42 foot Seth Persson Motor Cruiser
In 1974, Seth Persson launched the 42 foot charter fishing boat Capt. Bob II. This was in many ways the culmination of an ambition dating back to his teens, when he worked at the Consolidated and witnessed the round-to-hard chined hulls built there in the late 1920's. For Seth, this was attractive largely as a matter of good structure, though hydrodynamics was the driving force behind the concept. His design was a refinement of the concept, with added elegance and functionality in the profile, flared bow, and curved topsides. She is also a very substantial vessel, with 14 feet of beam to her 42 feet of length.
Given the exceptional and proven hull design, with its ample capacity for accommodations, this design is to be modified for use as a comfortable motor cruiser capable of long passages. A pilothouse design is planned, in keeping with a philosophy that says a nicely laid out and appointed pilothouse is the living center of a motor yacht (much as the hearth is living center of a house).
The original boat was built traditionally, Cedar and Mahogany on Oak frames. This is a good and tested method, well proven with this particular boat, and all of the original construction plans still exist. However, as part of the re-development of this design, a construction scheme of wood epoxy (and perhaps even foam core) is envisioned. The weight savings will help compensate for the added weight of a complete and elegant interior plus the equipment needed for extended and comfortable cruising.
Accommodations will be designed for real and basic comfort, with simple ergonomics as the guide for all furnishings and cabinetry. There is always a primary requirement to make the best use of space on any vessel, which is part of the challenge and joy of boat design. Most boats are designed to accommodate a maximum number of people, which basically means there is less than ideal use of space when less than a full complement of people are cruising. This may in practice be unavoidable, but the search for a better, more creative solution will be part of the process.
I have designed a number of boats now around structural bulkheads which incorporate both structure and accommodations into their configuration. This allows the major set-up and assembly of a boat, it's decks, interior, and other arrangements to be cut efficiently with a CNC system out of plywood, foam core, aluminum, or any other flat-sheet material. Built upside down, hulls are accurately built, rolled, and fitted out. Bulkheads may be reinforced as needed, and are secured to the hull with the best appropriate materials (in this case, fillets and epoxy-fiberglass.
The Capt. Bob II has been powered by a single GM 6-71 diesel, producing about 120 horsepower and a cruising speed of about 10 knots. However, her hull design is capable of considerably more speed, and so a twin engine configuration is planned, with cruising speeds of 22 knots targeted. An investigation into the possible use of Z Drive propulsion will also be made,
Over the coming weeks and months, photographs of the Capt. Bob II as well as drawings and detailed specifications will appear on these pages. To receive these updates as they are posted, you may subscribe to this blogspot via email by registering at the top right corner of the page.
Initial information on these designs will also begin to appear on this site over the next few weeks.
The Downeast style of powerboat is a great example of form following function, with the needs of commercial lobstering along the Maine coast combining with internal combustion engines, all within the economic realities of a small scale commercial fishery. These boats evolved from the sailing craft of an earlier era, easily driven hulls made powerful with widened, flattened sterns. The high prow remained, to contend with Atlantic swells, the sheer sweeping low at the stern to make hauling lobster pots by hand a little easier. Built of local materials for fishermen with little money, the authentic Downeast launch was built to be worked hard over a short lifespan, engines and hardware salvaged for the next hull.
For my interpretation of a Down East Launch, I have adopted the round hull forward to hard chine aft hull model. In a traditional plank on frame boat this would have the structural advantage of avoiding broken frames along the tight bend of the bilges, especially in the aft sections (though the labor cost would be higher than hot bending frames into ribbands). I have chosen this hull model for performance in a seaway, the round hull forward being more seakindly, the hard chine aft more efficient. Construction will be of wood/epoxy or foam/fiberglass, for a maximum working lifespan.
