Pelican 42

One of the most interesting boats in Hout Bay Marina is the Pelican 42 "Domicella".  Everytime I walk past this boat she preoccupies my mind for another 20 minutes or so.

Besides her beautiful lines, she has a two-masted unstayed rig, and she is a Lavranos design - which raises the interest factor considerably! Enigmatic, beautiful and well pedigreed! Also quite different. She oozes street-cred as a cruiser and a classic, and clearly will be interesting to sail. So what's she all about?

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Thanks to Roy McBride for this pic, taken recently at the closing cruise of Hout Bay yacht Club.

See more on this boat at ckdboats.blogspot.com

Well it turns out that Domicella is a cold-moulded wooden boat, of a design called the "Pelican 42". She was conceived by Bruce Hancocks and Colin Lawrence, both veteran cruisers, who combined their minds to create "The Ultimate Cruiser", in a quest for simplicity, practicality in a "less is more" concept. They chose the great Angelo Lavranos to design her - very skilled in all aspects of yacht design, but specifically for his experience in unstayed masts at that time, in 1982.

Any discussion about the Pelican 42 must start with the rig.

I never met Hancocks or Lawrence - but suspect their fascination of simple cat-rigged unstayed masts was probably inspired by the Freedom 40 ketches of the 70s, perhaps with a nod to the simplicity of cat-rigs and junk-rigs. The presumption is that a two-masted ketch using unstayed masts is the ultimate cruising rig. It is very easy to handle (self-tacking), cheap to build and maintain, great performance in trade wind sailing (moderate speed for winds not on the nose), and leaves the boat uncluttered with stays etc. Sails do not have to be stowed below decks, and sail changes are not required. This was at a time when roller-reefing headsails were not readily available. IMS or IRC rules were harshly banished in this concept - which is corinthian, traditonal, practical, and perhaps a touch romantic.

Hancocks and Lawrence wanted a beamy boat that could carry good cruising loads of water, fuel and stores. However these requirements are somewhat at odds with a "cantilevered rig" which can't easily deliver the power needed to drive a heavy boat. Lavranos therefore aimed for an easily driven hull, slender and not too heavy, able to be driven by this rig. The result is a beautiful hull, with loads of space, and great classic lines. They also wanted a generous centre-cockpit, which Domicella has, but subsequent builds had an aft-cockpit and GRP hulls. I notice Domicella has conventional booms rather than the spars common on cat-rigs, of which I have no personal experience. I guess this makes reefing a bit easier, and being symmetrical, avoids the problem on one tack of the spar against the sail. The other option would be a wishbone, but again I don't know how reefing works with a wishbone. The conventional booms seem fine to me. Other requirements included a simple transom-hung rudder, which is effective and simple to maintain/repair, and to fit self-steering to. The interior can be customised in many ways.

So what are the pros and cons of "The Freedom Rig" as it's popularly known?

Well rig theory is never a simple discussion - it can be debated forever. However there are some general points worth mentioning in a comparison with a coventional stayed "Marconi Rig", which designers have now almost universally gravitated to in recent times. I should mention at this point that Lavranos offers a conventional sloop rig as an option too.

Two unstayed masts:

Pros

- Simple and Cheap

- Very easily handled (self-tacking, no (or limited) winches required)

- Clean decks

- Sails not stored below decks (in fairness this doesnt apply much anymore as roller furling headsails are possible on sloop rigs)

- Low maintenance and no chafing on stays

- Interesting traditional looks

- Small sail wardrobe

Cons

- Not very efficient on close hauled tacks (limited slot effect, and bendy masts)

- Max height of rig is less than equivalent Marconi Rig, so not great in light airs where the "topsail effect" is useful

- Storm reefing not ideal, though not bad by all accounts. The mains reef very deeply.

- Fore-mast presents unwelcome weight on the bow, but not as bad as say 100m of heavy chain!

