Strip Planked Gulet?

To me one of the most beautiful sailing yachts is the Gulet. The space aboard is immense anf they are built like tanks. Gulets however are, to my knowledge built by eye by master Craftsman, and thus, no plans exist for sale online. If I am wrong please let me know. Anyone ever draw up a design similar to a gullet that could be accomplished in strip plank?

 

Welcome to the forum.

Can you post a picture of this "Gulet"?

 

Of course. Here is an example unfortunately my yard will only allow a maximum of a 70'er and I would like it to have a junk schooner rig so she can be comfortably cruised with a small crew

 

This is pretty much what I thought and you may be correct in that there are no drawings, but in order to get out of areas of the world, where you don't need to comply with basic standards and class certifications, some one at some point will have had to draw it up and include a stability book and other class requirements.

My understanding of these puppies is, they're massively built with certainly questionable building practices, using very inexpensive labor, so they can afford to do magnificent woodwork, particularly in the fitting and trim out. Underway, they are pretty much dogs, compaired to a modern design, needing a fair bit of wind, just to get away from a dock and fuel usage is poor, given their mass, hull form and windage.

The above image shows a Bermudian staysail schooner rig, which isn't the most handy rig, but manageable by a small crew, mostly because the majority of the sails, can be rolled up quickly and easily. I'm not sure why you might imagine a junk schooner rig to be a better choice in terms of short handed sailing, but it wouldn't be. I'd recommend a Bermudian ketch of standard proportions, where everything is roller furled. It would be closer winded, parts and pieces are easily obtainable, they can be fixed by any yard world wide and replacements are commonly available and serviceable.

Lastly, making a 70'+ yacht look good is an easy thing, from a design point of view. Aesthetically, I don't have a lot of favor for these monolithic beasts, you seem to enjoy, mostly because, except as harbor queens, they don't do much well, other than offer houseboat accommodations. Building fine sailing 70' yachts isn't a small thing, nor remotely cheap, unless you resort to buying one of these Indonesian contrivances, that can get insured anywhere in the world, because they don't comply with any of the appropriate regulations or class certifications.

There are plans available for larger yachts, though the vast majority, will actually sail well, maintain a healthy stability curve, be reasonably efficient on fuel and offer the aestedics you may like. Have a look at Jay Benford designs, maybe Ted Brewer and others, for some ideas, but don't limit yourself to these puppies, simply for the aesthetic. Anything can be spruced up or altered to look like anything, but starting with a ponderously slow, over burdened contrivance of a design, that can't be insured, seems silly, given the budget it requires, to complete a project like this.

 

I enjoy gulets because of their lines. I agree, the interior is a bit overboard. Noone needs 4-8 staterooms with private heads. What I want, I suppose, is a sailing yacht that can comfortably accommodate four adults and two kids for offshore passages. I want to accomplish this using cedar strip because if I'm spending years building a yacht, the only part covered with paint will be below the waterline. I want it to be schooner rigged, and use either junk or gaff sails due to their ease of construction, and low cost. I've looked at the big designers, selway-fisher, welsford, benford, Brewer, even own a few of Phil Bolgers books. I have seen things that come close, but nothing that really stuck out.i love welsfords fafnir swaggie, not for their lines but for the intensely utilitarian design. My only problem with it is that they are both too small.

 

If you want to actually cruise offshore, then this isn't the boat for you. Not even remotely. These are harbor queens and do their best sitting at a berth, looking great, as they bob at their mooring lines.

If you're really serious about a offshore cruising yacht. You need to establish a solid SOR (Statement Of Requirements). These are the goals and targets for the design to satisfy. I'm currently consulting on revisions and upgrades to a 50' offshore cruiser. It was a Glen-L "Reliant", home built over 20 years. It's strip planked and well done, though needs some help, with the current owner.

