It looks like there will be a small space between the floor of the cockpit and the bottom of the boat. I always tried to avoid small enclosed spaces like this as I thought they tended to promote rot. I see there are limber holes, but what is the plan to dry that area out between uses?
I'm curious - never had a water ballasted boat - do you pump out the water somehow? of does it just gravity drain. IF you were to take it out of the water at a hoist - any idea of the weight both "ballasted" (initially until the tanks drain) and un-ballasted? Will it be less than 1000#s? (the limit of our YC crane). Cat rigged and swing CB/Rudder would be an ideal set up for local sailing (Morro Bay)!
answered my own questions - back to the inital article - estimated ballasted weight looks like about 600, and un ballasted about 300. Still curious about draining the tanks and hauling out at a hoist. Will there be lift points "engineered" into the design? (BTW I really favor a 3-point lift harness vs 4-point, three point seems to be easier to rig and lift). I'm still VERY enthuastic about this design -
Good question, Charlie. An Anderson Bailer is one solution. I think that the footwell bailers that are used on Sunfishes might also work, and cost a bit less. Here's a link to a discussion of self-bailing and bailers from Michael Storer...
I wonder if you could give us more details on how you plan to reef the sail and will it be secured to mast by a track or rings or something else or unsecured. That sail is so tall and big I am a little nervous as to how easy it will be to reef for an old salt.
I have found that hoops, parrels and lacing all work satisfactorily. When I first got my schooner, it came with wooden hoops. Eventually, they deteriorated and broke. As they broke, I replaced them, one at a time with grommets made of 7 x 19 stainless cable, wormed, parcelled and served. On the foremast, I used polypropylene cordage as a lacing with parrels. That also worked well.
The principle behind these approaches is that, when properly hoisted, the luff of the sail is rigid enough that there is very little load on the intermediate points of the mast and, thus there is no real load except at the throat or peak and tack except under higher wind conditions.
I have used lacing and/or hoops on most of my boats since.
I also used sections of a discarded aluminum spar as hoops. It does not matter whether the sections are round or oval. If the section incorporates a mast groove it can fit a sail meant for a grooved spar. Either way, it will have to be lashed to the "hoops." I have found 1" sections satisfactory. Either way, there should be a line connecting the forward edges of the hoops to each other, as they will not slide as easily as rounded sections.
loose footed sail with slab reefing would be pretty easy. OR - maybe have an alternate gaff rig to make the mast shorter and to lower the center of effort of the sail. Tradeoff being more rigging (halyards, gaff boom, etc, etc). But you can always scandalize a gaff rigged boat in a pinch!
Looks like it’s going to be a good little -big boat!
It looks like there will be a small space between the floor of the cockpit and the bottom of the boat. I always tried to avoid small enclosed spaces like this as I thought they tended to promote rot. I see there are limber holes, but what is the plan to dry that area out between uses?
I'm curious - never had a water ballasted boat - do you pump out the water somehow? of does it just gravity drain. IF you were to take it out of the water at a hoist - any idea of the weight both "ballasted" (initially until the tanks drain) and un-ballasted? Will it be less than 1000#s? (the limit of our YC crane). Cat rigged and swing CB/Rudder would be an ideal set up for local sailing (Morro Bay)!
answered my own questions - back to the inital article - estimated ballasted weight looks like about 600, and un ballasted about 300. Still curious about draining the tanks and hauling out at a hoist. Will there be lift points "engineered" into the design? (BTW I really favor a 3-point lift harness vs 4-point, three point seems to be easier to rig and lift). I'm still VERY enthuastic about this design -
Good question, Charlie. An Anderson Bailer is one solution. I think that the footwell bailers that are used on Sunfishes might also work, and cost a bit less. Here's a link to a discussion of self-bailing and bailers from Michael Storer...
https://www.storerboatplans.com/event/sailing/capsize/dinghy-self-bailers-needed-or-not-installation/
Hi Chuck. I think the space you’re referring to the water ballast tank.
Sure, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
This is one of the most exciting designs an old salt like me has seen in quite some time.
Curious as to why you are you trying to avoid a sail track ?
Just for simplicity. Nice to have a smooth two-piece mast with almost no hardware and a sail that goes up and down exceptionally easy.
Zipper luff?
Probably lashings or hoops. Whatever will come down easily but still function well with the force of the battens.
Fun to see it coming along. Nice design!
Wow, that boat build looks huge! To each his own but I wish you had kept it at 14’. I think it’s now too big to build and store in my little garage.
I wonder if you could give us more details on how you plan to reef the sail and will it be secured to mast by a track or rings or something else or unsecured. That sail is so tall and big I am a little nervous as to how easy it will be to reef for an old salt.
We’re still working on details. Hoping to avoid having a sail track. Whatever we settle on should be very manageable.
I have found that hoops, parrels and lacing all work satisfactorily. When I first got my schooner, it came with wooden hoops. Eventually, they deteriorated and broke. As they broke, I replaced them, one at a time with grommets made of 7 x 19 stainless cable, wormed, parcelled and served. On the foremast, I used polypropylene cordage as a lacing with parrels. That also worked well.
The principle behind these approaches is that, when properly hoisted, the luff of the sail is rigid enough that there is very little load on the intermediate points of the mast and, thus there is no real load except at the throat or peak and tack except under higher wind conditions.
I have used lacing and/or hoops on most of my boats since.
I also used sections of a discarded aluminum spar as hoops. It does not matter whether the sections are round or oval. If the section incorporates a mast groove it can fit a sail meant for a grooved spar. Either way, it will have to be lashed to the "hoops." I have found 1" sections satisfactory. Either way, there should be a line connecting the forward edges of the hoops to each other, as they will not slide as easily as rounded sections.
loose footed sail with slab reefing would be pretty easy. OR - maybe have an alternate gaff rig to make the mast shorter and to lower the center of effort of the sail. Tradeoff being more rigging (halyards, gaff boom, etc, etc). But you can always scandalize a gaff rigged boat in a pinch!
I’m very intrigued by this boat, is there plans available for it and are they with SCA?
Jim
Won't be offered as plans—at least no initially. Our focus is on offering it in plywood kit form.