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Description:
What makes a good small boat? What are the key considerations when designing a small boat? And what are some good examples of small boat design?
Whether you’re rowing, sailing, paddling, or just floating, small craft can distill the dynamics of being on the water and provide poignant experiences often lost in the complication of larger vessels.
John, Clint Chase, and Ross use examples from their own drawing boards as well as others’ to illustrate the many different facets of small boat design. Live Q&A to follow.
Speakers:
Clint Chase | Owner, Chase Small Craft
Ross Lillistone | Boatbuilder (Retired), Designer, Author
John Welsford | Owner, Welsford Boat Designs
Here’s a list of the most influential books for these three small boat designers.
Leave your questions and comments below!
Ross – I purchased the Phoenix III built by Cameron Metcalfe in Ottawa Canada – he is an expert craftsman. Just wanted to let you know that I love the boat. I’ve had more fun last summer than I have had in many years with my big boats (the last being a Tartan 34C). You are right on the light weight – launching and retrieving is effortless. I started sailing in Snipes and Lasers when I was in my 30’s then moved on to large keel boats. Now in my late 60’s I’ve gone back to my roots enjoying sailing a small open dinghy – and I am learning things all over again! Thank you for a wonderful design!
Brad, I’m most grateful to you for the comment. I’m seventy-one next birthday and for sixty-five of my years I have sailed, rowed and paddled small boats. I’ve never been in the position to own a large boat, but I’m now old enough to understand that maybe that has been a blessing.
While not a boat builder myself, I learn much about how to sail them from little pearls of information in presentations such as this. Thank you all for sharing your wisdom.
Thank you for commenting, Steve. What I know comes largely from the teachings of others – something for which I am eternally grateful. The other element of the learning process – building, designing and sailing – is simply having a go……
Wonderful presentation with three of my favorite designers, the only way I think it could have been better is if you could have included Phil Bolger
Thanks, David. I too would have loved to have had Phil Bolger there – you would not need anbody else in that case! As I said in my part of the presentation, PCB was (and still is) the greatest teacher I’ve had in my life. It is such a pity that so many people miss seeing the astonishing depth of his thinking.
Understanding that the largest of boats are small out upon the waters of this world, the essence of these small boats by design of their builders and skillful handling, are capable of great adventures.
Gentlemen, a much appreciated presentation.
Thank you for the nice comment, Nick. I’m a small craft man from way back (I can’t afford big boats anyway!)
It is so nice to see “competitors in the business” so open and sharing with us and each other. Talking boats is always worthy material for great conversations. For years I lived next door to now-past Charley Morgan and enjoyed endless discussions about all things boats.
Hi Jeffrey, small craft remain an enduring passion for me, and I can’t get enough talking. I don’t consider myself to be a ‘competitor’ as do what I do because it is a vocation – I’m not trying to be a business success! Thanks for the comment. Ross Lillistone
Any books that influenced your design process
Hi Ryan, books which influenced me include (but are not limited to), every one of Phil Bolger’s eight published books, William and John Atkin’s works in the Ideal series and ‘Of Yachts and Men’, Howard Chapelle’s many books including ‘American Small Sailing Craft’, ‘American Sailing Craft’, ‘Yacht Designing and Planning’, ‘Albert Strange on Yacht Design, Construction and Cruising’, all of John Gardner’s published books, Weston Farmer’s ‘From my OLd Boat Shop’, L. Francis Herreshoff’s published works, Reuel Parker’s ‘The Sharpie Book’ ……..and so many more that I can’t continue listing them. offcenterharbor.com carries a hugh archive of valuable material.
I’ve also enjoyed, and kept as many as I can find, the original Small Boat Journal magazines. A number of Phil Bolgers’a writings not published in his books appeared therein. Then there is the series of The Mariner’s Catalogs for sheer enjoyment: https://www.librarything.com/nseries/84248/The-mariners-catalog:
Dave and Margaret, I have copies of the majority of Phil Bolger’s essays from the SBJ days, and almost every one from MAIB. In addition I have some nice letters from him over a period of years. I never wrote unless I needed permission to alter a design to suit the wishes of a customer, but he always wrote back with valuable information, even though I know his correspondence workload was high. We were all lucky to have him in our lives.
Thank you for mentioning the charts in McKee’s book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVzPCoMEY-g
Any reason not to have a cat ketch or a cat yawl besides additional costs? I can’t think of any reason not to have a mizzen.
It depends upon your application and your ability to move around the boat freely to attend to the rig on each mast. Don’t fall for the trap of just sticking a mizzen on a boat which was designed for a different rig – sensible design considerations need to be considered. I normally design yawl or ketch rigs to allow the main mast to be moved forward to – say – clear an accomodation area. One important reason to have a mizzen is to be able to release the main sheet and haul the mizzen on centreline so the boat will sit head-to-wind for a range of situations. Sensible use of a mizzen will help with self-steering with the wind anywhere forrard of the beam.
I have a question for John Welsford. What would be your next design after Scallywag? Do you have something new at your drawing board? Greetings from Poland, Marcin Eckert
I have a question about design: What is the purpose of the flat snub-nose bow on dinghies? They are visually unappealing, in my opinion.
asking for a friend…..
Hi Suzan, a transom bow allows for good hydrodynamics on a hull which is wide for its length and which would therefore have turbulence generated along the chine line. A well designed Pram (i.e. flat bow design) will usually be faster than a shrp bowed boat of the same breadth. Also, a Pram will usually be able to carry a larger load, and support a larger sail plan for a given length. Nothing is perfect – it is a matter of understanding the application and the compromises required.
Built a 13′ lapstrake, cw sail. Also a Nutshell pram.
Would love to have a recommendation for the best rowing/ sailing skiff, with lots of aft bouyancy. Do not like to separate the rower from the guest, in a two person skiff.
Brian Mosher
Hi Brian, Steve Redmond designed a series of sailing and rowing skiffs where the location of the stern sheets (i.e. aft seat) were moved forward to allow reasonable trim without a second rowing station. ‘Flapjack’ and ‘Bluegill’ being good examples.