Editorial
Letter to the Press - MOCRA Shows its Teeth
Mods on a Mark II
Fitting out an Iroquois Mark I
Analysis of a Capsize
Editors comment
Quantock Marine Enterprises
MOCRA News
New Multihull Rule
Points from Owner's Letters
Iroquois Owners
Welcome to a new season. The number of events is growing each year and with your support 1973 should prove to be the best year yet for cruising and racing, and dont forget to let us hear about it. We have had many letters from owners all over the world welcoming the last Autumn Newsletter and asking to be put on the mailing list for future issues. This we intend to do and there is a reply slip on the last page. Remember the racing season starts with the Whiskey Series on Sunday, 20th May (Eastney Cruising Association) that should help you get jour boat in full trim for the following weekend rally and race to Cherbourg. So good sailing!
The New Multihull Rule
In our last newsletter we mentioned the new IOMR with some apprehension in view of its complexity, the unpredictability of its effect on the Iroquois, and the all too predictable expense which the weighing and measuring would involve.
This concern was reflected at a crowded MOCRA AGM at the Little Ship Club on the 11th January 1973 when over 200 members, including many well known builders and designers of multihulls, expressed their feelings about the way the rule appeared to have been introduced without the people most concerned being consulted.
A resolution was passed that the new rule should not be introduced for 1973 and that further information about its effects should be obtained before reconsidering the whole question for the 1975 season.
On the 25th January these views were put to the RYA multihull committee by MOCRA, as the following letter from Pat Boyd shows.
Incidentally, further information about the proposed rule is published on page 15 of the March 1973 issue of Multihull International.
Albert McCabe
Harry Faulkner
There was a meeting of the RYA Multihull. Committee on the afternoon of Thursday, 25th January, at which the MOCRA representatives, Robin Chatworth-Musters and Patrick Wentworth Boyd, informed the Committee of their members feelings about the adoption of the new International Offshore Multihull Rule. Briefly, these were that they could not reasonably be asked to conform to a new rule before 1975, and then only after the rule had been thoroughly evaluated and tested on English multihulls in English waters.
As a consequence, it was decided that no more multihulls would be measured by the RYS Multihull Rule and that in 1973/74 multihulls would race, at least in the United Kingdom, under the RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Handicap, as calculated by the MOCRA Committee. Even the Crystal Trophy and the Round the Island Race would be run under the Portsmouth Yardstick, as well as the shorter MOCRA races.
This mans that until a new rule is adopted, it will not be necessary for anybody to go to the expense of being measured and weighed as all handicaps can now be calculated without measurement. MOCRA will be issuing handicap certificates for each boat showing how it is calculated.
Sail Numbers. It was decided to recommend the adoption of M for multihull numbers, which will be allocated by Richard Hollis of the RYA to all multihulls who wish to race. This will not be mandatory before the new rneasurement rule is adopted, but are available from now on so that owners may get their M numbers up on their sails when it is most convenient for them in the next two years.
Yours sincerely,
P Wentworth Boyd
Secretary of MOCRA
It was difficult to find a good excuse for buying a new boat as CANDIDA I (Iroquois no. 2) was still doing so well. One spur was my passion for trying new things and apart from Rod's changes in the Mark II there were modifications to our original modifications which we felt we would like to make.
One of our main thoughts on the Mark I had been to get a real feeling of light and spaciousness and this was certainly achieved. We always felt that there was absolutely no other boat on which we could live so happily for five or six weeks at a stretch.
On our very attractive mooring in Percuil Creek, St. Mawes, it was a constant joy to relax in the very comfortable seating with an unobstructed new all round the anchorage.
However, our open plan had some disadvantages. The after cabins had suffered but were replaced by a large double bed on the bridge deck forward of the mast, which by day produced a very comfortable spring settee (this sounds a very heavy piece of furniture but each bed only weighed 11 lbs).
My wife had gradually come round to the point of view that she would prefer a shut off after cabin even though the double beds in these are marginal, particularly if the cabin could be opened up a bit, but we certainly did not want to lose any of the open space or the 7 galley.
