Editorial
Analysis of a Capsize - more views
Ventilation, Motors, Sails and things
One being built at home
News from Antigua, West Indies
Mainly about Rating Rules
Cat Chat
Another season ended, and another Boat Show almost upon us. Its also time for another newsletter. Were just a wee bit disappointed by the response to our reply slip in the last newsletter. As a result we still dont know how many of our newsletters are going astray, and we still dont know how many of those who do get them really wish to have them. We have reprinted the reply slip in this issue, so if you didnt remember to return it last time please do so NOW. We can then make the decision as to whether or not it is worthwhile continuing to produce the newsletter - we shall be very pleased to do so if we can be sure that owners would like it to continue - and if we can be sure that we are sending them to the right places of course,
Reg White tells us that he has booked the venue for the now traditional Iroquois owners get together on the first Friday of the Boat Show. It will be at the Hotel Eden, 27 Barrington Gardens, London, SW7 4JT. Tel: 01-3706161. A sketch map is provided on the back page for those who havent got an A to Z and we've put it next to the reply slip so that you dont forget that either.
It's also the occasion for the AGM of the Iroquois Owners Association so come along to air your news and vote for the officers you think will provide you with a lively active association (and editors for your newsletter if you wish). If you cant get to the meeting write to us with your views and votes and well see they're brought forward.
Just one more date to remember before we let you get on with reading the interesting bits of the newsletter the MOCRA Annual General Meeting at the Little Ship Club Ltd., Bell Wharf Lane, London, ECa on Monday, 7th January 1974. That gives you just Saturday and Sunday to get over the Iroquois do, which, just in case I forgot to mention it before is on FRIDAY, 4th JANUARY at HOTEL EDEN.
See you there!
Harry Faulkner
1. from Mike Ellison who skippered the Mark 1 Round Britain winner in 1966.
Many thanks for the newsletter, I am always interested in progress so please continue to send them.
Regarding Nick Keig's inversion, I spoke to him about it in January and I am still convinced that having the lee side plates down is a major factor. The area of the plate low down in solid water trips the yacht over. The only benefit of low aspect ratio keels is that they don't go deep enough to cause a capsize. When sailing to the limit in rough conditions I still recommend lifting the lee side plate and accepting the extra leeway.
Reg White and others instructed me to bear away when the hull lifts EXCEPT when close hauled. No one has been able to define the point at which one is to luff up (close hauled) or bear away (close reach) but some practice with a sailing dinghy or a discussion with a tornado helm might be useful.
Michael Ellison,
Amateur Yacht Research Society,
Newbury, Berks.
2. from John Holter
My thoughts on Nick Keig's report are that I am a bit of a chicken sailor. I have only raised a hull on one occasion. I do believe that to bear off is the wrong approach. My cat has a little weather helm to begin with and responds much faster up wind than off. Also a well heeled boat has its mast head in about the centre of the turning circle so this position cannot add centrifugal force to a righting moment. The windward hull yes - but it in traveling rather slowly for this to be of much help. I think a wind speed indicator with adjustable alarm would be the best and least likely to go astray. Crew position is important as you have pointed out in your simple analysis of the problem.
A few months ago I sailed my Petito Amie Mark I from St. John, US Virgin Islands to Northern Chesapeak Bay area. About 2,000 miles via Florida. A wonderful cruise. I am continually impressed with the excellent design and performance of the craft. Naturally there are, and have been, a few problems, but none serious. After nearly seven years of hard sailing I have yet to see any cracking or indication of structural weakness. Also I like to give credit where it is due on instruments. The rather inexpensive Seafarer depth indicator continues to function perfectly, after a few battery replacements, during all of this time. The original Sea Horse sails were badly cut. They were re-cut and re-sewn completely and a lower full length batten installed. Since then, they have been excellent.
John Holter,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
3. from Bernard Schaverien
I was fascinated to read the analysis of a capsize in the current Iroquois Owners Newsletter and your comments. It may be of interest to recount an incident that occurred about two years ago on a Mark II.
