ScottWidmier

I like the square or rectangular idea as it would be easier to make. When I bought the E30 I did a lot of research to find out towing capacity even calling a couple of BMW dealerships. I was bluntly told that BMW's were for drivers! Did finally talk to a service guy who, under his breath in a whisper, told me the car should do just fine with small boats. Found a welding place to put the hitch on and they were actually able to order a hitch specifically for the E30.

I really love that gate idea! Mine was to have belaying pins on either side to use with a rope for lashing but that is a more than one-hand operation. May still do that with the gate for some added security when in rough waters but I am definitely using the gate. The E30 is my tow vehicle for the boat. Nothing better than riding home in a convertible after a great day on the lake. Nice visibility for backing down the ramp as well. Just to update everyone, I did some more measurements and found the mast to sit too high on the bridge deck exposing some of the taper above the coaming which would just look odd. I didn't want to cut any off on the bottom due to wanting to still use the forward mast step. So, I ended up building a compression post out of 2X4 with a hole in it to accept the bottom 3" of the mast. I cut a hole in the sleeping platform and mounted this step through the sleeping deck to the bottom of the boat making sure it also tied with with a frame I have right there. On the sleeping platform I plan on having a mahogany step plate that will give me something to rotate the mast on until it drops into the hole on the compression post. The upper mast support will tie into a port/starboard and a fore aft deck beams as well as the support for the coaming. I plan on cutting it convex to set off the convex curve of the coaming over it. I will have a metal gate as mentioned above that drops into a solid L bracket though might contemplate a different setup that drops into two holes in the mast step which would allow me to shape the gate to fit the round mast. I drew a quick sketch below. I was thinking about making one of the pins round at the bottom and oblong up near the gate. This way you would have to lift to rotate the whole thing and it would sit higher ready to be rotated back on the oblong shape. Hard to explain.

Both good points. I realized this morning that if I wanted to switch back and forth then I can't change the foot of the mast. Means more engineering for option 1 to get a nice fit between the mast cheeks. Some engineering I did think of is a slot rather than a hole for the pivot bolt and a step at the bottom that fits the bottom of the mast. I would pivot the mast, lift, then drop it into the step at the bottom of the cheeks which would hold the mast in place. Only modification needed on the mast is a hole for the pivot bolt. I did mention pivoting the mast with option 2 by putting the foot of the mast in the mast step first then swinging it up. However, that might be difficult underway. While this is just a 12' boat it is a beamy catboat that spreads a lot of canvas so the unstayed mast is around 15' long and beefy (though birdsmouth). It is a bit of a struggle to drop it into the current mast step in the bow of the boat and to take it out. Here is a picture:

Please write it up as an article and submit to duckworks or Small Craft Advisor. Sailing in that great bay has really tempted me on my one trip to Charleston with the Boy Scouts to sleep on the carrier. Taking the boat along for a family outing to Charleston really sounds like a good way to extend the fun!

I am continuing my efforts to increase my 12' Catboat's "Little Gem" sail area for those light wind days. The current 90 square foot gaff sail works well (even to windward) when the wind blows over 10 but I need more especially to push the beamy hull through motorboat chop. My first experiment of mounting the 140 square foot gaff sail from another catboat didn't work well. The sail was just too big and unmanageable on a 12' boat. This is experiment #2 where I turn Little Gem into a little sloop by moving the mast aft and adding a bowsprit and jib. I will keep the original mast-step so I can still sail her as a catboat. The mast step will be just inside my cockpit coaming and the foot will rest on a reinforced (with compression post) sleeping platform. The biggest advantage to this rig is not having to drop the long mast through the deck to step it to the keel. Both options pictured below will allow me to swivel the mast in place...one better than the other though. Both mast steps configurations will be unstayed with the jib mounted on a line so I can bring the whole thing down into the cockpit (less windage and less complex than a roller furler). Option #1: This step is made from two vertical boards and the mast pivots in-between on a pivot bolt placed just below the deck/coaming. The advantages are a much smoother swivel action which will come in handy especially when lowering the mast to get under obstructions. Disadvantage is more clutter taking up the sleeping platform (still have 15" each side for legs) especially when I have her rigged as a catboat. Also, the foot of the mast is tapered so I might have to do some modifications for a good tight fit. Option #2: This step is much simpler with a block with a hole in it mounted on the platform to receive the foot of the mast and a board at the deck level with a half-circle cut out to support the mast partway up. The mast will lash into this cutout using belaying pins on either side for that nice nautical look. Advantages are less clutter when rigged as a catboat and an inch or two extra on either side of the mast when rigged as a sloop. Disadvantage is that while I can put the foot of the mast in the bottom block and rotate to raise, nothing prevents the mast from swinging side to side....maybe rig some extra baby stays just for raising but that is more complication. So, image is below and let me know what you think.

