Michael Cullum

New owner of "Willow". Currently laying at Brundall but shall be moving to the north broads shortly. Looking into fitment of a larger rig for inland usage however the boat is intended mostly for use as a support boat and base for camping at various events where we race dinghies.

Hi Michael,

Good to have you with us  - and so soon after purchase! Do you have any history with SeaHawks?

When you talk of fitting a larger rig, are you contemplating something dramatically different or just upgrading from an early Reedcraft Rig to the furling genoa of later Moore's boats?

New owner of "Willow" currently laying on the broads at Coldham hall but due to move to the north rivers shortly. Shall have plenty of questions I'm sure... keep up the work with the great site!

Oops didn't realise this topic had gone up, so have double posted in this forum. Please feel free to moderate out the other topic! Nope, no experience with Seahawks, though that looks set to change! With regards to rig adjustments I'm intending to experiment with a spare mast from a javelin dinghy which will add an extra 4 over the existing rig height and enable me to experiment with different combinations of sails to find a set which balance well and suit the boat. Having attempted to sail part of the first journey in the boat it is apparent that the standard rig is vastly underpowered for inland use, especially if any headway is to be made against the tide!

Watch this space...

Hi Michael,

By "4" I guess you mean feet , not inches!

Others have had a similar idea. Have you seen:
http://www.seahawk17.org.uk/history/index.htm#reedcraft
and:
http://www.seahawk17.org.uk/history/jeckellsmemo.htm

I have not yet come across the boats with the taller rig and will certainly look forward to any report from you on how things go.

Have you experience with river cruisers or other heavy ballasted and long keeled boats? I only ask as while making progress in a SeaHawk can certainly be frustrating amongst Broadland trees and the tide against you I have wondered if this might be a case of not understanding and accepting the nature and limitations of the beast.

I always remember reading a letter in a motoring magazine from a frustrated Mini owner, who'd fitted a three litre engine and was expressing disappointment that it wouldn't do more than 105mph. The editor was plainly amused that anyone should be so foolish as to think that power alone was the answer to making a car go faster.

Having said that, I was surprised about the reports of how a simple, and apparently minor, change to a rudder can make a boat perform so much better, as I would have expected the professionals to have had such things sorted after some 3000 years of development. See:
http://www.seahawk17.org.uk/boatshed/rudder.htm#feckless

So what do I know!

As I say, I await reports with much interest.

4 feet indeed, this is the trouble with posting late at night, had been out working on a new rudder as the existing one was totally rotten we well as being an awful shape.

I'm aware of the design limitations of the boat, hull speed, froude number etc, however I feel that in amongst tall reed beds and trees maximum hull speed is not being achieved due to rig limitations and that there should be room for improvement. Clearly the hull is never going to perform as well as a boat which is evolved for the conditions, but then again river cruisers and the like cant be picked up on ebay for £300...

Hi Michael,

Probably, I shouldn't have posted late at night too.

I certainly didn't mean to suggest a lack of knowledge. Given your background, it was just concern that you may have been misled by the description "dinghy-like" sometimes applied to aspects of a SeaHawk's performance.

No problem! Do you happen to know if there is any way to determine the sail number of the boat? Is there a corresponding hull number anywhere?

Hi Michael,

We're straying away from Introduction stuff, so I'll post a response in the Help Desk area.