Only 50 RHODES 22s are built each year. So, when the race is measured by a nose count, we lose. When the field is measured by speed, the R-22 is always in the money. And when the purchase is measured by quality, YOU win by a lot more than a nose.
For those who want to go beyond the hoopla of the various manufacturers, here are the hard-nosed facts. In this booklet, all the competitive hot air puffery is gone with the wind.
THE MOLDS
"What You Get Is What You See." And vice versa when it comes to molds and boat finishes. If the mold doesn't have it, neither will the part. Molds wear out, just like people, so chances are that plants turning out 1,000 units a year will not produce the finish of a plant doing only 50. To save time and money, high production plants squeeze many more parts between time-outs for mold care. The finish on a low production builder like the Rhodes 22, puts it in a small class with other bright boats. The Rhodes 22 comes from a smaller manufacturer who has found no need to advertise - its highly complemented finish speaking for itself.
In addition to mold quality care and aging in the molds, you might be interested in the number of molds. Twenty-seven separate molds are used to create each R-22. That is many, many times the number used in other 22s. So what? So the boat is nicer to look at and touch, the boat is much stronger, and the boat is more practical to live with. Examples: Lift up the cockpit seat hatch of a competitive boat and you will see the painted rough side of the fiberglass. The Rhodes uses a separate mold to create a red liner to cement to the lazaret hatch for a better looking, easier to clean, stronger cover. Almost all boats use one mold to form the deck with the cockpit floor as an integral part. The Rhodes employs a major additional mold to create a cockpit liner to provide more practical space in the cockpit. Also, two more molds are used here to form coaming compartments with not one, but two storage shelves.
Some boats are made with glass hull liners, and this is good construction. We do not use a hull liner (even though it would make our construction more idiot proof for our labor) because we want the warmer tones of interior teak. Some boats use carpeted headliners but we are not too keen on this construction. We use a separate mold for a fiberglass cabin headliner that is resistant to mold, easier to clean and, at the same time, forms a much stronger deck laminate.
And consider the galley doors. We tried wood, mica, and acrylic. All had inherent problems. Other builders told us we could not mold fiberglass doors because the doors would warp in the direction of the gel coat. We built additional molds for liners on the back of each door to counter this distortion. This resulted in carefree, attractive, long lasting sliding doors.
THE LAY-UP
Fiberglass construction of the Rhodes has always been rather conventional. In the seventies the boats were laid up by chopper gun. In the eighties they were all hand laid-up of matt. Currently the hulls and decks are partly laminated with a gun and partly hand laid-up of matt and roving. Many buyers have the notion that hand lay-up is superior to chopper gun lay-up, and they are partially right but partially for the wrong reason. Hand lay-up is probably somewhat stronger, but not enough to give up considering a chopper gun product, IF it is done properly. And that is the big "if". Consistency is difficult. In the early days it was easier to find a lay-up mechanic who could count fiberglass layers than a chopper operator who was expert with a gun. The Rhodes combination of gun and hand lay-up is probably the best of today's constructions. Many other builders use all chopper gun construction. Few use core materials with their lay-ups, as we currently do.
Curing of fiberglass, like concrete, takes time. Obviously if you are in a hurry to get out 1,000 parts, instead of 50, you might tend to be a bit hasty at times. One result of rushing is pattern print-through to the finished gel coat.
In the early days of fiberglass boats, blistering of the gel coat below the water line was unheard of. Today there is much fear from this potential disease. Only two Rhodes' owners ever reported getting some blistering on their boats. In discussing the fact that we have not been plagued by this problem, one boat builder suggested that today's bigger manufacturers are forced to keep their eye on the bottom profit line so go into more mass production techniques and short cuts. We didn't plan it that way but we have turned into a non-profit organization and so never look at our bottom line - just the quality of our line. If, in spite of our good blister record so far, you are concerned about the blister epidemic, you can buy insurance in the form of an option we offer of a built-up epoxy coating between the gel coat and the anti-fouling bottom painting. (Super Options Price List)
THE HARDWARE
It is easy to appreciate management's policy that if you can save a nickel on this fastener, a dollar on a block, ten on the cleats, two hundred on sails, four hundred on spars and rigging and multiply these savings by 1,000, it is worth considering. But it doesn't make that much sense to nickel and dime a good design to death when you only build 50. A very well known builder of boats in our category, (a name you would know if I mentioned it so I won't) told me that he has a man continually going around his boat to see how they can knock off those nickels and dimes here and there. We have a collective advisor going around our boat (in the form of Rhodes owners and potential owners) telling us how we can make our boat better. And we do just that. It does eat into our bottom line. It does make the price go up now and then. But, by Neptune, it gives you, the buyer, one of the best 22s, if not THE best 22, available today.
Examples: When we attend a boat show we take one single boat part and study every powerboat and sailboat at that show to see how other builders handle this one subject matter. By the time we have completed our narrow focus, we are experts on item "X". Sometimes a builder's approach is so good, we can make no improvements. Sometimes two or more builders have good ideas that we can combine into a better idea. And sometimes we have to go back to our own drawing board to come up with an original idea, but at least now we understand that item inside and out.
Docking cleats: One sailboat builder passes a piece of aluminum tubing between an indentation in his deck and calls it a cleat. This is a creative idea, but it is not a cleat. You can not slip the eye end of a docking line through it or around it. You cannot secure a line with a figure eight and simple hitch. You have to make and undo knots every time you use it. Most builders use closed or open based cleats, fastened to the deck with two bolts. The open base is the more useful, but a cleat with only two bolts will eventually loosen because of the mechanical advantage applied to its overhangs. We have found the best way to go: open base, four bolts in spread legs, oversized, and angle mounted in such a way as to keep lines from chafing the gel coat.
This kind of "study the subject, get the next larger size, spend a little more instead of a little less" philosophy permeates the hardware selection for the Rhodes 22. And, when we do err, fortunately no middle men insulate us from our knowledgeable owners who help us find a better way. For instance: We were using 8" investment cast stainless steel cleats, the best you can buy and a size or two larger than all other competitive boats, when an owner suggested we go even larger on the bow deck cleat so that owners who like to "raft" with other boats would have easy raft tying ability. New Rhodes now have 10" deck cleats! Check out the size cleats used on other boats you are considering.
This kind of concentrated "study the subject" philosophy, combined with "listen to owners" philosophy, also leads to innovative hardware design - hardware that cannot be purchased from our suppliers. So an unusual amount of Rhodes hardware is built by us or for us: the pop top mechanism, the outboard motor lift, the genoa and main furling systems, adjustable height boom gooseneck, the centerboard control, the rudder system, and ladder, tiller, and anchor fittings.
