Boatbuilding In Your Own Backyard

[Gary Davis]

Does anyone have S. Rabl's 1947 edition of BIYOB that would be willing to copy and send to me (electronically or by mail), or post here, the narrative and plans for Titmouse? I'm curious to see how he improved the "original" Titmouse as stated in the 1958 edition. I'm more than willing to reimburse copying and postage costs.

Thanks much.

Gary Davis

[Brian Palmer]

Sorry, mine's the 1958 edition, too.

Brian

[boatbuddha]

58 here. I would also be curious to see the 'improvements'

[Dick Wynne]

There is currently a copy of the '47 on abebooks for $34.50, you could buy it and sell it again . . .

[Gary Davis]

Thanks all. I'll give it a little more time before resorting to abebooks. My wife is tightening the leash on books - used and new - and plans. I'm starting to compile quite a collection.

Gary

[Dick Wynne]

Thanks all. I'll give it a little more time before resorting to abebooks. My wife is tightening the leash on books - used and new - and plans. I'm starting to compile quite a collection.

Gary

Yes it's a persistent disease. My wife actually proposed turning one wall of our dining room into shelving to try to contain it all, which has just been done. But that won't be enough...

[reddog]

Gary:
I took these from my 1947 edition.Let me know if you would like them e-mailed to you::)

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp346/killick/Boat%20Plans/IMGP0199.jpg?t=1267910253

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp346/killick/Boat%20Plans/IMGP0200.jpg?t=1267910385

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp346/killick/Boat%20Plans/IMGP0201.jpg?t=1267910430

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp346/killick/Boat%20Plans/IMGP0202.jpg?t=1267910471

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp346/killick/Boat%20Plans/IMGP0203.jpg?t=1267910515

Earl

[reddog]

Dick, sort of like this. :D

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp346/killick/Boat%20Plans/IMGP0204.jpg?t=1267911296

Never enough space.

Earl

[goodbasil]

I've got two. I know one is '58 the other is as well I believe.

[Steve Paskey]

Gary: I took these from my 1947 edition.Let me know if you would like them e-mailed to you::) - Earl

Thanks for posting those, Earl. I also have a copy of the 1947 edition. In case anyone's interested, the offsets for the original v-bottomed Titmouse in the 1947 book are seriously wrong. I have a copy of the publisher's errata sheet with the correct numbers.

[Steve Paskey]

Well, okay, for the sake of posterity here they are. You should substitute this table for the table of offsets shown on page 119 (the last page in Earl's photos, above).

FRAME . . . . . A. . . . . . . B. . . . . . C. . . . . . D. . . . . . E
Transom . . . 2-0-0 . . . 1-9-0 . . . 3-0-0 . . . 2-5-2 . . . 0-10-6
*1. . . . . . . . 2-11-2 . . 2-3-6 . . . 2-9-4 . . . 2-3-6 . . . 0-10-4
*2. . . . . . . . 3-2-5 . . . 2-4-3 . . . 3-3-2 . . . 2-7-5 . . . 0-10-2
*3. . . . . . . . 2-2-6 . . . 1-3-5 . . . 2-10-5 . . 2-7-5 . . . 0-6-4

And the table is done in an unconventional way. The frames are number from the stern going forward, and the offsets for the transom are given "along the slope." Here are what the letters designate (from page 86 of the book, not shown above):

A = Half-breadth of frame at base line
B = Half-breadth of chine
C = Height of keel above baseline
D = Height of chine above baseline
E = Height of sheer above baseline

[reddog]

Steve,thanks for posting the revised offsets.They are included on a separate slip with my book but I neglected to photograph them. I'm sure you have saved Gary some head scratching.

Earl

[Steve Paskey]

The 1947 edition also has the delightful story of the boat's name ... classic Sam Rabl.


My memory of the original Titmouse goes back to a rainy night quite a number of years before the last war. Gusts of wind were whipping the halyard against the mast of the boat in which I was cruising in monotonous taps that rivaled those of Poe's raven. I was sore at the world, sore because the weather prevented a run that I had figured for that night, damned sore because I was alone when one of the best cruising companions was waiting miles down the bay and I could not get to him. Something bumped (perhaps crashed would be a better word for it) against the side of my boat. I threw back the companion slide and went out on deck to vent my wrath on the lubber who had fouled me. A nondescript little boat lay alongside of mine. Her sails were one patch on another. No two blocks of her rigging were mates and her spars were saplings and not very straight ones at that. From her half length forward to her mast a little open end cuddy was built and covered with, of all things, tar paper. He crew was two youngsters fairly new to their teens, the skipper having the most tousled head and the bluest eyes that I have every seen. He stopped my intended tirade dead with "Hey mister, ya' gotta match?"

I took the youngsters aboard my own boat and got them dried out. The amount of enthusiasm which filled the cabin that night made me ashamed of ever having been mad in my whole life. The next morning I examined their boat. She was devoid of any berths other than two blankets spread on a floor which was made of slats and the two youngsters were separated as they slept by the centerboard trunk. I learned from them that they had taken an ordinary skiff hull and raised its sides by adding another six-inch board.

The rig was a lugsail and a jib set flying from a piece of two by four that acted as their bowsprit. The only galley equipment aboard the boat was a frying pan and a coffee pot. Their stove was a driftwood fire on the beach. Happiness is not in worldly goods alone and those kids went dancing away in their little ship as happy as larks. As she walked to windward away from me I read across her stern, in letters large enough for a steamer, TITM--OUSE. The separation was where the rudder went up the transom.

Remembering always the Titmouse whenever little cruisers are mentioned, I can do no less than give the same name to this little ship.

[Dick Wynne]

Dick, sort of like this. :D

Earl

Yep, looks familiar, I also have an attic and lockup storage unit to clear of books, the latter is costing me a fortune each month which would be better spent on more ... ouch! only kidding!

[Gary Davis]

Thanks Earl. I'm trying to enlarge the images a little. Any easy ideas?

Thanks for the offsets Steve, but I was really interested in the open cabin and its construction. You all gave me what I was looking for.

Thanks again for the help.

Gary

[reddog]

Gary,if you PM me your e-mail I will send the originals which should expand to screen size.At least they do on my Mac with excellent resolution.

Earl