BMD said..
Looking at one later this week. I have seen a few pictures but information on this one is very hard to find. I know they were built by Hill and Cameron, part of the Red Witch family and weigh around 350kg. Are they unsinkable like the Reds, how do they sail etc... Cheers
They came with reasonably sealed compartments under floor from factory about 500L each hull but water eventually made its way through the floors down to the mini keels and inside bungs near the transom are as useless as tits on a bull as mini keels are lower then bungs even when boat is tilted at 30 degrees. Most owners cut holes in the floors to install portholes to remove the water.
Bulkheads were also sealed ahead of windscreen section but with boats over 40 years old and lots of owners most have had holes cut to fit speakers, to allow access to bows and to allow room to store boom and spinnaker poles so you are unlikely to find a Red Baron with either the floor or bulkhead unmolested. But if you want something truly unsinkable that's pretty easy to achieve, first use a holesaw to put a few spaced 30-40mm holes about 1mtr apart along the floor then pour about 15kg of expanding foam into each hull. Just mix it in small portions and move along one hole at the time waiting for a few minutes between each hole or else it will rip out the floor and distort it .
www.fibreglass-resin-sales.com.au/ in Welshpool is selling different sizes up to 20kg packs.
They sail ok in the river or Peel Inlet but are not racing cats and cabin not as big as they look from the outside but big enough to take them camping if you don't mind sleeping in the tubes. Standard weight boat will do up to 9kn under sail and about 6-7 kn under power with a 5hp Tohy. As it came out of factory it is a bit lightweight so when single handed in 25-30kn wind it helps to add some weigh on the hull floors (at least 100kg in each hull) so you can push it to the limit and don't have to worry about tipping or lifting keels. Or you can get 4-5 mates along as the cockpit is large enough and the boat doesn't drop much speed with that extra load. If you want to go out in open waters the roof needs reinforcement and a proper brace placed inside the cabin under the mast as the 25mm s/steel tube won't cut it above 0.5mtr seas. Also the chainplates upgraded and mounted on reinforced glass as the mast can be a bit bouncy in short chop. Not exactly a Rotto boat in heavy swell but can be made into one if you're keen.
With some transom mods it will take at least up to a 30hp 4 stroke so ok for skiing or towing a tube behind it and some Ali plate between front hulls gives a nice fishing platform if casting for bream. I'm thinking of adding a bow mounted Watersnake next year .
If you're serious about your sailing and extract the last drop of performance out of it then upgrading the factory rudder blades would be the first stop to help improve tacking and pointing. For the standard weight boats Hobie blades can be converted easily to replace the original ply blades and will work quite well. Just need to fit auto release clamcleats to avoid damage to rudders in shallow waters.
binksmarine.com.au/store/yacht-fittings/cleats/v-cleats-accessories/clamcleat-auto-release-mini-anodised-c257 To further improve pointing adding small solid fiberglass protrusions along to lower sides of the mini keels will help it point as good as any mono and will also reinforce the mini keels if you sail in shallow waters , for trailering on rollers or if you prefer to work on the boat while off the trailer. With single axle trailers you can lift the hitch and the boat will roll on your lawn or driveway to work on it then when finished just winch it back on the trailer.
