Offshore Reprint

    Henry's voice = over the VHF=20 sounded calmer than mine must have been. "It is pretty lumpy," he=20 acknowledged,"but i'll be better outside of the surf line." Henry=20 Morshladt, the impressario of the afternoon's wild sail was aboard = a 23'=20 twin engine I/O chase boat that had preceeded us into the = not-very-Pacific=20 Ocean. Henry is the President of Pacific Seacraft., builder of the = giant=20 24' boat I had been living aboard since the previous Saturday. If = he was=20 willing to risk his $40,000 boat for a photo shoot, I guessed I = could=20 repress my natural instincts and go out on that water. Besides, = Stan=20 Broadfoot, a man completely at home in Pacific Seacraft boats and = on the=20 Pacific Ocean, was along to look after both of=20 us.
    I tucked gently on the long, arched = tiller=20 to turn the bow smartly toward water my gut really did not want to = go=20 near. I pushed the throttle forward to bring the reassuring diesel = throb=20 up to 2000 rpm, and Stan eased the mainsheet as the wind moved = over our=20 beam. On our left as we motored north, I could see only the giant = rocks of=20 the 20-year-old breakwater that had made today's Marina del Rey = possible.=20 It is noticably higher than breakwater New Englanders are used to = seeing,=20 but that height did not prevent spray from occasionally blowing = over the=20 top. At the northern end of the breakwater, waves larger than any = I had=20 ever experienced crested and frothed as they prepared to break on = the=20 naerby California beach.
    And then we = were in=20 the surf.
    The Dana's sturdy bowsprit = pointed up=20 several degrees and we proceeded to climb the first 12' wave. To = my=20 surprise, we were not rolled over and thrust shoreward. We just = slid down=20 into the trough of that first wave and kept motorsailing northward = as the=20 next wave sizzled toward our port beam. Sweeping under us, the = waves=20 pulled us slightly toward the beach, but after each crest the = sidewise=20 motion would moderate and we would sink into the next trough. All = the=20 while we struggled to stay well clear of the breakwater before = turning=20 across the surfline toward the sea. It never makes much sense to = turn your=20 beam to the seas; but it seemed to me that the straightest line = away from=20 that big, nastylooking breakwater was the best line to follow. = Stan didn't=20 object.
    I can't recall just how long we = sailed=20 that way. With 10'-14' waves coming at 17 second intervals, I was = not=20 taking many notes. There was no water to speak of coming over the = bow, let=20 alone into the cockpit, and the boat's motion seemed out of = question. My=20 right hand gripped the tiller relentlessly; my left hand gripped=20 something, I can't remember what, but I was not about to release = it in=20 exchange for a ballpoint pen.
    In truth, = not a=20 single wave broke near us, although they all seemed to have = started=20 curling in anticipation of breaking. Each frothy top that surged = under us,=20 I am sure, lightened the gray in my hair yet another shade. I = longed for=20 the 'moderation' of a nasty Buzzards Bay sou'wester. In a Dana, I = told=20 myself, that zestiest of New England water would feel like a mill = pond.=20 Perhaps I was over-awed by the geography. Waves on Buzzards Bay = have=20 travelled perhaps 600 miles from the coast of North Carolina; the = waves of=20 Southern California are more likely to have originated 6000 miles = away,=20 off the Philippines.
    Safely away from = the=20 breakwater, I angled the bow toward the oncoming waves. We had to = cross=20 them to find the chase boat and the smoother water Henry had = claimed we=20 could expect offshore. Beyond the surfline, the size of the waves = was=20 still intimidating, but the curl and the sizzle at the tops had = gone away,=20 and I didn't worry when Stan went forward to set the jib. I wonder = if he=20 worried about my ability to find and retrieve him if he were = thrown=20 overboard.
    With the skippers return to = the=20 cockpit, I found it possible to release my vicegrip on tiller and=20 stanchion. I even leaned back against the rail and put my feet up; = my=20 pulse rate had dropped sufficiently for me to enjoy just sailing = around in=20 the Southern California sun. Rain had drenched the area over the = weekend,=20 so the air this bright Monday afternoon was smog free. The scene = was=20 exactly as described in the travel brochures. To the northeast lay = Malibu=20 and the Santa Monica Mountains; eastway lay Los Angeles with the=20 snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains beyond. Perhaps 100 miles = southward=20 there was Mexico. Wow - all of that and less protected water to = sail in=20 the Rhode Island.

