Whilly Boat & Elf - differences?

[seaplyer]

Hello all -

I've been lurking for a little while, and I'm quite taken with Oughtred's Whilly Boat (Little Tern now?) and the Elf. I'm considering one of these as my first project, but I'm open to other similar boats.

First, a little bit about me and my requirements. I have some woodworking experience, and some sailing experience. I'm not an expert in either. I want a sailboat that can be rowed, not the other way around. The boat must be suitable as a first project. To sustain my enthusiasm during the building process, the boat must be a beauty with traditional looks. Rigging simplicity would be desirable. 15' is the maximum length I can consider due to building-space constraints. I will usually have two small children with me, and occasionally another adult. I will use a trailer and/or a dolly for moving it around. I will be sailing in inland waters, and semi-protected coastal areas.

Is there any reason why either of these would not work given my needs?

What are the general differences between the two? My first impression is the larger sail area of the Whilly Boat means it will be a more spirited sailing platform. The lines of the Elf are a little more appealing, but it's hard to get an appreciation from only drawings and photos.

Any advice is appreciated - thanks in advance!
Chris

[Venchka]

And now, for something completely different...

Just for the sake of argument, add Iain's Tammie Norrie to your list. The transom stern will give you more boat for a given length. As designed, she's 13'-5" L.O.A. With help from Iain, you could stretch her a bit if you like. The boat can be built in a variety of methods. Since you live close to good boat lumber, a clinker Tammie Norrie would be a head turner.

http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/designers/oughtred/TammieNorrie7.jpg

Cheers!

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[Greg H]

And a transom stern will be a quicker and simpler build for a first project, with only one stem to fit the planking to. I'm still working on my Whilly boat, of course their have been many interuptions :D

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

You need to get ahold of some back issues of Water Craft. They featured stories on both of these that you are considering. If I recall the Elf is a rowboat that could be sailed and the Whilly a sailboat that can be rowed. I remember being surprised at how cool the drawing of the Elf was but at how small it actually was when photographed.

[htom]

My impression is that Oughtred's Elf is too small for your needs, and the Whilly boat might be as well.

[imported_Steven Bauer]

I'm coaching my 14 year old through buiding an ELF. He's so busy with other things that it is taking a while. I think it is a good first build, only 3 planks per side. Iain's plans are great. Search Buildig/repair for pics. Good luck,

Steven

[casem]

The Whilly Boat is a great boat. I too wanted a sailboat that could be rowed and I can row mine all day long at about 2.5-3 knots in calm weather.

But it is a small boat. I agree that if you built a 15' boat with a transom you'd have considerably more room. I go out by myself and there is plenty of room for one of course, and my wife can sit comfortably up forward when when comes along. You can get three adults on board comfortably as long as it isn't too long of a trip. I can't imagine having four adults for any length of time. But then again I built the decked version. The undecked version would give you more room and would be easier to build.

Here's a suggestion. Whatever boat you decide to consider, get some side walk chalk and sketch it out life size on your garage/basement/whatever floor. Then you can think about where you are going to sit and put stuff.

[casem]

The Willy boat was also my first boat. If you want to know how much I spent look up the thread "Whilly Boat cost".

http://media5.hypernet.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=005672&p=

[ 08-15-2004, 09:59 AM: Message edited by: casem ]

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Originally posted by casem:
Here's a suggestion. Whatever boat you decide to consider, get some side walk chalk and sketch it out life size on your garage/basement/whatever floor. Then you can think about where you are going to sit and put stuff.Nawww - rearrange the dining room chairs like I did (in my wife's abscence) to mimic the interior of the sailboat I was considering. When she returned I must have looked like the new puppy that left some do-do in the corner. And no, she didn't hit me with a rolled up newspaper. :D

[ 08-15-2004, 09:10 PM: Message edited by: Captain Pre-Capsize ]

[casem]

Reminds me of the time I laminated my stem on the dining room table. My wife didn't mind so much until she found out I had screwed the blocks in place.

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Originally posted by casem:
she found out I had screwed the blocks in place.:D :D :D

[seaplyer]

Great input. I'm like a kid in candy shop - so many beautiful designs - how to choose one?

Wayne - thanks for the photo, but all you've done is make my decision harder - the Tammie Norrie looks like it would suit me well. Wouldn't it be a more difficult build than the Whilly boat because of the more numerous planks? On the other hand it has a flat transom (good point Greg).

Captain Pre-Capsize - I went to the Water Craft website, unfortunately issue #29 with "building the Whilly Boat" is sold out. #41 has something on the Whilly Boat, so I've ordered that one.

casem - thanks for the link and pointers.

Chris

[Don Maurer]

I just launched a Tammie Norrie and I can tell you that the planking is the fastest part of the job. http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4285931557&idx=1
In the overall scheme of things, the extra planks won't add that much to your building time. I also have a suspicion that if you look at Iain's new Whilly design with 6 planks per side, you will like that one better than the 4 plank version.

[LUGNUT]

I have a Whilly boat with the balanced lug rig. She is an extremely seaworthy boat. Like a duck in rough water. She sails well and rows easily (except in strong winds where she gets blown around).
My only complaint is that she is small. Sitting on the floorboards gets a little tireing for this 57 year old body. I've thought of installing side benches, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
If I had to do it all over again, i'd probably go for a bigger boat with a transom. Paul Gartside's Skylark looks real nice and Iain Oughtred's new version of the Tammie Norrie (sp?) also would be a good choice.
Also, small children might get freaked out in the Whilly boat. She is a bit tippy although she does harden up quickly. My 11 year old daughter doesn't mind as long as her dad doesn't push the boat too hard.
I didn't make the boat myself, so I can't comment on how she is to build.