Finding a New Direction

After a great deal of thought, we’ve decided to re-purpose this well under-used blog.  That said, it will still retain the Windjammer II information (just locate the compass 38 tag) however it has promise to become a testing ground for all things that might be part of our ship’s locker.  To that end, there will be a little more about boats, naturally; a little photography as new things about the camera are discovered; travel and art history notes as we sail the seven seas; even more about learning new stuff, as one does; and family history research, although there's nothing nautical in that.  Sometimes it'll be a wordy post and sometimes not.  The bilges will never look so good.  Or be so promising!

Just to celebrate, let's make a start with a few shots of street art we found down a side street in Lagos, Portugal.  (Taken with my ageing Motorola mobile phone and not edited.)

And I’ll eventually get round to fixing up the header & blog basics…  

Updating

Now that these words are posted, photos will follow soon to show you what a great sailboat we had.  Not that we have that many!  Those we have were taken long before the digital revolution, so sticky albums and boxes of photos will have to be "sorted"...  In the meantime, this might tide you over...

Then it's on to other nautical treasures as we continue to float....

Design Specifics



Compass Designer Smith 1934-2008

Designer.  Claude A. Smith Junior, 4 September 1972,  New Zealand.

Capsize Screening Formula: B/cube root of (Displacement/64) = 11/cube root of (16,676/64) = 11/cube root of 260.5 = 11/6.4 = 1.72.  Note: Result should be less than 2

Displacement Length Ratio.  Equals (long) tons/(.01 x LWL in feet) cubed = 7.43/(.01 x 30.67) cubed = 7.43/.3067 cubed = 7.43/.0288 = 258.  Note: Boats with a D/L ratio of more than about 325 are heavy cruisers. A number between 200 and 325 indi­cates a light- to moderate-displacement cruiser, and less than 200 is very light displacement.

On her Hawkesbury River Mooring

Ballast to Displacement Ratio. B/D = 7304/16676 = 44%

Sail Area to Displacement.  SA/D = sail area divided by displacement (in cubic feet) 2/3 = 577/260.5 squared then cube root of result = 577/cube root of 67860 = 577/40.7 = 14.2.  Sail area is size of mainsail plus size of foretriangle (area bounded by headstay, mast, and deck).  To find dis­placement in cubic feet, divide it by 64, then square number and, finally, find cube root.  A SA/D ratio around 12 indicates an extreme under-rigged heavy cruiser.  A ratio double that one is typical of racing boats, and most modern cruisers fall between the two extremes. You can carry all the sail you want for light air (so long as you can reef quickly). Eg Windjammer main is 234’sq and no1 genoa is 504’sq = 738’sq.  SA/D ratio = 738/260.5 2/3 = 738/40.7 = 18.1

Hull speed = 1.34 times the square root of LWL  = 1.34 x square root of 30.67 = 1.34 x 5.54 = 7.42 knots

This report from the NZ Tradeaboat will fill in any technical gaps that I'm bound to have missed.


On the Hard at Oyster Cove in the wonderful Nelson Bay area

Plans & Build

Main Bulkhead reinforcement

Plans.  We had a complete set of plans included with our initial purchase.

Build.  I would have to say very strong. 

Bulkheads and knees glassed to hull and deck. 

Hull and deck internally joined by fibreglass and bolts approximately 6”/15cm apart through aluminium toerails running full length of gunwales. 

Main bulkhead strengthened with 4x beams of laminated timber glued, bolted and glassed to bulkhead, hull and deck head. 

3x internal substantial horizontal stringers glassed along each side of hull to aft bulkhead. 

Engine beds glassed to hull.



On the Hard at Oyster Cove Marina

Hull

Protection.  4xlayers of epoxy Interprotect rolled on bottom and 3xlayers on topsides before final painting and launching.  Topsides painted in (2xpack) Navy Blue. 

Keel.  Ballast: 3.25 tons/3.32 tonnes 7,304 lbs, 3320 kg.   Encapsulated internal mix of lead ingots and lead shot all bound together with resin and covered with 4x layers glass.  Reinforced with glass-covered ply floors to top of keel and hull.  A deep bilge located after side of keel where an automatic bilge pump is located plus the two manual bilge pumps hoses. Bilge area also coated with 3x coats of epoxy Interprotect.

Mast and Boom.  The mast is T11section, one standard stronger than T10 section, originally recommended by La Mer Spars for the Compass 38. T11 section has same outside dimensions as T10 section but also has two reinforcing ribs extending along length of the section.  Masthead is a welded fitting by Sheerline Spars.  Single spreader rig plus set of diamonds for inner staysail so no need for running backstays.  Boom is T9 section. 2x spinnaker poles, deck mounted.   Mast, boom and spinnaker poles painted white with 2x pot paint, on top of etch primer. 