I went with the 28 foot length to allow the option of an open launch layout or a cuddy version suitable for overnighting. The beam is right at 8'6", allowing over road transport without special permits. Power can be provided by anything from a four-stroke outboard, inboard outboard, or Z drive. This hull design will be quite easily driven, which gives flexibility in choosing a powertrain; low horsepower for moderate cruising speeds, a good turn of speed available with more horsepower.
The model and basic lines are finished for this design; details and drawings will be added to this site over the coming weeks.
18 foot Connecticut River Pulling Boat
the YOT Club
I have designed a number of boats now around structural bulkheads which incorporate both structure and accommodations into their configuration. This allows the major set-up and assembly of a boat, it's decks, interior, and other arrangements to be cut efficiently with a CNC system out of plywood, foam core, aluminum, or any other flat-sheet material. Built upside down, hulls are accurately built, rolled, and fitted out. Bulkheads may be reinforced as needed, and are secured to the hull with the best appropriate materials (in this case, fillets and epoxy-fiberglass.
The Capt. Bob II has been powered by a single GM 6-71 diesel, producing about 120 horsepower and a cruising speed of about 10 knots. However, her hull design is capable of considerably more speed, and so a twin engine configuration is planned, with cruising speeds of 22 knots targeted. An investigation into the possible use of Z Drive propulsion will also be made,
Over the coming weeks and months, photographs of the Capt. Bob II as well as drawings and detailed specifications will appear on these pages. To receive these updates as they are posted, you may subscribe to this blogspot via email by registering at the top right corner of the page.
Initial information on these designs will also begin to appear on this site over the next few weeks.
28 foot Down East Launch
The Downeast style of powerboat is a great example of form following function, with the needs of commercial lobstering along the Maine coast combining with internal combustion engines, all within the economic realities of a small scale commercial fishery. These boats evolved from the sailing craft of an earlier era, easily driven hulls made powerful with widened, flattened sterns. The high prow remained, to contend with Atlantic swells, the sheer sweeping low at the stern to make hauling lobster pots by hand a little easier. Built of local materials for fishermen with little money, the authentic Downeast launch was built to be worked hard over a short lifespan, engines and hardware salvaged for the next hull.
For my interpretation of a Down East Launch, I have adopted the round hull forward to hard chine aft hull model. In a traditional plank on frame boat this would have the structural advantage of avoiding broken frames along the tight bend of the bilges, especially in the aft sections (though the labor cost would be higher than hot bending frames into ribbands). I have chosen this hull model for performance in a seaway, the round hull forward being more seakindly, the hard chine aft more efficient. Construction will be of wood/epoxy or foam/fiberglass, for a maximum working lifespan.
I went with the 28 foot length to allow the option of an open launch layout or a cuddy version suitable for overnighting. The beam is right at 8'6", allowing over road transport without special permits. Power can be provided by anything from a four-stroke outboard, inboard outboard, or Z drive. This hull design will be quite easily driven, which gives flexibility in choosing a powertrain; low horsepower for moderate cruising speeds, a good turn of speed available with more horsepower.
The model and basic lines are finished for this design; details and drawings will be added to this site over the coming weeks.
18 foot Connecticut River Pulling Boat
Rowing in a sliding seat boat uses every muscle group in a highly efficient way, transferring energy into motion with power and grace. This translates into a complete form of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, at a pace and distance suited to the rower's purpose and temperament. Add in the fresh air, open spaces, aquatic settings, and a touch of adventure, and rowing moves solidly into the realm of lifestyle, beyond health or sport.
But rowing has long been in the realm of competitive sport, practiced in a manner to test strength and endurance of rowers purely and quite separate from seas or seamanship. As such, rowing long ago became a highly specialized sport in highly specialized boats relegated to the isolation of closed courses on small lakes in the early morning windless calm. Like all things over-specialized, these rowing craft are bound to their environment, evolution having wrought them susceptible to absolute immediate doom if the wind raises more than a ripple.
