John Wellsford's challenge

[Colin Lee]

My idea of the ideal garage boat, (closely analagous to the idea of a Garage Band), asides from my own fantasies would be the late Denis Ganley's Caique, a 26 footer, built in ten weeks (full time) and for $1352 in 1980. (roughly NZ$20,000-someone could correct this perhaps?) It has been suggested that the Bow could be built seperately and added outside the garage. To this I would add a few other requests.

1) Bilge keels instead of a centreboard?
2) adjust interior layout, moving the head to the bows, putting the berths in the quarters.
3) Make a robust fwd. opening. This is because Caique has no side decks, necessitating a scramble over the cabin top. It contributes to great internal volume and a classic appearance, but with this one disadvantage. The 28' has side decks but the shorter version looks better and would be easier and quicker to build.

Unfortuneately Dennis is gone so who would do the engineering and who would need to approve it, if anyone? So thats my ten cents.

Regards, Colin

[sailboy3]

Link:

http://www.ganleyyachts.co.nz/caique.html

[Carl Cramer]

I miss Sea Spray. t'was a great magazine....

[skaraborgcraft]

I have never seen this boat before ,but so glad that a known designer has made something as simple and effective, theres many who think such a thing is a nigh on impossability in such a time-frame.

I would think twice about bolt on bow sections,it may be possible,but i would think about it constantly,surley a canvas extension to a garage would be better and keep structural strength intact?

Thats quite a pinched in transom,but similar to many Robert Tucker style boats, it may be tight, but the berths could be moved and so could the bog. If the main bulkheads are kept in place and you keep an eye on weight movement,i dont see a problem with what you want to do. Im at a complete loss with the side deck issue....whats the problem with walking forward over the coachroof? Many smaller boats have flush/raised cabins and no side decks,you dont need stanchions and wires making the boat look bad,just a good harness and jackstays if going forward to change sails in rough going.

What sort of sailing do you intend to do?

I love simple boats like this, just proves the point you dont have to spend 1+ years (or more) getting covered in epoxy dust, using rare exotic (costly) timber or even sheathing with glass. To each their own,but this is as good a boat as any for a vast majority of people who just use their boat on a weekend,and as for time and money spent for finished product,she would take some beating......now thats a design challenge i would like to see! Cheers

[john welsford]

I knew Denis reasonably well, and sailed on the original Caique which i think was 24 ft, the 26ft Hedgehog version sailed in one of the solo transtasman races, a 28footer and a 32footer all on the same general principles although the Hedgehog was I think a straight stretch while the other two were new designs.
I have the plans for the original one somewhere, and there is much to learn from it.
But, bear in mind that Denis was an expert steelworker and a good carpenter, and was the best person I've ever seen at other peoples junk, castoffs, rubbish or bargains into stuff for his boat, and at that stage of his career he was still recovering from the costs of building his house so needed to do it cheap. Not everyone has the contacts or the skills to do it the way he did.
Even so, that project was a remarkable achievement, and it could still be done today if someone were determined enough.
BTW, I was speaking to his daughter Denise not so long ago, she is living in that same house with husband and kids, is wheelchair bound ( ms I think) and works as an advocate for disabled people. She's a bright and cheerful lady, a pleasure to talk to.

John Welsford

My idea of the ideal garage boat, (closely analagous to the idea of a Garage Band), asides from my own fantasies would be the late Denis Ganley's Caique, a 26 footer, built in ten weeks (full time) and for $1352 in 1980. (roughly NZ$20,000-someone could correct this perhaps?) It has been suggested that the Bow could be built seperately and added outside the garage. To this I would add a few other requests.

1) Bilge keels instead of a centreboard?
2) adjust interior layout, moving the head to the bows, putting the berths in the quarters.
3) Make a robust fwd. opening. This is because Caique has no side decks, necessitating a scramble over the cabin top. It contributes to great internal volume and a classic appearance, but with this one disadvantage. The 28' has side decks but the shorter version looks better and would be easier and quicker to build.

Unfortuneately Dennis is gone so who would do the engineering and who would need to approve it, if anyone? So thats my ten cents.

Regards, Colin

[Colin Lee]

mr Skara.., cool reply, my reason for wanting to do away with the scramble across the cabin is 1) stuffed hips, 2) I've seen some elephants crossing the cabin which rendered structural damage. Not on purpose but unaware. I have thought about the idea that Denis was a gret builder with good contacxts, so I think $20k is still about right. Cheers guys. I shoulda put this on to Johns thread but I just didn't think

[skaraborgcraft]

Colin, its no big deal to put an extra folding step on the cabin bulkhead to make it easier to step onto the deck/coachroof. Easier on the hips to walk on a wide deck than shuffle down narrow side decks.This kind of deck structure is way stronger than built up doghouse and side decks.Elephants crossing wooden decks on anything smaller than Noahs Ark,tend to cause damage. Its also possible to do your anchor handling from the cockpit if you use a springline to the bow,small jibs and geonoas can be dowsed from the cockpit with a downhaul and even fitted with lazy jacks. ......roller furling is an easy diy job,or roller reefing if you can find a second hand bargain. It is possible to minmise foredeck work,or if you prefer,a good size hatch to work from. No one is going to stop you building a boat if you want one, but even so,there is some cheap usefull boats second hand. Depends on your wants.

As for bilge keels,you would need some inside fore-aft bilge stringers and depending on your choice,either foil shaped hollow keels with internal ballast, or thick plate keels,maybe with wood fairing and maybe inside ballast.But its twice as much work as the single keel keel to fabricate,more drag,expense,for very little gain in less draft. A couple of sheerlegs would be my choice.

If you are building this yourself,then YOU must be the only person who can approve it.I dont know what regs you have down there for home construction boats. Be responsible for your own changes or pay to have professional advice from a designer and build it exactly as they suggest should avoid problems with any future issues. Cheers
No doubt Dennis went at it hard and fast,but the concept is proven,it is possible to build a new boat for comparitively little money, its the outfitting that costs more,and where second hand boats can score highly.