converting a 15 ft falt bottom "punt"boat to a sailing craft

[Thomas M. Fatticci]

I have been given a half finished 15 ft. flat bottom, marine plywood, lapstraked sides "punt" boat. I would like to convert it to a sailing vessel for protected waters by placing a daggerboard and housing, a hollow wooden mast, a covered, (small cabin like front end), and rudder.
The previous owner heard something about converting a flat bottom to a sail boat. However, Chappelle does discuss it in one of his books. Any advice out there whether to do it or not? And if so, what size mast is recommended?
Tom Fatticci

[Bob Cleek]

If the boat isn't designed for it, I wouldn't waste the time or money. You can hang leeboards on just about anything, but that doesn't mean it will sail worth a damn. Sounds like the construction of your boat (plywood bottom) already precludes your putting a suitable centerboard in her. Nothing wrong with a good rowing punt. It will go to windward better than any sailboat, that's for sure! LOL If you want to see what has been done with sailing punts, take a look at Pete Culler's little sampan in his book "Skiffs and Schooners." I've sailed one and it was "something to play with." Rowed better than she sailed, but it did sail. Sort of.

[dadadata]

I'm not sure what you mean by a "punt boat". Is it scow shaped? Square ends?

If so, it's akin to a "garvey" examples of which can be found in Chapelle.

Cleek as usual is leading the naysayers. Don't put the centerboard in the center; use leeboards or put a "rack" on one side, outside the hull, in which to drop a leeboard/daggerboard.

Leeboards are hip because you can move them around some until you discover the proper location. You either attach them to a clamp-on thwart, or use rope loops to hold them in place.

My "Cheap Pages" at http://www2.friend.ly.net/~dadadata has a lot of information gleaned from old publications on the DIY boats of the 1870s to 1910 era. Not much has changed in terms of spar sizes and so on.

Look at "Boat Sailing" by Kenealy, and look at the "Short Boats" page too. The "St Michaels Scow" has a rig which is dimensioned and might be adaptable... Also the material by E.F. Knight. The rig shown on the Cheap Pages that Bolger drew up for his 12-ft "Sailing Peero", which is a tiny canoe-sized sharpie, would probably be adequate for your slightly larger boat.

You want a low rig of relatively small area as a flat-bottomed boat is extremely stable - up to a point - at which time it goes over. A low, small rig on a light boat can give you plenty of sailing fun without clenched teeth or butt cheeks everytime there's a puff.

Ah, also, follw the Cheap Pages' link "Canoe Sailiing Resources 2000" and scroll down til you see under Open Canoe Sailing a link to Sam Manning's old WoodenBoat article "Just Sticks and String". Sam graciously consented to let me reproduce drawings and the important bits of the text. Although it's a canoe rig for a Grumman aluminum canoe, the principle of a lash-on leeboard and rig applies to any relatively light and narrow boat.

Conor O'Brien's little book "Sea-Boats, Oars and Sails" has some useful stuff.

The original (not woodenboat reprint) of Kunhardt's "Small Yachts" has a short description of building a "scow yacht" which has some germane info. I think I have that posted on the Cheap Pages but I'm not sure. I have a huge backlog of interesting stuff which oughta be posted.

Mast size depends on a lot of things but a 3" diameter mast made up of glued 2x4s shaved down would probably be sufficient. You can get the shape of such a mast from any number of sources such as Payson's "Build the Instant Catboat" or one of Bolger's fine books -- Small Boats, Folding Schooner, one of those.

You could also just have a T-shaped mast if all you're doing is experimenting. If the boat works out, you can then improve the parts.

[N. Scheuer]

While Dadadata enumerates many good points, the first thing I'd evaluate is the punt's transom. If it's large, and the bottom runs straight back to its lower edge, the punt was meant to support a motor, and probably would plane under power. This sort of stern makes for a HORRIBLE sailboat.

If, however, the punt's bottom turns up out of the water at the transom, or curves up to the waterline, then she won't plane under power, and she might even be made to sail halfway decently.

Good Luck, Moby Nick

[AngWood]

I have a huge backlog of interesting stuff which oughta be posted.
Dadadata, please post that backlog stuff. I love your website, but every time I check there's nothing new!