Cherub etc.

BCC Forum
1

Greetings All,
Does anyone out there own a “Cherub”?
We are interested in any and all comments or concerns from owners.
How does it sail, row, motor, loaded and unloaded?
How do you fasten it to the fordeck?
What is your method of hoisting to and from deck?
How does it ride on long passages? (on deck that is)
We have had one on order for a long time. And do not expect it
before the end of the year as Rojer and crew are busy with the BCC.
We would also be seriously interested if anyone has a used one for
sale.
Also I have just completed painting our bulwarks inside and
out.
Only the two outer strakes are left varnished. We really like the
new look and hope for much reduced maintenance in the years to come.

Regards,

Russ and Carol
Pelagic #93
Kemah, TX

2

Russ,

I don’t have a cherub, but I do have an 8’ wooden lap strake dinghy that I
built from plans purchased from wooden boat magazine. This is the dinghy we
took cruising. I think it is probably very similar to the Cherub, only
heavier. I honestly never found a good place for it on deck. There is not
enough length between the mast and the dodger, and barely enough boom
clearance. It does fit between the inner fore stay and the mast, but
obstructs access to the anchor windlass, and is more exposed. Both
locations obstruct forward visibility. We ended up towing the dinghy almost
everywhere, except on overnight passages. The dinghy has a self-bailer and
we used two painters arranged in a vee. Arrangements are well illustrated
in Bruce Bingham’s Sailors Sketchbook, which is full of interesting ideas.
On overnight passages, we would raise anchor, then tie the dink down while
drifting in the anchorage. We raised and lowered the dink using a halyard
and winch.

In very calm conditions, such as ICW, we would occasionally cruise with the
dink raised on a halyard, pushed outward over the water, resting against the
shrouds. We would tie it in this position fore and aft. This keeps the
decks completely clear and keeps the dink out of the water (no drag). In
Venezuela, we used to raise the dink every night, for security. We bought a
second dink while we were there (a 10’ AB rigid bottom inflatable). We used
to raise both, one on either side of the boat, resting against the shrouds.
This however, had me running out of halyards (I used the main halyard for
the awning). So I installed long fixed pennants from the mast head to about
7’ above deck. From each pennant, I rigged block and tackle arrangements
(4:1 for the wooden dink, 6:1 for the AB). With this arrangement, one
person alone could raise either dink without the use of a winch (quite a
feat for the 150# AB with a 15hp outboard attached). As these pennants and
tackle were never taken down, they are always readily available for other
tasks, such as hauling a “man-overboard” back aboard. I think I’ve seen
this idea in a book somewhere; Pardeys? The advantage with our set up is
that it was always ready to go - not tangled up in a bag in the lazarette.

Jeremy
Calypso - #6
Charlottesville, Virginia

-----Original Message-----
From: russb@rtron.com [SMTP:russb@rtron.com ]
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 1999 2:40 PM
To: bcc@eGroups.com
Subject: [bcc] Cherub etc.

Greetings All,
Does anyone out there own a “Cherub”?
We are interested in any and all comments or concerns from
owners.
How does it sail, row, motor, loaded and unloaded?
How do you fasten it to the fordeck?
What is your method of hoisting to and from deck?
How does it ride on long passages? (on deck that is)
We have had one on order for a long time. And do not expect it
before the end of the year as Rojer and crew are busy with the BCC.
We would also be seriously interested if anyone has a used one
for
sale.
Also I have just completed painting our bulwarks inside
and
out.
Only the two outer strakes are left varnished. We really like
the
new look and hope for much reduced maintenance in the years to come.

Regards,

Russ and Carol
Pelagic #93
Kemah, TX

<a target=“egnewwin” href="http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/714 ">

http://clickhere.egroups.com/img/000714/frog2_pd3.gif " alt="click here">
Click Here!
3

Hi Russ and Carol,

Mark Gearhart here. I’ve got a Cherub. Its actually
the very first one Roger built, hull #1. I don’t have
a sailing rig for it, so I can’t comment on that. For
rowing, its pretty good in my book. The sides are kind
of high, so I have to use a pretty good downward angle
with my 6’ oars. I’ve got those oarlocks that are open
at the top, so sometimes in a really heavy chop, the
oars slip out because of the angle. But really, that’s
the only thing I can find to complain about with the
Cherub.

