Caribbean racing on Hogfish Maximus and other sailboats

 The leeward and Windward islands of the Caribbean Sea host enough sailing regattas to satisfy any and all sailboat types , skippers and crews. From flat out racing to casual fun class kinda racing, classic boats , mega yachts , multi hull , local traditional boats and racing for charter boats.

Along with the racing comes all the partying , meeting other crews, and getting to know the island you are anchored off of and being hosted by.

I have been able to race in many of the great regattas as crew on other boats . This I like best as I do not have to worry about what will break and how the race is to be run. I like just having a job to do , watch the unfolding drama , scenery ,some times chaos , and just by being at sea on really fast sailing machines. These boats are always way above my pay grade and ambition so its great to be on them at their best. Its also nice to be with winning crews. 

For one season I was crew on a J109 racing in most of the regattas as the spinnaker sheet trimmer when running, and the jib sheet tender when on the wind. This kept me in the companion way and the cockpit. A safe place. It was always a drama when approaching the leeward mark with the chute up doing 10-12 knots with the owner skipper steering saying he wanted to lower the chute within a boat length of the mark while we would be re hoisting the jib and sheeting in to weather in 20 plus knots of wind with at least 8 other boats next to us thinking the same thing.

We always had a pick up crew of at least 7 different nationalitys on board that all spoke English but had different meanings for all parts on the boats and maneuvers . 

I would in my mind at these times wondered what it would be like to be on a professional all New Zealand run crew.

For me in my safe spot my job was to ease the chute sheets, lower the chute , retract the bowsprit, and start sheeting in the jib. The fordeck guys would be hauling in the chute through the forward hatch,  

At the same time hoisting the jib tru its foil head stay slot , the main sheet guy who would be the strongest crew on board was supposed to be keeping the boat on its feet by letting out and sheeting in , the rail crew were to ease the vangs and start leaning out. 

During all this the skippers job was to speak calmly giving directions to where we were headed with all the other boats a few feet away going like a bat out of hell alonside us.....

What would happen was a boat in front would get a huge gust at the same time as us ,loose control and just flat lay over on its side in front of us so we would then head up a bit which would cause us to do the same and over we would go with the chute flailing away trying to dismast us with  the cockpit in the water , the foredeck guys trying to not slide over the side the skipper yelling to dump the main , get the chute in, the jib up and why the hell is everything taking so long.

I liked my central spot and knowing I only had to do something when told to so never got in trouble . 

I could just scrunch up my ball sack and watch the madness ensue.

Not all races were like this. Having a tacking duel with a similar boat going to weather in good strong Caribbean winds and sea with good crew and boats that could point to weather 20 degrees higher than most all other cruising boats doing 71/2 knots plus was a joy to behold.

 The Hogfish Maximus is not a boat fast enough for racing in that her weak point is in going to weather she is a bit slower than needed to be competitive. Reaching she can hold her own and beat most similar cruisers . If all races were close hauled or reaching we would be in the money.

I like to race the Hogfish in local island races for many reasons knowing that we will never be competitive. First off when entering a race you pay a small fee which is less than a $100.00 . For these fees you are then given a case of beer , a bottle of good rum ,some tee shirts and other stuff. You are also adding to the number of boats racing and that adds clout to the local island in the papers. There are tons of boats at anchor off these islands but most owners do not want to know how slow their boats are so stay at anchor. I race to see how fast my boat is against others , to learn how to try and catch up to the others that are faster. We have invited a lot of other people to crew for us and have a blast just by being out there.

The times we have done really well were when top notch racing helmsmen were steering the Hogfish with me trimming the main. 

You can learn more about your sailing skills and the speed of your boat by having other crew aboard and chasing faster boats.

After all the racing comes the partying ashore. Nothing like being on the winning boat.

One of the best prizes awarded to a boat I was on was for a second place finish in the Grenada round the island race on the  J109 " Pocket Rocket". First place got a one night stay in an apartment room on island and we received a case of Gernadas best aged Rum !!! Life is good. 

So if down island with your cruiser sign up to race , hold back a bit at the start to let the real racers get away and then just sail,learn but have a good time as there are no losers when it comes to the party ashore.

