Sélune is a RM1050 built in 2005.
It is designed by Marc Lombard as a fast cruiser,
building up on the original RM concept (RM stands for Résolument
Minimaliste): simple, robust, seaworthy, swift. The hull is plywood/epoxy, with
a steel keel inner structure.
She is rigged as a cutter (it has a 110% genoa, and a
staysail), which in Newfoundland was ideal for adapting the sail plan continuously
though the day. The water can be ballasted, which gives the boat a nice edge upwind.
Another feature we enjoyed, is the full-view saloon. In combination
with a well protected companionway, it gives the person on watch a constant
view of the surroundings, while not being fully exposed to the weather.
The boat is very beamy, which gives plenty of room inside
for storage, including the usual kit for a cruise (folding bike, dinghy and
engine, fender boards, not to mention the extra diesel that other boats would
have to carry in jerrycans). All this finds room inside or in huge cockpit
lockers, keeping the deck profile lean, although I sometimes looked with envy at
other cruisers storing a hard dinghy on deck or on davits.
The cockpit is open astern, a feature that seems rare in North
American cruising boats. We had quite a few questions about its safety – in fact,
it is safe, as the cockpit floor is quite high on the water. I even believe that
this open transom would help a lot in case of crew overboard recovery. It
surely makes life wo much easier when using the dinghy !
We made full use of the AIS; we had a radar, that we barely
used. Our energy was provided by two 100W solar panels, sufficient for our needs
(autopilot, fridge). We had 2 two tanks of 120 l of fuel, and two tanks of 250
l of freshwater, which gave us great piece of mind.
The technical issues we had:
We worked hard in May (see Paul’s blog entries !) to prepare
for the cruise, and as a result (as I like to think), we only had minimal issues:
- · The mainsail battens car track got misaligned, making it difficult to hoist or reef. It was fixed by re-positioning the slug joining the tracks – but while doing this I created a larger issue, as I dropped a critical segment of the track overboard…this one got solved by 3D-printing an new piece.
- · The alternator fails to engage in some circumstances, but we found a workaround before it became a true issue.
- · There is a persistent leak in the front berth, that can only be fixed by lamination work this winter.
- · We broke slats at the bottom of the dinghy – and never managed to get the outboard started.
- · The wind sensor starting acting up halfway in the cruise, and ultimately became unusable.
- · The navigation lights stopped working in the last week.
- · The radar remains a mystery: is it working as intended ?