- Two masts present more weight aloft than a single stayed mast, compromising performance to windward

- Spinnaker or Gennaker not possible for light airs downwind sailing

Marconi/Sloop Rig

Pros

- Lower weight aloft - Stayed rigs have great power/weight

- Mast is high above water for light wind "topsail effect"

- Cutter rig / roller furling is very versatile and easily handled too

- Allows versatile and efficient sailplans

- Strong windward performance

- Strong Downwind performance with various kinds of 'chutes

Cons

- Generally quite expensive rigs with large primary winches etc

- Chafing of sails on standing rigging

- Tacking can be a bit of work, especially on a cutter

Verdict?

For purely trade wind or tropical cruising, this rig offers a lot. It offers so much for so little, even if you may need to carry some extra diesel for really light conditions. Its not the kind of rig I would chose to sail back to Cape Town from Rio however. It should excell in moderate winds and especially when reaching. But if you want to "really sail", get a sloop, cutter or not, they will reward your effort and have more flexible sail-plans for all conditions.

Either way, the Pelican 42 is a great cruiser. It has a very moderate hull with some clear considerations for performance, moderate keel, transom-hung skeg rudder. It won't have any vices, and should offer a good level of seakindliness with suprising performance. I like the centre cockpit version personally, but the aft cockpit version will have huge accommodations - though I haven't seen one. Domicella, of Hout Bay, has a suprising turn of speed off the wind. Lavranos has blended some quite modern light-displacement thinking into this design, and come up with great looks, fair performance, and elegant simplicity into this one!

Definitely on my list of great cruisers, and a fantastic single-hander! I would opt for two carbon masts these days, and a decent engine. That way you will have a very comfortable, elegant cruising yacht with good sailing ability, and a motor sailer to boot. . . Inexpensive and a good effort/reward ratio.

Build this boat?

Roy can offer the materials and bulkheads precut which would make it much easier, also a Birdsmouth Mast Plan with Carbon Sock over it - strong and inexpensive. Cold-moulding is not the easiest thing, but with some reading and a bit of practise is not too difficult, besides the workload. She will also need extensive fairing. At 42' she is on the large side for a home build but is certainly not uncommon - Roys own (homebuilt) boat is 43'. The corinthian nature of the rig and general fittings (lack of) means you wouldn't be buying much, or even fitting much. Just need to get the labour sorted for the cold-moulding . . .

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Moderate keel with rudder well aft makes for responsive handling, but also good tracking.

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Cat Rigged ketch Option. Note the two angled reefing points, and almost complete absence of lines!

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Two unstayed masts with conventional booms, lazy jacks, fully battened sails with fairly full roaches. Unlike the cat rig, this option has kickers to keep the sail tensioned, but presents a fuller sail than the cat-rig, and the slot should work better too. Lazy jacks a plus . . .

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All credit to both Roy McBride and Andgelo Lavranos for making all this material available!

L34

L34 "Sensation" skippered here in 2006 Admirals Regatta in Hout Bay. She won the event comfortably and took the sword in 2005 (Mark Sadler) and 2006 (Andrea Giovani) if memory serves . . .

L34s have always intrigued me. Most yachts are easy to pigeonhole as cruisers, racers, small or large, comfortable or fast, but seldom all of the above. A number of 34 footers seem to have it all - perfect all rounders. In SA we have the L34, the Stadt 34 and the Didi 34 (already reviewed). At 34' a yacht can have generous accommodations without compromising its performance, be capable of ocean passages, and quite comfortable all at once. They are a good choice for offshore racing, round the cans racing, and easily converted to performance cruisers - enter the Holiday 34 (tailored slightly for cruising). Additionally, in South Africa, they have a large and active class association, and are by far the biggest class in this size in South Africa.

As far as I know the L34 class was conceived and driven by Dave Cox - also responsible for the L26 and obviously with a very clear view of what South African yachtsmen were looking for! I don't know the history, but between him and Angelo Lavranos (the designer) they came up with the L34, and most were built by Roberston Yachts in Cape Town. And very well built by all accounts. Designed as production boats from the start, they made a great one-design class, affordable for serious offshore racing, with just the right balance of performance, safety, comfort and handling.

