Editors Ramblings
Welcome to new members
Diary dates
Yet more on the skegs
Equipment
Letters
For Sale
Final plea
Contact details
I'd like to start by thanking Tim Ball for all the help that he has given me in getting started on this new undertaking. He has passed over all the back issues of the newsletters that he produced, and the boat and membership lists. I'd also like to thank Tim for all his work over the past few years in producing the newsletter, especially since the retirement of Ken Pack from the Chairman's post.
Next to introduce myself; my name is Dave Lewis and I have a part share in Pen-y-Mor Dau, with Gareth Webb and Patrick Haughton. I've been sailing for around six years, previously owning another catamaran, Morning Mist, with Gareth. I had not sailed before that, so all my sailing experience has been on cats (except for one Channel crossing on a wobbly that I'd rather not repeat).
We keep Pen-y-Mor Dau in Langstone Harbour, and most of our sailing is done at weekends in the Solent. Nothing very adventurous, mainly Solent sailing staying overnight in Bembridge, Ryde, Cowes, the Hamble or Southampton. Occasionally we have had the opportunity to go further afield, to Poole, Weymouth, Plymouth or Cherbourg, and last year for the first time we entered the Hoya Round the Island Race, which I wrote about in the last newsletter.
I am more than happy to write an article for each edition, but I'm sure that you will soon get fed up hearing from me. The newsletter relies on contributions from all members, which will add variety, and will be gratefully received. So if you have undertaken any modifications, have found good sources of materials or equipment, have any sailing tips, or would like to write about any cruises, we'd all like to share your news.
As far as the newsletter goes, I have no immediate plans beyond maintaining its distribution on a fairly regular basis, but if anyone has any advice, suggestions or requests I'd be pleased to hear them.
In the short term I plan to produce file copies of the more recent newsletters so that we can send a package to new members. However since the newsletters have been produced for around 30 years, I don't think it will be practical to send copies of all the old ones to new members.
I have just come back from spending a very enjoyable afternoon with Ken Pack, together with John and Vicky Keetley. Ken has kindly given me a lot of information from the early days of the IOA, and will also pass over all the back issues of the Newsletter. There is much useful information in these, both about the marque in general, and about individual boats, that I'm sure that current owners would be interested in. In the longer term I also hope to publish the useful bits on the website. I have been in touch with Jeff Dickson who said that he'd be happy to host it.
I also hope to update the boat list which is now somewhat out of date. Tim sent out the current list with the last edition of the newsletter, and presumably the details of members boats are correct. If any details need changing please let me know. But I'd also like to try to update details of as many other boats as possible, so if anyone knows of any boats moored anywhere please let me know, with contact details if at all possible.
May I remind folk that this year's subscriptions were due at the beginning of the year. I have included another form with this newsletter, so if like me you forgot to return the form could you please send your subs now to our Treasurer Vicky Keetley. Vicky's address can be found on the form.
Finally, I received a box of magazines from David Millner, Editor of the Multihull Yearbook. Dave asked me to send a copy to each of our members, but I still have a couple of dozen left over. So if you would like some spares to distribute to friends or leave in your clubhouse, please let me know and I'll send some on.
Dave
Joel M Rosenfeld bought DUETTO (#192) from John Cummings
John Avery McPherson bought #26 from James Wright and plans to call her WAG
David Bayley hoping to convert from monohulls and buy an Iroquois
I have been asked by a number of folk whether there will be a meet some time this year. We have never attended any of the previous meets, so I really dont know what goes on. But despite being a complete novice at arranging this sort of thing, I have agreed to have a go.
I suggest that we meet at the Folly Inn, Medina, Cowes, IoW over the summer Bank Holiday weekend (26th, 27th and 28th August). There are pontoons on the west side, opposite the pub. I have contacted the Harbourmaster and provisionally reserved some spaces for the weekend. I expect that folk will arrive during the Saturday. On Sunday perhaps we could have a cruise down to Newtown Creek, and the energetic ones may find the energy for a race back. On Monday folk will have time to return home.
The cost is expected to be £0.74/metre/night, subject to a £25 minimum charge for the group. So provided more than two or three of us turn up, the cost should not be more than £13 each. If anyone who is interested would like to contact me (01730 267623), I can ensure that we have enough places reserved. I will need to contact the Harbourmaster a couple of days before to give them the exact numbers.
