My next big boat

[ScottWidmier]

Seeing Jim Stumpf's post got me thinking about my next big boat project. For those of you who don't know me I built a Stevenson Pocket Cruiser in Ohio which I heavily modified and really enjoyed. However, an offer came to move south that I couldn't resist at the same time someone offered to buy my Pocket Cruiser so I am now in Atlanta and my Pocket Cruiser stayed in Ohio. Now I am dreaming of my next project and wouldn't mind a little bit of feedback if you are willing.

Needs: What I want is a boat light enough, small enough, and simple enough that she can be easily day sailed. This means a setup time less than 30 minutes and something easily towed behind a minivan. However, I want her to be big enough to comfortable camp cruise a couple for a week or a family of four (with two small but growing kids) for a weekend. I also want her light enough to not cost me a small fortune to drive to sailing grounds afar as I love to explore and meet other builders. I love traditional looks and have always wanted to build a lapstrake boat but I want something that can be finished in a reasonable amount of time. I also want to stay away from a flat bottomed hull perfering a V bottomed or multichine shape (flat bottom on a multichine is fine). I live in a community with a HOA so she needs to be built in a 20' long garage with the door shut. It would be really nice if she could be stored on a trailer in that space or just brought in to pack before a road trip. Now if that isn't a challenging list of wants... I do know I will probably have to compromise on some.

Some boats I have identified:

Most all of the boats in the size range mentioned above would require modifcation to cram our family in. Sleeping isn't as great a problem as storage for a lot of stuff though I hope following the advice in Frugal Yachting by Larry Brown will help...love that book!

Sweet Pea by John Welsford http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/sweetpea/index.htm

I keep coming back to this boat. The length and weight are perfect on this boat with its beamy hull giving it the power to stand up to sail. It is the beamiest boat for length that I am considering at 17' 6" long and 7'4" wide which means it has similar volume to several of the longer boats I am considering. The hull isn't lapstrake but its multichine shape looks really good. Don't mind having a boat that can get up and scoot at times. The lightweight Pocket Cruiser could sail surprisingly fast once I got done modifying her.

Belhaven by B&B Yachts

I love a lot of the design principles behind this boat including the offset centerboard and the V bottom shape. I also think the cabin looks rather roomy for four. It isn't lapstrake, it is too long to store in the garage unless I take up both sides and put it in on the diagonal, and it is heavier.

The Bateau.com boats

I built their C12 and love the instructions and the performance of the boat. Only one that fits in the size range and can sleep four is the Vagabond 18. Has a lot of nice features but my wife and I want a more traditional look. Though I do keep going back to their website.

Welsford 6 meter whaler and Scout

The 6 meter has a wonderful classical shaped lapstrake hull but I would need to put a cabin on it. It also would be larger for my build space (barely fitting) and impossible to store in my garage. I also would need to add balast making it a bit much for daysailing. Welsford is working on a scalled down Penguin called "Scout" which is in my size range and has the traditional lapstrake look but again I am afraid its weight makes it harder to daysail.

Eun Mara

Who wouldn't want to build this boat? However, it looks like too long of a build then requires too much ballast to be easily daysailed.

Hartley boats

Nice V bottomed and some of the best designed setup for a family of four in a small package. However, a little to modern looking and I prefer to take advantage of the abilities of modern building materials like epoxy. Worried these plans wont.

Selway-Fisher

Love the Grey Swan series but the weight per length is a big issue.

Glen-L

Lots of great plans but none that really fit my requirements or appeal to me personally.

I have looked at lots more but this is all I have time to list. Any suggestions, feedback, or other designs I should consider?

[Guest]

There is a lot to be said for most all the sharpie style boats, hard chine, centerboard boats when it comes to ease of building, and weight for towing, launching drafts of the hulls, limited sleeping arrangments, such as the Reul Parker boats designs. Thats just a known name in the plan business but not necessarily the plan that you have end up with in those designs. One down side of his site and plans is that he is difficult to communicate with as there has been some health issues and his priorites have been in enjoying some time cruising about in his own boat.

But under 20 does limit you for comfortable accommadations. There has been a lot of happiness in the Princess and in the Belhaven which can be viewed on the B%B link on this forum. Scott Dunsworth is in the final stages of work and has done a fine job on his boat. It is possible to work around some of the issues of sleeping aboard, in trailable boats such as the CS 20. I have heard good reviews on the Hartley from Bob Smalser, too. I will venture out on a limb and say that most all plywood hulls, that are built with just sheet plywood, can also be built lapstrake in most cases, with a bit of planning and can be addressed by a number of folks.

[kydocfrog]

If you can scrunch in one more foot and probably a significant bit more money, Welsford's Penguin comes a lot closer to your family of four criteria and has to be one of his best looking designs.

Take a look at some Atkins designs too; an older catalot and style but still wonderful, no nonsense boats.

DocA

[John Turpin]

Scott

I've spent the last three or four months going through that same exercise. I've ordered a lot of study plans and made/crumpled numerous 'pro/con' lists.

In the end, I settled on Paul Fisher's Sandgrouse gunter yawl. I've always liked the look of yawls and this design looks easy to rig and sail. Good luck with your hunt. There are many, many plans out there and one of them is perfect for you.

[Ken_Potts]

I don't have any useful input here but I hadn't seen Eun Mara before and I just wanted to say "Wow. Eun Mara... Wow. Pretty. Um... Wow."

[ScottWidmier]

She sure is pretty!

[capt jake]

Eun Mara is a very pretty boat. She would take some time (read lots) to build and would be a heavy trailer sailer.

She still has very sweet lines.

[John Turpin]

I've looked at (and drooled over) Eun Mara in the past. She's a beauty. But, she'd probably not be considered a boat that is easily and quickly rigged for day sailing. She'd be a great trailerable cruising boat, but she's big and heavy. If Scott can alter his requirements some, it would be a great boat to build from a great designer.

[ScottWidmier]

John, don't tempt me like that! I have struggled for a long while regarding size and have had to ask some hard questions. Being honest with myself, I can only shake free a couple of days in a row for sailing once to twice a year. The rest of the time I only have a day or two which a longer setup time would cut into. Most overnights are by myself though I haven't had a boat big enough for the family (or more corectly all of the stuff you must bring along). If I bring the whole family the kids would only tolerate two days on the boat regardless of size (well at least in the trailerable range). I don't want to spend my time building a boat for a lawn ornament for most of the year, I want a boat that will get used!

I have thought about and currently have smaller boats for daysailing. However, I did really enjoy daysailing with the family on the Pocket Cruiser because it had enough room for people to spread out and a cabin to get out of the sun or rain. A daysailer with a cabin is desireable. I also thought about storing a bigger boat at a marina since I have some good ones on a large lake near my house. That way I could use a bigger boat as a daysailer. However, there is additional expenses with that option. I also like roaming to different sailing grounds and if I had to first load the boat on the trailer before I could go somewhere...that would cut into my roaming. Besides, a lighter boat is less wear and tear on the car and trailer as well as less gas to haul. This means I can go further to meet up with other sailors (like some folks on this board!).

One of the best aspects of the Stevenson Pocket Cruiser was the quick setup and launch time as well as the quick recovery time. I have had the privledge of sailing with Jim Stumpf in his beautiful Vacationer and do understand his frustration with longer setup times. I guess I am walking a narrow line between a boat big enough to sleep the family and a boat small enough to easily daysail. I just don't think Eun Mara is that boat.

John, I appreciate your posted picture of the Sand Grouse. I didn't appreciate the looks of the boat when I had seen the line drawings only. But it really is a beautiful boat and very salty looking. Just goes to show that a picture is worth a hundred line drawings!