IROQUOIS OWNER'S ASSOCIATION

SPRING 1983

Contents:-

Chairwoman’s Notes
Editor’s Notes
Iroquois Owners’ Association Summer Meet
Ensign Banned
Letters
For Sale
Ingenious Ideas No. 247
Advice from the Builders of "Iroquois"

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Chairwoman’s Notes

Once again all the Iroquois owners who were able to attend the annual general meeting in January had a very enjoyable evening. Thanks to Rony and Elise for organising the event so efficiently. The talk and slide show given by Dr. Jean Segalan about cruising the Portuguese coast was very interesting and entertaining and brought a touch of summer to the middle of winter. I for one yearned for Easter and the start of the sailing season.

I am still suffering from shock, some four months later, at the outcome of the official part of the evening. I am unable to comprehend why I am sitting here trying to write what Elise calls chairmans/womans notes.

I will however try to explain to Iroquois owners the course of events and in doing so clear my mind too. Rony and Elise announced at the meeting their wishes to resign their Editor/Secretary/Treasurer post. The Iroquois owners were astounded. Rony and Elise have done such a magnificent job for the last four years we were all hoping they would carry on forever. At the same time chairman Harry Faulkner announced his resignation. I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of all Iroquois owners, to thank Harry Faulkner and Rony and Elise Buque for helping to keep the Owners’ Association going.

Stuart Fisher volunteered, I think, to become the next editor and involuntaray found himself as secretary and treasurer too. Finding a chairman was not so easy until someone suggested a chairwoman. The next thing I knew was that my husband had nominated me and the room seemed to be full of seconders.

I do hope I will be able to carry on Harry Faulkner’s good work, and with the help of Stuart Fisher we can keep the association running. We will welcome all the help from you especially in items for the newsletter.

Our Iroquois is a Mark II, Katiki #116, moored at Fareham, Portsmouth Harbour. It is our seventh year as Iroquois owners. We have just completed a very cold 10 days aboard. The weather did not allow us to cross to the Channel Islands as we had hoped but thanks to long combs and hot water bottles we had an enjoyable cruise to Weymouth.

Good sailing for 1983 and I hope the good weather will arrive soon.

Haidy Blake

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Editor’s Notes

As you will see from the above, Harry Faulkner and we have stepped down from our posts, and the new Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer/Editor have taken up their appointments as from the beginning of 1983. I am sure the Association is most grateful to Haidy and Stuart for volunteering their services for the future. We ourselves will of course continue as active members of the Association, enjoying the AGM, Meets, Newsletters, etc., and would like to thank you for the interesting correspondence and friendships that have come our way during the years of our editorship.

The Cruising Association Library was once again the venue of our AGM on the first Friday of 1983 - after many of you had spent a good time at the London Boat Show beforehand. Our thanks to the kind organisers and caterers at the CA, as always the venue was most welcoming, and the food and drink excellent.

The main work of the AGM was to vote in the new officers of the Association, followed by a very interesting set of slides by Dr Jean Segalen, who came over from Paris to show the results of his voyage along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts on board his Iroquois "EROS". Dr Segalen was also kind enough to denote to the IOA a copy of his latest guide on the coasts from Lisbon to Gibraltar. Thank you very much for the lecture and for your generosity, Dr Segalen.

Now we hope that all your craft are suitably refurbished for the new season, and that you will enjoy good sailing throughout the summer. We have just spent a cold Easter, well wrapped up in our polar suits, with the North Cones hoisted for much of the time, but as the wind was coming off the land the water was not too rough, in fact the sailing was really enjoyable. Now all we want is a bit more sunshine and warmth, please! We hope we will meet some of you in the Solent this summer - including at the South Coast meet.

Thank you for all your past support - which please continue to give to Stuart Fisher, your new Editor.

RONY AND ELISE

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Iroquois Owners’ Association Summer Meet

NEWTOWN CREEK, ISLE OF WIGHT

SATURDAY 30^TH JULY, 1983

As members who were present at the AGM in January will remember, a South Coast Meet has been arranged at Newtown Creek, IOW, for the evening of 30th July, 1983. This year, due to Rony and Elise’s frolicking abroad, another Host Boat was requested and Comanche Krystal is pleased to offer her services.