If anyone knows more about these things than I do, and would like to organise the social side of the activities, I would be more than happy to hear from them.
In the last issue of the newsletter I asked whether anyone had any experience of removing their skegs, or knew why they had been fitted in the first place. I also posted the same question on the website. I had two replies, one from Les Moss of Canada, forwarded to me by Bob Butkus, and several from Marc Sheridan in Florida. Their comments are reproduced below:
Because of round the buoy racing, we decided to remove skegs to give more agile action. And it certainly helped. The skegs are like an I-beam, top to the boat 24 inches long, base 16 inches long and 2 inches wide with ? inch thick material.
I thought I might change the design and put on a modified skeg. - but only in my thinking stage.
The major detriment is on a broad reach though the tracking on a run with 6 ft plus swells makes steering touchy and potentially exciting. On the broad reach, the stern slides and the bows swing around. Lots of rudder pressures broke one rudder blade once and another time in 25 kt winds rudder case collapsed, tired material, 1970. Breakage occurred both times between beam and broad reaching.
Signed
Les Moss #92 Iroquois MarkII
Powell River Canada, 1-604-483-9273
i removed the skegs from tzatzke #224 in december. the first sail was sunday. i did not notice any difference under sail or motoring with one exception. the boat turns much faster without the skegs.
marc
i removed the skegs from tzatzke #224 in december. she turns much faster now. she turns like a small beach catamaran now. the skegs resisted turning and without them you have to pay more attention to the rudders especially when backing up. the sterns go where the rudders are turned right now . i have not noticed any other changes in handling under sail or power.
marc
it has been 4 months since i removed the skegs from tzatzke #224. the best result besides the faster turning rate is the amount of time it takes me to clean the hull. without the skegs the monthly cleaning takes half the time. i clean the hull in the water with flippers mask and snorkle. so far i can see no downside to not having skegs on the hull.
marc
With these experiences, we decided to take the plunge and remove the skegs from Pen-y-Mor Dau before putting her in the water before Easter. So launch day minus two saw us with 20 holes in the bottom of the boat after removing the skegs. On launch day minus one we temporarily filled the holes with pan-head bolts (rather than filling the holes and glass-fibre over the top, just in case we change our mind and want to replace them again if the experiment proved unsuccessful). On launch day we carefully inspected the aft lockers for signs of leaks, but fortunately all appeared watertight.
Motoring out to the mooring, and then down to the marina to have the mast stepped, the manoeuvrability was vastly improved. Under power she now turns in little more than two boat lengths. Whilst most of this was due to removing the skegs, we had also improved the engine steering over the winter, so that we now have full engine deflection for full rudder. But how would she handle under sail?
We have now sailed in various conditions up to F4/5 on all points of sailing. Initial impressions are very favourable, and the boat can be brought through the wind in just a few seconds without any significant loss of way, and without the need to back the genoa. She also now seems faster, possibly as a result of less turbulence being generated at the stern. The water certainly seems to flow off the stern more cleanly. However there are a number of drawbacks:
So would we recommend it? Well it mainly depends on your type of sailing. If you spend much of your time cruising off the wind, and motoring to windward, it probably isn't worth it. But if you spend much of your time beating to windward (as we seem to in the Solent), it has a lot of benefits. But in the end it's your call. A possible compromise would be either to reduce the area of the skegs to say 30% of the original, or to build retractable skegs. Another thought is to leave the skegs on and drill out several large holes, leaving just a lattice.
A final message from marc, who has the same thoughts about the rudders:
dave
i agree with you about shortening the rudders. the boat does not need all the rudder that it has after removing the skegs. when i get my boat back from the bahamas i am planning to shorten the blades about 6 in. then i will be able to sail in even shallower water. another nice plus from removing the skegs.
marc
If anyone else has any experience of removing their skegs, please let me know so that we can build up a fund of knowledge.
John and Vicky Keetley have found a supplier willing to make a new trampoline for their Iroquois Mk2 OCEAN HABICAT (#277) at a very reasonable price. Vicky writes:
We have been quoted £88.13 for a black mesh with reinforced eyelets with a discount for not wanting it immediately and waiting until August for delivery. John was told they had made several trampolines for Iroquois some years ago but none recently. The supplier is:
C & J Marine Textiles
Clay Lane
Fishbourne
Chichester
W.Sussex
England
PO19 3JG
Tel 01243 785487
John told me that the supplier would discount the price further if more people ordered a trampoline. This is because he would have to buy a large roll of material, and would be able to spread the cost over a larger order.
