Bart Senior wrote:
I agree on the Walker Bay boats. Something
about them makes be cringe.


The bow is too pointy, they don't have the right sheer, and the stern is
ugly. However, the little wheel in the skeg is a nice touch.


So you don't think your's will be tippy? It is
light, even if wide and with a flat bottom I'd
think it would still be tippy.

Well, tippy is relative. The design does not have a flat bottom, but
rather an elliptical arc that is shallow enough to just let the bilge
ride above the waterline when lightly loaded, or when making waves. The
bilge is relatively wide & firm, not such a great shape for rowing
(rowing shells tend to have narrow hulls & slack bilges, which is why
they are so tippy) but better than a flat bottom & hard chine, and not
noticably worse for rowing (I hope) than the traditional slack-bilge
rowing dinghy because of the reduced wetted surface.

I monkeyed around with a hull plan program for about 6 months, looking
at the various numbers. I got to where the lines plotted to about 90% of
the stability of an inflatable (whereas a Fatty Knees is about 65%) and
the drag pretty much the same as the rowing dink.

The cost will be less than a brand new fiberglass rowing dink, too; but
it will still be a lot more than a Walker Bay or a plywood pram. In all,
I'm pretty eager to see what it comes out like.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

What do you think of intergral fiberglass tanks
with baffles and inspection ports? I think they
are the best option.

You could buy structural panels, tab them in on
both sides. Similarly with baffles. Closing off
the top would be easy too and just as easy to
cut in inspection ports--or even cut off completely,
and reglass later, for service.

Another advantage would be you could fair in
the inside so that there is a slope to carry debris
to the drain fitting.

"DSK" wrote

Bart Senior wrote:
Bladders make me nervous. Unless they are
secured with a solid tank, in which case what
do you need a bladder for? Water can be
taken out at the filters, and I tend to keep my
tanks filled so condensation is not a big
concern for me.


If you're away from the fuel dock for any long period, then you don't
have the option of keeping the tank full all the time. With our boat, if
we're going to actually use that great range to go anywhere, like out in
the eastern Bahamas, the plan will be to return with around 25% tankage.
And you're up north, where condensation is worse (more cold weather).

We tend to fill up at fishing boat docks, where the fuel is cheaper,
That means going past a lot of pleasure boat marinas and watching the
fuel gage sink for a few days.

The military drops fuel bladders out of airplanes for resupply. Now
*that* would make me nervous, but using one in a boat should be a piece
of cake. The biggest problem is getting the installation right so that
the tank is properly supported, protected against chafe, and the fill,
suction, & vent hoses don't get kinked or twisted.

Another up side is that a bladder tank can be put into an otherwise
unusable void. That's pretty much the situation with the space under our
aft cabin sole.

Regards
Doug King

I like the wheel too. But one friend told me
it was not particularly helpful, but he could not
give me a good reason why not. I saw him use
it once and it seems to work well.

So when are you building this dink? Over the
winter for a winter project?
..
"DSK" wrote
Well, tippy is relative. The design does not have a flat bottom, but
rather an elliptical arc that is shallow enough to just let the bilge
ride above the waterline when lightly loaded, or when making waves. The
bilge is relatively wide & firm, not such a great shape for rowing
(rowing shells tend to have narrow hulls & slack bilges, which is why
they are so tippy) but better than a flat bottom & hard chine, and not
noticably worse for rowing (I hope) than the traditional slack-bilge
rowing dinghy because of the reduced wetted surface.

I monkeyed around with a hull plan program for about 6 months, looking
at the various numbers. I got to where the lines plotted to about 90% of
the stability of an inflatable (whereas a Fatty Knees is about 65%) and
the drag pretty much the same as the rowing dink.

The cost will be less than a brand new fiberglass rowing dink, too; but
it will still be a lot more than a Walker Bay or a plywood pram. In all,
I'm pretty eager to see what it comes out like.

"Capt.Mooron" wrote

A crack race crew behaves much differently than a cruising
crew. The
expectations of the skipper should match the conditions. There
is no "I" in
team.


but there is an ''I'' in 'sailing.

2 of em!

Scotty

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote in message
...
What are the attributes of an outstanding skipper?

Allowing the 'crew' to sunbathe on the foredeck while you handle
the boat.

Allowing the crew to work the helm and sails while I go below to
eat fried chicken.


Take a good hard look at yourself, and tell me which
attributes you feel need improvement in yourself.


Need to lose weight.



Tell me what you plan to do to effect such improvements.


Buy larger clothes.

Scotty

"Scotty" wrote in message but there is an ''I'' in
'sailing.

2 of em!

...and it pays to keep both open!! :-)

CM

Bart Senior wrote:
What do you think of intergral fiberglass tanks
with baffles and inspection ports? I think they
are the best option.


Sure, but they're not really an aftermarket add-on.
And it's not foolproof either, since grids & bulkhead tabbing
occasionally pop loose when the boat is sailed hard (or if your boat was
one of those Monday morning jobs).


You could buy structural panels, tab them in on
both sides. Similarly with baffles. Closing off
the top would be easy too and just as easy to
cut in inspection ports--or even cut off completely,
and reglass later, for service.


Why buy structural panels, I can mold them myself. But this is likely to
be a lot more work (a whole lot more!) and require more open access to
the space.

Another advantage would be you could fair in
the inside so that there is a slope to carry debris
to the drain fitting.


True... put in a little window for visual inspection too.

Actually, I should build the whole boat myself! Then every part of it
would be PERFECT... wouldn't Bubbles be jealous!

DSK

"Scotty" wrote:

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote:
What are the attributes of an outstanding skipper?

Allowing the 'crew' to sunbathe on the foredeck while you
handle
the boat.

Allowing the crew to work the helm and sails while I go
below to
eat fried chicken.


Take a good hard look at yourself, and tell me which
attributes you feel need improvement in yourself.


Need to lose weight.



Tell me what you plan to do to effect such improvements.


Buy larger clothes.


Heehee! Allowing the crew to smoke downwind is nice too...

Seahag

"Seahag" wrote in message
...

"Scotty" wrote:

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote:
What are the attributes of an outstanding skipper?

Allowing the 'crew' to sunbathe on the foredeck while you
handle
the boat.

Allowing the crew to work the helm and sails while I go
below to
eat fried chicken.


Take a good hard look at yourself, and tell me which
attributes you feel need improvement in yourself.


Need to lose weight.



Tell me what you plan to do to effect such improvements.


Buy larger clothes.


Heehee! Allowing the crew to smoke downwind is nice too...


That wasn't ''allowed'', that was MUTINY !

Captain Scotty

Both Doug and Bart are wrong on this one......... courage is very
important trait for an "outstanding skipper".

Joe