COMANCHE KRYSTAL will arrive as early as possible on Saturday morning, and will anchor in the shallow water to Port just inside the entrance. Where, it is hoped, a record number of Members, both new and old, will rendevouz and raft-up alongside. From 18.00 hrs. onwards, as is with tradition, "Happy Hour" will be aboard. Later in the evening, weather permitting, a picnic will be held on the beach - Members should bring their own food and a bottle for this latter event. To help gauge numbers, please complete and return the Summer Meet form below.

Looking forward to meeting you all.

Pauline and Roy Butler,
Comanche Krystal

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Ensign Banned

AT LEAST WE KNOW THAT REG HAS MADE IT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC ……..

Buenos Aires (Reuter) - Mr Reginald Crampton and his Argentine-born wife, who had sailed their yacht across the Atlantic, were escorted from Argentine waters yesterday because they were flying a British ensign. Their catamaran was the first British vessel to enter an Argentine port since the return of Argentine prisoners from the Falklands.

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Letters

Dear Rony & Elise,

Regarding the Iroquois Owners’ Association invitation for Jean and myself to arrange this year’s East Coast meet, we propose to make the venue Pyefleet Creek off the River Colne on Sunday, 29th May (HW 14.10pm approx). Would you be kind enough to put a note of this in the next Association Newsletter, asking any interested members to contact me in due course.

Yours sincerely,
Paul Smedley

Dear Rony and Elise

May I take it on myself, as I did not have the presence of mind to do so at the meet, to thank the retiring officers, Harry Faulkner and your good selves on behalf of us all for doing "the job" and doing it the way you did, for as long as you did.

Thank you and Good Sailing in ’83.

Your sincerely
Russ and Barbara Dordi

PS PLEASE print

Dear Rony and Elise,

Following the AGM I confirm to Newsletter subscribers we now have a list of component parts with details of where most can be obtained. This has been a pleasant, if time consuming task, because of the diversity of equipment installed it is now evident that it could never become comprehensive, presuming it was even desirable. In compiling the parts list I have met several people with special knowledge and interest in Iroquois. Suppliers like Reg and boat builders, pattern makers etc. and hopefully this fund of information will increase.

Many of the drawings are available and I consider creating a comprehensive folio of these to be an important priority. If you have any drawings could you please let me know what they are. If I do not have them I could write back to borrow them for copying.

The collection of this information has emphasised that any improvements we hope to achieve will, with the demise of Sailcraft, have to come from ourselves. I envisage the greatest use of the list to be an index for Newsletters so please let us have notes of the results of what you have done to your boat whether it’s good or bad. To remind you I will take a subject in the hope that you will contribute your experiences and a concensus of opinion obtained.

Anchoring has run simply throughout. Sailcraft provided 351b. CQR or Plough anchors with 3 fathoms of 5/16th and 45 metres of 14mm nylon rope as standard. Initially a centre roller with a 12" diagonal cleat to starboard belayed it.

After some nasty moments in crowded anchorages with cats surging around on the end of that lot it was considered for a short time better to anchor over the windward bow. Lastly, roller stem fittings were installed on each bow and the diagonal cleat deleted to facilitate anchoring on a yoke between the bows. Later the 8" after cleats were increased to 12" for use with a kedge. The pull and continual snatch from an anchored cat can dig its ground tackle well in but its lack of weight makes breaking out even more difficult. There seem to be two main solutions:

1. The traditional trip line to the heel lightly seized to the stock
2. A windlass

1. a wind change will cause the boat to oversail the anchor and heavy tide and gusty conditions play havoc down there. It is the system I use mainly for the want of better idea and secondly because I have changed my sheet winches from the cabin top to a single central winch over the cross beam. I lead the trip line to it and winch the anchor up to a distance knot and then ship from the foredeck.
2. This seems the most commonly adopted solution and undoubtedly the SL windlass has recently been much more practical with the dip moulded cover that really protects the bearings

Please feel free to contact me with any query and I will do my best to help with whatever information I have accrued.

Ken Pack,
Thelken II, #86

We are the present owners of No. 179, War Dancer, purchased late 1981. In April this year (1982) we departed from Burnham on Crouch, our home port, sailed up the Channel and cruised the Solent area until early May, when, business in the UK concluded, we sailed to Cherbourg and the Channel Islands. We met Comanche "Sea Squaw" at Jersey, who suggested that we join the IOA.

We motored through the canals from St Malo to Redon where we met up with Roy and Pauline Butler in "Comanche Krystal" returning home from their visit to the Med. They suggested we should write this letter. We are now (June 1982) in La Rochelle, the most picturesque port we have seen, and a wonderful cruising area.

