|
Australian Seacraft Magazine May 1979
By Graeme Andrews
"With more than 50 afloat in Australia in less
than one year, the Farr 6000 has made its mark but little
sister, the Farr 5000 will make that figure look sluggish".
Graeme Andrews went to Auckland for the exclusive story
of the four berth 16 footer.
With about 80 to 90 trailer yachts on the local market,
readers may think that we need another like we (collectively)
need a hole in the head.
Yet, when I saw the study plans of this new trailer
sailer I felt it was important enough to the Australian
trailer sailing fraternity to make a special trip to
New Zealand to test it. Seacraft tested the 5000 before
NZ magazines had done so.
During several days in Auckland, I met the builders,
inspected the factory, talked to the designer and sailed
the boat on the "Windy Waitemata" in gusts
of up to 25 knots and I have no hesitation in saying
that the Farr 5000 is the trailer sailer of the '80s.
It is the small family yacht by which all others in
the lightweight category will be judged end it will
influence the type for years to come.
A smaller version of the well- known and popular Farr
6000 trailer yacht, the 5000 differs in having a more
basic interior, an optional pop-top, rather than a pop-top
as standard, and the ability to provide over-nighting
for four and yet be towed for short runs by 1300cc and
for Australia-style distances by anything of 15-1600cc'
upwards.
Our test boat, Uncle Seaweed, was the second from Sea
Nymph Boat's assembly line and was owned by Bruce Farr,
who designed it. Bruce was using it as a recreational
craft and as a floating test bed in order to refine
any aspects, if needed. At the time we tested the boat,
Bruce was suggesting some slight sail mods to the main
to alter the draft.
In standard form the 5000 is fitted with four full
size bunks, stowage under each bunk, a lifting cabin
hatch, two removable side hatch panels, plus the centre
insert, swing rudder, foredeck anchor locker with hatch,
jib and main and trailer.
In Australia the trailer will be Australian made as
import duties and costs make the excellent New Zealand-made
trailer uneconomic. Options are simple, including a
pop-top, pulpit and pushpit, chemical toilet (for which
space is provided), guardrails, portable galley, spinnaker
and boom tent.
The great value of the Farr 5000 for the Australian
market is its ability to be towed long distances behind
a car of medium to moderate power end provide comfortable
sleeping accommodation for four in caravan parks along
the way. With a little home handyman do-it-yourselfing,
additional racks and shelves could be added in the cabin.
The expected price in Australia will be somewhere around
the ? mark, including sails, trailer end bunks. This
will be a little more expensive than any other 16 footer
but there is no other boat of similar size on the Australian
market which offers the standard of finish and those
four comfortable bunks.
While the Farr 5000 looks very similar to the 6000,
the boat is not a reduced version; rather it is a completely
new design, using the same basic style of the bigger
boat.
The boat is beamy, 2.25m (7ft 4in) and the beam is
carried well aft towards the wide stern to support the
average crew weight which will spend most of its sailing
time in the cockpit. On an overall length of 5.09m (16ft
8in) with a waterline length of 4.62m (15ft 2in), the
5000 has a fine entry with relatively little flare.
Two simulated clinkers, as in the 6000, add stiffness
to the hull and break up the slab-sided appearance,
which could come from this deep little hull. There is
a gentle sheerline which reduces the heavy effect of
the cabin. The hull clears away in an easy run aft,
clearing the transom from the waterline when at rest.
Providing enough headroom in a small boat usually results
in a chunky or boxy look for the cabin. In the 5000
the designer has avoided this by providing considerable
camber to the cabin top and by using high coaming around
the cockpit.
"Although I've made my name in designing racing
craft, it is obvious to me that the design pendulum
is swinging to family cruising-style boats. I'm now
designing yachts of all sizes with the light-weight,
fast cruising theme" ... Bruce Farr.
Accommodation:
Internally, the Farr 5000 is simple. The Farr 6000 idea
of a settee surrounding the cabin is used again. Two
full length bunks run along either side with the after
being a quarter bunk for about two thirds of its length.
The bunks all have bin stowage below and the bunk squabs
are soft surfaced and very comfortable. Although its
use might be somewhat difficult, there is provision
for a marine head on the centerline, a facility very
rare on any small craft this size. The cabin floors
are moulded GRP with several small ridges which act
as brace points for feet and places to restrain small
objects. The mast support is a dual steel pipe, which
a home handyman might well use as a base on which to
build extra stowage if the toilet is not fitted. Non-skid
is used extensively and the top of the swing keel's
case is covered with a sprayed furry coating of a type,
which will probably wear through quickly as it is a
natural step down point.
The cabin has sufficient sitting room for five or six
adults and even with the optional galley in use, there
is room for three or four others to supervise the cook.
The cockpit is almost as big as that of the 6000 and
the same open access principle is used. Between the
cockpit and the cabin three marine ply partitions allow
the area to be opened up to varying degrees. The two
side partitions are secured by shock cord. They can
be removed when sailing or retained with access to the
cabin still easy. In lighter conditions the jib hand
can sit on the cross beam with feet in the cabin.
