Iain Oughtred's Ness Boat

[Dagon]

Hi,

I just ordered plans for Iain Oughtred's Ness boat. I was planning to build the Whilly boat but after corresponding with Iain I took his advice to scale up to the slightly larger design.

Anyway, I was just wondering if there are any other Oughtred builders out there who might be interested in swapping info and offering tips. This will be my second wooden boat project after a 16-foot stitch-and-glue okoume trimaran based on a CLC hull.

Thanks in advance

[Don Maurer]

I am building Iain's Tammie Norrie design. I considered building one of his double enders, and have plans for all of them except Whilly Boat and Elf. I still may end up building one as my next boat. They certainly are great looking boats. My only experience before starting on my Tammie Norrie was building two cedar strip kayaks. The clinker plywood construction requires more carpentry skills than the kayaks, but nothing too difficult. There are a number of folks here building Oughtred designs. If you have any specific questions, just ask.

[Greg H]

Hi Dagon,
I know of at least 3 Whilly Boats being built by members of the forum. I'm just about to go out and hang the last sheer strake on mine this morning. Lots of help available, so ask away.
Also have a look at this beautiful Ness Yawl, which was just completed this year.
http://media5.hypernet.com/~dick/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001566.html

[Dagon]

Greg,

Wow. Thanks for the link to the Ness Yawl photos. What a beautiful little ship.

It's good to know there are Oughtred builders available for feedback through this forum.

I don't have my shop built yet, so I'm going to be working on the molds and whatever else I can in my basement until the backyard shop is ready. I have to keep reminding myself that slow and steady wins the race.

[ken mcclure]

Check www.alistego.com. (http://www.alistego.com.)

www.odoba.net (http://www.odoba.net) should be up also in a few weeks, where we can get everyone "under the same roof."

[shamus]

I've nearly completed a whilly boat, and have found the process enjoyable for the most part. Iain draws nicely, and there's been no problem building off the plan. The instructions which came with the plans in my case were general rather than plan specific, but any problems I've had have been of my own making. Somewhere a week or two ago, while following links somewhere, I came across an Oughtred builders website in the making. I haven't been able to find it again, but no doubt someone else knows where it is.

[dale o]

shamus, follow the link in the message above to alistego.com. There is a link to the oughtred builders site there.

[Dagon]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm hoping all of you Oughtred builders will rally to support Ken McClure's website once he's got it up and running. I certainly plan to once I get my project underway. It could be a great resource to all of us.

[Jim M]

I'm getting quasi-serious about the Ness Boat too. What are your thoughts on:

1. Choice of rig
2. Choice of tiller
3. Length of oars

[Dagon]

Jim,

It's good to know there's someone else interested in the Ness Boat.

I'm completely undecided about the rig at this point. The Ness Boat was originally drawn with a balanced lug and a gunter sloop and according to the catalog (I haven't recieved my plans yet) there's a yawl plan now also. I like all three.

I'm not as crazy about the wishbone tiller, which may influence my decision about the yawl. I've seen another variation that bends only around one side that I think I prefer.

I like the sloop for windward performance, but the lug has such a classic look and is a simple rig that should be quick to set and strike. I've never sailed a balanced lug, but I've heard a lot of very encouraging reports.

Have you seen the beautiful rig on this Caledonia Yawl?

http://users.bigpond.net.au/caledonia_yawl/cb8.html

Not sure about oar length either. I hope the plans make a recommendation. This will be my first rowing boat. Of my other two boats, one's too big to row and the other prefers paddles.

Have you got any preferences or recommendations?



Originally posted by Jim M:
I'm getting quasi-serious about the Ness Boat too. What are your thoughts on:

1. Choice of rig
2. Choice of tiller
3. Length of oars

[Jim M]

Which Rig

I have sailed Mr. Oughtred's MacGregor sailing canoe for 4 years now, a balanced lug yawl. I don't know much about "regular" sailing. Also sailed in other people's Pelicans (balance lugs). They're great. The first thing to forget is the performance difference between the "good tack" (yard and boom leeward of the mast) and the "bad tack". The difference is not material; sometimes the bad tack seems actually to allow the boat to point a bit higher.

Other points in favor of the lug yawl:

-- The mizzen is great for when you're *not* sailing -- raising/dousing the main sail, reefing, eating, anchored, and anything else you may want to do while not sailing. It keeps you head to wind.

-- With the mizzen the main is further forward, the boom sweeps less of the cockpit; it clears your face.

-- No standing rigging. Everything is simpler, cheaper and stouter, without the "bow and arrow" effect of the stays trying to shoot the mast through the keel (like an arrow caught in a bowstring) or rip their attachments out of the gunnels from the upward force of the "arrow" (mast) on the stays.

-- When you loose the halyard, the weight of the yard brings the sail down NOW. When (not if) you capsize, the sail is completely freed from the boat by pulling the halyard through its blocks and letting go the tack line. All the junk floats in the water (wood spars) while you get the boat together. Re-rig in seconds, continue.

So much for rig. Gotta go now.

[bob goeckel]

is there a oughtred web page? no luck so far finding it.

[Dagon]

Hardly. He doesn't even use e-mail. Or a typwriter for that matter. I have a beautifully handwritten letter from him, written in pencil on unlined paper. How often do you see that these days?

Here are some links that you might find useful, though:

http://www.duckflat-woodenboats.com.au/welcome.html

http://www.odoba.net/

http://www.imagic.demon.co.uk/openboat/index.html

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/open_boats.htm

http://cullisonsmallcraft.com/TammiePage.htm


Originally posted by bob goeckel:
is there a oughtred web page? no luck so far finding it.