If I can find or make one at a reasonable costs and the CE works. Got any pictures for me?

Only problem is that the current mast, recycled from an earlier project, is too short even for the gaff rig I have on the boat. So, I need a new mast anyway and the aluminum flagpole is the quickest way to one. I think I will try it though I may go ahead and rig at least a forstay to make sure the whole thing doesn't come down on my head. Shrouds would also add a lot of comfort though all three would take the "shock absorbing" capability out of the rig. Still, a sportscar doesn't have nearly as plush shock absorbers as a commuter car so you can feel the road and adjust. I really can't wait for warmer water temperatures so I can play with this boat! :-D

I love catboats though I don't have experience with the Tinycat. I built a C12 by bateau.com and later modified it to be more of a catboat. Managed to hide the rudder under a forward sleeping platform that gives me a 6' long cabin with the dodger I made. I also gave it a seat with a back as I like back support for long trips. A catboat can point rather well as people who have seen me sail this boat and a 14' Pocket Cruiser (my first built) can attest to.

Well, I gotta admit that I think this boat would just look cooler with an aluminum or carbon-fiber mast. This boat was a total departure for me from the "traditional" wooden boat and I do have a tendency to like to carry through with the "theme" of a boat to the end. Hence the reason I spent so much time and money giving my other boat, Little Gem, so much catboat finish characteristics. Obsessive/compulsive behavior I think. Paul, I had already tested the masts in the manner you suggested and found the aluminum to be actually a little stiffer than the wooden mast. My main concern is with the possibility of point failure with the thin walls of the aluminum sectional flagpole I liberated from the weeds. I do realize the most likely cause of point failure is something I have done to the mast like putting too many holes in it, the stress where it comes out of the step, or even the wooden plug I put in it to take some of that stress. I have gone so far as to think about a conical section on the end of the wooden plug so that the transition from plugged to hollow would be more gradual when the mast was under stress. I also am thinking about attachments using a hose clamp arrangement rather than a drilled hole. Would foam help with the transition from the plugged to the unplugged sections of the mast? I am not overly concerned with noise. Final thing I gotta keep in mind is this boat is experimental and I don't want to have to put any more money into it until I have proven the design. Hence the leaning towards Option #1. BTW, I will be keeping the boom just painting it white to match the boat. It is made out of 2 pieces of 1x with a T cross section and both light and stiff as a result. I am happy with it. I did find a source for Lehman 12 sails which would both fit Knot Yacht rather well and is less than what I could make the sail myself even out of polytarp. Here is the link to this 12' boat with 81 square feet of sail and some pictures are below: http://www.wdschock.com/boats/lehman12/l12_specs.htm

Forgot the pictures!

Ok, I need a new mast for Knot Yacht (pictured below) and have been threatened with being thrown out of the boating community if I were to put a wooden mast on such a modern-lined boat. So, I am seeking a solution. Awhile back I liberated some aluminum sectional flagpoles from a defunct (bankrupt) housing development. Most had been knocked over by rambunctious drivers so I didn't feel so bad cleaning up the litter. These sections are quite sturdy but admittedly thin-walled. Though I did compare them to the mast on a Phantom and found them to be equivalent. Here are my options regarding these sections: Option #1: Use them as-is with thickening plugs of wood installed at the joints and where hardware was to be attached. If it breaks, replace it with another section. Option #2: Put graphite cloth over the aluminum poles which would both strengthen the walls and firm up the joints. I would still put plugs where the hardware goes. Option #3: Buy more aluminum that is either thicker or can fit snugly inside of the current pieces. I am leaning towards options #1 or #2. Option #1 is the lest expensive but I would be always concerned about a broken mast cutting short my sailing for the day. Option #2 is a little more expensive though I can find cloth on ebay and already have the resin. Plus, I think a composite mast would be both lightweight and fairly strong. Opinions and options needed!

