Let's Make This an Interactive HR Rasmus Owners Blog

In order to make this an interactive forum for Rasmus owners, we need more authors that can post topics on their own terms.  This blogspot will support up to 100 authors.  That would reallly get the ball rolling.   You can email a message to me at http://www.lizardheadone.com/contact-us.html that you would like to participate in authorship of this blog.   The blogspot will then send an automated message to you asking if you would like to contribute in authorship.  Let's get this going HR Rasmus owners.

Introduction to you all

Hi to you all

I am Euan and I own HR Rasmus 126 named Cabatach. Its from 1972 and we keep it on a swinging mooring at the top of the Kyles of Bute in Scotland in a village called Tighnabruaich. It's is a sloop, and largely unrestored and original including still having the 35 year old Volvo it came with.

I kept the name when I got the boat. I'm not really sure what it means but I think it is Gaelic.

I bought the boat primarily for family cruising and it is brilliant for that. What we did last weekend is typical and if you look on google maps you can follow it.

Me and my neighbour Pete took four kids with us and went for the weekend. We sailed out from our mooring to Lochranza at the NW side of the Isle of Arran for a late lunch. It was blowing

about F5 but sunny and reasonably warm. We had one reef in and the wind swung from NW to W bringing us almost hard on to the wind as we came into the start of the Kilbrannan sound. We were doing between 5 & 6 knots most of the way.

We picked up a free mooring at Lochranza about 2pm and had a late lunch before going ashore to let the kids stretch their legs and play on the shore. Iona my youngest is 8 and went paddling.

About 5 we headed north up Loch Fyne to Portavadie Marina for the night. We got out the gas barbie and did burgers and sausages all round. Next morning we woke to a little haze and the sun broke through about 11. We SE headed towards home, back down Loch Fyne round Ardlamont point and up the West Kyle to out mooring. It was F2-3 NNW so we broke out the kite and the added boost gave us near 5 knots.

The wind hardened again to the North in the West Kyle and we really needed a reef. Being lazy, we motored the last few miles while we stowed the sails and tidied the boat etc.

We had no rain all weekend, novel for here, and all went home happy. I guess it typified what we'd like to do more often but the weather isn't that consistent in Scotland.

First Post - Its all very different from some of the rest of you but a great boat for it nonetheless! I'll tell you more about my actual boat in another post if you find this interesting.

Euan from Cabatach

Adventure Around the Corner

Not the nautical kind, but adventure nonetheless.  I have two more weeks of tough boat work ahead of me and then I will get packed for a two week backpack trip through the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming with brother Pete.  Truth be known, I have much more experience in backpacking than sailing.  It's the adventure I like anyway.  We will start the trip at South Pass City, Wyoming and end in Jackson Hole.  It is a 100 mile trek through some of most beautiful scenery on earth.  We will travel on the  Highline Trail, which parallels the high peaks for 60 miles.  I love this place.  It is an unassisted hike which has required us to keep our pack base weight to an absolute minimum.  Our target pack weight is 40 lbs, with 20 lbs in food. We will run out of food if I don't catch some mountain trout.  Hopefully the fish will bite.  This is the lightest pack I have carried for this type of trip to date.  Only the bare essentials will be taken on this one.  I am hoping my experience in backpacking will bleed over into sailing, allowing me to pack light and deal with uncomfortable situations from time to time.  Only time will tell.

We had a great hike, 9 days and 120 miles of mountain travel.  Description of hike at The Portal

Let's Make This An Interactive Rasmus Owners Blog

In order to make this an interactive forum for Rasmus owners, we need more authors that can post topics on their own terms.  This blogspot will support up to 100 authors.  That would reallly get the ball rolling.   You can email a message to me at http://www.lizardheadone.com/contact-us.html that you would like to participate in authorship of this blog.   The blogspot will then send an automated message to you asking if you would like to contribute in authorship.  Let's get this going HR Rasmus owners.

HR Rasmus Rudder Disassembly Instructions

A Swedish Rasmus owner sent this diagram to me.  It shows the correct disassembly of the Rasmus rudder.

North American Sailor gives Hallberg Rassy's Rasmus Runner Up Honors

I googled "Hallberg Rassy" the other day and came across a February 15, 2011 posting in North American Sailor internet magazine on the best racing and cruising boat under $50,000.  It seems the author picked Hallberg Rassy's Rasmus as the runner up in the cruising division.  As I read through the description I noticed that the author had referenced another web page which gave a good example of an extensive rebuild of this classic cruiser.  I clicked on the site and what do you know, it was mine. Here is the link to the article.

http://nasailor.com/2011/02/15/what-is-the-best-racing-boat-and-cruising-boat-for-under-50000/

Sailing Characteristics of the Hallberg Rassy Rasmus

I would like to hear from all of the HR Rasmus 35 owners about the sailing characteristics of this model, good and bad. 

My thoughts on Restoring a Classic Cruiser

I am now in my fourth year in the restoration of a 1974 Hallberg Rassy Rasmus 35.  I knew it was  going to be a very time consuming and physically demanding project and I had allotted 5 years to complete it.  I guess in the back of my mind the thought was I would surely finish in three.  But the work continues and the years click by.  It will take five years.  But overall it has been a hell of a journey and I have learned some things; I must be crazy and boat restoration is a hell of a lot of work!

I like this boat (as far as construction goes. I have yet to sail one).  It is simple and that was one of the main reason I chose this model to restore.  It is built tough.  The sail plan is on the low power end, great for solo sailing.  And I like the old school looks of the Rasmus.  I don't like the fact that it was built in halves, the hydraulic steering, and the iron keel.  But overall I am pleased with what I have learned about the construction of this boat through the years of working on it.

I am now in the nitty gritty of keel repair, meaning I will be on my back under the keel pressing fiberglass on the bottom of the keel while epoxy drips all over the place.  I will be in long pants and shirt, tyvek suit, hood, and full face respirator in the 100 degree summer heat of Arkansas.  It is not much fun. But this is the last of the grunt work and she will look like new by the end of the year with new exterior paint throughout.

Cheers

HR Rasmus Restoration

Here is a link to Pat Sixbey's HR Rasmus Restoration web page.
http://www.lizardheadone.com/