spindrift 13 sailboat review

Precision: Small, Fast, and Fun

Small, fast, and fun.

Cruisers | Daysailors | Crossover | Frequently Asked Questions

We have designed our share of large yachts, but our enthusiasm for small boats remains undiminished. Small-boat sailors derive every bit as much satisfaction from their modest craft as jet-setters do from their big ones, and we approach our smaller designs as no less significant, only less big. We take great pride in applying the same standards to all our work.

We are also proud of our long term association with Precision Boatworks, www.precisionboatworks.com which began in 1984 with the Precision 18 and continued until they ceased new boat production 35 years later. Precision shared our commitment to, and pride in, doing small boats well. Their tooling was exquisite, and it produced attractive, stylish, high quality molded parts throughout their model line, from the Precision 15 to the Precision 23. They built to an equally high standard, with materials that are chosen and used carefully, and with quality rigging and hardware that is appropriate for the intended use. Their boats were carefully built to their designed weights, and they are rugged, reliable, and long lasting. Stylish looks, lively performance, and fun sailing are all top priorities for both designer and builder on all Precision sailboats.

The essential ‘Precision DNA’ that is central to the performance, style, modest draft and easy trailering of each Precision model is common to them all, but there are differences that give them their individual appeal.

The Precision cruisers all feature a keel/centerboard underbody that combines modest draft when with the board is up, with excellent windward performance when the board is down. The ballast is secured deep in the fixed keel cavity to maximize stability. The board itself is only heavy enough to drop on its own, so that it can be raised and lowered with one hand, and so that stability is not reduced significantly when it is up.

Precision 18

The Precision 18 was designed to be the smallest boat that could be practically cruised, and still be easily trailered by a relatively small car. She has a remarkably loyal following, and is still in active production after nearly 30 years.

Precision 21

Not too big, not too small, and for some, just right. Designed to fit right between the Precision 18 and Precision 23, the Precision 21 was intended to appeal to sailors requiring neither the minimum cost of a mini-, nor the extra space of a maxi-trailerable. I recently encountered a Marblehead family of four going out for an evening sail, and they could hardly have been happier or more complementary about their boat. They said that their Precision 21 suits them perfectly.

Precision 23

Targeted to be the biggest cruiser that could be practically trailored behind a family car, the Precision 23 is an enduring benchmark for her size and type. She has successfully completed some surprisingly long passages, and has earned an impressive number of rewarding wins in club level racing.

Precision 27-28

The P-27 became the P-28 with the addition of a swim step in an extended transom.  These were only boats in the Precision line that featured an inboard diesel auxiliary and optional wheel steering.  This step up in specification proved to be a challenge for their dealer network at the time, so not a lot were produced, but the boats are comfortable and sailed well, and are quite popular with their owners.

The Precisions daysailors have especially large cockpits, and no cuddy cabins. They are both built in two versions, one as a crew ballasted pure centerboarder for ready trailering, and another that is a bit heavier with a fixed lead keel for added stability.

Precision 15 and Precision 15K

The Precision 15 was intended as an entry level family boat, with pricing and practicality to suit. Precision 15’s are easy to rig, easy to handle, and rewarding to sail. They achieve a nice balance between rewarding performance and reliable seakeeping, which they combine with ample stability. In addition to facilitating family fun, Precision 15’s are in wide use as trainers in community sailing programs.

Precision 185 and Precision 185K

The Precision 185 expands on the broad appeal of her smaller sister by adding an extra dose of acceleration and speed to her performance profile. She was recognized by Sailing World magazine as a Boat of the Year for her “combination of good sailing characteristics, substantial construction, and reasonable cost.” Her swim platform at the transom contributes to the fun by getting swimmers back aboard more easily and allowing youngsters to trail their toes in water. This ‘back porch’ can also contribute to safety by facilitating boarding from a dinghy, and recovering from an accidental ‘man overboard’ incident more easily and quickly. For some sailors, the Precision 185K keel version may be better suited for deeper, less sheltered waters.

Transit 380

The T_380 design ( www.transit380.com ) is intended to suit young sailors who are making the transition from the single-handed Optimist pram to high performance double-handed dinghies. Most kids ‘size out’ of the Opti at about 115 pounds, and between the ages of 11 to 14. After years of sailing alone in prams, many are also looking forward to sailing together with friends. Many do not yet have the sailing skills and experience required to handle a Club 420, however, and expecting them to do so is a bit like handing a new driver the keys to a Porsche. For decades, the Blue Jay and Widgeon (among others) have filled this gap, but time and technology have long since passed these boats by. The Transit_380 brings modern materials and carefully ‘kid centered’ design detailing to a contemporary version of this transitional mid boat.

Precision 165

Precision 165 combines the low trailer weight and reasonable cost of a daysailor with the ‘get out of the weather’ cuddy cabin and on-board toilet facilities of a small cruiser. She is offered with a fixed lead keel only, and performs very nicely with just a 21 inch deep draft. The term ‘crossover’ may be overused these days, but it does describe the appeal of the Precision 165 especially well.

The C-26 ( www.colgate26.com ) was built under contract by Precision Boatworks , and marketed by Steve Colgate. The boat was originally designed as a trainer for Steve’s well known Offshore Sailing School, and is very much a collaboration between Steve and Doris (basic concept and specifications), Jim Taylor (design detailing), and Precision (tooling and construction). The C-26 was so well received that she was soon marketed directly to the public, and she was recognized by Sailing World magazine as a Boat of the Year . SW judge Bill Lee wrote, “Not only did I find the Colgate 26 to be a good trainer but also I found myself applauding her for being an excellent sailboat in her own right. (She) appears (ruggedly built) relative to most modern sport boats and I found … excellent glasswork and construction quality with good attention to detail…She represents tremendous value on today’s market.” The C-26 was chosen by the US Coast Guard, US Navy, and Maine Maritime Academies for both instruction and intercollegiate competition, and she is in active production (now by Waterline Systems) with nearly 400 boats built to date.

FAQ’s ABOUT SIMILAR TAYLOR DESIGNS

Before our association with Precision Boatworks, we designed several other small cruisers that were produced by various builders, none of which currently provide support or parts to current owners. We are often asked about them, and offer the following background:

Spectrum 22

Chronologically the first of these small trailerable designs, she was commissioned by Spectrum Yacht Corp, which had a modestly successful production run. (See Spindrift 22, below)

Starwind 19

Wellcraft commissioned the Starwind 19 in the early ’80’s, and did a nice job building a lot of them (400?) before they realized that they could make much more money per square foot of factory space building powerboats. They built good quality boats to our Starwind 19 and Starwind 27 designs, before they went back to all power. The Starwind 223 was not our design.

