Dear Milo, Swan 47.

Hi Milo,

Did you ever solve your leaking "problem"? I have a similar issue!

Looking forward to hearing from you.

many regards

Carsten Overland

Cygnus Peña 47 # 20

Hi There Carsten:

About two weeks ago, my wife recaulked the area between the toerail and the freeboard (topside). The caulk was old and we live in the cruel sun of the Caribbean. On the weekend just finished, I entered the Rolex Regatta here in St. Thomas. I had the rare opportunity to push our baot to her limits. We believed if we were to ever take water, this would be the time it would happen. The area in question, which had previously experienced a constant slow drip, had virtually stopped. I will not feel confident enough to say we have resolved the problem until we have a decent rainfall and the deck is truly soaked.

But meanwhile, we are happy. Recaulking was a relatively simple and inexpensive troubleshoot. I suggest you try it.

I look forward to your follow up.

Cheers,

Milo

Thank you very much Milo!

I will recaulk this week-end!! :-)

What a wonderful boat you have there!

Many regards

Carsten

Dear Carsten and Jayane:

Many thanks for your kind words.

We bought our boat as a live-aboard and have no intention of forcing her onto the racing circuit. However, the Rolex Regatta at St. Thomas is a reasonably friendly affair and I needed an opportunity to learn this boat.

It has been my experience as an almost two and half year boat owner, that the opportunities to push the boat and test her out are rare. While this is understandable (who would want to unnecessarily stress their pride and joy?), it has left me with many questions regarding her ability and performance. Ultimately, such a knowledge deficit translates into a safety issue for me.

While racing last weekend, I was afforded an experience I could not have gained in any other format. I was surrounded by a 6-person competent crew (my wife declining the chance), had 12 good boats in class (including a Swan 48 from 1974 and a Swan 53 from 2006), and near perfect weather with 12-20 knots. In all, we had 5 races.

The first race was a poor result finishing tenth. As the helmsman, I take full responsibility, as on a crosswind leg I sailed directly for a mark instead of going a little high and 'putting some in the bank'. As we arrived at the mark, the wind died and the current took over pushing us down. We tacked, fumbled, flogged, and fifteen minutes later rounded the mark. Ouch!

Second and third races we took a 4th and 4th and deserved them. The crew were great and the boat competitive. Please remember,  the Normal People is 30 years old and flying cruising sails with all our worldly possessions onboard. We were up against several boats with racing sails, stripped out, and semi-professional crew. (Oh, we were racing in the non-spinnaker division.)

Fourth and fifth races we were well in the hunt for a middle of the pack finish, but my navigator missed and mark in both races. Thus, we retired-after-finishing, taking a compulsory 13th in both races. It was an honest mistake, oh well.

It will be along time before my wife allows me such an experience again. None the less, I was able to learn more about sailing the boat in three days than in the 30 months before. When the wife and I go out with friends it is about cruising and fun. But on the race course the boat was tweaked and I could readily assess our performance by an examination of other boats windward, leeward, aft, and forward of me.

By sailing our boat at her boundaries, I now feel more comfortable on how hard to push and what it feels like to be at the limit.

Cheers,

Milo

s/v The Last of the Normal People

Swan 47(048)