Hi Augusto, your voyage sounds amazing, I'd love to know some more details of your trip, and how your Halcyon performed on the long passage, what sails you used and how you provisioned etc. My pulpit stern (also called a radar arch.. but I don't have radar!) is my own design, and I had it welded by a professional welder. I can send you full dimensions (I used 3d cad to design it) as 2d drawings or a 3d model. It's approximately 1.9m tall, 1.6m wide, the upright tubes are 316 stainless 30mm diameter, with 25mm diameter horizontal tubes. I like it's proportions, it holds one 200w solar panel at a fixed angle (but could take 2 of these) and back up aerials for VHF/Ais. It is also useful to attach a sun/rain canopy over the cockpit when at anchor. I have a windvane fitted, and the arch doesn't interfere with the wind flow for this (but I do use a shorter windvane paddle so not to touch the arch) I've attached an additional horizontal bar across the back (to stop me falling overboard!) and have also attached rigid hand rails that extend forward, these are very secure and make a comfortable back rest when sitting in the cockpit. The Arch is very strong, I've avoided any triangular tubes to allow some flexibility, but I worry about damage to the GRP/deck if I have a collision etc. After fitting the arch, I intended to cut (and then re-bolt) the vertical poles above the handrail height, to allow the upper section to be removed/refitted. This would also give a "weaker" point that would allow the arch to "break" and rotate in a controlled way it the boat capsized. But I haven't done this yet. If you'd like drawings/more details just PM me your email contact. It's really nice to hear from other Halcyon sailors, so thanks for saying Hello

@ hello! Thanks for your answer. We got Feral in la linea de la Concepcion, Spain 🇪🇸. We prepared for 10 days and started the trip to Uruguay. We stopped in Gran Canarias, cape verde, fernando de noronha, and some other place in Brazil. As we were just getting to know the boat, we had to make some repairs, but Feral made it incredible. We had 2 main sail (one of them blow out during Canarias to Cape Verde), a Genoa and a symetrical spinnaker. I would have liked to have a jib. We made a spinnaker pole beacause we had a lot of running wind. We didn’t have water tank so we storage in different parts of the boat bottle of water of 5 and 10 lts. In some time we used some of them for counterweight.

Any information you wish to provide about the stern arch is welcome. We will use your model as a reference to make ours.

@@augustopessio1180 No Problem, I'll dig out the files, and post a link, as soon as I can.

@ Thank you very much. I tried to write my email for KZbin, but it deleted my comment.

I had a look and you're absolutely right... I'll see if I can dig out some footage of deployment

Yes, it is capable. these are some similar trips of Halcyons on you tube channels @Nachosan (uk to Cape Verde... you need to look at his older sailing videos) and @s.v.corycia5643 (Uk to the Mediterranean)

Hi, thanks for your thoughts regarding the contact angle. I don't reef the code zero, just furl it. The drum might manage this, but the rolled sail shape wouldn't be great. Typically if the wind picks up the Genoa then takes over. For dead downwind, I sometimes hank an old jib to the inner forestay (with whisker pole) for balance, and drop the mainsail.

I only extend the bowsprit and use the code zero in light winds so never really use the genoa at the same time, so not really a cutter. Thanks for the comment..

Thanks for the comments.. Yes you are correct halcyons have teak coamings, but after being damaged I rebuilt in Grp, and redesigned to make the cockpit seats more comfortable, I filmed the start of the rebuild here kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZWpenmEa8ySl8ksi=4UrlizpSoYOVLOY1

Thanks.. I didn't get much sailing last year.. hope this year is better.. so maybe see you out on the water rather than you passing her moored!

Thanks, the original brochure says "six foot", but this relates to the area closest to the companionway, but the headliner steps down as you move forward. I raised my cabin floor to give a wider horizontal area .. partly so I didn't keep stepping on my dog, but also to fit a water tank underneath... originally there's only a 1ft wide flat bit of floor, before the hull curves upward on either side. I'm 5ft8, so now have 5Ft8 headroom!