Spindrift/Starwind

Rebel Industries bought the molds for the Starwind 19 and Spectrum 22, and built a handful of boats, not always wisely or well. They marketed the Starwind 19 variously as the Starwind 19, Starwind 190, and Spindrift 19, but left the boat essentially unchanged from the orginal Wellcraft version. They retooled the Spectrum 22 without our permission or input, as the Spindrift 22.

Small Boats Annual 2014

Spindrift 12

A performance yacht tender

The Spindrift series of dinghies from B&B Yacht Designs promises a range of capable yacht tenders that offer plenty of sailing excitement. Here we see a 12’ model built by Meredithe Stuart-Smith of Castine, Maine.

H ere we have one member of a family of boats—four in all—doing business under the name of Spindrift and designed by Graham Byrnes of Vandemere, North Carolina. The very first Spindrift was a 10-footer, and was meant purely as a tender to a larger yacht. As Byrnes tells the story on his website, “Not long after the first few were built, we were invited to take part in a race for yacht tenders with a maximum length of 10′. There were dinghies of every description: Trinkas, Connies, Dyers all were represented, as well as some less-well-known brands—and a few custom boats.”

Spindrift trounced the fleet—so much so that there was a mass exodus of dinghies from the local yacht club, and a flurry of Spindrift construction. The word spread to other parts of the country, and more models followed. Today, the lengths are 9′, 10′, 11′, and 12′, and you can choose nesting versions for all but the 12-footer. “Nesting” refers to the boat’s ability to be separated into two pieces—a bow and stern section—with the bow portion turned around and nestled into the stern sections. The result is a tidy package that can be carried on the deck of a small yacht. The rig options include a cat for the 9′, 10′, and 11′ models, and sloop or cat for the 11′ and 12′ ones. To date, Byrnes has sold 1,025 sets of plans.

“A Spindrift,” writes Byrnes, “is a very good investment if you have a junior sailor in your family. Unlike many dinghies used as trainers (such as the Optimist), you do not ‘outgrow’ a Spindrift. While the boat is very suitable for children and inexperienced adults, in the hands of a good competitive sailor it offers the challenge of top-end racing.” Byrnes also intended for the boat to carry a small outboard, which he says it does very well.

The forgiving nature of the boat and its top-end potential are what drew Meredithe Stuart-Smith to Spindrift. A resident of Castine, Maine, Stuart-Smith had taken a sailing course at WoodenBoat School several years ago, and now she wanted a boat in which to hone her new sailing skills. What boat, she wondered, would be adequate for the local conditions, and under 12′ so she could store it on land at the local yacht club? She called Graham Byrnes’s shop and spoke with his wife, Carla, who mentioned the Spindrift—which, as it happened, was to be the subject of an upcoming class at WoodenBoat School.

Stuart-Smith was intrigued, but a little concerned about her limited capacity with woodworking tools, and she shared this concern with Carla.

“Honey,” Stuart-Smith recalls Carla responding, “there are women who could not get out of their Maiden form bras who could build one of these.”

“So,” says Stuart-Smith. “I came, I built, and I sailed.”

The 12′ Spindrift’s spars and blades all stow tidily in the boat for easy trailering.

T he construction is stitch-and-glue—a process that has as much in common with sewing as it does with traditional boatbuilding. In sewing, the curved edges of flat sheets of fabric are stitched together to yield a sometimes-complex three-dimensional shape. In stitch-and-glue boatbuilding, flat sheets of plywood are cut to precisely curving shapes, and the edges of them “sewn” together to yield a hull. The sewing is commonly done with copper wire or cable ties, and the seams are then “taped” together with fiberglass set in epoxy. There are nuances in this gluing-together job, such as the filleting of seams to eliminate hard inside corners and allow the ’glass to properly bridge the joint, but the process is rather simple and the rewards quick. Hulls are often stitched together in a day—though require much more work to make them solid and strong.

Stuart-Smith finished her hull in the WoodenBoat School class. After that, the demands of business and family life took over, and she sent the boat to Salt Pond Rowing, a shop operated by WoodenBoat School shop assistant Joe Thompson, who finished it—complete with a distinctive and flawless gunsmoke-blue paint scheme. “I’m sad I didn’t finish the boat,” says Stuart-Smith. “But I knew I couldn’t get it done.”

The 12′ Spindrift’s two-piece, unstayed aluminum mast is quick and easy to step, and the wooden boom attaches at the gooseneck with a simple slip-on fitting. Rigging takes a matter of minutes.

S tuart-Smith named the boat ANGEL, and four years after its launching, I joined her for a couple of sails from the backshore beach in Castine. This gravelly strand faces west into upper Penobscot Bay, and we arrived at high tide one August evening in a fresh westerly. Setup was easy. The aluminum mast separates into two sections, which stow neatly and entirely in the boat. The top mast section has a wooden plug inserted in its top. These two sections are easily joined together, and the lightweight spar dropped through the partners and into the step. There is no standing rigging.

The rig is a Bermudan cat, and the sail’s luff is sleeved, like a Laser’s. But unlike that ubiquitous Bruce Kirby–designed board boat—at least the ones I knew growing up—this luff sleeve has a zipper running its length, allowing the sail to be hoisted up the stepped mast, rather than threaded onto the mast on the ground, and the whole thing raised together. That made a big difference in ease of rigging in the breeze that was blowing that evening, for raising that sail Iwo Jima style would have required some manhandling. The zippered luff also allows for quick reefing and shaking-out from the helm position—which is not possible with a standard sleeve luff.

The clew is left to fly while the boat is launched and the boom attached to the gooseneck. Then the rudder is secured, the boat is pointed into the wind, and the outhaul made off. The engine, so to speak, is now idling.

I thought that getting off the beach in the onshore breeze would be a bit awkward—a reflection on me, and not the boat. In the past, I have found daggerboards can be ungainly in this situation. When beam-reaching into a beach, it’s good to have a little bit of blade exposed underwater for as long as possible. And I like to have the board propped in the trunk, ready to press into deep water, when departing in an offshore breeze. But in some of the boats of my youth, the height of that loaded board could impede the progress of the boom across the boat’s centerline, creating an interesting situation—one not unlike the time my ’75 Ford Grenada’s accelerator pedal got stuck under the floor mat as I was cruising down the Nahant causeway in Massachusetts in my high-school years…but I digress. My point is that Byrnes’s careful fitting of the board to clear the boom gave me confidence in the setup. This is a carefully engineered rig— mindful of both the beginner and advanced sailor.

