The C-Brats Forum Index
HomeForumsMy TopicsCalendarEvent SignupsMemberlistOur C-DorysThe Brat MapPhotos

Marinaut Performance
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The C-Brats Forum Index -> All Marinauts, All The Time
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 638
City/Region: Connecticut
State or Province: CT
C-Dory Year: 2012
Vessel Name: Betty Ann
Photos: C-Nile
PostPosted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:21 am    Post subject: Marinaut Performance Reply with quote

Betty and I have just returned after spending 20 days on our new Marinaut, the "betty Ann." We want to share with you the performance characteristics of this boat that we observed.

1) We took a 20 knot, 180-degree turn to test the Marinaut's stability in a tight turn. The boat leaned only slightly, demonstrating what we think is a very low center of gravity. That's why it is a misconception to think the Marinaut is top heavy, which is a false perception the result of the inability of a photograph to properly reveal its true nature that would otherwise be apparent if one viewed the boat in person.

2) On our first trip, Les Lampman was on board while we tested the boat for the first time. We went right through Deception Pass and headed into the Rosario Straight near Lopez Island. The seas were 2 to 3 feet and growing larger as the winds whipped up, when we got broadsided by a 4 to 5 foot wave that came out of nowhere. Well, this was our introduction to the Pacific Northwest: current driven waves, wind driven waves and reflective waves. The Marinaut rolled about 1' to 1.5' to port and quickly snapped to vertical. She can really take a beating.

3) The Honda BF115 engine, from what we understand, generates over 120 HP when B.L.A.S.T. is activated. In a test, I set the throttle to wide-open, and the engine has so much power, that we LEAPED out of the hole, coming to plane quickly. At WOT, approx. 5,000 RPM, we got the boat up to 31 knots!

4) And speaking of planing, the Marinaut planes at 8 knots.

5) Even in a 1.5 to 2 foot chop, we can still go 10 knots, because the bow really cuts into the on-coming waves, smoothing out the ride.

6) We found that Les was correct that the Marinaut benefits from the heavier Honda BF115 in making the boat properly trimmed. And for anyone considering to buy a new Marinaut, Betty and I would highly recommend the Honda BF115, because it will save you money in the long run, is quiet, has the largest displacement in its class, and does not have to "work that hard."

7) We confirm Les Lampman's comments of several month's ago in that the Marinaut has a tendency that wherever you point the boat, it seems to stay on course requiring little course correction.

Cool We had the MBC install Lenco Trim Tabs. They are necessary in our opinion as they take the bow down lower than the engine trim (without hydrofoil) alone. We had situations in following seas on a slow and steady turn that required the boat to be brought back to level using the tabs.

9) The gas gauge is innovative: one gauge is shared by two tanks by using a toggle switch. We confirm that on our boat, it is highly accurate.

10) Docking in the wind. I never operated a larger boat before, but I remembered two things that Les instructed me: use the engine as a rudder after setting the throttle to neutral, and never approach a dock faster than you are willing to strike it. Once I got the hang of it, docking was quite easy. On the last day we used the boat, we attempted to make a starboard dock to a portable toilet dumping dock at Anacortes, but the current was ripping, taking us away from the dock. I simply put the Marinaut and reverse, steered to the other side, and let the current take us into the dock. The point we would like to make is that the Marinaut steers quite well in reverse. Lastly, we learned after an ugly docking maneuver in La Conner -- a place known for impossible to predict, screwy currents, that having three fenders on one side is highly encouraged: one protecting the bow, one for the middle, and one for the stern.

11) Those bigger cleats were really appreciated. We could use heavy docking ropes and fender cords with plenty of room on the cleats.

12) Boat roll when at rest: very little roll. The Marinaut feels like a much larger boat.

13) Windshield washers. We had MBC install washers, and had occasion to use them. It clears out the dry salt from the windshield. In our CD 16 Cruiser, we used to stick a spray bottle out the cabin window. It may seem like a luxury, but unlike the PNW, Long Island Sound is so shallow, that it has a much higher concentration of salt due to evaporation in these shallow waters. Salt cakes onto the boat and windshield on our many sunny days, so having windshield washers is highly desired.

