Capri 14.2 crew weight questions

warrene7

New Member
What is the ideal crew weight for "daysailing"? (racing rules call for 300 Lbs. minimum)
What is good material for, and placement of, ballast to make up for crew weight that is less than ideal?

Thank you,

Warren
 
Its just daysailing so don't worry about ideal weight, just go enjoy the sail. Depending on wind strength, I'll single hand up to 10 knots but I'll also go for a light wind float with a family member or two. Its all about good times in the moment. my 2 cents.
 
Weight

Warren: I think they have the minimum 300 for racing to help equalize chances since a lighter boat tends to sail faster in light to moderate winds. For racing, most use sand bags if needed to come up to the minimum. When I single-hand in our TTL races I have to add two 45 lb bags to equal 300 lbs. Ideally for sailing performance they would be placed in the bilge forward, but practically I place them as far forward in the cockpit as I can get them where unfortunately they do get in the way sometimes. That plus whisker pole problems when alone make it a real challenge. Not sure what would happen if you have extra weight in the bilge and capsized-- may be some chance of sinking so not recommended. RK
 
Thanks RK

Thank you for the information. I'll try sandbags in the cockpit, forward, and see how it works out.

Regards,

Warren
 
Sandbags

Warren: The problem with sandbags is that they don't move to the high side when you need them. And maybe they move to the low side when you don't. A second crewperson is certainly better. Dick K.
 
I race against RK. He does pretty damn well without any crew. :)

However, as the wind picks up, the boat is definitely easier to manage with a crew to act as ballast even if you are handling all the other sailing duties. A lot of guys race with young kids as crew. It keeps weight down, but the boat is set up so both sailors can hike out reasonably well.

By yourself, I bet you'll end up having to spill wind if you single-hand it with more than 8-10mph of wind. If you plan on sailing alone a lot with moderate to heavy wind, I would almost consider a reefing point in the main and/or a furler for the headsail.
 
A bit of extra weight low as possible helps stabilize a boat. Best near the boat's fore-aft center of gravity when the boat is empty.
The lower the weight, the more it will help prevent capsizing despite it not moving from side to side. (Whatever weight you use... make sure it won't shift)

The only issues with getting the weight into the bilge are accessing the bilge and being able to secure the weight to prevent it from moving. If you're cutting holes in a hull expecting the air pocket to hold it up if it rolls on its side or turns turtle, then you may also need to add flotation.
If the weight is SECURE in the bilge, then its more likely to aid in getting the boat upright than to cause problems righting the boat.

Bolting 20 - 30 lbs to the bottom of the centerboard would make a boat the size of the Capri very stable...
30 lb appx 4 ft below the hull = 120 ft lb trying to get the boat back upright if the top of the mast touches the water.
Same basic idea as the huge chunk of lead hung on the bottom of this keel:
http://www.l30class.com/media/widgetkit/IMG_9912-c9a0349735414b9b01f0083126b94c8a.jpg
Not really practical for the Capri 14.2 to do this....
 
Distribution of weight is always an issue if there is one two or more on a boat. especially is a small boat. Weight is usually best used when distributed around the CG of the boat which is a challenge with sand bags. There are occasions when you want some of the weight favoring fore or aft but centered on the CG is what one should usually shoot for. Sometimes CG balance is hard to determine without a fore aft balance instrument of some kind. I try to keep the boat as light as possible unless fleet ruled dictate otherwise.

There is nothing wrong with having reef points in the main and/or using a foresail furler of some kind unless you are serious about speed. My preference is to use sails suitable for the anticipated wind. On a 14.2 it is not practical to have a large inventory of sails on board so do your home work and select the best sails for the wind you expect to encounter. I would think that a main with reef points and one smaller head sail would be more than enough for any occasion. I love a furling head sail but it has its drawbacks if you are looking for speed. When you design a sail you strive to make the foil as near perfect as possible. I try to have the fullest point of a sail around 40% of the way back from the luft. As you partially crank in a head sail to reduce the area exposed to the wind you start changing the sail shape and distorting it from the ideal foil shape. The more the sail is shortened the further the fullest part of the sail moves forward which has a major effect on the efficiency of the sail. You will still get power out of it but the drag factor goes through the roof. It is far better to have a smaller sail to be used on windy days id rules permit.
 
Distribution of weight is always an issue if there is one two or more on a boat. especially is a small boat. Weight is usually best used when distributed around the CG of the boat which is a challenge with sand bags. There are occasions when you want some of the weight favoring fore or aft but centered on the CG is what one should usually shoot for. Sometimes CG balance is hard to determine without a fore aft balance instrument of some kind. I try to keep the boat as light as possible unless fleet ruled dictate otherwise.

There is nothing wrong with having reef points in the main and/or using a foresail furler of some kind unless you are serious about speed. My preference is to use sails suitable for the anticipated wind. On a 14.2 it is not practical to have a large inventory of sails on board so do your home work and select the best sails for the wind you expect to encounter. I would think that a main with reef points and one smaller head sail would be more than enough for any occasion. I love a furling head sail but it has its drawbacks if you are looking for speed. When you design a sail you strive to make the foil as near perfect as possible. I try to have the fullest point of a sail around 40% of the way back from the luft. As you partially crank in a head sail to reduce the area exposed to the wind you start changing the sail shape and distorting it from the ideal foil shape. The more the sail is shortened the further the fullest part of the sail moves forward which has a major effect on the efficiency of the sail. You will still get power out of it but the drag factor goes through the roof. It is far better to have a smaller sail to be used on windy days id rules permit.

I plan on dealing with strong winds by reducing sail sizing accordingly. Have done the following:
1. Reef points installed on main. Also added the "boomkicker" to eliminate the need for a topping lift. It works great.
2. I researched the costs and logistics for installing roller furling and came up with a real cheap and practical option. Added a small sheave at the base of the forestay, run a 3/16" line through it up to the top of the jib and then back to the cockpit area. Then I can drop the jib while underway if needed, using this line to pull it down. Bungee it to the deck and carry on! Roller furling would involve a whole new jib plus hardware making for almost $500 investment.
3. Minkota 30 trolling motor which then enables me to power out and in with sails down, or drop all sails and power only if the wind became extreme.
4. "Tiller Clutch" which enables boat to stay on course unattended. This is key to doing anything with the sails while underway.
5. "Baby Bob" on top of the mast to prevent turtling if and when I do go over. It will be hard enough to right it alone as it is.
6. Boarding ladder on transom to assist in climbing back on board as needed.

I owned a Catalina 22 on Lake Michigan years ago and wanted to duplicate that setup on my Capri. Only difference is that the C-22 was extremely stable with a 550 lb keel, the Capri is quite tender to say the least. There is a fixed keel version that solves the stability problem but conversely is much harder to trailer and launch. As a single hander who weighs 190 lb (and hopefully no more in the future!), hopefully my approach will work............
PS if you want to buy anything mentioned above I can feed you the contact info.
 
I’m about the same weight and have the same concerns…. How did these upgrades work out for you now that you’ve had time to experiment? Thanks
 
To perfection! there's a learning curve for which practice has no substitute. Even after 5 years with Capri, there's still not a time I don't go out without picking up something new. And it also helps that I've been a boater my whole life!
 

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