Atkin's Florence Oakland

[LisaS]

Have any of you ever seen in person one of the John Atkin's designed "Florence Oakland" as seen in this issue or better yet, sailed one?

Lisa

[Kevin G]

Lisa:

The very boat you are asking about has just been posted on Welcom to my Wooden Boat. It is the replacement for the first one that was dedstroyed in a fire. There is an e-mail address, so I think you question is almost answered.

Kevin

[LisaS]

Kevin -

Thank you! I've shot off an inquiry to that email address.

Lisa

[TonyH]

Lisa

Don't forget to tell us what you find out!

[LisaS]

At Kevin's suggestion, I began corresponding with the current owner of the Florence Oakland. For anyone that is interested in learning more about her, here is his reply with his permission:

"Her construction is marine plywood over oak frames and an oak keel. She
was built of marine plywood rather than planking so she could be hauled
out, seasonally. The original owner's intention was to keep her up North
in summers and South in winters. She has a 1300 lb lead ballast in her
keel and another 1200 lbs of stainless steel pigs in the bilge (the latter
can be removed and/or shifted depending upon how she is loaded. Her total
weight is 5800 lbs which means that she can easily be trailed with a 3/4
ton pickup (I have hauled her short distances with a 1/2 ton). I had a
custom cradle made for her by Yowi for about $1300 and when the need
arises I just drop it on a flat-bed and away we go.

She carries about 300 ft of sail; there were plans to add a golly wobbler
but neither this nor a topsail are particular practical given the short
tacks on inland lakes. She handles gusts very well due to her heavy keel
but because of her relatively flat bottom below the waterline, she also
handles well in light winds. In fact, I sail her on a river where she is
easily able to sail against the current even in light breezes. She was
designed to be able to be handled by a single person (all her sheets run
to the cockpit stern). The original (which was destroyed in a fire) had a
tiller but this was replaced by a wheel to provide more room in the
cockpit.

I carry a 9.9 hp short shaft auxiliary for backup and navigation (I
sometimes have to go through locks) and this is more than sufficient to
power her even in strong currents.

She has two berths in the cabin, a small sink and closet, and head.

I learned to sail in this boat and she is a great family boat; stable,
handles easily, responsive and eye-catching. I could strongly recommend
her to anyone interested in a solid day sailor with classic lines. Sean McLinden"

I've sent off a request to Pat Atkin about purchasing a set of plans....

Lisa