The cockpit has no lockers other than a fuel tank space
with a hinged lid, which has no catch. While unlikely
to ever accidentally swing upwards, this lid should
have some simple form of catch and, in the test boat,
there was no hole cut to allow the fuel line to run
to the engine when the lid was closed.
Non skid surfacing is used extensively in the cockpit
end on the side decks as well as on the cabin top. The
foredeck has a lidded side-opening locker for ground
tackle with the foredeck cleat recessed aft of the locker,
thus keeping it closed while at anchor.
Varnished timber handrails are mounted on the cabin
top. These should be moved aft a few inches to allow
a third crew hand to hand brace on them when leaning
out to the maximum.
Sails:
The rig is approximately 5/8 with a smallish jib and
a four-battened main. All sail controls are led to the
cabin top except the spinnaker sheets to a coaming jam
block. A jib sheet track is situated within arm reach
from the cockpit and the mainsheet traveler is across
the bridge between cockpit and cabin.
Outhaul, cunningham, vang and other controls are used
with jam or clam cleats as needed. The swing keel is
controlled by a winch with removable handle and the
same window for checking degree of keel cable as in
the Farr 6000.
The moulded GRP rudder swings clear of the water when
not needed, using an aluminium box frame for stiffness
and leverage. The tiller is a square section extrusion
with a solid timber ending - just right for a good hard
grip. The usual twiddle stick is fitted.
We launched from the 6-8 boat ramp in the Westhaven
Marina and marveled at this government-run marina and
mooring area many times bigger than the combination
of all the marinas in Port Jackson. It seems that here
boat moorings and berths are not dirty words and sticks
with which ecologists and psuedo-environmentalists can
beat those with whom they do not agree.
An even bigger marina area at Half Moon Bay has been
recently completed while Westhaven is to be doubled
in capacity - this will give Auckland with about 700,000
people, about four/five times the boat moorings (and
launching ramp) capacity of Sydney - population 3,500,000
or thereabouts.
Bruce Farr came along to sail his own boat and we slipped
casually through the many moorings with 10-15 knots
to get us going. Outside in Waitemata Harbor the winds
were from the west from 10 to 20 knots with an occasional
gust to around 25. Waitemata Harbor provides a greater
average wind speed than Port Jackson and with less shipping,
the waters become a mass of sailing craft on weekends.
Most of Auckland's cabin boats are used for overnight
or longer cruising and Fridays see squadrons of them
heading out of Auckland for the nearby islands between
Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsular. Anchorages abound
and much of the area is a maritime park, which allows
visitors to enjoy themselves with certain reservations.
A craft such as the 5000 allows a medium-income family
- one which cannot afford a big boat or high car costs
to enjoy the benefits of coastal and lake cruising at
modest cost.
With Sea Nymph partner Kim O'Dell on the helm for most
of the time, we first ran across the harbor and then
jibed in around 15 knots, to reach back to the main
shipping area. Waves of around 0.5m slopped along the
sides but none came over the lee side and isolated spray
on the windward side only wet the pants of those sitting
high up.
Puffs heeled the 5000 quickly with Kim easing and then
taking in the main quickly to keep her moving. One heavier-than-normal
puff forced her into a round-up but with three aboard
Uncle Seaweed was never worrying.
Many families buying the 5000 will be first-time sailors
and some, if not all, of the crew will be nervous. In
this situation, it is worth realising that the main
has sufficient power to easily sail the boat alone and
owners have a very forgiving craft, which will let them
gradually absorb its capabilities.
The jib is small and light enough to be handled by
young teenagers or even younger and the whole boat is
planned to act as a sort of floating maritime primer
until skills improve.
When the crew has the system weighed-off, the 5000
has the hull, gear and ability to race and fast cruise.
Farr came second in his class on the boat's first outing
end felt that he'd have come first with a few small
sail modifications which Hoods were to do after Seacraft
finished with the boat.
If the 5000 suffers a knock-down, she is designed to
self-right and floats high enough to keep the cabin
clear of water, even with the hatch boards out. The
cockpit is self-draining and the heavy swing keel, combined
with 180kg (397lb) of ballast will quickly bring her
up and pointing into the wind.
On the way back to the Westhaven moorings, after running
past the Devonport Naval Base, we sailed several miles.
The heavy Waitemata tidal flow was running out and we
stayed out of the main flow until above the marina entrance.
A short tack saved enough distance as we reached into
the marina and worked through the moorings. One wrong
lead had us going about in the confines of the berths
and then we headed easily to the ramp. Few local TSs
use their motors into and out of the ramp and we saw
forty footers leaving and entering berths under sail
- unusual in Australia.
Summary:
The Farr 5000 is the standard by which all small trailer
yachts will be judged for the next several years. In
one compact, good-looking and not- to-expensive package,
it offers an average family a small cruising yacht,
able to cruise for a weekend, at a price less than the
average car that will haul it. It will appeal to clubmen,
families and those who want to get Farr in front of
the others in club racing.
The test boat needed some minor sail alterations to
slightly improve flow, modification of the cabin handrail
placing, a more durable top to the foot-fall on the
swing keel case in the cabin and a catch and fuel line
hole on the fuel tank locker. Provision of a push and
pulpit would almost be a must for most crews.
|
