Melonseed built and launched

[DGentry]

I've had her out a couple of times so far and she's one sweet sailboat.
I put in about 3 weeks of sporadic work in her, and perhaps $400. 13' 6" x 4' or so, and more or less based on the Chapelle Melonseed. The hull weighs in at 77lbs. She has a centerboard, and her current rig (taken from another boat) is a 63sq ft standing lug - I'll also have a more traditional spritsail for her.
Skin-on-frame, of course!

Video probably coming soon.

Questions and comments welcome.

Dave

[Rich Jones]

Re: Melonseed built and launched

Sweet looking boat! It'll be interesting to see if the boat wants to twist a bit in higher winds without the traditional planking to help stiffen up the hull. I'm pretty ignorant about skin-on-frame, but have many small sailboats been built with this method?

[Gerarddm]

Re: Melonseed built and launched

Nice looking interpretation in SOF. I love Melonseed lines.

[upchurchmr]

Re: Melonseed built and launched

Very nice looking boat.
But Dave, you are not going anywhere. I'm looking at the ripples around the second picture.

How much does it weigh? Are you going to sell plans?
How do you put up with that rudder , or how well does the rudder work?

[davebrown]

Re: Melonseed built and launched

Good looking boat Dave, and well executed. I was rowing tonight on a lake in Sacramento and a guy started talking to me from the shore about my boat. He then said he wanted to build a Dave Gentry rowboat. You are really starting to be well-known for these.

[willin woodworks]

Re: Melonseed built and launched

Nice!

[Steve W (NY)]

Re: Melonseed built and launched

Dave, that is fantastic. A car-topable melonseed! It's hard to tell, but I assume the whole deck is plywood? And if not, what happens if you step on the fabric?

What Dave said is true.....I was up in the 1000 Islands and somebody said they were building a "Gentry" boat. Great stuff.

[DGentry]

Re: Melonseed built and launched

Gib Etheridge: I see that you didn't lash the joints Do you ever? I would think that with a sailboat's tendency to wrack it would be worthwhile to epoxy the joints, maybe even with fillets or bits of extra wood epoxied at the joints as reinforcement. It seems that just screws, even long ones, would not last long into the edges of plywood.

I have lashed plenty of boats together, but don't do it much anymore. These days it's all glue and screw for me, as it's just faster and easier. Yes, all those joints are also epoxied, most with little fillets on either side, as well.

Rich Jones: It'll be interesting to see if the boat wants to twist a bit in higher winds without the traditional planking to help stiffen up the hull. I'm pretty ignorant about skin-on-frame, but have many small sailboats been built with this method?

I put a lot of mental effort into exactly this issue, and so far it seems to have paid off. I was out in 15kt winds this afternoon, hiking her flat and pushing her hard, and there's no evidence of twist, at all. It sure was fun, too!
Only time will tell though - a couple of years of hard use could easily have an effect.
No one else has designed or built SOF sailing boats with this non-traditional style of construction, though of course there have been many SOF sailboats throughout the years. Err, many being relative - not many (at all) compared to fiberglass, wood or plastic boats - but there is a long history of SOF sailing craft.
To date, I'm somewhat surprised, happy and relieved to be able to say that all of mine have worked out well.

Upchurchmr: How much does it weigh? Are you going to sell plans? How do you put up with that rudder , or how well does the rudder work?

77lbs for the hull. Yes, assuming testing continues to go well, I will sell kits and plans for her. The rudder actually works great, and is perfect for skinny water. The loads on it are surprisingly small - nothing like it is with a Laser whose rudder has kicked up.

Steve W: It's hard to tell, but I assume the whole deck is plywood? And if not, what happens if you step on the fabric?

The only ply decking is what you see in the the fourth pic, of the frame - the side decks and a king plank. Nobody needs to be sitting or walking anywhere else on the deck. No worries if they do, though - the fabric might sag a bit, but it will easily support a person (or a dog with sharp claws).

Thanks for the kind words, everyone, and it is very cool to hear that people talk about my boats!

Dave