Joe, well said!
Richard
1985 37 CB: Ohio River, Mile 596
Richard N. Bush Law Offices2950 Breckenridge Lane, Suite NineLouisville,
Kentucky 40220(502) 584-7255
On Monday, September 29, 2025 at 01:22:27 PM EDT, Della Barba, Joe via
CnC-List <[email protected]> wrote:
There are a LOT of different factors in play here.
My C&C 35 MK I is very narrow by modern standards. My initial stability is not
all that good, the boat heels easily to a gust. My AVS (Angle of Vanishing
Stability) is pretty good, I think it is about 125.
Think about a fat-a55 BeneHunt type boat. Their initial stability is much
higher, not to mention space below. Their AVS is likely lower and their
behaviour when well-heeled likely quite a bit worse. I have taken 20+ foot
breaking waves on the beam that rolled us nearly 90 degrees. This was wet and
annoying, but the boat popped right back up to keep sailing. A boat 5 feet
wider…….I am thinking not so much.
There are also various moments of inertia. A heavier boat doesn’t jump around
like a lighter boat. It may be slower, but the ride may be a lot more
comfortable. Rolling inertia is a big factor in capsize resistance. A bigger
heavier boat is harder to get rolling, so unlike her lighter sisters she won’t
have rolled as far before the wave has past. The C&C 30 MK I probably has the
highest AVS of any C&C made, but that does not necessarily mean one is harder
to capsize than a C&C 40.
Another form of stability is steering or course-keeping. For a shorthanded
crew, a 35 would be a challenge in heavy air offshore. My boat is fast in heavy
air, but she does not come remotely close to steering herself. A lot of helm
input is needed, especially if getting into double-digit speeds down a wave and
this input needs muscle. A boat that maybe doesn’t turn on a dime like our
boats but is easy to keep straight would be a lot less work for 2 people
alternating watches.
( this does not always translate into an old design, our old wood Dickerson
Ketch was a total biatch to keep straight in a quartering sea with the mizzen
trying to shove the stern around)
Joe Della Barba
Coquina
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