It's a bit rough!

[goanywhere]

I've been busy lately with all sorts of things associated with my daughter's wedding coming up. But today I decided to make use of some free time to head out into the gulf off Seacliff, Adelaide, to see what the Sabalo+sail+outrigger rig was made of. The sea was obligingly rough with a sou-westerly 25-30 kt breeze whipping up the swell.

Apart from getting soaked and taking on lots of water (i'm going to have to attend to some hatch seals over winter!) at no time did I feel unsafe or prone to capsizing, even when dropping into a trough with a stiff gust on a beam-reach (the undoing of many a dinghy or cat sailor). All in all I'm very happy with the Sabalo's seagoing abilities as a triak rig.

I calculated the theoretical top hull speed for the Sabalo at around 10 km/h. but I clocked 14 km/h (7.6 kts) downwind. I can't wait to see how she performs with a better sail, which I will be making over winter.

I took this video, but unfortunately I had the camera at the wrong angle, so I hope you don't fall off your chair watching it.