Whisp B&B

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Woxbox
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2006
    • 9923

    Whisp B&B

    I've mentioned in a couple of threads that I've been planning a sail and oar experiment with my Whisp. This boat is 30 years old. It was well-built by my late father-in-law, under the paint is hardwood marine ply upsized from Steve Redmond's specs to a 9mm bottom and 6mm on the sides. He named her Margalo after Stuart Little's little bird friend. Despite the heavier ply, the hull as pictured here only weighs somewhere around 75 pounds. It's a fun day boat, rows easily and sails fairly well. But as you can see, there's no positive flotation and, being very low-sided, it doesn't need to heel far before the water starts pouring in over the side.

    So below is the to-do list to make a boat that is more handy to sail, safer, and can be camp-cruised aboard by one.

    Add generous buoyancy tanks fore and aft. (Second photo shows framing for this)
    Add decking over bow and down sides, about 6" wide, with low coaming (second photo shows glue-up for what will become the mast partner and deck shape/support.)
    Add small mizzen
    Replace single leeboard with an off-center daggerboard
    Replace fixed rudder with a kick-up design
    Rig center thwart so it's easily removable for sleeping. (Side decks will take care of structural issues.)
    Upgrade all rigging for ease of use and more durability.

    Comments always welcome, of course. I'm making these changes on my best calculations and hunches as to what will get what I'm looking for. A lot of the thinking was shaped by several discussions here concerning buoyancy and capsize issues -- thanks to all the considered advice on that topic. But I emphasize this is an experiment in progress. I've never had a boat that I didn't continually make changes on, and this will be no different. It's mostly seat of the pants, although I have done some rough calculations. For example if the side decks are 6" wide, I'm certain the hull will not downflood if she goes over without me in it. (Assuming the spars check the roll at 100 degrees or so). And even with me on board, it will be close and probably entirely dependent on exactly where my weight is centered. Now, a capsize with me and 100 pounds or more of stores, and I'm pretty sure she'll flood. But I'm reducing the internal volume as much as I reasonably can and still leave room to roll out the bivy sack. She'll roll back up very easily (the beam is just 42"). And being so low sided, should be easy to climb back in and bail out. That last part will be the most telling part of this experiment.

    So I squeezed her into the basement workshop for the balance of the winter.

    Before



    Progress to date:



    -Dave
  • Eric Hvalsoe
    HV 16
    • Dec 2005
    • 2443

    #2
    Re: Whisp B&B

    Don't recall your rig. A balanced lug dropping onto a high foredeck and coaming always sounded a little unhandy to me. I don't favor lazyjacks for quickly knocking the entire rig down.

    Comment

    • WI-Tom
      Seaside Expat
      • Jan 2009
      • 15901

      #3
      Re: Whisp B&B

      An interesting experiment, not too unlike my Bolger Pirate Racer which I cruised pretty extensively--that was 39" across the bottom panel, 14' 6" long. Large buoyancy chambers in the foredeck and smaller aft deck made it easy to recover from a capsize. On the other hand, not much freeboard, either. But on the other other hand, the small size made it easy to drag that boat up on a beach or a rock anytime I needed to. Wave size was definitely the limiting factor in what the boat could handle.

      I may be in the minority, but I doubt I'd bother with a mizzen in a boat this size. I, too, am curious about the rig you'll use.

      Originally posted by Eric Hvalsoe
      Don't recall your rig. A balanced lug dropping onto a high foredeck and coaming always sounded a little unhandy to me. I don't favor lazyjacks for quickly knocking the entire rig down.
      My Bolger boat had a balance lug with a big foredeck, and it was a little unhandy--but only a little. With the rig lowered and the downhaul still tight, it did not lie neatly in the boat. But once the downhaul was slacked, it was fine.

      The side decks can be a bit unhandy, too--many times the end of the boom caught under the side deck when hoisting the sail. Until I finally got smarter about making sure the boom was on top of the side deck before hoisting. After that it only happened occasionally.

      Maybe the best part of making a cruiser out of a small cheap boat like this is that even small adventures start to seem pretty big. I look forward to seeing your progress.