We were cruising in the West Country and on visiting the River Yealm were persuaded by the harbourmaster to enter the race round the Eddystone Light. The initial leg was a very close fetch to the lighthouse, the helmsman was an experienced monohull sailor, but had no experience with cats. We were carrying full main and 150% Genoa. The wind was approximately the top end of four to five and about half way to the Eddystone we were hit by a squall during which time the wind rose to about Force six. This is a guess, since we had no anemometer on board. The gust at the end of the squall seemed substantially stronger and lifted the weather hull. Not being used to cats, our helm luffed her and we then found that we had no wake on the windward side. In other words it had lifted the rudder clear and also the centreboard.
I shouted to the man on the Genoa to release the sheet which he did immediately, as by then the boat had reached a fairly steep angle by this time, I was able by purchasing myself against the cockpit coaming to shove the helm up together with the helmsman. The reaction was immediate, the boat came down to the water and accelerated rapidly.
From this experience, I would disagree with the comment you made as Editor's comment. Not only on empirical grounds of having corrected a potential capsize, but also for the following reasons.
As a rule, I think you will find it extremely difficult to lift a hull with the wind on the beam even if the tails are sheeted in hard. Thus only when the speed of the boat is low does the force being applied to the sails tend to a greater extent to tilt the boat and a lesser extent to driving it through the water. The effect of bearing away is to increase the speed and thus reduce the turning moment, on the sails, and in my view this has nothing to do with centrifugal force, real or imaginary. The effect of releasing the sheets has a similar result in directly reducing the turning moment applied to the boat.
I would suggest that since, in order to correct the relatively dangerous situation, one needs to be able to release the largest sail quickly, as that in the Mark II, where your largest sail is likely to be the foresail, there is no problem as the jib sheets are easily freed. For a Mark I however, it may be sensible to attach the main sheet to the slider by some sort of quick release know, for example a slippery hitch or a blackwall hitch, rather than by shackles.
Bernard Schaverien
Northwood, Middx.
Well, there you are, that's three views to be going on with. Any more?
Harry Faulkner
After 10 years of sailing dinghies and a monohull cruiser-racer, I decided to change to a catamaran to enable me to cruise at a faster speed during my limited weekends. I weighed up every detail of design of the boat very carefully and finally changed very little. Ventilation was obviously poor so I fitted ventilators in the forward hatches, a small 3" to 4" hole cut in the forward bulkhead and a submarine hatch fitted. When left open a draught rushes through into the cabin. All interior doors are left open and roof ventilators, I do not get condensation or dampness inside even after a full winters sailing.
As usual I undertook sail design on my Iroquois, the main I made as standard camber 14:1 Genoa 270 sq feet and stretch luff foot and leach low cut and very full and 1 Jib 220 sq feet and a 2nd jib 180 sq feet all lead to a sliding fair lead on the coach roof and works admirably. The boat points amazingly high.
A point on which there has been much controversy - engines. Mine is a Johnson 40, extra long shaft, with standard work prop. The boat should be trimmed with minimum transom in the water say maximum 2".
With my 6 year old engine I a using 1 gallon per hour at a speed of 6 knots in wind up to force 2. My maximum revs is 4,200 and when freshly anti-fouled clocked 10.1 knots; just prior to anti-fouling I obtained 8.2 knots maximum. My general average is 9.3 knots maximum at 4,200 revs. I calibrated my log at slack water over a measured 2½ miles i.e. 5 miles in all and obtained the petrol consumption by weighing my 5 gallon tank with a spring balance.
I am doing some single-handed sailing and would recommend this to all owners, you will certainly get to know your boat quickly. I have got tacking down to about 10 seconds and no winching.
When cruising I winched my fibreglass dinghy on board using the spinnaker poles. This is so easy my son can do this by himself.