@@SVNimbus Thankyou for the reply that is really helpful and interesting. I am looking for a small safe full keel yacht with headroom I am also 5 ft 8. I have looked at contessa 26 but to small, think I have now narrowed down the search to either halcyon 27 or Vancouver. Let me know if you ever need a crew or help with anything. Thankyou for your help Paul

​@@paulganniclifft5652 some other similar yachts to consider cutlass 27, Elizabethan 29, Albin Vega 27, Bristol 27

Thanks for your comment.... where do you sail Saga?

Hi Sparkey.... Yes I put a custom 120 liter water tank down in the bilge, and raised the cabin sole (I'm not tall!) to give more flat walking floor area, so I glassed cross beams in to hold the tank central and screwed stringers into these to attach the raised floor to. I'm sure this stiffened things, but that wasn't the main aim. The original glass lay-up is quiet thick in the region where the hull transitions into the keel. I do notice the benefit of the weight of the tank low down.

@@SVNimbus Seems to me to be the best place to position tanks. And I like the idea of raising the cabin sole to gain more floor space, I'm not tall either. I hope you do some more videos soon, I quite enjoy them. Cheers.

I used thrust and roller bearings on the main pivot, the high cantilever forces make this necessary. I also used small roller bearings on the inner pivots, but whilst these aren't essential in terms of friction (a hole and shoulder bolts would work fine) they are silent and won't wear. Hope that helps.

It's sad to hear about losing the gaff cutter, but I hope Hukatea's rejuvenation is rewarding and youre back sailing soon. I've found it hard to cope with a "fleet" when the new boat overlaps with the old one. I totally agree about Jeckells, I've also had great service for them. What percentage is your genona to the main? I opted for a smaller (120%) genoa, but in retrospect would go with a smaller main to improve sail balance... I find I have to reef the main way before my genoa.

I'm sure all the hard graft will be worth it when you get sailing.. I remember looking for that bitumen type of coating, after a few old sailors recommended it. .I think it was also used on Oil rigs and pontoons etc, very effective and tough but I believe it was banned.... and no doubt a nightmare to remove!

Thanks... I swapped web hosts and forgot to migrate these files... Links should work now (you'll need to use acrobat reader to view the 3D pdf)

@@SVNimbus Thank you

Hi there, it's great to see another Halcyon in action! thanks for the link to your channel.... 2021 was a sailing write--off for me so it's lovely watching your voyage series. Your narration and story telling are spot on, so I look forward to more of these!!!!

That means a lot thanks for the feedback and encouragement to continue with it 👍👍👍

Yes the Cape Dory looks very similar.... and I didn't realize Pasties were so well travelled!!! Happy New Year!

Yes.. flat water and offshore breeze, but she's less fun reversing into tight marinas! Cape Cod looks to be a beautiful area.. do many people still sail in the wintertime?

Hi there, congratulations on your (new) Halcyon, I'm always delighted to hear from other owners and it's great to compare notes and swap tips etc. I also looked at elizabethans, contessa and cutlass when I was looking for Nimbus. When I got Nimbus the Aluminium window frames were really corroded and leaked, and I always thought the "joint" was always going to be a leak point, so I designed new ones that were different (and cheaper!!). The inner and outer stainless plates sandwich an inner plastic frame that surrounds and holds the 12mm window perspex. The fixings from the outer plates are offset from the inner ones so no fixings go from outside to inside to cause leaks, and I can now change the glass anytime without removing the frames. No leaks so far. I got the stainless parts lazercut cheaply, and the inner plastic frame and windows are easy to cut by hand with a router. (I have dimensions/drawings for these if you're planning to replace yours) I've sailed mainly in the Irish sea with Nimbus, so no globetrotting yet. Where are you based, what's the yachts name (and I'm always curious) what's your engine set-up?