To remain a survivor, able to celebrate 37 years, while watching many of those who started with us (O'Day, Cape Dory, Ericson, Erwin, Tanzer and endless others) close their doors, we had to turn to inventive design, much of it inspired by the practical good sense of our owners, much of it covered in the pages that follow.
THE KEEL
We could write a book about keels and in the end there would still be unanswered questions. But we wrote a booklet anyway. Ask for it: The Combination Keel/Diamondboard. Designers are constantly playing with new approaches to fins. But every article you will research all come to the conclusion that the best way to go is still the old fashioned combination keel/centerboard. The Rhodes has stayed with this winning combination from the very start - with one slight exception. We could not resist the logic of an elder statesman naval architect who said builders have been getting the shape of the centerboard backward. And so the diamond shape of the board in our combination keel/diamondboard. The fixed keel part of the combination, forms a sweeping fin of art with a beveled bottom to cut down end-plate turbulence. And houses the external, solid ballast.
The Rhodes combination keel/diamondboard has a 20" draft that allows sailing, not just floating, in shoal waters. And actually makes sailing onto a trailer easier than any other style fin (because the lowered diamond board finds the trailer guides under water and then is automatically raised by the trailer at the proper moment). And also makes traveling the road safer than any other style fin (because the Rhodes sits lower than wing keel boats on a trailer plus has a lower center of gravity than water ballast type boats). The molded-in solid keel section of the fin forms such a strong under belly, that the Rhodes can bounce off rocky bottoms without harm. The shape of the keel, along with the natural incline of shore line literally allows sailing your Rhodes right onto a beach and stepping off the bow deck dry.
The externally ballasted keel is heavy enough to contribute to the Rhodes non-capsizability under sail, and the diamondboard is light enough to allow raising or lowering it in a split second. The keel is not an appendage bolted onto the boat's bottom (as are the wing keels) with the leakage problems of through bolting. Instead the keel is an integrally molded part of the one piece hull, with practically no chance of ever leaking, while at the same time providing the strength of a "T" beam configuration to the boat's bottom for fearless anything bashing.
Inside the keel is a separately molded trunk designed to do away with the conventional thru-the-keel centerboard pin with all its related leakage potential. Around this trunk is the resin encapsulated-shot ballast that provides the keel with its tremendous structural integrity. Other than bottom painting, this keel requires no maintenance because it is fixed. It is part of the hull, not bolted on. It is not metal. It will last forever.
The Diamondboard installs in the keel trunk from the top. This means that the board can be removed by the owner from inside the cabin (unlike other boats' movable fins that require cranes when servicing them). The pivot pin "V" slot automatically aligns the board, and because it is internal it cannot leak. A reusable gasket goes over the centerboard trunk flange, and the trunk cap screws down over this gasket. You may never ever have to lift out the diamondboard but, if necessary, it is easily done from inside the boat.
The board's control line is a braided pendant that can last a lifetime (unlike steel cables where single strands wear out and foul the winch). Should the owner wish to replace the line, he or she has only to unscrew the centerboard cap from inside the cabin. The controlling servo cleat is conveniently and unobtrusively located in the cockpit above a shelf that keeps the control line from underfoot.
The Diamondboard is molded glass for a finer shape than can be had with cast iron and filled solid with resin encapsulated ballast that makes it almost indestructible. It weighs about 70 pounds, making it heavy enough to stay down by itself while sailing. Yet, in the water, it is light enough for a child to put it up or down or in-between, all without a winch.
Because ballast in the Rhodes is in the fixed part of its fin, and because there are no troublesome winches and handles, and because the Diamondboard freely pivots up when striking anything, instead of bringing the keel assembly to a shocking halt (as movable ballast systems or fixed keels or dagger boards do), the Rhodes combination keel/diamondboard is remarkably carefree.
THE RUDDER
With the move to a centralized motor, the rudder system is undergoing an interesting new design. Therefore this window, describing the current rudder parts and features, is being left out for now.
We can mention that the tiller(s) (hint) lift so you can sail sitting or standing. A hiking stick stands ready in its tiller lock. Rotating its control knob allows adjusting its length so you can sail from any position in the cockpit. Port and starboard stern rail locks, that hold the hiking stick whenever you do not want to, and the control knob on the end of the stick, allow you to lock onto your wanted course so that if you are sailing solo, you can go below for more pressing matters. At days end you can lock the tiller to keep the rudder from thru-the-night gyrating.
WHEEL STEERING ?????
Unless you have a macho mate or miss your car, we think not. True, a wheel on a sailboat does have romantic appeal. But there is something inherently more appropriate in steering with a tiller. You may have noticed that some very large boats use tillers. A tiller in your hand is more responsive and somehow melds you with the performance of your boat magically signaling you in advance of what is about to happen. Having said all this we will, nevertheless, give you wheel steering if that is where you see yourself. What we might more readily go along with is remote control levers for motor control. On the few boats we have installed this luxury, the owners are ecstatic re-handling ease under outboard power.
THE TRANSOM
The transom is home to the motor lift, the rudder assembly, the boarding ladder and the mighty stern eyes. So busy is the transom, there is little room left for traditional names. So many owners have named each side of their hull. We do not approve. Names are very difficult to remove and your next mate or buyer may have their own favorite. Consider a fancy carved plaque. To hold up to its heavy responsibility the transom is cored between its interior and exterior glass shells.
THE THREE EYES OF THE RHODES
The eye on the bow and the two eyes on the transom are supplied as standard equipment because we use them at the plant for lifting the boat onto the trailer. Some owners use them to hang their boats from davits; they are that strong. It is a risk, owners have been taking without our approval and we find they have been hanging around like this for years, proving even stronger than we dared suggest.
If you plan to keep your boat at a mooring, the bow eye is the ideal prime connection, with a slack safety line going to the bow deck cleat. If your home port is a slip with pilings, preset lines with snap shackles to the three eyes, make for neat, fast dockage every time.
THE FOAM FLOTATION
Most boats this size do not have foam flotation. The media is continually reporting sinkings. I recall leaning over the railing at the Marina Del Ray and sickeningly focusing in on the soft outline of a pretty sailboat. Don't assume the boat you buy is unsinkable. Very few are. A few use foam blocks. The Rhodes has two molded foam sections glassed into the hull so that in addition to making the boat unsinkable, they make the hull stronger. One section is under the forward bunk; the other under the cockpit floor.