14) Not really related to performance -- what a great idea it was for MBC to install the gas fuel fill cap/vents outside of the camperback. For the entire time, the only time we smelled gasoline was when we were at the fuel dock filling our tanks.


Rich and Betty

_________________
Marinaut 215 - "Betty Ann" Sept-2011
CD 16 Cruiser "C-Nile" Sold 06/2011
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pat Anderson



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 8551
City/Region: Birch Bay, WA
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Daydream
Photos: Daydream and Crabby Lou
PostPosted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rich and Betty, good report, even though I did have to look through entirely too many separate Marinaut threads to find this one - you might notice that I asked for a full report in a different thread! Oh well...sounds great, everything you expected, and that is good!
_________________

DAYDREAM - CD25 Cruiser
CRABBY LOU - CD16 Angler (sold 2020)
Pat & Patty Anderson, C-Brat #62!
http://daydreamsloop.blogspot.com

Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 638
City/Region: Connecticut
State or Province: CT
C-Dory Year: 2012
Vessel Name: Betty Ann
Photos: C-Nile
PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought some of you would be interest in how well our Marinaut performs in heavy seas. When seas are two feet or less, the bow slices right through the water very nicely, smoothing out the ride, and we can travel along at a minimum 15 mph quite nicely. As most of you know, how smooth the ride depends on wind and tidal direction, as well as wave period. Yesterday, we traveled into 3-foot waves, against the wind (10 knots) and tidal current. We kept the bow down, and we were unning smoothly at 7 to 10 mph. Once the seas became 3 feet and following, we could travel between 15 and 20 mph. We seem to do most of our traveling between 15 and 22 mph, which is very efficient and smooth. Our only real issue is when we see a significant chop of short-period (<2 seconds) waves with wave height in excess of 4 feet. When the waves are above the height of bow in this situation, we are lucky to travel at 4 mph. And believe me -- it's rough, albeit quite safe. This is when we find a safe place to anchor before conditions improve. It's all about wave period. We were near Point Judith, RI, near the inlet to Galilee, and encountered 6 footers, but these were rolling waves with a wave period in excess of 6seconds. No problem. The Marinaut is a protected water boat, but can be used in open seas when one chooses their days wisely. As I recall one person once wrote, the ocean can be at times safe enough for a bathtub and at other times dangerous for the Queen Mary. So we choose our days, and we have been happy thus far.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 638
City/Region: Connecticut
State or Province: CT
C-Dory Year: 2012
Vessel Name: Betty Ann
Photos: C-Nile
PostPosted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On Saturday, my wife and I had to travel from Greenport, NY to Niantic, CT -- a trip of 22 miles. Wind speed was around 15 mph. Average seas were 3 feet, with peaks to 4 feet or slightly higher. The average wave period as reported by the Central Sound Buoy was 3 seconds. The first leg of our journey was heading into the wind, and toward the end, it was more at our backs. We have found that the key to running smoothly in these conditions is to set trim tabs all the way down, set motor trim down, have a full water tank to weigh down the bow, and go slowly at 7 to 10 mph. This allowed us to travel relatively level without falling off of the backs of waves. I continue to reaffirm that in short period waves of heights greater than 3 feet, one should stay at port. Obviously long period waves -- rollers -- are a non-issue. The sharpness of the bow (dead rise) allows the boat to smoothly cut through oncoming waves, softening the ride. All that said, we still prefer to be in seas of two feet or less, as we are sure is true of most people with small boats.

Rich
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 638
City/Region: Connecticut
State or Province: CT
C-Dory Year: 2012
Vessel Name: Betty Ann
Photos: C-Nile
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 10:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MARINAUT 215 PERFORMANCE IN FOLLOWING SEAS
In this short movie taken by Steve of the Irish Queen on September 18, 2013, the Betty Ann is traveling in following seas of 1 foot with maximum wave height of 1.5 feet. I feel this is the best movie to date that shows how the marinate handles such conditions. Please notice how effectively the bow cuts through the waves in front of her.