The design is what I would call "modern-moderate" in all respects, with swept fin-keels, spade rudders, flattish underbodies, average beam (10'10"), average Displacement/Length ratios, and conventional fractional sloop rigs. Tillers are found on the L34, whilst the Holiday 34s seem to have wheels. At 4300 kgs they are light for their size but not super-light. Draft at 1.8m includes a fairly deep and powerful keel. They do very well in the blustery Cape waters, and are considered very safe.

Hout Bay Yacht Club has had several L34s based here over time, and we have had many racing here in our Admiral's Regatta. The picture above is of "Sensation", a very well known and well-campaigned example which has an amazing race record. I have seen it sailed in two Admiral's Regattas in Hout Bay - skippered by no less than Mark Sadler one year, and Andrea Giovani the next - in both cases it won the event . . .

Probably the best testament I have heard for the L34s comes from an old sea-salt yachtmaster we had living here, who was also a sailing instructor (L34s are very popular training yachts as well). As a veteran cruiser, his preference was for long-keel ketches loaded with salty gear - safety, seakindliness, strength, anchors, drogues etc etc etc -  but he did concede the L34s were as good a boat he had ever sailed for storm conditions and was also full of praise for the build quality. They routinely pop into Hout Bay from Cape Town and Langebaan in all kinds of conditions, no problems I have seen!  Unlike some of the big-name tupperwares . . .

The rig,  lines, deck layout, and interior layout are all very conventional and functional. No suprises anywhere. The execution is clean and efficient, and you simply don't want to change anything at all. Interior is very spacious and functional. The engine is mounted under the stairway, but easily accessible from a removable cover. Galley, chart table, saloon, heads and fore-cabin all very adequate and useable.

L34s tend to be well maintained and have aged very well. They hold their value and are generally priced around ZAR 450-500k in good condition (2011). They are a rare combination of great design, build quality, and a well conceived format. As a matter of interest the L34s are often seleted as the reference boat for PHRF handicapping, being the scratch boat at 1.000.

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The Holiday 34 was the cruising version - with some minor changes including a more fully fitted interior, a slightly shallower wing-keel, and a steering wheel helm. I don't think the rig was reduced but if so it isn't noticeable. HBYC has a great example on the moorings - its a fine looking boat and just makes you want to go sailing!

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The 10m Solar cruiser appears to be an updated L34, again commissioned by Dave Cox. It is designed as a wooden build, with a fair bit of extra performance. Remarkably similar to the Didi 34 in my view, these designs have little left to argue over  . . .

Shearwater 39

Sheer Tenacity on an early test cruise outside Hout Bay.

Photo taken with a cellphone, but its one of my favourites!

The ultimate cruiser should have a (1) traditional soul and good looks, (2) easily handled, (3) comfortable at sea, (4) safe as a house, (5) great to live in (6) affordable (7) fast! - not necessarily in that order. My definition of course, but if you agree then the Shearwater 39 is one of the best examples around. The example I am most familiar with is Rod and Mary's "Sheer Tenacity" - now cruising very happily in the Caribbean (http://svsheertenacity.blogspot.com/). Rod and Mary are great folks and members of Hout Bay Bay Yacht Club, and the story behind the boat and its name is quite interesting, I'll tag it below as an add-on for those interested.

Hout Bay Yacht Club has had several Shearwater 39's around, and almost all our old salts have done time on them, including of course Dudley Dix, the designer. Another notable one is "Ukulele Lady", which belonged to our illustrious singer and radio personality Nick Taylor, another member of the club, and which saw an interesting party off to Rio just a few years ago. There's also Chris Hull's Sea Lion, and of course Peter Muziks's Shoestring, all well known to us, besides many others I don't recall the names of. The original one however, was conceived and commissioned by Gerfried Nebe (our local celebrity boat builder, who built his in wood). As I remember - Gerfried - who had done some extensive cruising in a Miura - wanted something bigger and faster, but not losing any of the great qualities of the Miura (see earlier post). Dudley Dix was automatically selected for this important job - our resident designer guru! - and came up with the Shearwater 39.