Even though the Rhodes cannot sink, the bilge should be checked and sponged every week or so to keep humidity in the interior to a minimum. This is easy. The carpet is not cemented to the cabin floor. It stays fresh because there is air space underneath. And it stays securely in place because of the way it is cut to come up and under the galley toe recess. By peeling the carpet back diagonally from the bow/galley corner of the floor, a bilge inspection door is uncovered. Lift this door and you are at the lowest point of the bilge. Water will be slight and easy to take out with a sponge or towel. This construction is designed to encourage you to keep the bilge dry.
The cockpit seats and floor are independently self-bailing. However, even with three rather than the usual one or two, you should check these drains occasionally to see that they are kept clear. Many of today's new style competitive boats have been able to do away with self bailing outlets by simply forgetting to put on a transom; a trade-off I would not care to make. The area in the large enclosed locking lazaret is not self-bailing.
THE DECK TO HULL JOINING
I have never seen any boat builder's deck and hull separate. Nor have ours ever parted. But buyers often ask about this step. We use the "shoe box" technique for the more attractive style rub rail. The vertical side of the deck fits over the vertical lip of the hull. We do carry this construction choice one step further with a thickened hull lip for dead-ending the connecting stainless steel fasteners. Heavier bolts join hull to deck at the bow, stern, and chain plate areas. Then the seam is caulked. The rub rail hides all this extensive mechanical work.
THE GALLEY
The galley is a modular unit that can be removed from the boat for remodeling. Once in place, it has a plumbing connection to a remote, deck-filled, 15 gallon water tank, and to an external waste hose discharge; and an electrical connection to the on-demand-faucet. This automatic electric faucet means you get flowing water while both your hands remain free.
We will describe the construction of the galley unit starting from the top shelf. This handy, open storage area, just below the cabin windows, is formed by a fascia across the galley top. Just below this top shelf is a double door cabinet that extends all the way back to the flared gunnels of the hull, and opens onto the mica counter. The cabinet doors are mirrored and have ceramic knobs instead of finger holes. Your arm can disappear so deeply into this upper cabinet, that an onlooker would guess that there is a hole in the side of the boat. There is a hole on the deck (the water deck fill plate), so that a hose does not have to be carried into the cabin to fill the water tank.
The counter top is butcher block pattern, unless otherwise ordered, with a teak pin rail retaining fascia, or solid fascia, as desired. The counter houses an extra deep, non-integral, molded fiberglass colored sink with drain and stopper, that discharges overboard unless otherwise specified. The counter also houses a single burner gas cartridge stove with elements that can be removed for easy cleaning or use in the cockpit. The stove has a cutting board cover. Rubber legs on the cutting board retain the board over the stove, and provide protection and more stability when used on the counter. Built into the galley shelf fascia is the electric control panel with both a 12volt outlet and a GFI 110 volt double outlet for a microwave and electric stove second burner.
Under the aft end of the counter is a built-in, yet removable, front loading ice chest with adjustable shelves to maximize space utilization, a separate ice compartment with a spigot to provide ice water, and an insulated door. A recessed latch, accessible by opening a lower galley door, draws the ice box door closed. Alternately, AC/DC real electric refrigeration is available. The R22 is the only small cruiser having the unstressful, operational convenience of a vertical ice box door.
Below the galley counter are the two fiberglass doors (see "Molds") with molded bars for easy sliding access to substantial storage, access to sink plumbing and electrical connections and access to the cooking unit control and gas canister. The bottom shelf cantilevers for comfortable toe recess room while standing.
THE HEAD
We asked the Coast Guard for their current outlook regarding the use of heads in small boats. Their response was candid, surprising, and very interesting (and off the record). Yes, they did have a rule stating that no craft could discharge waste within the three mile limit. However, that rule went hand-in-hand with their assumption that marinas would provide pump-out stations.
Their unpublished view was that until such services are universal, they are lax in enforcing the "three mile rule". My reading between the lines: "We are trying to be fair so until the assumed alternates are available, a legal challenge would be difficult for us to defend." Furthermore they said that they are now convinced that chemically treated waste is more detrimental to the environment (the sea) than the small amount of biodegradable waste coming from small pleasure boats. While no rules have been changed as yet, the members I spoke to thought we should be guided by this thinking.
I told them that we were offering a new head system in the Rhodes that allows waste to be pumped out by equipped marinas or discharged overboard or held, in an on-board holding tank, depending on the facilities available to the captain, the waters he is in and his civic good sense. They thought this a splendid solution, given the limited availability of pump-out stations.
The Rhodes' super FULLY ENCLOSED head/primping room (mirror, light, 110v hair dryer/shaver outlet) has a separate holding tank, port deck waste pump out, optional electric macerator through-the- hull discharge and an ingenious three panel door that expands the head compartment when in use. The holding tank can be pumped out at a marina's professional facility or optionally pumped overboard at appropriate sea locations where it would not be objectionable. No more bringing water in to load the head or taking the head out to unload it. A remarkable convenience for a trailerable cruiser.
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
There are 4 cabin lights: on the aft port cabin wall for couch reading, over the "powder-room" mirror for primping (and for head reading?), over the galley work area and in the "V" berth. Each fixture has two lamps for a a total of 8 bulbs. Individual lamp switches allow doubling of light output when needed.
The electrical system includes running lights for navigation under sail or under power. (The stern light is centered atop the stern rail so no boat parts can obstruct its signal.)
Amazingly, the Rhodes electrical system also includes 110 volt circuitry, shore-side power connection and 110v inside outlets !
Note: An anchor light is only required if the boat is anchored at night in a channel. It is unlikely that a 22 would anchor overnight in a channel so an anchor light is not provided. For those requiring an anchor light, a switch is installed so the deck power outlet can energize either the steaming light or the anchor light, since both would not be used at the same time.
All the wiring is installed before the cabin head liner is put in, to provide a clean appearance. Additional wiring can be neatly installed at future dates by removing the decorative seam strips over the deck to hull joining. Wires can also be fished through the hollow, vertical cabin walls. Rather expensive tinned copper marine grade cables are used.
A fused control panel and 12 volt outlet is on the cabin wall above the galley for easy access from the cabin or the cockpit. The 12 volt outlet is handy for 12 volt appliances like vacuums, search lights, etc. The control panel has additional switches and fuses for future new circuits. Each rocker switch lights when its circuit is in use. One switch energizes the interior lights circuitry. A second switch turns on the under-sail running lights. A third switch energizes a deck outlet forward of the mast. This receptacle has a threaded weather cap. A male plug from the base of the mast connects to this deck outlet for the mast steaming light. A radio mast antenna disconnect mounts on this same power plate for the mast antenna.
