David Tyler wrote:

If that high AR rig were to be dropped into the Galion 22, it would go right through the centre of the forehatch.

Ouch,

the curved, 45-degree hatch is not a nice place for this :/

I was hoping to be able to put the mast through the straight foredeck, even if it means a lower AR. Anyway, I would like to be able to find out the CE of the bermudan rig with the 160-180% genoa, but I don't know how to do this.

Thanks Arne,

one nice thing considering the mast placement is the placement of the forehatch: it will stay usable and be loctaed behind the mast, for safe mast operations at sea (if needed, hopefully not). The foredeck has strengthening stringers at the sides, leaving the center lots of straight platform for strengthening.

A photo of the foredeck here.

The boat itself seems not only very seaworthy, but also very fast. I sailed with my 12-year old daughter from Västerås, Sverige to Rauma, Finland in five days - with only one sailing night. And the route includes motoring a long way through Stockholm.

One possible difficulty in the conversion (at this point) might be finding the CE of the bermudan rig. So far it seems that the balance is at its best with the no 1 genoa - which is very big, 180%.

There is no inboard left, which at the plus side gives a big storage space. Some kind of an easy, cheap and self-made wind pilot is a must, and the outboard makes it indeed more difficult.

I write for profession (I'm a journalist), so writing for leisure feels too often as working... but on the other hand I feel I have an obligation to do an article, because I have (already) had so much valuable help from the community. However, I wasn't wise enough to take many photos of the work on the sail and the boat, so the article would be mostly text :/

I now have a new boat for a JR conversion next autumn-spring period, and after that hopefully a boat to fulfill my needs for a long time.

I bought the Galion 22 and sailed it some 250 nautical miles home, including lake and sea passages plus many kinds of wnd conditions with some rough weather, an eye of a thunder plus the most beautiful sailing night I could ever imagine.

The boat is even more to my taste than I thought it would be. I really love the hull form and the space of the cabin for the size of the boat. The rudder feels very powerful, too, and the foredeck is like it's made for a JR conversion. With a 50% ballast ratio and an offshore-spirited hull, the Galion was a very good companion in hard wind and (in terms of my sailing waters) big waves.

The long sail also made it clear that I have lost my heart to the JR. Galion has a sailplan that relies on the big genoa. It works beautifully in headwinds, but collapses very soon when turning to reach - which means a need for a headsail boom (not good for a singlehander). In changing conditions the sailplan also means lots of fiddling with the change of foresails.

So a JR it will be, and maybe the first one on a Galion 22? I will sail the BR for the rest of the season to get more experience e.g. on the balance, and will start planning in the autumn. 

By way of comparison: Weaverbird, a Hunter Duette 23 has a quoted displacement of 1100 kg, ballast ratio of 55%.

I've just come back to Ravenglass in one passage from Northern Ireland, past the Mull of Kintyre and Point of Ayre in F6. It's the seas caused by strong currents around headlands combined with strong winds like these that do the most damage, I find, not oceanic seas (I broke a hinge in the top sheeted batten). But I was not at all concerned about the integrity of the hull. These Sonata/Duette hulls were lightly, but strongly, built, with alternate layers of woven roving and chopped strand mat, and although the hull is noisy in big seas, there's no lack of rigidity, due to the top hat stringers.  

I've downsized from an 8 tonne boat to a 1 tonne boat, so the big adjustment I've had to make is the much quicker motion in a seaway. I guess that, moving in the opposite direction, you'll find a 22ft boat to be steady and comfortable.

My feeling is that you have to go with what you feel comfortable with.  If you are someone who becomes crazy with frustration when boats the same size as you sail past, or when the boat speed drops to 2 knots, or when other people are boasting of their fast passages, then you need something with good performance.  On the other hand, if you think you will lie in your berth worrying about a light hull's integrity on a cold and stormy night, then you'd be better with something more solid.  The decision is often an emotional one more than a rational one.  I know I found my 34ft relatively light, plywood boat much more reassuring in heavy weather than the 35ft steel boat I sailed on later, which most people would find profoundly illogical.

In this life, you hardly ever know if you made the better of two decisions, so don't agonise too long!