Pocket Change

Hello...

I am sure you all think I am a bit of a crank...

I am sure you all know that I really do not care...

I have this 'bee in my bonnet' - other than the fact that I really just want to dance for a living...

It remains...

Small cruisers - even though I wrench big boats...

My favourite remains the Peep Hen - out of production - and no one seems to know where the moulds are...

Easy to redesign - as is Mark Ellis' Nonsuch - but why did they fail...

I think it is because they tried to offer Yacht Quality to an up buyer - a beach bomber dinghy muck looking to go further - I think - like Pacific Seacrafts Flicka - with due respect this is why Macgregors flew out of the door...

People are going to buy the best that they can get - to a fixed budget - and tooling and production is regulated by market demand - rather than what we know to be better...

Ah Humbug - bloody fickle industry - as is anything...

Any thoughts...

SH.

 

Nice little tub how seaworthy were they.What would they sell for.

 

Mushy...

Hello...

This was a 12 grand upgrade from your beach bomber - WOW - with no motor - no cockpit tenting - nothing...

I think it could be plugged and parted for a quarter of that - spreading same over 6 pulls...

But I know absolutely nothing about how to build a boat...

SH.

 

Hi Sean .12 Grand SA. US or pounds.I just bought wharram plans for 1400 pounds. The wharram is easy to build.The economic stuff is now messing with my budget badly.Regards Chris

 

Sean,

Here's my take on the tiny cruiser problem, this one is 12' by 6', twin bilgeboards to open up the interior. She could be built in 400 hours in ply, less if the ply is NC cut. It comes down to how little ($) you want (or are willing to) to work for.... I've got some young hotshots here who will work for $10 Hr, just to build boats. But they won't work in a production environment...

 

I've just been rereading the March'08 edition of 'Messing about in boats' and they reproduce a very sweet 20 year old ad for the Peep hen, complete with lexan window in the bottom of the hull. I'll see if I can get my act together to scan it in.

Meanwhile, here's a picture of Peggoty, my 16' topsail gaffer - grp, ballasted, twin bilge plates and an outboard well.



She is a Winklebrig, designed by Eric Bergqvist, who still has the moulds, though they are no longer in production despite considerable interest.

There is a small but excellent forum here, with a wealth of information on the Winklebrig.