Spindrift has a rare combination of traits: Exciting sailing, good rowing, and ample volume to serve as a yacht tender. The designer claims that she handles an outboard motor well, too, though this wasn’t tested for this review.

I got away from the beach, deployed the centerboard, sheeted in, and whoosh: Stuart-Smith had told me that the local kids likened the feeling of her boat to a Laser’s—which I hadn’t sailed for decades. This brought it all back. The boat accelerated quickly, and I settled into the tack and tidied up the mainsheet. Then I tried a few turns. The boat was quick to tack, and sure-footed in jibes.

Stuart-Smith had told me earlier that every one of her sailing outings is like Groundhog Day, referring to the Bill Murray movie in which the protagonist awakes every day to the same circumstances, his life never advancing. She typically sails the boat with a more experienced hand along, and on one solo outing did have the distinct and enlightening pleasure of capsizing. She reports that it was easy to right, and came up only partially filled with water. Much of the interior volume is taken up by the flotation tank seats, so there was minimal bailing. Stuart-Smith has pushed through insecurities about a solo outing, saying that she’s “always doing things that terrify me.” She was bound and determined to take a few passes along the beach that night. And she did. As is often the case in learning, she’d internalized more of the previous year’s lessons than she’d thought. She’d developed instinct. This was proven out in one particular incident when, after the boat was caught in the wind while departing the beach, the sails filled as ANGEL sat still. That’s often the sitting-duck position for a capsize, as all of the sudden wind energy is pressing the boat over, and little or none of it is bleeding off in forward motion. Stuart-Smith leapt to the high side, settled the boat down, and darted off. The rest of the evening was textbook sailing, and putting the boat up took only ten minutes. We lowered the sail, hauled the boat up the beach on its aluminum trailer, popped out the mast, and secured the blades and spars in the bilge. With the hull strapped down, Stuart-Smith and ANGEL headed for the barn.

B&B Yacht Designs, 196 Elm St., Vandemere NC; www.bandbyachtdesigns.com.

The Spindrift dinghy from B&B Yacht Designs is available in four lengths: 9’, 10’, 11’, and 12’. Here we see the 12-footer, the boat tested for this article, with the optional sloop rig.

Particulars: LOA 12’0″ Beam 4’6″ Sail area (sloop rig) 85 sq ft (cat rig) 70 sq ft Weight 95-120 lbs

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Comments (2)

Let’s shorten the mast by 2′,extend the boom by the same amount. With the original sail plan you still must duck under the boom.Why not make the boom longer? The sail plan lower?

A tall, thin sail, a high-aspect ratio, is more efficient. I had a plastic window sewn in.

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Small Craft Advisor

Boat Review: Spindrift 22

An early jim taylor design from which an entire series of trailerables evolved..

Invited aboard a friend’s “new” trailerable, we struggled to find a place to sit in the surprisingly small cockpit where we wouldn’t either interfere with the helmsman, or upset the boat’s balance. Sitting forward blocked the skipper’s access to sail controls, and moving our weight aft caused the boat to squat, leaving a plow-like wake astern. Eventually we somewhat reluctantly conceded that standing in the open companionway made the most sense.

“Roomy, isn’t she?” The skipper inquired cheerfully. “Nearly 5' 6" of standing headroom!” We smiled. Oh really? We’d have expected more from a boat with the approximate windage of a Greyhound bus.

As boats sailed past us—and they all did—our jumbo trailerable would wallow drunkenly in the ensuing wake, losing almost all forward momentum. She didn’t point well, and hard on the wind she didn’t heel so much as list—we’d hold our breath as she slowly staggered back to her feet.

“She does go better cracked off a bit,” our friend allowed, easing the sheet as a kayaker passed us to port. When tacking he thought absolutely nothing of back-winding the jib. “Sometimes she just likes a little help,” he said with a slightly nervous grin.

It’s boats like our friend’s, where concessions to spacious cabins and “easy trailering” have so thoroughly fouled sailing performance, that have rightfully given the word “trailersailer” some less than complimentary connotations.

It was back in the mid 1980s—after much of the damage to the reputation of the class had already been done—when yacht designer Jim Taylor set out to sail a fine line, attempting to draw a comfortable family sloop that offered acceptable, if not admirable, sailing performance for a company called Spectrum.

“The goal was to produce a trailerable boat that sailed well,” he said. “There were a lot of boats produced at the time that were not fun because they performed so poorly, and they gave the ‘trailersailer’ type a bad name.”

The Spectrum 22 was launched, but Spectrum the company soon sank, another casualty of the tumultuous production boat-building business. The Spectrum molds were purchased by startup Rebel Industries, who’d also scooped up Wellcraft, producer of the Starwind line of sailboats.

“Rebel Industries never seemed to have a clear vision for what they wanted to be, or where they wanted to go,” says Taylor. “They bought existing tooling from Spectrum and Wellcraft, and produced a confusing variety of boats under both the Spindrift and Starwind trade names.”

Rebel did an expensive re-tooling of the Spectrum 22’s interior and released the boat as the Spindrift 22. (Not to be confused with the Starwind 22 or the Spindrift 223.)

“The new interior for the Spindrift 22 cost them a lot of money to tool, and it may or may not have improved the market appeal of the boat,” says Taylor. “The hull, deck, and appendages were all from the Spectrum 22 tooling. They never paid anything for the rights to use the design.”

The new Spindrift proved reasonably popular, but probably fewer than 50 of this model were ever produced. By comparison, the Starwind/Spindrift 19—another Jim Taylor design—numbered more than 400.

Taylor is probably best known in our small-boat circle for designing the entire Precision Boatworks line of trailerable sailboats. The Spindrift 22 looks very much like the Precision 21 and 23, and we asked Taylor to what extent the Precision boats represent an evolution of the thinking that went into the Spectrum/Spindrift 22.

