16' Barto Melonseed Catboat (2020) - PLUG

The Melonseed is a well-known 16’ dinghy originally designed and built in the 1890s. I bought the plans drawn by Marc Bartow and spent several months (I’m retired) learning how to draw using Rhino3D. I drew and faired the boat on the computer using Marc’s plan then pulled all the parts off the drawings and cut them on a CNC. Though the lines seemed just right I wanted more of an hourglass transom and Rhino has a tool that allows you to push and pull shapes so I squeezed the transom to get the shape I wanted. The mast and spars are hollow making it easy to step the mast. I strip planked the hull with big-box 2X4 lumber ripped to 3/8″x 1″ leaving a 1/16″ gap between each and filling the gap with thickened epoxy. I used a larger sail plan from a Melonseed designed by John Bradly. The decks are quarter-sawn Douglas Fir and trimmed with Sapele. The fiddle headstock on the stem was hanging around the shop for a few years and just seemed the right spot for it. A joy to sail but it’s a wet and exhilarating ride if it’s blowing over 15 to 20