Singlehanded part 1.

July 2018. The boat is a 40 year old (GRP) Tamarisk 24, 'North Star'. This is day one of a three day singlehanded trip off the Kerry coast in southwest Ireland. I did about sixty miles that day from Fenit round Slea Head to Valentia. I was lucky with the weather and it all went well.

[@sailingceltic1911]

lovley, hoping to get to valentia next year

[@MatthewFelgate-r4u]

I have enjoyed watching your Tamarisk 24 videos from here in NZ. Unique on UA-cam! I am assuming you no longer own her. I have just retired and am curious to hear your thoughts on the performance and comfort of the design because I hope to spend the northern summers on a smallish cutter with long keel and light draft and enough sail to keep moving in the light stuff. On paper the tamarisk 24 ticks a lot of boxes. I have experience with wooden spars and ply decks so am aware of maintenance etc. Would appreciate any comments!

[@ivangodley325]

@MatthewFelgate-r4u .. Thank you for your comment. I sold my Tamarisk about five years ago now. (Mynhow the time flies) . I don't own a boat at the moment. My toys now are a campervan and a motorbike. In answer to your query. For me the traditional arrangement of relatively heavy displacement, long keel, transom hung rudder and gaff cutter rig is the most sea kindly, gentle and easily controlled set up you can have in a smaller yacht. As your boat size increases you may have to consider more modern design. As far as maintenance goes. My Tamarisk in that video was about forty years old. I owned her for four years. When I first bought her she was a little neglected and needed a lot of work to her ply/fiberglass cheated deck. But apart from that the rest was just catching up with renewing varnish and freshening up paintwork. Being a fiberglass hull there wasn't much to do there apathy from a good polish. You really cant go wrong with the Tamarisk or similar. Happy sailing...

[@MatthewFelgate-r4u]

@@ivangodley325 thanks for the endorsement of the tamarisk sailing experience! Enjoy the current toys (I have a yamaha TR1 v twin).

[@Retro-Future-Land]

The Roving Irishman...