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Cruising - Miracle or Solo or ?? |
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Noel2016
Newbie Joined: 09 Jun 16 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4 |
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Topic: Cruising - Miracle or Solo or ?? Posted: 09 Jun 16 at 1:44pm |
Hi
Wondered if I could get advice please. Mainly I want a comfortable, stable, spacious second-hand boat for under £1000 that could carry my weight (92Kg) that doesn’t involve a trapeze, ducking under low booms and has a good seating position. The type of sailing I will be doing will be 90 % lake cruising / 10 % informal mixed class fun racing….i.e. mainly sunny evening after work / weekend sailing. I need to be able to haul it and sail it single handed(I’m pretty strong) . ..if it’s got room for one more person... great however I think it is more important that I can haul it and sail it alone. So far, the two boats that have caught my eye are the Solo and the Miracle. I have no issue carrying out maintenance and I like the classic look. Reading the forums it appears many people do sail miracles sometimes singlehanded… The specs of both boats look to me relatively similar in length and beam but of course in the flesh it may be a very different story and I have yet to be able to see both or compare side by side. Specs ; Solo Dinghy Miracle Dinghy LOA 3.78 m (12 ft 5 in) 3.89 (12 FT 9.5) Beam 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) 1.59 (5 FT 2.5) Draft 1.07 m (3 ft 6 in) 1.07 m (3 ft 6 in) Hull weight 70 kg (150 lb) 77 kg (170 lb) Mainsail area 8.36 m2 (90.0 sq ft) 6.8 m2 (72 sq ft) Jib area NONE 2.1 m2 (23.0 sq ft) RYA PN 1140 1185 Has anyone experience of both these boats that can tell me if there is a significant difference …specifically relating to ; 1. Boom height – I mean when your sat on the gunwhale and about to tack how much you have to duck to get across. 2. Spaciousness / seating comfort ….The miracle is obviously a two person, the solo a one person ….but the casings of the Solo and the thwart of the miracle may make one more spacious than the other? … 3. Speed – The canvas seems to be roughly the same 8.36 m2 versus 8.9 m2 (main and jib) …is one a boat considerably slower/ faster than the other ? All feedback appreciated , feel free to educate me as Im a relative novice and finally if you think based on the above requirements I have missed out a more obvious choice please feel free to chip in….I have already discounted the folowing boats for my purposes .. 1. Blaze – outriggers don’t appeal. 2. Laser – too small 3. Topper / topaz 4. OK boom looks very low 5. Any trapeze boats cheers Edited by Noel2016 - 09 Jun 16 at 5:39pm |
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 09 Jun 16 at 2:32pm |
The Solo does not have the highest of booms. It suffers from a problem a lot of older boats have - that a boom that was sensible when designed now droops irritatingly low because so much more mast rake is used than the designer expected.
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Noel2016
Newbie Joined: 09 Jun 16 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 09 Jun 16 at 5:43pm |
Thanks JimC for your thoughts,
Would you know whether the Solo boom height without fistfuls of mast rake applied would be comparable , lower or higher to the Miracle ? Noel |
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 09 Jun 16 at 5:51pm |
Solo probably lower, but I wouldn't bet money. Not sufficiently familiar with the Miracle.
It does occur to me that for a cruising boat you could probably get 4" chopped off the leech of a mainsail for not too much money, and if you bought a secondhand boat with two sails you could get one modified... Its not, AIUI, any breach of class rules to have an undersize sail even for racing in the Solo, but of course one doesn't like giving sail area away. Edited by JimC - 09 Jun 16 at 5:55pm |
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MerlinMags
Admin Group Joined: 19 Mar 04 Location: UK, Guildford Online Status: Offline Posts: 585 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jun 16 at 10:02am |
Even simpler than removing sail area is to get an eyelet put in, 4 inches above the clew, and connect the outhaul to that eye instead of the usual one.
A strap round the boom would clamp this down, and it would be like a miniature reef at the outboard end only. However, there are plenty on ancient sailors out there who seem to manage fine with the Solo boom. (The OK/Finn is rather low though I agree!) |
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iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jun 16 at 10:12am |
I hate to speak in favour of the wretched Bandit that is the Miracle but I'd say of the two it would probably better suit your purpose than the equally wretched Solo. The Miracle is a very 'live' class there seems to be a curious number of luddites, slightly mentally retarded and abused children that appear to enjoy its wooden anachronism.
They get very excited after several years of discussion about the movement of a jib cleat, such is the intensity of their peculiar world, personally as you can see I think they are an alien life form or time travellers from the fifties confused at being transported into the twenty first century. But they seem to enjoy life, so harmless enough, I'm sure like the Borg they'd be happy to assimilate you. |
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Noel2016
Newbie Joined: 09 Jun 16 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jun 16 at 11:46am |
[QUOTE=MerlinMags] Even simpler than removing sail area is to get an eyelet put in, 4 inches above the clew, and connect the outhaul to that eye instead of the usual one.
A strap round the boom would clamp this down, and it would be like a miniature reef at the outboard end only. QUOTE] I like the idea of that ...reversible and can be retro fitted if I find the boom too low. |
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Noel2016
Newbie Joined: 09 Jun 16 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jun 16 at 11:59am |
iGRF that made me laugh ... It looks like I have a leaning to join these band of varnish loving luddites ... I blame my rather hectic job and middle age ...you see being able to finish work of an evening and drift about on a lake in a catatonic stupor listening to the tweets of a lesser spotted albatross appeals to me :)
Regarding the cockpit room / speed of these boats any thoughts ? ..I am not against modern plastic boats just cant find any that fit my purpose for my budget :) I did consider a laser 2000 but discounted it when I read the weight I would have to haul around.... And while I am being fussy ...I also don't like boats with low sides ... unless its blowing proper I want to stay relatively dry. but I am happy to consider other boats. |
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Rupert
Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jun 16 at 12:25pm |
Miracle a much nicer cruising boat than the Solo.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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The Moo
Really should get out more Joined: 01 Jun 06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 807 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jun 16 at 1:44pm |
Have you considered the Graduate as a double handed alternative. Older ones can be picked up quite cheaply.
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