Our plan is to motor through the Canal du Midi to the Med and then cruise south of France, Corsica, Sardinia, Greek Isles and then back to southern Spain where we plan to retire.

The Iroquois is our first cruising boat, having sailed dinghies in the past. We find living on board very agreeable and sailing her enjoyable, although we have had our moments when it blew. We also find negotiating harbours and marina a problem in cross winds. It is our lack of power in reverse that causes the most problems, our power unit is a Johnson 25 hp.

Jim and Betty Dean,
War Dancer, #179

(We have since heard from the Deans from their winter port in Spain, and hope they will send further details of future cruises. Editors)

Dear Rony,

I have two Iroquois sails ex. my Iroquois 98, I would like to sell them and also give a good bargain to an Iroquois owner wanting to extend his (her) sail wardrobe.

• One 180 light weight Genoa used a few seasons, but never yet repaired, i.e. no chafe or holes. Luff 32’6" Leach 34’6" Foot 19’.0. Maker - Austin Farrer Sails (£85.00 o.n.o.)

• One No. 2 Jib, as new never used, only two small rust marks where Austin Farrer left the staples in during setting out. Luff 22’0" Leach 16’9" Foot 11’4" (£75 o.n.o.)

I would like to receive £160.00 for the two; can you advertise them in the newsletter? It seems they must be both useful to an active sailor of a Mark II Iroquois and an opportunity to use the newsletter.

I look forward to seeing you on 7th January, meanwhile have a nice Christmas and all good wishes for the New Year.

Sincerely,
David Asdell

(David is available to answer any queries regarding the Comanche - please send any questions direct to him. Editors)

Dear Honorary Officers,

Thanks for sending me the Autumn newsletter. As I indicated before, I have now an almost complete set of newsletters, which I am prepared to copy at cost. Anyone interested is welcome to order at two Dutch guilders per issue, including postage; issues between brackets are free. Payment by international money order. (May 66), October 66, February 67, (April 67), November 67, April 68, Spring 72, Autumn 72, Summer 73, Summer 74, Autumn 74, Summer 75, Summer 76, Autumn 76, Autumn 77, Autumn 78, Late Summer 79, Spring 80, Autumn 80, List of Owners Autumn 80, Spring 81, Autumn 81, Spring 82, Autumn 82.

Also, I believe to have found a major cause of leakage of the fixed windows. There appears to be plenty of sealing putty between the aluminium strips and the skin, but this lacks in the drilled holes through strip and skin. Thus water collects under the strip and seeps through the holes. If one takes out the bolts one by one and squirts in some silicon-rubber the leaks are greatly reduced. Take care not to fill up the nuts; if need be these can be cleared with a match.

Happy sailing!
Piet Roes

Dear Sirs

The following information, will, we think be of interest to the members of your association.

Recently we acquired all of the moulds, tools, jigs, patterns, and drawings for the Iroquois Catamaran. In the early spring of next year a building programs will commence, to supply bare mouldings, joinery, and spar rigging kits, sail-away, and complete boats. As sole builders we will be pleased to quote on the above, or assist with spares and repairs, and our close liaison with the designer Mr Rod Macalpine-Downie will ensure that technical advice will be readily available.

We would be pleased to attend any meeting of your members to discuss the above project, and as the first boat off the line will be for ourselves, we would like to apply for membership to the association. Please find. enclosed our cheque in the amount of £10 as our first subscription.

Yours faithfully,
P J Northfield & C G Myers

PETER SMITH YACHT SERVICES

Boat repairs, glass fibre work, painting, varnishing, anti-fouling, centreboards, rudders, specialist fittings, rigging, tuition, deliveries, echo sounders, logs, vhf, radios fitted, fitting out, laying up.

76 REGENT ROAD
BRIGHTLINGSEA
ESSEX
(0206 30)2854

Dear Sir

Since I wrote to you last year I have had another happy year cruising and locally racing my Mark I. I had to replace my instruments this year. Cost was very important and I selected "Smiths Marine" for two reasons:

1. cost
2. Smiths are a large company who are unlikely to go broke. I bought a log, water speed, wind direction and windspeed set. This set can be built up so the deal is attractive. The discount for cash also helped! It has been a good buy, the log reading is very near to be true! To save money we fitted them ourselves.