    I couldn't have chosen = a better=20 boat for the occasion. The Dana is strong enough to encourage me = to stay=20 out at leisure. Her cockpit has no peer that I am aware of. In the = trying=20 conditions through the surf, it had been easy to brace myself and = settle=20 in securely while maintaining control without physical strain. In = less=20 harrowing water, the seat, coaming, and rail placement permit a = wide=20 variety of relaxing people placements. Visibility was excellent = across a=20 full spectrum of conditions ranging from 'hang-on' to=20 'stretch-out'.
    Sailing along, on top = of, and in=20 between those big, but manageable seas, it occured to me that we = had not=20 experienced an an uncomfortable angle heel, even while beating out = through=20 the surf. Had that been a function of the cockpit design or the = hull's=20 shape? I should have looked at the inclinometer that is built into = the=20 bulkhead-mounted compass.
    The Dana's = motion=20 belies her size. It is very difficult to believe that such a solid = sailing=20 craft is only 24' lod. Of course, the dimension that counts the = most,=20 waterline length, is a big 21'5", only 1'11" less than the Cape = Dory 31.=20 Somehow designer Bill Crealock was able to create the easy motion = of a=20 very traditional long, skinny boat in a short, beamy one. Maybe = it's a=20 Herreshoff 35-footer with the ends cut off. Whatever it is, it's a = damn=20 good idea, and it's surprising that only Pacific Seacraft is = taking=20 advantage of it. (You may be familiar with the Flicka , their 20', = stout=20 and sturdy ocean cruiser beloved by its owners. It was the first = truly=20 successful compact cruiser.)
    For an = hour or=20 more, Stan and I sailed around Santa Monica Bay. (That which is = called a=20 bay in parts of California, we might not even call a bight here in = New=20 Englan.) I soaked up sunshine, and stan soaked up time on the = water that=20 would otherwise be spent building someone elses's Pacific Seacraft = boat.=20 Listening to him talk, I got the idea that he enjoyed building = them almost=20 as much as sailing them. While we were sailing, the chase boat had = playing=20 a disappear/reappear game with the seas as Henry and L.J. MacManus = shot=20 roll after roll of film. I suspect some of those photos will = appear in=20 other places besides Offshore. (If I had known in advance, = I would=20 have worked harder at looking relaxed despite the seas. On the = subject of=20 which, let me assure everyone that the lens lies. Both = Offshore's=20 cover photo and the photo that opens this story suggest a much = more=20 tranquil sea than the one described here. Believe me; the lens=20 lies.)
    Business and pleasure = accomplished, we=20 headed back, this time with Stan at the helm. There seemed to be = no point=20 in going ouy of the way to try a tracking drill: without water all = around=20 I couldn't tell how well the boat did anyway. Needless to say all=20 maneuvers were made smoothly and without hesitation. Stan took a = minimum=20 of time crossing the surf line by heading directly at the end of = the=20 breakwater and then quickly hooking around it. Was he able to make = it easy=20 because the wind was on his starboard quarter, or had he just been = polite=20 letting me trash about in the surf an hour earlier. Back in the = harbour,=20 such as it is, we were able to tack and jibe to my heart's = content, 6"=20 ripples assailed the boat as I now swung the wind back and forth = over bow=20 and stern. Such a feeling of total control is a pleasure. No = swooping=20 jibes, no reluctant or oscillating tacks. =
    Even=20 starting the auxiliary to return to the berth where the Dana and I = had=20 been spending the last few days together added to the positive = experience.=20 The pound and clatter common to most sailboat auxiliaries is = missing. Does=20 that mean some exotic engine manufacturer supplied the iron jib? = No, but=20 the two cylinder Yanmar is mounted the way all auxiliaries ought = to be,=20 bbut aren't. It's placement, the engine mounts and the water lift = muffler=20 are done the way you would expect on custom = yacht.
   I=20 would spend another day and a half aboard the Dana with the sun = shining=20 and a 15-knot breeze blowing, but I was not about to take someone = else's=20 boat out into those seas myself, even if they did moderate to = 8'-12'. Yet=20 my hesitancy would have nothing to do with the boat. If I were = going to=20 go, the Dana would be my choice. It isn't that I am only a fair = weather=20 sailor, I just scare easily.