Another point I do not like is the fresh water tanks after 2 months the water begins to taste. Below each flipper tap I have inserted a T junction with a shut off valve to these I attach an electric water pump, I prime with the flipper and can then empty electrically with the pump in 7 to 8 minutes. The tanks are sterilised with Milton once every 2 months. From past experience I have found a generator built into my outboard to be an expensive way of charging batteries and also quite useless if the battery is discharged and one cannot start the engine; thus my generator is a Honda E 300 giving 9 amps for normal charging and 220 volts for household appliances. I back charge through the normal wiring from a socket in the cockpit locker this socket is a useful source of power for compass lights, etc. It is a standard household 3 pin socket and switch which I have waterproofed with silicone rubber solution.
I would suggest members writing in with their problems - some interesting answers might result.
John V. Peacock,
Prestbury, Cheshire
Since the Iroquois Owner's Association meeting last January, my sailing has been nil. The building company (proprietor, designer, craftsman - yours truly) has however finally been freed for action (home decorations now being complete).
"Kawa" has been fitted out as a workshop and outside work is progressing satisfactorily with all rubbing strakes now in place and work proceeding on teak stem - my wife says they make her look like a Wharram cat. This will be followed up by twin Samson posts let into the floors of the sail lockers and secured for vertical movement when they pass through the deck immediately aft of the forward beam.
I do not plan any radical interior changes but am determined to stick to traditional deck fittings in so far as is compatible with cats and safe sailing, with Eric Hiscock and Pat Boyd as my guides.
You ask however for a short note about sailing activities. May I therefore through the medium of your newsletter consider taking a fairly unskilled, but keen, Iroquois owner along on the next Whiskey race or whatever - I'll bring the whiskey. Seriously, if it's not an imposition I would very much appreciate the opportunity to familiarise myself with sailing an Iroquois, before I have to do it for myself, hopefully next year.
Doug Mackay
Sevenoaks, Kent
"Sagitoo" Mark I no. 43 did well in Antigua Sailing Week, May 6th - 12th, an international event which this year attracted 50 yachts, mostly of the racing classes, but also including some large cruising/racers. There were only four multihulls and "Sagitoo" won all the races in this class. Handicap problems of course prevented her from being given an overall place, but she made herself quite conspicuous by invariably being among the large and fast yachts and the winners. Also by her surprising ability to windward.
The credit for this is due to her 16 year old Antiguan skipper (I myself was unable to take part) and his teenage Antiguan crew. He seems to have licked the problem of getting a cat to go to windward.
"Sagitoo" is normally the only Iroquois in this neck of the woods, but in May of this year she was joined briefly by "Chat Botte", Mark II no. 148. Since July of last year when he took delivery, Jean Allard her owner has cruised the Mediterranean and North Coast of Africa as far as Dacca, and crossed the Atlantic, taking 23 days from the Canary Islands to Martinique including 5 days of calms, all single-handed.
He is now heading for Quebec by way of Bermuda or the Bahamas and New York.
Sailing Week being over, "Sagitoo" will now revert to her usual occupation of cruising among the islands of the Eastern Caribbean and taking occasional day charters out of Antigua.
For the informal races which are held here almost every week, with no entrance fees and no prizes or publicity, the Antigua Yacht Club have given "Sagitoo" an arbitrary handicap based on her normal performance in local conditions vis a vis other local yachts just to keep interest up.
I realise that this cannot be done in a large international event and I am not complaining. Monohulls and multihulls are too dissimilar in performance to be linked by any handicap system in serious racing. But what about multihull versus multihull. Is there any valid handicap system which can be applied? I am sure there must be one and I would like to know. This year, all four multihulls were "local" and we applied no handicap. But as this Antigua Sailing Week grows, some racing multihulls may well be attracted and we should be ready to apply a handicap.
We have a 12 month sailing season in the Eastern Caribbean with a permanent Easterly Trade Wind of 15 knots (plus or minus 5) and a chain of islands 400 miles long stretching north and south.
There would be no need for an engine at all were it not for the fact that some of the mountainous islands (4,000' - 5,000') cast a wind shadow which is sometimes impenetrable under sail.
The islands average 20 miles long and the ocean passages between them (where it is rough) also average 20 miles.
The temperature, both sea and air, day and night, winter and summer, is 80oF (plus or minus 5). When the visibility falls below 20 miles it is considered poor. Fog is unknown.