[img] http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=C-Nile&id=Betty_Ann_20_mph_near_Orient_Bay_LI_NY_on_Sep_18_2013_Taken_by_Irish_Queen&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php [/img]

In this photo, approximately 1/2 hour later, we were confronted by 2 to 3 footers with an occasional 4 footer in Plum Gut. It was really rough!

[img] http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=C-Nile&id=What_a_4_footer_looks_like_through_the_Marinaut_windshield&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php [/img][/img]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 638
City/Region: Connecticut
State or Province: CT
C-Dory Year: 2012
Vessel Name: Betty Ann
Photos: C-Nile
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MARINAUT 215 PERFORMANCE IN HEAD SEAS
This day was rough! We had just passed through Plum Gut on Long Island Sound, and traveling North into Northwest-wind-driven head seas. I was traveling only 8 mph when a swift moving 4'+ wave fell out from under our boat. It came out of nowhere. My wife was attempting to take a picture at the time, and suffice it to say, she was displeased. After we proceeded further, the head seas calmed to between 2 and 2.5 feet. I raised our speed to between 10 and 12 mph. We could have traveled faster, but I value comfort over speed, particularly with my wife on board.

I think this movie gives the viewer an accurate picture of how our boat handles in head seas. Frankly, I hate head seas, and our boat is not a Rosborough or Grady White. The very thing that makes our boat so economical (4.7 mpg) -- its light weight, is not an asset when traveling into head seas. At the time we hit the 4 footer, I saw the bow of a low profile, 40 to 50 foot yacht traveling in the same direction as us lift into the air and come crashing down into the water sending up a huge amount of spray. They were traveling too fast, and I don't think they were happy about going into head seas either.

As I stated previously, we can handle head seas up to 3 feet. The speed we can travel is very much dependent upon the wave period, and if conditions are right, we can travel around 15 mph. At other times, such as in this video, it is about 8 to 12 mph. We simply will not travel into head seas of short period waves above 3.5 to 4 feet. It would be ludicrous. It's not that we would be unsafe, rather we would be highly uncomfortable, and our speed would be reduced to below 4 mph. Early in the year, we made such an attempt, and a rogue 6 foot wave fell out from under us. We dropped with such force that items on our dinette counter top flew up into the air and onto the floor. This was the worst drop we ever experienced in our boat in three seasons. I have resolved to never let it happen again, and it really is not that hard to do: head seas of > 3.5' -- stay at the dock!

Now traveling in 4 foot following seas of short to medium wave periods is a piece of cake as most of you would expect. Once one gets the knack of it, it is not all that difficult. I averaged 15 MPH in a 50 mile journey to Port Jefferson, NY from Niantic, CT in such conditions, and the ride was relatively smooth. I would like to point out that while the ride was smooth, it is physically exhausting to make constant throttle adjustments and keep alert for 3 hours in such conditions.

The thing I respect about many of the experienced boaters on this site is your ability to read the weather and set out in more benign conditions. I have a lot to learn.

[img] http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=C-Nile&id=Betty_Ann_falls_off_of_4_foot_wave&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php [/img]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DuckDogTitus



Joined: 31 Jan 2013
Posts: 1034
City/Region: Gig Harbor
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1988
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Miner
Photos: Hemingway
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know it wasn't the intention, but that video made me wish I was on the water really bad.
_________________
Dustin
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 638
City/Region: Connecticut
State or Province: CT
C-Dory Year: 2012
Vessel Name: Betty Ann
Photos: C-Nile
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DuckDogTitus wrote:
I know it wasn't the intention, but that video made me wish I was on the water really bad.


My wife Betty woke up two days ago, and the first thing she said was, "I really miss going out in our boat." We are suffering withdrawal, too. What makes it really bad is that in New England, our cruising season is generally between May 15 and October 15. There is so little time, which is why we are envious of those who live in warmer climates.