Heineken Regatta in St. Martin  on Pocket Rocket J109

That me on the stern peeing, we are still doing 71/2 knots to weather in the close to 30 we were racing in. Main tore as we did our last tack around the leeward side but boat speed is so good in the Jboats we just kept going. Came in fourth place .

Thats me in the red hat!

Crew party afterwards. Italian, Englih, Irish ,Scot, New Zealand, my daughter Kalessin, and Tony 

Another Irishman.

Kalessin standing watch as the two of us sail the J109 back to its home in Grenada. 168 miles the first 

Day towing a huge inflatable. What a boat, but like ridding a horse all day as she would wear you out with the motion.

We have just won the best dressed Pirate crew when racing on the Farr 60 Farrfly.

A case of rum for second place !

 Our glory day having won first place in the fun class.

Racing our friends on Grace May an old Prout cat. Shes overhauling us here.

All 16 and under kids placing 3 rd in the Grenada series of big boat racing. The skipper steered the one off Swan 42 while these kids did all the sail work including the spinnaker. This was against hard sailing adults including the boat that I was crewing on. The crew consisted of the three boys in black with my daughter Kalessin here holding the prize of Gin. The kid with the hat behind her is Sam Goodchild who has gone on to be a very successful offshore racer. Look his name up you will be amazed.

Size is relative they say ,but bigger sure goes faster.

On the Farr 60 Farrfly we are smoking by this very heavy cutter during Antigua race week.

These guys sailed all the way from Austrlia to race at Antigua and beat us to boot.

Some good deals to be found ... A cheap mainmast for a Bolger ?

Crew rail meat feet.

Hogfish going to weather in the Bequia Round island Race.

Rounding the point with the whole Atlantic out front.

The seas are about 6-8 here rounding the weather point in Bequia. 

If only it drew 27"

See you out there this winter as Hogfish Maximus will be in the West Indies for this winter sailing about chasing boats.

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Boat deals In the Caribbean today ! ! ! 3 sloops for sale for very little Save the time sailing here theyre already here

Columbia 45 sloop for sale in Jolly Habor Antigua. Asking $ 6,000.00 US or best offer. Ready to live aboard and sail the West Indies.... Well after a few days of cleaning her up and sorting a few things out.

Own a 33 racing winner of a sloop for the asking price of $6,000.00 US OBO that out sails bigger brand new J-Boat 42 racing machines that cost over $300,000.00. Ready to win races now! On a dry hoist in Jolly Harbor Antigua.

31 classic fiberglass shoal draft sloop in the Bahamas duty paid. Ready to sail any where... Well...yes you will have to finish the interior some. $2,500.00 US.

The first two boats that I will be talking about I have just learned that they are up for sale. The Hobie 33 sloop has been beating the boats I have been crewing on for the past Saturday races. Boat for boat and on corrected time. A blast from the past that still shows its stern to most everything in sight. 

The Columbia 45 sloop I have been looking at as I motor by every morning in our dinghy going to work on Wild Bird.

Iam not being a yacht broker here in any sense. What Iam trying to provide and show you is that there are lots of opportunities out here to find a waterfront home to live on and fix up at your leisure and then when up to your standards sail over the horizon on. 

I get no moneys from the first two boats. Iam doing this blog as a favor to Rodger the owner of the first two sloops and hopefully to someone else out there that can see themselves in one of these boats.The third boat I own and am no hurry to sell. But will for the asking price.

All of three of these boats are fiberglass. They will most likely out live all of us given a very lackadaisical amount of effort. Unless you run them up on a reef or open the seacocks these three sloops could live forever, and with a little attention they can and will perform as good or better than todays store bought brand new boats for about the initial cost of a deflateable dinghy. Or "Condom boat" as I think of them.

The first boat shown...ah "Featured" is a Columbia 45 Sloop. When I was a kid growing up In San Diego Califorina this boat was new and all shiny. It was so out of place among all the wood boats, cement boats and all the classic boats about. Most of those boats have died off but this sloop lives on through basic simple fiberglass construction and not much else to go wrong. It has a new and taller mast. The engine is twenty years old, the winches have been replaced with bigger self tailing ones. It now has roller furling now on both the genoa and main sail. Back then it was hanks and undersized winches. A smaller motor. No mode coms. Now its all been upgraded.