The only answer was a large saw plus the incredible forebearance and cooperation of Sailcraft, when they recovered from the shock of seeing a beautiful new shell only just moulded, sawn unceremoniously in half. The object was to make the after bulkhead vertical and to move it eighteen inches into the cockpit. More roof was chopped out to provide a hatch increased in size to 36 x 4 which I would certainly not be without.
The double curvature of the extended cabin roof was achieved quite simply by tacking a sheet of 1" polyurathene on to the recut bulkhead with some glass fibre tabs and on to the original roof. This was then pushed into shape with some struts underneath and glassed over the top. The struts could then be removed for glassing underneath and the only difficulty is the filling of the glass fibre to make it smooth.
The reduced cockpit would not be everyones choice but with two adjustable, face-forward swivelling helmsman's seats on stalks, and the mainsheet track (Geo Bones) on a taffrail just aft of the rear beam, it is quite workable and very snug. This then gives you a large after cabin in each hull with each bunk pushed 18 inches further aft than usual and the roof over this raised to coaming level in amber Perspex. This and the amber perspex panel in the hatch provides permanent laid on sunshine within. The galley is now 9 long with a 7 work top including the grillcooker and sink in thin stainless steel sheet on plywood and it still faces inwards so that whoever is working in the galley is always in contact with the others in the cabin. An even more important reason for facing the galley inwards is to place the stove and two gas bottles in a trough over the bridge deck projecting partly under a seat so that if there should be a leak it will drain away safely through the bridge deck. This and all the furniture were prefabricated in London.
This arrangement gives you a really spacious main cabin with a settee which converts to a reclining daybed forward of the mast, two almost 6 seats where there is most headroom, with a folding table supported on a central post between. This swings right out of sight when not in use. A large chart table is clipped on the backrest of one seat when required.
It certainly feels a much bigger boat. You walk down the middle and so make use of the well and as before there are four ways up from the hull to the bridge deck (Pat Boyd robbed us of one in his book!). The main way down to the galley is very wide so that you can move freely without bumping into people.
The nerve centre - the loo - is still on the bridge deck. It has limited headroom it is true but it has these advantages;
Now how about the gadgetry which seven years with a Mark I had suggested might be an advantage.
First and foremost is the South Coast Rod Rigging roller reefing Genoa. I now cannot understand how we ever managed without it. On a new boat you need only buy one foresail so you save something on sails. The roll on the stainless steel forestay is so small that you hardly notice it even rolled down to a storm jib, and the engineering is adequate to avoid the necessity for a separate forestay. Because you change sail at the whisk of a winch handle you find yourself doing it all the time, when previously lethargy persuaded you (I should say me!) that the journey to the foredeck wasnt really necessary at that particular moment.
The second rigging advance is the Sailspar through-the-mast reefing gear, particularly when fitted with a pin for free wheeling. I decided that really to exploit this one should have a bolt rope and mast groove so that the sail feeds itself in when hoisting and also a Yacht Test winch with adjustable friction in one direction so that you actually wind the sail down against this slight brake. This provides not only quick reefing but very quick and neat storage on the boom if the main is cut correctly. Ours is not, quite, but it still works and the whole thing is very successful.
The Mark II could do with a much better platform to stand on when reefing but you can make this safer with a harness clipped to the inner shrouds which fits under your bottom and round your back, so that you more or less sit in it whilst reefing, facing the mast looking aft.
So far all well worth the effort, but the steering wasnt. That is to say I am still very much in favour of two wheels which are easy to arrange with a simple wire system to the two truncated tillers (there is an emergency gear), but on this boat I have used notched camshaft belts instead of chains on the steering wheel sprockets. This is fine but not worth the bother. The chains on CANDIDA. I surprisingly didnt affect the compasses anyway. Talking of compasses, moving the Sestral-Moore compasses on to the cabin roof and about 18 inches forward of the bulkhead was. a most worthwhile change. They are now almost on the horizon and involve no looking up and down or half moon glasses and this has resulted in a great reduction of eyestrain.
With a cat you are breaking with diehard convention anyway and it seems to me logical to drive it in comfort facing forwards like a car with an easy to read instrument board and weather protection when necessary (although I havent achieved this yet).
On the Mark I I used sliding doors but it was necessary on the Mark II to open the much enlarged cabin doors inwards, one alongside the loo, one across the bulkhead. This means that the one which fits under the curved cabin roof has to have a drop down flap of about 14. This turns out to be a splendid ventilator and the flap is always fixed at the rain deflecting angle at night.