Venturing out onto the natural sea is to accept catastrophe; a catastrophe that must be escaped when natural weather on occasion imposes on the shell and scull's unnatural regatta lanes. As with all such over-evolved creatures, they face extinction from any change of environment, and like flightless island birds are effectively extinct already from most waters and, most regrettably, from the lives of most people who would benefit from the healing exercise of rowing.
This is really a matter of time and place, distance and opportunity, acquired through the process of design suited to purpose. If the purpose is to renew and revive body and mind through healthy exercise in the open air, at times and places convenient to normal life, then seaworthiness and utility become elements of design to balance the always desired ease of attaining useful speed. Specialization must be supplanted by generalization for a boat to be generally useful.
All of these thoughts and requirements guided the cutting of the model for the Connecticut River Pulling Boat. The inspiration and experience base came from the Don Rosencranz designed Skal, a 17 foot V-bottomed rowing boat which proved the proportions needed for a good, all around rowing craft. By designing a round-hulled evolution of this boat, I was able to improve the hydrodynamics while adding some initial stability, resulting in a solid feeling, easily rowed boat. The high bow and adequate freeboard has proven to be well suited to moderately open waters and sea conditions, opening up the times and places one may row the Connecticut River Pulling Boat.
Originally, this design was to have been built of cold-moulded plywood; to date, it has actually been built of lapstrake plywood with steam bent oak frames and flors. This makes for a particularly elegant boat, one which challenges the builder to demonstrate the finer reaches of their skills. The next manifestation will include a strip planked version, sheathed in lightweight fiberglass. This will result in a somewhat lighter boat, easier to build and maintain, yet providing the highest quality and longest lifespan possible.
32 foot Sloop Mink
Mink was the working title for Seth Persson's intended masterpiece. Fire took this project from him in 1964, before he could complete the work. But a lines drawing survives, as does the intent and thinking behind the work, which is slated to be brought back onto the working projects list.
Mink was the name of one of Nat Herreshoff's Buzzards Bay 25's, which is how Seth's boat got he working name of Mink.Perhaps a different name would have been ultimately adopted. But tyhe genesis of this design begins with the BB 25's, reputed to be amongst Capt'n Nat's personal favorites amongst all of his works.At 32 feet in length, and 25 feet on the waterline, this design has one of the most graceful profiles ever drawn, with nicely proportioned overhangs. Herreshoff wanted a shallow draft boat, and so designed a keel-centerboarder with the fairly large centerboard slotted through the lead ballast keel. A beam of some 8'9" and a small cuddy cabin makes for a large, comfortable cockpit. Her cross sections are especially graceful, the rounded topsides carried well forward to a double-curved section which distinguishes this design.
Seth started with this design as a benchmark and guide, but his experience and purpose took his project on a course approaching the perfection every creative person seeks. He wanted a boat to cruise in with his young family, four children by the time he started the project. The changes and refinements made to Herreshoff's design are distinct enough to allow this design to be called primarily the work of Seth Persson. These modifications and their reasoning are:
1) Seth raised the freeboard, slightly. This adds some hull volume for interior accommodations, adds a level of safety and comfort when sailing, allows the sheerline to be neatened up, and gives a little better shape to the transom.
2) He also deepened the keel, which lowered the ballast considerably, to gain sail carrying power; and, the large centerboard of the original boat, with it's cabin-constricting trunk, is reduced to a small trunk and board completely beneath the floorboards.
3) Seth also firmed up the cross sections, creating a considerably more powerful sail-carrying capability.
4) Other changes were to include a larger cabin with about 5 feet of headroom, and a beamless, laminated cabintop; a marconi rig with masthead foretriangle; a self-bailing cockpit (I believe); poppets for beaching; and a rudder with trimtab, built but lost in the fire.
The pedigree and inspiration for these design changes is solid, including Finisterre, and a boat named Driad, thought bu Seth to be a modification of Herreshoff's Newport 29 with firmed up cross sections. Both boats were highly successful racing sailboats with which Seth had direct experience.
