Block Island Cowhorn

Thank you gentlemen, but first a confession.

I have been reading these pages, and drooling over the pictures for a few years now, but upon seeing the cartoon in post #1 in this thread, had never considered joining. It fascinated me, and i thought it made a useful stab at emulating this design, the block island boat “Lena M”. I was not specifically aware that this boat was a “Pig” to sail, but it is clearly burdensome. Perhaps i was fooled by a painting of it being landed through surf.

RWatson, i was not concerned about your comments, merely that it was a bit harsh on the BOAT. Thank you for the “Lady of Bermuda” design, i have drooled over that boat for many years. Funny story, a number of years ago a colleague of mine bought these p[lans, and being 6’5” wrote to the designer asking if the headroom could be raised by some means. The designer wrote back stating that my colleague was too tall, and should be shorter? Something missing in the translation i think.
Now i look at the plan form of Lady of Bermuda, and in particular the cross section, i see it too must be quite heavy displacement, and not so easy to accelerate.

PAR, i understand the need to produce commercially successful designs, and well done to do so, but i personally do not like these mixed message boats. Where we dock in the NW we have several light displacement ‘modern’ plastic hulls with clipper bows, trail boards, and gaff ketch rigs. Im sure their owners love them, they rarely sail them, but i find them odd somehow.

Even more odd, there is a George Beuhler hull here with a triple spreader rig on it. I assume to get a close sheeted jib/genoa, and perhaps he scavenged the rig complete, but i am sure the owner loves it too.

Frank, that Schonker is an eye-opener, is it another example of a ‘dory’ needing a heavy load to work properly. Does the 14 10;46 photo have something of the Cog in its hull. I have to hope the person in the starboard ratlines has not hung himself?

Someone once said the most perfect boat is the one you are sailing at the time, and i have to agree.

 

It would have been great to have bombigher's site beforehand then I might not have done anything unless of course his designs are also overly heavy and deep of draft but from a quick look they seem good.

By all means choose the rig you like, I chose the typ. Bermudan because of the abundance to spars and sails (cheap), they are efficient, light, sailmakers understand them much better than traditional sails, and modern day sail management options make them easy to control.

Tried to keep the keel similar to original other than flattening the rake at aft, to cutaway the foot would stray to much from original. Think the original rake profile may helped to bring them to shore as that famous painting of one BIC being pulled ashore by a team of oxen. The owner did say it tracked like a freight train but with twin masts maneuvering was said to be a "natural for pleasure sailing".

 

As far as them being pigs, the woodenboat article of 07/08 2011 owner states he made San Diego to Puerto Vallarta /1050 mile downwind trip in six days then a crossing to Sorcorro Island/1400 miles in nine days which is respectable and probably truthful since it was freight so he kept a log, had crew to verify, and raced against an Ingrid 38 which they beat by two days as another witness, still could be fibbing but it seems truthful.

 

Some have preferences for rake at sheer but that's all it is, would rather be able to clearly see fwd while having the rest of body protected while seated also add a bridgedeck since its a big low cockpit. Right now I'm favoring having jacklines and harness going fwd rather than depending on lifelines, just be absolutely sure you are "clicked on", one time I got distracted and assumed I was safely tied then came back only to find otherwise.

Peace.

 

If you hunt for the first article on Beuhler's designs, you will find mention of the Cowhorn as being a boat that inspired his designs Looking at his later work shows an evolution towards more modern Ideas. With a wide hard chine deep dead rise boat, the transition from bow to midships will be difficult at best. Have fun.

 

I could walk down a dock faster then an Ingrid 38 could sail. Nothing to brag about there, sort of a bit like saying my car raced and beat a Prius.

 

Slow in what conditions ?

 

A fast walk is 7 knots -

" The hull speed of an Ingrid 38 is calculated at 7.18 knots. You will probably only experience this in optimum sailing conditions, however, 6 knots while cruising is considered good - and you can do this consistently. "
http://www.smasters.homeip.net/IngridPrincess/brochure.html

depending whether they went of the 8 tonne ballast design, or 10 tonne.

so, a comfortable exercising walk would keep up easily in heavy weather.

In light airs, is would be even easier.
"She consistently sails at 1/2 the wind speed (i.e., at 2 knots of wind, the boat moves at 1 knot) up to 8 knots of wind."


Modern yachts with efficient hull shapes get places quicker, either with better hydrodynamic hull shapes or vastly better pointing ability.

The hull shape attached provides obvious reasons why efficient sailing is not its forte.

 

You're jogging at 8 MPH. Typically, most find about 3 MPH a normal walking speed. These boats and the many similar shapes, both copying it's success as a cruiser or simply as a wholesome, well burdened vessel, make wonderful motorsailers, but as an axillary or sailer, it's just too much wetted surface, too much appendage drag, bluff sections, lots of girth and relatively low SA/D. The first thing I recommend prospective buyers of yachts like this, when considering a test sail is to fire up the engine and try to back it into a slip. Once this catastrophe is over, they move on to designs more akin to the 20th century, preferably the later half of it.