How does she match the definition I posted as the ultimate cruiser?

Traditional Soul and Good looks!

Sailboat Cruising is undoubtedly a romantic pursuit! Spice islands, parties abroad, storms, adventure and sheer bliss in the warm climes. Why do this in a slab-sided boat, or a tupperware for that matter?  

Traditional cabin top, portholes, wooden trim, butterfly hatches, bowsprit and cutter rig! Shearwaters are popular wherever they go, and amazingly people treat you better when you have a good looking traditional looking boat!

Easily handled

The Shearwater 39 has a cutter rig (sloop cutter) - a proper cutter rig, which not only looks good - it makes the sails smaller and easy to handle. This also reduces the loads on the winches and rig, making her safer and stronger, with great options for reduced sail in storm conditions. The moderate keel and skeg-hung rudder make her quite responsive and manouevrable, and the flat deck surfaces are easy to move on. The moderate beam and and moderate keel (with rudder well aft) make sure she will track well too. With the usual amenities of a stack pack, roller furlers, and an autohelm, she is easily shorthanded by a cruising couple. A cruising asymmetrical on a furler or with a snuffer is normal.

Comfortable at Sea

Fine clipper bow, moderate wineglass sections, moderate displacement/length, good flare in the bows, excellent weight distribution  - you don't get really much better in a cruising hull. Add the deep aft cockpit - the only other parameter that can increase comfort is size, but at 39' and > 9 tons you are already rubbing shoulders with the big guys. Shearwaters tend to be reassuringly stiff and stay reasonably level, good qualities for passagemaking. Its the sort of boat one would agree to sail "back from Rio" as I have heard more than once in the bar.

Safe as a House

Let's not forget the Skipper and the Builder have equal responsibilities in the safety department. But design-wise - you need a  boat with a good stability curve, a fair bit of overall mass ideally, a safe cockpit, manageable rig, and decent steering. Additionally, good buoyancy in the ends, and a secure galley station. Tick them all.

Great to Live in

The Shearwater has a cavernous interior - really big for a 39-er. The layout is conventional and simple, with the usual Dix idea of having the engine under the galley counter. In a 39' boat this works very well for many reasons (engine acess, weight distribution, prop-shaft angle, secure galley area), while not intruding in any way. The cockpit is economical in size for a 39-er, but ideal for its intended purpose as a passagemaker, and a liveaboard boat, where one wants to optimise the sailing aspect and accommodations below. It places everything at the hand of the skipper, and is ideal for singlehanding. It is more than adequate for a small party in harbour (been to several!). The Shearwater was originally designed to have a tiller - and I guess thats what I'd have - but nearly all now have wheels. The tiller folds away in harbour, is trouble free and simple, and looks good, while the wheel takes less strength to handle, and appears to be expected now in boats this size . . .?

Affordable

I guess this is relative! However the Shearwater makes use of simple materials, low rig stresses, smaller winches, transom rudder etc. It offers the accommodation of a much larger boat, due to the cabin roof and cockpit shape. The traditional looks make it very attractive without resorting to high-tech adornments like carbon wheels and fancy rigs - they are essentially semi-corinthian but look like an art classic! Best of all - Shearwaters hold their value very well and are treasured by cruisers all over the world. (The Shearwater brand is famous for the Shearwater 45, which received  "Best Traditional Voyager" and "Best Cruising Boat" in the Cruising World Boat of the Year 2001 Awards.

Fast

The traditional topsides hide a very advanced underbody, and the rig and keel are very powerful, on all points of sail. So the Shearwater goes much faster than it looks. It even goes faster than fast-looking boats sometimes. Peter Muzik on Shoestring did a blistering time (10 days) to St Helena a few years ago - in the Governor's Cup race.  Dudley explains this better in his own commentary, but my experience is identical - pacing Sheer Tenacity with a DiDi 34, I was very suprised how she moved, and with the comfort and dignity of a battleship. The "enigma" of the Shearwater is shown in the picture below. The fine wavepiercing bow has quite a deep foot, giving her waterline length in front, while the flat run to the traditional oval shaped transom is more than a bit sporty, particularly if she's heeling a bit . . . . " See http://svsheertenacity.blogspot.com/2009/01/ideal-cruising-boat.html for more commentary on their perfromance.

note also the simple semi-balanced transom rudder on that traditional stern - it really "looks the business"

Shearwaters have any vices? Are they perfect?