      Tom
      Ponoszenie konsekwencji!

      www.tompamperin.com

      Comment

      • Woxbox
        Senior Member
        • Feb 2006
        • 9923

        #4
        Re: Whisp B&B

        It is a balanced lug. The mast will be stepped just behind the V formed by the coaming, so the bulk of the sail and the yards will drop into the boat. Additionally, if raised, the top of the dagger board will be off to port and serve to keep everything inboard. That's how I imagine it working, at least.
        -Dave

        Comment

        • Eric Hvalsoe
          HV 16
          • Dec 2005
          • 2443

          #5
          Re: Whisp B&B

          Sounds reasonable. I'm just used to the way open arrangement with that rig. My fore and aft decks are below the sheer.
          Your daggerboard will be braced against the side deck or what?

          Comment

          • Woxbox
            Senior Member
            • Feb 2006
            • 9923

            #6
            Re: Whisp B&B

            Your daggerboard will be braced against the side deck or what?
            The daggerboard will exit through the side deck, so when it spits water it will drain overboard. Decks below the sheer wouldn't fix the water shipping issue on this low, narrow boat. Otherwise I'd favor it, too. When done, it will probably bring to mind a gunning skiff, which were usually partially decked for similar reasons.
            -Dave

            Comment

            • Woxbox
              Senior Member
              • Feb 2006
              • 9923

              #7
              Re: Whisp B&B

              The framing for the buoyancy tanks and a few other odds and ends are out of the way, so I rough cut some cardboard to see what it will look like when the ply is on, and also to run a quick reality check on my thinking. My overriding concern is making sure that there's room for all the gear and that things are orderly both while sailing and rowing. Here the two longest of the five spars I'll have on board are in their stowed positions to port. To starboard, the oars and tucked behind them, the anchor. There's enough room, with nothing to spare, really, for an access hatch up forward between them. It will be off-center so that it can be opened even with everything stowed, which wouldn't occur under most circumstances. If rowing, the oars aren't there, and if sailing or set up for an overnight, the mast won't be there.

              The stowage volume in the tanks looks better now that I can see it than it did on paper. Way more space than in a touring kayak, and we know one can get by with that space. I'm still thinking this will work out, but won't be surprised if I get one of those "doh" moments, encountering some serious oversight. (I have put off solving the toilet question. There's barely space to stash a decent sized bucket.) I do have a folding bucket for bailing that will tuck behind the daggerboard case pretty neatly.

              That center thwart will be made easily removable so it's not in the way for sleeping. It will also double to carry the sheet block. Details to be worked out on that, along with much else.

              PS - I have this running in the build thread, but there's not a lot of building going on. It's more about thinking out loud about how to turn this wisp of a boat into a minimal sail oar cruiser. Observations always welcome, of course.

              -Dave

              Comment

              • Brightwater
                Senior Member
                • Aug 2015
                • 177

                #8
                Re: Whisp B&B

                Originally posted by Woxbox
                That center thwart will be made easily removable so it's not in the way for sleeping. It will also double to carry the sheet block. Details to be worked out on that, along with much else.
                A fairly minor contribution - Mik Storer's arrangement for a mainsheet block seems clever to me, and works out very well on Laika, my GIS. Details easily available if you Google 'Goat Island Skiff rigging'. Basically it consists of a bridle attached through the limber holes with the block running free on it. Drops out of the way when not needed and doesn't take up center thwart real estate for rowing or sitting etc. I'm sure attachment points other than limber holes could be worked out if needed. Simple, adjustable and easily unrigged - might be handy if your center thwart is to be removable for sleeping. From the rear, it seems like the GIS and the Whisp share some heritage - looking good so far!
                Sailing - the fine art of getting wet and becoming ill while slowly going nowhere at great expense.

                - Henry Beard

                Comment

                • Woxbox
                  Senior Member
                  • Feb 2006
                  • 9923

                  #9
                  Re: Whisp B&B

                  Thanks for that suggestion, I think I'll go with it. I hadn't considered the comparison with the GIS. The two boats are about the same length and shape, but the GIS has a full 18" more beam.

