25.6ft Gaff Cruiser under way

As some are aware, I came out of a three year retirement to build one last boat.
I started on April 25 and at last reached the stage where the hull and deck is welded up, ready for grinding and finishing. This will be followed by shotblast, primer coats and then the interior will go in.

The boat is a twin keeler with tiller rudder on full skeg designed by yours truly for my clients specific needs. Length on deck is 25.6 ft and the boat displaces 3.5 tons. Construction is totally frameless (transversely) with developed panels. Rig is a twin headsail gaff affair with bowsprit.
Primarily designed as a sturdy coastal cruiser with good blue water ability.

Interior is massive on its 2.940m beam with no side decks and full standing headroom throughout boat. Hull is fabricated from 3mm plate and the deck 2.5mm plate.

Here is a couple of pics of progress this far.

 

Looking good, Wynand. A friend of mine has a Benford 34 dory ('BADGER') and the elimination of side decks gives an unbelievable increase in internal space.

PDW

 

. . . and a huge increase in athwart hull shell stiffness too. Longitudinally, you also pick up stiffness gains, but not as much as laterally, comparatively.

 

and a few more pics of the boat.
Hard to believe this is only a 25.6ft boat with all the size available compared to other boats in this range. Had built quite a few Tom Thumb 24's in the past (owned one myself) but this in a total different league, much like cheese and chalk.

By the way, keels toed in 1.5 degrees each and canted 15 degrees outwards.

Wish it was mine

 

Looking good - really great !!!!

 

Looks great Wynand! Personally I wouldn't want to be without sidedecks, but it's really impressive how much room you got inside 26'! And as always, your metalwork is in a class of its own.
Still, a question to the audience: How often do you guys think we are going to read this sentence "to build one last boat"?
Walter

 

Wynand, you gotta nice boat going on there Keep up the good work and keep those pictures coming. Any plan sketches and desired performance specifications?

 

Wynand thanks for your help and assistance

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/al...ating/ait-around-ten-49601-17.html#post694521

 

Quite the interior space vs other similarly long boats. Well done.

 

Is there a chance that boat could see-saw on to it's nose when stranded ? The obesity epidemic is real, and a couple of big people move to the bow, and oops !

 

Tipping forward is a real possibility...

The LCG of the boat is about at the trailing edges of the keels, bur the full skeg is about 150mm shorter than the keels. IOW, when the tide goes out, she will squat down in a slight nose up stance that will assist preventing the boat to tip foreward when to much weight get forward.
But, the owner must experiment with the boat to see how much weight he can safely have forward of the LCG or keels.

The boat actually stood upright when I walked to bow, with helper and she did not tipped and I am a large fellow, weighing 130kg. The reason the bow is propped is to level the waterline for the floors and interior to be fitted.

 

OK, it would be something to be aware of for the odd occasion it might happen. But being alert to possible problems is always good practice on any boat.

 

I would gladly give up side decks on my 25footer. But not worth the effort to totally rebuild house. What real use are side decks on such a small boat? Dangerous going forward? Much safer having hatches strategically placed, to pop upper body out of and do the task, while securely inside waist down. I DID add and relocate hatches on my boats with this in mind.
This new boat got plenty hatches forward, Wynand?
I believe the 2nd most important thing after keeping water out, is letting air in. Hatches good for ventilation, too.

 

On the coach roof are two opening hatches - one 600mm x 400mm (emergency exit) over the forward cabin and another 500mm x 500mm between mast and companion way.

Furthermore, the coach roof front have two size 0 opening portholes that opens into the master cabin and another two at the back of coach roof cockpit side opening into galley and head compartments.
All the cabin top side windows are non opening but we plan to fit two dorado vent boxes inboard close to mast.

Below are pictures of foredeck at this stage - all fittings I made myself and the only things left to do is to trim the scupper holes with 8mm roundbar.
The box on the foredeck top is slanted the same angle (in profile) as coach roof and this is where all loose blocks etc, as well as anchor rope/chain will be stored. It also act as a step down to foredeck from cabin top.
IOW, no "traditional" anchor locker in foredeck and this keep deck solid and waterproof.

 

Well planned. I want one. But will have to be content with my two plastic 35 footers. Nice work!