Ninth Charm (trimaran)

Designer: Dick Newick; “Native” class, trimaran sloop
Builder: John Scholberg, at Pointe-Claire, Montréal
Materials: Airex foam sandwich, fiberglass, epoxy resin
Launch: July 1996, Pointe-Claire, Montréal
Dimensions: LOA, 38’ (LWL, 36’); beam, 26½’; max beam at waterline, 3’6”. BLR (beam-to-length ratio), 10.3. Draft with rudder up, 20”; draft with rudder down, 3’3”; draft with daggerboard fully extended, 7’
Designed displacement: 5,650 lbs
Rig: Rotating wing mast, modified Gougeon design (foil-shaped, fiberglass-reinforced, spreaders removed). Height above deck, 46’; chord, 18”; estimated weight, 265 lbs
Materials: marine ply, Sitka spruce, glass & carbon fiber with epoxy resin
Fastest ocean speed: 24 knots. Usual average on passage: 7-10 knots
Auxiliary power: Yanmar 1-GM10: single-cylinder, 9hp, drives a Jensen “Flex-O-Fold” 2-blade folding propeller
Fuel capacity: 14 gal
Range under auxiliary power: 72 hours at 5 knots - 360 nautical miles
Max speed under auxiliary power: 7 knots

Gear and amenities

Drag device: Jordan Series Drogue with 130, 12cm (5”) cones
Anchors: MAX (36 lbs); Fortress FX-23 (15 lbs). Chain: 24.5’ for each anchor, 5/16” stainless (22 lbs). Small floats attached every 30’ on line to prevent chafe on coral and rock. No windlass.
Water tank: 40 gal
Desalinator: PÜR “Powersaver 40,” produces 1 gal/hour (weight: 25 lbs, the equivalent of 3 gal of water)
SSB: Receiver (no transmitter)
406-MHz manual EPIRB
GPS navigation: Garmin 12X handheld

Other amenities:

6’6” bunks, each 40” (minimum) wide
280 watts in 4 solar panels
(2) 6-volt Trojan golf-cart batteries: 220 amp-hours at 12 volts
Link10 E-meter
LED and halogen lighting
Water-cooled Isotherm Classic
Compact fridge (4¼ ft³ space; BD35 Danfoss compressor; uses 15 ampere hours a day)
SMEV two-burner propane stove & two 10-lb alloy gas cylinders
Air-Head composting toilet (USCG approved; 19lbs) and offshore Spronk head
Raytheon Sailpilot 5000+ (uses an honest 1.5 amps)
Two laptop computers (SONY Vaio and Compaq Presario)
Dinghy: Henshaw Inflatables, Tinker Tramp, with sail rig and oars. NC does not carry an outboard motor. However, the dinghy is dying, and we plan to build a two-part canoe with two rowing scull seats and carbon oars

Crew: John Scholberg (UK/CDN) & Fran Slingerland (CDN)
Departed Montréal: 21 August 1998
John & Fran: ninthcharm@yahoo.ca
Web site: http://communities.msn.ca/ninthcharm
Newick & Lambert’s Web site: www.wingo.com/newick

Secret Affair (monohull)

Designer: Don Brooke. Hauraki 44. Light-displacement gulf cruiser/racer.
Builder: Ray Beal/ Bennett, Auckland, NZ.
Materials: Hull construction, cedar strip core, epoxy glassed both sides; ply decks and cabin. Steel keel, lead ballast. Large timber-laminate spade rudder.
Launched: 1986, Auckland, NZ
Dimensions: LOA, 13.4m / 44'; LWL, 11.53m / 37' 11"; max beam. 3.7m / 12'2"; draft, 2.0m / 6' 7"
Designed displacement: 6,585 kg / 14,750 lbs.
Rig: Aluminum mast, fractional single swept spreader, Slutter, with removable inner forestay and runners when required. Profurl headsail reefing gear. Separate mast track for tri-sail. Al Spinnaker pole & fittings. Demountable boom crutch for securing main boom when trysail set.
Fastest ocean speed: 12 knots, but once clocked 17.5 kts
Auxiliary power: Yanmar 50-hp diesel with saildrive. Kiwi 3-blade feathering prop.
Fuel capacity: 180 lts carried (60 lt. day tank plus 6x20 lt. jugs stored belowdecks.
Range under normal auxiliary power: 450 nautical miles
Max speed under auxiliary power: Max speed under power 8.5 knots. Eco Cruising speed 6.5 kts. @ 1700 rpm.
Drag device: Sea anchor and drogue - Coppins storm Fighter SF4 Parachute Anchor with long nylon rode using dedicated stemhead fairlead. Also small heavy-duty drogue. Extra long warps and lines.
Ground tackle: Galvinized Manson 40 plough snchor and chain. Second 40-lb. plough with chain and warp. Maxwell electric capstan with ST Systems Auto Anchor cockpit control counter. Enclosed anchor well forward, which also houses fenders. New large-diameter nylon twin anchor rollers housed in strong new s/s bow fitting.
Water tank: Four separate but interconnecting built-in rigid plastic tanks located low amidships holding a total of 340 lts. Plus two 20 lt. emergency portable water jugs.
Radios: ICOM (IC710 NZ) SSB ships radio plus a Belcom mc-5000 VHF and a hand-held Uniden Atlantis250 portable VHF radio. Alpine radio/cassette & CD player.
406 ACR Satellite rapid fix EPIRB
GPS navigation: JCR (JLR 4110) built-in GPS plus a Garmin 9GP 45 handheld.
Sextant: VEB Freiberger Prazisionsmechanik Yacht Sextant No: 108352.
Other amenities:

Accommodation: very simple open planform with navigators double pilotberth, three -berth saloon with large folding dining table and large double berth forward. Self-contained nav station. Well-appointed galley with dedicated and carefully designed food storage; s/s sink and drainer, three-ring LPG stove and oven with safety Sniffer alarm. Large separate deep freeze and fridge. S/s cutlery and crocks for eight crew. LPG gas water heater. Separate heads with hand basins, shower. Oilskin locker, bosuns locker etc. Large cockpit with teak deck and trim. Tiller steering, Sugar-scoop open transom. Two LPG gas cylinders housed in a safe drained cockpit locker. Separate fishing-gear locker. Sheet and warp locker and large separate general storage locker (oars, extra fuel, diving gear, spares, long warp, lamp oil, etc.).
Lighting: Four discreet fluro strips plus small individual bulkhead fittings and navigators light. Owners use modern Danish oil lamp and candles whenever possible. Outside regular masthead tri lights plus standard steaming nav and stern lights used. Low-level photo cell anchor light and one powerful spot on flexible lead for occasional use.
Fog horn: large Triton shell horn blown by mouth.
Instruments: Depth, speed, and wind indicators plus Autohelm ST 4000 Tiller Self- steering. Plastimo bulkhead ships compass (Contest 130). Ships battery-operated tide clock (Shatz1881Tide & Time).
Laptop Computer: Apple Mac PowerBook G4 15” screen for weatherfaxes and general use.
Life raft : six-person (BFA Atlantic YNZ Cat 1 approved) with emergency supplies.
Ship's tender : Aquapro 2.6 m. RIB with Yamaha 8-hp outboard.
Safety Gear: jack lines, harnesses, 8 approved life jackets, 2 stern-mounted horseshoe life rings with lights attached and a throw line.
Bilgepumps: Two hand-operated Whale gushers and one electric pump installed. Three strong buckets always to hand.
Fire Extinguishers: 2 large fire extinguishers and one small dry powder approved extinguishers. One fire blanket.
Heads: hand-operated toilet with holding tank, wash basin, and shower. Separate cockpit bathers shower aft also with hot water.

Crew: David and Jenny Armstrong, NZ residents

WEIGHT-SAVING TIPS AND CONSIDERATIONS

Dinghies and outboard engines. Consider whether you really need an outboard for your dinghy. There are many things to consider here, the primary one being how far you want to row, and how far from shore access you would like to anchor. Remember that without an outboard engine, you will not have to carry the weight of flammable gasoline. You will also get more exercise, but you will have no second line of auxiliary power for your big boat, or to help when other boats drag. It seems that people who have compressors and dive equipment aboard need a larger dinghy and an outboard engine. Ninth Charm’s crew have the ambition of building a new two-part canoe-like dinghy with two sliding rowing seats off rowing sculls, so we can whiz ‘round the harbor at 8 knots under muscle power…

Ground tackle. Is it possible to carry less chain? Get out your spec sheets on working and breaking strength of the chain and line required to anchor your boat’s tonnage. With the miracle of modern nylon braid, it is possible to match the breaking strength of most chain with line these days. What about using 15 meters of chain and a compatible nylon rode for the rest of your required length. This can save you huge amounts of weight and make it possible to raise that anchor if your windlass dies on you. On a lighter boat, less strength is required.

Watermakers. It is simply unnecessary to carry 100 gallons of water for a crew of two. The most you would need for a 30-day-long offshore passage would be 75 gallons, and how often are you out for that long? A 25-lb desalinator can save you a whole lot of weight in water.

Solar power. Consider how much power you are using for your appliances and work it out to amp-hours a day. Then consider reducing usage with more efficient systems and installing solar power.

Compressors and fridges. All fridges are not created equal. They are either engine-driven or electric, and electric fridges range from 2 to 8 amps usage. How much insulation you use can make a huge difference to its power-usage. Electric fridges with no-pump water-cooled compressors are likely the most efficient. For fresh-fruit-and-veg-loving crew like Ninth Charm’s, a fridge allows us to indulge in our cravings. But consider Moemoea of Darwin, who don’t care much what they eat, and have no fridge, but instead carry two dive compressors and several dive tanks!

Music. Convert your CDs to MP3s and send the originals home to a dry cupboard, or to someone else.