The winter months are the tourist season when "Sagitoo" with her 16 year old local skipper and teenage crew, earns her living (hopefully) by day charters from the hotels in Antigua.
The summer months, although equally attractive, are almost tourist free. This is the time for cruising, but there are also occasional Race Weeks in some of the islands to keep "Sagitoo" 'on her toes'.
I have just returned from a 3 day trip to Barbuda, a large and almost uninhabited island, completely surrounded by white sandy beaches and coral reefs. The object was fish, to be brought back and sold in Antigua. The fish had to be salted and dried in the sun (for lack of refrigeration). The lobsters lived in a fish trap, and the conches lived in their shells until just before starting back. All were collected in about 40' of water, the fish by speargun, the lobsters by noose and the conches just picked up by hand. The boys are expert divers. "Sagitoo" lay in knee-deep water, with her awning spread, secured to a small bush on a pale pink sandy beach. The stars shone brightly, and Hollywood never dreamed up anything so exotic.
Capt W L M Brown
Antigua, West Indies
What a vision of paradise that conjures up. Just the place for next January's AGM - must have a word with Reg about it.
So Jean Allard made it after all. You may remember in last Autumn's newsletter I mentioned meeting up with Jean in St Peter Port and hearing of his ambitious plans. He hadn't then intended to round off six months of sailing with a single-handed crossing of the Atlantic, but he must have collected some fascinating experiences on the way. It would be nice to have an article for the newsletter about them.
Harry Faulkner
It is not very long now before the Earl's Court Boat Show and the MOCRA AGM. What intrigues me is where people are going to put the boats that are sold to them at the Boat Show. I think it is almost impossible for anyone who wants to join the sailing fraternity, to find a berth on the South Coast, at any rate within striking distance of London and the South East.
When the MOCRA meeting comes along, I suppose that we shall have a report on how the Portsmouth Yardstick handicapping system has worked. Such a system cannot possibly be made to work fairly unless sufficient performance data can be produced before a Portsmouth number is issued to any boat, and this is where it can fall down badly. It is no use trying to assess a performance figure until after at least a dozen races have been run, and I would be interested to know what performance data was available, if any, before a number was alloted to the winner of the last Crystal Trophy Race.
It is all very well to run down the yardstick system like this, but what are the alternatives at our disposal.
The first obvious alternative is the sophisticated Californian rating system which the IYRU approved last year, when only in draft form, which seems rather odd, and which the RYA tried to foist on to MOCRA. We should of course be grateful to the RYA, because they got us off the ground to a good start, by organising the Crystal Trophy Race, way back in 1967, using a rating system for which they were largely responsible. Unfortunately, they seemed to think that MOCRA committee had agreed to the Californian rule, because MOCRA had two committee members on the RYA rating committee, simply watching points. Consequently, this Californian rule, designed by Vic Stern was so effectively thrown out by MOCRA at the last AGM, that I thought until recently that we had seen the last of it. However, I have just heard that Vic Stern has come to England and is going to try and explain it all to the MOCRA committee, and so we must obviously reserve judgment for the time being.
The only other alternative, of course, is to hash up our old RYA rating system, which could be modified in the light of experience gained over five years. In fact, that is what I thought was going to happen this season, after the two years standstill resolution was passed at the last AGM.
I understand that the next Crystal Trophy Race will be run before the Round the Island Race instead of after it, so that it will not clash with the start of the Round Britain Race. An interesting development might be to run the Crystal Trophy Race bi-annually, and run another race, starting and ending at Cowes, similar to the RORC Morgan Cup Race on the alternate years.
B A Passmore,
West Wittering, Sussex
The latest news that we have at the time of going to press is that the final draft of the IOMR as approved by the drafting committee of the International Yacht Racing Union should be available through MOCRA by the beginning of December. On the 10th December MOCRA will hold an open meeting for a general discussion of the draft.
Various points from letters received, with our apologies to those writing for the fact that space will not permit printing them in full, and with our hopes that we haven't cut out anything important.
