Hi Doug, May I add....
When we owned our Bolger MICRO, we had the same problem at anchor. With a flat bottomed hull, waves hitting the bow cause a lot of noise - not conducive to good sleeping. My solution was to put an inflatable cushion under the bow - tying it off so that it can't move - and that quieted things down. The MICRO had amazing space inside - it was a square box of a hull - and with all that sail area, was a great sailer. Connie Doug Kelch wrote: > Rick, > > Dovekies are an amazing boat and they have always been high on my list. > > I have been on 3 or 4 cruises with the Shallow Water Sailors and continue to > be impressed with the boats and the people who use them. > > It is definitely a different boat that is well suited to it's intent. > Sailing in protected waters is it's forte. > > They do literally sail on a heavy dew. > > The first cruise I went on with them I towed my Bolger Dory in anticipation > of their ability to anchor in shallow water. It turned out to be a good > thing as the fleet of 10 boats (not all Dovekies but all flat bottom sharpies > of one sort or another) anchored in about 8" of water at low tide. > > This entire group used to sail without motors. Towards night fall two of the > Dovekies, split off, put out thier 12 foot oars and with thier heads above > the deck, rowed off into the sunset to an even shallower cove.. > > The wind that weekend was rather strong, 18 -20 with gusts to 25 and I was at > least 10% faster, even towing the dory, than all of the boats thier with the > exception of the 28 ft Shearwater. > > This speed differntial is closer with lighter winds but I have always sailed > circles around them. > > On the other hand they scrape me off on shallow sand bars and low bridges. I > once watched a Dovekie sail full steam at a bridge with only 10 ft clearance, > drop the mast 20 yards from the bridge while sailing, coast under the bridge, > raise the mast while still moving and continue on. An amazing boat. > > On the other hand they are not self bailing and hold an enormouse amount of > water. All of the SWS cruises avoid a lot of open water and I would be > reluctant to cross the Chesapeak Bay in one without a very reliable forecast. > > The interior is truely camping on a boat. The center part of the deck is > covered by canvass for the night or they the use a boom tent. > > The interior is just a flat bottom hollow cave with little to no built in > storage. Good floor based siting head room but you have to crawl around the > boat on your knees. From this aspect it is a young man's ( or older and > still quite limber) boat. At my age they are no longer on the list. > > If you are familar with the comforting sound of the Montgomery chuckle while > at anchor with little wavelets you may not appreacitate the drum beat of a > flat bottom boat with a section of the bow above the actual water. Booom > Booom Boom unless you move enough weight to bow. > > The new boats added a centerboard well forward in the bow in order to be able > to tack better in stronger winds. Without that the forward hull windage will > push the bow off the wind and the boat will miss stays. > > But still, sailing on a heavy dew is a unique experience. eone cruise with > very light winds I anchored the Montogomery and went for a ride in a Sea > Pearl. We sailed 1/2 mile into a marsh that only forced us to turn around at > when the water was down to about 6 ". Saw wildlife galore. > > But I ramble. > > The M15 sure is a fabulous boat for my needs :-) > > Thanks > > Doug Kelch > > --- On Tue, 10/28/08, Rick Langer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Rick Langer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: M_Boats: What do you think of Dovekies? > To: [email protected] > Cc: "Frank Durant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 1:19 PM > > While researching the Dovekie I saw that Doug Kelch attended a SWS cruise on > the Chesapeake with them sometime ago. I was planning to ask him what his > impression of the boat was, so let me do that and ask y'all to chime in > too. > > I'm currently tempted by a very nice 24 year old Dovekie. It's said to > row > much better than an M15, has more open space (not clear it has more > storage), draws 4 inches and sits flat on tidal flats and I kind of like > sharpies. > > So, what do you folks think and what might be a good value for 24 year old > Dovekie in good shape? > > Thanks, > > Rick > > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > > > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > > _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