We also replaced the head lining during the winter, using ply covered with a waterproof material. This leaves a space between plywood and deck head, used for wiring etc. Crew grumble about weight, but it has improved the cabin.

This year we crossed over to France, Belgium and Holland three times and enjoyed ourselves. First cruise was to the Calais Rally and on to Holland at Whitsun. We raced Burnham Week. Unfortunately there were only five entries for multihull racing. I have supported multihull cruiser racing at Burnham on Crouch since it was introduced. I won the first year, equal first with Fred Boyd, and I won again this year in a twelve year old boat. If we can’t get five entries by the end of July 1983 there will be no class. Burnham Week dates are Saturday 27 August to Saturday 3 September inclusive. It is a good week’s sailing and also socially.

I have replaced my headsails using Turnidge our local sailmaker at Leigh. He has cut me a new genoa and a light weight genoa for light winds up to twelve knots. I am so pleased with them I have ordered a new mainsail (I don’t know where the cash will come from). He uses Bembridge cloth which is a good stable material.

I was not surprised that our American friend turned over in a force 8-9 gale carrying a full main. I have sailed Mauna Kea for twelve years. When cruising we reduce sail at about nine knots. I can and do carry full main and genoa in force 6 when racing with a full crew. However, if cruising, I reduce sail early. Flying a hull is not good cat cruising or for that matter racing, as it puts too many strains on the hulls.

Some of the multihull owners who sail in the Thames area have suggested we might race production boats together in the Thames estuary two or three times a year. Some local clubs would provide the organisation. Anybody interested please ‘phone me either at home or at school.

Iroquois owners who are RYA members will know I have been reelected to the RYA Council. There I hope to represent all interests including multihulls. I serve on the Cruising Committee and the General Purpose and Cruising Division. As a Head teacher I am also very interested in the RYA education programme. The RYA Handbooks are very good value indeed.

Peter Cotgrove,
Mauna Kea, #48

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For Sale

Spinnaker for Iroquois made specially by Seahorse, blue, red and yellow. Perfect condition, little used. Price £120.00

Yamaha 28E electric start outboard, long shaft, complete with two long Morse cables suitable for use on an Iroquois and two fuel tanks. The engine has always started first time, as it has always been serviced professionally and regularly. Price £350.00 or near offer.

David Shankland,
Razamatazz, #160

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Ingenious Ideas No. 247

Our sails lead a somewhat moist and seedy existence in a flat bottomed foredeck locker into which we do not pry often enough. The most recent inspection suggested that the base of the locker seldom dries out completely - nor the contents. The obvious answer was to provide some sort of water resistant grating to allow the sails to drain and to permit ventilation underneath them. The chosen material must be smooth and rot proof.

The final choice was electricians flat white PVC conduit - available from any electrical wholesale or merchant - it is 1¼" wide and about 3/8" thick, with flat sides. It is easy to cut with a tenon saw, and self tapping screws will cut a thread. The screws required are 5/8" long, and must be stainless. The bottom battens are cut to fit the locker at about 12" centres. The top battens are set out at 3" centres (providing a 1¾" air gap) and all is self-tapping screwed together with the screw heads on the underside, tightened until they just dimple the surface. The completed a grating will collapse into a parallelogram for transport and for offering up through the hatch. For other, more demanding, purposes it would be possible to stuff the inside of the conduit with a timber batten to increase stiffness. Seen from the underside it looks like this:

In our case the crating cost about £7 for nine metres of conduit and a couple of dozen screws to make a grating 4’ long by 2’ wide at its greatest dimension. So simple an idiot could do it, well almost!

Yours faithfully
John Weate

PS This relates to Iroquois 293 "Two Much" so I thought other owners might be interested.

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Advice from the Builders of "Iroquois"

Please note that the following is reproduced verbatim from the Spring 1983 newsletter, and was written before there was as much emphasis on litigation as today. Remember that this was written by sailors who were designing, building, equipping and sailing their boats for racing, and the Iroquois can be sailed very hard indeed. However at this limit disaster can be but an instant away, and what may be risked by a fully-crewed racing skipper with the mainsheet in his hand would not be prudent for a short-handed cruising skipper with sheets cleated and autopilot on. This article, especially the section on sail setting, should be taken as guidance only, and must not be taken as recommended sail areas for particular winds. Remember, it is always the skipper’s responsibility to sail within his or her own abilities, and those of their crew, according to the conditions and their boat. Webmaster

