Herreshoff 15

Hi, this is my first post here. ive never built, or even owned a boat before but my dad and i are considering a buzzards bay 15 project. we are both aerospacee engineers and i trained as a joiner for several years so hopefully we will be ok.
i have contacted mit about their plans but i am yet to hear back from them. i would really appreciate any information anyone could offer on where to get plans or good construction guide books.
thanks for your time,
michael,
belfast

 

Have you tried Halsey Herreshoff?
http://www.herreshoffdesigns.com/

 

Welcome to the forum.

The H-15 is an ambitious first project. There are other versions of this boat, some with modernized build methods. You must remember she was first built well over a century ago, so all the engineering, methods and materials are of that era. It's a lot of boat for it's LWL and in this regard I'd prefer a H-18, which has some very cramped accommodation.

I love both boats, but I wouldn't want to be on a lake or river in either with modern sailboats around, as you'll just get clobbered in most conditions against most comers.

There are designs we call "in the spirit of" or "in the tradition of" which have the look and feel of these very traditional little yachts, but incorporate modern underwater shapes, appendages and building methods. These boats will not get their butt's kicked when you encounter another yacht on a local waterway. Now, I know what you're thinking "we're not interested in racing" to which I say "bull pucky", everyone in any sailboat of any shape, size or configuration, upon the sight of another sail, instantly puckers up a tad, and sees if they can catch or over take that sail. It's just an intrinsically embedded thing in all of us.

SO, before you choose, look at as many different designs as you can, decide what is truly most important to you and pick a design that's best suited for those needs.

The H-15 is available through:

Kurt Hasselbalch
Curator, Hart Nautical Collections
Phone: 617/253-5942
Fax: 617/258-9107
E-mail: museum-reference@mit.edu

 

Kurt may be away from the office.

A very informative article about the Buzzard's Bay 15 and building a near-replica is available at http://www.artisanboatworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The_Herreshoff_15_Is_Alive_And_Well.pdf

The Herreshoff 15 is a very ambitious first boat to build. You might consider building a dinghy to get some experience.

 

WoodenBoat sells plans for the Haven 12 1/2 which is based on the Hereshoff 12 1/2 but with a centerboard. It's 16 feet in length and 1400 lbs displacement compared to the H 15 at 24 1/2 feet in length and 2800 lbs displacement. The plans are suitable for the advanced amateur builder. http://www.woodenboatstore.com/product/plan_16_Haven_Class

 

There is a significant difference between the 12 1/2 "boys" boat and a H-15 or H-18. I think the 12 1/2 a better first time build, though it too is pretty ambitious for a first go.

It might be helpful to know what they're looking for in a day yacht, to help refine the choices.

 

Yes, a 12 1/2 is about half of a H-15 when it comes to weight, time to build and expense, and a 12 1/2 is an ambitious first project. Something like a Catspaw dinghy, might be an even better first project before building something like either a 12 1/2 or a H-15. http://www.woodenboatstore.com/product/plan_12_Catspaw_Dinghy

 

Thanks everyone. Very helpful information. I particularly enjoyed reading about murmur. Still completely original!
I'm feeling ambitious so if I can get my head around the plans and I'm still confident I'll attempt to build "flicker II"!

 

Having never built a boat before, even as skilled wood workers and engineers, both the 15 and 18 are very ambitious. Over reaching is one of the major reasons projects just don't get completed. Consider a different first project, rather then 24' or 29' traditional build. I build boats for a living and I'd be intimidated with either build. It's not that I couldn't or haven't previously, but the type of work is demanding and complex, much more so for the uninitiated. Both the 15 and 18 were designed as racers, so the scantlings are light, the structure complex and the number of hours to complete, quite substantial. I'm hounding you about this simply because I've seen many projects started with all the best of intentions, just to result in a pile of costly materials getting dragged to the land fill, year later. Little steps, before jumping into the deep end of the pool fellas.

 

This could be of interest to you

http://www.artisanboatworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The_Herreshoff_15_Is_Alive_And_Well.pdf

 

Link previously posted in post #4.

 

Paul, how many hours would you estimate a skilled boatbuilder might take to build a H-15, 2000 hours or so? What ratio would you guess for hours by a novice builder / hours by a skill builder for a project of that complexity?

 

PIE314,

These guys are knowledgeable and trying hard to help.
Perhaps you should listen a little harder.

But everyone will cheer you on what ever you decide.

 

I don't think 1,500 - 2,000 is unrealistic, though a pro might do better, a novice regardless of joinery training and engineering skills, will likely double this figure, so 3,000 for a first time build. To put this in prospective, if you worked 10 hours a day, Saturday and Sunday, each weekend and assuming each of the 10 hour days was fully productive (they never are) you're looking at a 3 year long project, with no breaks, vacations or time off for good behavior.

You may want to contact Maynard Bray and see the full extent of the modifications employed in the design and construction of Murmur. These well experienced builders made many changes to make the build easier, the boat stronger and to incorporate modern building practices applicable.

 

I also have the bug re: building a BB 15 replica. I am now in the middle of my first build, which is a Lightning. I have my bottom and side frames done as well as the deck beams. My transom is ready for beveling and final dimension cutting, and my stem is laminated and ready for shaping. Hoping to complete the Lightning this winter, and that that experience will at least start my preparation for something more ambitious.

I am very interested in a BB 15 replica that would be modernized. I saw the Off Center video on the Lark, which looks traditional above water but has a very much smaller keel with a big bulb on the end of it, and many other modernized features. I like the idea of doing something similar on a BB 15. As I recall it, Murmur didn't have a modern keel or other modifications to make it sail better. Are there other articles on similar projects for the BB 15 that I could study?

Thanks, Mike