Anyone built one of these?

[river_drifter]

http://dragonflycanoe.com/stephens/progress9.html

She's called GRACIE, and is 12' x 34". I'm concidering building one of these in a strip/epoxy method (given the table of offsets) for a lightweight "pond" boat that I can throw in that bed of my truck, to use at lunch while at work. Something to get me out and exercising and relieve a little stress...Any thoughts?

[Donn]

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[Gavin Atkin]

12ft by 34inches, 85sqft of sail sailed by 4-5 men hanging out by means of ropes...

Can it all be true? I wonder if some of this stuff hasn't been accidentally transposed from another description of a much boat larger boat...

I've paddled boats that looked a lot like Gracie. I'm prepared to believe that someone more able than me might sail one with, say half the sail area in an F3, and that someone a lot more able than me might manage an F4, but four or five men... It would be like sailing a half-submerged sausage, surely?

Has anyone got a picture?

Gavin

[mbogo]

That's what I was thinking Gavin. 5 men sailing in a boat that size would be quite difficult. Possible, but difficult.

[Dan Miller]

re: the five men... I think you've misread the text. Not that I am an expert on racing (I'm not), but I interpret that bit to mean that Gracie, sailed singlehanded, gets a handicap of 9 minutes over 5 miles from bigger boats sailed by more men...

Cheers,
Dan
Dragonfly Canoe Works

[Bruce Hooke]

OK, I'm getting really confused here. Where on the page in question is there a reference to a crew of 4 or 5? The only references I can find to Gracie's crew refer to "sailing singlehanded" and "the crew of one"...

[JimD]

If I wanted something lightweight to throw in the back of the pick up I'd probably build in in 4 mil plywood, either lapstrake or multichine. A 12 footer might only weigh about 50 pounds.

[Gavin Atkin]

No need for confusion - some of us misread the text, myself among them.

In the meantime, I still think if must have taken a hugely skilled sailor to pilot this this boat in anything but the lightest of winds.

Btw, what's a weather-grip? It's presumably that shallow keel-like thing below the boat. Is anyone else reminded of a chine runner?

Gavin

[river_drifter]

I wasn't really looking at sailing it, more like rowing it. I'd like to build a small lightweight rowing boat...Ultimately an Adirondack Guideboat, but I can't really afford one at this time, so I was looking for small craft that would fit the bill, and happened across GRACIE. I have enjoyed reading through the inputs. Great responses guys! Thanks for the input so far!