News & Views for Southern Sailors - Southwinds Magazine

BOATOWNER’S BOAT REVIEWSeaPearl 21By Ron HoddinottOverall dimensions for the SeaPearl 21 are:LOA: 21’LWL: 19’Beam: 5’6”Weight: 600 lbs.Water ballast: 250 lbs.Draft (board up): 6”Draft (board down): 2’ 6”Sail area: 180 sq. ft.Aft cockpit length: 6’ 6”Center cockpit length: 10’Mast height above waterline: 19’ 6”Headroom under convertible cabin: 3 ’6”Can you imagine a boat that can skim over the grassflats where professional guides use a push pole to puttheir clients on the fish? One that can carry you to theNorth Channel of Lake Huron in four days, or to the FloridaKeys in one? I’ve owned such a boat since 1996—theSeaPearl 21.The SeaPearl 21 has been built in Tarpon Springs, FL,since 1981. The design is based on L. Francis Herreshoff’sCarpenter Dory, which was intended as the companion boatto accompany the larger Walrus on long coastal voyages.Whereas the Carpenter was an 18-foot yawl rig, designerRon Johnson lengthened the hull by three feet and made herwider by a proportional amount. The rig was changed fromjib-headed yawl to cat ketch. Over the years, the dimensionshave remained the same, but the rig and deck have evolvedto improve safety and comfort. Water ballast was added tothe craft in 1986 to improve initial stability and improve herinertial ability to punch through waves. Some SeaPearlersprefer to sail without the water ballast because she feelslighter and is less wet in a chop without the additionalweight. The SeaPearl hull is a combination of dory andwhaleboat, with a narrow tombstone transom, hollow bow,and rounded chines. The flat bottom is narrow, a featurewhich allows her to slice through waves rather than poundon wave tops.As a coastal exploring craft the SeaPearl has few equals.She can sail in six inches of water and beat to weather in afoot. Instead of a centerboard taking up a majority of thespace in the forward cockpit, she has leeboards, which arelead-weighted. You can lower them any amount that youneed, or raise them up completely when sailing any pointbelow a beam reach. If you can see the wading birds’ knees,you may have to skirt that shoal, but otherwise entire newareas are opened up for you to explore.The SeaPearl design is based on L. Francis Herreshoff’s CarpenterDory, which was intended as the companion boat to accompanythe larger Walrus on long coastal voyages. Whereas theCarpenter was an 18-foot yawl rig, SeaPearl designer RonJohnson lengthened the hull by three feet and made her wider bya proportional amount. The author’s SeaPearl 21 is shown herebefore it was converted to a trimaran.The completely un-stayed cat ketch rig is a revelationfor owners of the more common stayed sloop rig. The lightweightaluminum masts are easily lifted and set into themast tubes. There is no other rigging to do, except to attachthe booms with one pin each, and roll out the sails, whichare stored on the masts until unfurled. Complete set-up timefor both masts and booms is under four minutes. The rollerfurledsails can be unfurled as much or as little as desired.This continuous roller reefing from the mast is both a convenienceand safety feature of the SeaPearl. Once underway, the cat ketch is a well-balanced and easily managedrig. She heels easily, but puts her shoulder down before therail is under. After that it is hard to get her over any farther,especially while sailing quickly. Reefing can be done from aseated position in the cockpit for the mizzen, and to reef themain you heave to simply by hauling the mizzen sheet flatand releasing the main sheet. The SeaPearl will point intothe wind and stay there while you go to the forward cockpit,sit down, and reef the main. Reefing either sail is simplya matter of releasing the continuous looped outhaul from itscleat, releasing the vang, and turning the mast by hand,News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS May 2012 37