Anonymous wrote:

David, we bought a 37.5 foot Benford Dory in Mexico in September. By the previous owner's admission the boat sailed poorly with very heavy weather helm, inability to sail through the eye of the wind and poor windward performance. To remedy these problems we followed the example of Zebedee, and left NZ with this intention before we had even seen the boat. Several months later, and still in Mexico, we have begun test sailing the boat with 12% camber in fore sail and 10% in the main sail, top and bottom end plates on an NACA0012 profiled rudder, and a feathering Kiwi prop. 

The boat does not feel any more tender than it did previously and it’s performance now feels satisfyingly lively. The boat sailed well to windward with little weather helm and tacked reliably with two panels reefed down. This has only been in flat water at the mouth of Guaymas Harbour, the acid test will be sailing in the short steep waves of the Sea of Cortez.

We are happy with developments thus far but have doubts about the relative robustness of the wooden battens. We would like to replace the battens some day but Mexico’s paucity of resources make this difficult presently. Overall, the more lively performance seems to have been worth the hard work. 

If you are interested, our blog sailingtaiko.blogspot.com will, hopefully, soon contain more details about our experience sail making and more on the boat’s performance.

Martin

Hi Martin, nice to meet you thru the forum.  I remember your boat was for sale.  Congratulations!

Zebedee seems the benchmark for sure.  Alan is very generous by email to my million questions.  Plus Annie has sailed Zeb so gives great feedback.

My rudder already has the preferred forward balance area and not a bad foil shape....we shall see.

Let's stay in touch, my email is in my profile.  I will def follow your blog.

David.

David, we bought a 37.5 foot Benford Dory in Mexico in September. By the previous owner's admission the boat sailed poorly with very heavy weather helm, inability to sail through the eye of the wind and poor windward performance. To remedy these problems we followed the example of Zebedee, and left NZ with this intention before we had even seen the boat. Several months later, and still in Mexico, we have begun test sailing the boat with 12% camber in fore sail and 10% in the main sail, top and bottom end plates on an NACA0012 profiled rudder, and a feathering Kiwi prop. 

The boat does not feel any more tender than it did previously and it’s performance now feels satisfyingly lively. The boat sailed well to windward with little weather helm and tacked reliably with two panels reefed down. This has only been in flat water at the mouth of Guaymas Harbour, the acid test will be sailing in the short steep waves of the Sea of Cortez.

We are happy with developments thus far but have doubts about the relative robustness of the wooden battens. We would like to replace the battens some day but Mexico’s paucity of resources make this difficult presently. Overall, the more lively performance seems to have been worth the hard work. 

If you are interested, our blog sailingtaiko.blogspot.com will, hopefully, soon contain more details about our experience sail making and more on the boat’s performance.

Martin

Anonymous wrote:

Christopher,

does you boat have the modified rudder with endplates on it?
If yes, could give us a short before-and-after description?

A.

Hello Arne - I had the opportunity to sail Tony's daughter's Freedom which did indeed have rudder endplates to your specs and as in your earlier photo (which was the Freedom without the centreboard). There was a significant difference in steering. Acceleration into the turn and deceleration once counter rudder was applied was better.

The Freedom with endplates had different gearing from wheel to rudder (less turn to hardover which I tried to take into account. Also the hull may be slightly different as she was moulded in the USA. My Freedom was moulded in UK.

It reminded me a bit of driving my first car with rack and pinion steering.

Christopher,

does your boat have the modified rudder with endplates on it?
If yes, could give us a short before-and-after description?

A.

Anonymous wrote:

David,

although I usually keep nagging about adding camber, I agree with David Ty. and his three stages.

That said...

·         I don’t buy any argument that a tender boat is better off with flat sails. I have sailed for so long with fairly big sails and some camber, that reefing has become second nature. I bet, on my last boat, Frøken Sørensen, I was down on one reef or more, at least half of the time  -  and that was during inshore daytrips. I never regarded the boat as over-rigged, but was glad I could hoist an extra panel in light winds.
Same with my present Ingeborg. First panel is dropped in the lower half of F4.
So, to me, reefing early is the answer, not degrading the JR with flat panels.

·         I am sceptical to wooden battens. Wood is too stiff and heavy compared to its strength, in my view. The problem is the shock-load put on them at the end of a sudden half-long gybe. The tubular, thin-walled aluminium battens can take such loads much better: The combination of light weight, flexibility and strength therefore makes them more suited for battens (just like bamboo).

Arne

PS;
As for steering problems with Freedoms: Some have already improved their steering by simply adding an endplate on the rudder.

I'm in full agreement with Arne. My previous boat LC (a tender boat) had generous amounts of camber and she schooled many a pretender....