Classes of Sailboats?

[Rancocas]

Frustrating search!
I've been trying to look at all the various small sailboat classes (under 20') in order to determine what I like and don't like as far as design aesthetics.
I have an old sailing book that lists dozens of racing and cruising sailboat classes. However, it provides very few photographs or boat specifics. Computer searches have lead me to many one design websites, however many of them do not show a picture of the boat, or give specifics!
Does anyone know of a book or website that lists the different classes, shows at least one photo of the boat, and gives specifics such as length, beam, draft, etc?

[garland reese]

http://www.boat-links.com/boatlink.html#top
This is the table of contents pages for John's Nautical links. Look down to the Sailboat racing and classes section............It has many different class assoc. links

Garland

[Art Read]

New or old? Both? For older designs, try to find a copy of Diana Eames Esterly's "Early One-Design Sailboats". Lot's of pictures, plans and histories. Out of print now, but there's some copies still out there at the used book websites. Anybody remember the one recomended here frequently? That's where I found mine.

[ 08-12-2002, 10:08 AM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[A. Mason]

If you are planning to race, then it would be best to check around for the one-design classes in your area. Each association has some very strict rules about the boats in their class.

If you're just looking for a small sailboat to knockabout in, then your choices are wide open. Some of the one-design classes didn't start out that way. Others were specifically designed with class racing in mind.

Years ago my father designed two very different boats, one he thought would make a nice one-design class and the other was a just for fun sailer. Ironically, the design he thought would become a one-design never happened, while the other one took on a life of its own, particularly in the San Francisco Bay area.

Over time, many of the original designs that became one-designs have been altered by the association which adopted the design. Some of these associations require that you rent the "master plans" from the association. They consider the design to be "theirs" and only available to their members.

One design classes, like many other things, sometimes go in and out of favor. Many have been around for decades while others have faded from the scene.

Whether you're planning to race or not, it's still a good idea to see what is sailing in your area. Not all designs are equally suitable for all areas.

Hope this helps,
Anita

[Rancocas]

Thank you, one and all.
I have no interest in racing. I simply have a curiousity in the various one-designs.
There is a Snipe class club near here, however that is the only one-design club that I know of in this area.
Personally, I prefer something with a larger cockpit than what the Snipe has. My preferences lean toward decked designs, and wineglass transoms. Basically I'm looking for something with the above listed features, 14' to 18', shoal draft, and that can accomodate 3 or 4 adults on a day sail, and has enough room in the cockpit for 2 adults to stretch out under a boom tent for a night of camping.
Something along the lines of a 16' melonseed, or the 18' "O"boat is what I want, but I would like to know as many options as possible.

[Garrett Lowell]

If you are planning to build, check out the Wooden Boat store, online. They have many designs which may fit your needs.

[Alan D. Hyde]

A Lightning is kind of like a large Snipe.

A Thistle or Highlander would be fast and give you plenty of cockpit space, but might be a handfull for you in a heavy breeze.

Perhaps one of the various catboats???

Alan

[garland reese]

Graham Byrnes of www.bandbyachtdesigns.com (http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com) has a great little cat-ketch rigged boat called the Core Sound 17'. With the exception of a really shapely wineglass transom, it meets all your requirements. You could make her as fancy or simple as you wish and with a dodger and a boom tent, you'd have a very versitile sailin'boat. She has a big sister that is 20'. Check 'em out......

There are some good examples of the Marc Barto Melonseeds on the Melonheads web site. There is a really nice example of the 16' 'seed in the gallery. You'll need to register in the yahoo clubs thingy.........then you can check out the gallery and stuff. You can get to the website through a link from Crawford boats (builder of the non-wood melonseed skiff......lovely little thing she is.....) Can't recall the site address but a search for melonseed skiff should turn it up.

John Holtop also has a very simple 16 foot sloop, sort of like an overgrown laser with a large cockpit. www.johnsboatstuff.com (http://www.johnsboatstuff.com) Ginger 16
She looks to have a modern dinghy tyope hull shape............

lots to choose from out there.........
Garland

[Rancocas]

Garrett; I have all 3 of the Woodenboat design book series. Out of the 3 books there are only 3 designs that really catch and hold my interest, and that I think are within my financial means, and building ability. These are the Melonseed, the Marsh Cat, and the O-boat. Of course, there are plenty of others that I like, but these 3 are the ones that I dream of.
Alan; The Lightning is a bit large, and too flat bottomed for my taste. I think the Thistle is an open boat, whereas I prefer something with a deck. I'm not familiar with the Highlander. I'll look it up. Gaining knowledge of different small boat designs is the whole purpose of this thread.
Garland; There are some nice designs on both of those sites. I'm not real keen on the cat-ketch rig. It just doesn't look right to my eyes. That Ginger 16 model I do like. But, ahhh, the Melonseed. Maybe it's because I grew up near Barnegate Bay, NJ., home of the Melonseeds, but for whatever reason I just love them!
I'm currently working on a woodstrip canoe, but once that is finished I'm leaning heavily on building a Melonseed.

[Garrett Lowell]

The Melonseed is certainly easy on the eyes. Out of curiousity, have you looked at the Penobscott 17?

http://www.by-the-sea.com/archdavisdesign/davis_penobscot17.html

[Stephen]

I have an old Scorpion I could sell you if you're interested:

http://freespace.virgin.net/david.walker4/scorpion.htm

mohan@shaw.ca

[David Tabor (sailordave)]

try http://www.sailingsource.com

click on CLASSES and just about every class that has a web site is there. I've found that most of them DO have pics/dimensions available. You might not care for the Lightning, but it does meet your criteria for capacity and being 700 lbs it isn't as "tippy" as my Hampton was. And if you're looking for a keelboat, that's a whole 'nother arena... Keep looking, narrow it down to some choices that you can wrangle a ride in locally and try em out!