What kind of boat is this?

[boitz]

I'm interested in finding out more about this boat; I don't know if it is wooden, or plastic with a wooden deck. If it is plastic, is it based on a classic wooden design?

http://www.medicalgraphics.net/images/help-me.jpg

Would this be too much boat for someone new to sailing? And, can anyone recommend a builder for this design? I've seen a lot of boats similar in size, but when I saw this one (in a movie) I was 'boatsruck' by the scale, lines and proportions.

Thanks,

[Ariel]

Looks like a fiberglass Alerion. Yes, it is a good boat for a beginner--a design by Hereshoft (sp???)

[gert]

it's a "Beautiful Boat"

[Nicholas Carey]

Yeah, knockabouts like that are great for teaching sailing Blanchard Junior Knockabouts a lot at the Center for Wooden Boats to teach sailling.

They've got a steel plate/lead bulb keel and a skeg rudder, but past that, about the same.

Good performance, well behaved, generally speaking hard to really get in trouble. Easy to single hand and good for you and up to 3-4 passengers.

[Ian McColgin]

Isn't it the Stuart Knockabout - near cuz of the aeleron.

[Nicholas Carey]

It's not quite the same boat, but TOFINOU (http://www.rodgersyachtsales.com/tof.html) is pretty sweet.

http://www.rodgersyachtsales.com/images/tofiniou_m2.gif

23 ft 2 ins. LOA. 9hp Yanmar inboard.

The manufacturer advertises in the british magazine Classic Boat quite often.

TOFINOU is supposedly a fiberglass knockoff of a French daysailer from the 1930s. It's a sweet looking boat.

[boitz]

Thanks for the feedback, all. Its sounds like this is not a wooden boat. I've searched around for the various designs mentioned; but nothing quite matches this one. Do you think this might be a customized, glass boat, and that's why there's all that nice wood up top?

If this boat is, in fact, plastic-- and because it appears to have a centerboard-- am I right to think that a Haven 12 1/2 is about as close to this as I'll get in wood?

Thanks again for the advice.

[Doug Wood]

Cute boat, and not sure what it is but it's not an Alerion. For first time sailing, (and well beyond actually) you could hardly go wrong with an H12 1/2 or Haven. Both have near identical sailing characteristics but as you mentioned, the Haven has a CB. These boats are very stable, comfortable, forgiving and a ton of fun to sail. Oh, and they don't look too bad either. There are a number of pro builders that would be happy to build you a Haven and there are usually some to be found on the used market as well. Here's a nice site that documents boats built by "the rest of us" - http://www.havenbuilders.com/netscape5.html. Good luck in your search.

[Garrett Lowell]

That's the boat from the opening scenes of the movie "What Lies Beneath". Maybe the movie credits has the information.

[Doug Wood]

boitz - ran across this today and thought it might be of interest...

http://www.journalistic.com/timberpoint/

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by boitz:
If this boat is, in fact, plastic-- and because it appears to have a centerboard-- am I right to think that a Haven 12 1/2 is about as close to this as I'll get in wood?I'd classify the above boat as a knockabout, by which I mean a smallish, open daysailor with external ballast. And the 12-1/2 would certainly meet that defintion, but...

the 12-1/2 is, in my experience, a much more burdensome boat than a knockabouts. 12-1/2s feel much more...sturdy. Knockabouts seem a bit livelier (which isn't to say that a 12-1/2 isn't lively. There great! They're just solid and stiff.)

But no...if you're interested in building, there are lots of knockabout plans out there. Here some offered by Our Sponsor (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/). Here's a few:

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/images/400006.JPG (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/prodinfo.asp?number=400-006&aitem=2&mitem=23) John Alden's O-Boat.

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/images/400061.JPG (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/prodinfo.asp?number=400-061&aitem=9&mitem=23) George Hodgdon's 21 Class Sloop.

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/images/400128.JPG (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/prodinfo.asp?number=400-128&aitem=22&mitem=23) Joel White's 23' centerboard sloop, especially if built with the transom stern instead of the canoe stern.

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/images/400101.JPG (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/prodinfo.asp?number=400-101&variation=&aitem=15&mitem=23) Joel White's Fox Island class sloop.

You could also probably count these as well, but they're gaffers instead of marconi sloops:

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/images/400018.JPG (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/prodinfo.asp?number=400-018&variation=&aitem=5&mitem=23) BB Crowninshield's Dark Harbor 12-1/2

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/images/400017.JPG (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/images/400017.JPG) BB Crowninsheild's Camden Class

There's lots of plans out there (and lots of designers).

[boitz]

Doug, thank you. Truly beautiful. I am reminded of a few lines in the conclusion of Thoreau's Walden:
Having considered that in an imperfect work time is an ingredient, but into a perfect work time does not enter, he said to himself, 'It shall be perfect in all respects, though I should do nothing else in my life'.I look at this boat and can't help but think its creator had similar inclinations.

Unfortunately, for me, I have a budget: both time and money.

[boitz]

Nicholas, wow -- these are great; no doubt it will take me a while to look at all these in more detail. Thanks!

[Scott Sawtelle]

According to past posts from years ago, the boat in the movie is a Tofinou.

[boitz]

Scott,
I also looked at the TOFINU, after hearing from Nicholas; and although they look like they could be siblings, the lines seem different. See what you think:

http://www.medicalgraphics.net/images/tofinou.jpg

[Stephen Hutchins]

Boat is definatly TOFINU -saw it this past weekend at the Newport Boat Show. very pretty, about 23 feet long and finished to a pretty high standard. Probably the nicest looking small boat at the show. Brion Rieff could build you a boat like this out of wood and epoxy. He works in Brooklin, ME.

[boitz]

Am I mistaken, or does the transom/stern on the Tofinou look proportionally smaller (roughly half the beam?) than the boat on the right?

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about boat design. That's why I'm asking the experts; one thing I do know, is the $52,000 price tag of a Tofinou might as well be 52 million-- its just a bit out of my league. smile.gif

[Eric Sea Frog]

http://www.tofinou.com/gamme/fotos-boats/tofinou-ecran1.jpg

Boitz: sumptin to do with the camera focus, I guess.

Tofinou (http://hebergement.ac-poitiers.fr/e-boisenre/site_eleves/tofinou.htm)

Tofinou means, in African language, Seamen.
The mold took 600 hrs' fairing work.
L'Ile de Ré. I used to go there, before they built that &%#¤§ bridge. Remembrance of youth past! I can tell exactly where that place is.. the tidle stream is so strong you don't even have to swim...Le Bois de Trousse-Chemise, the title of an old song.

[ 09-15-2003, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Eric Sea Frog ]

[boitz]

I'm convinced. My apologies for being so thick-headed. smile.gif

[TimH]

nicholas,
You missed the most important one in your Crowninshield series pictures :confused:

[Nicholas Carey]

Sorry...I wasn't focussing on crowninshield. I was just harvesting knockabout-like boats in a hurry from Our Sponsor.

What Crowninshield boat did I omit?

[TimH]

The Dark Harbor 17 :D