Best open cockpit sailboat designs under 30'

[RT MAN]

Please post your replies with pics

BEST OPEN COCKPIT SAILBOAT CENTERBOARD DESIGN UNDER 30'

I don't want to fine tune to much because I don't want to eliminate any great designs,

Rufus

[MarkC]

The Navy Whaler 3 in 1 (27 foot - lug sail with jib, row, and inboard motor).

http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulleti...ad.php?t=73394

[Daniel Noyes]

Well if we are considering sailboats under 30 ft. then the best boat would be the one that sails the best, yes? In every catagory, speed, maneauverability, downwind handeling, light airs...etc. the boat that "sails" the best is the 28' inland lake E class sailing Scow!
Dan
http://dansdories.googlepages.com

[C. Ross]

E Scows are pretty cool. As a kid I crewed on a C Scow, a two man cat rigged version. I think oak frames, venereed hull, canvas deck, fast and wet.

I think the scope might be too broad here. I sure liked racing the C Scow but it's no camp cruiser or picnic boat or ... Do you have any other criteria RT Man?

[Jay Greer]

I can honestly say that my favorite one design open cockpit boat under thirty feet is the L. Francis Herreshoff Stuart Knockabout. http://www.hardingsails.com/sk.htm
This is an easily driven hull that is capable of outstanding performance.
Additionally it will safely carry a full family on a week end outing or a racing crew as usage conditions demand. Plans are available from the Mystic Museum Plans Dept.
Jay

[Wild Wassa]

The Flying Fifteen. LWL 15ft, LOA 20ft. FF's are the most prolific open keelboat Class on the planet. They are sailed/raced two up nowadays ... but originally they were sailed three up.

A new 'Modern' Class boat will cost just over $45,000 AU. Carbon deck and hull with Harken gear all around, Goldspar or Epsilon mast and spars.

An old 'Classic' Class FF will cost as little as $1,500 AU and be worth every cent.

New 'Modern' Class FF's can do 15.9 knots when free running ... although I can only attest to one doing 13.9 knots. Doing a three sail reach in an FF is one of life's true sailing joys ... if you can hold onto the boat and not lose the kite.

FF's can be an excellent performance sail for fit strong sailors, they are called a 'performance open keelboat' or they can be an underpowered Sunday cruise boat, for dawdlers. FF's are not boats for cruising around with children because there can be a lot to do and the loads can be great and dangerous with small kids.

These boats are like big CB dinghies, they are just as easy to launch, floating on and floating off the trailer, and just as easy to tow as any dinghy.

Rag Dolly on the first day of her restoration, in January 2008.













From the Australian FF Association archive showing the basic construction of a wooden FF ... http://www.flying15.org.au/uploads/File/seacraft1.pdf

Plans for a wooden Flying Fifteen can be obtained from the Uffa Fox Association for $175 US or 90 British Pounds.

Warren.

[Brian Palmer]

How about a Lightning? Used boats and parts are easily available.

--Brian

[Craic]

: 20" Swallowboats BayRaider.

Because it is really two boats in one. With the waterballast tank full she sails and -self-rights- like a keel yacht. With the tank empty she races like a lightweight planing dinghy.
AND she can be rowed, is pretty and made of wood.....

[Ron Paro]

Craic, - Thanks for pointing out the BayRaider. This looks like a beautiful and very functional design.

Just what I needed... another boat to dream about.

[tchiffriller]

I can honestly say that my favorite one design open cockpit boat under thirty feet is the L. Francis Herreshoff Stuart Knockabout. http://www.hardingsails.com/sk.htm
This is an easily driven hull that is capable of outstanding performance.
Additionally it will safely carry a full family on a week end outing or a racing crew as usage conditions demand. Plans are available from the Mystic Museum Plans Dept.
Jay

My neighbor built a bueatiful cold molded Stuart Knockabout. It is amazingly fast in light winds and is one of the prettiest boats i have ever seen.

- tommy

[Craic]

'scuse me, I had thought the question was for a centreboarded boat.
The Knockabout sure looks like fun, but is actually a keel boat.

[RT MAN]

'scuse me, I had thought the question was for a centreboarded boat.
The Knockabout sure looks like fun, but is actually a keel boat.

Centerboard reqirement was added after the fact.
Rufus

[Thad]

Alden Triangle sloop (keel), Herreshoff Alerion, Alden Indian

[Jay Greer]

'scuse me, I had thought the question was for a centreboarded boat.
The Knockabout sure looks like fun, but is actually a keel
boat.

Yes it is a keel boat. But it is of very moderate draft and sails so well and is just so darned pretty I couldn't resist mentioning it.
Jay

[RT MAN]

Well I ordered the study plans for BB15, Alerion and Pleasure so I can make a comparison of these. They are beautiful boats, my objective is to study them and pick the best all around design for my small fresh water lake.

I want it to fast and manauverable on the water and trailerable which they are.

I'm think I have read enough to on cold molding expoxy composite hulls to be satisfied that is the way to build.

I would prefer to buy one but budget will limit the purchase of a new one so it could only be used.


Rufus

[johnw]

How will it be used?

