Denman Marine is the sole Australian builder/
agent for Swallow Boats fantastic range of daysailers and trailer sailers including
the exciting water ballasted Bay Raider , the larger
SeaRaider and the BayCruiser. We also build and supply kits for the Storm 15 and Storm 17 and the Trouper 12. We have built the first Swallow boat, a Storm 15 for a local client and we currently have
2 BayRaiders under construction for clients - one from NSW and one from Tasmania.
The boat is also available
in a slightly heavier GRP version for those that want this option.
The
BayRaider
I first discovered the BayRaider when I was looking for a day sailer for myself. As
a boatbuilder who has built and sailed many day sailers I had pretty firm ideas about what I wanted in a a boat.
My list of priorities went something like this.
1. Ease of use. Being
quite time poor running a small business and raising kids I wanted a boat that was available at short notice to go out on
those perfect afternoons that we get down here in Tasmania. I wanted it to be very quick to set up and get underway
but also quick to pack away after the sail. I had previously owned other larger boats that could make sailing a bit
of a chore when you don't have much time to go out.
2. The boat had to be safe
and stable. I have young kids and also love singlehanding so I wanted a boat with plenty of built in buyoancy
and a good dose of form stability. Water ballast was also high on the list as I didn't want to be carting
around lead ballast when there was no need to.
3. The boat had to perform. Having
done my fair share of both racing and cruising, I wanted a boat that had better performance than the current crop of day boats
out there. I liked the idea of a split sail area and a mizzen can certainly be extremely useful if it is set up correctly.
The boat had to be able to cover miles quickly when camp cruising as well as having a respectable turn of speed around the
buoys.
4. Finally the boat had to look good. There's a lot of ugly
boats out there and I wasn't going to own one!
These attributes can be very difficult to bring together in
a small boat but Matt Newland and the Swallow boats team certainly have achieved all my aims and more in this boat.
I have sailed one of the BayRaiders on a visit to Swallow Boats in Wales, UK and can attest to the well thought out
layout, ease of launch and retrieval (it took less than 10 minutes from pulling up at the ramp to sailing away!).
Here's a bit more information on the BayRaider and what makes them such a great boat.
Introduction
The BayRaider is truly an exciting development in the daysailer market and has many unique features that
has made her such a popular choice for many owners. Safety has been at the forefront of the design and she has been
designed in accordance with the stringent European Recreational Craft Directive and carries CE certification for wind speeds
up to force 6 and significant wave heights of 2m.
The Bayraider's key safety features include high form stability,
water ballast, plenty of built in buoyancy, a unique asymmetric capsize buoyancy system (ACB) which allows a single
person to right the boat and a simple rig that allows a quick reduction of sail when needed. Lets have a look at some
of these features in detail.
Water
Ballast
The BayRaider has the ability to carry 300kg of water ballast in a sub floor tank which is the equivalent
of having 4 large adults lying in the bottom of the boat. The ballast can be taken on and dumped underway in a matter
of minutes so if the wind pipes up it is simple to add the ballast for extra safety and when it comes time to haul her out,
the ballast can be dumped before you have to haul the boat out on the trailer.
With the ballast tanks full she
is very stable and has positive stability to 119 degrees which is more than many lead ballasted racing yachts. To
see how hard she is to capsize with the tanks full have a look at the videos below.
First, a 90 degree pull down/knockdown.
Notice how high the boat floats on her side. The engine, which is centrally mounted in a well aft would be well clear
of the water at 90 degrees.
And a full 180 degree inversion:
ACB
The BayRaider employs a unique Asymmetric Capsize Buoyancy(ACB) system which greatly assists in recovering
the boat should she ever encounter a 180 degree inversion. Essentially, one of the side buoyancy chambers is flooded
when inverted which gives the boat a noticeable angle of heel. It is then simple for even a relatively small person
to right the boat as seen in the inversion video above.
Built in buoyancy
The BayRaider has 4 independant buoyancy chambers that provide over 1000kg of buoyancy which gives great
peace of mind.
The BayRaider also makes a fantastic camp cruiser with plenty of onboard stowage for all the gear
needed to get away from it all. There is plenty of room in the forward end of the cockpit for two to sleep in comfort
and with her shallow draft, she can be pulled right up onto the beach at the end of the day.
For daysailing, the
cockpit accommodates 4-6 with ease and an optional spray dodger can be fitted forward to keep the crew dry.
BayRaider interior looking aft
BayRaider interior looking forward
Performance
All the great features of the BayRaider - the hull form, water ballast, simple rig etc add up to
a really great performance packacge that can suit any level of sailor. With the rig reefed down and the ballast onboard,
she can be a docile craft for the nervous crew and with full rig, no ballast and an experienced crew she can really perform.
She will go upwind at 5-6kts and can do 10 kts off the breeze with the standard rig. An optional asymmetric spinnaker
kit is available as wellfor those keen sailors who can't do without a kite.
Ease of use
A lot of thought has gone into making the boats very user
friendly. The boat is quite light and is therefore easy to move around both on and off the trailer.
The mast is in a tabernaclce which allows one person to easily raise the rig and when lowered, the
mast stays in the tabernacle for trailering. The rudder is also a simple affair and the blade rotates up 180 degrees
so it remains on the boat when trailering, launching and retrieving.
The rig is very
simple with a self tacking headsail and the higher sprit style boom on the main is certainly more crew friendly.
Hull weight complete with rig ready to sail: 365kg (805lbs)
Ballast ratio (tank
full) : 45%
If you would like further information on the BayRaider or any of the Swallow boat range click here
Swallow Boat Kits
CNC cutting the Storm 15 kit
Swallow Boats Storm 15 on launch day
Constructing the Storm 15
Storm 15 with balanced lug rig under sail
We are now able to offer a range
of kits for a number of boats in the Swallow Boats range. The popular Storm 15, 17 and Trouper 12 can be computer cut
to save many hours of time and get you on the water quickly. The kits can either be just a panel kit or can contain
everything needed to finish your boat including sails. Each kit comes with a very comprehensive instruction manual
that will make the building a simple affair. If you would like more information on the kits email andrew@denmanmarine.com.au
NEWS!!!
Swallow boats are currently developing a 17' version of the
popular BayRaider to be available in kit form from home completion. She will have the same fantastic built in safety features
of her bigger sistership. This exciting new design should be available in a few months time.
If you would
like us to send you further information on the BR17 as it comes in email me at andrew@denmanmarine.com.au
Denman Marine specialises in custom wooden boat building and repair.We utilise both
traditional methods such as carvel or clinker and modern methods such as strip planking, cold molding or clinker plywood.
We can custom build to any design - for example those by Iain Oughtred,
Paul Gartside, John Welsford, Mark Bowdidge, Francois Vivier, Atkin , Bolger B&B etc.
We are sole Australian agents for Swallow Boats including the BayRaider and also importers and re-sellers
of the world renowned Joubert BS1088 Gaboon Marine Plywood ( Lloyds certified and FSC certified).
