Reader Boat: SailAbout

My own design where comfort and safety were the primary considerations.

Article by Thomas Hepp

My interest in boats began as a child growing up on the banks of the Auglaize River in Ohio. After four years in the Navy, a short career as a ship’s officer, I settled near the spectacular rock-bound coast of Maine. For twenty-five years I sailed a 15-foot daysailer and occasionally camped onboard overnight. I always dreamed of having a pocket cruiser that would provide a level of comfort for extended overnight stays. There were plenty of new and used choices, but none of them had all the features I was looking for in one boat. I considered creating my own design where comfort and safety were the primary considerations.

The Design Process

With formal training in architectural design and building, I approached the process like building a home. The first step was to establish a list of features to be included in the final plan:

• Safety first—self-righting with sufficient reserve buoyancy to support boat and crew.

• Trailerable, with towing weight under 3600 pounds. (The towing capacity of a midsize van or pickup truck)

• Can be rigged, launched and sailed by one person.

• Accommodations for two to four at a reasonable comfort level.

• Ample storage for provisions, gear, water and fuel.

• Moderate skill level to build.

• Outboard engine in an inboard well. (A feature found on most small British boats)

• Basic 12 volt electrical system for lights and electronics.

• Pleasing to look at inside and out.

• Budget - ?

The Internet would provide an endless source of inspiration, ideas and solutions. After collecting many drawings, photos, and doing additional research, a small cruiser to be called SailAbout began to take shape. The name, inspired by the 1971 classic movie Walkabout, refers to a journey with no schedule, no particular destination and undertaken for spiritual reasons. This seemed a fitting name for a custom-built sailboat.

The length, 23 feet on deck, would allow the boat to be kept on a trailer, stored inside when not in use and be rigged and launched in under an hour. The hull was inspired by the Bahama Mama, a 30-foot plywood yawl with concrete ballast. The gunter yawl sail rig, rudder and engine arrangement are taken from the Drascombe longboat. The engine, located inboard aft of the rudder on the centerline, is easy to reach, can be lifted when sailing and be used to steer in close quarters. Three sails allow for a versatile sail plan in all kinds of wind conditions. The cabin layout with a dinette that seats four and converts to a double berth comes from the MacGregor Venture 21.

With a list of ideas that would be incorporated into the design, the next step was to build a series of half-hull models to determine the exact hull shape. Scale models of the hull at 1 and 3 inches to the foot were built to analyze the hull shape, performance and stability. The larger model, to be used as a tender was a good idea, but was best suited to carry only one person. Completing drawings of the keel, cabin layout, sail plan, bulkheads, various construction details and electrical system would take about two years working on weekends.

Near the end of the design process, I had the opportunity to work in the boatbuilding industry. With limited experience, I began to learn the skills needed to undertake building my own boat.

The Building Process

Instead of setting up a strongback, attaching frames and then planking, the plan was to build right side up from the inside out. Construction began with the keel and stem, using ¾" (18 mm) okoume marine plywood laminated into one piece. White oak floors were fastened to the keel along with bulkheads and all internal components and then faired to the inside of the planking surface. All inside work, including the cockpit, cabin, carling and the electrical system were completed before planking.

Planking made of ½" (12 mm) meranti marine plywood, would consist of four pieces per side, butt jointed amidships and stitch and glue along the single chine. A pattern of each piece was made by fitting narrow scrap pieces around the outer shape, removing as one piece and then tracing onto the stock. After dry fitting each plank, predrilling for all screws and marking all inside contact points, the plank was removed and ready to be reinstalled with epoxy. With only 24" clearance on each side of the hull, the boat was tipped against the opposite wall to allow work on the sides and bottom.

With the hull completed, the side decks, cabin sides and roof, companionway, forward hatch, tiller, rudder and centerboard were installed with final finishing to follow. All components inside and out were coated with two-part epoxy and then painted or varnished.

Additional Features and Comments

There are twenty separate storage lockers of various sizes of which twelve are equipped with watertight hatches to provide reserve buoyancy in an emergency. The galley offers a one-burner butane stove, space for a large portable cooler and potable water container. There is ample storage for table settings, cookware and food lockers within easy reach. SailAbout will accommodate four to six people on a daysail and will sleep up to four on an overnight cruise.

The 17-foot hollow main mast made of spruce is light enough to be picked up by one person, set through the cabin roof and supported on the keel. Shrouds and furling jib are then rigged. The boomkin, yard and bowsprit are also constructed of spruce and finished with six coats of spar varnish.

Ballast is in the form of 4" x 4" x 8" concrete blocks placed in the space between the sole and bottom. The design called for 600 pounds, however due to towing weight limits, only 300 pounds were placed. On two occasions SailAbout was knocked down to the rail and recovered beautifully. Still, additional weight would have allowed for improved performance.

Launch and Sea Trials

With the purchase of a dual axle trailer, 4-horse outboard engine and custom sails, SailAbout was ready for launch. The chosen site was Lilly Bay on Moosehead Lake near Greenville, Maine. After six years the long anticipated day arrived with beautiful weather except that the wind was blowing at around 20 knots. The first night aboard was spent in a quiet cove under a spectacular display of Northern Lights. The next day there was no wind at all. On a four-day saltwater cruise a couple of weeks later, SailAbout would prove to perform beyond expectation under a variety of conditions. Over the next several years the addition of a cockpit sunshade, tiller lock and grab rails were installed for additional comfort and safety.

Afterthoughts

SailAbout has logged over 800 miles and proved to be a very safe and comfortable pocket cruiser. If another were to be built the one change would be to use water ballast as opposed to concrete blocks. The rudder surface is sufficient, but would perform better if it were increased by 30%. The total sail area at 166 square feet allows for winds to about 18 knots without reefing but limits performance in light air.

From the beginning there was not much thought about budget. We all know about boats and money. The total cost including building materials, equipment, sails, trailer and engine came to around $12,000. 00. Total hours including design; about 2200. Was it worth it? Absolutely! How can you put a price on the many sunsets and moonrises while at anchor or encountering a whale off Owls Head in Penobscot Bay? •SCA•

First appeared in issue #108