V-Berth Refurbishment 

Last week we brought the v-berth cushions on board as the v-berth refurbishment is now complete. When we got Rosalind, the leaky v-berth hatch had caused water damage to the cabinets, sides and base (area where we stand between the bunks) so the first job was to fix the hatch leak. We had to remove the broken old hatch, level and fair the area under the hatch and install a new hatch. After the leak was stopped we got new cushions made. Then we started the rebuilding process which was done over several seasons. 

The rotten plywood at the base of the v-berth was removed (a) and replaced with a piece of Coosa, a synthetic non-rotting material (b). The base of the v-berth was then trimmed with some new plywood that was match stained and varnished.

Repairing the base of the v-berth

The rotted plywood and carpet sides ((a) below) and the cabinets which had also suffered some damage from the leaky hatch were also removed. For the new setup we added insulation to make the cabin more comfortable (c) and then cork over the plywood, instead of the original carpet over plywood. The cabinets received some new plywood sections and were then refinished. We also relocated all the windlass electrics and placed them in a water tight enclosure ((e) left) so they are protected from any water splashing if we have to open the overhead hatch in wet conditions. 

Rebuilding the upper parts of the v-berth

This has been a significant project but now the v-berth is quite, dry and has the nice earthy smell of cork. We are looking forward to some cooler weather so we can stay onboard and start enjoying it!

 Sail #3 

For sail number three of this season we decided to sail off the mooring as our downwind neighbors were out sailing so we had room to maneuver.  We decided to sail off the mooring with the mainsail only for easy maneuvering. Because there was a little bit of wind and we had room, we did not “walk the mooring” pendant amidships to orient Rosalind favorably to the wind. Instead we dropped the mooring pendants and let Rosalind fall off and catch the wind.  Rosalind took somewhere between 30ft (9 m) and 50 ft (15 m) to turn 60 degrees and then the main sail started generating power and she started making headway.

It was a hot day so we decided the plan was to only use the main and jib, saving a little bit of work in the sun uncovering and covering up the mizzen. Our plan was to sail out to Red 4 (about 1.2 nautical miles) only with the mainsail, get a better sense of the wind, then roll out the jib once the river opened up. Sailing down the river we soon realized that the actual winds were stronger than forecast. Instead of gusts to 16 knots, we were seen gusts to 22, upper end of Force 5, lower end of Force 6. It was still very smooth sailing in foot-high (0.3 m) waves and nothing like experiencing these winds in the ocean because the river was very flat with the exception of some powerboat wakes. With the stronger winds we were doing 4.6 knots broad reaching (wind almost from behind, on the aft quarter), so we decided to just enjoy a sail with the main only. On the way back, close hauled, we were doing 3.7 knots. In the flat river pushing into wind over 20 knots, it felt a little windy but with the flat water Rosalind moved upwind very gracefully and did not feel like overcanvased (like we had too much sail up). In this outing we found the upper limit of sailing with the just the mainsail. Rosalind’s helm was very light. While we could have put out a little jib to increase our speed downwind but I do not think she would have been happier with more sail upwind. There is something to the well proven adage of “do not put up more sail downwind than you can carry upwind”. While we could get to the same total sail area by a reefed main and partly rolled out jib it is important to know how Rosalind behaved with only the mainsail for situations were tight maneuvering and short handed are required so this was a great test.

Rosalind on a abroad reach in the West River

We enjoyed the sail out to the Rhode River. It is great fun sailing with different sail configurations in different wind conditions. It is allowing us to learn how Rosalind performs with her new mainmast and new mainsail. Another fun sail in the logbook.  

Sailing towards the Rhode River

 2026 Sail #2 - A quick sail with just the main

We were already in the third heat wave of the season and it was only mid-June. The forecast called for high eighties (over 30C), high humidity and sustained winds of 10 knots. The winds were forecast from the north so we decided to sail with the mainsail and jib and see how Rosalind behaved with that sail combination in those conditions. It did not take us long to get Rosalind ready to sail. We left the dinghy at the morning and started motoring out the river.

The wind forecast from the north was funneling down the river from the Chesapeake Bay actually blowing from the NE in the river. Motoring down the river, we had the wind off the starboard bow for the first one and a half nautical miles and with the wind from the NE It became clear that would have to motor all the way out if we wanted to sail back. Not wanting to motor into the wind for almost another hour, we decided instead to unfurl the main, turn around and leisurely sail back to our mooring. 

Slowly sailing up river took less than an hour, confirming that “great things can come in small packages” and Rosalind, with her cleaned bottom easily glided through the water on a broad reach. With only the main up we were not breaking any speed records but the easy sail felt rejuvenating. The previous week we had been working on installing the v-berth side paneling and cabinets and it felt great to be on the water and taking it easy.  

With ten knots of wind, Rosalind was easy to maneuver so we leveraged the opportunity and decided to sail back and pick up our mooring under sail, without using our motor. As we got close, watching Rosalind’s speed, we planned our course through the mooring field. We wanted enough speed for maneuverability and to reach the mooring, but at the same time, we did not want too much speed so as to overshoot the mooring. Approaching KittiWake on her mooring, we decided to leave her to port (go behind her), giving us a little extra time and distance to slow Rosalind down. After passing KittiWake, I turned Rosalind into the wind and Cheryl went forward and grabbed our mooring. As Cheryl secured the mooring pendant on the bollard, I watched and waited for Rosalind to swing to port and then furled the mainsail. 

