BYYB Forums

i noticed last year that the superskipjack can be a little tippy, more so then i'd have expected with the flat bottom. i'm wondering what options there are to try and stabilize it a bit better.

- would adding some weight on either side of the mast box help?
- has anyone ever tried adding weight to the keel (at midpoint) ?

i saw a post on adding lead pucks into a rudder or centerboard (i forget which it was) could this work to make a heavier keel that would be more stable, maybe even change the turning characteristics?

any other ideas, options?

Adding a small amount of weight (less then a few hundred pounds) really doesn't do much, when it's mounted so close to the bottom of the boat. Ballast, to be effective needs to be mounted well away from the current CG. On a Skipjack and a Weekender for that matter, the stock keel can only place this additional weight, a few inches lower, so it doesn't do a lot of good, in regard to the right arm.

The first question would be how heavy is your mast, and gaff? A solid or heavily built mast, will dramatically raise the CG. Making it lighter (hollow) can effectively lower the CG (by quite  bit), which equates into a stiffer, less tender boat. Both the Skipjack and Weekender are just too lightly built, to tolerate a solid mast. Many use it anyway, but their sailing experience would be greatly improved with a hollow stick.

Lastly, The Skipjack and Weekender are both small boats. They don't weigh much, aren't very long and have modest PPI figures. This is typical of most small boats, so they tend to "move" when you wiggle your butt. This is usually a good thing and means the boat will be responsive. Some, particularly novice sailors can have issue with this. The next question is; how much sailing experience do you have? What an experienced sailor might consider very stable, a novice thinks is tippy. This is normal and they learn quickly, gaining confidence in their little vessel.

I don't think either design is especially tender, per say, but I can see how some might dislike the skittish nature they sometimes display. Quite a few owners have added batteries in the fore peak locker, which does trim the boat down at the bow a couple of inches, making her "feel" more secure, particularly going upwind. Others have added ballast ranging from around the mast box, to further forward in the locker, again "calming" her down a bit. At the same time, you also lose capacity and maneuvering may seem sluggish, compared to a stock boat.

Really heavy crew compliments, can benefit from a fair bit of weight on the keel or well forward, to counter act the stern down trim, this causes. Boat balance and trim are keys to good performance and a good set of manners underway.

paul
i currenly have a hollow aluminum mast , and most
of my experience is chartering bigger (30-40 ft) boats
it could be that im just not used to the boat yet, although
i might look at some weight forward to balance things a
little better

im building a new  wood mast but it will be hollow

thanks!

Greetings Bob,

Question: What do you call a tippy boat?

Answer: A canoe!

Would you think about adding ballast to a canoe or kayak to make it more stable? No, because it is just the nature of the beast. Small boats are just more tender than the larger boats that you are used to.

In really simplistic terms, there are two attributes that affect "tippines" in a boat. The first is the boat's beam, which influences the initial resistance to rolling to the third power. Double the beam, and the boat gets eight times stiffer. The other is inertia, which if I remember correctly is a forth power effect. But making the boat heavier will only slow down the roll rate - it will still eventually roll over the same amount of heal as a lighter boat.

So those 30 to 40 footers you are used to should have beams that are 9 to 12 feet wide. Your Skipjack has a 4 foot beam, so expect it to be more than 10 times tippier based on beam alone. Ditto with the roll rate based on inertia - 10,000-15,000 lbs vs 700 lbs.

So what to do?

Sit down in the boat. Sit in the center of the boat. Don't be like this guy ...



You could also leave the rum ashore. I have noticed that small boats are tippy more or less to the same degree as their captains.

The good news is that you are now sailing a proper dinghy, and because of its light weight and narrow beam, you will learn to sail proficiently much more quickly than you ever would on the larger boats. Changes happen faster and to a much larger degree on a dinghy. Embrace the change and learn how to sail properly.

Cheers,
Tom

Hey, Bob.

The best thing I have found for making my weekender more stable is..a friend. When I can talk one of my friends into sailing with me, the boat is more stable due to the added weight, and you can move to balance the other guy, and he can pass you beers and hold the wheel while you're changing the tunes on the radio or taking a whiz. Girls are even better, but Mrs. Keith put a stop to this in short order.

I agree with Keith's suggestion! I have been sailing my SSkip in a bunch of differing conditions over the past year or two and it is really more fun with two people.

By myself, I now tend to start with a reef already taken. I've headed out a couple of times in conditions which really needed the reef in, and I had forgotten to take it. It's not too hard to take a reef while bouncing around in big chop, but it's not fun and it is a bit unnerving the first time!

So take a friend! ;-)

Mike