In the very beginning, back in 1996, I was getting
dings in the mother ship from the Cherub, so I encircled
it with some rubrail material. Its that half round
canvas covered stuff from West Marine. Since then, no
dings in Godspeed.

For my Cherub, Roger secured the boards with some bolts.
Since that time, I’ve gotten rid of them and instead
used 1" wooden dowels sticking upwards, with holes in
the boards, which lay down on top of the dowels.

I’ve had 3 people aboard, including me, with no problem
at all. By myself, with the dingy fully loaded, I’ll
have groceries fore and my folding bike aft, and me in
the middle.

My Cherub rests upside down over top the scuttle hatch.
To unload it, I tip it up onto its side and attach the
staysail halyward to a permanent line I’ve got on the
Cherub attached bow and stern, with a good bit of slack
and a loop in the middle (where the halyard attaches).
I then crank up until its just off the deck. Then I
swing it up to the horizontal, over the life lines, and
out over the water. Then I release the halyard and the
dingy plops into the water. I do the reverse when
bringing it aboard. The only problem I’ve had here is
the lifeline covering has warn away at the stanchion,
through the plastic and down to the wire.

On long passages, I tie the dingy down with one of those
truckers hitches and it seems to do OK. At anchor, over
night, I’ll usually attach the staysail halyard to the
permanent harness and lift the dingy just off the water
to keep things quiet.

Well, that’s about it. I hope this helps. Oh yes, sometimes
people will go by and say “I really like your dingy, and
your mother ship too!” So I guess its kind a nice having
a dingy that matches so well.

Mark Gearhart
S/V Godspeed #108

4

I’ve been using my Cherub for about a year and I’m very happy with it. I
store it on dinghy chocks behind the mast. The chocks were made for the Fatty
Knees so I had to modify them to suit the Cherub. The aft chock had to be
widened. I attach the main halyard to a long line which is attached to the
bow and stern of the dinghy and raise it, then flip it over to rest on the
chocks. It’s easy for two people but a little awkward for one. The Cherub
rows well, carries a good load and is fun to sail. Okay, now two complaints.
The teak gunwale is cantilevered out over the pad and is quite thin so is
prone to breaking. I broke and reglued mine several times. It breaks when
coming along side in choppy water when it strikes the rub rail of the BCC.
Also it is vulnerable when raising it out of water and catching on the rub
rail or chain plates. I reduced the width of it by using a router to trim
about 3/16" off. My other concern is with the hard bow and stern corners.
They need some kind of padding to protect both the dinghy and your boat.
S/V Ho’okahiko #97

5

russb@rtron.com wrote:

Greetings All,
Does anyone out there own a “Cherub”?
We are interested in any and all comments or concerns from owners.
How does it sail, row, motor, loaded and unloaded?
How do you fasten it to the fordeck?
What is your method of hoisting to and from deck?
How does it ride on long passages? (on deck that is)
We have had one on order for a long time. And do not expect it
before the end of the year as Rojer and crew are busy with the BCC.
We would also be seriously interested if anyone has a used one for
sale.
Also I have just completed painting our bulwarks inside and
out.
Only the two outer strakes are left varnished. We really like the
new look and hope for much reduced maintenance in the years to come.

Regards,

Russ and Carol
Pelagic #93
Kemah, TX

<a target=“egnewwin” href="http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/714 ">

http://clickhere.egroups.com/img/000714/frog2_pd3.gif " alt="click here">
Click Here!

I just stripped my bulwarks. What a pain. I’ve put in 50+ hours just
getting the old paint and varnish off. What are you using for your paint
and what is your technique? Dis you get your bularks down to bare wood?