“My designs for the whole Precision line, starting with the P-18, are a very direct evolution from their Spectrum 22 and Wellcraft/Starwind 19 predecessors. The focus on lively performance and family fun is unchanged, and shoal draft via a similar keel/centerboard underbody is common to most of the models. Sleeker styling, fractional rigs, and practical interiors that could be assembled efficiently are among the improvements incorporated into the later designs,” he says. “In lots of ways, the Spectrum/Spindrift 22 was a prototype for the Precision line, which is still immensely popular and selling actively today, for all the right reasons; they are good sailboats that perform well, and they are reliably well built by a solid company that has outlasted literally hundreds of one-time competitors.”

Taylor’s most recent small boat was his design #130, a fin-keeled 28-foot daysailer, but his drawing board currently features a cold-molded 49-footer.

“The big boat will be spectacular,” he says, “but I will always have a soft spot for small boats.”

We were fortunate to be able to sail with skipper Dennis O’Hanlon on his well-found 1984-model Spindrift 22, on Arizona’s Lake Havasu.

PERFORMANCE:

“The boat seems to have a large sail plan for its size. It does move in light air. It supports a genoa. We have a 150% and in light air it helps a lot.” Edward Heller, EZ Ryder 1986

“This is a light-air boat and performance is spectacular.” Ken Hall, The Office 1981

From the moment we ran up the main and unfurled the genny it was apparent the Spindrift was a capable sailer. She heeled down to the turn in her bilge and then moved steadily to hull speed.

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Ron Amy Spindrift 43

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A quick google got me this; you may have seen it already. The google search also indicated this boat has been discussed before on Sailnet so perhaps you can search the forums for more. ​ Some History on the Spindrift 43 and Formosa 44 The Spindrift 43' has two sister ships. All three are designed by Ron Amy. Also, all three (Spindrift 43, Formosa44, and Hampton 43) have a canoe ended transom. The Spindrift 43' was exclusively contracted to the Formosa Boat Builders in 1982 by the Spindrift Dealer in Newport Beach. These were build under the strict Quality Control of the Spindrift Dealer and the buyer had the option of customizing the interior cabin. When the Spindrift Dealership went out of business, once again the Formosa Yard began building the Formosa 44' under the contract with Mr. Amy. The Formosa yard continued to built the Formosa 44' with the same quality and good craftsmanship as the Spindrift 43'. We had the opportunity to see both the Spindrifts and the Formosa 44' built in the Formosa Yard. In our opinion, both of these boats had the same excellence in both hull, deck, and craftsmanship. The second sister ship to the Spindrift 43' is the Hampton 43' built in China. ​ The Formosa Yard, with Mr. Amy's permission, sold the hull design to the Hampton Dealership. In our opinion the hull is probably built with the same quality as the Formosa and the Spindrift. This we believe because Mr. Amy would most likely not agree to anything else because he is known for the excellent quality of all his hull designs. However, the above deck and interior craftsmanship, in our opinion, was of poor quality. To be fair, we only saw and checked out the first few boats produced. It is very possible that they improved the quality. We would suggest that you check this out for yourself. We have sailed and examined several Spindrifts and Formosa boats in our fifteen years of cruising and everyone of them sailed very well and had excellent quality and craftsmanship. One more boat I will mention with a hull designed by Ron Amy is the Young Son. This boat is very similar and a quality boat, but has slightly a different hull, smaller beam, and shorter draft and shallower bilge. The interior craftsmanship is not as good as the Spindrift but is adequate.  

Thanks Faster, I've actually exchanged emails with the people who's website that extract came from, very nice and really helpful on the history of the boat and the yard. I've also searched on sailnet and read the previous posts in fact one of them even relates to the boat we have just bought! What we really need is some of the more technical details of the boat, of course failing that trial and error (hopefully less of the error) will hopefully get us through the restoration. At least we will know what we have when we finish.  

The post on the Ron Amy designed Spindrift information is one of my web pages that I created to commemerate our 15 years cruising her to 37 countries and islands. She got us through all kinds of storms including a few hurricanes. If you have any questions on the Spindrift 43' (ours was a pilot house), I would be very happy to answer them the best that I can. She was a wonderful boat and a true ocean going vessel! My husband and I sailed her and she was a great handling boat. Sincerely, Bountiful's First Mate, Patti  

Bountiful said: The post on the Ron Amy designed Spindrift information is one of my web pages that I created to commemerate our 15 years cruising her to 37 countries and islands. She got us through all kinds of storms including a few hurricanes. If you have any questions on the Spindrift 43' (ours was a pilot house), I would be very happy to answer them the best that I can. She was a wonderful boat and a true ocean going vessel! My husband and I sailed her and she was a great handling boat. Sincerely, Bountiful's First Mate, Patti [/QUOT hello. I have a 43 PH, I think it was originally called Orion, now it's called Tess Bess, and I'm on my way to Svalbard With her. I wonder did you ever dry your out on its side, if so do you have pictures or tips. I'm not planning to, but would like to be for armed if it ever happens. cheers davie. YouTube channel sailing Tess Bess Click to expand...

The post by Fastner about the history of the Spindrift 43 pilot house sailboat and the Formosa was from my personal website relating to the fifteen years that we sailed Bountiful to 15 countries and islands. I created this page myself. You can find my page by Googling the words Spindrift 43 sailboat if you want more information on the Spindrift43 sailboat.  

Bountiful, My wife and I have been searching for a boat (in earnest) since October, and as yet, no luck. We hatched this plan back in 2010, and been saving every penny we could. We are itching to finally set sail. We are now heavily considering the Spindrift 43 and we saw that you said she handles beautifully on one of the forums. This is the big unknown to us before we are able to get on one and sail her ourselves. Even then, we worry that a sea trial of just one day is not enough to really know how a boat sails in all conditions. We are hoping that you might be able to answer some questions about how she handles so that we can figure out if she is right for us. Looking at her underbelly, and specs, she seems like she would be quite stout; are we correct to assume that she is not the least bit tender? Is she comfortable at sea in varying conditions? We like the way the headsails are both tacked so far forward; correct to assume that she can head to weather OK? We understand, of course, that with the keel, she's not going to win any upwind races, but how would she do against a lee shore with heavy weather? Also, does she track well on all tacks or does she tend to want to round up? What wind speeds did you need to get her making headway? How much for cruising speed? We hope our questions make you think back to your long ago boat, remember good times, and smile. Thank you, Nate & Nina  

I know this thread is old but could one of you answer a few questions about the Spindrift 43's sailing ability? Can she fight off a lee shore in heavy conditions? What minimum wind speed to make way? What wind speed to hit cruising speed? Would you say she is very stout with a high comfort margin or does she feel a little tender? Much appreciated!!! -Nate  

Hmmm, Spendthrift. That's a fitting name for a sailboat.  

