Posted by Dave Combs on 12/9/2007, 5:56:51, in reply to "CoreSound 17 as opposed to Sea Pearl and NorseBoat"
I have competed in the Everglades Challenge four times in a Sea Pearl and find it a well suited vessel for the event. I am well acquanted with the Core Sounds and Norseboats having been beaten soundly by both. My point is that the EC is no measure of boat quality but of crew performance. You could put Graham Burns in a bathtub and he would beat most of the fleet. His experience and nerve lets him carry more sail longer than I am comfortable with.In EC06 Graham in Green Heron(core sound 17) beat me into chk pt 1 by about an hour. Now it takes me nearly an hour to launch an 800lb Sea Pearl from the beach alone while Graham can get underway in less than 5min. There are also 2 of them to lower the rig and row into the chk pt as oppossed to 1 of me. I sleep each night and Graham never stops and rarely slows down. The EC has been won by and records set by Graham Burns not the Core Sound boats of his design.These boats are however widely admired and there could be 3 in the EC this year and 1 by a former winner whose 1st EC was in a Sea Pearl. Someone looking for a fiberglass production boat could do a lot worse than a Sea Pearl. It will take you anywhere you have the nerve to go and forgive your shortcomings to bring you home. It will absorbe collisions with bridge piers and hard, rocky bottoms and let you continue without bailing.I cannot comment as to recovery from broach or capsise as I have not experienced these although others have. Jim Leet builds the Sea Pearls one at a time by hand and always has time to talk about them. Well over 400 have been built and are widely available at a reasonable price natonwide and in a range of condition.If you're looking to build a plywood boat yourself or have one built you can't beat the B&B designs(Core Sounds)and I'm told Ray Frachette builds a good one.By the way, what kind of bicycle does Lance Armstrong ride? I want one. Dave
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