                  So I've been perusing photos of the GIS, of which there are plenty out there. The other day I sketched up a plan for a new rudder that would slide up in it's case. It seemed workable but possibly more complicated than need be. Checking out the GIS images, I came across this. Now here's an elegant piece of engineering. I'm going to borrow the concept and adapt it for my boat.

                  -Dave

                  Comment

                  • Brightwater
                    Senior Member
                    • Aug 2015
                    • 177

                    #10
                    Re: Whisp B&B

                    Yes, I agree - the cassette rudder is a cunning piece of work. From memory, I think Mik says it's derived from Australian dinghy racing tech.

                    One caveat: it is important to make sure it's the correct spacing to accommodate the foil. It needs enough friction to keep it in place (with the assistance of shock cords) but not so much as to make it too difficult to raise or lower. I managed this, but failed to leave enough room for my padding of choice (some adhesive strips of the soft side of hook-and-loop, or 'Velcro' as we call it in Australia). No big deal, but the sprayed finish on my rudder has picked up some scratches from sliding up and down. Definitely better to make the cassette after the foil.

                    I'd be happy to answer any other questions about its construction if you should need it!
                    Sailing - the fine art of getting wet and becoming ill while slowly going nowhere at great expense.

                    - Henry Beard

                    Comment

                    • Martin B.
                      Member
                      • Jun 2013
                      • 57

                      #11
                      Re: Whisp B&B

                      Dave and Bright, much as I am a fan of Mik, this type of rudder assembly was fitted to the 12' Cherub (# 871 ) I bought in 1965 from her builder in Auckland, New Zealand. And, yes, the system worked well waaaaay back then.
                      Cheers from Martin B.
                      Mandurah, Western Australia
                      [email protected]

                      Comment

                      • Brightwater
                        Senior Member
                        • Aug 2015
                        • 177

                        #12
                        Re: Whisp B&B

                        Martin,

                        Reread my post - Mik doesn't claim to have invented it and I'm not saying it's new Or are you just saying that it originated in NZ rather than Australia? If so, I wouldn't know. Either way, it works - though I've never sailed a boat with a kick-up rudder to compare it to.
                        Sailing - the fine art of getting wet and becoming ill while slowly going nowhere at great expense.

                        - Henry Beard

                        Comment

                        • Martin B.
                          Member
                          • Jun 2013
                          • 57

                          #13
                          Re: Whisp B&B

                          Bright, all I can offer more is that #871 was not the first Cherub with that style of rudder box in NZ back in '65. At the end of '66 I brought that Cherub back to Australia as Royal Brighton YC ( my then 'home' club), was seriously considering Cherubs as an intermediate class between the venerable Aust 12' Cadet Dinghy (rivetted clinker 3 person open dinghy) and the very new at the time 5O5 .
                          My Cherub was an amazing example of the home builders art in NZ where all spars were home made hollow timber since alum yachting sections were not available in NZ; centreboards and rudder blades were strip laminated even tiller extensions were laminated all the way out to the cross piece for finger gripping ! For the record, the Cherub builder was Graham(?) Scott of Auckland; built for his son; Graham's daughter was the wife of Chris Bouziad (sp?) winner of the World One Tun Cup.

                          Ahhh, those were the days - sorry no pics of #871 .... and for the Thread drift.
                          Cheers from Martin B.
                          Mandurah, Western Australia
                          [email protected]

                          Comment

                          • jim_cricket
                            Senior Member
                            • Jan 2008
                            • 914

                            #14
                            Re: Whisp B&B

                            Cool project, and a good tune up for the old Whisp. The light weight of that boat sure is appealing.

                            Comment

                            • Brightwater
                              Senior Member
                              • Aug 2015
                              • 177

                              #15
                              Re: Whisp B&B

                              Martin - unfortunately I'm still not sure what your point is, except that there's nothing new under the sun, in which case I agree (as would Mik Storer). But yes, let's keep thread drift to a minimum.
                              Sailing - the fine art of getting wet and becoming ill while slowly going nowhere at great expense.

                              - Henry Beard

                              Comment

                              Working...