From Pat Boyd, Chairman of the Iroquois Owner's Association
I would like to take up some points that seem to come up time and time again from new or prospective Iroquois owners:
Pyewacket returns to the orchard at Inholms Farm this winter for some jobs which really can be done better under cover and with heat and power at hand. Jobs like an irritating little leak behind the port centreboard case. The rubbing strakes need to get really dried out and given a lot of varnish. I need more water and petrol storage. The battery boxes must be removed from the petrol store and the main seat must properly convert into a double berth.
From D A H Hughes Clarke - Jakarta, Indonesia
New owner of "Teepee" (no. 155) in 1973. Currently resident in Jakarta, Indonesia, so only sailing so far during leave in August - September this year on the East Coast. Family cruising only, no competition use in view. Future sailing will probably be divided between East Coast and Holland for the next few years.
From D A H Dobson - Newton Ferrers
A quick note on the boat, self-built internals, open plan with large head, basic layout fairly similar to Sailcraft standard boat, but with 'step lockers' a largish wardrobe and net storages. Mostly coastal cruises, Torquay in the East, to Helford in the West. Short quick hops with long stops, due to a large family. Intended to cruise to the Channel Islands this summer. I have written to Barry Bucknell about the Wasp as I have one fitted, quite good too.
Can there be PLENTY of warning about the next general meeting - it's difficult to plan dates at the Boat Show from the West Country.
From Gail Hare - somewhere in the Mediterranean
We are going to sail "Iro Tiki" to Greece and other Mediterranean ports of call. When time and finances run out (about December, I think) we will have to sell "Iro Tiki" and return home. 'Home' is the States. If we first return home and then sell "Iro Tiki", we'll let you know how we fare with the Atlantic (this last course of action is very doubtful).
From Dr. M S Finn, Lorenco Marques.
An Iroquois Mark 11a, the only one of its kind in this part of the world always evokes looks and comment of great admiration if not incredulity. 'Only the English could think of such a crazy idea of joining two boats together'. The general sailing on this coast is fairly hazardous what with cyclones in the summer (temperatures 100oF) and the Mozambique current 4 knots and southerly gales in the winter (temperatures as 1ow as 70oF). We sail around beautiful offshore Islands with little habitation and sparkling white beaches. We are the envy of all the keel boats when we run up and ground on any beach that takes our fancy. I have a multicoloured (yellow, red and blue) 180% genoa on a roller reefing luff spar which I would never do without. This makes my single handed sailing the easiest thing in the world as we always have force 4 winds and upwards practically all the time; we often amuse ourselves by running circles round the monohulls. The boat has worn incredibly well in the sun and ultraviolet light of which we have a super-abundance. Marine growth on the hulls is a problem in spite of antifouling as the water in the Clube Naval harbour is tepid and dirty. We thoroughly enjoy your newsletter. Makes us feel that were not freaks. Keep sending it.
From H M C Wolper, Bremen
As you know, there are very few cruising catamarans sailing in Western Germany, and these are stationed about equally in number in the various main sailing areas. As a result of this, we do have a very few chances to meet.
Generally speaking there are three coastal areas where one could reasonably sail a cruising catamaran: the North Sea coasts which form the German Bight, the two large rivers Elbe and Weser, and the Baltic. The character of the North Sea coast is the same as in North Holland, i.e. lots of banks of mud and sand, lots of creeks and a row of islands in front. The two rivers are quite different. Whilst the Weser River is today not much better than a large canal, the Elbe River could keep its character. It stretches for nearly 60 nautical miles from Hamburg to the estuary at Cuxhaven Harbour, has lots of small barbours, tributaries, creeks and islands. So it is an excellent area for weekend cruising in a catamaran And the Baltic is the beautiful paradise for family cruising in the summer.
We have our boat at a small country-side place at Elbe River halfway between Hamburg and the estuary. As our kids have to attend school on Saturday morning, weekend sailing once in the afternoon, and depending on the tide, we go either up the river or down. At a long weekend such as Easter or Whitsun - weather permitting - we usually go to the island Heligoland in the German Bight, which for good reasons is called Red-Rum-Rock. This is a place where we usually meet some other catamarans, and where in 1971 we picked up Bill Howell and other friends to accompany them to the races of Travemunde in the Baltic.