Mink was being built double-planked on oak frames, with much bronze throughout. For the new manifestation of this design, the modern wood-epoxy construction approach is planned, with attention to details of finish throughout. Accommodations will be designed with soulful comfort in mind, a state only achievable with subtlety and simplicity and the warmth of a natural wood finish..
Seth started with this design as a benchmark and guide, but his experience and purpose took his project on a course approaching the perfection every creative person seeks. He wanted a boat to cruise in with his young family, four children by the time he started the project. The changes and refinements made to Herreshoff's design are distinct enough to allow this design to be called primarily the work of Seth Persson. These modifications and their reasoning are:
1) Seth raised the freeboard, slightly. This adds some hull volume for interior accommodations, adds a level of safety and comfort when sailing, allows the sheerline to be neatened up, and gives a little better shape to the transom.
2) He also deepened the keel, which lowered the ballast considerably, to gain sail carrying power; and, the large centerboard of the original boat, with it's cabin-constricting trunk, is reduced to a small trunk and board completely beneath the floorboards.
3) Seth also firmed up the cross sections, creating a considerably more powerful sail-carrying capability.
4) Other changes were to include a larger cabin with about 5 feet of headroom, and a beamless, laminated cabintop; a marconi rig with masthead foretriangle; a self-bailing cockpit (I believe); poppets for beaching; and a rudder with trimtab, built but lost in the fire.
The pedigree and inspiration for these design changes is solid, including Finisterre, and a boat named Driad, thought bu Seth to be a modification of Herreshoff's Newport 29 with firmed up cross sections. Both boats were highly successful racing sailboats with which Seth had direct experience.
Mink was being built double-planked on oak frames, with much bronze throughout. For the new manifestation of this design, the modern wood-epoxy construction approach is planned, with attention to details of finish throughout. Accommodations will be designed with soulful comfort in mind, a state only achievable with subtlety and simplicity and the warmth of a natural wood finish..
the YOT Club
Many generations of boating people have gotten their start in the ubiquitous Herreshoff 12-1/2, which is very much a solid yacht with capabilities far beyond it's size. Meanwhile, the 2.4 meter sailboats are always intriguing to sailors for their real-life toy appearance. Years ago a scaled down version of the 72 foot S&S yawl Bolero made a splash around Long Island Sound. In short, there is something wondrous and magical about small boats which look and feel like big boats, and can be used for a special kind of pleasure boating by full grown people.
The premise is simple: sail and power boats, 16 to perhaps 25 feet in length, with classic lines and enough volume to be safe, comfortable boats for actual use. Crews are seated low enough to feel as if they are in a much larger boat, and handle sails and controls from comfortable, padded seats. Trim and finish work is done in line with the owner's particular vision, either yacht grade or, perhaps, commercial fishing boat standards.
The designs which will be developed for these boats are intended to be what all boats are intended to be; pleasure craft, recreational boats, play toys. Only, these will provide the most ethereal pleasures of boating without the stress and labor of large vessels; an escape from the stresses of life which follow too many people on their too-complicated boats.
At the same time, these designs will be substantial enough to be good and useful boats in their own right. This is a concept in the early stages of development, and so the designs will develop and evolve as the design process moves forwards. As a starting point, these boats will fit the following general criteria and specifications.
1) The Classic Sloop. This design will feature the full keel with connected rudder, and simple sloop rig of classic yachts from another era. By giving her a waterline length of about 16 feet, enough hull speed can be attained to make this a fun and useful boat. The cockpit will be large enough to comfortably accommodate up to four adults, though two would be the ideal. Her hull will have the proportions and displacement needed to carry her crew and rig safely and comfortable.
General dimensions of this design will be: LOA 22'6", DWL 16', beam 5'6", Draft 3'2", Displacement 2,400 lbs., sail area 225 Sq. Ft.
2) Down East Launch, a 21 foot model of the Down East Launch described above. This design will provide a class and efficient boat for relaxed outings with a small group. A beam of 6'4" will be substantial enough to accommodate friends and family, but still be small enough for easy use and ownership.
