17 to 20 foot sailboat designs

Interesting forum; I'm glad I found it.

I spent many years building, racing and repairing sailboats of all sizes and styles. I was a spar maker, and sailmaker for several years. I have been out of the sailing thread for too long and now that I have moved to Florida, the land of a million lakes, I want to get back on the water.

I live just minutes from Lake Toho in Kissimmee and it looks like great small boat sailing (to say nothing of the added bonus of great bass fishing). Shallow, but center-board-able, I would like to build a 17 to 20 footer that would fit the lake.

I have the space, equipment, knowledge and skills to pull off a cold-moulded hull up to 20 feet. I need some design thinking.

Just a thought, but, maybe it has an outboard well for a small trolling motor or something that will handle motoring through the rivers and canals.

In any case, I am in search of a hull design that will handle moderate weather on small fresh-water lakes with short overnites available.

I remember the Herrshoff "Typhoon", an 18' keel boat, that provided some great sailing with the added comfort of a small cabin.

Looking for thoughts about a hull shape that would provide stability and volume in a small lake-sailer. I'll worry about above the waterline. I need a weatherly, stable hull design...

So, whadda ya think?

 

Romilly by Nigel Irens, is one of the few sail boats that have ever caught my eye. Plans were not available for DIY when I first wrtote Nigel and got the study plans. I believe he now sells plans for wood strip glass sheath.

 

randonneur 550

The randonneur looks like a nice centerboarder. A Lombard design so she sould be fun and quick.
Bateau.com plans

 

Sorry the URL should be

Bateau.com plans

 

This is a design I'm just finishing up for a guy in Mt. Dora, just an hour north of you in Kissimmee. 23' LOD 20' LWL 8' beam and lots of cockpit space. Toss a tent over the boom for overnight time and you got it.

 

You want a Matilda 20. Incredible boats! Roomy, stable, easily trailered. Plans are available from from:

tony@tucker-designs.com


Check out owner's group website and forum

http://members.shaw.ca/matildasail/gallery20/gallery20.htm

 

Trailer Sailer Club

You might want to check out: http://www.cfyc.com/
I've lived in Orlando for a long time and just discovered this "Central Florida Yacht Club". It's not your traditional yacht club but a group of trailer sailor people that sail in and around the central Florida area(and all of Florida at different times). Talk to some of them about the boats they sail...
For what it's worth there are a lot of scow and Wayfarer sailors at the Lake Eustis Sailing Club about an hour and a half north of you.And there are sailing/racing clubs in Titusville ,Cocoa and Melbourne....
I've designed and built a number of boats myself and would love to follow your progress once you decide on a boat;you can e-mail me at: lorsail@webtv.net or call: 407-243-9541

 

I'm a big fan of the Bolger Chebacco. Choice of cold-molded, glued lap, or ply construction. One of the nice features is a proper OB installation. (n.b. the cold-molded design was first and is different in some ways, including the motor well.)

http://www.chebacco.com/

Bolger has designed several other small boats for molded construction including Wisp, a 20' sailing canoe. Also a 22' triple keel sloop which is strip planked but very shoal draft.

The closest I can think of to the Typhoon (by Alberg, I think) sloop that you mention would be one of the small sloops by Sam Devlin.

A surprising number of people have built the Joel White adaptations of the Herreshoff 12 1/2. Plans sold by WoodenBoat.

 

If you can be pursuaded to go a little bigger, might an Egret appeal to you?
http://www.parker-marine.com/28shegretpage.htm

 

Par, please try to post the image again.