    The Dana = 24 does=20 not demand any comprimise from its buyers, at least not any = significant=20 compromise. "How can that be?" you ask. Easy! Plan it right, = design it=20 right, engineer it right, build it right, and charge as much as = you have=20 to. The boat is not cheap; it prices out at almost $45,000. That's = about=20 as much as you can pay for a production boat in the 'manageable' = size=20 range. (We regard 22' - 27' as manageable. Mid-size runs 28' - = 34'. Boats=20 35' and over are big, and boats 21' and under are small. One of = these=20 months we'll get around to explaining the rationale behind=20 this.)
    Interestingly, however, if you = were to=20 buy a boat by the pound, you would find the Dana pricing in lower = than=20 many lesser boats. With a displacement of 8000 pounds, she goes = for $5.50=20 a pound, about the same as a J-24 and $1.25 less than a = diesel-powered=20 Cape Dory 25.
    The sensible place to = begin=20 assessing the Dana is the hull, which can only be described as = rock solid.=20 The only boat I have spent an appreciable amount of time on that = felt the=20 same was a 35' Hinckley Pilot I sailed across the Gulf of Maine. = Out on=20 the unpacific Pacific in the Dana, I heard no noises, felt no = vibrations,=20 and sensed no reluctance to sail steadily and predictably through = just=20 about anything.
    But there are better = places to=20 check out characteristics that make a solid boat a pleasure to = own. How=20 about 5 am when your kids decide to get up and walk around the = decks to=20 greet the sun and then bounce on and off the dock? Good kids will = be=20 quiet, but most boats under 30' will bob, rock, creak, or indulge = in some=20 combination of the three. Not the Dana. That's a rock=20 solid.
    Bulwarks: They add a measure of = safety=20 to the big, top-quality boats you find them on. They also add = immeasurably=20 to the sense of security your boat should give you. Of course, the = Dana=20 has them and they are high enough, 5" inches at the bow, to really = work.
    Non-skid is molded in with the = same=20 attention to finish seen in the gleaming gelcoat. Furthermore, it = is as=20 easy on exposed parts of the human body as non-skid can be. = Speaking of=20 gelcoat, if you are the kind of boat shopper who places an eye on = one end=20 of the topsides and sights along them in search of finishing = flaws, don't=20 expect to find any.
    I have always = considered=20 angles and planes to be the most important parts of any hull, at = least=20 when it comes to fitting my body and those of my guests to = portions of the=20 hull. Here is where the Crealock design really excells. The high = trunk=20 cabin serves many purposes; in addition to providing 6' 2" = headroom below=20 and jaunty good looks from afar, it provides first class sitting = spaces.=20 My daughter, an expert in such matters, claims that the slope of = the cabin=20 makes the foredeck a perfect lounging = spot.
    The=20 Dana's interior is that of a mid-size boat places inside a=20 manageable-sized hull. My wife, my 20-year-old daughter and I = spent 4 1/2=20 days aboard the boat, two of the rainy, moored at a Marina del Rey = transient slip without developing cabin fever. In truth, we = escaped on the=20 rainy days to sightsee in the Los Angeles area, but we would do = the same=20 thing if we were socked in at Nantucket, or Sag Harbor, or = Boothbay=20 Harbor.
    Obviously, you can't have = private=20 staterooms on a 24' boat, but I think private staterooms on a = sailboat are=20 foolish unless the boat is longer than 40'. The Dana's open design = (there=20 is no bulkhead between the main and foreward cabin areas), = combined with=20 its wide beam, makes for a very spacious feeling belowdecks. If = you crave=20 true intimacy, however, you'll have to leave your children and = friends at=20 home.
    The galley is plenty big enough = for any=20 onboard cooking you may wish to attempt. The sink is large enough = to=20 really use, and the reach into the ice box is easier than on many = much=20 larger boats. The berths are long and wide, but because the = vee-berth=20 isn't notched, swinging into it takes some getting used to. The=20 traditional notch space is used to provide space for three large = drwaers=20 well suited to storing clothing.
