Tuesday 12 July 2011

The (unofficial) sail comparison site for Swallow Boaters.

Just a few Low Res shots of boat sails and rigs prompted by a discussion on the Swallow Boats Forum. In no particular order. Feel free to add comments and better pics.
Tony

LINKS
To see the current range of Swallow Boats visit:-
 http://www.swallowboats.com/
and for heavily biased opinions about them (often favourable) visit:-
http://www.swallowboatsassociation.com/

 ...and for a lot of sillyness about things the author has been up to in a Swallow Boat visit:-
 http://www.sailing-in-circles.blogspot.co.uk/
- but don't say I didn't warn you.
Spot the odd one out?  Swallow Boats Rally. Lake Bala 2009
First Bay Raider? Semaine du Golfe 2007.
Matt was zipping about in a gale having a good time while the rest of the fleet were wondering how many reefs to put in.
Not me, though. I'd found this nice little place that was serving Moule frites, Galettes and other good things!
 Gale? What gale?

Not a Swallow Boat - but still nice. A Dutch built  Bj 17.
 Beale Park 2011
Lug sails drop into the boat in an instant.... on your crew's head, usually.

S15 Cadenza  - Fully battened, strung like a harp.

Deben Lugger http://www.anglia-yacht.co.uk/deben_lugger/index.html 

From Anglia Yachts - A Drascombe put right?
Good boats (I liked it so much I bought the prototype) but  the BR 20 has water ballast with all its advantages.

"Wabi".
(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi) Pre-production test bed for the Deben Lugger. Note the Sprit mizzen, larger balanced lug mainsail and roller furling jib flown from a bowsprit, also the dagger board and gallows. Production models have a neater interior, a centre board and other civilized optons but lack the Wabi-Sabi !


BR 20 - Making the most of light winds. Lake Bala 2009

BR 20
 Best Day Boat on the market?

Baby sister to the BR20 ....

The BayRaider 17

Auzzie BR17  "Kylu"  Built by Deman Marine.
Same concept as the BR20 (water ballast, self righting,  etc.) but smaller, lighter and capable of being launched by hand off a sandy beach.


BR20 "Expedition"

Not a sawn-off BayCruiser (which has increased freeboard and beam), the BR20 "Expo" has exactly the same hull as the original BR20 but with the added security and shelter of a simple two berth cuddy. Add a sprayhood and cockpit tent and you have a trail-anywhere boat you can happily spend a few weeks holiday aboard. Great for Creek-crawling (Gunk-holing, if you're from across the pond) in an unreliable climate, but capable of so much more.  Anyone want to play "First Across"?


Rig evolution.
 The carbon fibre masts and battened mainsail should give a bit more poke to the BR20 Ex. Reefs nicely, too!    Confirmed "Raiders" might prefer the Gunter lug version with its wooden spars.



BayCruiser 23 - Object of desire.


BC 23 OBJECT OF DESIRE
  (That's the BOAT, Matt,  for God's sake! Strewth,  these youngsters today....)


All smiles on the BC23.


S 15 by Andrew Denman. Lug rigged - looking good.
Trouper 12   
With the sensible lug sail and a nice pair of oars it makes a great tender.



Sailing Trials of the first Cardigan Bay Lugger (CBL Four Sisters)

Old Saggy Sails - Six Ionian Summers have taken their toll. Boat still looks OK, though!



Have trailed this boat nearly 20,000 miles in six years.
Must work out how far we've sailed, I suppose, but to be honest, once the sails are drawing or I've moored up for the night with a brew on .... I don't give a damn!


The BayCruiser 20.  Just love this boat. More sail, More room, more performance. (That's compared to the CBL. )



Steve Jones' s Walker Tideway at 4 knots.  Small, but capable.
(The boat, that is. Steve aint so small!)

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The sprit mainsail.

A much neglected sail type, this.  ( As seen onThames barges. )
 
 

Phoenix III, Reefed down in a blow.
For details see http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/lillistone/phoenix/index.htm


Above is a Phoenix III - A 15 foot Beach Cruiser (what ever that is) by the Aussie designer Ross Lillistone, rigged with the sprit main option. (Also has Bermudian sloop or balanced lug rigs available.) There is a quick(er) build stitch and glue version called “First Mate”available.
 
A spritsail carries the biggest area per foot of mast height  of any  small boat sail and, in tests carried out at Gifford Technology in the States and in wind tunnel tests carried out by C.A. Marchaj in the 1980’s it proved to be superior to the Bermudian sail on all points of sailing.
 Much to everyone’s surprise.  
Except skippers of Thames barges, of course.

 
 
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BayCruisers just got bigger!


BayCruiser 26 
Matt Newland and Swallow Boats have plans to build two versions of this gorgeous trailable fast cruiser. (As of Oct 2011) See http://www.swallowboats.com/our-boats/cabin-boats/baycruiser-26  for full details. 
As is usual with Swallow Boats, potential buyers have been encouraged to take part in the design. To quote from the blurb:

"The construction of hull number 1 will start soon and any interested parties would be welcome to visit. If you are able to get involved at this stage you can influence the design and have a hand in her creation. We always like to work closely with our customers in this regard, a process which all parties seem to enjoy."

 The first example is planned to be ready for the Southampton Boat Show in September 2012.



...and even bigger ?



Could this be the new Swallow Boats SB42?

Cor!

I think this is part of Matt's retirement plan. Build this little beauty and sail off around the world with the wife and kids!

(Picture stolen from a remote corner of the Swallow Boats website.)