6

Russ and Carol
I didn’t want to get involved with this but I feel there are not many out
there who could respond to your
questions accurately, except Ron Thompson, Mike Pearson, Mark Gearhart and
myself because that is all
that have Cherubs on board.
I will let them respond to its performance…I am too bias…
I store mine on the foredeck over the scuttle hatch. This requires removing
the aft seat and making teak
chocks for the bow and stern corners. I cut the curve off the aft end of
the bowsprit so the dinghy will set
on the deck. I installed two flush diamond shaped pads that have removable
eyes on either side of the
stern. When I don’t have the dinghy on deck I remove the eyes and insert the
plugs so the decks is
perfectly flush. When the dinghy is in its chocks I unscrew the plug and
replace the eyes so I can lash it
down. The bow is tied to the bits… end results is it will not go anywhere.
I like it on the foredeck because I
can see over it and it creates the least amount of windage. There is still
plenty of room to work the sails
(check out the photo on my website under Cherub). When I was in my first
hurricane near American
Samoa I found that laying on the deck between the dinghy (not a Cherub) and
the lifeline to remove or
reef the staysail the dinghy gave me protection from green water.
I raise and lower mine alone. I use a 3/8" polypropylene painter line which
is about 20 ft long. In the
center I spliced a S.S. ring. One end is spliced to the eye at the stem and
the other to a snap shackle.
Between the gudgeons on the transom I made a line that has a loop in the
center and each end snaps to the
upper and lower gudgeon. To raise the boat I use the staysail halyard and
hook it to the ring in the center
of the painter. The other end of the painter is attached to this loop on the
transom. I crank up the halyard
until the dinghy is sideways against the boat… If the transom loop is
perfectly made it will be at the center
and upper edge of the transom…this prevents the dingy from wanting to
swing right side up or up side
down…only vertically on it side. If properly made the dinghy will set
perfectly vertical on it’s side. I crank
it up until it is just below the top of the lifeline. I then attach a pre
made line with a hook on each end to
the stem fitting and the other to the staysail stay. This forces the boat
forward. I continue to raise the
dinghy until it passes over the lifeline, then lower it on its side. The
position of the dinghy fore and aft is
dependent on how long this line with two hooks are. If the water is rough ,
I have another pre-made line
to hold the stern of the dinghy to the lower fwd shroud.
After the dinghy is on deck, on its side, I lower it over the scuttle hatch;
If I want to anchor I lift the dinghy onto its side and tie the stern end of
the painter (still attached to the
transom loop) to the lifeline so it will not fall over. After I anchor I
lower it back down or deploy it.
To deploy, I raise the dinghy on its side. Attach the pre-made line from
the stem fitting to the staysail
stay, the painter center ring to the staysail halyard and take up the
tension. Making sure everything is led
correctly I winch up the dinghy (on its side) until it higher than the
lifelines. Unhook the line to the
forestay and push the dinghy outside the lifelines and it will fall back
against the upper shroud. Now
begin lowering it until its lower edge is well below the top of the
lifeline. I use the same double hook line
I used to keep it forward (between stem fitting and staysail stay) and
connect it to the lower oar lock
socket the other end to the top of the lifeline. As I continue to lower
this line becomes taught and the
dinghy falls over right side up.
Enough for now…will answer questions
Roger
I

-----Original Message-----
From: Lanny Luhmann <lannyl9@idt.net >
To: bcc@egroups.com <bcc@egroups.com >
Date: Sunday, August 22, 1999 12:58 PM
Subject: [bcc] Re: Cherub etc.

russb@rtron.com wrote:

Greetings All,
Does anyone out there own a “Cherub”?
We are interested in any and all comments or concerns from owners.
How does it sail, row, motor, loaded and unloaded?
How do you fasten it to the fordeck?
What is your method of hoisting to and from deck?
How does it ride on long passages? (on deck that is)
We have had one on order for a long time. And do not expect it
before the end of the year as Rojer and crew are busy with the BCC.
We would also be seriously interested if anyone has a used one for
sale.
Also I have just completed painting our bulwarks inside and
out.
Only the two outer strakes are left varnished. We really like the
new look and hope for much reduced maintenance in the years to come.

Regards,

Russ and Carol
Pelagic #93
Kemah, TX

<a target=“egnewwin” href="http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/714 ">

http://clickhere.egroups.com/img/000714/frog2_pd3.gif " alt="click here">
Click Here!

I just stripped my bulwarks. What a pain. I’ve put in 50+ hours just
getting the old paint and varnish off. What are you using for your paint
and what is your technique? Dis you get your bularks down to bare wood?

