The ideal flat bottomed boat

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Rupert
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The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by Rupert »

Been thinking of a project for the spring (with prep being done over the winter), possibly building a new wooden Minisail, as Ronny has done in Belgium, but probably using stitch and glue.

However, it got me thinking - what would actually be the best singlehanded flat bottomed boat? Best as in fun to sail inland, but OK on water like Chichester harbour. Would it be longer? 15 feet would fit in a single garage, and could be made from 2 sheets of ply scarphed. Would it be scow shaped like the Minisail, or sharpie shaped? Or even sharpie canoe, to give the smoothest displacement shape at the cost of planing speed? Not looking at having sliding seats, traps or the like, so not like a modern Canoe...

And what would the rig be like?

Building a Minisail has the advantage of a class to sail with, but designing and building a long, lean flat bottomed boat has been in my mind for years.

Thoughts?
Rupert
Nessa
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by Nessa »

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Rupert
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by Rupert »

I remember!
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alan williams
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by alan williams »

Go on build a 15ft barndoor moth like scow. For ideas look up the American M scow.
Could be on to a winner.
Cheers Al
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by Nessa »

the mogo was great fun. alan is right, a giant scow moth could be good.

the post put me in mind of the Watchet flatners or flatties.
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jpa_wfsc
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by jpa_wfsc »

I think Peter Milne designed something rather like what you are considering - much the same design requirements except that his design was a two person boat. . . could easily provide the bits to make a singlehander (but with a less powerfull rig and no trapeze) maybe you could call it... the Bullet?

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chris
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by chris »

For a while I had my brother's Edwardian Thames punt in the garden. He had given me some plans for a siling version. see http://intheboatshed.net/2007/12/28/how ... ith-plans/
Some are 26' long so not car toppable! Somewhere I have some photos of them being sailed and raced.
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by Pat »

In the late seventies and early eighties we fished the Thames in "Punnet", the fibreglass half length punt built by my ex and his father which took a 4hp outboard and the two of us and all his fishing kit quite comfortably. It would have been possible to sleep in it (though we never did) and it was still in good order when my ex took it to Norfolk after our divorce. Now to find a picture...

The Stour Sailing Club at Manningtree in Essex still race punts as their website says:
Unique to the SSC are the racing sailing punts . Used for centuries for eel fishing and punt gunning, they have now become racers. With big sprit sails, -usually home stitched – but no rudders or centre-boards ,steering is by oar across the thigh.
Here's a picture from our dinghy database http://cvrda.org/coppermine/displayimag ... 54&pos=426
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trebor
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by trebor »

Mogo looks like a blunt nosed Aquabat, how can wood be justified in a modern boat, when boats are sold on a minimum maintenance basis.
Rupert, what about a slightly wider sprint with wings and a larger sail.
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Rupert
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by Rupert »

The Mogo hull was rather more V bottomed than I'm thinking of, and the Bullet has the double chine.

My thoughts are now moving in 2 directions. One is a combo of the punt and barn door Moth shapes, the other still towards a sharpie type hull.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kYSgWI4CwQ shows a Bolger Jinni design sailing. Stupidly heavy at 200lbs, but a modified version would be interesting, or a dinghy version of this: http://bolgerbirdwatcher.blogspot.co.uk/

The punts that Chris posted up are fascinating - 26 feet is a little long, though! Shortening the concept involves compromises, though, which is where the Moths come in.

One of the things I really like about the punts is that they are open - none of those bouyancy tanks or double bottoms which make a boat so cluttered. All lovely till you capsize or swamp, I guess... needs some thought to make that work...
Rupert
alan williams
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by alan williams »

Hi Rupert
Here 's a link to the M Scows blog http://northamericanmscowassociation.blogspot.co.uk/
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M_Scow
Which might supply some inspiration for you.
Cheers Al
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JB9
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by JB9 »

If I had the time I would really like to have a go at building one of these:-

http://www.fyneboatkits.co.uk/plans/sai ... and-skiff/
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by Obscured by clouds »

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JimC
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by JimC »

trebor wrote: how can wood be justified in a modern boat
'cos wood is more fun to work with than exotics, and rotomoulding is arguably impractical for the amateur builder?
Rupert
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Re: The ideal flat bottomed boat

Post by Rupert »

And wood has excellent stiffness to weight properties - especially plywood - which isn't matched by the kind of GRP build Minisails and Aquabats use - you need to get into foam sandwich construction to be better than wood, and that takes a different skill set, rather than being an extension of DIY skills.

And they look pretty.
Rupert
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