Hi Rick, Here is an interesting website I found about a Frenchman who has developed another version of a yuloh. Since it seems to be a take-apart yuloh, I think it would be ideal for an M15. See the attached website: skip to main | skip to sidebar ROWING FOR PLEASURE Thursday, 10 July 2008 A new design of sculling oar Here's an interesting sculling oar, developed by Guy Capra in Toulon. His blog is in French, so I have probably got this wrong, but Guy points out that sculling over the transom is a difficult skill to learn because it involves a counter-intuitive figure-of-eight movement of the handle. His design, dubbed godyoto (godille is French for stern oar), has a crank in it that forces the blade to turn in the right direction when you pull the handle. Traditional Chinese yulohs are bent, like the godyoto, but don't have the crank. The pictures make it clearer. And the video makes it clear it works. 20080424 1er essai GODYOTO by Alomphega I tried over-the-stern sculling in Nessy a couple of weeks back, using a long oar I bought off eBay, and made little headway though I did manage to go forwards rather than in circles. If the godyoto really does work it would be brilliant for sculling round harbours. As a bonus, the crank splits the oar in half for easy stowing in the boat when not in use. (Thanks to Duckworks for the heads-up) Posted by Chris at 09:02 0 comments: Connie chbenneck@sbcglobal.net wrote:
Hi Rick,
Those are always the problems to consider.....
Our Bolger MICRO was ideal, and was an excellent sailer, but..... stepping a 20 foot free standing mast became too much. Phil Bolger recognized the problem and made a newer version with the mast in a tabernacle, where it could be easily raised.
However, by then I was into the ComPac 16 - easy mast stepping, but that was about it.
Having learned of the ComPac problems, I went looking for a "real" ship, and found it in the M15.
Admittedly, accommodations are tight; but in all other aspects it has what is needed in any ship: good storage for sails; anchors; fenders; and all the gear that accumulates as you travel; the Bimini; swim ladder; outboard fuel; cleaning equipment and supplies; it sails beautifully, is seaworthy, and is trailerable behind a small car. You can't ask for more in 15 feet length.
When we sold LEPPO, I was building a yuloh so that I could scull the M15, if need be. Why row facing backwards, when you can scull facing forward....?
Connie
Rick Langer wrote:
Thanks Doug,
Your evaluation is very helpful. I'm attracted to the open space, the easily stepped mast and of course the rowing. But, crawling around a wet cabin on my knees doesn't sound like fun and the lack of storage is definitely a negative. I found a users manual last night that mentioned a couple of other features that I consider negative. Throughout the manual it stated, "stay off the deck", because with a person up there the boat is very unstable and some have capsized. It also recommended that you keep gear to a minimum to keep weight down. Compared to junk we pack into our M15s for a two week cruise, would make a Dovekie seem pretty sparse. Seaworthiness is definitely also a factor. It doesn't seem likely that anyone will be sailing a Dovekie to Hawaii soon.
I seem to go through the same process every six mouths or so. Even though I recognize the M15 as near perfect, I see something in another boat that looks neat (like more space, easy mast stepping while underway, and rowing) and I think maybe I'd like to try that. "SporadicFanatic". Anyway, these are good exercises for me and I hope some of the members of this list, to help see the virtues of the M15.
I got a couple of ideas from the Dovekie exercise. One is to address the space issue in the M15 cabin, on the next cruise, I'm going to remove all the cushions and use a thermorest camp mattress to sleep on. Hopefully, this will give me more vertical space, make it easier to slide stuff around, make access to the lockers easier and reduce that claustrophobic feeling I sometimes experience. But probably the best thing that I've learned is that I already have a fine boat that already has most of the things I want. "Jerry, you did a nice job on this one."
Rick
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:19:52 -0700 (PDT) From: Doug Kelch <doug_kelch@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: M_Boats: What do you think of Dovekies? To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <792492.19632.qm@web58706.mail.re1.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Rick,
Dovekies are an amazing boat and they have always been high on my list.
I have been on 3 or 4 cruises with the Shallow Water Sailors and continue to be impressed with the boats and the people who use them.
It is definitely a different boat that is well suited to it's intent.? Sailing in protected waters is it's forte.
They do literally sail on a heavy dew.
The first cruise I went on with them I towed my Bolger Dory in anticipation of their ability to anchor in shallow water.? It turned out to be a good thing as the fleet of 10 boats (not all Dovekies but all flat bottom sharpies of one sort or another) anchored in about 8" of? water at low tide.
This entire group used to sail without motors.? Towards night fall two of the Dovekies, split off, put out thier 12 foot oars and with thier heads above the deck, rowed off into the sunset to an even shallower cove..
The wind that weekend was rather strong, 18 -20 with gusts to 25 and I was at least 10% faster, even towing the dory,? than all of the boats thier with the exception of the 28 ft Shearwater.
This speed differntial is closer with lighter winds but I have always sailed circles around them.
On the other hand they scrape me off on shallow sand bars and low bridges.? I once watched a Dovekie sail full steam at a bridge with only 10 ft clearance, drop the mast 20 yards from the bridge while sailing, coast under the bridge, raise the mast while still moving and continue on.? An amazing boat.
On the other hand they are not self bailing and hold an enormouse amount of water.? All of the SWS cruises avoid a lot of open water and I would be reluctant to cross the Chesapeak Bay in one without a very reliable forecast.
The interior is truely camping on a boat.? The center part of the deck is covered by canvass for the night or they the use a boom tent.
The interior is just a flat bottom hollow cave with little to no built in storage.? Good floor based siting head room but you have to crawl around the boat on your knees.? From this aspect it is a young man's ( or older and still quite limber) boat.? At my age they are no longer on the list.
If you are familar with the comforting sound of the Montgomery chuckle while at anchor with little wavelets you may not appreacitate the drum beat of a flat bottom boat with a section of the bow above the actual water.?? Booom?? Booom? Boom unless you move enough weight to bow.
The new boats added a centerboard well forward in the bow in order to be able to tack better in stronger winds.? Without that the forward hull windage will push the bow off the wind and the boat will miss stays.
But still, sailing on a heavy dew is a unique experience.? eone cruise with very light winds I anchored the Montogomery and went for a ride in a Sea Pearl.? We sailed 1/2 mile into a marsh that only forced us to turn around at when the water was down to about 6 ".? Saw wildlife galore.
But I ramble.
The M15 sure is a fabulous boat for my needs :-)
Thanks
Doug Kelch
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