Retro fitting bilge keels to plywood hull.

[JimD]

Another idea for this boat

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d804b3127ccec727212a090800000040O00CbOGrVu4cMQ e3nw8/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

...is to retrofit small bilge keels. Deep enough to allow the boat to sit upright on a tidal flat. They would be made of wood and would be mounted in a way that in the event of serious stress such as collision with something they would break away without taking a chunk of the hull bottom with them. To illustrate, here is a drawing from a Paul Fisher design.
http://www.selway-fisher.com/Heron14d1.gif

I would also like to consider removing the steel plate centerboard. I would use the CB slot to drop a shallow steel fixed keel to keep the ballast currently provided by the board. Thoughts?

[StevenBauer]

Are you sure you have the right boat?



:D



Steven

[JimD]

Are you sure you have the right boat?



:D



Steven

Actually, I'm quite sure I have the wrong boat. However, its duh only boat I gotz.

[StevenBauer]

You know you are coming across as a Nervous Nellie lately, right? :D



Steven

[JimD]

You know you are coming across as a Nervous Nellie lately, right? :D



Steven

I thought I always did. Its in my nature. I am constantly thinking worst case scenario. Hope for the best, plan for the worst as they say. Also, I have learned a lot from this forum in the past few years since building this boat. At the time I built it it seemed like the right boat. But knowledge and circumstances have changed considerably. I wish I had a heavier boat with a 5/8 inch bottom, several hundred pounds ballast, and bilge keels. I wish I had a Selway Fisher Evening Swan. God willing, there will be another boat in my future.:)

[paladin]

Don't mess with the boat...the structure wasn't designed for it...If I was the designer I'd take it away from you and slap your hands.....after you figure out what you really want....build one...build a fleet.....

[JimD]

Don't mess with the boat...the structure wasn't designed for it...If I was the designer I'd take it away from you and slap your hands.....after you figure out what you really want....build one...build a fleet.....

Gee, why didn't you say that before I cut a big hole in the bottom and put in a motor well and turned it into a motor boat? And took off the bowsprit. And added a tall cabin. And made a kick up rudder. And drew up a cat/yawl rig...

Edited to add: Gents, all in all I'm very pleased with what I've done to this boat. Granted, its not the ideal way to go about things but I haven't the money for a new boat so I've taken the only boat I have and taken it from a boat that was all wrong for what we want to use it for and modified it into a vessel that is much closer to what we need. So no regrets.

[htom]

With the amount of work you're projecting, for very problematic results, I think you should just begin on an Evening Swan.

[JimD]

With the amount of work you're projecting, for very problematic results, I think you should just begin on an Evening Swan.

I'll probably quit now while I'm behind.:D Nix to adding a layer to the bottom or bilge keels. The rest is just about done. It can take a simple low aspect balanced lug sail, or not. It will go back in the water next week and if the centerboard pivot pin leak has been solved I'll be posting pics of Salt Spring Isand. :)

[Don Kurylko]

Atta boy! Use it, enjoy it; and when you’re ready to move on, sell it and use the proceeds to fund the next project. By then you will have a much better idea of what you really want. This is turning out to be a fantastic summer. Don’t waste a moment of it! :)

[JimD]

Atta boy! Use it, enjoy it; and when you’re ready to move on, sell it and use the proceeds to fund the next project. By then you will have a much better idea of what you really want. This is turning out to be a fantastic summer. Don’t waste a moment of it! :)

Thanks for the encouragement, Don. Yes, its going to be a summer to remember. When (if) a next boat becomes a reality I will probably just give this one away to someone who will appreciate it. I'll even throw in the original sails that have been used about eight times. :D

[donald branscom]

Forget that idea.


More area to clean.
More drag in the water.
More places for critters to attach.
You would need additional framing.
When it gets stuck in the mud, it will REALLY be stuck.
Just enjoy the boat.
Where have you gone in that boat?
I do not see that fully founded look.
No knife mounted in the companionway etc.,.
No extra lines on the rails. No swag!
BTW do not let those fenders touch the water they will collect debris.

[JimD]

Forget that idea.


More area to clean.
More drag in the water.
More places for critters to attach.
You would need additional framing.
When it gets stuck in the mud, it will REALLY be stuck.
Just enjoy the boat.
Where have you gone in that boat?
I do not see that fully founded look.
No knife mounted in the companionway etc.,.
No extra lines on the rails. No swag!
BTW do not let those fenders touch the water they will collect debris.

I'll keep that in mind about the fenders, Donald.:cool:

[JimD]

So this afternoon I raised the wheelhouse another three inches to provide full standing headroom and I gotta tell ya'll it felt great! But just so's you know I haven't ruined her completely this is what it looks like when I unbolt it and restore it to a sailboat:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d922b3127ccec7d28cf8a79100000040O00CbOGrVu4cMQ e3nw8/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

I still have all the original spars, sails, rigging, so aside from the motor well its almost a stock Glen-L Minuet, ready to revert to a sailboat on a day's notice :)

[Hwyl]

Plenty of headroom in that picture.

You scored a slam dunk.

Are you using Pointless as a tender?

[Don Kurylko]

Winter boat, summer boat! :cool: Why didn't ya say so before? You're all set - so what the heck were ya complaining about anyway? :D

[JimConlin]

The level of threat that the logs present is proportional to the boat's speed.
Does the speed attainable in the current configuration obviate this?

[Roger Cumming]

What Paladin said.

[JimD]

Plenty of headroom in that picture.

You scored a slam dunk.

Are you using Pointless as a tender?

I expect the wheelhouse part to be off most of the summer. Without it it almost feels like an open boat. I do need to sort something out to keep the rain out. A proper sliding hatch would be nice but for summer camping a quick and easy canvas cover will do just fine. Since the wheelhouse takes only five minutes to bolt on it will always be available for inclement weather and the colder months of the year. I'll probably put the original rig back on for this year. Yes, Pointless will be the tender.

[JimD]

Winter boat, summer boat! :cool: Why didn't ya say so before? You're all set - so what the heck were ya complaining about anyway? :D

I wasn't really complaining, Don. Just thinking out loud ;). Yes - summer boat/winter boat. That's the idea.

[Don Kurylko]

Just kidding around. :D I'll stop now. But please post some pictures of the boat rigged for sail and out on the water. I'd really like to see that. Have a great summer! :)