Rosalind’s track to her mooring

After buttoning up Rosalind, on our way to shore,  we stopped by to say high to our neighbor on Sureya. Simon, commented: “You went for a sail but I did not hear you come back,” I replied with a small smile “We sailed back to the mooring.” It felt good to sail back to the mooring, continuing to enhance our boat handing skills. Another great sail. 

 Rosalind and our First Near Gale on the West River

It was late May and the morning air, in the high 50s, was unseasonably cool and the weather forecast called for northerlies 14 gusting to 20 knots. By the time we got to Rosalind, deep in the West River we were seeing 18 and 20 knots registering on the anemometer. It took us a few minutes to get Rosalind ready for her first sail of the season. It only took about 15 minutes to remove the mizzen sail cover, start the engine, don our PFDs and sailing gloves and cast off our mooring pennant.

Motoring out the river, Rosalind moved easily through the water at four knots as the wind, dead on the nose, increased. One of the benefits of a ketch is that there several sail combinations available to choose from for different wind speed and direction conditions. Given the expected winds, we were planning to sail “jib and jigger”, without the mainsail. 

Rosalind at her mooring before the sail.

With Cheryl at the helm we passed red nun #4 and I went aft to raise the mizzen. The wind was steady at 20 gusting to 25 and Cheryl let Rosalind fall off the wind as I started partially rolling out the jib. Cheryl then pulled back on the engine throttle, I trimmed the sails and Rosalind started sailing and picking up speed. We were on a close reach, with the wind forward of the beam, and we started moving through the water first at 4.5, then 5 and settled in at 5.5 knots. Wind gusts increased to 27 then 29 knots. During the gusts, Rosalind increased her speed to 6.2 knots while heeling another 5 degrees, to about 20 degrees. The was some lee helm, as the power from the jib was more than what was provided by the full mizzen, but Rosalind was very steady. In the river, the seas were no more than two feet and Rosalind put her shoulder down and plowed on; she felt controlled and powerful. There was power in the wind!

After a while, we tacked. Cheryl handled the helm and I managed the jib, the mizzen being self tending. The tack went very smoothly and Rosalind was now on a broad reach gaining speed soon settling at 5.7 to 6 knots and climbing to 6.3 in the gusts. Now the gusts were over 32 knots, and Rosalind still felt very controlled. Rosalind is a heavy boat (9 tons), with only 25 feet at the water line. With partially unfurled jib and her full mizzen she was sailing at almost her hull speed of 6.5 knots and was very comfortable doing it. 

We kept sailing down the River still doing over 6 knots, Rosalind increasing her speed in the gusts, while generating a little extra helm in the process. After passing red nun #4 we knew we had to depower as the river gets narrow and crowded, so I rolled in the jib and before we motored to our mooring we dropped the mizzen. On the weather apps, the upper Chesapeake was now all lit up with Small Craft Warnings. Soon after we arrived our neighbors on Gorgeous Girl, a Pacific Seacraft 40 came in from their outing. They commented “Rosalind looked good out there”.

It had been a great shakedown sail in a near gale in the river. Rosalind handled her self beautifully in sustained winds exceeding 25 knots and felt very steady and comfortable. Everything worked, and nothing broke. A couple of small items were added to the to do list and we learned a lot. Overall one sail for the books!

 Designing and building Rosalind’s hardtop

The idea to built the hardtop had been on our minds for several years so we were happy,  

in September 2021, to start the design process. We quickly decided on a foam cored fiberglass hardtop built on a male mold.

Onboard measurements were made to get the dimensions, shape, camber, and connection to the existing hard dodger. The hardtop size drove the selection of all the solar panels and grab handles. There were three main challenges:

1. How to make the hardtop rigid without making it too heavy,
2. What type of connection we would use to connect it to the hard dodger, and 
3. What type of supports we would use aft.

A number of options were considered and we arrived at these final solutions:

1. We would fiberglass Coosa board (a composite boat building material that can be used instead of marine plywood) all around the interior perimeter of the hardtop to solve the flexibility/ rigidity issue.
2. We would build a “bridge” piece to connect the hardtop to the hard dodger. This was necessary as the aft (back end) of the hard dodger is not straight. The idea behind the “bridge connector piece” is that it will get fiberglassed to the hard dodger and offer a flat surface for the hardtop to connect with. This avoids having to built a hardtop that perfectly matches the curves/ imperfections of the aft end of the hard dodger.
3. We decided on custom made aluminum supports. We designed them, bought the aluminum, cut everything to size and had them welded. The design allows us to make the final vertical measurement onboard and cut the tube to size before final assembly. 

Rosalind on her mooring on a calm summer day. 

The West River is a beautiful place.

Here are some pictures of the design and fabrication of the hardtop. It has been a great project. 

This has been a big project. We built the hardtop in our basement and before we started  we measured very carefully to check that we could get it out. Once finished we were able to get it out of the basement, without an inch to spare! The project took a while and we are really looking forward to the installation. It will be great to have weather protection in the cockpit and the 200W of solar will be essential for charging our batteries. On the next we will share an unexpected decision based on last summers’ sea trials…