The motors are not so accessible in the Mark II and I propose fitting them with holding down pulleys and then extending the starting cords to the rail.
I was grateful to the newsletter for two suggestions, first that the Sailcraft folding motor brackets should be cut down by 2½ to make it possible to use single extension motors (I like the security of the speed and the absence of heavy humping with two 20 or 25 HP motors rather than one larger one); and the second that the motors should have spray deflectors or covers. These I havent made yet. Neither have I dealt with the condensation in the after cabins but I am proposing first painting with Corkalon and then lining with foam backed plastic.
The Mariner wind direction, wind speedo and log was a great luxury but I made the mistake of putting the impeller in a slightly inaccessible position in a forward bunk. Result - it didnt get pulled up often enough - it should be right out anyway - so that it got fouled up. I hope not to be so lazy in future but as an extra I am going to try the Wasp - a straightforward propeller and wire mechanical type (the cheapest of the lot) so I hope to have some information on this.
I think you will still recognise CANDIDA II - in fact unless you were looking for it you wouldnt know the cabin had been extended. The windows are different, larger with the top line above sitting eye level and longer, extending further into the after cabins. These are suitable curved to preserve the racy appearance and I think those who have seen the boat agree that this has been done. But thank Heaven Rod hasnt looked at them yet!
Anyway I hope you will recognise us and come on board if you are around because wed love to have you for a drink. Regular moorings Hayling Island Sailing Club and Percuil, St. Haves.
They say it is to be a super summer. I wonder? Anyway I hope it is for you.
Barry Bucknell
Hampstead,
London, NW3.
I have no doubt that owners taking over a second hand Iroquois have met some of the difficulties which I have recently encountered.
Having sailed "Moonduster for some 2 months at the end of last season I had numerous ideas as to the modifications I would carry out during the Winter refit. My list of improvements and repairs ran to three foolscap pagess. After I dispatched the major items such as sails, electra-log radio and motor to the appropriate agents for servicing, I then set about the repair work and rubbing down. Whoever said there was little maintenance to do on a fibre-glass boat should be certified.
My Winter berth, a quarry which floods at high water, on the upper reaches of the River Cleddau, proved to be a snug resting place. The only difficulty was climbing the muddy sides of the 50 deep quarry carrying such things as batteries, tools and various pieces of equipment. Numerous resolutions to give up smoking were abandoned as soon as I regained my breath. The field where I parked the car was populated by a herd of inquisitive bullocks who, besides giving my car a tongue wash on every visit also managed to rip off both wing mirrors. The joys of living in the country.
One of the repairs was that to be carried out to the automatic mast buoyancy. Although fitted in 1968 it had never been connected. This led me to believe that the previous owner had little faith in the contraption. My conversation with Reg White seems to confirm this theory.
I am still undecided on an inexpensive improvement to the ventilation system but my thoughts are to replace the shallow tannoy vents with Seabird ventilators. I have also drained the forward bouyancy tanks and have taken off some eight gallons of water. That should help
Having inherited a large hole 24 x 10 covered with a tatty piece of perspex, on the starboard side of the cockpit bulkhead, I fashioned a mahogany frame in which I mounted a hinged perspex cover. The object of the exercise was to house the electra-log and echo sounder with access to the controls from the cockpit. I have also mounted the horseshoe life belt on the sliding hatch. This I believe is a better position than in the cockpit or on the life-lines.
I have been toying with the idea of setting a Yankee foresail from the spinnaker halyard to a bridle set between the bows. This I believe will improve the windward performance in light airs. Does anyone have experience of this rig? As I usually set a fully battened mainsail I use running backstays.
So much for fitting out but the gleaming interior has been worth the effort.
As I was likely to be the only multihull regularly racing on Milford Haven this season, I wrote to the Pembrokeshire Cruising and Racing Club of which I am a member, asking if I could as an experiment and as an incentive to other multihull owners, race with the fleet. I also volunteered to start 5 minutes late to counter the objection of manoeuverability. I received a reply from which I quote:
|
The Committee have discussed this and while retaining their view that a separate class can only be organised when multihull numbers rise, will not object to your racing with the keel boat fleet provided:
The position is complicated by the 'Rule of the Road regulations, and their application in any Insurance Claim, and also by the Racing Rules in the case of protests. I trust you realise that in the strict sense you will not be racing and hence are not eligible for the trophies at stake, also you should not wear a racing flag. |
Pardon me for asking. I shall offer to be rescue boat. Is this attitude towards multihulls typical of other Sailing Clubs?