The Spindrift sails very well, even upwind, with the staysail sheeted tight and the genoa furled up. Short tacking upwind in about 12 knots apparent you can do 5 or 6 knots. Off the wind, in 10 - 15 knots true wind the Spindrift will hit 7 knots easily with the genoa out. Rarely need to reef the main unless it is really blowing hard. Pretty easy to keep balanced, so no tendency to round up. As far as stability, the hull design offers a nice balance of fairly good initial stabilty, without feeling really stiff. Boat heels over just the right amount when sailing on the wind. If you have the rail in the water you are carrying too much sail!  

On a sort of related topic: does anybody have the sail dimensions for the standard Spindrift 43 Genoa? Mine was originally about a 135 but has been re-cut, and now it is time to order a new one. Any info on headsail replacement would be appreciated!  

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This year the boat that holds claim to being America's first production fiberglass one-design will celebrate its 60th birthday. That the boat is still in production makes this milestone that much more remarkable. In 1948, fresh out of the Navy, Ray Greene began building a 16-foot family daysailer out of his Toledo, Ohio, shop using a revolutionary new material called fiberglass. The design of the boat was based on lines drawn by a local high school drawing instructor by the name of Alvin Younquist. With its wide, 6-foot, 7-inch beam and 110-pound steel centerboard the stable little boat known as the Rebel soon became a hit on the Midwest's inland lakes. And while Greene said he never intended to create a racer, thanks to the boat's performance-courtesy of a large 120-square-foot main and 46-square-foot jib on a fractional rig-it wasn't long before a competitive structure was built around the boat. By 1952 a class association had been firmly established and by 1963 the class boasted 138 active members. Not bad. Fleets started popping up across the Midwest, south into Kentucky and all the way down to Texas. Meanwhile, class members could be found sailing the inland lakes of the Eastern Seaboard from New York to Florida. After 25 years of building the Rebel, with more than 3,000 hulls produced, Greene was ready to call it quits and sold the works to a group of Chicago investors. Production of the Rebel continued at a steady pace during the 1970s, and was done under a number of names: Melling Tool Co., Rebel Industries and finally Spindrift One Designs. After Spindrift folded, the Rebel moved to Michigan in 1988 when Nickels Boat Works of Fenton took over with the production of the Mark V model. Nickels continues to build the Rebel, offering buyers a choice of a daysailer version for $9,860 or the optimum racing version for $11,872 less sails and trailer. A stainless steel centerboard now comes standard with the Rebel. Nickels also continues to be a great source for parts and accessories, as well as information, on the Rebel. One tough Rebel While there have been reports of problems with the foam flotation on older boats becoming waterlogged, that has been less of a problem on boats from the 1970s and later. Other than that, a buyer of a used Rebel should find few issues with the condition of this durable little boat. Indeed, boats 25 years and older will still top regatta leaderboards. "They're well made, very rugged boats that will last forever," said Al Vorel, National Rebel Association Commodore, who has been racing the same boat, No. 3914, for almost 20 years. "You don't have to run out every 5 to 10 years to buy a new boat." This is one of the reasons for the longevity of the class. Boats tend to stay in the family, passed down from parent to child, with the younger generations wanting to keep the racing going. "My mother races, and my daughter sometimes races, so there are times we'll have three generations on the course," Vorel said. This also, of course, keeps a lot of boats off the market, and finding a used Rebel can be a bit of a challenge. But thanks to the Internet, it's possible to locate a few sellers. Prices can vary from just under $1,000 for an older boat in need of some work to $3,000 or more for a later model. Buyers can typically expect to pay in the neighborhood of $1,500 for a pre-Nickels-era boat in good shape. We were fortunate enough to find a late 1970s Rebel listed for sale on www.craigslist.org. Better yet, the seller was within trailering distance. The offer on the boat was $1,400, so we drove out to take a look. The boat was well cared for, kept under a roof winters, and showed no structural damage. Other than some algae stains and scuff marks the finish looked good, and all the gear was there, including the main and jib, which the owner said he bought new about seven years ago. We did see some possible issues, including a rusty, pitted centerboard and a wooden rudder that looked to have some rotting. So we offered to pay the full $1,400 if the owner threw in the trailer, which he originally wanted an extra $200 for. The deal was closed and we drove off with the Rebel in tow. Rebel with a cause With the boat parked in our yard the first item of business we wanted to take care of was the rusty centerboard. Nickels offers a stainless steel replacement board, and we could picture how sweet the boat would look with a shiny new stainless fin. Unfortunately, these centerboards run close to $1,000; more than two-thirds the cost of the entire boat. So such an extravagant purchase didn't make much sense. Instead we set about rehabilitating the old board. We removed, with a bit of difficulty, the 110-pound board and set in on sawhorses. The first step was to remove the old paint using paint stripper, then power sanding. We then slathered on some Duro Naval Jelly to remove the rust, wiping down everything with paper towels then finishing up with a clean, acetone-soaked rag. Next, we filled in the pits and hollows with West Marine Surfacing Putty, and sanded everything smooth. We made certain the blade was fair by running a straight edge along the board. We also further faired the rounded leading edge of the board to within the class rule limits, which prohibit tapering less than 1/16th of an inch and more than one inch in from the leading edge. We then primed the board with several coats of Interlux Primocon primer, which when dried we wet sanded with 400-grit paper, and finished with a couple coats of Interlux VC-17m Extra bottom paint. With the centerboard done, we then turned to the rudder. An ice pick determined the wood was beginning to rot near the lower trailing edge. We probably could have rehabilitated the rudder as well, but since we had saved some money by not replacing the centerboard we decided to spring for a new rudder. We opted for a fiberglass blade, supplied by Nickels for $375. This cost covered just the blade, as the original aluminum rudder cheeks and hardware were still in good shape. While we were on the phone with Nickels, we decided to order all new running rigging to replace the weathered lines the boat came with. This included lines for the cunningham, boom vang, centerboard system, as well as sheets and halyards for both main and jib. The total for 112 feet of ¼-inch line and 105 feet of 5/16-inch line came to $100. Next we took a closer look at the standing rigging. The spars showed no defects, and with a bit of metal polish and elbow grease the rotating mast, boom and aluminum whisker pole looked good as new. The 1-by-9 stainless steel shrouds and forestay also showed no visible defects. We did, however, find the diamond stays on the mast to be tuned rather tight. According to the North Sail's One-Design tuning guide for the Rebel, an overly tight diamond can limit fore and aft mast bend, and can even cause negative pre-bend, where the mast bends forward at the tip. Since we want to have a competitive boat, we loosened the diamond tension and will readjust after doing some sea trials. As we said, we ultimately wanted to race our Rebel and didn't want a slow boat. So obviously the 7-year-old suit of sails had to go. This would be our biggest expense, and a new suit of sails would alone exceed the original cost of the boat. A new main and standard jib (a light air jib is also available) from North Sails set us back $1,615, which included $20 for class royalties but not shipping. Certainly this was a blow to our budget, but we rationalized it by thinking about the fun we would be having with some close racing come summer. Our last order of business was getting our bottom clean and smooth. We first scrubbed the hull down with a detergent then wet sanded everything below the rails to a slick surface with 1,200-grit paper. After a rinse and wipe down with the hose and clean towels we were satisfied we had a slick bottom. We finished off by treating all our hardware and moving bits to a little McLube Sailkote spray. We now have what we feel will be a contender on the course for our racing crew of two. Yet, with the roomy Rebel cockpit that can seat six, we're also looking forward to some lazy summer daysailing when friends and family show up. Either way, we'll certainly get our money's worth from this tough but nimble little classic.

