Rafiki 37

[pelagic4005]

Hello all, ive used this forum many times but only just signed up. It has been invaluabke so thank you to you all.

My query is with a rafiki 37. I know they are well built but what is their performance like. I have read conflicting reports from seemingly season round the world sailors. What will they tack through in moderate conditions? Is it a question of gettting the trim right?

Thank you. (Im thinking of buying one)

[robert sailor]

I'm sure Mike O will notice this and give you the low down on his boat.

[pelagic4005]

Thanks if not I'll message him. Im sure it will sail how i imagine. I was surprised though at the reports on its windward ability.

[Mike OReilly]

Hi pelagic4005, so you’re considering buying a Rafiki-37. I’ve owned mine for over seven years now. Love cruising with it very much. If you’re looking for a solid, long-distance cruiser, you won’t be disappointed.

Tack angle … I can’t tell you to the exact degree. It’s somewhere around 45 degrees off the wind, perhaps a smidge less. It’s not really something that I think about or have bothered to monitor with any exactness.

Here’s a screen shot of us tacking into Bay of Islands, NFLD. We were sailing in a gale, with nasty steep seas and wind right on the nose.

One thing to note is our Rafiki has its chainplates brought out to the exterior hull, so our sheeting angle is not as tight as other Rafikis. I don’t know how much this has affected our tack angle, but I would expect standard Rafikis to be better.

In general, Rafiki’s were designed as downwind/trade wind sailors, much like many of the time. Put wind anywhere on the beam or aft and she’s in heaven, and quite fast.

If you’ve got other questions I’m happy to try and answer.

[JPA Cate]

It's a lot of varnish to keep up. Friends with one arrived the same day as us from New Caledonia into Coff's Hbr., so its average days' runs on that trip and ours were similar.

Ann

[pelagic4005]

Thank you I suspected as much from looking at the lines. I did read that someone was struggling to tack trough 100 degrees which does not seem good for this. I may well do a trial sail before purchase

[pelagic4005]

That chart plot and condition report is great

[robert sailor]

While 100 degrees is not great, you'd be surprised how many cruising boats don't do any better in some conditions. Depending on what you plan to do with the boat it might be just fine. If the Cates say that the R37 is capable of doing similar passage times to them (Even if they were sailing extremely conservatively) I'd say that boat was sailing very well.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by pelagic4005

Thank you I suspected as much from looking at the lines. I did read that someone was struggling to tack trough 100 degrees which does not seem good for this. I may well do a trial sail before purchase

Never buy any sailboat without a sea trial

[Mike OReilly]

If you look at our plot you can see we’re tacking through about 90 to 100 degrees (45 off the wind). This was far from optimal conditions. We were (foolishly) bashing into large, steep waves, in gale force winds. We were running with double-reefed main and staysail. And I’m the first to admit, I’m not a great sailor.

I love these boats. They excel with wind beam or aft. I don’t think they’re great going to wind, but as you can see, they do OK. But if sailing performance were my primary concerns, I’d probably look elsewhere. IMO these boats are designed to be serious long-distance cruisers for small crews, not speedsters.

Ann … were you in your current boat, or a previous one?

[JPA Cate]

Mike, this one. They may have motored on the light air days, where we just put up with slower days....

Where I think they would have had a hard time of it, was on the West Coast of Tasmania, when we left in 4 m. seas (down from 14) from Macquarie Hbr., and beat up past NW Cape, before we could crack off. I think they might have had to tack a ways offshore, 'cause it was really hard on the wind in vigorous conditions, and barely a fetch for us, with us working at it. The New Cal to the Mainland trip is all downwind, and if it goes light, the passage times aren't all that fast. Someone who is disciplined enough to motorsail to keep up the average days' runs can get ahead of us easily. We just don't use the engine much offshore, except if necessary to also charge batteries.

As to the varnish part, the woman of the couple is a dedicated varnisher, and she works on it twice a year, every year, along with her day job. And, it always looks lovely. They are justly proud of their boat.

Ann