Earlier in the season I had discussions with Jimmy Warram regarding forming a Multihull Association in Milford Haven for which be is very enthusiastic. So far I have met with luke warm support from other owners and prospective owners. Perhaps we might organise another Whiskey Series' when numbers increase.
I would be pleased to supply information or local knowledge to any Iroquois owners visiting Pembrokeshire, with its many Islands and 35 miles of inland waterways it is an ideal cruising ground. As yet not too good for the racing entbusiasts.
John Nicholas
Narberth, Pembs.
The little bird that told you that I capsized my Iroquois was, I regret to say, well informed and you can appreciate I now need a new boat for this season. Im rushing to complete a 37' Racing tri designed by Derek Kelsall, the floats and cat walks are now on and she looks a pretty boat - I hope to bring her down to the South Coast for a couple of races in July.
Anyway back to the capsize. She was a Mark I in which I had sailed 14,000 miles. On the day in question (24th May 1972) the wind had been blowing steadily from 7-8 throughout the day but had moderated to an onshore force 6 by 7 pm. We decided we would have a couple of hours sailing to prepare the boat for a race at the end of the next week. We left the harbour under full main and genoa and had an exciting reach across the bay, we then beat out to sea for a couple of miles and enjoyed the most exhilarating run back to harbour surfing on waves with the speedometer on the 20 knot mark regularly. We then changed to no. 1 headsail for practice and proceeded back out to sea just for the excitement of the run back in. At the time we had three men on board all wearing life jackets deflated but fitted with CO2 bottles. About a mile off shore hard on the wind, both plates were down, the no. 1 headsail was cleated but the main (a larger than standard racing main) was hand held but with an extra purchase in the main sheet system. We would be sailing at about 6-7 knots hard pressed but in our opinion well in control of the situation with the windward hull seldom leaving the water, suddenly a wave dropped away from under us (as opposed to lifting the hull if this makes sense!) and the boat commenced to capsize. Naturally the main was released immediately being hand held but with the extra purchase in the system only about 6-8 of mainsheet ran out before it jammed, the headsail wasnt released and during a capsize there isnt time to cut or uncleat a rope, things happen too quickly. I was helming at the tine and it was impossible to bear away (as per the text book) as soon as the hull began to lift. I imagine the rudders had become almost ineffective but certainly within 2 - 3 seconds I had lost my balance and the other 2 crew were already in the water. During the capsize the automatic mast inflation device cane into action but I have now seen these things work twice and on both occasions they have been entirely useless. The complete inversion took much less than 15 seconds. We all inflated our jackets but unfortunately mine had been torn and without it I found it fairly difficult to scramble on the upturned bridge deck. We already had a rope along this deck for such an eventuality and it was most useful if not essential. By this time it was beginning to get dark, we set off 1 red flare which was answered in minutes by the RNLI.
Conclusions.
The wind freshened again during the night and although we made a salvage attempt we couldnt find her in the dark and by morning she was on the rocks. The hulls are still perfect and she is now being rebuilt by a friend.
I hope no-one thinks I'm disenchanted with the Iroquois. It is the finest boat Ive ever sailed in and perfectly safe. I always sailed it to its limits and I think youll agree I did expect and was prepared for the eventual capsize:
Nick Keig
Douglas, Isle of Man
In view of the fact that the windward hull was seldom leaving the water before the capsize, we wouldnt like to cause unnecessary worry to those who sail their Iroquois about on one hull practically all the time, nevertheless, Nick Keigs article raises a number of interesting points upon which other owners might like to comment.
One which always bothers me is the idea of bearing away to avert a capsize. It always seems to me that, if youre beating to windward at the time, this is simply going to put you right across the wind. I know that if you're going fast enough the centrifugal force (with apologies to any purist physicists who think there is no such thing) would help to push the hull down again, but somehow without getting out a slide rule and delving into the realms of mrw2 I doubt whether that would make all that much difference. Could anyone enlighten me on the theory behind this suggestion?
