The keel is a bulb that I made twenty years ago which has been mounted on at least three other boats. I haven’t weighed it but I’d guess around 3 pounds. I usually kindof do it by trial and error. floating it in the tub till it floats right. The sail plan is your standard catboat single gaff sail with relatively high pointing gaff (high peak) which I think is really pretty. I have the plans in my Rhino program.
thanks
John Storrow
Nope, did the sail plan by eye, if the sail is too big I’ll make a smaller one or put a reef in it. Can even saw the keel off and put another one on it if it comes to that, don’t think it will though. she’s got plenty of volume below the waterline and floated there in the tub. She will have plenty of weather helm but that’s part of the charm of catboats with their long booms.
I’ve only ever sailed full size cat rigged boats (Nonsuch 30 & a smallish Freedom) and while neither had particularly sparkling windward performance I certainly don’t recall weather helm being a notable issue. Is this a trait you’ve noticed with model boats rigged with cat sails or more of a generalisation?
Mostly generalization, Or a trait with catboats with long booms sailing down-wind in a strong breeze. When I was a kid we had a Marshall 18 which we sailed in for ten years up and down fishers Island sound. I remember watching the water rush past the rudder on one side and not the other so much.There was definitely weather helm then.
Used to sail R/C model lasers too, they’ve got weather helm at certain times and conditions too to some degree.