LOA 16' 1.5" LWL 15' 10" Beam 6' 7.5" Draft 3' 4" Weight 700 lbs, Sail area 166 sq. ft.

Project list and cost summary 1977 Rebel 16 $1,400

Retrofit budget: 1. Naval Jelly, paint stripper, acetone $38 2. Evercoat Marine Surfacing Putty $25 3. nterlux Primocon $28 4. Interlux VC 17m Extra $48 5. Fiberglass rudder $375 6. Running rigging $100 7. Sails $1,615 8. Metal polish $13 9. Sandpaper, misc.. $18

Total retrofit work $2,260 161% of purchase price Grand total $3,660

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Spindrift Day Sailor I Swing Keel

• Thread starter ranger60
• Start date Mar 13, 2014
• Oday Owner Forums
• Day Sailers

I recently purchased a 1981 Spindrift Day Sailor I made by Rebel Industries, and similar to the O'day version. It is 16.' and a few inches. The guy I purchased this from, bought it at auction and didn't know the boat's history. Here is the issue. The boat came with a broken wooden swing keel that is relatively light, and a well made fiberglass over metal one that is very aerodynamic. The latter one weighs about 85 pounds. I would like to use it, but wasn't sure if the fiberglass structure of the keel housing will support the weight without damage. I don't think this is the original, and don't know what the original manufacturers model weighed. Keep in mind, I will not be racing and will be trailering the boat. I appreciate your help if anyone knows. Thanks  

This sounds strange to me. Are you sure the "broken wooden swing keel" is not, in fact, a rudder?  

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Sunbird22358

Well, first thing is that you are refering to the CENTERBOARD, a Day Sailer does NOT have a "swing-keel", she has a CENTERBOARD. The wooden centerboard is obviously a replacement by the sound of it, being lightweight is not in itself a "bad" thing, as long as the friction on the CB lever mechanism can still hold it down, but if the Cb weighs less than 25# or so, I'd add a bit of ballast to it near the tip to help it stay down (just don't excede 25-30# total weight for the Cb or you will have an unaceptable Cb under Day Sailer Class Rules.). If the other Cb really weighs about 85#, I'd worry about how you will raise it using the lever. As I say, the CB should weigh more like 25-30# and be just heavy enough to not float easily. The basic structure of the Centerboard trunk (housing) wil lmost likely not be overstressed by that excessively heavy CB, but I'm not sure the lever that moves the Centerboard will be able to raise the CB. That 85# centerboard would more or less qualify as a "swing-keel" since it would contribute a major amount of stablising force, but the DS was desgned to be a centerboard boat and I'm not sure that replacing hte normal (and class-legal) centerboard with a very heavy swing-keel is a good idea without adding strength to the centerboard trunk, adding a winch to raise/lower the heavy CB, add extra flotation to compensate for the added weight, and really ending up with a Day Sailer that is no longer a "Day Sailer Class" boat. Even if you don't plan on racing, any modifications that are not "class-legal" wil laffect the resale value of the boat. The DS I is the more popular DS version with racers, so I wouldnt do anything that would prevent an easy return to class-legal condition. The DS is pretty stable as she was designed no need for added ballast as long as you sail her like the centerboard boat she is, the biggest thing is to ALWAYS keep the mainsheet i nhand while sailing. Let the mainsheet camcleat hold the tension, but keep the sheet in hand so that if a gust of wind hits, yo ucan instantly release hte sheet to spill the wind and bring the boat back on her feet. Sail without the jib if it is windy (just raise the Cb a bit to keep the center of resistance lined up with hte center of the sail area.) If the boat isn't set up for reefing hte mainsail, consider having a sailmaker add a reef. That allows yo uto reduce sail further than just lowering hte jib and will futher help on windy days. All Day Sailers must conform to the Class Specs no matter which builder produced the boat. Length: 16'9" Beam: 6'3" Draft: 7" CB up / 3'9" CB down Weight: 575# Spindrift/Rebel became the builder after O'DAY stopped building hte DS I around 1977 and continued until around 1990. O'day stil lbuilt the DS II until 1985 then switched to the DS III (not class-accepted) from 1985-89, Pearson Yachts, Small-Boat division built the DS III for a couple more years after buying hte molds when O'DAY went bankrupt. Sunfish-Laser built a new version of the DS I (DS IV) from 1992-94, then the Day Sailer Class Association moved production to Cape Cod Shipbuilding, the current builder.  

PRECISION BOAT WORKS continued to build the Daysailer I during the mid and late 1980s. Not sure when they stopped.  

I think Spindrift/Rebel more or less became Precision. I'll check.  

Sunbird22358 said: I think Spindrift/Rebel more or less became Precision. I'll check. Click to expand

I stand corrected. I guess what actually happened was that the DSA must have switched builders for a few years (between Rebel/Spindrift and SLI) and Precision was that in-between builder. The DSA is pretty tough on various builders and as I recall my DSA history...... Rebel/Spindrift was unable to meet those tough requirements (including building a boat more suitable for racing than simply "daysailing", George O'Day must be rolling over in his grave over that since he developed the DS as a family daysailing boat)  

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• B & B Yachts Forum

Nice review of a nesting Spindrift 9 from a cruising couple!

