The new J/88 is sailing

[BobJ]

I think I see Norman aboard.

My 92 is twenty years old . . . is it time?

[familysailor]

Be great if you could trailer sail it. Won't work at RYC as the hoist limit is 3800 lbs.
Does anyone know the weight limit at Brickyard?

Edit:
Brickyard's website lists 4400 lbs. Max. The J88 spec page says 4800 lbs. displacement.
.
Hmmm.

[BobJ]

Alameda Marina's larger hoist (Gate 4) is 6,000#. I drysailed my 92 out of there for 3+ years.

[familysailor]

Any hoists in Marin?
I'll check SFYC and Corinthian but I think their both small.

[Dutch Rudder]

How much different is the 88 from the 92?

[BobJ]

Not a lot - 88/92:

LOA . . . 29.2/30.0
LWL . . . 26.8/26.5
Beam . . . 9.5/10.0
Draft . . . . 6.5/5.9
Displ. . . 4,850/5,500
Ballast. . Unk./2,275
Diesel . . 12hp/9hp
100%SA . 439/469
SA/D . . . . 24/24
Displ/L . . 112.5/132
I . . . . . . 38.7/37.0
J . . . . . . 11.3/11.5
P . . . . . . 36.8/38.0
E . . . . . . 12.0/13.5
ISP. . . . . 41.6/38.5
JSP. . . . . 18.1/17.0
Sail Away $160k/Paid For

The 88 has a masthead kite, an outboard rudder, a deck-stepped carbon mast, non-overlapping jib, a smaller cabin/larger cockpit, and it's new.

[Tom Mc]

Did you order a blue one?

[BobJ]

Tom, let me parse out that last line for you:

Sail Away: J/88=$160k . . . J/92=Paid For

[BobJ]

Oops, timed out . . .

The local dealer won't get his until October. I'll certainly give it a close look, probably sail it, and see what rating they give it - but after the recent refit of my boat and five new sails purchased over the last six months, my J/92 is looking real good in comparison.

[BobJ]

No, I'm not trying to sell my boat but it's going to be a lot cooler on the Bay than here at home, and I'm told we have no plans. Want to go sailing on a J/92?

PM me in the next hour or so.

[BobJ]

There's some chat elsewhere about why the engine is bigger in the J/88. I think it's a good idea. My 1GM10 has been a fine little engine but at 9 hp (8 hp depending where you look) it has trouble keeping the boat at hull speed in some conditions. If the batteries are low and the alternator is working hard, it can struggle. Most of the time it's fine though - I sure wouldn't want much additional weight. One problem is you can't buy the 1 cyl. Yanmar here any more, so 12 hp may be the smallest engine they could get.

[BobJ]

In the downwind photos of the J/88, does it look like it's planing? I've seen a photo caption that says it is but I'm not convinced.

I know what planing feels like on my boat (which is very similar in dimensions and characteristics to the J/88) and I'm not seeing it in the conditions they're sailing in.

Honest question - what do you think?

[familysailor]

Do you mean the photos in the link you provided in your first post?
Doesn't really look like planing. Would need to see a video to certain.

[Thing-Fish]

Do you think that rudder looks up to snuff for offshore? Also, I used to think I wanted a carbon Columbia 32, how does this boat compare? Or run the numbers against a Flying Tiger?

[BobJ]

With all the J/29's and J/30's (and smaller J's w/OB rudders) out there, I assume they got the outboard rudder nailed. I was surprised about it when I first saw the drawings but it's growing on me. I am curious to see how a (non-balanced) outboard rudder will work with that big masthead kite in our conditions. Also, the benefit is being able to remove it when not sailing - the rudder on my boat is the first thing to get fouled with marine growth - but since they didn't do a cassette I don't know how easy it will be to remove.