Our club is looking for a new committee boat. Debates are becoming quite heated, and I fear that no decsion will be made before the new season.

We sail out of a drying harbour on the east coast of Ireland. The sailing area is from 20-50 feet deep (sometimes more), subject to tides up to 2 knots at springs. The area is exposed to easterly winds, and the sea can, at times, be "lumpy", to say the least.

The boat wil be used to start club racing for dinghies and cruisers, participate in course laying, and help out during junior training.

Different suggestion have been made - from a small bilge keel cruiser to an inshore fishing boat.

Any suggestions that would help us make a decsions?

Gordon DAVIES

Make sure it has a fridge!

I try and stay off committee boats as a rule as there's no way from escaping from an irate race officer but in my experience people only use yachts because a member owns one and is willing to lend it. The rigging is good for a flag gantry but makes them roll a lot making using binoculars and writing sail numbers down tricky. It also makes some a bit queasy - reducing your chances of getting normally shore-based volunteers. Also most owners object to having racing mark tackle all over their nice teak decks even if there was any room to put marks, which reduces the usefulness.

I agree, something based on a workboat hull would suit far better than a yacht.

In my experience, these boats are going to be used and abused, & should be able to take it. Simple, basic, hard wearing & with plenty of stowage for anchors, chains, race marke etc. An ex - inshore fishing boat would do the job nicely.

Equally, is speed an issue? Some committee boats are occasionally needed to double as rescue craft, or for moving race marks. If so, a planing hull of some sort would offer more versatility.

My last club used a 19ft cathedral hulled boat (bit like an overgrown Dell Quay dory) with a small cuddy up front for shelter, and a big wide cockpit area for working in. Power was a 40hp o/b. Only drawback was there was limited access to the bow for raising anchors etc - a hatch at least would be useful.

Outboard power would be better for launching / recovery / beaching, although if you sail out of a harbour that wouldn't be so much of an issue.

The other issue is that some clubs that race / train out in a harbour (like Plymouth) tend to put cold, wet sailors into the committee boat if their boats are broken or they are rescued / retire from the racing. This means they avoid towing individual boats & crews home and leaving the sailing area unattended.

It is therefore important to have a committee boat with somewhere sheltered that does not matter if it gets damp (i.e. not the upholstered salon of a cruiser!), with easy access from rescue boats and some way of attaching abandoned or broken dinghies alongside or behind.

The fishingboat sounds perfect, if it has loads of fenders down each side!

Incedentaly, that plastic pipe (400mm or so diameter) that's used for gas or water and buried in the road makes an ideal gunwhale protector for reascue boats (there's always some 'left-over' by road works). Cut to about 500mm long and then cut a strip about 100mm wide down it's length. Stretch it open and pop it over the gunwhale to pull race mark tackle in over - makes it much easier and protects the commodores gin palace.