Poll on "Small-Boat Design" article

[John E Hardiman]

Just curious about what people expect from this type of article.

Just to clarify....I'm asking about the article "Small_Boat Design" by Harry Bryan that appeared in WoodenBoat #196, May/June 2007

[Gold Rock]

Interesting that you should bring this up. I found that article particularly interesting. Not specifically for it's content, which I did enjoy, but for it's type. I'm a fan of such a type. No topic of much breadth can be covered in a few page magazine article thoroughly, so the art is to give an accurate, comprehensive outline of a specific task. Not an easy thing to do, and I thought HB's article did it quite well. A novice at anything necessarily doesn't know enough to ask detailed questions, so such detail isn't required, but a start to finish demonstration of the high points and basic principle(s) is often a fertile seed to get someone going. I liked it very much. Good topic.

Chuck

[Spokaloo]

Loved it, very informative, and Id like to see various designs (human power and engine, and I suppose sail as well) float through. Possibly include a start to finish design from pen to design to how-to-build article.

E

[Rick Starr]

Hasn't come yet- you've piqued my interest. I'll respond when I've read it.

[Rob Stokes, N. Vancouver]

I really enjoyed that article. In fact, I bookmarked it during the "preview" of the magazine and set aside time to read it. The diagrams were well referenced, but there could have been more of them and it almost seemed like the article was "rushed" near the end (edited to shorten it?), perhaps to fit into a specified location in the magazine. Or not.

But overall, I really enjoyed it and would love to see more of that sort of thing.

Rob

[Don Z.]

Actually, I liked it. The parts I thought were left out were things like calculating displacement, how to determine design weight (to compare to displacement)... those type of calculations. Not critical, but twenty years ago, those were my questions, that I could not find answers for anywhere, and the internet was just a DARPA dream. Or was it CERN? I'm sure Al Gore knows...

In any case, THOSE are the type of articles that I first bought the mag for, and there has been a dearth of them lately. MORE!

[Brian Palmer]

I liked it, but I think I'll need to choose "none of the above." I've always been curious about how to draw the lines for even a simple boat and make them all fair (I've only tried it once) and this removed a lot of the mystery. I don't expect I'll be a designer, but it was a good read. I like looking at lines drawings, and this helped me appreciate the process.

-- Brian

[John E Hardiman]

Bump to get more input before the poll closes.

[Antonio Majer]

I too enjoyed that article, and I’m waiting for the second part, in particular how to practically get the table of offsets from a set of lines, this may be very useful. I have a request, maybe someone of the editorial staff will read me. In that article I enjoyed the first photo, showing a wonderful place of work (well, I’m not sure it is real, maybe they have moved the drafting table near the window to get a very engaging result before shooting the photo, I don’t know). Why not to document the place of work of the great designers of the golden era? The photo of a workroom tells about the worker and his passion more then everything else, I think.
---
Edited to explain my problem: I have tried to get the table of offsets from the lines of the International Dinghy 12', published in Classic Boat some years ago without the table of offsets. It was impossible to get them without an intermediate step, and still I’m not sure of what I did. I have measured the lines, then I have redrawn them in a larger scale, then I have measured them again. In fact, if one measure has an approximation by excess, and the subsequent by defect, you may get a significant error, in particular if the boat has to follow her rule of class, like the international dinghy 12' (well, obviously it’s my first try)

[Rick Starr]

Well it's here and I voted 'too little' but I should explain that I have read and very much enjoyed the WaterCraft series of articles on precisely the same subject which have appeared over the last year or more and are a much more detailed (but which admit to being nowhere near complete) primer on small (tiny) boat design.

I feel Bryan's article is quite thorough and concise given the constraint of size. He addressed many of the relevant aesthetic points and a few of the critical practical points. Anyone bent on designing their own small boat would be better off for having read the article.

But I feel the article was addressed to a somewhat narrow audience. Far worse was last issue's article on how to splice wire which I felt must have been a perfect description of how to do the job, if you already knew how to do it, anyone else being left bewildered by paragraph two.Much better for the purpose was the brilliant tutorial shown here on the forum subsequently, which consciously (and patiently) addressed the interested novice.

[John E Hardiman]

..Bump...

A week left in the poll.

[kengrome]

Others might respond if you scan and post the article, but you are probably not allowed, correct?

[Hwyl]

I loved the article, I taught myself how to do it, so my approach is different. I draw the waterline plan first.

Too many design books talk about stuff like "where the galley should be" and not enough about transferring "ticks".