@@SVNimbus I'm Dave at Eastleigh in Southern Hampshire. The boat is called Patra but I intend to change her name, possibly to Jupiter (Holst's 'Bringer Of Joy' in his Planets suite). She has the original engine, either an eight or ten HP single cylinder Sabb, currently in pieces waiting for me to finish the previous owner's dismantling and get that beautiful machine working again. I bought the boat from a lovely couple in Gosport - it's nice to know such kind people were her guardians before me. The reversible prop looks like an ancient bit of a wreck, covered as it is in so many barnacles that there may not be a prop under it all. Her gorgeous hull, coach roof and superstructure all seem to be very good, though I know less than nothing about such things. I'm going to spend a couple of gentle years getting everything ship-shape before hopefully retiring and scooting off south (till the butter melts!). It's time for me to start making regular videos about her for a KZbin channel as there still seem to be a fair few of these saucy Halcyon girls scattered across the planet. I've lots of plans for Jupiter and am just sorting out her hard standing at home so that she can sit by my van without the two of them squabbling. You must be on the Welsh or Irish coasts, are you?

Hi there, yes no problem just give me a shout if you've any questions, I've only managed to get over to Nimbus a couple of time so far this year, but hoping to do some winter sailing.

Hi, yes its still in action, and thanks for your comment. I dont have any schematics for the design, but the principle is straitforward so you could certainly make yourself one using hand tools.

agree

Greetings ... are you based on east coast of UK or US? Last year wasn't the greatest for sailing, couldn't cross the border into Wales to get to Nimbus due to lockdown, this year should be better... I hope!!! Have you managed to get on the water much?

@@SVNimbus East coast UK. No sailing yet for me - what was meant to be a quick antifoul job turned into a major drivetrain overhaul, prop, shaft, outboard bearing, seal, coupling & mounts. Hope to finish soon. And looking fwd to seeing your vids!

@@anpgr Yes that's always the way with "quick" haulouts!! I'm guessing you dont have the original Sabb engine and variable pitch prop, I'd be really interested in what your whole set up is, engine, coupling type and shaft seal, prop etc, My old yanmar SB12 is bolted down using pieces of tractor tyres as mounts... it even shakes boats anchored nearby!

@@SVNimbus I've got a Bukh DV10ME which just fits in the engine compartment! I believe this was installed early 90's long before I acquired her. The coupling was rigid standard bukh and there was a fixed 2-blade prop. I switched to a 3-blade prop 5yrs ago to help push against strong currents. This time I found my prop seriously de-zinced and loose on the shaft - the shaft had serious damage too. So made a new shaft & prop. De-zinc was due to no anode.. stupid mistake but there was none installed when I got the boat and I was on a swinging mooring back then, before moving to a marina. Thought about changing shaft seal from trad stuffing box to a more modern one but the inboard mounting for the seal has a lip which makes this a bit tricky - also the outboard bearing is not one that allows water flow as required by modern seals - so it was recommended to keep the stuffing box. I got a new one as the old one was in very poor condition. Also got a new solid shaft coupling that allows slight adjustment to prop length - this will allow me to put a small shaft anode . When I put everything back together there was significant engine/shaft mis-alignment - so got new mounts (not original but same as Bukh) and will hopefully replace this weekend. Depending on what the alignment looks like when I get the new mounts on I may get an R&D flex coupling - although the sigmadrive looks a lot more forgiving but 6x cost.. That's too much info but since you asked I thought I'd give you the full picture. I would check the alignment on the engine/shaft because several things could go wrong if this is way out of alignment. I know motoring is not what we want to do but it's good to have a reliable setup when we need it.

@@anpgr Thanks, that's really interesting and great to see such detailed info. I swapped my three blade to a two blade, hoping for less drag behind the keel but swapped back after a year because of the loss of thrust you mentioned. Other than adding remote greasers to the stuffing box and stern gland, I've not updated anything,, just maintained, truth is, I'm afraid once I change one part I'll end up changing the whole blooming lot, so I've turned a blind eye, and become accustomed to a less than ideal installation. On the flip side, I do like being able to start the engine manually with a hand crank, and that it drinks only 0.5lt/hr of diesel. If you still have the original green oval shaped steel fuel tank, I'd give that a good inspection on it's underside, mine rusted away, thin as a biscuit tin.

You're right there is a smaller swivel (salvaged from another broken roller reefer) above the torsion rope so it can rotate freely.

@@SVNimbus ty, R