SCAMP Sails!

The place to discuss SCAMP (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project), our 11' 11" micro minicruiser.

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JSpiegel
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Re: SCAMP Sails!

Post by JSpiegel »

Did you reef while underway? And if so how did it go? It looks to me as though it may be a bit tricky to get the reef tack secured. And how did the boat handle while you were easing the sheet and the halyard? Of course I don't know what I am talking about, having never sailed a lug before, but curious.
Certainly a beautiful and intriguing boat. There just may be room on Lake Ontario for one (or more) of these. Thanks for sharing. John
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Editors
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Re: SCAMP Sails!

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We reefed at the dock, John. It was one of those days where it was obvious we'd want to start that way. Not sure how it will reef underway, but I think it will be manageable. We've got two reef lines at both ends of the boom, so it's a matter of easing the halyard some, then hauling and cleating the reef line at each end.—Josh
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JohnB
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Re: SCAMP Sails!

Post by JohnB »

I am curious about where the oars are stowed while under sail (and under tow). I have studied the photos carefully, both on this site and on the jwbuilders2 site and see no sign of them.
Monies
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Re: SCAMP Sails!

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We have been wrestling with that problem with the Scamps heading for the Everglades Challenge (which requires a lot of rowing often) Mike has nine foot six inch sculling oars, which we think would be the best size for her and we had them anyway, thanks to the donation of a good friend!

Interestingly another EC veteran just posted an answer about Mike's partner Andrew Linn's questions on oars. He also recommended sculling oars (these come from university sculling crews often) which he had used in previous EC events. (This is on Duckworks) Good answer, as he had done a lot of rowing in prior EC's.

End decision as of last night from Mike was to put his sculling oars in their oarlocks, bungee them down for quick getting at, leave in place the entire EC of 300 miles. They will stick out the back of the stern like a pair of wheelbarrow handles but shouldn't interfere with sailing and the tiller he says or rudder operation.

The EC doesn't allow motors, oars and paddles are required and needed. If you were only doing a bit of rowing, perhaps take apart oars would work and they could go in locker spaces I think.

I will correct myself if this all changes later! We are a work in progress!

Jackie Monies (for Mike)
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Re: SCAMP Sails!

Post by Editors »

Hi John,

Oars and stowage on SCAMP make for an interesting discussion. For the record, I believe John Welsford recommended 8' 6" oars, in part because it's a standard available size. As there is 8' 3" available on the cockpit sole, on the prototype we've opted to go with 8' 3" oars so we can keep the oars sitting in the sole without modification. While we've found rowing performance quite acceptable in our limited use aboard SCAMP, I think we've all felt she might do somewhat better with a slightly longer oar. In fact I believe Howard Rice said he would have preferred a substantially longer oar.

Steve Holt from renowned oar builders Shaw & Tenney suggested a truly proper length for oars on SCAMP would be 9' 4", but he said 8' 11" might be a good compromise because that's a size that can ship via UPS. Steve conceded that if oars were going to be strictly a backup and we weren't expecting to row an extensive distance or very frequently that he'd just go with 8' 3" oars.

SCAMPs with longer oars will need to out them through the transom like Jackie and Mike suggest, install watertight PVC tubes into the stowage cabin and keep the oars inboard, or come up with some other solution.

By the way, Steve Holt said flat blade oars would be best as with SCAMP we'd probably not see advantages from a spoon oar. For maximum performance at the 8' 3" length he suggested the wide blade spoon oars might be the best since they'd provide the most wetted blade area. —Eds
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Monies
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Re: SCAMP Sails!

Post by Monies »

Just a note, Mike doesn't want to cut any holes in transom or make inside storage for the oars, just plans to bundle them on side of hull in some way.

We need to get a hull to try this out!

Our situation with the EC is a tad different in that they do not allow motors to be used. A LOT of rowing is usually the norm especially when there is no wind, the tide is adverse,, the checkpoints cannot be sailed into, etc.

Mike plans to put a motor on his Scamp for the rest of her sailings, as none of the others disallow motors that we know of.

Jackie
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Re: SCAMP Sails!

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Another great thing about Mike and Andrew's EC voyage will be all of the feedback we can get about things like this—what worked and what didn't. —Eds
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Re: SCAMP Sails!

Post by hardis »

That is one gorgeous little boat! Hope they have a wonderful trip.

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