# Porpoise Ketch performance



## Guimauve (Jul 24, 2008)

We are interested in a 1971 built Porpoise Ketch (42' LOD - 54'LOA?). 
The price is right, the lines are gorgeous and the potential is there but we would like more info on performance. We are having a hard time finding anything specific to Bill Garden designs on line. 
Can anyone help with numbers such as Sail Area & Sail-Disp ratio. 
We plan on using the boat on the south-west BC coast for the next ten years or so and also the possibility of some longer trips to Mexico or Hawaii. 
Our concern is performance in the prevailing light airs in our area (Gulf Islands) since we will be doing most of our crusing for the next while during the summer months and also how she would performance out on the blue. 
Also can anyone suggest links for more info?


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## RXBOT (Sep 7, 2007)

*Found one*

This is the boats name not model. It's a force 50 , ketch,LOA 58-10, LOD 50-10, beam 14-1, draft 6, 52,000#, SA 1250, 120 hp diesel, 8 berths. this is a garden design originally from the 40's and redone in the 70's to incorporate fiberglass.Pilothouse too.Another Garden design from this period is a Formosa 51.Pilothouse ketch,LOA 51, LOD 39-6, draft 6-4,SA 959, Disp 56000#, ballast 12,000#, SA- Disp 10.53. Obviously not light air sailers. They have that China clipper bow look. Your boat probably has similar specs. The Formosa beam is 14 feet.


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## walloon (Jul 26, 2008)

*Garden Ketches*

I own a wooden Walloon ketch designed by Bill Garden. I am very pleased with the sailing characteristics of the boat. Light air performance on my boat is exceptional for a full keel boat of this weight. I takes her a while to get moving, but her momentum once she is moving keeps her going in variable airs. She will easily move at half the wind speed in winds up to 10 knots, and in rough water and light winds I can easily pass lighter displacement boats that supposedly perform better. And the boat has never let me down when the going gets rough.

The boat is steady and seakindly and a great course keeper. Nothing happens fast on this boat, which is an advantage in rough going or in sailing short handed. Tacking requires a full commitment, and she carries way for a considerable time.

Garden, in his own words, has been "blamed" for many of the Formosa and CT designs which were altered from his originals and do not perform well. Having experienced some of these boats, I had some strong reservations when I first became interested in my current boat. As I got to know her, I was amazed at how well she sailed, and she has continued to surpass my expectations. Under engine alone, the boat does not handle well and is slow.

While I have never sailed a Porpoise, I have always admired the design a great deal. If I wanted a somewhat larger boat than I have now, a Porpoise would definitely top my list


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## walloon (Jul 26, 2008)

*Porpoise ketch*

For specifics on sail area, displacement and so forth, see William Garden's book:
"Yacht Designs Revised and Expanded"

From Tiller Publishing. There is a large section on Porpoises in the book, incuding plans and specs.


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## Guimauve (Jul 24, 2008)

Thanks for your input.
I am still not sure if she is a Porpoise or a Formosa.
As far as we can tell the owner-builder enjoyed a good relationship with the designer when she was built.

We do know she is 42' LOD, 114' beam and 18.06 Tons disp.


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## walloon (Jul 26, 2008)

*website for Garden boats*

Check out:
wholeboat.net 
There is a section on Bill Garden as well as a photo galery with descriptions and photos, including several porpoises


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Info on Porpoise*

I have owned a Porpoise for 31 years. It is quite a boat, heavy, to be sure, but made for tradewind sailing. Mine is teak, which probably adds a few tons over the preferred cedar. I think it is a design of unmatched beauty.


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## fullbell (Feb 26, 2018)

*Re: Info on Porpoise*



Porpoiseman said:


> I have owned a Porpoise for 31 years. It is quite a boat, heavy, to be sure, but made for tradewind sailing. Mine is teak, which probably adds a few tons over the preferred cedar. I think it is a design of unmatched beauty.


Hello Porpoiseman,

What's the name of your boat? My dad used to own a 45' porpoise ketch named Delfin and I have no idea where she is these days.

Susan


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

I'd consider any 50' boat with a 120 hp engine a motorsailor, so that might give you some idea of her sailing characteristics. As mentioned, she'll probably do the trades down wind fairly well, but light airs and to windward, probably not so well. 
I think the Force 50's in their many incarnations would be wonderful liveaboard boats, especially in a marina, but they will probably roll pretty badly in some anchorages. I also think they have a tendency to hobby horse.


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## SeaStar58 (Feb 14, 2018)

Guimauve said:


> Thanks for your input.
> I am still not sure if she is a Porpoise or a Formosa.
> As far as we can tell the owner-builder enjoyed a good relationship with the designer when she was built.
> 
> We do know she is 42' LOD, 114' beam and 18.06 Tons disp.


They did not start building the Formosa's until 1972. The Formosa 41 was 14 tons displacement and the 51 was 28 tons.

The Porpoise (Garden) 42 started production in 1971, was 12 tons displacement and originally came with a 34 hp Mercedes Diesel.

See: PORPOISE (GARDEN) sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Porpoise 41









Formosa 41









Formosa 51


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

there is leaky teaky yacht club, a yahoo group with all kinds of info on these leaky teakies. i have formosa 41.
write us an email to [email protected] to join or for info. 
roll? no. not unless someone changed out the belly tank to plastic to hahaha save weight, such as was done in mine. now i have a stainless fuel tank, that has been solved. hobby horsing? only when load is not distributed correctly in holds. 
try 8.4 kts sog in a chubasco . try sailing when all others need to run for safety of a marina due to winds over 20 kts. these are fun to sail in wind. light airs, not so much. that is called drifting. then ye catch fish. sail into wind?? 747 is good for that. these not racing boats they are cruisers and gentlemen never sail to weather. 
someone following my tracker said i made 12.8 kts sog in that chubasco. had that been case we da been flying. oh we were. 
there are many sailing on this coast so we cannot be all bad..
oh yeah... in the sloopi sailed gom, we coul dnot cook underway. i can in my formosa. easily and comfortably. while underway. go figger. 
and all is easily accessed for necessary underway repairing. that in itself cannot be beat.


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

It's been 10 years since the OP has come on. Would be interesting to know what happened .


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