Beginner's wooden daysailer

[darroch]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

"My many different requirements make me think I'm asking too much of the boat: wooden, ability to camp cruise, rowing, and sailing appropriate for a beginner yet enjoyable later. The idea of a whitehall type boat with sails is very appealing to me, and is one I will explore more once I'm in Savannah. Or, I could just continue kayak and canoe camping and thus not need any camp-cruising ability from the sailboat."



wooden...check
camp cruise...check
rowing...double check
sailing...triple check
buildable by greenhorn...check
trailerable...check
re-boardable...check
purty...check
...etcetera, etcetera....

You could definitely build one for $7500 using the best materials around...it might cost you a whole lot more to have one built. What's the roadblock to building?



"ALASKA" - 18-foot beach cruiser for oar and sail (and motor for some of us)
Designer: Don Kurylko, Nelson, BC

[Casper]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

Amazing the amount of useful input available! I can relate to your reluctance regarding an outboard, so in by own case I have made a box-style mount for a small outboard, which detaches when the outboard is not in use on my Core Sound 20'. The box-mount slides into two vertical varnished Oregon rails on the transom when the outboard is needed. When not in use the mount can be slid out and stored with the outboard in an aft locker. All that remains on the transom are two pleasing and unobtrusive Oregon rails, but the outboard is still there if we need it. (Try not to drop it overboard when transferring to the mount at sea!)

[Dave Hadfield]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

You could do a lot worse than this Sharpie, in which the crew appear to having a wonderful day.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W0yyHKlMI3k

Dave

[davebrown]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

This is an old post. Did he build one of those?

[johnrbayer]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

Anyone ever use a SUP paddle with a Beetle Cat? They're very stable when standing aboard...

Stephen .. I have Dynamite Payson's plywood version of the Beetle Cat .. I do not think rowing is a realistic alternative. Nor do I think you will have enough cargo space for even minimal camping gear, a partner, a dog and a small Honda OB. However, it is very easy to rig Bettle Cat for sculling; providing a very easy and plesant way to move in calm waters. I seem to always stay out just a tad bit too long; wind dies and I'm a distance from shore. Grasp the old oar, a few flicks of the wrist and you'll be surprised how quickly you can scull back to shore / docks. And unlike rowing, you can scull for hours with little physical exertion on a boat as small as a Beetle Cat

[WI-Tom]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

3) My many different requirements make me think I'm asking too much of the boat: wooden, ability to camp cruise, rowing, and sailing appropriate for a beginner yet enjoyable later. The idea of a whitehall type boat with sails is very appealing to me, and is one I will explore more once I'm in Savannah. Or, I could just continue kayak and canoe camping and thus not need any camp-cruising ability from the sailboat. We'll see, I'll have to give it further thought.

A whitehall type can be great--Darroch's Alaska inspired me to build my own. Not a large boat people-wise, but I love it. It's easy to sail with 2 people aboard and not feel crowded. I left the ketch mizzen out entirely which opens up the cockpit a bit. The space in the bow makes a lovely lounging seat for a third person:

Alaska.jpg

But other than lacking the speed to beat tidal currents, which is a problem every small engineless sailboat would face to some degree, I don't think you're asking too much at all. Don Kurylko's Alaska is one possible choice--you can read about some of my Alaska outings HERE and HERE.

To muddy the waters a bit more, I'll add another of my favorites: Ross Lillistone's Phoenix III design. Again, comfortable for two people, crowded for more than that. But a great boat, beginner-friendly but rewarding for skilled sailors too--you can read a bit about some trips in this HERE and HERE:

4.3.jpg

The real trick with these will be finding one for sale--they're not as readily available as production boats. But both are good/excellent rowers, can carry plenty of gear, and can be recovered from a capsize single-handed.

Tom

[Linda M]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

Stephen .. I have Dynamite Payson's plywood version of the Beetle Cat .. I do not think rowing is a realistic alternative. Nor do I think you will have enough cargo space for even minimal camping gear, a partner, a dog and a small Honda OB. However, it is very easy to rig Bettle Cat for sculling; providing a very easy and plesant way to move in calm waters. I seem to always stay out just a tad bit too long; wind dies and I'm a distance from shore. Grasp the old oar, a few flicks of the wrist and you'll be surprised how quickly you can scull back to shore / docks. And unlike rowing, you can scull for hours with little physical exertion on a boat as small as a Beetle Cat

I know you posted this many years ago, but it came up on a search about how to rig my Beetle Cat for culling. How did you do it? I've had a Beetle for 30+ years, but it's getting harder and harder to sit on the bow forward of the mast and paddle when the wind dies.

[johngsandusky]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

Hi Linda, welcome aboard! We're not too far apart, I'm in Rocky Point, and sail out of Mount Sinai.
Unfortunately, I am not good at sculling, nor do I own a Beetle Cat. Jim Buddle, the member who posted this reply, may not visit here anymore. I suggest you start a new thread asking your question. My experience rowing dinghies up to a 26' yawl is that sometimes one oar will do. I recently broke an oar while sailing my Shellback and managed to row home using one oar with the daggerboard down and rudder steering. It wasn't comfortable, but when I did it in the bigger boat I chocked the rudder slightly off center and used both hands on one oar. Good luck, keep us posted.

[Thad]

Re: Beginner's wooden daysailer

You could do as John suggests, but you could also mount two rowlocks on the coamings and row standing up. For sculling, a block on the stern with sculling notch or rowlock socket to take a rowlock at an angle square to the oar would get you sculling while sitting in the cockpit.