SETTING SAIL AT MOORINGS

We recommend that the mainsail should be hoisted first and reefed, if it is thought necessary for the prevailing wind. At this point the centre-boards should not be down, especially if the wind is over tide. In setting the mainsail, it is essential to make sure that when the sail is pulled out along the boom it is secured by the outhaul line and should remain under tension at all times. In addition to the outhaul line, which is attached to the clew, there is another line which should be firmly lashed round the boom itself to prevent the bolt rope of the foot of the mainsail, at this point, from coming out of the luff groove of the boom. When hoisting the mainsail make sure that the downhaul, which is attached to the fore part of the boom, is released to allow the boom to travel to the upper part of the track on the mast. This will allow the mainsail to go to the top of the mast without having to sweat too tightly on the main halliard. The necessary tension on the luff of the sail can be adjusted by the downhaul. Prior to hoisting the jib, one should attach the jib sheets. Make sure that the jib sheet itself runs inside the main shroud - this applies to No. 1 jib and No. 2 jib. When setting the jib it is essential to sweat it up on the foresail halliard, as tight as possible, using the snatch block on the foresail halliard for extra purchase. When putting the rudder blades down make sure that they are in fact vertical and not in line with the transom, since the rudder itself is semi-balanced. A few moments prior to casting off, lower both centreboards.

Tacking Out of Creeks and Restricted Waters

When sailing in restricted waters to windward the boat can, in fact, be sailed with the boards half down, still maintaining quite good manoeuvrability. We recommend that if the wind force is between 4 and 5, the No. 2 jib should be set for easy handling.

Setting Sails According to the Weather

In light airs the Genoa can be set. In force 1-3 it should be set on the inside of the main shroud, secured to the block supplied which is fastened by means of a rope end to the mooring cleat, and because the Genoa lead is adjustable it is possible to put the tension on the luff, or the foot of the sail. Between force 3 and 4, the Genoa should be set on the outside of the main shroud going to windward. Obviously, in light airs the Genoa will have to be set on the outside of the main shroud, on any point other than going to windward. In force 5 it is recommended that three rolls should be put in the mainsail, and the No. 2 jib be set for extensive cruising. In force 6, the mainsail should be reefed until the headboard of the sail is approximately level with the main shroud attachment on the mast. In force 7, three further rolls should be put into the mainsail. In force 8 and 9, take the No. 2 jib off completely and put a further two rolls in the mainsail. In real storm conditions it is advisable to hove-to - suggested method for this is to ease the main sheet slide right out to the stop and then proceed to pull the mainsail in, as you would when going to windward. If the boat will not hold head to wind, pull the main sheet slide up to windward until the stage is reached where it will in fact hold head to wind, as it is the pressure on the after part of the mainsail which keeps the boat head to wind, and the more the boom is amidships the less tension will be required on the main sheet. According to how much the mainsail is reefed, it may be found necessary to have the boom up to weather.

Additional Equipment

Additional heavy equipment, i.e., ship to shore telephone, etc., should be installed aft of midships.

When Boat is Left on Moorings

1. Always make sure that the centreboards are completely pulled up, and this will allow the boat to lay head to wind. In addition to this, if the mooring dries out, it will prevent the boat sitting on the centreboards, since they are in fact angled inboard and not vertical - this would put unnecessary strain on the centrecase.

2. Tiller bar should be taken off the rudder tillers and the rudder blades should be facing inwards to each other, to avoid getting damaged. All loose halliards should be tied to the main shrouds and kept under tension, to avoid slapping against the side of the mast, which would cause unnecessary wear on the halliards.

3. Calor Gas should be checked that it has, in fact, been turned off. Make a habit of doing this when the cooker is not in use.

4. Turn off main supply switch on battery to prevent unnecessary drainage of the battery in the event of somebody leaving any electrical apparatus on.

5. Make sure that any extra fuel carried is not stowed in the vicinity of the cooker and the batteries.

6. When using the anchor for mooring the boat, we suggest that the rope should be through a polythene tube at the location point on the stem head roller, in order to prevent excessive chafe.

7. It is suggested that No. 1 and No. 2 jibs should be kept in a waterproof bag in the self-draining locker in the bridgedeck. The Genoa, which is rather a bulky sail, can be stowed in one of the fore peaks. The mainsail is best left on the boom protected by a sail cover.

8. The engine should be cocked-up when not in use.

Points to Watch when Sailing

It is recommended not to run before the wind over a force 3 - 4, the reason being to prevent the sail battens from breaking on the main shrouds. In these conditions it would be better to tack down wind.