Power is fed to the control panel from a #27 12 volt marine battery under the hinged dinette seat. A second #27 battery can be under a hatch in the couch seat for unequalled on-board power. While the batteries have handles for easy removal for external charging, they need never be handled during their lifetime thanks to a fully automatic type on-board charger connected to the 110v outlet providing ongoing charging at dock-side. Or, thanks to the double cabin "ok to walk on" solar panels quietly working while you are working elsewhere or quietly sailing. Still additional power can be had from a small gas operated generator stored in the lazaret for use in isolated locations.
We think double solar battery maintenance the most practical approach for most owners. We do not suggest an outboard motor with an alternator unless you plan to do a great deal of traveling under motor. (Unlikely with this very special sailboat.)
THE INSTRUMENTATION
Although we will install radios, compasses, knot meters, depth finders and all sorts of other gadgetry we leave the brand selection to you. We think bare is beautiful. But if you must rely on the comfort of technology, one of our owners devised a great way to mount a compass on a removable companionway panel that we will gladly do for you. And a knot meter is a good learning tool, going up as you do right and fading as you err.
THE INTERIOR
The floor unit, bunk bulkhead, and supports are glassed into the hull. The main bulkhead, galley unit, seats, cabin sole and forward bunk side walls, are screwed in place for easy removal for any future alterations, replacements or remodeling.
The cabin ceiling has a full fiberglass headliner for brightness, easy cleaning and is mold and odor free! From the bow deck air scoop (that doubles as the anchor rope entry) flows around-the-clock weather-protected ventilation. Tracks, attached to the ceiling over the forward bunk, store the dining table when not in use. Clothes hangers in the enclosed head compartment provide practical multi-purpose space use.
The fiberglass headliner extends down the vertical sides of the cabin-trunk and down the aft cabin wall, forming a hollow chamber between the inner and outer cabin walls. This not only provides excellent insulation but allows hardware to be fastened anywhere inside the cabin without infringing on the external aesthetics of the deck.
Ventilation is awesome: Two large opening cabin-trunk top hatches along with the bow air scoop and available side cabin opening ports with screens, plus the windows and screens in the pop top enclosure, deliver venting unmatched in any other boat. And, of course there is the "Dutch" cabin door (still to be covered). The large double cabin top hatches also allow standing in the cabin. A comfortable convenience for some of us when using the "head".
The walls of the hull are covered with an insulating, mildew- proof carpet. Seam strips cover the meeting of the ceiling glass liner and wall carpet. Removal of these decorative strips provide access to the main chain plates. The walls along the sides of the forward bunks are accent-trimmed pegboard (for hanging of clothes hammocks for soft storage), or other fascia material as desired. These walls rise above their supports, forming 12 feet of handy shelving around the bunks. A removable panel covering the forward joining of the walls, provides access to the bow eye and bow chain plate. A fiberglass triangular anchor rope locker sits like a drawer atop the forward end of the forward bunk walls. However it is not readily recognized because of its attractive wood fascia.
Under the 2 removable "V" berths is forward foam flotation, 15 gallon water storage, 9 gallon waste storage, along with other necessary plumbing, electrical and thru-the-hull valve business.
The head compartment is the most unique toilet facility ever incorporated in a 22' trailerable sailboat design. Part of its ingenuity comes from a three panel door that allows the compartment to expand its size when occupied. A sliding panel on the wall opposite this three part door allows additional expansion toward the bow or privacy from the forward bunks. A hatch over the head provides excellent sitting headroom and standing room, in addition to light and ventilation. Mirrors, lamps, outlets, clothes hangers, shelving, offer unexpected convenience for making up, drying hair, shaving and alternate storage.
Bulkheads are fabricated from the highest quality oiled teak, gorgeous and carefree and easy to mount accessories on. These stunning panels can be scratched, but thrive on just a bit of TLC.
That part of the seat unit along the port side, can be considered as a long couch with a full set of back rest cushions. Or one cushion can be moved to the aft cabin wall to make up a reading chaise lounge under the wall lamp. Under this part of the seating is sliding door access to limited storage area.
That part of the seating adjacent to the mast supporting "head" bulkhead, hinges up for easy access to one of the large batteries and other electrical equipment like a vacuum.
That part of the seating in front of the cabin entrance: Acts as an entrance step. Acts as extremely handy, tremendous storage area with a long drawer that pulls out and out further until it is across the entire length of the cabin floor. Acts as a seat (with or without its back rest cushion) for the dining table. And of course, acts to make up the very large double dinette bunk.
The floor is finished with a very durable and very good looking ribbed carpet. This carpet does not sit directly on the hull as is the case in many other small cruisers. It has air under it. It does not absorb moisture. And it is not cemented to the sub-floor. It peels back for easy access to the bilge opening. It removes easily for cleaning or replacement (it is only 4' X 6'). It is an extremely attractive, practical, non-skid cabin sole. The head floor is non-absorbing, cleanable plastic.
A recessed socket in the cabin floor receives the dining table post. The same post fits in a matching socket in the cockpit floor. The table top has a surface mounted socket that permits the table to be rotated on the post to make it easier for people to get to their seats and for using the table at the most comfortable angle for the crew involved; i.e., if just two people want to sit face to face, the table axis can be port to starboard. Four or five can be seated with the axis bow to stern. And with one seated and the other working at the galley, setting the table at a 45 degree axis works just fine. The same rotating ability allows for serving up to five in the cockpit. When the table is not being used for dining in the cockpit or in the cabin or as the base for the main double bunk, it stores in the tracks under the bow deck. Every movable part has a home.
The cabin door has a stainless steel piano hinge allowing the top part of the door to pivot outward for: 1. Safety should you have to leave the cabin in a hurry. 2. Use as a serving bar, chart or card table, when supported in the horizontal position by the cabin door table leg. (A socket comes built into every door.) 3. Folding down like dutch doors so youngsters can play in the cabin while they can see you and you can see them but stopping them from suddenly dashing out into an open cockpit area. 4. And finally for storing. The folded door goes under a cockpit seat and then turns up vertically for storage inside the gunnels. Cabin companionway enclosures of other boats are often a lot of sections of individual wood panels looking for a home when not being stacked on top of each other to form the cabin door.
THE SLEEPING DETAILS
There are six interior cushions in luxurious fabric: one long cushion for the "couch" seat, 3 back rest cushions that come down to form the large double dinette berth, and 2 triangular "V" berth cushions covering double entry to the behind the scene services. Fabric choices are infinite since, if you do not find a favorite pattern or color from the selections that we send you, you can supply your own material to our fabricator.