MyPoints-Free Rewards When You’re Online.
Start with up to 150 Points for joining!
http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/805

7

Russ and Carol,

Mark Gearhart here, aboard Godspeed. A note on the
Cherub concerning performance. My Cherub is 70 pounds;
since it is hull #1 I don’t know is this is the weight
of the current model. At first I thought this might be
a bit heavy for one person to handle, and maybe a bit
heavy to row. But actually the rowing is quite easy.
She goes really fast when I get some momentum all by
myself, putting out a little wake and going about
“fast walk” speed, judging from the people out running
along the seawall in the morning.

I think a change I’d make is to somehow arrange it so
I could slide the middle seat and row from a more
forward position with a second person sitting in the
aft seat. Right now, with a second person sitting aft,
the bow sticks up out of the water and its hard to
steer and row. Plus, the stern digs down into the
water and slows things down considerable, down to a
“slow walk”.

I think the last time I talked to Roger, he made a
middle seat that can be positioned, and this would
certainly help the balance of weight with two people.

Oh yes, she is very stable. One time I jumped in the
water to chase her down (can I tie a knot or what?).
I climbed in from the side without spilling drop of
water. Now if you are in your underware, those high
sides are an advantage since you can duck low until
the right moment to hop aboard the mother ship.

P.S. I’ve got some pictures of my Cherub in my web
page, if you’d like an idea of how she rides in and
out of the water, and my little rig for pulling her
aboard.

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Harbor/6561/

Mark Gearhart
S/V Godspeed

russb@rtron.com wrote:

Greetings All,
Does anyone out there own a
“Cherub”?

We are interested in any and all comments
or concerns from owners.

How does it sail, row, motor, loaded and
unloaded?

How do you fasten it to the fordeck?
What is your method of hoisting to and from
deck?

How does it ride on long passages? (on deck
that is)

We have had one on order for a long time.
And do not expect it

before the end of the year as Rojer and crew are
busy with the BCC.

We would also be seriously interested if
anyone has a used one for

sale.
Also I have just completed painting our
bulwarks inside and

out.
Only the two outer strakes are left
varnished. We really like the

new look and hope for much reduced maintenance in
the years to come.

Regards,

Russ and Carol
Pelagic #93
Kemah, TX

<a target=“egnewwin”
href="http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/714 ">

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src="http://clickhere.egroups.com/img/000714/frog2_pd3.gif "

alt=“click here”>

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I just stripped my bulwarks. What a pain. I’ve put
in 50+ hours just
getting the old paint and varnish off. What are you
using for your paint
and what is your technique? Dis you get your
bularks down to bare wood?

MyPoints-Free Rewards When You’re Online.
Start with up to 150 Points for joining!
http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/805

=== message truncated ==

Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com

8

Rojer,
Thank you very much for the highly detailed instructions.
It will be of great help when “OUR” Cherub arrives. Please feel free
to interject any and all comments to the inquiries on this board. I’m
sure we all appreciate your learned input on matters of our BCC’s.
I’m not sure I like the idea of cutting off the aft end of the
sprit to accept the bow of the Cherub. Mabey you can notch out the
bows of the Cherub to accept the sprit instead! And if you round off
the corners a bit it will look kind of like the bow of the BCC. Just
kidding…I think…Hey, could you do that? I dont think it would
lose much longitudinal strength. What do you think? I guess if the
water gets up that high under way it will propably come in anyway. I
await your reply.
Thanks,
Russ…
P.S. Thanks also to Mark G. on the cherub handling info. And be
careful if you plan to come here to TX in the next couple months. I’m
sure you can see that our tropical storm season is finally getting
under way. Real sloppy stuff in the Gulf.
Later,
Russ…

russ-@rtron.com wrote:
original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/bcc/?start=228