I understand that OCEAN HABICAT has tracks with sliders fitted around three sides of the trampoline, and sliders on the back of the crossbeam. In this way the eyelets in the trampoline can be lashed directly to the sliders.
If anyone is in need of a replacement trampoline at a reasonable price, John and Vicky would be happy to supply more details. Their address can be found on the membership form on the back page.
A letter from Sandra Hather with a description of an eventful voyage:
Dear Vicky
Your newsletter reminded me that I had not sent this year's sub. So herewith enclosed with my apologies.
Thought you might like to know that the Iroquois can get right across country from the Humber to the River Douglas (and out into the Irish Sea). We have done it. Last summer, having decided to sail round Ireland, and having on previous attempts been sidetracked by the beautiful sailing on the north-western coast of Scotland, we decided to try to go through the middle. The Aire and Calder canal proved no problem all the locks were automatic. However the Leeds Liverpool was much more interesting, with all the locks and swing bridges manually, or as in our case womanually, operated. Apart from the odd clunk as we hit underwater debris all went well, even through the Foulridge tunnel where there was not even room for our fenders either side. Luckily we were forewarned and had hung two halves of an old conveyer belt along the sides.
Disaster struck at the top of the Wigan locks. Bill stepped off the boat and his Achilles tendon snapped. After much anaesthetic of the alcoholic sort he decided to carry on, standing steering on one leg. We knew we couldn't leave the boat at Wigan so, two days later, we arrived at the boatyard on the River Douglas, and we finally got Bill to hospital. He was operated on and his leg slapped in plaster from toes to hip. So the boat was left in the River Douglas boatyard for six weeks until he was put into a short fibreglass plaster. Then we brought her all the way back again. One summer's sailing up the spout and certainly an experience Bill never wants to repeat.
Kedim stripped down and ready for off
The Haven - Winteringham
Will it or wont it? One of the many narrow bridges
The dreaded Foulridge
Sandra
KEDIM (#317)
Angela Moody wrote to inform us of the sad new of her husband Terry's sudden death a short while ago:
Dear David,
I am writing to you to impart some very sad news that my husband Terry died on 26th February suddenly after a very short illness aged 58 years. He was diagnosed on Christmas Eve as having cancer of the lung caused by inhaling asbestos up to 40 years ago!
Unfortunately our Comanche catamaran TWO BEARS is in a marina at Kalamata in the south Pelloponennese, Greece. I should like to get her back to the UK, as I have advertised her for sale in PBO on four occasions now with no response, and I am told that she would sell easily here at home. I was asking £39,500, but then reduced the price to £38,000.
I rang one company to crew her back; it seems that they go the Bay of Biscay route with prevailing NW winds during the summer and prefer big monohulls with big engines. They quoted me £3,000 plus air fares and taxis, so it could possibly be around £4,000 to bring TWO BEARS back.
If anyone knows of anyone familiar with catamarans who would like to bring her back I would be grateful to hear from them.
She is in excellent order with a high specification of equipment, her o/b Yamaha 9.9hp 4-stroke ex L/L engine has only been used for one season. We also have a 15hp 4-stroke L/L engine which has only been used for about 10 hours.
As you can imagine the boat is quite a worry to me so I should be grateful for any helpful advice.
Angela
TWO BEARS
Dear Angela,
I am so sorry to hear of Terry's sudden illness and death. It must have come as a terrible shock to you, to receive such an unexpected diagnosis and for Terry to suffer so very rapid illness. I have not been in the IOA for very long, but in the time that I have been receiving the newsletters I have enjoyed your accounts TWO BEARS summer cruises. You will surely miss Terry, and miss your summer cruises with friends and family.
I tried to phone you this evening with some possible suggestions, but on the assumption that you may be away I am writing to ensure that you get them on your return.
I spoke to Jeff Golds of Farnham, who instructed me in my Yachtmaster course. Jeff does a variety of jobs, one of which is yacht delivery. Unfortunately (or fortunately for him, as business is good at present) he is busy for the next couple of months. However he said that he would typically charge £130/day, plus fares. The delivery would likely take around 3 weeks, so with fares for crew he felt that the figure you were quoted would be fairly typical.
