Newporter 40 Selfsteering

[Jim Benbow]

Interested to know if anybody has any knowledge or experience of windvane steering on a Newporter? I am sorting through lists of ideas to set up Sultana for some single handed sailing.

[Clyde A. Phillips]

Just a follow up note on our trip to the east end of Long Island, NY (figure east end of Cape May Canal to east end of LI NY):  That trip (and in reality, most of those trips--made several) we sailed the whole thing on one tack.  We didn't have to change tacks, so there was no jib sheet changes. 

 

I would not have, and I will not now use the Captain Bungee setup.  Allow the rudder to follow the boat.  This maintains the area of lateral resistance to remain constant (the rudder is not involved).  If you put beckets on the wheel make sure the rudder is absolutely centered so that the rudder becomes a constant part of the CLR and not a variable source of drag.

 

Enjoy your sailing!  The Newporter may not be the slickest of sailors, and she won't point as high as some, but she is able.  I'd feel safe in her anywhere.

[Eddie Offermann]

Good points on avoiding the Captain Bungee setup - while it bought us a little speed it required more maintenance than sail balancing alone (which really is the opposite of what we were trying to do) and had a tendency to foul our course.

It was an *elegant* ride from Alamitos Bay - that's the only way to describe it (well, there are a few other superlatives I could throw in as well). In spite of the heel and crashing through swells and being very much at speed, she was a comfortable boat to walk around on. At several points throughout the day different people were in the galley cooking up a meal or making fancy snacks: comfort and security really were the key experiences.

I found that I very much *prefer* the graceful helm - I had expected turning & tacking to be more of a struggle but instead it's a stabilizing effect, at least from my perspective. I found myself feeling very confident with her in no time. What a perfect boat.

[Clyde A. Phillips]

Ack would have enjoyed reading your description of the Newporter.  Surely he would have quoted your in his next brochure.

 

I found the reading of your post brought back memories.  Though I had sailed small (I should say little) boats as a lad I really learned to sail on the Newporters.  This as a part of my job.  Therefore there was nothing in my experience with which to compare the Newporter.  I have sailed them in fair weather and foul, sometimes very foul, and always found them comfortable, able, and willing.  On one trip, a reverse of the one I reported on earlier, the weather was so foul going around Montauk Point that we were putting the bowsprit under the water when head to the wind and the cap rails under broadside.  Rough enough to heave your breakfast.  Yet on my watch below I was able to sleep soundly for the entire watch.  What a vessel.  The only other vessel that instilled such confidence was A. J. Meerwald (New Jersey's Official Tall Ship) when my family owned her.  Both of these boats were instrumental in helping me come to the mind that I feel safer at sea than on shore during bad storms!  Peace.