Removable panels under the aft ends of the 6' long forward bunks provide access to the utilities and for limited storage. If and when a crew member outgrows this bunk, it can be extended with an optional cushion over the head, making it almost 8' long. This also increases the effectiveness of the other 6' bunk by providing more leg room. But it does make "head" accessibility more difficult during the night. A better idea is coming.
The long couch seat cushion and the three back rest cushions combine to make up the wide, 6'-6" long double bunk. A great deal of engineering went into designing this dual use of these three cushions. To use them properly you must learn this simple game of musical cushions: Start at the aft end of the couch with the smallest of the cushions. This cushion is not a perfect rectangle. The top rises slightly toward the bow. The cushion fits neatly and snugly on top of the couch cushion and under the deck. If it does not, you probably have it reversed.
The next back rest cushion is the largest of the 3 cushions. It too has a top that rises slightly toward the bow. And it too should match the angle of the deck or you probably have it reversed. The last back rest cushion is the middle sized cushion. It is a perfect square so it can be placed in either direction, except that you do want the pattern orientation to match the other two cushions.
To make up one of the biggest double dinette bunks of any of the 22s, the game continues: The entrance step and the hinged seat, have lips bolted to them to support the table when it is lowered to fill in this part of the "U" shaped seating area. First, the smallest back rest cushion turns 90 degrees and moves onto the hinged seat. Then the large, middle back rest cushion comes down over the table. And then the square, middle sized cushion crisscrosses over to sit on the entrance step. If you have a slightly tight fit, raise the adjacent edges of the two tight fitting cushions and push them down together. If you have an impossible fit, stop the music and call us.
A third double or triple bunk is in the cockpit. It is 7'-4". Four filler cushions complete the triple bunk by closing the foot well, although you may want to use only three so that a standing area remains open next to the cabin entrance. When not in use these cushions store vertically in the gunnels. When in use the filler cushions sit on top of the trim strips around the edge of the cockpit seats. These four cockpit filler cushions have ridged backs to span the foot well opening and are numbered 1,2,3,4.
- INTERMISSION -
If all this reading and this talk of comfortable bunks has made you drowsy, take a break. Pleasant dreams about your Rhodes 22.
THE POP TOP
"Pop tops leak." "Pop tops are hard to put up." "Pop tops are flimsy." The truth is Pop Tops are WONDERFUL. . . if they are rugged, easy to handle, can't leak, and we will add one more requirement: tall enough to stand under, even while sailing.
Every boat has a sliding hatch. But no one says sliding hatches leak. If one accepts sliding hatches as being water proof enough, than you must accept the pop top as being even more water proof because it has a much deeper overlapping lip than other type hatches. Pop tops got their early leakage reputation from builders who installed hardware through the pop tops, and the hardware leaked. Any negative reviews these days either come from builders who do not want to go the extra costs to build good pop tops, or from prospects who found them too hard to raise. The Rhodes construction detailing has changed all that.
Leakage: The lip around the pop top is unusually deep. There is no gasket. Air can circulate, but water can not, (unless you are hell-bent on submerging your boat). There are no holes through the top of the pop top. Hardware has been designed for internal connections. There is no leakage.
Ease of Handling: Most pop top systems work off pivoting arms, meaning that the entire pop top weight must be handled when raising. The Rhodes uses a unique system of telescoping arms making it possible to raise only half the weight at one time. Two stainless steel lower arms, mounted to the interior, aft cabin walls, receive a stainless steel, inverted "U" shaped upper arm that can move in the lower arms like a slide trombone. The upper arm passes through two self-lubricating discs connected to the inside lips of the pop top.
The front of the pop top connects to a specially designed pop top slider in the mast track. The operator moves the sliding hatch all the way forward and steps onto the entrance step in the cabin. Placing both hands on the convenient cross bar of the inverted "U" upper arm, he or she pushes up the upper arm to an automatic stop; then moves forward and pushes up the front of the pop top until it too automatically stops. It is amazingly easy since only half the weight is being handled at one time. It is amazingly simple because it snaps into position automatically. It is amazingly rugged because it is attached to the mast. It is amazingly comfortable to sail with the pop top up.
Pop tops designed with pivoting arms are difficult to design with good headroom because the longer the arms the more the pop top becomes displaced from the opening it is supposed to cover. The Rhodes' telescoping arms raise the pop top to 6'-4" headroom directly over the cabin opening. Close the sliding hatch and fair weather sailors can stand in the cabin and escape the sun.
The pop top has a sliding hatch built into it. But of course it is no ordinary sliding hatch. It is glass lined for beauty as well as strength. It has a cantilever peak for excellent weather protection over the top of the cabin door. It glides on four self lubricating legs for scratchless performance and effortless finger-tip control. A built-in key lock secures the cabin.
THE RAILS
"They look pretty straight forward to me. . . But having read this far, I know he will find something to say about them anyway." And of course, you are right. The bow pulpit is pretty conventional. It does have four legs instead of three, as many do today. It is a little fuller, and it does extend out past the bow a bit more than others. And it does have an extra bracket for mast carrying that is also great as an extra grab rail. But this fat, juicy bow pulpit pails next to the R-22 stern rail. We listened to our smart owners: "The gunnels are such a great place to sail from. Why don't you expand on this feature by not having the stern rail take up any of this precious space?" So the Rhodes' stern rail differs from all the others. It is mounted on the sides of the deck, creating another great place for the captain to sit. Lacking seatable gunnels, other boats try to make up for this by building seats into the rail itself. The R-22 stern rail goes a giant step further, not only with its built-in curved back rest, but with the sexy Skipper's Swivel Seats.
And how many sailboats have stainless steel handrails on top of the cabin? Not many. Most have teak. And so does the Rhodes, if that is your wish. So anxious are we to accommodate our owners that when one couple were at great odds over this choice, she wanting teak, he, anticipating all the oiling he would have to do, wanting stainless, we built the boat with teak rails to port and stainless rails on the starboard. Just an attempt at a little humor from this sit down boat comic, but the point remains: you have a lot of input in the building of your Rhodes. It is our policy to tell you how and why we would do it this way and then to do it your way. Our reasoning is based on many years of experience and we want to pass this on to our buyers. But often the buyer's way is better, and our experience about our product and how it is used, grows. Builders, who do not have direct contact with the buyer, miss this valuable opportunity.
One such example is the hand or grab rail (teak or stainless) on the rear of the cabin trunk. No other 22 has these rails. But thanks to our buyers, the Rhodes does. They are particularly great for a boat where so much exhilarating sailing is done from the gunnels. And they are just as welcomed by the timid boarder. They offer a helping hand when stepping on or off the boat.