I can't resist showing pictures I took with my phone...kinda washed out but you get the idea! http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn17/swidm/Knot%20Yacht/ABCD0002.jpg[/img] http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn17/swidm/Knot%20Yacht/ABCD0003.jpg[/img] http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn17/swidm/Knot%20Yacht/ABCD0004.jpg[/img] http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn17/swidm/Knot%20Yacht/ABCD0005.jpg[/img]

Deadlines are both wonderful and horrible things but I don't know how I would ever get a boat done without one. Right now I am racing to have the boat done for the PDR World Championship. Even though it isn't a PDR, it still will be fun to launch it with other boatbuilders around. The boat is all painted with the 9 large deckplates (thanks duckworksmagazine) and one large hatch installed. The rudder and dagger board are done with a fresh coat of varnish. The gaff sail is all sewed with grommets installed. The standing rigging is done with fresh varnish on. What remains to be done is another coat or two of varnish and the running rigging. Knot Yacht is a 12' catboat of my own design to use for events like the Florida 120, Texas 200, OBX 130, and maybe even the Everglades Challenge. It has an open transom, raised sole, and completely waterproof storage so there isn't anything that will fill up with water if I capsize. This plus extra flare allowing me to hike way out will allow for the rather large gaff sail I have made for the boat. I will post pictures once the big launch day has been accomplished.

Thanks! I will definitely clean out this sander. I would hate to see it bite the dust as well.

I am to the stage of sanding Knot Yacht's hull and my inexpensive Ryobi sander started showing signs of distress. Out of revenge, it got so hot to start smoking and blistering my hand. So, I braved the floods in North Georgia to make it to Home Depot. There was another Ryobi on sale for $29 but then I eyeballed another sander with an 8" base that was $100 more. Must be something to that tool if people are willing to pay more...perhaps it would last longer than my last 3 sanders. So, this time I spent more rather than less and I am very happy covered with fine dust in half the time it took me with the cheap sanders. Definitely worth it! :-D My time is more valuable than the bucks I save by buying cheap tools.

Dale, how about we set up a cruise with a couple of my sailing club member, you and your wife, and me. I might be able to get two Mac sailors there and the extra hands really do help. One reason I like the BEER cruise was that it was a wonderful introduction to cruising for my wife and kids as well as a confidence builder for myself. Just something about having other sailors nearby to lend a hand so that the family can just relax.

That 30 percent did hit me as sensational and does raise a lot of questions if true. Just raises the point of how hard it is to compare across rigs and get some real data! I guess the answer is the best rig is the one that fits your design and sailing style. BTW, isn't the three-sided sprit rig that Michael uses on his PDR racer a leg-of-mutton or sprit boom rig? A sprit rig is the four-sided rig.

Dale, I decided to do a search on sprit rig online and came across some interesting sights. The first one is an essay by Michael Storer on traditional rigs where he states that a lug or sprit rig are more efficient than a gaff unless the gaff is equipped with a gaff vang. Of course, I don't know if he means the traditional four-sided sprit sail or a leg of mutton or sprit boom sail. I hate how the terms for these two different types of sails used interchangably. http://www.storerboatplans.com/Faq/tradrigperformance.html A few other articles on sprit rig. http://www.boatbuildercentral.com/howto/sprit_rig.php http://slidercat.com/blog/wordpress/?p=52 Ray Aldridge came across a very interesting test comparing traditional rigs to Bermuda on the same type of boat hull (catamaran). http://slidercat.com/blog/wordpress/?page_id=57 . What this test found was the sprit being 30 percent more efficient to windward to the bermuda. Reading this article pushes me towards a four sided sprit to be honest. So, I begin to wonder why the sprit got replaced by the Gaff rig and some information in the sailmaker's apprentice as well as this article: http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/Outing/Volume_24/outXXIV02/outXXIV02n.pdfhttp://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/Outing/Volume_24/outXXIV02/outXXIV02n.pdf may explain why. It seems like for anything but a small boat the rig becomes unhandy with the length and weight of the sprit as well as reefing the sail. May not be a big concern with my 12' boat though. I may have to experiment with both a sprit and a gaff sail for this boat.