This is what I asked Rod Turner Smith after about two years of ownership and one year of cruising, mostly passagemaking.

Rod had this to say: "Justin, a lot earlier in our travels, you asked if I felt that the Shearwater was the ideal cruising boat. We have now done just over 4000nm in "Sheer Tenacity" since we left Cape Town last month, and have had time to assess her performance , and time to learn how best to trim and sail her. The answer is unequivocally YES!! She is an absolute joy, and a real passage maker! Not only is she good on all points of sail, but she is naturally fast, spacious, and better ventilated than any other boat I know. She is also a real "looker", and commented upon wherever you go! A great combination of classical elegance, and efficient yacht design. Her reputation preceeds her, and people from all over the world recognise them, and respect them. Gerfied and Dudley certainly hit the jackpot with this boat, and I cannot believe that only about 25 of each size were built, and.. that we are lucky enough to own one!

So Rod seems more than happy! Having said all that - each boat is designed for a specific purpose, and all are compromises. The Shearwater is the sort of bluewater cruiser you would buy if you want to go places and really sail, including the Southern Ocean if necessary. If you specifically need shoal-draft, or a large enclosed centre cockpit for very cold climes, or a floating caravan, etc you may want to look a bit more widely. But if the Shearwater meets your needs - look no further!

See http://www.boatus.com/cruising/ithaka/specs.asp for another amazing account of "Ithaka", owned and sailed by Bernadette Bernon, the editor-in-chief of Cruising World for over ten years. When she picked a boat for her own cruising - it was the Shearwater 39. They voted it "Boat of the Year" in 2001 I think.

See http://www.dixdesign.com/sh39.htm for the Dudley's comments and the technical detail.

There is more on his blog at http://dudleydix.blogspot.com/2010/04/our-shearwater-designs-39.html

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The story behind Sheer Tenacity, as I observed it, anyway:

Rod and Mary, originally from JHB where they were enthusiastic outdoor lovers and 4x4 enthusiasts, moved to Hout Bay a few years ago to escape the rat race etc etc. In no time at all, they had bought a Miura (4x4 of the sea), called Tenacity (mentioned earlier in this blog), and practically rebuilt her - including a full osmosis treatment done at home, and basically everything new. Rod - never one for half measures - received a terminal dose of the sailing bug - and simultaneously bought a large old Roberts boat (about 53' if memory serves) - called "Gambula" or similar, with the goal of doing some extended cruising. Gambula came with loads of good kit - mast, rig, engines etc, and Rod moved her up to their house in Meadows (across the road from the Nebes in fact). Then he started working on her. I guess it was quite fortunate that it happened right in the first few days - he fell through the rotten hull near the stern! One can only imagine the suprise and emotion that this must cause - I don't have the words for this kind of thing. At least not printable ones. A "chainsaw party" followed and that was it for Gambula. Anyway, never being one to lay down and give up, Rod and Mary took a quick decision to sell their beloved rebuilt Miura (yes I know), and buy the last new Shearwater mould from Achesons yard. Again this was a bit testing because the yard was being liquidated and they had to move it out p.d.q. at one point. Then came a long and arduous job of fitting it out - Rod worked fulltime for about a year and a bit to do this, moving much of the kit over from Gambula, which was still perfect. The woordwork and standard of finishing was damm good if I may say, and the rigging, fitting and electrics all top class. Eventually she was launched and Rod and Mary sold their (rather lovely) house and moved in to her in Hout Bay, taking a year or so to get everything sorted before going cruising. She is not called Sheer Tenacity for nothing! - and remains an inspiration on how to convert adversity to advantage! Read their blog!