Would have been good if he'd given a nod to software, but then it is Harry Bryan

[kengrome]

kengorme - if you can, subscribe to the magazine - I am not always pleased with everything in there but have always found at least one or two articles that were worth the price. What is the newstand availability like in the Philippines? I have been surprised at the places I've them in...Here's a little bit of an image of the Philippines to help you understand why I may never see the magazine while I'm living here ...

Boating is not a pleasure activity here, it is a requirement to put food on the table. There is virtually no interest in pleasure boating in the Philippines -- except by foreigners who live or visit here -- and that population is way too small for any retailer to justify buying the current issues of the magazine and putting them on their shelves.

Of course there are stores here that sell OLD issues of all kinds of magazines. These are the issues that did not sell when they were on the shelves in the USA. The distributors take them off the shelves when the next issue is released, then they apparently sell them in bulk for a few cents per copy to other companies that ship them overseas to third-world countries like this one. Eventually they end up in second-hand magazine and book stores in a few of the major cities.

It is virtually impossible to find what you might really want when you visit these sources however. It is very easy to spend hours (literally) looking through huge stacks of totally unorganized issues of virtually every kind of magazine you can imagine until you find something that interests you. Even then you would be very lucky to find a copy of the publication you actually desire -- and it would be a true miracle to find the specific ISSUE of that publication that you want.

Of course it is possible to subscribe to new magazines here just like most everywhere else in the world, but if I did this I would not receive them until a month or more after everyone else gets them -- assuming the postal service employees do not steal them or throw them away instead of delivering them to me. Even this questionable option comes at a huge premium in price due to the added cost of first class overseas postage.

I hope this explains a little better why I do not subscribe while I'm living here.

I'm glad everyone likes the article, but I don't expect to see it for months or years, if ever. That's okay, I don't really mind because I have learned to live without certain western conveniences in order to enjoy other things in life over here ... :)

[Hwyl]

Just curious about what people expect from this type of article.

Just to clarify....I'm asking about the article "Small_Boat Design" by Harry Bryan that appeared in WoodenBoat #196, May/June 2007

I eagerly looked for the follow up in the latest edition. No avail!

[mike hanyi]

quote
"Matter of fact I didn't pay any attention to any article in this issue... After I got mine few day ago... It went into the magazine rack... I am losing interest for WoodenBoat magazine... Really I am... Till they improve some..."

as this forum is supported by WB some things are best discussed elsewere.

If something positive or constructive on WB mag can be said A thread should be started stating what can be done different,
HEY WOODENBOAT-wake up and get an online questionare going.

in recient times the biggest loss in journalism was the death of John Leather (classic boat) he came along with fantasticly researched topics that were very indepth, the loss of Maritime life and traditions is also in my eyes a great loss. sometimes a location or a lifestyle is as interesting as a boat.
Why is WB so centered in Maine? there are happenings and stories all over the world. yards doing interesting things everywhere. seems 80% of all coverage is done of Maine builders,

Im just waiting to hear people now associate with sail and oar craft as "small reach" boats. Sail and Oar has its following and another publication is almost 100% small craft.France does not publish or advertise much in english language on their small craft but they are probably the masters of it.

[Antonio Majer]

Matter of fact I didn't pay any attention to any article in this issue... After I got mine few day ago... It went into the magazine rack... I am losing interest for WoodenBoat magazine... Really I am... Till they improve some...
Well, I must admit that I think the same from time to time. In some way my greatest pleasure is simply to receive my copy from the USA, because it’s a sort of sentimental tie with a world I love. From this point of view I could receive only the covers, with a polystyrene sheet inside, and be pleased (I’m joking). The fact is – in my opinion – that WB is still relying on the great American research work of the past century (about small traditional wooden boats), and it’s hard to find something really new, in my opinion. Sure the Americans could be more interested in foreign traditions, but – to be honest – why should the Americans save – say – the Italian maritime tradition, when the Italians don’t do it by themselves?

[mike hanyi]

boyleboats-
Well I agree that im playing in the forum as my thirst for interaction is not satisfied with just magazines

but on the topic what do I read?
WB- not a suscriber but do my best to pick up a copy when im in town-30 miles away and double the US price
Classic boat- suscriber, up to date coverage covering classic designed boats, wood,metal,glass.
watercraft-suscriber, coverage of small affordable boats, sail and oar, self builds,kits etc.

and a few other non english magazines.

best magazine? well there is no best, just different.

chasse mariee is a hell of a good publication,if you can follow the french.

mike