[kenjamin]

The Beachcomber Alpha Dory as described by John Gardner in his book The Dory Book or in The Building of Classic Craft. It is not slow and can be handled efficiently by either one, two, or three rowers. I think it would be easily pushed with a 4HP fourstroke mounted in the dead center of the boat aft of the center board. If the motor were fully retractable and a sailing rig were designed such that it could be set or struck at sea, I think that would be a neat combination. And then there's the fact that it's a darn good looking boat.

[nonsum_pisces]

Well, this might not be what you had in mind but they are certainly open and most are less than 30'. As a proven design, they have been around for as long as 6000 years and were used to explore over 1/3 of the earth's surface. If what you mean by 'best' is speed and seaworthiness, it's hard to find anything else that compares to them. In the words of one designer on this type of boat, "it would be hard to conceive of a more ruthlessly functional sailing machine".

Boats like these.

[prestonbriggs]

Perhaps Joel White's "Lala"

Preston

[rbgarr]

Well I ordered the study plans for BB15, Alerion and Pleasure so I can make a comparison of these. They are beautiful boats, my objective is to study them and pick the best all around design for my small fresh water lake.

I want it to fast and manauverable on the water and trailerable which they are.

Rufus

I have trouble thinking of any of those designs as trailerable except as an ends-of-season proposition. How small is the lake, by the way?

Even the Stuart Knockabout has a substantial mast for raising without a mechanical arrangement. Mine is 39' long and has to be craned. The Stuart's looks like it's about 35' long. http://www.hardingsails.com/sk.htm Same deal I'd imagine.

I've raised Lightning masts by hand and that's about as much as I wanted to manage regularly, control wise, and it was only about 25' long and weighed merely 35 lbs fully rigged.

In my experience and from observation, rigging, unrigging and preparing for safe trailering at launch ramps is the make-or-break issue for casual sailing from a trailer. It can take up alot of your precious sailing time.

[RT MAN]

Lac St. Anne is 54 square kilometers 15 km long by 7 km wide.

So it is a small lake.

Really all I need to do is tow the boat from the launch to cottage.

I was thinking that I could rig something to step the mast, it should on be twice a year. I can also drive from my lot to the launch with the mast stepped.

Rufus

[Daniel Noyes]

where is Lac st anne ? sounds like a nice spot!

[rbgarr]

Nine miles long by four plus miles wide. That's a bigger piece of water than I was imagining and those designs you're considering would be great for that. By way of reference, that's about the same size as Eggemoggin Reach and its approaches.
http://tinyurl.com/34nfhl

[Tom Mac]

Joel White"s Flatfish

[Tom Mac]

Joel White"s Flatfish

[RT MAN]

Flat fish is nice, I 'm considring that as well

[RT MAN]

where is Lac st anne ? sounds like a nice spot!

Beautiful little lake in Alberta Canada

[ewan]

i'll say tofinou. also, does anyone know of a kit/plan that would be very similar?

[bloggs68]

Perhaps Joel White's "Lala"

Preston

I'm with Preston - Lala would be my dream daysailer under 30'.

AD

[keyhavenpotterer]

Lala yes have to agree, spent so long in the bookshop looking at Lala in Bill Mayher & Maynard Bray's book Joel White, Boatbuilder/Designer/Sailor that when my wife went to buy me it for my birthday they would not sell her it as it was so used. Ordered a new copy. What a lovely book and what a lovely boat.
Here she is for sale,

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=71531&url=

Sorry to put such tempatation in your way, Brian

[Banjo]

If your looking for a good all rounder that will evolve with your family one of these might be the answer.
http://dixdesign.com/paperjet.htm

[RT MAN]

I think I will add the Flatfish
my favourites are almost Herreshoff boats
BB15
Alerion
Flatfish
Raven
Alden Nantucket
Alden Sun Class
Adlen Navigator
BB25 even though it is longer than thirty feet it looks great.
I want fast boat that has the roamy cockpit that handles with ease.

I also want cold moulded or even cedar strip

There is something about these wood boat that capture my attention and makes me want to know more about them. Maybe it is the mystique of knowing that they were designed by the great masters of all time and to have one of the master pieces would be such a great treasure or because it would be q privilage to have a boat of these designs.I have a beautiful looking cedar strip Titmouse but I think it is to short.

[RT MAN]

Well, I received my study plan for Alerion, Pleasure and BB15, These all have very significant differences in how they are built.

Now all I need is to decide which is best suited for me

BB15 looks like a much easier boat to build than Alerion or Pleasure.

BB15 has a lot less material in the hull ( not near as deep ).

[Daniel Noyes]

RT
Have you considered any Canadian designs like the knockabout sloops that successfully defended the Sewahaken cup for years. The Glencairn designs seem especially appropriate and are such strikingly beautifull craft, with their long overhangs, wide powerfull transoms, narrow cockpits and spacious open decks!
Dan
http://dansdories.googlepages.com

[RT MAN]

I have never seen one do you have any pictures. Can't seem too find on Google either

Rufus

[Daniel Noyes]

Here are a few immages from Peabody Essex museaum of the Manchester Massachusetts Seawanhaka contenders, The Canadians were sailing similar boats two of wich I have scanned plans for but they are not posted on line. There is a great chapter on the Canadian boats of the White Bear Yacht club in Edwin Schottels book on american sailing craft.
Dan

http://www.esseximages.com/SearchRes...?CategoryID=17
These boats were an inspiration for the Ipswich Bay 18

http://dansdories.googlepages.com