A second point which I've seldom seen mentioned is the effect of the disposition of the crew weight. If we take the maximum righting moment of the Iroquois as about 20,000 lbs-ft (ie roughly weight x ½ beam) then the effect of say four crew at 150 lb each moving from the leeward to windward hull (say 10') would be 6,000 lbs-ft (ie a 30% increase in stability).
Bears thinking about doesnt it? Anyone want four trapezes for this years Crystal?
Seriously though, your comments on the article and the above points would be welcomed.
Harry Faulkner
I am sorry to have taken so long to write but I have been doing a lot of traveling since our telephone conversation.
Well as I told you the QME Self Steering Gear is suitable for the Iroquois and has been fitted to 4 or 5. Pat Wentworth Boyd is one owner, he fitted my gear over 2 years ago and on the several occasions I have net him he has given me good reports of the gear and is very happy with it. Then on the other hand there is an Iroquois owner - I don't know his name - who could not make the gear give good results. I wish this man had contacted me and I would have sorted out the problems.
The point is on a multihull - outside of electronics - the horizontal system is the most efficient wind vane; the simplicity of the gear ensures good results
The sensitivity makes the courses very accurate, and the power output below the fulcrum multiples the wind strength by about 12. All these factors combined to make my gear as efficient as any other available, no matter what the price, and my realistic price makes the value of the QME untouchable. There are now around 3,000 of these gears in every part of the world.
There are only 2 things that can take away the gears efficiency:
Any owner who would like questions answered or would like a chat about self steering has only to ring us up (Bridgwater 2043). I am lucky to be able to make my living from sailing and part of the joy of this involvement is to talk to other sailing people. I think in the past five years of QME I have met and talked to more interesting people than any other man alive, ranging from Sir Francis Chichester to ye dreaded scourge of the sea Captain McCabe.
Anyway Albert I hope we met again this season - give my regards to your wife.
Best wishes,
Pete. (P D Beard)
MOCRA East Coast Weekend - 26th May
It is proposed for the first meeting of the year to have a family cruise, to get to know one another so that more impromptu meetings can take place in localised groups at odd weekends. So weve chosen a central are in which to organise a cruise-in-company starting at Bradwell in the Blackwater at mid-day Saturday, 26th May.
It is intended to sail to Maldon on the rising tide, returning to spend the night off Osea Island. A reasonably early start, and depending on the weather, a lunch-time pint at West Mersea, or Brightlingsea, where Im sure we can find hospitality in one of the Club Houses. A sail to Wivenhoe on the evening rising tide. For anyone who has not been that far up the Colne, its a lovely river and the night can be spent a little lower down (with a barbecue?). The Monday can be spent as required, depending on the time and distance to return home. (If anyone wants to get to Bradwell on the Friday evening, I shall be at Bradwell Marina and expect that a berth could be found)
For the more ambitious. The weekend to Canvey is out because the Prout boys all seem to be off to Calais - they've offered to let us join them and will arrange any berths required in the yacht basin. If anyone is interested, please let me know so arrangements can be made as soon as possible.
Robin Gibbons (Iroquois 77 Cherokee) thinks he's going, so if it is your first time, you won't be alone.
Useful Information:
high tide Bradwell 26th May 07.11 hours and 19.21 hours.
Meeting Places:
Sat. 12.00 hours Bradwell off Power Station
Sun. 08.00 hours Osea Island, 20.00 near Alvesford Creek on River Colne.
Then its up to you, by making this weekend a success it could be the
start of a good MOCRA EAST. Comments please - criticisms please -
questions please to:
Russell Madden (Iroquois 78 Roguish)
22 High Street, Walthamstow, London, E.l7.
Tel: home 01-504-0869; business 01-520-4112.
Addenda Would the members who keep their boats on the East Coast please let me know. Who has fitted self steering to a 30' cat? May we have information on type, performance, comments and other general information. Round Island Feeder Race - weekend 23rd June, Bradwell to Cowes. For details of this race please apply to me at the above address.
Thank you.
Letter from the Royal Yachting Association:
Further to my letter of 4th December I enclose the minutes of the last RYA Multihull Committee meeting, from which you will see that we have decided to postpone the introduction of the new International Offshore Multihull Rating Rule to 1975.