Russ and Carol
I didn’t want to get involved with this but I feel there are not many
out
there who could respond to your
questions accurately, except Ron Thompson, Mike Pearson, Mark
Gearhart and
myself because that is all
that have Cherubs on board.
I will let them respond to its performance…I am too bias…
I store mine on the foredeck over the scuttle hatch. This requires
removing
the aft seat and making teak
chocks for the bow and stern corners. I cut the curve off the aft
end of
the bowsprit so the dinghy will set
on the deck. I installed two flush diamond shaped pads that have
removable
eyes on either side of the
stern. When I don’t have the dinghy on deck I remove the eyes and
insert the
plugs so the decks is
perfectly flush. When the dinghy is in its chocks I unscrew the plug
and
replace the eyes so I can lash it
down. The bow is tied to the bits… end results is it will not go
anywhere.
I like it on the foredeck because I
can see over it and it creates the least amount of windage. There is
still
plenty of room to work the sails
(check out the photo on my website under Cherub). When I was in my
first
hurricane near American
Samoa I found that laying on the deck between the dinghy (not a
Cherub) and
the lifeline to remove or
reef the staysail the dinghy gave me protection from green water.
I raise and lower mine alone. I use a 3/8" polypropylene painter line
which
is about 20 ft long. In the
center I spliced a S.S. ring. One end is spliced to the eye at the
stem and
the other to a snap shackle.
Between the gudgeons on the transom I made a line that has a loop in
the
center and each end snaps to the
upper and lower gudgeon. To raise the boat I use the staysail halyard
and
hook it to the ring in the center
of the painter. The other end of the painter is attached to this loop
on the
transom. I crank up the halyard
until the dinghy is sideways against the boat… If the transom loop is
perfectly made it will be at the center
and upper edge of the transom…this prevents the dingy from wanting
to
swing right side up or up side
down…only vertically on it side. If properly made the dinghy will set
perfectly vertical on it’s side. I crank
it up until it is just below the top of the lifeline. I then attach
a pre
made line with a hook on each end to
the stem fitting and the other to the staysail stay. This forces the
boat
forward. I continue to raise the
dinghy until it passes over the lifeline, then lower it on its side.
The
position of the dinghy fore and aft is
dependent on how long this line with two hooks are. If the water is
rough ,
I have another pre-made line
to hold the stern of the dinghy to the lower fwd shroud.
After the dinghy is on deck, on its side, I lower it over the scuttle
hatch;
If I want to anchor I lift the dinghy onto its side and tie the stern
end of
the painter (still attached to the
transom loop) to the lifeline so it will not fall over. After I
anchor I
lower it back down or deploy it.
To deploy, I raise the dinghy on its side. Attach the pre-made line
from
the stem fitting to the staysail
stay, the painter center ring to the staysail halyard and take up the
tension. Making sure everything is led
correctly I winch up the dinghy (on its side) until it higher than the
lifelines. Unhook the line to the
forestay and push the dinghy outside the lifelines and it will fall
back
against the upper shroud. Now
begin lowering it until its lower edge is well below the top of the
lifeline. I use the same double hook line
I used to keep it forward (between stem fitting and staysail stay) and
connect it to the lower oar lock
socket the other end to the top of the lifeline. As I continue to
lower
this line becomes taught and the
dinghy falls over right side up.
Enough for now…will answer questions
Roger
I

-----Original Message-----
From: Lanny Luhmann <lannyl9@idt.net >
To: bcc@egroups.com <bcc@egroups.com >
Date: Sunday, August 22, 1999 12:58 PM
Subject: [bcc] Re: Cherub etc.

russb@rtron.com wrote:

Greetings All,
Does anyone out there own a “Cherub”?
We are interested in any and all comments or concerns from
owners.

How does it sail, row, motor, loaded and unloaded?
How do you fasten it to the fordeck?
What is your method of hoisting to and from deck?
How does it ride on long passages? (on deck that is)
We have had one on order for a long time. And do not expect it
before the end of the year as Rojer and crew are busy with the BCC.
We would also be seriously interested if anyone has a used
one for

sale.
Also I have just completed painting our bulwarks inside
and

out.
Only the two outer strakes are left varnished. We really
like the

new look and hope for much reduced maintenance in the years to
come.

Regards,

Russ and Carol
Pelagic #93
Kemah, TX

<a target=“egnewwin” href="http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/714 ">

http://clickhere.egroups.com/img/000714/frog2_pd3.gif " alt="click here">
Click Here!

I just stripped my bulwarks. What a pain. I’ve put in 50+ hours just
getting the old paint and varnish off. What are you using for your
paint

and what is your technique? Dis you get your bularks down to bare
wood?