The Iroquois can in fact be driven very hard indeed, and if you want to go more than 12 knots then be prepared to sail it, and this means not having the main sheet permanently cleated. The boat is very stable between 6 and 8 knots, but once she breaks through her wave making speed, she will immediately go up to 12 knots or more - at this point she seems to be a completely different boat. Be prepared if the hull is inclined to lift, i.e., just kissing the water, to have the main sheet uncleated. If an extra gust of wind catches you at this point, the hull itself will come out of the water approximately one foot, and by this time the boat is travelling at about 12 to 14 knots. When sailing with the weather hull out of the water by about one foot, at the same time having the main sheet not cleated, repeat not cleated, should any additional wind be forthcoming the helmsman must ease the main sheet to prevent the hull lifting further. It is our opinion that if the hull is allowed to lift more than l2" to l8" the boat will be in danger of capsize, and the process of capsize will be very quickly completed if the helmsman is asleep on the job. Summing up, the real danger of capsizing a catamaran is going to windward, or on a close reach. A catamaran which cannot lift a hull is either built too heavy or just has not enough sail - in fact it is like two floating logs, one not knowing what the other is going to do!

PREPARING FOR SEA

Before going afloat it is necessary to have on board a minimum of equipment which can be endlessly increased by further aids to navigation and comfort according to one’s pocket. They can all be very useful and worth their cost to someone or else they would not be on the market. All marine equipment varies according to the conditions under which it was designed to be used. As an example each of the different shapes of anchor is better than the others under some conditions and with different types of ground.

Equipment is useless without someone with the experience and knowledge to use the information available in the correct way. There are numerous experienced yachtsmen available who long for a chance to sail with you. With some book work ashore and great care an inexperienced owner should quickly master the arts of navigation, handling the Iroquois and the essential knowledge of the International Collision Regulations and distress signals. The law demands that on seeing or hearing a distress signal you must do everything possible to render assistance. To comply with this you must know all the signals.

Under power the Iroquois will handle as any other light displacement vessel and presents no problems, she is very stable and steady. Providing there is enough fuel and that the sea is not too rough any manoeuvre or passage can be made with complete safety under power. Some waters are so congested that if you do not have an engine it is necessary to ask for a tow. There is no disgrace in receiving a tow, but if accepting assistance from strangers always arrange the price first, especially if it is from a commercial craft. Most people are pleased to help for nothing more than a request that you help some else in turn. To prepare the engine it is best to read and follow the makers’ instructions and not wait until all has failed. Make sure that there is an ample supply of suitable clean fuel and a separate reserve supply with a means of pouring it into the tank. Electric batteries give off a very dangerous gas, especially while being charged and normal care and attention are needed to this.

The crew are always the most important part of any vessel unless you also carry passengers. Their safety and comfort are first on the list and thus require most attention. The safety of the yacht depends on her crew.

In order to remain efficient on any passage of more than a few miles the crew must keep warm, must feed and after a longer time will need rest. It is vital that the possible effect of seasickness is known. Modern drugs are very effective but make some people too tired to concentrate. Some lucky people are never seasick and others can continue to work in spite of sickness. Make sure that you have at least one of these two types on board before going to sea.

Preparing the ship’s company for sea means checking that there is enough food, including plenty of soup, chocolate, boiled sweets, etc., and drinking water. Check that all have a change of warm clothes. Make sure everyone knows the ‘man overboard’ drill; non-swimmers at least should wear approved buoyancy garments at all times outside the cabin and a safety harness in strongly recommended. It is important to wear a harness when changing the headsail or preparing to anchor if guard rails are not fitted. The Iroquois is built so that she CAN NOT SINK no matter what happens. In the event of disaster it is vital to remain with the yacht. This is like the lifeboat drill on a passenger ship or aircraft - if it ever becomes necessary the passengers remember. Be prepared for a delay of up to three times the expected time for a voyage - head winds, fog, engine failure, torn sail or calm may delay you. These are ordinary precautions for EVERY vessel on every passage outside harbour - in the same way as always carrying a spare tyre and wearing a safety harness in a motor car.

Before proceeding to sea the compass must be checked for deviation. If there are large differences the compass must be corrected by an expert. If only small errors are present a competent yachtsman can make his own deviation card of corrections to apply. At the same time as the compass is swung, the radio direction finder should be checked if one is carried on board.

