Review of Capelan

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The boat is equipped with 2 berths.

The Capelan is equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

Full keel

The Capelan is equipped with a long keel. A full keel provide a better directional stability than a similar boat with a fin keel; on the other hand, better directional stability means also that the boat is more difficult to handle in a harbour with less space.

The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 0.60 - 0.70 meter (1.97 - 2.27 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

The Capelan has been equipped with different engine alternatives.

Alternative 1:

Capelan may be equipped with an inboard engine at 6 hp (4 kW). Calculated max speed is about 6.3 knots

Alternative 2:

An outboard motor is often used on this boat. In that case the boat will typically require a power of 1 - 2 hp, alternatively 21 - 25 lbs thrust if you prefer an electrical motor. Electric outboards are becoming popular for sailboat owners who want clean instant power with less noise and no exhaust fumes.

Alternative 3:

An outboard motor is often used on this boat. In that case the boat will typically require a power of 1 - 2 hp, alternatively 21 - 25 lbs thrust if you prefer an electrical motor. Electric outboards are becoming popular for sailboat owners who want clean instant power with less noise and no exhaust fumes.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Capelan is 2.64, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 4.8 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Capelan is about 53 kg/cm, alternatively 299 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 53 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 299 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for Capelan is 9.6.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Capelan is 2.20.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Capelan is 31%.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Capelan is 225 which categorizes this boat among 'light crusers & offshore racers'.

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 8m² (86 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Capelan it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.