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Core Sound 20 Mk 3 -- #4 "Chessie" . .


Pete McCrary

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This afternoon I'll apply the 2nd (and last) coat of white -- tomorrow gray, Tuesday green.  Then the RubRails.

 

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Yellow pine RubRails made to look like mahogany !??

 

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Hatches ready for 2nd coat of white.

 

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The sheerstrake will look not so fat after the rubrails are installed next week.

 

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It is a half round, or half of a rounded corner square trim, mounted flush with the cabin top but on the sides.  It was used to capture the perimeter of the cabin top canvas in the old days.  Normally it is varnished as is the rub rail and the 2 set off the cabin sides like a frame.  In the case of the Mk IIIs it might help separate/accent the cabin sides and thus show off the hull shape better.

 

Those of you building these boats call it a sheer strake, but I can't help but see it as the cabin sides/cockpit combing.

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I like the idea of an "eye brow" trim -- and I agree it would accent the boats graceful lines.  It would be an easy weekend project -- when there in not much else to adjust on the boat.

 

Now, my view as to what to call the boards that we are talking about:  If the cabin and cockpit come out of a deck, then the top edge of the sheer strakes would have a clamp to which the deck beams would meet.  Inboard, the cabin sides and cockpit coamings would rise from the deck.  But for our boats it is a strake forming the hull.  Like the garbor strake right next to the keel.  For these boats the hull sides are "raised" right up to the "cabin" roof.  The cabin sides are part of the hull and therefore are strakes.  Logical ??

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Raised and/or broken sheer boats can have an awkward look to them, but there are ways to mitigate this and one, which is done in this case is a dark, contrasting color in the raised portion. It helps to bracket this color with lighter colors that are still darker than the hull color and varnished wood is a common method. It also helps to make the deck line rub a bit "heavier" visually, which typically means it's taller than the lower rub, commonly by about 10%. You have to be careful with this as adding visual weight to the top, makes things worse, so an "architectural detail" trick is to mold the lower edge of the upper rub. A healthy bead, cove or roman ogee are often seen. These create shadow lines, which fool the eye. The reverse can also be done on the upper portion of the lower rub, again with some sort of edge detail creating shadows and "softening" the visual transition between the two areas. I personally like to treat the lower rub with a taller profile and the edge treatment, thinking it helps visually pull the broken sheer down a bit.

 

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These types of details separate the really good looking boats from the average ones. Shown above are some pretty fancy rails and typical of Herreshoff's work.

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Though not a broken or raised sheer, the visual effect of the upper strake is lowered by making the upper rub taller. Another trick is to bring the deck or cabin color around, over the edge of the topsides, so this color is visible above the upper rub.

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11 hours ago, PAR said:

Raised and/or broken sheer boats can have an awkward look to them.................

 

This is what bothers me the most about the MK III, but then I suffer from the cognitive dissonance brought about by my long time love of classic boats.  I understand why Graham and others have done the raised deck thing, it adds space almost without adversely affecting the rest of the design in practical applications, especially sailing characteristics.  This is also why I brought up the idea of varnishing the raised sides to "fool" the eye into thinking they are cabin sides as it will help to provoke the illusion.  

 

Many here seem to be building the MK III with a very modern/contemporary look and may not see it as "awkward".  For you I quote Emily Litella:  "never mind".  :P

 

Your upper photo looks a lot like the rubrail of a Fish Class Paul.

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The Eddy & Duff "Stonehorse" to me is a beautiful  boat with a raised sheer. And while not as pretty, Tanzer made many flush deck boats that were real good sailors and looked nice. To me, the performance, light weight and accommodations (less cabin, more cockpit) make the looks not as important. I will admit my plan when I get that far is to fool around with a paint scheme that will minimize the raise cabin. I'm currently favoring Carlita's colored Hull (mine will be dark Blue or Green) and solid top (cream) with the wood trim and the oval port lights.

 

But ultimately I think once the trim and port-lights are installed Chessie is going to look sweet.

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I think the mkIII boats look fantastic.  Aesthetics are very personal, and my view is skewed since I'm an engineer so I'm not really able to separate form from function.  The efficiency of the use of space here is combined with graceful lines, and I find the combination to be very elegant.  The paint schemes most builders are coming up with, like Chessie, really make the lines pop.  I almost regret painting my Spindrift to look like a goose!

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I am with Wile E , form follows function. After I make the boat as functional as I know how, I then try to make it as aesthetically pleasing as I can. As long as I do not give up any functionality.

 

Of course beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

 

Beside the obvious sitting headroom that the raised deck gives in such a small boat, it has another important function, it moves the center of buoyancy higher in a knockdown giving a greater separation from the CG . This gives the boat self righting with limited ballast.

 

One of the disadvantages of the flush deck type is that going forward in difficult conditions is much harder than walking along a side deck with a convenient grab rail along the cabin top.

 

As Dave said, "lots of designers have used the raised deck". Here is my first raised deck design. She was designed and built in the 70's and sailed a third of the way around the world before life got in the way of the owner. This picture was taken from a book published by Dave Gerr in the 80's. If you look closely you will see a familial resemblance to the mk3. I drew the original concept with a regular cabin but could not get good sitting headroom. I then drew up the version that you see and showed it to the owner who agreed that it would work for him.

 

As has been said above, it helps to use color to reduce the visual height. My color scheme has worked as well as I had hoped and Avocet has done the same. With the decks and sheer strake, just off white, the inside of the boat is cool on a hot sunny day. I have had a few afternoon naps and have felt around the inside of the boat and the hull feels cool, especially with both of  the hatches open. There is enough flare in the hull sides that when the sun is hot enough to be a problem, it is high enough that it most of the red is in the shade. Unfortunately the sheer strake with a dark color is pointing at the sun.  

