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[Startmo]

Seems to me that Yachts with deep keels and bulb ballast have a huge problem coping with weed ridden conditions.  Is the alternative to sail more traditional pond yachts which have a more swept back keel which stands more chance of riding over the weeds ?


I guess this is a bit of an obvious observation but I wonder if those with much greater experience than me have any thoughts on the matter and any recommendations on choice of boat. I was hoping to build Vic Smeed's Starletbut am having difficulty in obtaining the build notes. Alternatively if anyone has a suitable boat for sale, I don't mind a bit of restoration should it be needed the please pm me with details.

[tigertiger]

You are right about choice of keel.
There are also some keels where the bulb does not protrude in front of the keel fin.


The only boats I really know are stateside, the Victor Models Soling 1m and half meter

[Netleyned]

I find my Victoria pretty good with weeds as she has a trailing bulb,
the Comtesse has a fin with no bulb and has no problems.
My marblehead has a liking for plastic carrier bags tha get blown or thrown
(mostly thrown) by people feeding the ducks and geese.
The litter bin behind them is one foot further away than the lake so
why bother using it 


A submerged carrier bag makes a darn good sea anchor.


Ned

[tigertiger]

my vic still used to collect weed on that little nose at the front of the bulb, beyond the fin.

[Boomer]

This is a interesting topic and is an important consideration for those of us the sail in locations where bottom growth presents a real and aggravating condition we have to deal with. I refer to this growth as "moung". Over the years the primary place I sail has had significant issues with "moung" especially during the summer months. Until the past few years we've had to deal with our larger boats getting snagging by the "moung" to the point of needing a rescue boat be dispatched to pull or push the yachts free of the "death grip" the growth has on the keels.

These lakes are actually golf course lakes and managed by the crews that maintain the course. After years of our complaining they started adding a nontoxic dye to the water that filtered out much of the sunlight that provided life to this horrible growth. They only have to use it during the summer as the "moung" doesn't grow during the cooler times of the year.

The water has a blue tint to it now, doesn't hurt the fish and has cured the problem. It rinses off the boats and leaves no stain. I have no idea of what it is but, I'm told it is expensive. The golf course is private -for property owner's use only - so I guess that is why the course manager helped us out. I am pretty sure it helps having a few of the Board of Directors of the Association in our sailing group

It would be sad to have to limit our boat choices due to the bottom growth issue. I enjoy pretty much all the designs and being able to sail without that limitation any more. Fortunately the other lakes I frequent are pretty deep and bottom growth has not yet been an issue.

I have developed the habit of bringing a rescue craft along with me just to be prepared should I get stuck in the middle for some reason. In a previous post, I have shared a few photos of a few of my favorite rescue methods some in fun but my most faithful boat is a Coast Guard Motor Life Boat. As in real life and now in a much smaller scale the Coast Guard is here for us. It has twin 550's which provide all the torque one could ever image needing for these kinds of rescues.

Having a rescue boat is a very good reason to get another boat too!

[alanh]

At the risk of being accused of promoting my own product...I'll go ahead and promote my own product!! Have a look at the website, www.jclasshulls.co.uk where you can see the hull profile of the Nottingham J, and soon to be available, the Nottingham 60. (The 5 foot version). The smooth keel line has no problem with weed and also as the rudder is sheltered behind the keel, this also does not trap weed. The shallower draft also makes it a more useable in those lakes which are silting up.
Have a look for yourselves.....
Alan

[Richardjm]

I have a Robbe Atlantis which I sail at Wicksteed Park in Kettering which is always getting weeded up. I guess the hull shape is similar to a J class with a traditional style sweeping keel shape. I have no problem with weed so that hull shape may be your best bet.


RichardM

[GAZOU]

Hi BOOMER
 
how do you hook the trailer to the boat rescued?

[Boomer]

Hi BOOMER
 
how do you hook the trailer to the boat rescued?

Easy. I have a line attached to the rescue boat that has small fishing "bobber" on it and a good sized "treble" type fish hook at the end of a leader. The hook has been filed down so it can't scratch the other boat. I circle the sailboat and the hook snags the rudder and then tow the sailboat to shore. The "bobber" keeps the line afloat so I can see it, and the leader and hook are trailing at a desirable depth to permit me to catch the stranded vessel. Works on power boats just as well.
It took some "trial and error" to find the correct length of the leader and placement of the "bobber" but once I found the
right combination, it has operated flawlessly.

The picture of my boat towing the boat was taken before I started to pull the boat. Using my "trolling" set up the rescued boat ends up being towed backwards, stern first. Works fine - just have to go slowly.

Again, it was a great excuse to get another boat!  My Motor Life Boat is the perfect boat for the job, seems a fitting role as well.

Boomer