You do not see many Rhodes with life lines. This is an example of the buyers taking our advice, even though a life line package is available. Life lines can be had along the cabin side decks, sloping down to the bow to form a slot for the genoa. They can be had running from bow pulpit to the aft end of the cabin, or all the way back to the stern rail. They do add some glitter to the boat. But are they really needed? Could you better use the dollar credit elsewhere? With the 175% furling genoa there is no need to go out on the foredeck to change or lower sails. When duty does call for "all hands on deck", the Rhodes "vertical life line" shrouds make this a very secure walk. Besides, even with the Rhodes unusually wide side decks, life line stanchions are an annoying encroachment. The move, of course, is yours. Don't do it for the children. With their sure footed feet and the Rhodes' great handrails, kids never fall overboard. It is the adults we lose !
THE SPARS
The Rhodes is the only 22 available with a conventional spar or an INNERMAST FURLING spar. The conventional spar is pretty conventional. Its boom can be adjusted to sail at different heights and is capable of roller reefing the main sail. The internal furling INNERMAST FURLING mast is not new to the Rhodes, but it may be new to you so we will give you a few details.
The spar is extruded from our own dies. The mast is stiffer than conventional shapes because of its greater dimension fore to aft, and because of its port to starboard inner web and aft end returns that form the slot. The inner web creates a separate chamber so that wires and hardware do not share the sail chamber.
The mast head locks into a recess in top of the mast. It has double sets of sheaves; one set for the topping lift, the other for a spinnaker halyard. Spreaders are extra long for extra mast stiffness for any extra sail area challenges. The spreader ends are capped with plastic sockets for securing the upper shrouds so that no additional sail protection has to be added by the owner.
The steaming light on the leading edge of the mast has been moved to the top end of the mast, not only for broader visibility, but to make it easier for the trailering owner to more readily slide the mast out over the bow pulpit without having to overcome any obstacles. The returns along the sail slot on the mast have a series of holes; port side for automatically setting the selected boom height, starboard side for automatically locking the raised pop top. Did we forget anything? Only to tell you about the Rhodes one-women-power mast hoist (covered in other literature).
THE CHAIN PLATES AND STAYS
Chain Plates And Stays - 9" That is the marquee for our current attraction. Not many plunk down their coins for this feature. It is a sleeper. But its sequel, and the next coming attraction, is a block buster, not to be missed. However we are getting ahead of what is now playing.
Many lookers are concerned about the little stainless steel holder the mast sits in. It couldn't possibly be sufficient to secure that big mast in any kind of blow. They are right. They would be even more disturbed if they knew that that little mast step was held to the deck by only three little screws ! ??
First let's look at the nine chain plates. It is at these points that the real load of the mast is transferred to the boat. If winds cause the mast to heel, the boat must follow, or the mast falls. The more areas on the hull this load can be spread over, the less the strain on the boat and the safer you will be.
Most 22s have six stays; and even less chain plates, because they send two or more stays to a single plate. The Rhodes is the only 22 we know of that sports nine stays, each going to its own chain plate. 9 Chain Plates. There is good support for our madness:
First is the better load distribution we mentioned. Second, masts tend to pump, that is flex fore and aft in the mid section, if they are not supported here. Having one pair of lower shrouds (stays on port and starboard below the spreaders) only dampens this pumping action in one direction. There must be fore and aft lower shrouds to handle this properly. Most 22s only have aft lowers. Third, this big, flexible stick wants to be standing on your deck tall and straight. The more stays, the easier it is to tune the mast and keep it tuned. Fourth, you can lose an awful lot of Rhodes stays and that mast will not come down. On most 22s, losing just the jib stay will bring down the mast, and on top of the cockpit at that. And finally, for practical comfort: The Rhodes' upper shrouds go vertically from the gunnel to the large spreaders. The double lower shrouds go from the cabin top, diagonally to just below the spreaders. This leaves a clear walkway to the bow deck. More than that, since there are nine stays and since each stay goes to its own chain plate and since the chain plates are spread out, the shrouds become vertical life lines, grabbable at any height. (As compared to regular life lines, that are at an awkward height to hold, and at a good height to crease you at the back of the knees for flipping over backwards.) One point for trailering boat people: double lowers allow you the option of raising the mast from fore or aft.
Our mast step worrier still isn't satisfied, particularly since he now knows the step is just held down by those three little screws. Because of the way masts are supported by stays, most of the force at the bottom of the mast is downward. The very small horizontal thrust at the bottom of the mast is easily handled by fasteners in shear. On the other hand, if the stays supporting the mast are disconnected, there is no way that this huge lever called a mast, would not pry up its mast step, no matter how many bolts it had. We once witnessed a 22, whose builder had innocently bolted on his mast step, lose the cabin top when the mast came down. Although Rhodes' owners are smart, we know of some absent minded professor types who drove off with their masts up. It was amazing how little damage was done when the first bridge or cable they met took down their masts. Their savior was those three little screws that make for a clean break away of the mast step from the deck. I have replaced such break away mast steps by just driving three epoxy coated pieces of wood into the 3 holes and re-screwing the mast step back in place. We trust you will never have to take advantage of this wonderful construction detail. But even if a jealous neighbor pulls the pins from all your stays, the joke will be on him.
Our worrier is grudgingly convinced, but now he has found something else. Those chain plates will never hang in there with just those two little screws he spotted next to each shroud chain plate.
The real fasteners for the shroud chain plates are not visible on the Rhodes, from the inside or the outside. Those two little screws merely hold down the chain plate covers, making them easily removed for re-caulking chain plate slots after chain plates re-seat from sailing forces.
Having read this far undoubtedly means you are a detail nut. So let us tell you how the nine chain plates are really fastened. The bow chain plate is through-bolted to the deck and hull (also helping to keep these two elements together in a key place). The four lower shroud chain plates are glassed into the 1" cabin top you saw displayed at the boat show. The lower shrouds, collectively are very important, but individually carry the least part of the mast load. The upper shroud is the real work horse. Its chain plate goes down the deck to the deck/ hull seam, where it forms a "T" that is triple bolted through both the deck and the hull. You do not see it because it is behind the rub rail on the outside and behind the seam strip on the inside. (Yet, like so much of the hardware connections on the Rhodes and unlike some hardware on other designs, is accessible if ever necessary.) The back stays chain plates are bolted through the corners of the transom. Corners are the strongest part of any layup.