Steering.  Whitlock wheel steering system via chain and flexible wire pulley system to quadrant mounted on rudder shaft below rear of cockpit.  Accessible through lazarette.  Emergency tiller fits directly to top of rudder shaft should wheel steering system fail.

Rudder.  Skeg-mounted with solid stainless steel shaft.  Pintle and gudgeon fitting at bottom of skeg supporting rudder.  Bronze thru hull fitting where rudder enters bottom of hull and another bronze fitting supporting rudder shaft at top where it enters cockpit.

Canvas Work.  Folding dodger, 2x hatch covers, 7x winch covers, compass cover, mainsail cover (new 2008) and large heavy-duty awning covering cockpit and extending forward to mast.

Self Steering Gear.  We installed a 1990 Fleming Major wind vane servo-pendulum self steering gear.  Heavy duty stainless steel and worth every penny!

Sailing Performance

Sailing Performance.  Windjammer II performed particularly well in stronger winds and was been able to carry small furling jib and two reefs in mainsail when sailing in gale force winds.  With light number one genoa and full mainsail set she also ghosts along quite comfortably in light and fluky breezes. 

Steering is light and well balanced.  Motion is very comfortable without slamming as often found in modern boats when beating to windward. 

Long fin keel also helps for easy steering and avoids any sudden rounding up when hit by sudden gusts. 

All in all, a Compass 38 is a very comfortable sea boat, taking our family safely on cruises from Melbourne to the NSW coast.  When not day sailing on Sydney Harbour or Pitwater, Windjammer II regularly participated in weekly RANSA racing programs and even won overall handicap honours in races on Sydney Harbour.

History.  We purchased Windjammer II as a new hull and deck joined together, with the engine, propeller shaft and propeller installed by the original builder.  Planning and building process overseen by Clem Masters, a very well respected Australian naval-architect and boat builder, in 1981.  His advice on how to finish structural interior of boat was followed meticulously with professional assistance of a naval engineer and two electricians. 

Windjammer II launched in 1989 at Queenscliff, Victoria and various ‘homes’ at Port Stephens, Sydney Harbour in Rushcutters Bay and Dangar Island, on Hawkesbury River. 

From 2001 to 2007 Windjammer II on hard in boatyard at Port Stephens while I worked  overseas.  This opportunity was not wasted as we engaged a professional shipwright to complete a final interior fitout of laminated ply, plus teak and iroko.

Makes and Models.  In Australia known variously as Compass 38, Olympic 38 and Whiteway 38.  Also 40’ version which has similar hull, rig and sail plan however topsides raised lengthening bow and increasing volume of boat plus flush deck fitted.  Compass 38 is known in NZ as Pacific 38. Technical data can be found here.

See how one young couple set up their Compass 38 to cruise the Pacific recently. Their blog is in Dutch but the photos are very inspiring. (Ed. Regrettably, this link is broken.)

Safety & Deck Gear



Main Companionway Ladder

Ground Tackle.  I carried two anchors for our coastal cruising.  They worked well and we never had an issue. They were a CQR and Danforth type – both 35lbs with 30' anchor chain and three strand nylon line.

I also carried on board:

7x life jackets,

2x life buoys mounted in stainless steel brackets on stern pushpit,

1x danbuoy,

1x MOB floating automatic strobe light,

2x torches, 6 volt,

2x buckets, 

1x stainless boarding demountable ladder, folding to well below water level.

2x gateways in lifelines/guard rails, one with fittings for boarding ladder.

1x boat hook.

Good for teaching all sorts of life skills

Life Raft.   6x man Avon, purchased at time of launching.

4x fenders 

Despite having two active young children, I am pleased to say that we never once had a “boy” overboard.  They enjoyed the simple life of beachcombing, snorkeling and fishing. It didn’t take them long to learn how to master the dinghy and its (small) outboard.  Great fun.

Plumbing



Bilge Pump - cockpit operated

Bilge Pumps.  3.  2x diaphragm hand, one operated from cockpit (heavy duty double action type) and one internally under floor next to chart table. 

Auto electric pump in bilge. 

Thru Hull Fittings.  7 for plumbing and one for log.  All thru hull fittings, except for log, bronze fitted with bronze/stainless ball valves. 

Serviced annually.  Plastic log thru hull has screw-in plug.

Engine with panels removed

Fuel Tanks.  2x diesel, fibreglass ply sandwich, mounted under saloon berths - approx 200 litre capacity. 

Fitted with s/s removable inspection plates for cleaning.  Cleaned annually.

Water Tank.  One 100 litre flexible under forward v berth.

Cockpit Drains.  4, 1.5” lead to 2x thru hull fittings, with ball valves.