    The = cushions=20 are as thick and comfortable and elegantly upholstered as you have = right=20 to expect on an expensive boat. There's lots of light, compliments = of both=20 nature and the boat's electrical system. Every one of the polished = bronze=20 ports opens, and the forward hatch is well placed to put light = where you=20 want it during the day. The polished brass light fixtures are very = handsome and are also=20 well-placed.
         = The=20 teak-enclosed head compartment, although small, is well laid out = so that=20 contortions are not required when using the head or shower. Unlike = many=20 head enclosures, it is built solidly enough to feel like a = distinct room.=20 If you have ever sat on a head thinking the folks in the cabin = were right=20 there at your elbow, you will welcome the=20 difference.
    To fully appreciate the way = a Dana=20 is put together, it is necessary to look at detailing that might = go=20 unnoticed if you were doing a standard boat-show tour of the boat. = In no=20 particular order, consider the=20 following:
    Engine access from the = cabin, like=20 most other boats, is at the companionway and is difficult; but who = wants=20 to work on an engine from inside a cabin? Most of the Dana's = cockpit sole=20 is a watertight hatch under which lies the 20 hp Yanmar diesel, = and when=20 you need access to the engine or water pump and heater, you simply = remove=20 the hatch. Voila - easier access than on boats twice the=20 size.
    Wire and hose runs have been well = planned=20 and executed just as carefully. It is not simply coincidence that = a large=20 proportion of the plant staff, folks on the line, as well as in = the=20 office, are sailors. They must pay closer attention to detail , = because=20 they understand the difference, and according to plant manager = Stan=20 Broadfoot, they are paid well for their=20 trouble.
    Lifeline stanchions are = slightly=20 raised so tht water cannot collect at their bases. Winches and = turning=20 blocks are not only mounted in the right places, but at the right = angles=20 fro comfortable and effective use, and the backing plates for all = deck=20 hardware are bedded as well as the hardware=20 itself.
    Cleats and chocks are all = bronze and=20 oversize, and the heavy-duty bowsprit is rigged so you can carry = two=20 anchors made up at all times. You can walk out on the bowsprit, by = the=20 way, without feeling that you are out on the bowsprit.=20
    The caprail, which runs all around the = boat,=20 uses handsome butterfly inserts to keep all joints tight, and it, = too, is=20 carefully bedded. The Dana appears likely to take on water only = through=20 open hatches and from the crew's=20 clothing.
    There is an abubndance of = teak below,=20 both cabinetry and trim. Importantly, it does not look added-on. = It looks,=20 and is, designed-in, and is finished the way you would expect = expensive=20 furniture to be finished. Running your fingers around the insides = of the=20 drwaers or behind the rails you feel the same careful finish found = on the=20 fronts of doors and bulkheads.
    There = are even=20 smaller details, like the inset nuts attaching the weatherboard = hardware=20 and the set screws at the tops of all the opening ports that = permit you to=20 adjust tension all around, not merely at the dogs. Things like = that don't=20 matter during the boat's first season or two, but you get the = impression=20 that the Dana is not built just for the first season or=20 two.
    Many paragraphs before this, I = suggested=20 that the Dana is a no-compromise boat. Surely, there must some way = in=20 which doesn't measure up to others. I must concede I didn't sail = the boat=20 in light breezes, and it should be safe to say that an 8,000 pound = boat=20 will not ghost as easily as a 4,000 pound boat but, personally, I = don't=20 care. In light breezes I prefer to nap. Okay, even in moderate = winds will=20 a Dana point, tack and accelerate as well as that often-used = standard of=20 comparisoon, the J-24? Probably not. So, is this a compromise? No, = it's=20 the nature of boats built for sailors instead of racers. For = sailors, the=20 Dana 24 is a no-compromise performancer, even in the big stuff. = She's=20 built to take the worst, yet with a quality of finish that will = astound=20 even the most particular buyer. Plain and simple, I've never seen = a small=20 boat this good. Ever!  =20

The Dana 24 Does Everything=20 Right
-=20 Fearless boat for a fearful scribbler -

Reprinted from: OFFSHORE May=20 1986

The Dana 24 Does Everything=20 Right-=20 Fearless boat for a fearful scribbler -

Reprinted from: OFFSHORE May=20 1986

The Dana 24 Does Everything=20 Right
-=20 Fearless boat for a fearful scribbler -