Stay Summary: The Rhodes has 9 stays, each going to its own chain plate for extraordinary mast load distribution, all placed to make it easier to walk the decks between them, culminating in the best mast support and shape integrity possible plus allowing mast raising from fore or aft. All equalling the highest safety factor of any trailerable or any boat with a single handed hinged mast system.
THE TRAVELER
Another result of our narrow "boat show study program": We found travelers mounted everywhere; every position presented some kind of objection. Travelers can be on the cabin roof. Not practical for a pop top boat. They can be in front of the cabin entrance. Not practical for a busy cockpit. They can be across the seats or gunnels, dividing the cockpit into two compartments. No comment. They can be across the transom. Hinders lift-up tillers. They can be blocks on the corners of the transom with a triangulation of the main sheet. NG. The main sheet wipes out cockpit space by crisscrossing from a transom corner to the boom and very messy when running; also, half the time the controls are on the wrong side. They can be on a single back stay. Not a traveler at all! They could be on the stern rail. Not bad.
But we took it one step further. We could cash in on our double back stays, build a socket into each back stay, insert a 5' long stainless steel bar into the sockets, design a car to freely travel on this bar, control the car over this very wide run bar (take a breath) so that the whole assembly: allows the tiller to be used for stand-up sailing, adjusts for hands off tacking, makes controlling the main sheet possible from any seat in the cockpit, never infringes on cockpit space on any point of sail, absorbs the shock of accidental jibes, and quickly disconnects for de-rigging.
For the relaxed sailor the traveler can allow the main sheet to be ignored altogether, just like the self-tending jib, so all one has to do is steer - unless one also uses the tiller locks so one can stay home and let their Rhodes take a sail by itself.
THE SAILS
Although the Rhodes is available with conventional sails, most boats are being delivered with the 175% furling genoa and the INNERMAST FURLING system with "Sally Sail" main. The purpose in using these sails is clearly to make the boat more available for your use, for more days during the year, than any other comparable boat. It does this by subduing environmental, physical and mental obstacles.
Up to now you may have had a favorite wind velocity and restricted your sailing to days of that ilk. The Rhodes collective sail area goes from zero to over 300 square feet (more than any other trailerable in its category - and still more if you sail with the main and genoa and SELF-TENDING JIB, all flying together), expanding your favorite wind days by 10 knots or more in either direction. Up to now you may have only gone sailing on days when you could recruit a crew. The Rhodes is loaded with features designed for single handed sailing, particularly the furling sails. And up to now there may have been days when the spirit wanted to go for a sail, the body said, "too much work", and the mind, who had wanted to go along for the ride, but couldn't move the body, had a nervous break down. (Note: Out of 1,000 psychiatrists we queried, 3 out of the 5 that responded, bought Rhodes.)
For those not reading this for the fun of it, here are the details on the sail mechanisms. The genoa has a bolt rope on the luff. This slides the sail onto an extruded 26' tube on which it attaches to remain untouched by human hands for the season or beyond or until you wish to remove it for cleaning or the latest exotic design. This tube rotates freely around the forestay on self-lubricating split bearings. From the cockpit, pulling on either jib sheet unfurls the sail from its rolled position on the tube, while at the same time the furling line wraps around the bottom of the tube. From the cockpit a small cleat locks the furling line at any point, based on the amount of sail wanted. There are no springs. The jib sheets pull the sail out. The furling line puts the sail away. And sail area can be set at any amount you wish.
The 175% genoa is over 200 square feet. Fully extended, it almost reaches the winch. It has a deck sweeper configuration and therefore a window for visibility. Shortening the genoa with the furling line, raises the bottom of the sail quickly for under the sail visibility. The sail has a self-cover when in the fully closed position, for UV protection. Double tell tails, leech lines and foot lines provide additional aids for sail shape control.
The Rhodes comes with deck mounted tracks and cars for genoa sail shaping via variable jib lead positioning and cabin top cleating for close-pointing working-jib tacking. The Rhodes also comes with platform mounted winches for heavy weather genoa trimming. And a locking winch handle when heavy weather trimming gets too heavy. Sheets are dropped into angled pad-mounted clam cleats for automatic wind activated locking while you are busy elsewhere. Note here that we are talking about clam cleats. Not jam cleats or cam cleats. What a great invention.
No matter how great the pressure is on a sheet in a clam cleat, when you release it, it takes no effort at all. When I think of how I had to cleat and struggle to uncleat sheets on old fashioned jam cleats, I know you will appreciate this system. The winches do one more good turn. When you are sailing single handed, the opposite side winch can act as a turning block to bring the sheet across the cockpit and around the winch next to you and into its clam cleat. That way you have all of your controls clustered around you without having to cross the cockpit to release the jib sheet when coming about. Terrific.
With the Rhodes simple, inexpensive, maintenance free, feature loaded, genoa furling system, you can switch from a storm jib, working jib or 175% decksweeper genoa, or put your sail away, for the day - without ever leaving the cockpit. No other 22 offers such a genoa package.
The furling main is similar to the genoa except, instead of the extruded tube rotating around a stay, the main sail tube floats inside a second mast chamber. There are no springs. An outhaul line takes out the amount of sail you want. A furling line, that leads through the boom, locks in the exact sail size you want to use. Pulling out the furling line shortens sail. Or stows it away completely inside the mast. And you go home.
The boom rides on a sliding plate in the mast track (much as the pop top slider does) so the boom can be employed at various heights. Lowering the boom, automatically lowers the sail inside the mast, which in turn lowers the center of effort of the sail, therefore increasing the stability of the boat without cutting sail area. In fact, boat speed actually increases slightly by lowering the boom.
The main sail carries a little over 100 square feet. It has tell tails and a leech line. The boom is loose footed. This is necessary for this kind of design and has an interesting advantage. You can appreciate how great it is in heavy airs because its area can be decreased so easily. However, you will also see an advantage in light airs as loose footing allows sail shape with much greater draft, and therefore much greater drive. A topping lift to the end of the boom is controlled from the cockpit. This supports the boom when the sail is furled, releases the boom when the sail is trimmed, and raises the boom against the mast for de-rigging.
There are no halyards. Both sails self-store during the season. Off season, both sails can be left on their tubes with the main sail remaining in the mast, and the mast slot placed facing down. With the mast lowered, both sails remove quickly from their tubes, should the need arise.
The ability to furl BOTH the genoa and the main sail, leads to better balance in all wind conditions, and therefore better performance. All of which leads to easier handling; a boon for the beginner, more comfort for the old timer.
Reservations? Take your boat with IMF and we will switch you to a conventional rig any time, free, if you don't fall in love.