Sorry to hear your aspirations for cruising with your wife are not coming to fruition. Is it her experiences on the Mac or just an aversion to sailing? As for solo cruising and day sailing I do agree that a smaller boat than the Mac is more fun IMHO. Something that is quick to rig and just the right size. Really helps if it is pretty to look at and unique on the water. I remember us sailing on Carter's Lake discussing exactly that. BTW, Little Gem has gone through a lot of modifications since then and I have probably spent more total time on her than I would have building a Houdini or Pathfinder but I enjoyed the process. One bit of advice is to get Welsford's book (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/189136958X/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img) if you can find it. It has several chapters on how to build one of his boats with good illustration, a chapter on aesthetics (something that is needed on the water), and another on equipping for small open boat cruising. Finally, he describes all his designs and has an entertaining storing involving each from which you can learn a lot. I have a copy but am kinda loath to lend it out but will if you can't find one.

Welsford's boats are awfully pretty and not overly hard to build. Be worth it to spend a little more time building one of his boats if you will be more happy with it IMHO. Building any boat is an investment in time and resources but building a prettier boat of the same size isn't that big of an additional investment.

Required registration of your boat varies from State to State so check your local rules. In Ohio anything that floats needs to be registered. In Georgia if it is 12' or shorter and won't have a motor then you don't need to register it. I do admit that one other reason for a shorter boat is just for the challenge. Shorter normally means slower unless you can get the boat to plane so doing the challenge in a smaller boat gives higher honors. Look at the Puddle-Duck racers. I would have loved to see one of those on this trip though I question windward ability and ability to go through chop having built one myself. I would suggest, btw, that you repost this as a new thread to get some more comments. I don't seem to be getting much sail advice from others on this thread and I don't know if anyone is still reading it. Length of boat doesn't necessarily determine complexity and difficulty in the build. A beamy 12-13' boat may be just as hard to build as a 16' Sharpie for instance. One designer to look at for simple and quick to build boats is Michalak (http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/jim/michalak.htm). His boats tend to be narrow sharpie style hulls that are easily driven and row well. You may consider upscaling the sails on some. We had two of his boats on the Florida 120. I think the Mayfly 14' or 16' would fit your requirements well though I might consider upping the size of the sail.

I added a centerboard alongside my keel to my Pocket Cruiser and it was one of the best modifications I made to the boat. The centerboard was aluminum primarily for durability rather than adding ballast. I think all of the Stevenson boats, but especially the Pocket Cruiser and Vacationer, rely on form stability and adding ballast really wouldn't help enough to counterbalance the loss of performance. I do believe the Weekender can benefit from ballast, however, as you can tell if you ever have the opportunity to step on the rail of the three boats. The biggest benefit to the Pocket Cruiser was the huge increase in windward performance. Jim Stumpf's Vacationer could easily beat me off the wind but I could point a heck of a lot higher and had a lot less leeway than he did so I blew his doors off into the wind. I always thought the Vacationer's performance could be improved with a centerboard and turning performance improved by cutting away some of the keel as Paul suggests. As for boat designs for G man I agree that the Vacationer might not be the best boat though it is simple to build and nice to look at. Given the price of plywood, I would suggest he looks at Bateau.com's Adelie boats or even the Vagabond (http://www.bateau.com/products.php?cat=14). They may not be as attractive in my eyes as the Vacationer but they are self-righting with raised soles and self-draining cockpits. The smaller Adalie 14 wouldn't take that many sheets to build but does have decent room below and could take coastal sailing. Good luck in your quest!

That sure is a nice looking hull you have planned! Should be a nice load carrier with good stability. I would suggest possibly a sharper entry at the bow like Welsford's designs just to help the hull cut through the chop on low-wind days. Good luck on the build!