3) A Working Schooner. At the other end of the relaxation scale lies the good therapy of a busy time with a good purpose. A gaff rigged schooner, perhaps 25 feet in length, will have many sails and lines to keep one occupied, while experiencing at an easily handled scale all the intricacies of handling this classic boat type. Again, a hull design with full keel and ample volume to be comfortable is planned. Layout will include an emphasis on cockpit space, though a cuddy with head should be included.
General dimensions will be: LOD 25", LWL 19'6", Beam 6'6", Draft 4', Displacement 3,200 lbs. more or less.
4) A Commuter Boat. In many ways still the finest motor yachts ever designed, the commuter boats were capable of high speeds with low (and low rpm) power plants. A small powerboat with the style of a commuter will feature a long, narrow hull, low profile, rather squared off superstructure; mostly cockpit, with low-set padded seating, and a four-stroke outboard for quiet yet enjoyable performance. I will of course go with the round hull forward to hard chine aft hull design.
Dimensions will be about as follows: LOA 27'6", Beam 5'6". An outboard of 25 to 50 horsepower would be more than sufficient, though I would plan on modifying the bow profile somewhat to make for a safer boat at higher speeds.
5) Square Topsail Schooner. Or, Brig, Brigantine, Hermaphordite brig. I am not entirely certain of the final rig, other than to include some level of square sails as a way of adding to the sailing enjoyment of a fairly easily handled boat. This design would stretch the YOT category in several ways, being large enough for fairly extended cruising, on open waters at that (necessary for handling all those sails!) A powerful auxiliary engine for getting around hazardous situations is also an imperative. There will be enough size in this design to provide appropriately rustic cruising accommodations for a crew of four to six. Dimensions will be in the range of: LOD 32', Beam 9', Draft 5', Displacement 12,000 lbs. (that is a preliminary guess).
6) Sailing Machine. Mini 12's are fine, but a small keelboat for one or two crew members to recline in while sailing with a good turn of speed, with enough ballast to be self-righting (and powerful enough to carry a sizable sailplan without requiring the crew to hike out), has always been especially intriguing to me. My thought is a boat designed to be driven easily at and beyond hull speed, but with an air of relaxation in the mix, which requires a combination of enough length and volume to be driven hard while utilizing the hull design as the power-generator. Dimensions are to be approximately: LOA 22', DWL 20', Beam 4'6", Draft 4'6", Displacement 1200 lbs., Sail Area 250 sq. ft., with an easy-set gennaker.
2) Down East Launch, a 21 foot model of the Down East Launch described above. This design will provide a class and efficient boat for relaxed outings with a small group. A beam of 6'4" will be substantial enough to accommodate friends and family, but still be small enough for easy use and ownership.
3) A Working Schooner. At the other end of the relaxation scale lies the good therapy of a busy time with a good purpose. A gaff rigged schooner, perhaps 25 feet in length, will have many sails and lines to keep one occupied, while experiencing at an easily handled scale all the intricacies of handling this classic boat type. Again, a hull design with full keel and ample volume to be comfortable is planned. Layout will include an emphasis on cockpit space, though a cuddy with head should be included.
General dimensions will be: LOD 25", LWL 19'6", Beam 6'6", Draft 4', Displacement 3,200 lbs. more or less.
4) A Commuter Boat. In many ways still the finest motor yachts ever designed, the commuter boats were capable of high speeds with low (and low rpm) power plants. A small powerboat with the style of a commuter will feature a long, narrow hull, low profile, rather squared off superstructure; mostly cockpit, with low-set padded seating, and a four-stroke outboard for quiet yet enjoyable performance. I will of course go with the round hull forward to hard chine aft hull design.
Dimensions will be about as follows: LOA 27'6", Beam 5'6". An outboard of 25 to 50 horsepower would be more than sufficient, though I would plan on modifying the bow profile somewhat to make for a safer boat at higher speeds.
