radical redesign

[vandy1]

I have a Pearson Electra that I would like to radically redesign by cutting off the full keel (actually I'd like to flatten out the bottom) and replacing it with either a swing keel or a lifting keel like on the Ultimate 20. It would also involve cutting off the doghouse and making it into a self bailing cockpit. This would probably also involve moving the mast forward and turning it into a fractional rig. The reasoning is that the boat size is perfect (I'm limited to a 7' beam), but I want better trailerability and performance. Any and all advice or comment is welcome.

Vandy1

[RThompson]

Um, while you are at it why don't you move the rudder and replace the hull skin? by which stage the deck will not suit the rest, so replace that as well...

From what you are suggesting I would thoroughly recommend re-evaluating what you want out of a boat. Literally write a list of what you need.
Then if your current boat doesn't suit, sell it and buy one that does.

...hoping to keep your yachting cost effective and fun,
Rob

[astevo]

dont bother. what youve described is cutting or modifying every si ngle part of the boat. Anyone whos modified bats knows its always more effort thn it looks.

robs advice is good, selll it how it is and buy something that more suits what you want.
if you want to change that much remember "you can't polish a turd"

[PAR]

I say go for it. Yes, do it man, build her how you desire, with all the changes envisioned. My only questions are; How much of the college preparatory math did you absorb in high school? It's nothing hard and any 12th grade student, with good grades, can handle it. How much structure engineering do you have under your belt? Your grasp of the physics, concepts, flow dynamics, etc. all within the realm of getting her to float with the decks facing up? Any real design experience? There's quite a bit involved in what you're suggesting, as you may have gathered from the coy replies so far. This isn't an undoable thing, but you are basically going to butcher a well designed structure and turn it into something it wasn't intended for, so the performance results may be disappointing. A good tip would be not trying to make a ballasted keel boat a shoal centerboarder. The two hull forms (one relies on form stability and the other on a large percentage of it's displacement hung as low as practical) have a great deal of difference in them and rarely make the crossover well. A silk purse rarely is made from a sow's ear, though it is possible.

[gggGuest]

You might want to consider building a new hulll shell and then transferring the equipment from your current boat onto it when you've finished.

1) That way you have something to go sailing on while the build in in progress

2) What you propose sounds like such a major hack that it would probably be more work than starting frim scratch anyway.

[yokebutt]

Vandy,

Just transplant your fuzzy dice into another boat that fits your requirements better.

Yoke.

[Skippy]

Originally Posted by yokebutt

Just transplant your fuzzy dice into another boat that fits your requirements better.

And then build another boat from scratch, just for fun.

[mackid068]

Not worth doing. Major modifications are for noone except those with time, resources and an interest in math/engineering. If you don't have all three, then probably not for you. Keep the full keel and focus on other aspects of the boat for speed and agility improvements (spars, sails, interior excess weight.)

[SeaDrive]

I agree with all the foregoing, discouraging advice, but I think I see your problem: all the likely alternates have beam greater than your 7' limit.

My suggestion is to trade down to an Rhodes Mariner ( by O'Day or Stuart). There is CB model, it meets the beam limitation, the cockpit is self-bailing. Voila! (There may be an O'Day 20 that is ok for beam. Not sure.)

Perhaps you want a bigger or faster boat. Don't we all, but if it was a good idea for a 23' boat with a retracting keel to be as narrow as 7', there would be more of them.

[Seafarer24]

Design yourself a folding trimaran that takes up only 7' when folded....

[mackid068]

True! That COULD work, in THEORY.

[vandy1]

Wow. A few helpful/nice people out there and lots of sarcasm. What's up with the fuzzy dice crack? If someone can point me to a boat in the 20-24 foot range with a retractable or swing keel and a self bailing cockpit I'd be happy to consider it. I haven't found one on my own. I have thoroughly evaluated what I want, and I described it. If you have helpful or positive ideas about how to make it work, please forward them.

[Skippy]

"What's up with the fuzzy dice crack?"

I'm sure it's all in fun vandy. I would take all the posts as practical, friendly criticism. The dice comment especially sums it up in one sentence: Why take a perfectly good boat apart when you can just buy a new one or build your own? If you don't like the advice, best of luck to you.

[RThompson]

I took the fuzzy dice coment to be a literall interpretation from the car scene.
ie: you hang your fuzzy dice off the rearview mirror and it makes it _your_ car. When you sell that car and buy another you "transplant" the dice and then the new car becomes _your_ car once again.
wouldn't matter if it were fuzzy dice or your personal coffee mug in the locker.

As Skippy says, I'm sure its all in fun. The advice given (abeit sarcastic) is meant well.
One only has to wander around a few hardstands or boatyards to see formerly beautiful yacht's that have been destroyed because a well meaning owner set out to make it better than originally built. These yachts rarely see the water again, and the owners move to some other pastime.
I say that as a suggestion of why your proposal may trigger some extreme reactions from people, the comment is not referring to you or your project.

Sorry I don't have more enlightening ideas to your problem.
If you are after better trailerability and performance how about a sportsyacht?

as I said: "...hoping to keep your yachting cost effective and fun"

Rob

[SeaDrive]

Originally Posted by vandy1

If someone can point me to a boat in the 20-24 foot range with a retractable or swing keel and a self bailing cockpit I'd be happy to consider it.

Wylie Wabbit!!!
http://www.wyliewabbit.org/specs.htm

Building Selway Fischer's Go Go Girl from scratch would be quicker and better than your Electra conversion.
http://www.selway-fisher.com/PCover20.htm