Also access, seriously access your building and sailing skills, as schooners aren't simple, nor are junk rigs. Though some books suggest they might be, there's a really good reason you see so many Bermudian sloops and ketches. Gaffers are quaint, but not nearly as simple to operate with a short handed crew or solo. I used to run a charter on a 63' Bermudan ketch, all through the USVI's and I'd could solo her in modest winds, but this does take some sailing skill and a well setup boat. The last thing you'll want short handed, is a bunch of extra line to handle, when the wind suddenly picks up and your auto pilot just took a dump (always does when you need it).

Lets start with the basics; length, draft and budget.

 

Length 30-50' ideal. Draft 5 or less. Most of my coastal cruising will be on the gulf coast of Florida, which can be quite shallow, but I also want to be able to cruise down the saint John's since I have family down towards you in the Debary DeLand area. For this I expect it would be best to have two short masts, counterbalanced on a tabernacle so a crane is not required for dropping the masts if I come to a low bridge. I feel that if Welsford can fit as much in his 18' swaggie, 3 staterooms can easily be squeezed into a length 6' longer, then 30 is a possibility. My biggest concern is that "I" would like the possibility of living aboard. Though my family will spend most of our time on shore, between destinations I don't want to have the urge to strangle our children too frequently. Thus the large range of size options. In this day in age just throw a Nintendo DS in a kids hands and they are quiet, so interior volume is not a big thing. The longest crossings we will probably take will be around the islands in the Caribbean, but my dad lives in Hawaii so you never know. I just want a tank, that while maybe not fast, will get me anywhere I want eventually, and get me there no matter the conditions we encounter. Luckily, my wife is not into the luxurious lifestyle, so it does not need to be fancy. Also, we do not spend much time on deck, so I think having all lines lead into a pilothouse and eliminating the cockpit entirely would be efficient. As for a budget, I am a disabled veteran, and build small boats for a living. I can allot up to 2000 a month for construction costs, which, considering this will mostly be a solo project, will keep me busy all month. I'm 27, so it's not like I'm dying any time soon. Plenty of time to build a boat. I am experienced with strip plank, stitch and glue, and skin on frame construction and have built canoes, kayaks, sailboats and motor boats up to 20 feet throughout the years.

 

Also, keep in mind, I'm a Bolger fan, so I like out of the box thinking the most. I don't want a boat like a Hunter, Catalina, MacGregor or Beneteau. I want something that stands out.

 

30' to 50' is huge scale difference, so much so, you should refine this a bit. The difference is literally triple the immersed volume in many cases. There are a lot of 40'ers, to choose from, though most will not be shoal draft, some are. The styling is a builders choice, more so than than the plans show. If you want a raised aft rail with an aft cabin, this isn't a big deal, a clipper bow or a spoon, no problem. Aestedics changes are a minor concern, what needs to be well refined are the goals of the boat.

 

Smallest possible cruising vessel with three staterooms. The reason I moved it up to 50, is because I have no idea how much a designer can actually pack into a 30' hull. Can you achieve three staterooms plus a salon in 30'? Also, because part of my desire is that it can take any conditions thrown at it, we all know how nasty the ocean can get. I wanted to leave plenty of room for the designer to throw in water tight bulkheads, secondary battery banks, anything he feels would help achieve a damn safe vessel.

 

For what it's worth, there's no such thing as a design that can take what ever can be thrown at it, while still being viable enough to economically build. The difference is a an ice breaker that can't sail worth a damn, unless there's a force 5 or better wind blowing and weighs twice as much, compaired to a much lighter hull that is the same length, same accommodations, but sails well, plus you don't have to put so much extra material into it for "just in case" situations. It's probable you'll want to look at 35' to 40' designs, for the stateroom needs.

 

My family has built a few of them, but you are right there no online plans for them. We built them for the massively popular Turk and Croat charter fleets. You are right - no individual needs an 8 stateroom vessel with invid a/c, heads, or bidets. They are built for long term use in wood and some with steel hulls. As neat as they are most won't sail a lick. They have massive 300-500hp engines and carry enourmous amounts of water. None have watermakers or sea keepers. They are massively strong and well built. You will find many of them in Maramis and Bodrum. But seriously who wants to go there to buy one?

 

Jeez I miss PAR's advice. His posts are pure magic