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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Dinghy pictures requested by Steve Madsen

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Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/29/2002 : 01:02:44

Here are a few picures of the plywood dinghy as requested by Steve Madsen (so blame him!).

(OK, so the preview feature is screwing up again. I hope this all works as planned.)

Now folks, this thing was never intended to be an asthetic masterpiece. This is a hardcore example of form following function. The functions being followed were more or less these:

- can fit on the foredeck of a C-25
(it does block the anchor locker, but I just couldn't figure out how to squeeze the funtionality I need into a 7' hull).

- launch and land on 'most any beach.

- rows OK.

- tows OK (really well, actually).

- could handle a tiny gas motor if I could afford one.

- electric trolling motor capable (battery compartment).

- floats if swamped (T.B.D., floatation compartments not yet finished).

- can be moved about on land & launched by one person.

- can take a licking and keep on ticking.

- can sail, up wind and/or in shallow water
(this seemed ambitious, but is a surprise winner so far).

- cheap to build (well OK, so I missed that target completely).

- appearance? well lets not get greedy.

The basic hull shape and bulkhead locations are straight off the Mertens Goossens D4 plans. From there on out I've been winging it.

The middle seat has to be so tall to contain a group 27 battery box for the trolling motor option. I'm kinda tall too, so that's why the oarlocks are way up in the air. The 6' oars and oarlocks look cartoon like, but it rows just fine. The oarlock supports are attached with wingnuts, and can be folded down or removed.

Yes, those really are lawnmower wheels under the transom. With the oar grips sticking out the front, the oar blades resting on the middle seat, and the oar collars tied down to the bow eye, it rolls around like a wheelborrow or rickshaw, depending on which direction it's going. The wheels are mostly faired into two fat skegs, and stick put the back just enough that the whole thing will balance on its transom, bow pointing straight up, on a level surface.

Leeboards?! Daggerboards are unforgiving in shallow water. I like centerboards, but both those options take up valuable interior space, and present the water fountain problem under tow. Leeboards are also failsafe redundant. Simplicity of fabrication and weight savings didn't turn out to be among their advantages.

A pram bow?! Under normal circumstances, that big flat bow plate stays entirely out of the water. The added forward bouyancy, seat, and interior volume are well worth the asthetic trade off to me.

Balanced lug rig?! Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. The performance surprised me. It's even simpler and easier than a Sunfish to rig. The spars fit inside the hull (after I make the mast 2-piece). By the way that's a thinwall carbonfiber mast, eat your hearts out, techno-snobs!

The whole thing is way overbuilt, and unbelievably sturdy.

I'll try to remember to post some more pictures after I get around to painting it. I guessed that at least some of you would be more interested in the underlying structural details rather than my choice of paint schemes, and I think it's easier to see how it's put together this way.

And so without further rambling, here (I hope) are links to the pics:

[url="http://www.trailersailor.com/uploads/d4_cutout.jpg"]After cutting, before stitching[/url]

[url="http://www.trailersailor.com/uploads/1_d4_glued.jpg"]After stitching and initial gluing[/url]

[url="http://www.trailersailor.com/uploads/d4_28.jpg"]Ready to row[/url]

[url="http://www.trailersailor.com/uploads/d4_29.jpg"]Oarlock detail[/url]

[url="http://www.trailersailor.com/uploads/d4_30.jpg"]Rudder detail[/url]

[url="http://www.trailersailor.com/uploads/d4_31.jpg"]Leeboard attachment (leeboard removed for clarity)[/url]

[url="http://www.trailersailor.com/uploads/d4_35.jpg"]Sailing rig test fit (remember, this is only a test...)[/url]

<img src="http://www.trailersailor.com/uploads/d4_35.jpg" border=0>

Additional info available upon request.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1772 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2002 : 02:04:45

Leon,

WOW! What a treat it was to look through those photos and read your description ... thanks for taking the time to post it!

Buzz Maring, C-25 SK/SR #68, "Freya"

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Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2002 : 03:46:39

Way cool, Leon. I am constantly amazed. I especially like the "wheelbarrow" transportation design idea. I think I'll try to see if I can steal something here. I came upon a Boston Whaler Squall that I use for a sailing dink. I like it, but it's just too dang heavy to move on land! Yours really does look quite functional! Gary B. on Encore!

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acierno
1st Mate

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USA
62 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2002 : 08:09:26

Super cool. ok, what are the cost specs, and how long did it take?

ron
'mia alessandra'
250wk, hull 463

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2002 : 09:19:27

A plethoria of character (I love using that word.) Talk about salty! What's the maximum hull speed <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> ?
Thanks for sharing Leon!

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2002 : 23:31:59

Thank you for the compliments. I'm having a lot of fun building it.
As for Ron's question ...<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>what are the cost specs, and how long did it take?<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>... I can't answer that as precisely as you'd probably like. I assume the underlying question is, "What would it cost, and how long would it take you to build one", and there in lies the rub.

Cost can vary a lot depending on features included, material scrapped, build quality goals, and individual ability to packrat and scrounge. I'm a rather scroungy packrat myself, who's experienced enough not to trash too many practice pieces. Then there's the grey area of tool costs and work area required. If you're serious about considering such a project, I'd suggest starting by using a spreadsheet to estimate at least material costs. (But I didn't do that. Sorry!)

How long it takes to build depends on several big variables:

- again, features included.

- degree of finish, and you'd better decide this early on and stick to it consistantly throughout.

- experience and skills of the builder.

- help available. A cooperative assistant would be very helpful for several of the construction steps, and for lifting and turning the hull. The assistance of a skilled craftsman would of course speed things up considerably!

- tools available -- big factor. Tim The Toolman says, "Get a Benford 2000 industrial disk sander or just stay on the couch!"<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

- experience with the tools you're using. If your new 7" sander gets ahold of you with a #16 disk, the time spent waiting for your skin grafts to heal can really slow things down!<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle> (No that didn't happen to me, but the possibility was never far from my mind.)

- work space available. Time spent putting things away when you're done for the day, and then dragging them out the next time you think you have a bit of time available to work on the project is time not spent getting closer to being done. The larger the dedicated work area, the more of a slob you can be without it impacting productivity. "No dear, the garage doesn't need to be neater, it needs to be bigger."<img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

Sorry I can't give you a real dollars and hours estimate.

-- Leon Sisson

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