caledonia Yawl - would be interested to know how others with the CY scored.
152 for a Potter 15. "Average seaworthiness for medium and large boats"...I guess that's pretty good for a midget. Upgraded with a thicker SS centerboard. NO cockpit lockers, and aft cuddy to keep all "movable ballast" up forward when in the cockpit.
Thanks for posting this. I've been long impressed with John Vigor's writings. Check out "10-Small Boats to take you Anywhere". I especially respect his chapter on "Think Inverted". Very worthwhile reading.