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I to don't like the term "toy" applied to a boat many folks have built, made beautiful, and enjoyed but I do agree the thoughts behind the term are true. I also want to point out that this isn't the...

My first boat was a Stevenson Pocket Cruiser which I subsequently heavily modified until I got it to the top performance I could get out of a beamy flat-bottomed hull. The Stevenson designed boats...

I just placed an order for the full plans. I really went through a lot of potential boats but kept coming back to the Chincoteague Skiff. It is a big boat for its 16' length with good beam and...

Got the study plans but they don't give enough details on the forefoot to be able to answer your question. I am impressed with the drawings I did receive and I am seriously leaning towards getting...

Reading your criteria a bit more brings to mind John Welsford's boat, Penguin. It is not a double-ender and is smaller than you were initially looking for. However, I think it should still be...

Another thing I noticed about the Selway-Fisher design is it shallower draft relative to the other designs like CNC. Draft is 13" which is good for Florida water. I think they can get away with it...

There are some more pictures of the Selway-Fisher boat. Ironically, it is called an "art exhibit" with no indication that it will ever hit the water. A search of the web doesn't yeild any other...

Steve, I went back and looked at both plans and I think I see what looks "off". The Selway-Fisher line drawings look more burdensome than Bessie. I don't know if it is higher freeboard or just an...

I have plenty of wearable shade since I am unable to mount a bimini on my 12' catboat (pictured below) without performance compromises. However, wearable shade is a lot hotter than shade you can be...

Hard question for me to answer without resorting to "it depends." My first reaction is to say "the next boat I am going to build" but that tends to lead to a lot of eye-rolling from my wife so don't...

Thanks to everyone for the posts on similar skiffs. What I find interesting is the Selway-Fisher design has a higher beam to length ratio than the other boats. This fits a little better what I want...

I haven't read anywhere people experiencing a lack of sailing performance of the Houdini. Granted, it won't be like sailing a laser but I have read good performance for small cruisable open boats. ...

I have ordered the study plans for Selway-Fisher Chincoteague Skiff and it is my current favorite to being my "next boatbuild." Of course, dreaming is part of the fun of building so who knows what I...

On the unballasted light-weight catboats I built it isn't a problem. On the red catboat the mast was in a tabernacle so I got in the cockpit and lifted...well, lifted then put down to straighten out...

I love catboats! They are simple and comfortable to sail, more stable than any other boat their length, cool to look at (in my eyes), and can be fairly quick sailors based on my own observations. I...

The first boat I built was a Stevenson Pocket Cruiser. The wide flat bottom would pound in some conditions and you bobbed like a cork in motorboat chop on no-wind days (don't know many boats that...

Doesn't extend to the bow but I made this coaming by steaming mahogony.

http://gallery.bateau2.com/albums/userpics/12812/normal_IMG_2819_edited.JPG
...

Short and fat but not very deep is my bateau.com c12. It is also ply (no frames). Just wanted to illustrate that you can change seating a bit on boats to need keeping in mind the risks inherent in...

Check on gmaboatbuilder's group on Yahoo http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gmaboatbuilders/ and email Gavin, he is very responsive. I don' t think a straight upscale of Little Bretton will work well and...

13' Welsford Tread Lightly

http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/treadlightly/tlcolor.jpg

http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/treadlightly/index.htm

one foot shorter than you are looking for but John Welsford Houdini is a nice deep fat catboat.

http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/houdini/index.htm

Here is an interesting 19' boat. Not quite sure how comfortable the under the cockpit berth would be or what that does to the comfort of the cockpit. Don't know how to read russian either ...

Good point regarding 2 vs. 4. On the welsford forum it has been mentioned that moving the aft bulkhead is a possiblity (and has been done on one boat). Also, extending the quarter births aft a bit...

You are right, I am between a rock and a hard place. That is why I am leaning even more towards Welsford's Sweet Pea. It is a beamy boat at 7'4" for its 17'6" length. Not quite catboat beam to...

Chadr,

Your questions in your earlier post are well founded and are what I have been hoping to get. These are questions that I really do need to ask myself before comitting time and money to a...

Leon, you are correct redface.gif ! I shouldn't try to compare these two boats. I guess I am grasping at straws in order to make a decision I am somewhat comfortable with. So many great boats...

Timothy, I agree that catboats give the most boat per length of any type of boat out there. My first boat I built was a Stevenson designed Pocket Cruiser which is a 14' catboat with a 6'9" beam. ...

Great point about the flat part being for comfort when grounded! I assume it also allows for a deeper V at the waterline without having to go so deep in the water. Lowers the displacement (ballast)...

HWYL,thanks for the blue lightening link. Interesting boats and some good information in there. I am really struggling with this decisions. Seems like a light hull has the advantages of easy and...

I have read Ted Brewer and Phil Bolger but haven't read Dave Gerr but now I definitely plan to. I also have read Howard Chapelle, John Gardner, and Reuel Parker all of whom give some information on...

Thanks for the suggestions but I am really looking for advice on the qualities of different shaped hulls rather than specific plans.

I am trying to decide on which boat to build next. I have to stay under 20 feet max and want something easy to launch with a cabin. I have narrowed my list considerably but am now struggling with...

Jim, I went through the exact same debate you are going through currently only I built the larger boats first. My first "family" boat was a Stevenson Pocket Cruiser which was real nice and stable...

The boat on front of Reul Parker's book is his Gato Negra I believe which is the Ohio Sharpie (18' long). This is all base on memory so take it with two grains of salt.

Drake, I did note that the eclipse has a drop keel arrangement so no intrusion into the cabin. A centerboard case definitely can take up space and be in the way. However, I am willing to accept...

Probably because I had the name of the manufacturer wrong. The boat I was thinking of was the Seaward Fox (not nimble) sorry.

http://www.seawardyachts.com/page5.html

Dudley Dix (DD) is 6'2" and he also expressed to me that he finds the interior comfortable. I mocked up the cabin with my tapemeasure and figure the cabin will be comfortable for the amount of time...

I emailed Dudley Dix sunday and he emailed right back. Turns out that the Cape Cutter 19 has more than enough capacity to take my family for a weekend or cruise for a week with two people and all...

Grange, hello from NE Ohio! Sounds like you are in the exact situation that I was when I started this addiction which is boatbuilding. Only difference is both kids were born and my oldest was 2...

I am in the process of deciding on my next boat and have really found this thread usefull. I have managed to whittle it down to Eun Mara, Penguin, and the Cape Cutter. I am looking for a lapstrake...

Well, if you are worried about length but still want to sail six people you might want to consider looking at Catboats. I think I saw it quoted somewhere that an extra foot of beam is equivalent to...

Have you considered stevenson's designs at http://www.stevproj.com ? Easy to build, fun to sail, and a great support group of other sailors and builders. Great luck on whatever you build!

I agree that the type of sailing rig doesn't matter much. What you really are learning is the balance between the wind and the water. Lessons learned about wind and sail angle on a lug will help...

The Stevensons will be holding get-togethers with their boats all over the country so there will be one close to you if you are interested. I don't envy them the circular drive hauling their boat...

The weekender can sleep two in about the same area offered by a comfortable backpacking tent. The dimension for the three boats from stevproj.com faq are:
The Vacationer has the largest cabin,...

The weekender is an excellent boat and I would highly encourage you to consider it. It is an unconventional design but actually derives many benefits from this. The lack of ballast makes for a very...

You can't go wrong with Stevenson Project's boats. You can find them at www.stevproj.com. Their designs are very pleasing to look at, increadibly easy to build, sail very well, very easy to...