In the interim period races organised by the RYA, or MOCRA and also those held in Cowes Week (including the Round the Island Race) will be run using the RYA's Portsmouth Yardstick scheme. Portsmouth Certificates will be issued by MOCRA (P. Wentworth Boyd, Esq., Secretary, MOCRA, Inholms Farm, Horley, Surrey) and details of the scheme are given in our booklet YR2 - Handicap Racing - which is available from us at 20p, or free to RYA members.
I would be grateful if you would circulate this information to your members.
Richard Hollis
Sailing Secretary RYA
Also see pages Editorial
I received the IOA Newsletter the other day and found it very interesting, being a new catamaran sailor. I own 122 Quasimodo and am still trying to get things sorted out after one season. All my previous experience has been in schooners, so this is a whole new thing with me.
Id like to get some back copies of the Newsletter if possible, they might be of some help to me. In my area, the Chesapeke Bay, there are only four cruising Cats that I know of, three Iroquois, one Apache, so there is not much of a backlog of local experience.
As mentioned in the letter I also would like some information on self steering gear.
Here on the Bay we have lots of windless weather during July and August, so I'd like to find out something about drifters, ghosters, or spinnakers from people who know what they are talking about.
At any rate were trying to show monohulls what Cats are like and its great after pooping along in schooners. During Oxford Week we did very well, not officially, against an ex 12 metre racer until she ran over another boat. Awfully hard on the helmsman of the other boat. We were only using our 150% genoa and the big boats were not very happy with us pacing them.
Glenn E. Heaton
Baltimore, USA
I am having an Iroquois built for me over this winter which I will use for the first time during a long leave next summer. I would therefore be grateful to know how I may join your association and also whether I may receive the Newsletter. As I have not previously owned any form of catamaran I am most anxious to gen-up on all possible information and would be glad to buy from you any back numbers of the Newsletter or any other literature that you may have available.
I am also trying to find a name for my Iroquois that can be registered. I presume that most names referring to the Iroquois tribes have already been used by now. If you would have a list of names already in use for Iroquois it would be a great help. Thank you in advance.
Dr. M.W. Hughes Clarke,
The Hague, Netherlands.
Trust you are putting in lots of time on your boat - I managed to develop a leak in the port hull since we last met, so will have some contribution to make to the next Newsletter! Its a terribly expensive way of providing an article, but some of us like to do it the hard way.
A A Hinderer
Secretary, Iroquois Owners Assn
In the mail this morning, I received the Autumn 1972 Newsletter of the Iroquois Owners Association. This is the first one I have seen and I should like to congratulate those responsible for doing such a fine job. The contents were quite interesting even though the places, people and events were unfamiliar. In fact, I felt frustrated by not being able to follow comments referring to previous Newsletters! There must be some cost in preparing and mailing the Newsletter so if you will tell me the amount to send, I shall be happy to share the expense with other Iroquois owners.
It is likely that I should be considered as something of a bogus owner because GEMINI is a Mark IIa demonstrator that was intended to be sold long before now. We are a Western States distributor for Sail Craft and originally, I had thought Iroquois would sell readily in this area where there is a dearth of good cruising cats. For reasons I have been unable to fathom, we have had more success selling Apache than Iroquois! But I am a persistent soul and feel sure the exceptional qualities of Iroquois must be recognized by people in this area eventually. If it is possible to avoid astronomical price increases and US dollar devaluations, perhaps our luck will change. If so, I shall be delighted to inform new Iroquois owners about your interesting and active association.
I appreciated receiving your Newsletter and hope I may see more of them in the future.
W M Meeker,
Managing Director, British Marine Industries
Montebello, California.
Your Newsletter was sent to Mr F D Crowther, St. Michaels, Md, USA. and was kindly forwarded to me. You see I purchased the Iroquois 103 from Mr Crowther two years ago. She is named the Crows Nest. I wondered if you couldnt put me on your mailing list in place of Mr Crowther.
I found some of your articles very interesting, particularly the engine drives. We have two 25 HP outboards on our ship so that we have insurance against engine failure and at the same time we have the necessary power.
Thomas J Trotter,
Northeast, Maryland, USA