The forward hatch is useful for funneling air into the cabin either at anchor or under weigh. It is amazing how much air a hatch held at a 45-50 degree angle can funnel in. Of course, at anchor you can deploy a wind scoop which is even better than the hatch, if needed, though harder to take down in the event of rain. On my MacGregor 26 I have both a forward hatch and opening portholes. Even at the slip, the forward hatch paired with the companionway draws through twice as much air as the portholes though the combined area of the portholes is larger. I tend to undog the hatch but sail with it closed when racing and raise it when cruising. My family likes to camp-out down below when cruising sometimes and the combination of hatch and portholes makes it comfortable even in the Florida heat and sun.

The Florida 120 in some ways is held in such a benign place that the boat requirements to finish the trip aren't really that strenuous. However, there are a few requirements for the Florida 120. First, the boat has to sail to windward well. This is an up and back trip during which you will have to be sailing to windward and the better your boat points the quicker you will make it to the next stop. Heck, going under the Perdido bridge against tide and wind taxed all the boats and most only made it through thanks to a motor or a tow. In my case, I rowed like crazy till past the bridge and then jumped in a waded with the boat behind me until I was out of the tide race. Second, the boat needs to be able to make progress against a chop. There are times on the trip that powerboats, tide, and/or wind can put up a progress halting chop. Little Gem can point to windward but her hull and bow means chop can bring her to a standstill. One day, I made progress by hugging the shoreline where there was less chop. The other, I was just slow into camp. Third, you need some sort of contingency for light winds. On the Florida 120 this can be as simple as calling for a tow from engine equipped boats or carrying a motor yourself. However, I wanted to do the trip without the assistance of a motor so this meant making sure I could make decent progress under oar. Fourth, you need enough capacity to carry 2 days worth of supplies and comforts. Of course, there are plenty of resupply points on the Florida 120 and I plan on having them marked for next year along with bathroom stops so 2 days worth is arbitrary and really only if you get stuck out in bad weather. I carried 4 days worth on Little Gem and ended dumping gallons of water at the end of the trip and taking a lot of food out of the boat. I am familiar with Daniel's Boat in general and Welsford as a designer. His boats do seem to point well and he has a way of designing his bows that really can cut through chop. He also has oarlocks designed into the boats so I think this design would cover all of the bases. If I were building it, however, I would look at adding more sail area for the light-wind days we had on the trip and have a good system set up for reefing if needed. I have a feeling that Daniel's boat was designed for younger inexperienced sailors where it is better to be underpowered than over. However, when depending on the wind to make miles you almost want the reverse. Of Welsford's boats I would really consider the Walkabout (http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/jw/walkabout/index.htm) since it is designed for these types of challenges and, with its longer waterline, would make better progress under oar. Being able to sleep on the boat is not required for the Florida 120 but is desirable for dingy cruising in a lot of other locations. For a shorter boat, I really like Houdini because of its capacity and comfort in sleeping on-board. Welsford designed Houdini as his escape boat and it truly is magical in how much boat he fit into a short package. As for my "secret weapon" I will probably fold at some point and post the particulars but the boat was designed based upon my camp-cruising experiences including the Florida 120 and small boat racing. My basic goal was to create something with camp-cruising capacity that would sail fast in light (sub 5mph) winds but adaptable enough to take out in 30mph winds. This meant a big but easily reef-able sailing rig on a boat that would recover easily from a knock down. I contemplated a bigger rig on Little Gem but if she ever got knocked down it would probably take an hour to recover my gear, bail and dry her out (great story by Welsford on a knockdown like that in his book). So, that means open transom with a raised sole and all storage behind waterproof hatches so all you would need to do is right her and go. This raised sole turned into a great place to sleep with a simple, easy to setup, and lightweight boomtent for shelter. A bottle of clean water or a bailing bucket of saltwater would suffice to wash off sand and debris from the day leaving a nice clean surface to roll out the therma-rest on. Finally, being an experimental boat I wanted to keep the length under 12' so I wouldn't have to get her registered (no motor). I will tell you that my boat's bow is narrow, almost plumb, with straight sides but aft there is an incredible amount of flare which means I can get all of my weight easily out past the bottom chine. Great amount of leverage against the wind. I am hoping to use this boat on the Florida 120, Texas 200, and eventually the Everglades Challenge. If this design works, I may extend it to 16' for a two-person camp cruiser with the same design basics.