Extremely interesting interview for me personally owing an Allures 45 from 2013 myself! I’m in the process of considering a watermaker for the A45. Have you installed one yourself and where did you mount it?
Do you use the lifting centerboard often? Has it allowed you to go places you could not get to otherwise with a fixed keel? Have you lifted it going down wind to improve performance? Any downsides to having the centerboard? Any issues with it?
Here's the answer to your questions from Gary. He's just sailed from Seattle and is now in San Francisco...... I thought I wouldn't probably use the board that much but found I raise it quite frequently. With the board down the draft is 3 meters and a lot of anchorages would be limited and many marinas. With the board up the draft is only 1.1 meters and that has allowed me to go many places I would not otherwise go, especially in the Bahamas. It also has allowed me to dry the boat out to work on the boat where there are limited facilities I have tried lifting the board going down wind and I really did not notice any increase in speed and felt the boat was slightly harder to steer. I really don't lift it for that reason anymore. I do want to try lifting it the next time I heave to and see if the behavior of the boat is much different. Since I usually try to avoid storms it may be awhile before I can try it out. Since the centerboard does not weigh enough to add significant ballast, the center of gravity is going to be higher than on a traditional boat. The ballast is welded into the bottom of the boat. So I would believe the boat would be a little more tender than a traditional boat. My boat is 5 1/2 years old and had no problems related to the centerboard until recently. Some other Allures owners had reported stress cracks at the base of the board and Allures has since modified the design to strengthen the stress area. I was planning to inspect mine for any stress cracks the next time I had the boat hauled. Before I could do that however I struck something in the middle of the north pacific ocean in a gale and broke the board off. The board should have just swung back on a collision but I am assuming I had stress cracks like some others have noticed. I did not realize what had happened until I dove under the boat in Alaska. I am now having a new board shipped to me. The boat sails fine without the board but has about 10-15 degrees more leeway when sailing to the wind. Since I rarely sail to the wind it has not been a big issue.
@@MahinaExpeditions Wow, Crazy sailing with the centerboard broken off and not realising it! You say due to a higher center of gravity, the boat is somewhat tender? What do you mean by tender? Thanks for the detailed answers! You really have a beautiful boat!
@@MahinaExpeditions Hi, I hope you find this comment and can respond: In term of the stress fracture issues and cracks, were any of these cracks or stress fractures in the *hull itself* or were they limited to the actual moveable centerboard piece. I assume a crack limited to the actual centerboard is less serious issue and completely ameliorated by a brand new (hopefully improved) centerboard from Allures. Still, you story is a little concerning.
@@MahinaExpeditions PS: I think it’s very possible you didn’t actually hit anything during the storm in which your centerboard snapped off. I think the Centerboard could have snapped at the stress fractures (due to waves and long term fatigue). You may have experienced The sudden change in moment arm as a minimal yet sudden shift in the position of the hull. Translation: the thing just fell off. 🤣
04:34 Some refer to it as 'this phase of this Economic Lock-Down'. Fortunately, March 2022, that terrible epidemic was instantly cured by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Awesome.
Extremely interesting interview for me personally owing an Allures 45 from 2013 myself! I’m in the process of considering a watermaker for the A45. Have you installed one yourself and where did you mount it?
If you ever make it to Oahu, I'd love to meet you.
I was hoping to see a video of an Allures 45, not a video of 2 old guys gassing
6:53 “There is no Plan B, only Plan A” (Erik Aanderaa, RUclips sailing channel)
Do you use the lifting centerboard often? Has it allowed you to go places you could not get to otherwise with a fixed keel? Have you lifted it going down wind to improve performance? Any downsides to having the centerboard? Any issues with it?
Here's the answer to your questions from Gary. He's just sailed from Seattle and is now in San Francisco......
I thought I wouldn't probably use the board that much but found I raise it quite frequently. With the board down the draft is 3 meters and a lot of anchorages would be limited and many marinas.
With the board up the draft is only 1.1 meters and that has allowed me to go many places I would not otherwise go, especially in the Bahamas. It also has allowed me to dry the boat out to work on the boat where there are limited facilities
I have tried lifting the board going down wind and I really did not notice any increase in speed and felt the boat was slightly harder to steer. I really don't lift it for that reason anymore. I do want to try lifting it the next time I heave to and see if the behavior of the boat is much different. Since I usually try to avoid storms it may be awhile before I can try it out.
Since the centerboard does not weigh enough to add significant ballast, the center of gravity is going to be higher than on a traditional boat. The ballast is welded into the bottom of the boat. So I would believe the boat would be a little more tender than a traditional boat.
My boat is 5 1/2 years old and had no problems related to the centerboard until recently. Some other Allures owners had reported stress cracks at the base of the board and Allures has since modified the design to strengthen the stress area. I was planning to inspect mine for any stress cracks the next time I had the boat hauled. Before I could do that however I struck something in the middle of the north pacific ocean in a gale and broke the board off. The board should have just swung back on a collision but I am assuming I had stress cracks like some others have noticed. I did not realize what had happened until I dove under the boat in Alaska. I am now having a new board shipped to me. The boat sails fine without the board but has about 10-15 degrees more leeway when sailing to the wind. Since I rarely sail to the wind it has not been a big issue.
@@MahinaExpeditions Wow, Crazy sailing with the centerboard broken off and not realising it! You say due to a higher center of gravity, the boat is somewhat tender? What do you mean by tender? Thanks for the detailed answers! You really have a beautiful boat!
@@MahinaExpeditions Hi, I hope you find this comment and can respond: In term of the stress fracture issues and cracks, were any of these cracks or stress fractures in the *hull itself* or were they limited to the actual moveable centerboard piece. I assume a crack limited to the actual centerboard is less serious issue and completely ameliorated by a brand new (hopefully improved) centerboard from Allures. Still, you story is a little concerning.
@@MahinaExpeditions PS: I think it’s very possible you didn’t actually hit anything during the storm in which your centerboard snapped off. I think the Centerboard could have snapped at the stress fractures (due to waves and long term fatigue). You may have experienced The sudden change in moment arm as a minimal yet sudden shift in the position of the hull. Translation: the thing just fell off. 🤣
Ah........ We were in Roche a few weeks ago. I'd have loved to see an Allures in person.
If you're serious, contact Ryan Helling at Swiftsure Yachts in Seattle and see if he can arrange it, as Gary is in Seattle now...
😍
04:34
Some refer to it as 'this phase of this Economic Lock-Down'.
Fortunately, March 2022, that terrible epidemic was instantly cured by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Well I’ve got some more good news. Covid cured the flu also
Waste of time