Cutter vs. Ketch rigs

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Bought in the Caribbean in Antigua from Andrew Dove at the North loft in English Harbor. Timing was everything. As Salty Dawgs, we got their discount. As foreign registry, we avoided GST. We bought during the broker’s show, more discount. Total was about 2-3X what we would pay for Dacron. I expect 1-2 good seasons from Dacron before it bags out. 3DI will stay same shape for 10 years or more. Our mast is 80 feet so high aspect. Another strike against Dacron. With in mast furling, the main must stay flat or it tangles in the mast. About 4-5 years with Dacron.

Yeah, it's worth emphasizing that Dacron sails and in-mast furling are not a good combination.

Laminate (or other types of membrane sails) go with in-mast furling like cookies and cream. Thinner, more flexible, much more dimensionally stable -- in-mast furling is brilliant with a sail of this type.

/thread drift

[Waliver]

Originally Posted by Lou-In-NJ

I'm looking for opinions on cutter vs. ketch rigged boats. I am talking to the owner of a Mauritius 43' center cockpit ketch, and also a rear cockpit cutter rigged boat in the same size range.

We've sailed our 36' sloop around the Northeast (Maine to New Jersey), Gulf of Maine and Block Island Sound being the most open water we've done; but we'd like to do more coastal cruising in the next few years, and maybe take the boat to the Caribbean at some point, for a few seasons. I have no experience with these other rigs, and I'd like to hear what people's experience and advice is for a fairly agile couple with extensive sloop experience, when transitioning to the handling these other types of rigs.

If you want a boat that sails, steer clear of the Mauritius,
A ketch ionly clutters up a good cockpit, but it’s personal preference. Have a look at successful racing yachts, you won’t see many ketches.

[Wandering1]

Originally Posted by Waliver

If you want a boat that sails, steer clear of the Mauritius,
A ketch ionly clutters up a good cockpit, but it’s personal preference. Have a look at successful racing yachts, you won’t see many ketches.

Pen Duik 1V
Stormvogel
Swan 65
Steinlager 2
Hetairos
There are plenty

[Nicholson58]

Waliver, not so. Pick your ketch carefully. They are not all the same.

We have lived aboard in Antigua for nearly three years. There are many split rigs, ketches and yawls, racing in the 600, the classics, the superyacht series. There are many ketches cruising the Caribbean.

The big ketch with flat top main and mizzen rounded Antigua in under three hours. It’s a recently purpose built race yacht. There were several ketches in this race.

The last two photos are our ROXY. We cruise the Caribbean islands at 8-10 knots easily. The photo with our matching spinnaker and mizzen staysail taken by our friends had us at 12-14 knots.

We made the transit from Hampton, Va to Virgin Gorda in the BVI in 2016 in 7.5 days. That’s 1500 miles. We had back to back 250+ mile days. This was before we replaced the jib and main with North 3DI. We regularly beat up catamarans. We embarrassed an 80 foot cat, Martinique to Bequai last year.

[Wandering1]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Waliver, not so. Pick your ketch carefully. They are not all the same.

We have lived aboard in Antigua for nearly three years. There are many split rigs, ketches and yawls, racing in the 600, the classics, the superyacht series. There are many ketches cruising the Caribbean.

The big ketch with flat top main and mizzen rounded Antigua in under three hours. It’s a recently purpose built race yacht. There were several ketches in this race.

The last two photos are our ROXY. We cruise the Caribbean islands at 8-10 knots easily. The photo with our matching spinnaker and mizzen staysail taken by our friends had us at 12-14 knots.

We made the transit from Hampton, Va to Virgin Gorda in the BVI in 2016 in 7.5 days. That’s 1500 miles. We had back to back 250+ mile days. This was before we replaced the jib and main with North 3DI. We regularly beat up catamarans. We embarrassed an 80 foot cat, Martinique to Bequai last year.

We just sailed Antigua to Horta, Azores in 15 days 2 hours. 2250nm. 44ft Van de Stadt Trintella 44 ketch. A predominately light wind passage where the ketch excelled with her large sail area.
7'2' draft with fin and skeg hull, 6 tonnes of lead. Vectran sails, folding prop,

[rls8r]

Originally Posted by Waliver
Have a look at successful racing yachts, you won’t see many ketches.

There are even some successful racing yawls - like the

Dorade (52' Sparkman & Stevens), Crocodile (Concordia; won the 1997 Marblehead-to-Halifax race), Actaea (Bermuda 40 - won the 2014 St. David's Lighthouse Division trophy in the Newport-to-Bermuda race) - and others.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Waliver

. . .. Have a look at successful racing yachts, you won’t see many ketches.

My dock neighbor, when I first bought this boat, was the legendary Swan 65 ketch "Desperado". This type won the first Whitbread Round the World race and many other transoceanic races, dominated its class at Cowes Week for years, number of class wins in the Fastnet, etc. etc. etc.


There have been many, many successful racing ketches.

[Wandering1]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

My dock neighbor, when I first bought this boat, was the legendary Swan 65 ketch "Desperado". This type won the first Whitbread Round the World race and many other transoceanic races, dominated its class at Cowes Week for years, number of class wins in the Fastnet, etc. etc. etc.


There have been many, many successful racing ketches.

We had our own little race yesterday. We left Horta on the island of Faial in the Azores to sail to Terceira. 72nm. The wind was a little lighter than forecast so we were motorsailing until it filled in. An Allures 51.9 motored past us. We are a 44ft Van de Stadt ketch. Eventually the wind filled in and we were broad reaching under full white sail. The Allures had its North carbon sails set but we sailed past it. Just to rub salt into the wounds we did the gentlemanly thing and past him to leeward so we didn't steal his wind. His 8ft longer length and considerably longer waterline than our 35.5' did nothing to stop a 44 year old ketch sail by.