INTERCEPTOR 42 'True Light' sea trails and video of her offshore in force 9 storm conditions.
On the 28th of January 2002 with storm force winds of force 9 we endeavored to create a video to demonstrate the outstanding seakeeping abilities of the craft. Filmed from Roches Point lighthouse at the entrance to Cork Harbour with Martin Oliver her owner operating her and myself videoing from the cliff top we successfully created a short promotional video, showing how well she can handle rough conditions. Wind was gusting 40kts and wave height was estimated at 20ft with heavy breaking seas. Even taking into account the foreshortening effect of wave heights as a result of a high vantage point, the stills captured from the digital video give you some idea of the conditions.
I think these sequence of photos give some indication of the conditions, anyone wanting to see a copy of the video should contact me.
On launch at a lightship displacement of 9,500kg (1/4 fuel) 3 persons in sea state – calm. Wind 0. She achieve a mean average on a two way run of 23.6 kts at 2800rpm. Fast cruise was19kts at 2400rpm and an economical cruise of 21000rpm gave 15kts. Planning commenced (stern wake separation from transom) at 1750rpm. The hull rises on to the plane linearly, with no discernable hump speed and runs at 5 degrees trim. For a 10 ton 42 ft boat with a deep, full length keel, this is class leading performance.
Water separates cleanly at the spray rail from 15kts with no misting whatsoever, and no spray hits the aft cockpit or windscreen. Exceptional levels of dryness have been observed. Even in gale conditions, running into a short, sharp chop off the bow, coming round to beam on, the screens stay completely dry. In offshore conditions the screens still stay remarkably dry with only occasional use of the wipers being required. She is certainly the driest craft of her type I and several other skippers have experienced.
SEA KEEPING.
Trial 1.
Conditions wind force 5. Sea state- wind over tide, large confused 12ft swell after storm. Running out through Cork harbour entrance at 18ktsa commenting on how smooth the ride was until a large breaker over the Turbot bank slowed progress after the boat became completely air bourn off a large wave, Lack of bottle resulted in pulling back on throttles causing the boat to belly flop into the trough uncomfortably.
Speed reduced to 15kts into the head sea with out any slamming, but a bit of banging and thumping on the chines as was to be expected. John Barry, owner of a 38 accompanying on the trip commented that she was not as smooth as the 38 would be in these conditions but dryer and more stable. Static test 5 miles off revealed her to be very stable, but she was not laying beam on as the wind had veered. On the return leg with a following sea, she was run in all directions, directly downwind and with the sea on the quarter, first at 15kts where she proved completely predictable being directionally stable with very little heel on the face of waves in quartering seas and no yaw. Increasing speed to 19kts she retained all composure and allowed complete control even when surfing along the face of large swells at over 20kts. Running through the harbour entrance in over falls she remained stable even when stuffing into the back of a wave and dipping the anchor.
Conditions wind force 7. Sea state- 12ft swell. Similar abilities demonstrated as the previous trial. Most noticeable was a surf at 28 kts obliquely along the face of a large sea in complete control. Capable of maintaining 15kts comfortable in head sea with no slamming and only occasional ventilation of the props when they came out of the water.
Conditions Gale force 8 winds, Sea state- 15ft + wave height, large swell and chop. Wind with tide. Rough weather trials with owner on board in gale force conditions. This was her sternest test, she was still able to maintain 15kts off the bow with out slamming and the owner was most impressed with how gentle she was into the seas. The owner ran her in beam seas where she was wonderfully stable even with such large waves, quartering seas and large following seas encountered at the harbour mouth caused her no upset whatsoever and Martin and indeed myself where hugely impressed with her stability. We were able to just sit back and enjoy the ride, the boat nearly took care of herself, staying on her chosen course, whatever the direction, even in awkward quartering seas, with only occasional adjustments to the helm. The owner himself has experience of several other renowned marques and felt that ‘True Light’ was better than anything else he had been aboard in such conditions. Lying beam on stopped in drift she was very, very stable, even large waves caused her little upset, rolling very little with fast recovery, and indeed as stable as anything short of a catamaran.