By Frank Hagan October 3, 2020 in B & B Yachts Forum

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Frank hagan.

I follow a few cruisers on YouTube, and Sailing Florence Around the World uses a nesting dinghy instead of the inflatable kind most use. I thought it looked familiar, sure enough, they did an episode on their B&B Yacht Designs Spindrift that their father built for them right before they started their journey around the world:  

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• 3 yr Frank Hagan changed the title to Nice review of a nesting Spindrift 9 from a cruising couple!

Excellent video, I've been following them for a year or two now. In fact it was their videos that first made me aware of the Spindrift design.

That was a fabulous video!

It's great seeing a Spindrift used as a proper dinghy should be. I also built mine as the dinghy to my little J/24 and it's always fun to show up to a mooring and pull a proper little sailboat off. I always get questions from other boats around me and sometimes even the dockmaster. It rows really well, sails great, and of course motors like a charm too.

Thanks for such an efficient design, Graham.

Nested on the small foredeck of the J/24:

On the way to Catalina:

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• Sailboat Guide

Spindrift 43

Spindrift 43 is a 42 ′ 5 ″ / 13 m monohull sailboat designed by Ron Amy and built by Formosa Boat Building Co. Ltd. starting in 1982.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Previously YOUNG SUN 43. A pilot house version was also available. Later became FORMOSA 44.

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Crowther Spindrift 40

Tula’s endless summer on their crowther spindrift 40.

A big thank you to Billy, Sierra and Jetty from Tula’s Endless Summer for giving us the low down on their Crowther Spindrift 40 : Adrenaline. They have now sold this catamaran and are moving onto a Seawind. Well, that’s after they bought a 1978 DeFever 43′ Trawler for $100 and fixed her up.

I have had a good sail on a Crowther 40 in Hong Kong (adapted from a Windspeed), and I can confirm that yes, Lock Crowther designs are fast if you keep the weight off! This one certainly sounds like it moves. You get a really good feel for how slick these designs are from the aerial shot below. This boat looks like it slices through the water.

I’m just glad I managed to get these guys to do a review on the Crowther before they sold it.

Owner´s Review: Adrenaline

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your boat, “Adrenaline”. Does she get the adrenaline pumping 😉 ? “Adrenaline” definitely gets the Adreanline pumping! She is a 40′ Crowther spindrift catamaran which was built as a one-off from plans by a skilled builder in Gabon, Africa. She is a sleek, fast, cat designed by the world renowned Australian designer Lock Crowther who was ahead of his time for performance multihulls.

Why did you choose the Spindrift 40? Previously you owned a Trawler, right? I presume you wanted speed, upwind performance if you picked a Crowther? We were on a trawler before Adrenaline and on a small double-ender mono before that even. We decided we wanted to get back on a sailboat and a Cat was the way to go. We really wanted a boat that had some character, a pedigree, and didnt look or sail like a floating apartment. When we saw Adrenaline for sail we did some researched and she checked all the boxes (including out budget). However, she needed a LOT of work.

When was she launched? Do you know the back story? As far as we know is she was launched in 1988 after being built in Gabon, Africa and was soon after sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. From the she sailed up and down the western Atlantic between Canada and the Caribbean before the most recent previous owner bought her. He sailed her back down from Canada to Florida then spend the last 8 years sailing and living on her between Florida and the Bahamas.

What’s the best thing about her? Her looks, speed, and ability to get sailing quickly in light winds.

What would you change if anything on the basic design? Maybe you wouldn´t change anything? All of these kind of boats had shorter head room which is not a big deal for us because I am only 5’8″ and my girlfriend is a few inches shorter than that. The other unique thing is you have to go out the main cabin into the cockpit to enter either hull which honestly is not a huge deal for us being young and agile. Honestly, I would not change anything on this boat but it definitely gives us some thought as to what we might like in the future.

Does she carry weight well, or do you have to be careful to not overload her with gear? Adrenaline’s hulls are extremely narrow saw if we want to reach her performance potential we have to keep here really light. With that being said she still sailed really really well when we had her loaded for cruising although we were careful with weight still.

Any problems with slamming in waves? How is the bridgedeck clearance? The bridgedeck clearance is really good for this size boat and we do get some slams in short steep seas but it is pretty rare and almost never get slams in other conditions.

What are her best features in your opinion? eg helm position, performance, look, Her best features are her narrow hulls, twin helms, looks, ability to sail fast and get up to speed quickly in lighter wind, simplicity, and large trampolines.

Are you planning on making any more mods? I know you have recently done some upgrades during lock down, what did you prioritise? We did a TON of repairs, maintenance, and upgrades during the past 3 years of our ownership of Adrenaline including: Feathering max props, covered dyneema rigging, new sails, rainman watermaker, titanium chainplates, new running rigger, deck repairs, full engine rebuild, lithium batteries, dyneema lifelines and composite stantions and bases. There are probably more things I cant even think of right now. There are always going to be more things especially cosmetic but I think we addressed 95% of her major issues and thins we wanted to upgrade.

How are the electrics, plumbing etc The plumbing is all good after I replace 90% of it along with new water tanks and holding tanks. The 12v electrical system is all good after I traced and pulled/replaced some old wires and addressed some poor electrical connections. We pulled out everything from the a/c side of the electrical system because a lot of it was done poorly using household components and poor connections so we just run our minimal a/c electronics right off a power strip off the inverter in the main cabin. She has the basic electronics package include depth finder, old autopilot, simple plotter, and vhf. We mainly use an ipad as our plotter though. I really wanted to upgrade her electronics and include AIS and wind instruments but time and budget has not allowed for that yet.

Is she easy to maintain? Servicing engines, standing rigging etc Yes, engines are old but easy to access and actually just pulled her starboard engine out with our boom into our cockpit and completely rebuilt the whole thing. She has a conventional masthead rig which I replaced with heat stretched dyneema and only need to re-tension once a year at most which takes a little time but is pretty easy especially without diamonds. We pull her once a year to do bottom and running gear maintenance. We replaced as much metal as possible with composites to try to eliminate the maintenance and potential issues there.

Is she easy to sail short-handed? To shorten sail? Is the running rigging complex? Do all the lines lead back to the helm? It is possible to sail her single-handed but ideally you need two people to sail her because we added running backstays as her primary backstays because her new main is a square top and we have to pull the leeward backstay forward and re-set the other one every time we tack. All halyard and reefing lines are at the mast base which keeps things simple but someone does have to go forward for all that work although it is not bad at all. The 135% Genoa is on a roller furler which makes it easy to reduce sail and reefing the main takes about a minute or two.

