coating raw balsa core in areas of the coachroof that were cut out for port
and hatch installation. The seal that this approach affords is much less
rugged than what some other builders gain by cutting the core back and filling
the space with a higher density resin/filler paste.
Such
filler usage would also solve another potential problem, one associated with
port installation. In this case, strong, high-quality stainless steel portlights
are held in place with self-tapping screws threaded into the balsa-core sandwich
structure. They gain almost no strength from the threads that enter the balsa
itself. In addition, the outside trim ring of the port is screwed into the balsa
core of the coach and can eventually become a source
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of leaks. By cutting back the balsa and filling the
perimeter with a high-density filler, screw threads have a
much more solid substrate to grip, and the potential for leaks would be virtually
eliminated.
The only other concern I
had was a preventer system that could cause trouble for a crew caught in a serious
accidental jibe. This concern would be easy to fix, though. In heavy weather, the
loads on a midboom preventer aboard a vessel that's caught aback are as heavy as
what's normally handled by a multiple-purchase mainsheet. To recover from the
accidental jibe or a knockdown, the preventer often must be released in a hurry. Aboard
the Valiant 50 this means the single-part line, held in a line stopper, now holds
all
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the energy produced by the overpowered mainsail. Because the line isn't on a winch,
releasing the load could be dangerous. It's also important to note that
midboom preventers can result in boom
breaking strains when and if contact is made with green
water. An end-boom preventer system and an extra set of small winches for preventers
and runners would be a simple and
effective solution.
Conslusion
As I walked through
the hull/deck assemble area at the Valiant factory, I noticed an inflatable dinghy
sitting over turned on the deck of a V-50. The deck had yet to be mated to the hull,
but the owner and builder understood the value that a serious cruiser places on the
relationship between
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dinghy and mother ship. Right from the start the owner wanted
his new boat's deck layout to
include optimum on-deck storage for his RIB. It's this
willingness to customize a vessel into the right cruising package for each owner that
makes Valiant the value-added preference of many serious offshore cruisers.
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