Jeff suggested a possibility of shipping the boat home. I have heard of it being done, but have no idea who to contact.
Have you tried the services of a broker? I suspect that many people would be put off buying privately if the boat was abroad, as they would have to incur the cost of an inspection visit on no more than the owners assurance of the boats condition. Brokers regularly advertise and sell boats abroad, and prospective buyers may have more confidence in a broker's details. Two come to mind who specialise in catamarans; Patrick Boyd Multihulls (tel 01489 797002) and Multihull World (tel 01243 377333). Obviously they will charge a fee, but this is only payable on sale, and it would avoid delivery charges.
Have you tried the IOA website? Jeff Dickson has set up a website that has a very active, albeit still fairly restricted, readership. Boats can be advertised on the website, although they do tend to be US based. If you need help in posting a message I'd be pleased to help.
Finally I intend to issue the next copy of the newsletter shortly. Would you like me to put a short paragraph in? As the newsletter only tends to go to owners it is unlikely that you would find many buyers, but there is always the possibility that Iroquois owners may want to trade up. But someone may be able to help with delivery.
I don't have any other suggestions at present, but if anything comes to mind I'll contact you again soon. In the meantime, if you just want to phone for a chat, you can call me on 01730 267623.
Dave
In her next letter, Angela says:
I have been advised that the boat is in the wrong location in Greece and difficult to get to, which was the problem! Patrick Boyd made several suggestions as to where would be good for selling: Palma, Majorca or Malta, which is about three days and nights sail or motor as the wind is very rarely in the right direction in the Med. So now I just need some volunteers to get her there!
Could you ask in the next newsletter if anyone is interested?
Angela
TWO BEARS
So if anyone can help Angela they can contact her on 01638 663019 - Ed
Joel Rosenfeld wrote advising us of his purchase of DUETTO:
Dear Vicky,
At the end of October 1999 I purchased a 1974 Iroquois Mk II (#192) from John Cummings of Branford, Ct, (USA). At this time I have no immediate plan to change the boats name from DUETTO. This purchase is a dream come true since the 1980s.
Enclosed is $20 for my membership plus some extra to cover any extra mailing costs for items I may request. Cummings supplied me with many IOA newsletters, I'll go through them to see if there are any I'm missing and you can supply to me.
I am interested in getting/purchasing a copy of the journal of ALLEDA by Philip Corridan, please advise me of how to accomplish this.
Is there anyone who handles those never-ending how to and why questions from the members? Thanks for handling one of those many thankless volunteer jobs. Your labo(u)r does not go un-noticed.
Joel
Dear Joel
Thanks for your letter to Vicky which she has passed on to me. I have now taken over as the editor of the IOA newsletter from Tim Ball, and am trying to get the next issue out. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to reply to your letter, but hopefully I can answer some of your questions.
I have spoken to Tim's predecessor as the editor, Ken Pack. Ken says that he has a copy of a journal by Philip Corridan, but apparently it was never published. Obviously we can't just publish it without permission, but I shall try to contact Philip to see what he would like to do.
With regard to the "how to/why" questions, there are two sources of information. Firstly a letter to Ken would have him delving into his archives to find the relevant information, if he couldn't answer it from memory. Ken still has all that information, and I plan to visit him shortly to get copies of all that he has. One possibility is that we could get all that information written up on the website so that it is accessible to all (with a PC). The other source of information is the website itself, which I gather you are familiar with. Post a message and someone may be able to answer it.
Dave
A letter from John Johnson advising of a change to the boat list:
Thank you for my copy of the Association's newsletter for winter 1999. My wife (Sheila) and I have been members for about a year now having bought John Quin's "Teepee" (sail number 155) about two years ago. It seems that records are a bit behind these changes and require some updating.
Sheila and I are thoroughly enjoying our transition from mono to multihull but unfortunately, apart from the wet summer of '98 spent on the Clyde we have had very little use of Teepee so far as last year's summer holiday saw us in New Zealand.
Most of our cruising this year will take place in the Solway, North Irish Sea, (I.O.M.) and the Clyde. We do hope to make contact with other owners and learn from their experiences both in terms of sailing the Iroquois and improving/maintaining them. If any other owners do visit Kirkcudbright, a beautiful area and well worth visiting, I would be very happy for them to contact me on 01557 331258.