The owner Rodger has put over $30,000.00 US in this boat over the past several years. He is moving back home to England. He would like to find a good home for this boat. It needs about 3-4 days of cleaning . Most every thing works on the boat now or can be made to work with a little fiddling. I took these photographs this morning. I have not surveyed the boat but am passing on his words to you. I feel that anyone with a bit of energy can be off sailing in this boat in a week after cleaning up. What a big floating sailing home. Look up the specs, on sail boat data on line.

The engine is a reconditioned Perkins 4236. 

The mainsail is in boom roller furling.

The Genoa is roller furling. 

It has an inner staysail if wanted.

The hull is fitted with ultra sonic growth inhibitors system.

Propane stove

All heads work

Most all winches self tailing. 

New batteries 

Solar panel new

Power anchor windlass

Anchors, roads, lines cushions and on and on.

Listen... This is a boat that you could spend years just sailing about the Caribbean in for very little output in dollars and with just a bit of elbow grease. 

Dont email me ... Email Rodger at... Hodgkison@sky.com 

DONT put an N in hodgkison !!! Fn autocorrect wants to put that in.

Lets look her over.

Columbia 45 I think was a Bill Trip design?

This boat has a big bow sprit to get more sail area. All done very well large foredeck to put your dinghy on. Deck is very solid.

Large roller furler, bow plank all done to massive standards.

Solar panel showing here.

4236 Perkins diesel 

All the stuff to run a boat of this size. Theres a generator down there too. I dont know if thats working. All pretty typical of a boat this age, but all good stuff.

Ask Rodger for details.

Galley of the era. Propane stove which is great for down here.

Main companionway. Lots of room here. Very easy to get to engine and all related equipment under these floorboards.

Stern cabin bunks. Needs a hosing and scrub out thats all.

Aft head. Foreward one is new never used.

Dinning table across from galley.

Propane tank in locker on deck.

Steering wheel and cockpit. Winches just out of sight.

Taller mast than original rig. 

Looking aft.

Vee bunk area.

Anchor well on deck. Power anchor winch.

The bow sprit.

SO..... Yea she needs a bit of a scrub, But the interior is set up on a massive all fiberglass hull pan. This is fantastic because nothing can really ever go wrong with this. This boat needs some elbow work. Clean her up and move aboard. Get the systems sorted and start sailing. At anchor the windflow through the hatches will bring this boat back to life. Rodger has only used it for a couple of weeks a year. Now with you onboard she will have a new life. Get rid of all the stuff that you dont want to deal with. To me I would put this boat at anchor for a couple of days to scrub the bottom and get the sheets and winches sorted and then I would be off to Carriacou to haul out at the best and cheapest yard in the Windwards. From there I would spend the rest of the season slowly repainting the interior to my satisfaction and get to know her. 

Email Rodger... Make an offer.

" Mango Pearl" has British registration.

HOBIE 33 sloop " Sling Shot " 

Rodger also owns this Califorina racing Sled.

This sloop is for those that live down here and want to have a line honers winning boat that does not cost a fortune. She is in good shape but looks ruff below. This is not a live aboard cruising boat unless you are very young. No headroom. Look up all info online at sailboat data. 

She is for sale with very good compostite main and jib that are put away after every sail. This boat has a full wardrobe of spinnakers, jibs and spare mainsails.

Lots of stuff to go with her that is not seen or listed here.

Last week the latest J-Boat, a 122 with its new sails, rigging with the Hall Spar people and sail makers aboard and the owner raced against Rodger who is 77 and his crew which are not far behind. I was crewing for the yacht clubs Commodor on his Bavairia 42. Needles to say we were so far behind. Sling Shot came in behind the J-Boat by less than 60 seconds. Not bad considering the J-Boats jib cost the owner $12,000.00.

This is a very fast boat for those that want to go fast for very few dollars.

On his lift. She only sails on Saturdays.

Long and lean. 

Keel joint looks perfect.

Rudder joint is smooth. I would deepen the rudder for more control in heavy winds.

