BYYB Forums

Greetings,

New member contemplating building a Vacationer. Approaching from what is probably an unusual angle.....almost 50 years of sailing, selling a 42 footer as we speak. 4000 ocean miles in the last three years, much of it solo.

What brings me here is economics. Raising two kids, giving them the best education money will buy. College is near.....boat has to go. In addition, sailing as a family is getting tougher and tougher with the schedules. So it will be me, maybe with one kid and/or my bride on occasion.

Plus, I've always wanted to build a boat. If there ever was a window, this is it. I have the shop and the tools. No problem there.

But, I tend to stay out or go out on the Bay, Chesapeake, when they're broadcasting small craft warning, because that's when I think it's at it's best....lol.

So I've been reading about what these litle boats will do.....and I remember sailing smaller craft....looking down at the water coming in....
So I figure I'd have to weather proof it a bit more than it is.

A bridge deck between cockpit and cabin, level with the seats. Waterproofing the cockpit.

Questions: Some boats I've sailed had bailers in the stern.....off the wind at speed there would be no water touching the stern, open the doors, tennisballs, what have you, and the cockpit would empty. Will these boats plane? Or do I need to raise the floor above the waterline and put drains in? There wouldn't be much cockpit left would there....

What, if anything, have people done here?

Also.....in light airs I'd think of a longer sprit with the big jib out there, but a smaller working jib on the stem head. Good by itself for heavy air. How about a topsail? Has that beeen done.....

I know, a lot of questions...... Thanks.

Welcome to the BYYB Oscar, it's great to see you thinking about building a Vacationer. She's a great boat and gets a lot of attention on the water and off from boat lovers. I think you will find that getting out in less winds than small craft advisories will give you plenty of excitement. Remember that these are light boats without any ballast to keep em upright. 15mph winds will get em going very well. As far as a self draining cockpit, I don't think it's been done on a vacationer yet. I thought doing it but stuck with the original plan. Most of my sailing is on the lakes around here. My thought is though if your concerned with getting swamped by a wave then you probably shouldn't be on the water at that time in a Vacationer. The cockpit foot well will hold about 75 gallons of water, now if you filled it up to the deck it will hold roughly 450 gallons or 3600 pounds of water. I wouldn't want to be in that situation on a 800 pound boat. You should try to hitch a ride on someones Vacationer and see how you like it. I've got one thats waiting for the cooler weather and breezes to pick up if you'd like to come down and join me sometime. There are also several builders on the Chesapeake who would probably take you out. I pretty sure theres a vacationer out there.
Also the topsail has been done along with a longer sprit to go with it by Craig. She looks great but still has some problems to be worked out.



I think you will enjoy the Vacationer but you'll probably change your sailing habits to calmer days. There's a lot of difference in an 800 pound boat and a 20,000 pound boat.

Keith

i asked myself the same question once."am i really going to build a boat?"
that was four boats ago. i am working on a vacationer currently. i don't know much about sailing as i am self taught with only about 4 years under my belt. with that said, i have noticed with the week ender that it tends to plane well when you really get it moving. i don't know if i have had it in the kind of wind that you are talking about though. i have heard of someone puting as many as five sails on a vacationer but i don't remember who.

you are going to love the boat. just be ready for lots o sanding!

welcome aboard!

You should come to St Mikes to the Mid Atlantic Small Craft Fest. There will be a Vac, Weekender, PC and open Weekender so you can get a real feel for the boats. I sail a Weekender and a Pearson Triton out of the West River (mid Bay). If I were building a Vac for the Bay, I would add ballast and consider a false floor due to how quickly the fetch can build when the wind pipes up. Come over and see the boats, take them for a spin, get a better feel for the abilities (and inabilities) of these boats.

Thanks for the warm welcome.....

Yes, I'm afraid I may be planning more sailing than the boat will handle, OTOH, the light air performance would be very nice....I love the tops'l cutter!

Decicions, decisions.....

I'll try and make the Mid Atlantic Small craft festival......I'm a CBMM member....and we're planning a few days on the water around that time.....(While we still have Lady Kay....)

Hi Oscar, welcome to BYYB.

I'm assuming you're in Bethlehem, near Allentown and not in Bethlehem nested in the mountains off I-80. Beautiful country up in there. I haven't been there in 20+ years, but remember it as charming rolling hills in the Lehigh Valley.

If you come down to the Chesapeake, then you'll be sailing where I did as a kid. Some of my favorite spots for small boat sailing were the mouth of the Susquehanna river, where it dumps into the top of the Chesapeake. The Aberdeen Proving Grounds are there, so traffic is light (they use to chase me out of there pretty regularly as a boy). Then there's the North East River, just to the east, plus the hordes of riverlits, coves and estuaries that abound in the area. This area is very shallow and quite peaceful. The major traffic will have made its turn for the C&D cannel by then, if in the bay and will turn south (below you) if entering the bay from the cannel. Some of my favorite fishing holes are in this area.

Winds, as you probably already know, are fluky in the summer, with a sudden thunder storm rolling though not an uncommon occurrence. Winter sailing can be very good, especially if you like ice and cold splashes in the face. The winds in the winter are better, but the temperature can keep all but the most hearty home.

If you remain in the northern portions of the bay, you'll be well suited in a Vacationer. It's a protected waters craft (as has been noted) and not well suited for open water work.

The cockpit sole is actually the bottom planking, so a self draining cockpit is a difficult option, though scuppers could be employed. In sheltered water, the pump can keep any boarding water tossed over the side. For a self bailing cockpit, you'd probably have to raise the cockpit sole at least 8", which would leave precious little for butt and leg room. Maybe a grating would be a better solution.

For "outside" work, I wouldn't recommend Vacationer. I cut my teeth as a sailor going "outside" on the bay and the conditions are very different, easily overwhelming a Vacationer's abilities. Learning to shoot the breakers, in a flat bottom cruiser (just to get outside) will be enough to stifle anyone less then most confidant sailor. I've pitch poled and capsized many times running the breaker gauntlet, at several locations on the big end of the bay. Once outside, it's nice and the open water feeling is a welcome reward, though the prospect of getting mowed down by a container vessel, who'd never even know they'd mashed something as small as a Vacationer, can be sobering.

Hi Paul,

Yes I'm in the Lehgh Valley.

I have had Lady Kay, our C42, in Georgetown and Rock Hall. Three times I've taken her back and forth to South East Florida, outisde, so I've seen the entire lenght of the Bay several times. The Rock Hall, Annapolis, St. Michaels triangle is our most frequent stomping grounds. This summer we visited Smith Island and Solomons.

So, I know the waters, and thus my concerns. I may very well have to consider something a little more salty......

Thanks.

Build it and enjoy it Oscar, you may have to change your sailing habits but these small boats are a lot of fun even if your used to a bigger boat. I had a 35' full keel ketch before I built my Vacationer and though the sailing is very different the fun is the same. Sometimes its a lot more exciting on the Vacationer. Plus you can't tell me that you've ever seen a Vacationer, Weekender, or PC and not taken notice or even a picture. They are great looking boats and in the right conditions they sail very well. I hope you decide to build one, just know that there are times when she should stay in port.

Keith