THE OUTBOARD MOTOR LIFT
Over the sounds of the engine we heard our customers: The husband trying a conventional outboard bracket, "If I fell overboard my wife would never be able to work this." The newly appointed first mate trying to operate this kind of motor bracket, "Forget it cap." Experienced boaters, "It's a pain trying to start the motor with the bracket down." "The bracket is either up or down so I can't motor into my shallow slip." The R-22 6:1 Lift solves all this noise. The new center transom model delivers more power more quickly with more efficient steerage - all with less effort.
The new center motor and new shoal rudder system makes the Rhodes 22 a boat that truly SAILS in two feet of water. Not just claims to draw under two feet or just floats in shallow waters.
THE ENCLOSURES
The Rhodes 22 is big. Not only does it have the biggest cockpit, the highest pop top, the longest galley, the most comfortable dinette double bunk, and a tremendous sail area, but it gets even bigger with the pop top enclosure or the Boom Room. The Boom Room adds another room for showering, eating, sleeping (7'-4" bunks), family living or rental unit.
The pop top enclosure is ideal for occasional weekending, or picnicking excursions, or days when rain threatens to dampen the outing. It goes up quickly over the raised pop top, around the mast and snaps to the sides of the entire cabin, creating a tremendous amount of interior shelf space. This sloping of the walls to the outer edge of the cabin top, also insures better weather protection. A removable door panel covers the entire cabin entrance. Screening provides all points ventilation as wanted. All very nice and it gives the boat a sort of rakish, motor-sailer look. You can sail with the pop top enclosure on.
THE END
In starting this booklet we promised the facts, and that the puffery, usually associated with a manufacturers' self-authored literature, would be gone with the wind.
In editing this work, I see that, nevertheless, I have been carried away by the Rhodes.
Stan Spitzer, Edenton, North Carolina
P.S. The last (Big) hurrah:
THE COCKPIT where it all comes together.
At boat shows the biggest hurrahs are for the cockpit: "My friend has a 28 and his cockpit isn't as big as this." "The 23 I just came off has nowhere near the back rest height the Rhodes has." At 7 1/2 feet by 8 feet, everyone can appreciate its size. "Here is where you really spend your time." And everyone feels that extra sense of comfort, but few realize why and how, until they look at their feet.
When you sit, the natural reaction is to tuck your feet back, in line with your torso. The Rhodes' cockpit seats are open underneath and you react to them just like you do in a regular chair. In addition, these unsupported seats are flexible. Not hard to sit on. In other cockpits not only can you not retract your feet in a natural manner, you can not even plant them perpendicularly. You are forced to sit with feet extended because the front of the closed seats must be at an angle for mold release. This also affects walking comfort since the active floor area is greatly reduced compared to the Rhodes.
The cockpit is a major, versatile storage center. Mid cockpit, built into the back rests are two coaming compartments, each with two shelves. When under sail this is the home for food and drink, winch handle, camera, binoculars, excess jib sheet, even for hiding the keys (since only other Rhodes owners know there is a hidden balcony shelf). Under the seats, plastic trays can be used as drawers to separate lines, life vests, and paraphernalia you want to reach in a hurry. The "drawers" do not slide out until you lift the front end slightly. Under the aft cushion is the locking lazaret hatch. This hatch can be hinged up or slid off. Below is a basement, 6 feet wide; big enough to store two adults or to service any of the transom mounted hardware, and voluminous enough to dry store an unbelievable myriad of gear and supplies and children.
The cockpit seats are island plateaus with drainage channels that self-bail through the transom. Cushions can be left out in inclement weather. When sailing from the gunnels, these indentations provide support for the crews' heels. With heads to the stern, the seats can be bunks for the tallest crew. With the Boom Room, the cockpit becomes a variable habitat. We know a very large owner who moves the head into the cockpit at night since he can not fit into the head compartment. At the very least, this bathroom use can be for showering with a solar hot water bag shower and the cockpit's self-bailing floor. Of course it is a beautiful living room, or a dining room, with the table in place.
With the center cushions installed, it becomes a master bed room of unequaled proportions lengthwise and so wide sideways that Snow and the Seven Dwarfs can be invited in for the night.
And please remember that, unlike other 22s, none of the Rhodes awesome storage areas have to be taken up by stored sail bags since all sails are self storing. (A major part of storage area on other boats has to be reserved for multiple sail bag storage)
Not only is the cockpit incredibly big and comfortable, it is a control center fashioned to meet the dream boat requirements of the single-hander: On the starboard aft cabin top is the cleat to control the variable area of the 175% genoa. The cockpit gunnels carry the aft pair of genoa tracks and cars to control genoa sail shape. Mid cockpit, the gunnel forms an inclined platform for winch and clam cleat to secure the selected genoa size and shaping, or to turn the genoa sheet across the cockpit to a single handing setting.
On the port aft cabin top is the cleat to control the boom topping lift. A series of cleats on the boom, control the main sail size and shape. At the aft end of the cockpit is the lift-up tiller to control steering from a standing or sitting position, a hiking stick on the tiller controls the tiller from any gunnel position along the cockpit or locks on the stern rail to secure the tiller and free the captain's hands for other duties.
On the transom a red line controls the outboard motor lift: up for clearing the water under sail and for easy starting, and variable motor down, dependent on water depth, for easy motoring. Between the double backstays is the traveler bar with the fiddle block and cam cleat to control main sheet tension and with the travel car to control boom positioning. The backstays mounted traveler also controls jib shock. Higher up the backstays a rapid tension adjuster system controls jib stay tension for a more effective jib luff, and quickly tensions or slackens all pre-adjusted stays for the trailering crowd.
At the forward end of the cockpit, a servo cleat controls diamondboard depth and a shelf below the cleat controls the excess board pendant. A short reach into the cabin are all light controls and at an even shorter reach is the ice chest door that controls the flow of beer.
It all comes together in a Rhodes cockpit, like no other on the market today.
If you have any questions about the construction details of the Rhodes 22 that have not been covered by this presentation, please feel free to: call, write or email.
What did we forget? Sure. "VALUE"!
In today's topsy-turvy global economy, educated consumers have learned to distinguish between price and value. Low can cost more and high, less; if value is solid. Jump on a Rhodes deck, thump its hull, hang it by its bow eyes. Compare hardware, features and finish and the Rhodes becomes the lowest cost trailerable in its field. Partly thanks to no dealers, no advertising, no fancy hand-out material; partly to GBC being a non-profit organization. True, that part was not planned but, with 37 years of lovingly delivering sailing pleasure to thousands, it is acceptable.