What’s she like in heavy weather / a blow / big seas She handles weather really well and as soon as we are running with it in heavy wind she wants to start surfing which is fine if conditions are not too bad because she handles beautifully. We are really impressed with her handling and sailing ability in heavier conditions especially for an older boat. We never got into anything too extreme however.

How is the helm position. Good in weather? Visibility when docking? Looks pretty protected up there. When we first bought the boat we built a hard bimini out of glass and divinycell foam which keeps the helms nice and shaded. We plan to ad some isinglass to the front of this hard bimini to protect us from any hard rain which still gets us wet at the helm. visibility is spectacular from both helms and besides the rain it is really well protected. If we ever get any spray back there which is kind of rare we just duck quickly behind the cabin.

How does she sail in light winds? She sails really well in light winds especially when the sea state is calm. Some of our favorite conditions to sail in are close reaching in 8 knots of wind just zipping along at 6 knots. 12-14 knots of wind is her prime when close-hauled to reaching and we are already getting close to sailing at 10 knots there.

How does she sail close hauled? How high does she point to true? Her motion and speed close hauled is really good and her daggerboards definitely help. Her best angle true to the wind is 50-55 degrees and I think the biggest factor is the sheeting angle of the genoa. I think with a smaller jib and better sheeting angle she could consistently point 50 true at good speeds.

Typically, what’s your average speed on passage? What´s the top speed you have logged surfing? We just hit 18 knots surfing on our last trip and it was magical. We generally average 7 knots or a bit more during the day and on longer passages more like 6-7 knots because we stay real conservative at night. This is all when loaded up for cruising.

What’s she like under power? Speed, manouevrability? We cruise at about 6 knots with both engines and 4 knots with just one. They are original yanmars so we do not push them too hard. Her top speed under power is about 8 knots. maneuverability is fantastic with the props being about 20′ apart. I can spin her in her own footprint and maneuver her anywhere she will fit. I should also add that she has straight shafts not sail drives.

Is she easy to dock, what’s the visibility like? She is super easy to dock with great visibility at the helm and twin inboards.

What is she like at anchor? Because of her 20′ beam she is stable and comfortable at anchor. We have plenty of shade and huge trampolines so there are plenty of places to hang out and with all her large opening hatches we get really nice ventilation throughout the whole boat. We have 100′ of 5/16 G43 chain on our main anchor as well as a spare and our main anchor is a 45# mantus which has been fantastic so we are super comfortable on the hook even in a good blow.

What´s she like when it´s raining hard? We really want to add more vinyl and canvas off the hard bimini to completely protect the cockpit when it rains and keep you dry as you move from the main cabin to the hulls. She does not have any leaks so everywhere inside is comfortable and we have 12v fans all over the boat to keep it cool and air flowing when we have to shut the hatches.

Is she comfortable enough down below? Cabins/saloon/galley/heads. Space is definitely tighter inside than most modern cats but it works surprisingly well for us. We have 5’10” headroom in the galley which is good for me and plenty of headroom when we sit down at the large saloon table. The hulls are skinny but there is plenty of room to walk through them comfortably and with plenty of headroom. The heads are actually probably pretty comparable in size to most modern cats. Headroom above the bunks are kind of low but overall everything is cozy and still pretty comfortable for her being so unique with her interior layout and skinny hulls. I would say it would take some getting used to for someone over 6′ though…

How is the finish of the interior? Does she creak under sail? She does creak a little bit under sail and her interior is definitely not bristol finish but it is still nice especially for a 30 year old boat. We painted a lot of it white instead of the dark veneer which really lightens up the whole boat. We are rebuilding the galley countertop now because it got pretty beat up over the years.

What is your favourite spot on the boat? The trampolines most of the time or at the helm when we are sailing along in perfect conditions.

Is she good for hosting guests? The layout is not as good as some other cats for hosting guests because there is not a large cockpit table but there still is plenty of space and plenty of seating. Even inside there is a large table and plenty of seating so as long as not too many people are trying to stand and walk around inside at once it works really well and we love having people over. We even set up a projector on a screen off our solar arch or off our mast for movie night on the beanbag chairs.

If you were to swap her for another boat, what would that be? Or maybe you wouldn’t swap her? She is a fantastic boat and it would be hard to trade for something that had less performance and sail-ability but we are really seeing the value of things like self-tacking jibs and lines led back to the helm. We also like the idea of a more modern and spacious interior but definitely nothing luxurious. We really like the Seawinds for all these reasons. Maybe someday but dont tell Adrenaline.

How is the Crowther community? Absolutely amazing. Everyone who owns and is familiar with Crowthers are fantastic and have been extremely helpful as we have been repairing and upgrading Adrenaline.

Anything else you would add to help people thinking of buying a Crowther and a Spindrift 40 in particular? I think that the Crowther Spindrifts are the absolute perfect boat for someone looking for a performance catamaran on a budget. They are generally older so you will wan to take a good look at her decks, beams, and systems while deciding on a purchase.

How does Jetty get on? Is it easy with a four legged Instagram star on board? Jetty loves the boat! She has been good about going to the bathroom on the tramps on longer passages (we walk her up there 3-4 times a day) and she loves the new beaches we see all the time!!

Follow Tula’s Endless Summer

You can follow Bill, Sierra and Jetty on their Instagram feed at @TulasEndlessSummer and they have a popular Youtube channel with some great sailing and boating tips.

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Review of Spindrift 24

Basic specs., sailing characteristics.

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Spindrift 24 is 2.22, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.0 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Spindrift 24 is about 100 kg/cm, alternatively 564 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 100 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 564 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Spindrift 24 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

SPINDRIFT 15 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of SPINDRIFT 15. Built by undefined and designed by PDF, the boat was first built in 1979. It has a hull type of Centerboard Dinghy and LOA is 4.42. Its sail area/displacement ratio 41.00. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by undefined, runs on undefined.

SPINDRIFT 15 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about SPINDRIFT 15 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, contributions, who designed the spindrift 15.

SPINDRIFT 15 was designed by PDF.

When was SPINDRIFT 15 first built?

SPINDRIFT 15 was first built in 1979.

How long is SPINDRIFT 15?

SPINDRIFT 15 is 4.22 m in length.

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