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96 inch world cruising dinghy


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                                                        A 96 inch World Cruising Dinghy

 

       Hey y’all, I was diggin’ through my files the other day, and ran across this. Design number – 0, a 96 inch World Cruising Dinghy. Maybe I’d better explain. I’m always looking for the perfect design to fit any particular parameter (heck, I hope I spelled that right---I’m not sure I even know what it means). I was playing around one day a few years ago trying to find the perfect mix of solutions and compromises to design the perfect small world-cruising yacht for my own use

       She had to be only large enough for one---me, and small enough to fit in my carport when not actually sailing around the world, yet large enough to carry everything that I would need for a protracted cruise. She needed to be easy to handle. Room for a head and galley without compromising sleeping accommodations. Self-steering so I could take extended naps. Roomy above and below, with full standing headroom. Stowage for whatever food I would need that I couldn’t catch. A couple cans of bean soup should be enough. Water wouldn’t be a problem---it’s all around me. I think that I have achieved all of this quite admirably, don’t y’all?

      Here are a few of my solutions for your admiring perusal. I solved the size dilemma by intentionally designing everything to the smallest possible dimensions. One reason for this requirement was that I couldn’t afford dock space or mooring. For some reason, my design business just wasn’t bringing in the income that I thought it would. That also meant that I couldn’t afford anything bigger. I suppose that some people actually thought that I  was too radical! Imagine that. Well, anyone who thinks like I do is just “ahead of his time”. (Designers note: it’s now thirty years after this design, and I’m STILL ahead of my time.)

       Next was the requirement that she be easy to handle. That one was easy. Small size with a small rig. What could be more practicable (for y’all who are of the younger set, this is an old form of the word “practical”.) Now for the galley, head, and sleeping accommodation. Notice the “Space saver head”(Pat. Applied for). W/c, shower, sink, tooth brush holder, and all the rest in one, self-contained unit. Now, what could be more practical than that? Notice that the entire accommodation below becomes one great-big berth! Shoot, I may have to re-think my statement about only having accommodation for one! Trouble is, my wife (Miss Debbie) only will go day sailing with me. Something about missing her “real” bathroom at home. Hrumfff!!!

       Now for the spaciousness below. Full standing headroom in a 96” yacht! WOW! What design genius! (Okay, I guess that’s enough of the “!!!” for now, but ya gotta admit, this is excitin’ stuff…) Well I do have to admit that toe room is a bit cramped down in the well. But who wants to stand anyway with all that room to stretch out in.

       Some have indicated that they didn’t believe that I had designed-in enough stowage. Those same people just don’t have enough imagination. All I would need is room for a net and some fishing gear---there is plenty of food swimming  all around the boat all the time. And water? Haven’t you ever seen those personal reverse osmosis pumps that Boy scouts carry when they go camping? Ha! Problem solved.

       You may have noticed the apparent lack of an engine. Who wants such a stinky thing taking up precious space in such a small boat? Not to mention the need to carry fuel. I took care of that little problem in a most ingenious manner. Pay attention y’all, you just might learn something here. When the wind isn’t blowing, you don’t need the sails, right? So take the two piece hast apart, screw a frying pan into each section, and viola---oars. You did notice the oar-locks didn’t you? Now tell me that isn’t clever. Oh, and if the seas build, and the wind blows up, well, it’s too hard to sail too. Just climb into the berth and take a rest. This little boat is just like a fishing bobber, and you never saw a bobber sink, did you?

       Oh, and the self-steering gear. I couldn’t quite figure out how that would work, but I figure that anyone silly enough to actually build this boat, should just figure that out for themselves!

       So there you have it, see you out on the sound real soon, y’all. 

 

Design drawing #0, World Cruising dinghy.pdf

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