It is too late to worry about errors and insulating the rigging when caught in a fog. Your only hope of obtaining a reasonable bearing then is to sail in a tight slow circle taking a series of bearings of the same radio beacon and using the average.

During otherwise idle moments while waiting for a train or in a traffic jam, it is a good idea to consider the best procedure to adopt under different conditions at sea. Included in this is to decide what you will use to substitute for equipment you may not carry, such as a sea anchor. Suggestions in this case include fenders lashed to the light anchor using the usual warp or mooring rope and another way would be to use a coil of mooring rope and a strong sail bag. Also consider how to tie up to a wall with a strong tide or a large tide range or with waves passing the wall. In all the above situations weights, fenders and the anchors will prove most useful either to hold the yacht clear of the wall or to hang on the mooring ropes to keep them tight.

At anchor strong winds cause much more strain than a strong tide. The greatest strain will occur with the wind and tide together but the roughest sea will come with the wind against tide. Two important points to watch are that when there is a strong wind and the yacht swings about if you use rope with the anchor see that it is very well protected by canvas and sacking where it rubs on the fairlead. When the wind is against the tide great care must be taken to check that the anchor is not fouled by its own chain. The best way to be sure of this is to lift the anchor until you can see that it is clear as the tide turns and then re-anchor. Many yachts are wrecked or seriously damaged each season because of faulty mooring. A catamaran, being lighter, tends to drift about more than a heavy yacht, so that checking for a foul anchor is most important. Often it helps if a second line is taken from the other bow and made fast to the anchor rope or chain and then more rope is paid out until the strain is equal on both bows and the rope beyond the join leads straight ahead in line with the centre of the yacht. Do not forget to parcel both ropes with canvas as mentioned before. Another useful tip when using rope for anchor work is to secure a weight to the rope about half way along, this takes up the jerk when the yacht pitches or yaws about and helps to prevent the anchor from breaking out.

No yacht should proceed beyond the harbour entrance without at least the following equipment on board:

All this equipment should be stowed with care to be ready for use, out of the way and where necessary dry. Stowing any vessel requires care, but with an Iroquois the movement at sea is so much reduced that things will not tend to crash about as they do on a single hull yacht. Heavy weights should not be stowed forward and should in general be stowed as low as is convenient in the hulls.

As with every vessel afloat care is constantly necessary to prevent anyone placing any metal object near the compass or removing a part which was fitted when the compass was checked for deviation. On Iroquois special watch for knives in oilskin pockets and no moving the gas cylinder if these are within six feet of the compass.

HANDLING THE IROQUOIS

Getting the best from a vessel large or small and manoeuvring successfully in a crowded anchorage requires practice and experience which cannot be learnt from any book. With care this experience can be enjoyably obtained without damage to your own or other yachts and without causing inconvenience to anyone. If you are new to the sea this applies to every vessel - multi-hull or single hull; if you are an experienced yachtsman or woman new to a catamaran there are some important differences to note which require a different technique. Practice will provide the confidence necessary to get real satisfaction from your Iroquois.

If before starting any manoeuvre you decide what the effect each of the forces acting on the catamaran is having, now and again after you have altered their relative directions you will know what to expect. Knowing the cause you can apply the correct cure to any effect of the wind or tide.

Consider an Iroquois in a flat calm tideless bay, she remains completely at rest. If there is a tide or current this moves our yacht, and every other free floating object, past fixed objects while they all remain at rest in the water. From this it can be seen that the tide has no effect on sailing the yacht, but a very important effect indeed on navigation. If a breeze blows across the bay and the yacht is not at anchor and has no sails hoisted she will drift quite fast away from the wind while pointing in a direction approximately 90 degrees from the wind. If the rudders and keels are lowered the speed of drift will be greatly reduced due to the extra under water area. As lowering the keels has only a little effect on the forward movement they should both be kept lowered when manoeuvring under sail or power, except in very shallow water or when approaching the beach. It is also important that the rudder blades are fully down. In this position they are balanced so that only very light pressure on the tiller or wheel is needed to steer. If the blade is partly hinged aft steering becomes heavy.

From the time the mooring ropes are cast off or the anchor is clear it is vital to keep complete control of your vessel all the time. To do this it is very necessary to plan in stages and to COMPLETE the last stage before starting the next. As an example the mooring ropes must be coiled down and stowed ready for use again as soon as possible. If you do this and the next stage does not go as planned it is usually possible to stop and sort things out without difficulty.

