REALLY small cruisers...

I like your design. It kinda has that VW 'bug' look about it. What will you use it for? Overnights on the water? I love the 'jacknife' keel centerboard arrangment. Nice and practical, stylish, and cool. Being that she appears to be a cat boat, I would give her a little more rudder tho'.

Hope to see it on the front cover of 'Small Craft Advisor' this Summer.

Bob

 

You're right on the rudder, and I may have to extend the aft end of the keel to avoid a heavy weather helm. I was thinking that it could be a real close in gunkholer, which has the option of sleeping aboard if you happen to be in a cliffy area, or somewhere not conducive to wading ashore (about knee deep) to camp. Loaded down, she'll displace 800 lbs with a draft of about 20 inches and run about 225 lbs dry. This version differs from the drawing by about 2.5 ft in length, which gives enough room for a stove on one side and a basin on the other with a porta underneith.

Believe it or not, a guy in Istanbul emailed me this past week looking for plans. Told him I couldn't do anything until I had built the boat myself, mainly 'cause I need to take the measurements for the cabin sides and roof off of the boat itself when I get things together.

Steve

 

I like your design, Sean. I hope you'll solve your VISA issue and build it soon...

 

Really small cruisers...
I'm a minimalist by philosphy. In home decor, I hate Chachkas, knick-knacks and chintz. The same in boats, I hate trail boards, gaffs and turned taffrails. I love small cruisres but not to small. I spent some miserable time on an 18' O'Day which hardly sailed, and got tossed around by every passing wake.

The most fun overall was my 26' fiberglass folkboat (Quatsino class) which I built from a kit (30 years ago). This was the perfect size, cheap to build and sailed very well. I had a tiny outboard which was seldom used. You could scull her along at a couple of knots just by slowly waggling the tiller. She was stiff and rarely needed a reef. Because of the small size of the sails, I had a full set. They were main, 100% jib, 150% genoa, and 2 more not on any other folkboat I ever saw. They were a masthead drifter, 200% overlap of very light cloth with a wire luff, and a masthead Assymetric spinnaker. These latter 2 sails would allow her to exceed wind speed in light airs, and she seemed to make her own wind. I had two tiny sheet winches, none for halyards. There was no electricity on board, lamps were kerosene. All fun and very little work to maintain.

Some how I have slipped from my minimalist philosophy. I now have a Hanse 371, a splendid craft with many amenities. On paper she is much faster than Eclat (my folkboat) but in practice not so. Why? Well I have the big sails, but they are a lot of work to put up, so unless I have a racing crew on board I use working sails only. The folkboat would steer herself with a lashed tiller, now I have an autopilot. A block of ice used to keep the beer cold, now I have a fridge and $2000 worth of solar panels, and a large battery to do the same thing. The price of all this is more cleaning, more maintenance, and moer breakdowns. Oh, and allowing for inflation, it cost about 10 times as many dollars.

Did I change my philosophy? No, but somehow creeping affluence made the bigger boat possible. Similarly I grew up in a small house with one bathroom and 5 people. In memory at least it seemed fine. How did it happen that 2 of us have 4 bathrooms now?

Anyway, the 26' folkboat still seems perfect to me. I could sail it offshore and did, but it also could wriggle up a creek. I saw Eclat last week. Still in great shape, unfortunately she sits low on her lines due to a diesel inboard, lifelines and pulpits, and other unneeded additions...

 

Downsizing and KISSing is the name of the game. That's my next step. Just do some chap-a-potting cruising in my home waters, fishing and cooking for myself those local and tasty fishes in out of season secluded anchorages. If the impulse of cruising in far away waters comes: I'll rent or look for friends....
That's why I'm investigating pocket cruisers under sail or motor. Not decided yet. Then I'll do myn own design, build it up and enjoy the whole thing...
Cheers.

 

really small kite

someone know if exist any boat similar to those but instead of sail, powered by a kite ... may be in that way having somewat planing ?

 

looks great

Tahis looks realy great, I just joind the group and am very impresed with what folks have come up with on small boats.
Any chance of more info on your project,plans or photos?
Thanks in advance.
bob164

 

Here is another mini cruiser, a sharpie yawl outboard motorsailer big enough to sleep on in 15 feet. Sorry about the crappy drawings, it is changing as it gets built.

http://cruisenews.net/whaleback/

 

Thanks

Thanks for your reply.