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22 hours ago, Hirilonde said:

 

This is what bothers me the most about the MK III, but then I suffer from the cognitive dissonance brought about by my long time love of classic boats. 

 

Dave, it is so interesting to read people's personal preferences and reasons for them. I first liked the raised deck idea when I saw it on the old Hood 20 small yacht and thought that if I owned a smaller boat I would like it to be similar. So when I saw Graham's designs I was immediately attracted. I am expecting it to be a drier boat due to the raised deck as well as more internal room without having to build a tall cuddy cabin. Time will tell of course. I like the look of the Sabra 24. I suspect that my boat will look a little similar in the hull because I have increased the cabin length and shortened the cockpit. Of course, I'm really the only one who has to like the finished boat - "one man's fish is another man's poisson".

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I've always liked the lines of a raised deck boat.  It started when I saw my first Cal 20 and Cal 25's.  The PT-22 in Royce's "Sailing Illustrated" added fuel to the fire.  Actually, in Royce's book, he praises the raised deck configuration as efficient use of space.  I've never owned one, but raised deck boats definitely get a thumbs up from me. http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=76

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Rubrails on yesterday (Saturday 4/15).  A messy job with the some of the bedding not going where I wanted and some going where I didn't want.  But after a good try at "cleanup," it will look ok from 20'.  Paint job complete and she's water-tight top down.  Rigging and deck fittings next.  I'm on schedule for on-the-water check ride this week and 1st cruise with the Shallow Water Sailors (Chesapeake's Wry River) on the 28th.  Portholes and ToeRails installed in May.  Electrical this summer.  Maiden voyage and picnic for neighbor & family helpers in June (Leesylvania State Park on the Patomac).  Interested forum members welcom -- but I need to know who & how many.  Checkout rigging and reefing system and cat-ketch sailing pointers at B & B June 2nd.  Sailing, cruising, this summer, MASCF & B & B's mess-about in October.  More pixs in the next few days.  Stay tuned !!

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"Chessie" dipped her toes into the Potomac yesterday!  On her first check ride all objectives were met:

1. Trailed safely to the ramp.

2. Main mast raised solo and secured.

3. Launched easily with tow vehicle's wheels just touching waters edge.  Just as her transom barely floated -- we pulled on her docking lines and she just rolled into the river.  Anchor roller stayed quite clear of the trailer wench.

4. The 2.5 Suzuki gave us a scare.  It didn't start easily.  Fresh gas without ethanol, tank vent open, gas valve open, choke set for start, throttle set at "start" position, and ignition switch with "dead-man" wedge in place.  Numerous pulls and nothing.  Fiddled around, checked everything . . .  Still, not a whimper!  Reset the ignition wedge -- and tried a 3rd time.  ZOOM . . .  We figured it was the ignition wedge.  Maybe not properly in place.  I'll look for a thicker one.  Once started the OBM performed just fine.

5. The raising & lowering tackle for the CB and tiller/rudder assembly worked just fine.

6. The Anderson "scoop" (a bailer facing forward with the "check" flap removed) filled the ballast tank to the footwell sole in about five minutes at half-throttle.  That's several inches above the waterline.  BTW, the tank hatch was difficult to remove -- apparently, while floating in the much cooler Potomac for a while, a slight vacuum developed and sucked the hatch's gasket tighter.  Prying one edge released the pressure with a "hiss."

7. Emptying the tank went well -- but took at little more time.

8. For recovery we positioned the tow vehicle same as for launch -- but I had to don my wading boots in order to crank her onto the trailer.  The guides and wench line centered her nicely.  My wench is a two-speed model and cranking [in low gear] was easy.

 

Here are some pixs:

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Getting started at the ramp.

 

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My helping neighbor, Jeff.

 

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We left the mizzen at home.

 

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 I raised the mast easily while standing in the fwd hatch (cover not yet on its hinge).  After the solar panel is installed I'll have to devise another method.

 

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I got this idea from Graham.  A roller can really mess up a bailer.  And a lowered CB can hang up a recovery.

 

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Here we're just pulling out from pickup wheels just in the water's edge.  When at the edge the water's surface just covers the trailer wheels and the transom begins to float.

 

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The fwd roller.

 

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Showing all three rollers.

 

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The chines are very close to the fenders.  For protection I devised these guards.

 

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This is the CB catcher.  When not on the water -- I ease off the CB tackle and rest the CB on its catcher.

 

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Jeff and I on the Potomac just off of Leesylvania State Park (4/18/2017).  A very beautiful day !!

 

image.thumb.jpeg.09d5a6604b826f3f08930e0bccf4897d.jpegRudder/tiller assembly on footwell sole.

"Chessie" sits so low on her trailer that, if lowered, the rudder would drag on the road.  Not trusting the "raising" tackle to hold over highway bumps -- I've decided to stow the assembly for transport.  QUESTION:  Is the close-fit Graham's design?  Or, simply an useful accident.

 

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Fwd fit.

 

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Aft fit.

 

 

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Mid fit.

 

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To keep out rain etc. on the road and critters when in the garage or driveway.

 

I'll rig for sailing this week and prep for "Chessie" first cruise tentatively scheduled for Memorial Day weekend with Chesapeake CatBoat Association on the Patuxant River.  I wanted to go next week (on the Wye River) with the Shallow Water Sailors.  But there's just too much to do.  Portholes to be installed in May.

 

 

 

 

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Congratulations on your launch!  There's so much to learn and adjustments to make, the first year (or so).  But now the fun begins.  For the record-- a winch is a nautical device used for the purpose of mechanical advantage.  A wench is a nautical person of female persuasion of which one attempts to take advantage. 

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