5) Square Topsail Schooner. Or, Brig, Brigantine, Hermaphordite brig. I am not entirely certain of the final rig, other than to include some level of square sails as a way of adding to the sailing enjoyment of a fairly easily handled boat. This design would stretch the YOT category in several ways, being large enough for fairly extended cruising, on open waters at that (necessary for handling all those sails!) A powerful auxiliary engine for getting around hazardous situations is also an imperative. There will be enough size in this design to provide appropriately rustic cruising accommodations for a crew of four to six. Dimensions will be in the range of: LOD 32', Beam 9', Draft 5', Displacement 12,000 lbs. (that is a preliminary guess).
6) Sailing Machine. Mini 12's are fine, but a small keelboat for one or two crew members to recline in while sailing with a good turn of speed, with enough ballast to be self-righting (and powerful enough to carry a sizable sailplan without requiring the crew to hike out), has always been especially intriguing to me. My thought is a boat designed to be driven easily at and beyond hull speed, but with an air of relaxation in the mix, which requires a combination of enough length and volume to be driven hard while utilizing the hull design as the power-generator. Dimensions are to be approximately: LOA 22', DWL 20', Beam 4'6", Draft 4'6", Displacement 1200 lbs., Sail Area 250 sq. ft., with an easy-set gennaker.
47 foot Ocean Cruising Ketch Valhalla
Valhalla, hall of the Viking afterworld, name of my grandfather's cruising yawl. I have had a design in mind for some years now, intended for cruising the old Nordic route to America. Vikings knew no boundaries, of course, and Valhalla will be free to voyage across the worlds oceans to any port and purpose imaginable.
The choice ofketch rig is obvious, keeping sails small enough to be easily handled, while allowing multiple choices for shortening or adding sail. There are good arguments for keeping a rig a bit short on such a vessel, and conversely for relying on simple reefing gear to contend with breezes. The focus here will be on balance, simplicity, and safety.
We used to store and maintain the 47 foot Rhodes ketch Arabella at our family boatyard, a grand and tested yacht which has an inspirational part in the design I have in mind. Arabella is of a hull type first introduced by Starling Burgess (my father used to say that Arabella was a Burgess hull design, finished out by Rhodes). She is a bit on the shallow side, her profile a single long curve to maximize lateral plane within her draft. Her cross section features a steep deadrise with little hollow to the garboards until the aft-most sections. The theory was to utilize her entire hull for lateral plane, an idea which worked well for Burgess on the smaller Dormouse and Barnswallow designs; but, Arabella could stand either more draft or a small centerboard.
Above the waterline Arabella is majestic, with short but finely drawn overhangs (particularly aft) accented by a perfect sheerline. She has raised bulwarks, painted white to offset her black topsides. She has a two-deckhouse-style cabin plus a large hatch forward, giving her a particularly salty look. My intention is to capture some of the image and spirit of Arabella in a cruising ketch design.
That said, it should be noted that much of what gives Arabella her charm also makes her a bit cramped for extended cruising. The bulwarks give a sense of security on deck but come at a high cost in useable interior space. Her divided cabins make it difficult to move from cabin to cabin (the whole point of this arrangement, in a different era). Arabella's fo'csle, her head with no headroom, and other quaint features, do not make the best use of her potential interior space. But I do believe her classic appearance can be tapped into in practical ways for a new cruising yacht design.
My second source of inspiration for my new design is the Starling Burgess schooner Nina, which at 56 feet has had a long and successful career as a racing and cruising yacht. Her design famously features unusually short overhangs (actually, she has a long waterline on a rule-restricted overall length of 56 feet; her racing success was largely due to her having the sailing length of a larger vessel.) My interest in her design has always been focused on her hull form, in particular her proportions, sections, and profile. Valhalla will draw from this design as a reference point, always a good idea when starting a new project.