Profurl roller reefing if wanted with the other sails. Racing jib has battens.

Rodger has complete new main sheet traveler to be installed.

Floor grid. All looked good to me when looking at it this morning at a glance. No cracks.

Keel bolts. Water is from the rain. 

Compostite sails

Yea, some leaks over time. You can see the bunk top at the hull side is collapsing. But no cracks in the fiberglass hull. I would reinforce the top of the bunk with a bolted piece of wood or aluminum angle.

Heres the other side same thing. But everything else looked fine. 

Headliner cloth is off. I would go in with a pressure washer and clean out. Then come back in and paint with enamel over everything after I did my fiberglass upgrades.

Spinnaker pole.

 Again this boat needs a bit of cleaning due to its barely being used and sitting. It has wear and tear in it but all is mostly cosmetics. Contact Rodger via the same email address.

This boat does not currently have a title but a bill of sale can be gotten. It has been owned locally by several prominent sailors so getting a title should be able to be done. It has no motor so has been sailed as a dinghy.

This could be you showing this local rebuilt Hobie 33 your stern!

Ted Irwin designed and built 1978 solid fiberglass shoal draft sloop. " Island Gem"

The short story on this sloop is that she has been sailing out of my island for over ten years. The original owner that sailed her there had spent over $27,000.00 on upgrades on her but after one bad passage sold " Island Gem " to a local for $2,700.00. He never used her. Then an American that spends 3 months a year on our island bought her for $7,500.00 and then sailed her for 7-8 years. Hes gotten older so wanted out.

I at the time two years ago thought she would make a good project boat to keep at our dock for local cruising. I bought her for $1,000.00 and have done lots of upgrades with a now total expenditure of 

$2,500.00. This is my price period. Shes on a mooring that she has ridden out 7 major hurricanes on so can stay there till I sell. She is registered in the Bahamas so duty has been paid which means she can stay there forever costing only $100.00 registration fee. Cheap for a second waterfront home in the Bahamas.

She Has the following;

Yanmar diesel 2Gm with 700 hours

New engine mounts

New hoses for engine including exhaust 

New stuffing box

New rigging with stay locks

New sail cover for mainsail and ne sun strip on Genoa

All sails in excellent condition.

Deck holes fiberglassed over and new Awlgrip over deck.

Anderson winches

All stantions, bow and stern pushpits.

Bimini frame.

She is solid fiberglass and is in great shape in hull and deck.

She was a centerboarder but the case has been glassed over.

And lots of other stuff to go with her like anchors boarding ladders etc.

Now the catch. The interior has a solid fiberglass hull pan through out. Everything is there. But it needs to be finished out. My plan is to redo the insides in 100 year old old growth pine that I have already cut out to length. Will need to be rewired. 

This boat sails wonderful. She can be sailed to Florida with ease. I could do this if needed for a buyer there.

The reason Iam selling is because 2 months after I bought her and did this work I found and salvaged a Dick Newick Val trimaran which I now own. This Trimaran is a more logical boat for us in the future and I cant see owning so many boats.

I made sheer legs for her to replace the stuffing box. Works great.

Sitting at our dock in the Bahamas. The dinghy is NOT FOR SALE With this boat. I mean the two part one thats on deck.

Lewmar winch to pull the Bruce and anchor line in with.

She has Bahamian registration, a Florida title and was documented.

Any questions on this sloop email me at.... Spankthermaid@gmail.com

The Val trimaran is what I want to keep. So the sloop needs to go.

The best boat deal is the Columbia Sloop as you can live aboard right away.

The Hobie 33 is a great boat if youre down here and are looking for a boat to race in.

My 31 sloop would be a great nice project for someone in the states to finish and then sail back to the Bahamas and leave over there on a mooring to use as a second home. I have so little in her that for me she is a fun day sailor for friends to use when we are back home.

If interested in the above boats MAKE SURE YOU CAN GET A TITLE otherwise it will be hard to sail about the islands. If you dont have many skills then these boats might not be for you. I have only just photographed the first two boats and have not surveyed. 

These boats are not for free but could be pretty close.

" Trust Me" Iam trying to give you my best boat broker look here.

Have fun dreaming.

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