Lobster

Chandler,

I think a person can get away with a little more freeboard at the bow if there is a significant amount of sheer involved. I lot of times when people start talking about freeboard, (as in more) the interest is in more headroom in the cabin. Which means less sheer curvature, or even reverse sheer.

I have to agree that production boats do have a generic look about them. I think most modern craft have taken overall freeboard to the maximum, thus my statement to look at production models as a possible maximum value.

I think that it is great that you are looking to build something with a more traditional look. I'm doing some initial designing of a retro "Kingston Lobsterboat." It's a 20'er. Woodenboat magazine did an article on the model (not mine) this month. Some guys built a modern version, but it doesn't even look the same.

Do you have Chapelle's book "American Small Sailing Craft?" They show the Kingston model with the main stepped well forward and a mizzen at midships. Is that what you're aiming for? I was thinking of crossing the traditional hull styling with modern elipticals stepped in the same location.

I'd be curious to here more.

Here's a look at what I'm playing with.

 

Learpilot,
Above the waterline my plan is very similar to yours, below I'm quite a bit fuller. Your design looks as if it could actually plane with enough power.If you could send me your email address I'll send you a pic of the halfmodel and lines plan. Don't quite have the technology to post it here
Chandler

 

I love the old shapes. The first boat I built is traditional in form also. It's not much of a performer though. It's 16' loa, but I think it needs to 20' loa to perform right. Bluff bow and it drags it's stern through the water. I toy with extending the stern to get a clean exit.

Anyway, the Kingston Lobsterboats are in the 20' range and I'd be designing a trailerable daysailer. I've been playing with FREE!ship a lot lately. It certainly simplifies the initial design phases. As this is drawn right now, it comes in at one ton displacement. I should increase that a bit if I want to carry any ballast. Non-ballasted though with a deck designed to hike out on and the proper sail plan should make it an exciteing sailer.

I sent you a message with my email, but you shouldalso be able to just click on my header and go from there.

Regards,

 

Looking at the hullform and waterlines of the lobsterboat, I believe she could be pretty fast - her lines are not so dissimilar to those of the fast racers of the past, save for the keel - I am not truely familiar with the circumstances of the waters those boats used to navigate. Was that Chesapeake / Cape Cod?

Any case, an interesting topic. When I indulge myself more and more in the boats of the past, the more I start to appreciate them.

 

Learpilot,
When I try to email your header there is no option for attachments, so I will email the other.
I'm familiar with the article in wooden boat. The areys pond daysailer looks no more like the lobsterboat it is purported to be based on than the production boats I see in all the yards.
Don't get me wrong, the daysailer is a work of art! I just wish Antonio Dias would get his damn site up and running! It's been under construction for at least 2 years, and he has some very interesting ideas published in woodenboat and boat design quarterly. Just Like to see the site .
So anyway expect an email from me, the return address should give you a good clue as to who it is from. Thanks
Chandler

 

I would say to contact Ralph Stanley in SW harbor Me. He does beautiful work. maybe he can help you out. One of the nicest guys i have ever worked for. He advertises in wdnboat

 

This model is drawn pretty slim. I was essentially working from memory. She's sitting at 1 ton displacement. I think I could put the hull together for around a 1000 lbs. That only leaves 1000-1200 lbs for ballast and crew. She might need to be "fattened" up a bit to carry some more ballast for additional stability.

 

Hi Lear.
I'm starting over, Don't like my lines. Put down a new lofting floor. I'm going to draw it full size the first time around, then draw the lines from the actual. I may even cut my halfhull into sections and measure it as N.G. did. ****, I may just laminate a chunk of wood and carve it to the shape I want then cut it up into stations, the way N. G. really did

 

Lines

Sorry to hear about your lines. Did they just not look right when lofted. I don't know how many iterations I've gone through on the 25'er. I've come to the conclusion that lofting in CAD doesn't work unless you've got a hull faiing system. I loaded my lines in freeship and found a seriously "out of whack" hull. Freeship allowed me to clean it. I think the general consenses is that a computer faired hull is not garantee of a fair hull. I think that software can get you close, but the litmus test on any hull is to lay down the lines full size.

 

Hi Lear
Some of my mistakes: When I built my loft floor I planned it to later be my building frame,therefore the frame was 2' on center. To save a buck I thought I would use 1/2 ply for the lofting floor. Mistake one. Way to rough and bouncy.
When I took my offsets from my plans which are 3/4 " I used a 1/32 scale, mistake 2, should have used 1/50 or 1/64, if I could find one. Mistake 4: When I laid out the and drew the plank keel I figured 11-1/4 at the rabbet, should have been 11-1/4 at the deepest moulding in order to utilize standard matl.
Mistake 3: I took most of the offsets and drew most of the full size lines after working a 10 hour day with a six pack of bud at my side, needless to say some of the critical intersections, ie: buttocks and waterlines on the lines plan didn't work out full size
I'm still wary of my 5' freeboard at the bow, however I did see a nice Atkin design in the same loa range with 4'-9" at the bow.
So I have a new floor, a bunch of 1/2 ply to use for molds, a lines plan that needs some tweaking and I'm off and running again, actually this time I think I'll jog!
Chandler

 

Holy ****! They made me a senior member , I hope nobody expects any intelligent responses from me all of a sudden!