When sailing and manoeuvring the faster the yacht is travelling the faster you have to think while your time for action is reduced. If you should strike another yacht when moving fast you can cause considerable damage. Remembering this you must also consider that as your speed increases your yacht answers her helm in a more immediate and positive manner while the relative effect of the tide and wind are reduced. At first you should proceed at the minimum speed at which you have full control of steering, about three nautical miles per hour (knots) depending on the weather.

The main important difference between handling your Iroquois and a ‘conventional’ ballast keel yacht is similar to the difference between a seagull or duck floating on the water and a log of wood floating in the water. If you start the wood moving through the water it will continue for some distance due to its inertia. The Iroquois is light so that when the push is removed she will soon stop while the effect of the wind pressure is increased. If stopped head to wind with sails up she will soon start to move astern. This is where experienced yachtsmen need to take extra care when picking up a mooring at first. Tacking will present no difficulty under normal conditions and the Iroquois will gather speed at an exhilarating rate when power is applied. The extra beam of the Iroquois does not cause any problems; many heavy built yachts with single hulls have similar beam.

When you wish to sail slowly you will find that it is very easy to sail around with only the mainsail hoisted, this especially applies if there is a breeze and the sail is reefed. When tacking under mainsail alone you may find at first that you get head to wind and start moving astern before coming round on to the new tack. If, as you start to move astern you put the rudder to opposite way (the tiller towards the side onto which the wind was blowing) and at the same time slack off the main sheet, the stern will swing towards the wind and she will move ahead in the required direction. Then you can heave the sheet in again. If in doubt you can always gybe round but remember to warn the crew and watch the sheet during the manoeuvre.

If you should wish to stop for any reason while sailing it is very easy to heave to. To do this, sheet in the headsail on the opposite side to the mainsail: an easy way to achieve this is to tack without moving any of the sheets. The headsail will be aback and the mainsail will fill. While ‘hove-to’ Iroquois will travel in some direction from 45 degrees downwind to 90 degrees from the wind direction while pointing 25 to 50 degrees from the wind. These headings and the direction of drift can be controlled in the above approximate limits by adjusting the sheets and plate keels. The rudders should never be set to bring the yacht’s head away from the wind as a wave might cause the bow to pay off so that she could gather speed and gybe. If the sea is choppy, the change from moving powerfully with driving spray, to a sensation of comparative calm is remarkable.

On any yacht with enough sail area to enable her to make good progress during light winds it is VERY IMPORTANT to reef in good time as the wind increases. If in doubt then roll down some sail. It is much easier to hoist more sail if the weather proves less than expected than to roll more down if it turns out to be worse. This is just as important on a catamaran. Although you continue to sail with only a slight angle of heel instead of shipping water over the lee rail it will be obvious from the strain on the sheets and the way she handles that it is time to reduce sail. The temptation to wait and see if the wind moderates as forecast must be resisted, you must sail with conditions as they are and not as you hope they will become or as someone forecasts that they should be. If a sudden increase in wind strength catches you unexpectedly, act just as you would in a sailing dinghy - either run off before the wind and drop the headsail, or else luff up into the wind and if necessary let go the sheets as required. The main sheet is fitted with a very good jamb cleat and on releasing this the sheet will run free.

This action will return the Iroquois from a considerable angle of heel, but this a frightening experience to those in the cabin. Sail should always be reduced well before this stage unless you are racing, in complete control, have one person constantly holding the sheet and enough experience to make these suggestions superfluous. It is much safer to change the headsail or remove the headsail altogether and reef the mainsail in ample time - you will still sail much faster than single hull yachts of comparable size. When sailing across a choppy sea it may be an advantage to pull up the plate on the lee side but remember to lower it again when driving to windward.

When running downwind with a good breeze remember that the wind is blowing harder, possibly much harder, than the movement leads you to believe and sail should be reduced in good time before altering course. If conditions become bad sail should be reduced in every case and ropes can be towed astern to reduce speed and ease the work of steering. Running before the wind you can cover long distances in good time: check the navigation. Some of the plate keels should be kept lowered and in very rough water take care not to get sideways across a large breaking wave.

In general the extra speed of the Iroquois class catamarans will enable you to reach port and shelter in good time before bad weather arrives. However, if you are caught out in a blow you will be quite safe providing you take normal precautions, reduce sail in good time and look after your crew and yourself.

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