John
Dear John and Sheila
Thanks for your letter, but I can't take any credit for the recent newsletter, which was produced and published by Tim Ball. I somewhat rashly volunteered to help out when Tim was thinking of moving to the USA, and now feel a rather weighty sense of responsibility in keeping up a long tradition. I only hope that I can maintain the high standard, but I will be relying on articles and letters written by members. I would find it useful if you could tell me what you find most interesting, e.g. accounts of cruises, articles on maintenance, general sailing tips, letters, or any other?
I will also try to update the ownership list, so thank you for pointing out the error. I have your boat's name as "Teepee 73", or has the numeral now been dropped?
I don't know whether you are aware of the excellent Iroquois web site that Jeff Dickson has set up. You can find it at http://www.sover.net/~jdickson/ioa.html . There are a number of articles, and a very active message board where you can find useful threads on many topics. Let me know if you have trouble accessing it.
Dave
Dear David,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I have no record of a numeral being attached to Teepee's name and it is certainly not used now so I'm afraid we're reduced to plain ordinary Teepee. (My mistake, this must be year of manufacture Ed)
As for newsletter articles I have to confess that I have found most of the contents interesting. John Quin has given me a number of back copies and I'm sure my interest is not generated purely by novelty value. I do think items on boat maintenance and development/improvement are of considerable value, if only to help avoid the many pitfalls that lie in wait for the average DIY enthusiast. (This may be the wrong word as I have just completed two hours preparing the hulls for fresh anti-fouling.) The experience of others on problems and solutions is always welcome. Cruising information is handy even if it is unlikely that I will visit some of the areas featured and it is usually quite compelling reading letters from people with similar interests and vessels. Occasional items on sources of spare parts could be helpful.
Best wishes in your endeavors.
John
A letter from J Avery McPherson advising us of his purchase of hull #26:
Hi,
Please find enclosed $16 cash American for membership fees in the Iroquois Owners Assoc. for the year 2000. My wife and I bought a 1966 Iroquois Mk1 hull #26 in May 1999 and we are interested in contacting other owners of Mk1s. We live in Florida and cruise the Gulf coast and Atlantic seaboard.
Our e-mail address is: djam1@earthlink.net
John
Dear John,
Vicky Keetley has passed your letter on to me, as I have recently taken over as editor of the IOA newsletter. I am trying to bring the boat list up to date, and just want to confirm that your boat is, or was, called Vol au Vent, formerly owned by Arnold W Pitt.
When you were buying your boat, did you see any other Iroquois, or do you know of any others around you. I am trying to trace as many as possible, so if you can pass on details of any others, or any dealers who have any, I would be grateful.
Dave
Dave,
Glad to hear from you. I can only attest to the two previous owners, a Mr. William Dovey from Illonois sold hull #26 to a Mr. James Wright in St. Louis Missouri, 5 September 1989. Mr. James Wright in turn sold us the same hull #26 on 14 June 1999. Whether or not our boat was called Vol au Vent and owned by Mr.Arnold W.Pitt or not I cannot rightly say.
My wife and I picked up our vessel in Biloxi Mississippi the first of June 1999 and brought her arround to our present berth at Shell Point Florida. Along the way we saw a few cruising catamarans but no Iroquois.
Several months ago someone stopped by our slip while we were aboard and mentioned that there was another cat like ours over in Dickerson Bay a few miles from us. Since we had business in that part of the county this a.m. my wife and I went looking for that catamaran. We found an Iroquois Mark IIA called TWO CAN berthed in slip #30 at the Panacea Marina located on Dickerson Bay but were unable to contact the owner. We will try to get back over there on the weekend and see if we can gather a bit more information for you.
We would like to thank you for making contact with us. We look forward to getting newsletters from the group. Since you have Internet Access it might save a bit on postage if we could get the newsletters via e-mail or have access to a web site where we could go and download it. At any rate we should like to make some sort of arrangement to get as much back and future information on Mark I Iroquois as we can. We look forward to enjoying our vessel and the IOA for a good number of years.
Dianna & J.Avery McPherson
John,
Thanks for your e-mail. I think it is going to be quite a job to bring the boat list up to date, but I'll give it a try. Do you have a name for #26 yet?
