D.N. Goodchild Design Archive

[Alixander Beck]

Has anyone experience with these designs?
Specifically this one by Charles McAlary.

"ArrowHead"
http://www.dngoodchild.com/5070.htm


Just wondering as their design prices are very affordable and there are no reproduction royalties, does this mean that they are not sound plans or am I just over analysing?

[duluthboats]

These plans are mostly reprints from magazine articles many more than 50 years old. There are lots of great designs from those magazines. Materials and hardware may not match what is available today. If you have questions the designer is not around to answer them. The articles are light on details; I think it was the hope that a builder would contact the designer. Remember you usually get what you pay for.

Gary

[Alixander Beck]

Or could it be percieved that the builder would have enough knowledge/experience to fill in the gaps of "light details." ? 50 years ago I think trades work was not only appreciated more but found in greater abundance and therefore that may be the reason for only the most basic information?

Unfortunately a design quote from S&S on their Arrow Class was above my current design budget and I have been forced to look into these alternative sources.

My question, even though these designs leave questions to be answered in small detail aspects and may require some modifications of these details while building, Do you think that the Hull design, CLR's, CE's and rig/sail plans would be trustworthy enough to build around?

[mmd]

Somewhere between the wee cost of decades-old DIY boat plans and the steep price of custom designs is a comfort zone where you pay a competant designer for a couple of hours of his time to review the plans for the old-style boat you like, and then proceed to build with the confidence of his report in your hands.

[byankee]

I have a dozen or so of the Goodchild reprints of plans for small skiffs and sailboats up to 16 feet and have found them to be very complete. As an "educated amateur", I could build any of these boats using the instructions and the plans. Some of the building methods are a bit unusual, but they all seem reasonable. I don't know about the plans for larger craft such as "Arrowhead", but since all of these plans were intended for amaterur builders to actually build, I'd guess that they'd be O.K. too. In any case, it will only cost you $9.95 plus shipping to find out....

As for the quality of the design itself, well that's a harder question. Many of the Goodchild reprints are by well known designers and I don't see why there'd be a problem with the plans. Some of the plans are the exact same plans that are being offered by reputable plan vendors today (i.e. the Fred Goeller dinghy plans from Goodchild are the exact same plans (though in a smaller format) offered by WoodenBoat magazine for ten times the price.) As for your "Arowhead" though, who the heck is/was Charles McAlary??? I'd follow mmd's suggestion and have a reputable designer review the plans before starting to build the thing.

a tidbit I found while searching for info on McAlary...it's from the WoodenBoat forum

"Arrowhead"... was drawn by Charles H. McAlary of Newport Beach, CA. Arrowhead is a 3/4 sloop rigged, 21' x 5'11" centerboarder with a counter stern and skeg mounted rudder. Plans for amateur construction were published by Popular Mechanics magazine sometime in the 1930's. They were reprinted in the book Build A Boat for pleasure or profit that was published by Popular Mechanics in 1941"

Also this from the June 2005 edition of "Good Old Boats" http://www.goodoldboat.com/newsletter/junnewslett42.html#looking

Arrowhead wooden sailboat
I am researching the history of the Arrowhead class wooden sailboat designed by Charles McAlary of Newport Beach, California. My father, uncle, and grandfather built one of these 21-foot sloops around 1942 from plans found in Popular Mechanix. This boat was sailed on Oneida Lake in central New York until about 1973. It resides in our garage and could be restored to sailing condition. We are wondering where information about how many of these boats were built or any other history could be found. Plans for this boat can still be purchased on the Internet.
Bob Porter

The web posting has a email link for Bob Porter - you might want to contact him to ask about the boat.