Rich
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DuckDogTitus



Joined: 31 Jan 2013
Posts: 1034
City/Region: Gig Harbor
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1988
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Miner
Photos: Hemingway
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

our last trip was labor day and it was also our longest and most adventuring. most nights on the boat, new ports, new experiences on the anchor and with mooring buoys, and our first time deploying the dinghy. we've been hankering to get back out ever since... I am hoping to brave the cold at least once this winter and go anyways Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
rogerbum



Joined: 21 Nov 2004
Posts: 5922
City/Region: Kenmore
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 255 Tomcat
Vessel Name: Meant to be
Photos: SeaDNA
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

At least once? It's not that bad out on the water around here in winter. You should try to get out every month. The winter fishing can be good and there's far less competition for launches, docks, etc.
_________________
Roger on Meant to be
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
ssobol



Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3358
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On the mid Atlantic area we find that most places that service the boating crowd are closed up by November at the latest. A lot of places close or reduce their hours starting at the beginning of Oct.

Sure there is plenty of dock space, but there are very limited services. At least there is usually no one around to make you pay for using the dock.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DuckDogTitus



Joined: 31 Jan 2013
Posts: 1034
City/Region: Gig Harbor
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1988
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Miner
Photos: Hemingway
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rogerbum wrote:
At least once? It's not that bad out on the water around here in winter. You should try to get out every month. The winter fishing can be good and there's far less competition for launches, docks, etc.


in regards to fishing, I'd be open to suggestions (i always am) Mr. Green
I've found myself much busier than I had anticipated these past several weeks. Deer hunting took quite a bit out of me too.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 638
City/Region: Connecticut
State or Province: CT
C-Dory Year: 2012
Vessel Name: Betty Ann
Photos: C-Nile
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rogerbum wrote:
At least once? It's not that bad out on the water around here in winter. You should try to get out every month. The winter fishing can be good and there's far less competition for launches, docks, etc.


Roger,

You are right! What absolutely kills us is to have the type of boat that can go out in cold weather, and not be able to use it, because we don't trailer our boat. Trailering does not work for us, but I see the tremendous value it has for situations like this, as well as to open up the entire country's waterways for exploration. Two thumbs up to all of you who trailer their boat!

Rich
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Will-C



Joined: 21 Aug 2007
Posts: 2476
City/Region: Temple
State or Province: PA
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 23 Venture
Vessel Name: Will-C
Photos: Will-C
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:11 pm    Post subject: Marinut Performance Reply with quote

You could certainly have the boat transported to Florida for a couple months and be back in the northeast for the summer. Pretty water down there in the keys.
D.D.

_________________
Chevrolet The Heart Beat Of America
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 638
City/Region: Connecticut
State or Province: CT
C-Dory Year: 2012
Vessel Name: Betty Ann
Photos: C-Nile
PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:09 am    Post subject: Re: Marinut Performance Reply with quote

Will-C wrote:
You could certainly have the boat transported to Florida for a couple months and be back in the northeast for the summer. Pretty water down there in the keys.
D.D.


Not this year, but my wife and I are on the fence on this option. We've discussed it. We could have our boat transported to Florida, we drive down and live on it for 4 to 6 weeks, and then we have it transported back. To do this would require advanced planning. It is a reasonable idea, though.

Incidentally, the key to living in a small boat for several weeks and enjoying it is the quality of the transient facilities and the stores and services close by. In Washington, Cap Sante Boat Haven should be, and probably is, a model for what municipalities could do to revitalize their economies and promote boating. It is the most intelligently designed, well run and boater friendly marina that we have ever seen . In New England, Greenport's Mitchell Park on Long Island comes close, even to the point of using concrete floating docks made in Bellingham, WA. When we were at Cap Sante Boat Haven, we actually looked forward to doing our laundry; the enormous laundry building was so bright and spacious, that it made it very pleasant and convenient. So the thing that is of paramount importance to us is are there any worthwhile marinas similar to Cap Sante in Florida, because if there are not, we would not want to undertake such a trip? Incidentally, let's not forget about cost. In New England, the cost per night for transient stays on our boat can be as high as $5 x 24' plus tax. Some marinas charge for a minimum of 30' length. Then on top of that, add anywhere from $10 to $15 per night for electricity. Compare that with spending $20 to $30 per night at Cap Sante. I have to give credit to New England: they have been very successful at killing boating for families if that was their intended goal.

Rich
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The C-Brats Forum Index -> All Marinauts, All The Time All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
     Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum



Page generation time: 0.1206s (PHP: 85% - SQL: 15%) - SQL queries: 33 - GZIP disabled - Debug on