We do sail our Iroquois Mark II, named MAIMUNA IV, now in the fifth year, and since then we have not done any real racing. The reason is obvious. There is no other catamaran to compete with in our area, and the only offshore races for catamarans are held in the Travemunde Week in the Baltic about at that time when we usually go for our holiday cruising. As the Travemunde Week actually stretches over at least 10 days and we cannot afford more time than a month for holiday cruising, we have to make up our minds to either-or. Up to now we have decided or and went up the Baltic to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. I think we shall keep to this as long as the family sails together, i.e. my wife, our four boys of 16, 14, 12 and 6 and myself, this years plans for holiday cruising is a trip up the east coast of Sweden, then crossing straight through Sweden on Gotekanal, the lakes and Gota Ely Canal and come out into Kattegat at Gothenburg, then home through Kiel Canal to Elbe River.
We think that the Baltic is an ideal stretch of water for cruising, and theScandinavian countries are rather beautiful and friendly, and generally speaking, the Baltic is more sheltered and lovely than the North Sea or the British Channel.
Speaking of the British Channel, which I had the pleasure of sailing througha few weeks ago, Pat Wentworth Boyd has my wife as a new admirer for his amusing stories about cruising in the British Channel. Well, in the first days of May I found it rather rough.
From W. Noden, Myers Beach, Florida.
Excellent cruising waters for an. Iroquois along the west coast of Florida - very shallow draft - many islands, many uninhabited, to drop the hook. Also only a short hop to Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas and the Bahamas. Have informal sailing club (The Caloosahatchee Marching and Chowder Society), something over 100 cruising sailboats of which about 7 - 10 are multihulled: 27 Wharram, Nos. 58 and 159 Iroquois, Symmons 36 and several Piver Lodestar up to a 54 Rudy Choy.
I took the mast down this Spring to put a wind indicator and radio antenna on top, also to beef up top third of the mast with jumper strut arrangement so I could carry masthead Genoa-drifter or spinnaker in light airs - up to 7 - 8 knot. Since replacing mast I cant point at all. I used to swing in about 90o - 95o now 115o - 130o whether using working jib or genoa. Could you give me any information or name of an Iroquois owner who is hot on the. trimming and setting of sails for pointing? The best way to set up sheeting on genoa and how best to adjust the working jib on cabin top (slide, barber haul, etc.)?
Late this summer I received a large 400 square foot drifter-genoa from Sea Horse Sails. Rigged to fly off leeward (pointing) or windward (reaching) bows with tack at aft end of anchor roller deck plate - also rigged bridle from these two eyes to fly this free flying jib amidships - so far I havent had time to experiment with the sail to see what it will do - whatever time Ive gotten has been trying to get the boat pointing again - what is the best one can expect of an Iroquois Mark I in pointing degrees?
Other queries I have and which I should be grateful if anyone could answer are: What has proved to be the best gas (propane) stove and oven combination for Mark I and the best place to locate them on the boat? Is anyone having any luckwith gas refrigeration with a lightweight unit that can be completely vented? My thought was to contain flame and supply line in an area boxed off from the interior of the boat. What is the best way to ventilate a Mark I underway and at anchor - this is a major drawback in Florida weather?
Some solutions to one of the questions
My own solution to the ventilation problem on Taquamenaw has been to seal flexilant tubing through the bulkheads between the chain locker on the foredeck and the two sail lockers in the bows. At anchor with the foredeck hatches raised quite a draught blows up into the bows, and keeps air moving back to be extracted by the ventilators and small hatch over the cooker. This has worked extremely well and we have no condensation problems. We have also covered under the deckhead with car headlining material stretched across thin lathes so as to leave about 4 air space behind, which Im sure contributes, as well as looking very attractive with thin teak lathes covering the joins between panels. (see diagram on next page).
Any other solutions? And what about Warren Nodens question about pointing?