I do have a contact for TWO CAN, she is #238 and is owned by Brian Kerwin of Quincy, Fla. Is that near you?
I have some back copies of the newsletters that the previous editor wrote, but nothing before 1998. The older ones are held by Ken Pack, and I hope to see him in the next couple of months. There is nothing specifically on the Mk 1, but I think that most of the problems described in the newsletters are similar for all the models. When I get myself a bit more organised I'll run off some back copies for you. Do you have any before the recent issue?
Dave
David,
Quincy Florida is a few miles north of us here on the coast. We plan to call her WAG after a bobcat of the same name we raised several years ago whose tail wagged even while asleep. No we don't have any newsletters what so ever but are looking forward to reading some. Are you familiar with Jeff Dickson's Iroquois Owners Association webpage? http://www.sover.net/~jdickson/ioa.html He has a list going there of state side Iroquois.
John
Hi David,
In going through some paper work that was found aboard I located a list apparently from the IOA with hull #26 listed as being owned at one time by Arnold W.Pitt, 5 Cornwall Rd, Freehold New Jersey 07728 who sold it to William H.Dovey 201 W. McClure, Peoria, Illinois 61600 who sold it to James Wright Rt 1 Box 128C Dow, Illinois 62022 who as you know sold her to us. Also listed was the name Vol Au Vert II (ex Petite Amie). Hope this helps to bring your file up to date with hull #26. The only outstanding question I'd have is maybe who was the owner when her name was Petite Amie?
John
Hello John
Sorry that it has taken a little while to answer your last question, but I have just come back from visiting Ken Pack who was Technical Editor of the IOA newsletter for many years, and he has given me some of the back copies of the newsletter. Your boat was originally named Petite Amie and owned by John Holter of Pennsylvania who wrote an article in the Autumn 1973 newsletter. I reproduce an extract...
My thoughts on Nick Keig's report [about what to do in the event of lifting a hull] are that I am a bit of a "chicken" sailor. I have only raised the hull on one occasion. I do believe that to bear off is the wrong approach......
A few months ago I sailed my "Petite Amie" Mk 1 from St John US Virgin Islands to Northern Chesapeak Bay area. About 2000 miles via Florida. A wonderful cruise....... Naturally there have been a few problems but none serious. After seven years of hard sailing I have yet to see any cracking or indication of structural weakness......
I believe that John Holter then sold the boat to Arnold W Pitt, and it seems as if you know the rest.
Dave
TWO BEARS
Comanche 32 Deluxe - £38,000. Built by Sailcraft in late 1981 and Commissioned 1992. New 1999 Yamaha 9.9 extra long leg outboard. Fully equipped with many extras. Lying Kalamata marina Greece with dues paid until September 2000. For more information contact Angela Moody on 01638-663019.
I have been asked by Ian Adams to include a notice of sale for his Mk 1 Iroquois MOHAWK, a former winner of the Round Britain race in 1966. Built in the same year, she has been in Ians family on and off for around 30 years, his father having been one of the previous owners. Ian bought her in 1984, when she was fully refitted. She is equipped with a tall mast and masthead rig, and comes complete with 2 fully battened mainsails, 1 conventional sail, a genoa, 2 jibs and a storm jib. She has aluminium centreboards, and both centreboard casings and rudders have been strengthened. Davits have been fitted at the stern for a dinghy. She is in tidy condition, and is ready to sail. She is lying at Sheldon, in the River Teign in Devon (UK). The asking price is £13,000. Please contact Ian on 01963 210717 for further information.
Well two pleas really:
Please complete and return the subscription form if you havent already done so.
Please provide articles for the newsletter. Accounts of work and modifications done, cruises, sailing tips and hints, anything that you like to read about others would also like to hear.
I'll try to get the next issue out in the Autumn, so there will be plenty of time to write up accounts of your summer cruises.
Many thanks
Position Vacant
Vicky Keetley
68 Chapel Lane
Ravenshead
Notts
NG15 9DH
England
Phone: 01623 793802
Email: jonvicky-solace@tinyworld.co.uk
David Lewis
17 Monks Orchard
Petersfield
GU32 2JD
England
Phone: 01730 267623
Email: lewis@17mo.fsnet.co.uk