My overall vision for this cruising ketch is to include these criteria and features in the design:
A decent freeboard, to provide a comfortable and seaworthy boat with good interior volume
A clean sheer line to give the finished boat a distinct and classic look
A long waterline (35 feet or so) to allow for a decent average sailing speed
Commensurate with this, a short overhang at the bow, and hollow waterline forward. The aft overhang and transom will invoke Arabelle, relatively short with steep deadrise and a heart-shaped transom
Valhalla will be deeper than Arabella, which will necessitate a slightly bulbous keel profile, adding both lateral plane and sail carrying power
The cross sections will receive particular attention, working with a beam of about 12 feet; these will combine a powerful turn at the waterline with a deep center section, to achieve sail carrying power, seakindliness, and headroom through a low cabin sole
A full-length keel with rudder attached is planned, as this results in a more easily steered vessel over long distances. Such configurations also tend to track more steadily and are more comfortable at sea.
Overall balance and proportion of all hull design aspects will result in a vessel that is seaworthy, seakindly, easily driven, easily handled, comfortable and capable
A deck arrangement with low cabin trunk, possibly flush-decked for much of the boat if full headroom can be reasonably achieved.
Interior to be simple and functional, with attention paid to functionality in real-world cruising conditions.
Construction will be modern but robust, initially in wood epoxy, though adaptation to moulded fiberglass is possible if there is sufficient interest in the final design
Above the waterline Arabella is majestic, with short but finely drawn overhangs (particularly aft) accented by a perfect sheerline. She has raised bulwarks, painted white to offset her black topsides. She has a two-deckhouse-style cabin plus a large hatch forward, giving her a particularly salty look. My intention is to capture some of the image and spirit of Arabella in a cruising ketch design.
That said, it should be noted that much of what gives Arabella her charm also makes her a bit cramped for extended cruising. The bulwarks give a sense of security on deck but come at a high cost in useable interior space. Her divided cabins make it difficult to move from cabin to cabin (the whole point of this arrangement, in a different era). Arabella's fo'csle, her head with no headroom, and other quaint features, do not make the best use of her potential interior space. But I do believe her classic appearance can be tapped into in practical ways for a new cruising yacht design.
My second source of inspiration for my new design is the Starling Burgess schooner Nina, which at 56 feet has had a long and successful career as a racing and cruising yacht. Her design famously features unusually short overhangs (actually, she has a long waterline on a rule-restricted overall length of 56 feet; her racing success was largely due to her having the sailing length of a larger vessel.) My interest in her design has always been focused on her hull form, in particular her proportions, sections, and profile. Valhalla will draw from this design as a reference point, always a good idea when starting a new project.
My overall vision for this cruising ketch is to include these criteria and features in the design:
A decent freeboard, to provide a comfortable and seaworthy boat with good interior volume
A clean sheer line to give the finished boat a distinct and classic look
A long waterline (35 feet or so) to allow for a decent average sailing speed
Commensurate with this, a short overhang at the bow, and hollow waterline forward. The aft overhang and transom will invoke Arabelle, relatively short with steep deadrise and a heart-shaped transom
Valhalla will be deeper than Arabella, which will necessitate a slightly bulbous keel profile, adding both lateral plane and sail carrying power
The cross sections will receive particular attention, working with a beam of about 12 feet; these will combine a powerful turn at the waterline with a deep center section, to achieve sail carrying power, seakindliness, and headroom through a low cabin sole
A full-length keel with rudder attached is planned, as this results in a more easily steered vessel over long distances. Such configurations also tend to track more steadily and are more comfortable at sea.
Overall balance and proportion of all hull design aspects will result in a vessel that is seaworthy, seakindly, easily driven, easily handled, comfortable and capable
A deck arrangement with low cabin trunk, possibly flush-decked for much of the boat if full headroom can be reasonably achieved.
Interior to be simple and functional, with attention paid to functionality in real-world cruising conditions.
Construction will be modern but robust, initially in wood epoxy, though adaptation to moulded fiberglass is possible if there is sufficient interest in the final design
