Big spindrift

[Mr_Krabs]

Arlen's questions about why there's no 12N led to some discussion about whether the spindrift would be big enough for "big guys" and the suggestion that maybe 14 feet would better carry the load.

I've been looking around a bit for a sort of "maxi-cartopper" sail/motor/row expedition skiff/dinghy and have come up with some parameters. I think a larger spindrift would fit these well.

Weight, 150lbs +/- should be workable with a rod inserted into my yakima racks and lifted one end at a time. I regularly portage my 85 lb canoe solo, slinging it up and carrying it with no problem. Speaking of cartopping, rolling it over without too much damage would require maybe a metal half round trim piece placed strategically. The boat would mostly live on a trailer, so cartopping wouldn't have to be easy, just possible. Looking at the weight differences of the sizes of spindrifts, I would guess an S14 would come in near there.

Capacity, 2+2 adults and children for a day sail at the lake, 2 big guys and gear for a week of camping on shore. I think the cockpit layout of the spindrift has a definite advantage on seating and storage over the other designs I've looked at, but like arlen, I'm not sure that a S-12 would be big enough.

Sail/row/motor, in that order. The spindrift is a proven design that does all of these well.

I think so far, lacking a spindrift 14 design the ones that come closest are the Goat Island Skiff by Michael Storer, with length 15'6" beam 5ft SA 105 weight 125 and capacity 4pp/700lbs

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~storerm/GIS/GISplan.html It seems to be a bit heavily canvassed for me, though looks like lots of fun!

and the Karl Stambaugh design Bay Skiff 15 with LOA 15'-0" Beam 4'-3" SA 67 and weight 150. Karl describes the capacity as 2+2, which sounds like what I want. It's on cmdboats.com which doesn't seem to be working this morning. It seems a bit undercanvassed for my inland lake sailing.

What do you think of the suitability of the spindrift design for going larger, but still maintaining most of it's current scantlings. In other words could it be made bigger without needing to become proportionally heavier? Does it seem to you to fit the criteria that I'm looking for?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Mr_Krabs

[Ken_Potts]

It's a little heavier than you specified but have you looked at the B&B Bay River Skiff?

Just a thought.

[Designer]

The Cs 15 is a larger Spindrift rather than a scaled down CS17

[Mr_Krabs]

Thanks for your insight folks,

From the specs on the site, it's a big weight hit to move up to a CS15 from a s12, a move from 120# to 300#. Not having seen the plans, only pics, I'd guess that some of that exponential weight increase is in heavier scantlings, structure for the mizzen, and decking.

A BRS almost fits the bill, maybe in "lightweight" trim, but I'm attracted to the more advanced hull form of the spindrift/CS series. I like the lack of a deck on the BRS and it fits my inland lake protected water projected use.

Ray, thanks for the thoughts on the tradeoffs of the designs, the flotation and utility of the fore and aft seating is one of the really attractive design elements of the S/CS series and keeps bringing me back, that weight tradoff would be worth it to me. One that might not be worth it is the additional weight for the mizzen setup with step and partners and gear and all the rest, another reason my preference is toward the spindrift cat rig. Don't get me wrong, I sail a cat ketch now and appreciate the utility of the rig, but I'm focusing on simplicity and weight on this concept.

The thought of building a CS15, (or the delicious looking upcoming Lapwing ) without decking but with the traditional Byrnes fore and aft seating arrangement appeals to me, and I'd be interested to hear what Graham would have to say about the effects of doing that on weight and integrity.

As far as the safety aspect of the lack of decking on the GIS goes, I'm an inland lake sailor would only expect to be out in fair weather on protected waters with this boat.

[Designer]

I don't know where that weight on the web site for the CS15 came from but it does seem to be too high. Unfortunately I did not get an opportunity to weigh the CS15 when I sailed her.

[Charlie Jones]

Personally, I'm waiting for more info on the lapwing

[mjname]

I read a book about a guy who had a nesting dinghy... but it came apart in three sections and was 12 foot in length. It wasn't a sailer, it was for rowing and outboard.

It was the plans that I was searching for when I found B&B

I can't remeber the book but it was written by a guy who worked for one of the early sail magazines and sailed a Tartan 30, had a kid with partial custody and lived aboard. I think the book is on my boat... and I'm on shore. :roll:

I'll try and find the book and the name of the tender. I personally think the that the spindrit would look really sexy in 3 sections and about 13 foot long.

[Tom Lathrop]

I expect to bring the Lapwing in at 220 lbs, or hopefully less. I base this estimate on several similar boats that I have built. One such boat is the first one on this page: http://www.bluejacketboats.com/sail%20gallery.htm

This is a racing Windmill of 15' 6" length with 9mm bottom, 6mm side planking, full length air tanks & decks and two thwarts. Weight of finished hull W/O rudder, daggerboard or rigging other than permanently attached hardware was 189 lbs. Needed to add 9 lbs lead to meet Windmill Class minimum weight limit. The Lapwing will have greater beam but I intend to use 6mm ply for all strakes unless Graham insists on 9mm for the garboard and second strake. The fixed centerboard will add some weight to the Lapwing over the Windmill.

I see no reason for the CS 15 to be heavier than the Lapwing and also think the listed 300 lbs is bogus. My BRS 15 was not that heavy and it was built like a tank.

[DanSkorupka]

found plans for a 14 x 5 foot multipurpose plywood simple deep vee, rockered but able to take up to 5 hp. have not seen the body plan for the spindrift, so i cant honestly tell how similar they are and should probably be thought of as a separate class instead of a spindrift 14 (based on photos, there is probably a fair amount of difference between the two; this is deeper, has more rocker and may be more like the bay river skiff in that the bottom panels are not convex but flat). This one is ply on frame not stitch and glue, but could likely be adapted by a skilled builder.

It is the sea skiff by William Jackson

here is a link to study plans: country plans multi-skiff

hope this is some help

[BARRYFOY]

Your thinking on a suitable boat has some similarity to mine. My first selection was for the Bay River Skiff 15 (after long looks at the the Bay Skiff, CS 15, and Goat Island Skiff.) I have the plans and plywood. But really thinking about my needs, I realized (well, it is more my wife being logical) that a boat that we could take along on our travel trailer trips would be most immediately useful. Thus, I am now building my Spindrift 11N, which features in my postings elsewhere on this site. Nested, it will just fit under the cap of my pickup truck.

I am a fairly large person, and was even larger when I had experience in 10' Dyer and Trinka dinghys, sharing them with other large adult males. Thus, I have no concerns about the capacity of the Spindrift. At first, I was disappointed there was no Spindrift 12N, but now think that even the 10N may have been enough.

One huge advantage I see to the BRS: A swing centerboard, which is impractical in a shorter boat, and obviously impossible in a nesting one. Despite that, I won't be too surprised if I find that the Spindrift is simply enough boat for me.

Barry