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Re: SF Pelican Modified

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Check out the Pacific Pelican = 14' (I think)

If I were to change the 12' Pelican at all, that is probably the way to go. However I have only seen one of the Pacific's. It looked very heavy, which would counteract all you are trying to do. If you built a Pacific with a taller mast, shorter yard, higher aspect jib (or none at all and substitute a mizen) you might have a faster, more weatherly boat, but it would be one of a kind, not eligible to sail with Pelicans, or any other class, so you won't know how it actually stacks up, or how your helmsmanship is, compared to others.

If you lounge thwartships, perched on the thwart, rather than sprawling in the stern, getting in the way of the tiller, the stern transom will be out of the water and your boat will be sailing on its designed lines and move through the water very quietly. I tell beginners to sail as though the drain plugs were not installed. (Actually you could just leave them but water comes in when you move aft.

Also, keep the boat as flat in the water as possible except in very ligth winds when a few degrees of heel will reduce wetted surface. Anyhow, if you keep the water flowing smoothly off the stern it does not seem to matter if the bow transom plows a bit. We learned that with the El Toros. Of course, if you are crashing into head seas, or a motor boat crosses your bow, you will be slowed, probably stopped dead in the water.

The 12' San Francisco Pelican is a fine boat. Serves its purpose well as a picnic boat, a camp cruiser, and a challenging tactical racer when competing with boats of a similar waterline length and displacement. You must balance the boat by sitting amidships. That goes for almost any boat. Gather a mob in the stern of a 6-Meter and it won;t compete with a similar boat sailing on its designed lines.

Design a longer, narrower, flat bottomed pram and you will probably have a good boat but it won't be a Pelican.

For everyone out there who wants a small boat with lots of speed, forget the Pelican, buy, beg, borrow, or build an International 14. Only 2 feet longer, and speeeeed. However, you won't be able to take your grandmother for a quiet picnic on the water, and you probably won't be able to transport all your family and their camping gear for a weeks cruise.



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