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Simon1
1 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Feb 2005 : 22:03:33
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Considering getting a stratos keel for my young family. With an 18 month old son need something v. safe but with decent performance so we can enjoy a bit of a blast when sailing without him. Bearing this in mind I have a couple of questions:
1/ How stable is the keel version and what is the likelyhood of capsize given reasonable coastal conditions?
2/ How easy is it to launch, I suspect that with gear the boat is likely to be ~300kg on the trolley. Does this need to be launched on a slipway (with/without a car) or can it be man handled across a beach ?
Would be really grateful for some feedback.
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PeadarMurphy
18 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2005 : 20:14:51
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Simon,
I have a Keel for almost a year now and can vouch for its seaworthiness and stability. I regularly sail it singlehanded on the open sea in F3 - even with the kite up. I have the trapeze option, more for the nephews and neices than anything else - or so I thought! Anyhow, my neice (12yrs) got into the harness and was out trapezing after less than an hour's sailing in her whole life!! I have taken a number of friends out for trips - one in particular who is normally terrified of the water and he was reasonably comfortable what with the stability and the high gunwales which really gave him the feeling he was sitting "in" the boat rather than "on" it. Also the open foredeck really makes getting on and off the slipway so much easier.
Regarding your second question, it's very easy to launch as it wants to roll down the slipway of its own accord!! I'm involved in frostbite racing at the moment and we find that it is a major haul to bring the boat up the slipway even with the "deluxe jockey wheel" on the trolley. When not at the club, I usually reverse the trailer (extremely easy due to wide wheeltrack and length) down the slip until the wheels are just at the water's edge and then winch the trolley aboard - much easier!! Have never tried bringing it across a beach but would imagine that it would be a "challenge"!!
In terms of "blasting" - we are sailing at a coastal location to 1083 using the trapeze. In light airs we're not too hot but really get into our own at F3+!! The boat is very forgiving of mistakes - just today we wrapped ourselves around the mooring line of the wing mark, but the boat was fine while both my helm and I got ourselves off the mark! I had never trapezed until last week and am "getting better" at it - which is no mean feat as I'm 16 stone so that's a lot of ballast out over the side.
If you need any more info, drop me a line at my e-mail. I'm a big fan of the Keel!!
Peadar |
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JimWhite
22 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2005 : 14:37:58
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I sail a keel offshore on my own in F3 without a reef, above this it becomes a bit of a handful on fast gybes and tacks - there's a lot of deck to scramble across, plus the jib sheet is a long stretch without upsetting the boat's balance. Solo at F3 is very comfortable.
Solo at F4 is ok as well.... but reef, carefully lay the jib sheet where you want it, take it slow, judge the wave, get ready scramble to the other side and it'll be ok.
Put 2 people on board it's very stable in F5, gusting 6. Above this you need 3 large people on board ... and put the kit up, hang on and see it plane !
Re sea conditons, it takes rough water extremely well. The weight and gunwales help a lot. It's a dry boat in all but the roughest water and most stupid handling.
We've only put the sail in the water twice, just touching, and that was us just being silly without a reef. However, it came up without a capsize by quickly letting go of the main sheet.
It's very easy to sail with the gunwale just in the water, just ease the main sheet a touch, with little worry about a capsize.
It's a very stable platform and very forgiving. Easy to get on and off.
Launching and recovery are easy without a car if the ramp is gentle. I would hate to think about attempting a soft beach without a car.
Have fun.
Jim
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JosEpema
4 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2005 : 21:44:04
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Simon,
I sail a Stratos Keel on the Ijselmeer (a large open stretch of water in the centre of Holland) which becomes challenging and choppy from F4 onwards. I own my Stratos Keel for 3 years now, it, it performs better than I expected. Lately I have sailed with lots of wind (one afternoon even nget caught in a F7-F8 storm, we were one of a few boats still sailing, I mean sailing not surviving, although F7 is the upper limit to sail with a person on the wire and unreefed) and nothing has broken so far, the Stratos is stable well built and really up to his task.
The Stratos Keel is a real wolf in sheep clothes.
You can sail safely with the whole family up to F4, it stays dry, small children can sit comfortably and safe inside the boat.
From F4 with someone on the wire the Stratos really starts flying. I have sailed with F6 gusting to F7, even with the kite up, really flying and easily doing 15+ knots.
If the pressure gets to high, just bear off and the kite will come in the main's shadow. No problem.
When occasionally you get surprised by a big gust (and with F6-F7 you will!) and things get out of control. The Stratos starts to heel and head up, nothing violent and not too much heel.
Just let the tension of the kicker, ease the main and bear off again, until you can get the kite under control again and just take off for another wild ride. With high wind you need someone with some force to get the kite in quick!!
The Stratos Keel gives old(er) men all the sensations of dinghies with kites, without the swimming.
About launching: boat + launching trolley together weigh around 350kilos, so a slipway should be gentle. I pull my boat from a sandy waterfront using a long rope between car and trolley. Works much better then breaking your back after a hard sail.
Cheers from Holland. |
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Launching & Stability
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