Middleweight Cruisers?

[Wiley Baggins]

In the spirit of the "Prettiest Boat Under Thirty Feet" thread, I thought a thread on what I am calling “middleweight cruisers” would be interesting. I’ll set the parameters as follows –

Monohull
Minimum Length on Deck (LOD) – 24 feet
Maximum Length (LOD) – 30 feet
Spars are free (bowsprits, mizzen/main booms, boomkins)
Rig type is free – sloops, schooners, etc.

The length on deck (LOD) numbers are a bit arbitrary – I've allowed for boats a bit shorter than Warner’s Typhoon at 24’3” up to and beyond Peterson’s Susan at 28’6”. On the low end it leaves out boats like Bingham’s 20’ LOD Flicka and on the high end it leaves out a favorite of mine, Rasmussen’s nearly 33’ Stoertbeker III. The monohull restriction and the examples reflect a bias in favor of heavy displacement cruisers with passage-making capabilities akin to those of Giles’ Vertue. The accommodations in this range are (un)surprisingly similar.

What are some favorites (including those above) that fall within the parameters?

[rbgarr]

I've posted this before but still would like to see one in the flesh. I don't know whether one was ever built. (Does anyone know if Thomas Gillmer is still with us?)

http://i42.tinypic.com/qwyeef.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/2hqcuif.jpg

For coastal cruising a raised deck Crocker would be my choice (at least tonight :D)... or this:

http://i44.tinypic.com/1zvwcvt.jpg

[Paul Pless]

at least tonight :D> :D

[Rigadog]

If they are supposed to be middle weight, what is the displacement range?

[James McMullen]

If you're going to want maximum comfort inside a moderate sized boat, the raised deck makes much sense. Here's my Crocker Stone Horse at 28' LOA.
http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/42358/2125120870088484686S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2125120870088484686ERwGyL)

[Wiley Baggins]

If they are supposed to be middle weight, what is the displacement range?

Although I said "middleweight, I suppose I could have said mid-sized. I considered specifying displacement but that may not be readily available for every design people want to discuss. That’s particularly true if relying on photos or basic drawings rather than a full plan set. It also struck me as a bit harder to pin down. Stoertbeker III referenced above displaces approximately 13,000 pounds while Typhoon's larger sister Valiant weighs in at 15,775 pounds. There is less than two inches of difference between their load waterlines (LWL). Vertue is 11,000 pounds with an LWL two feet shorter.

[JimConlin]

If cost or retention of value are an issue, consider the Pearson Triton.

[Wiley Baggins]

If cost or retention of value are an issue, consider the Pearson Triton.

Those are not issues from my perspective for the purpose of this thread, but the Pearson Triton reminds me to make explicit that fiberglass designs are fair game - they can always be built in wood if the plans can be found. Similarly, I hope some of our resident designers and builders will chip in. Discussing the pros, cons, and trade-offs associated with their work is hardly self-promotion.

[Lewisboats]

Frances by Chuck Paine, Shearwater by Richard Black, Sassy by Carl Schumacher, Passage Maker 28 by MacNaughton, Annie by Chuck Paine, Falmouth Cutter by Lyle Hess, Bulldog by Ted Brewer and an also mention of Allegra by Fred Bingham (It falls short by an inch)

Steve

Ill look for pics later...gotta go to work.

[Wiley Baggins]

Frances by Chuck Paine...

Steve

Ill look for pics later...gotta go to work.

Since you're working I'll prime the pump -


Frances - http://frances26.org/index.html

Annie - http://www.chuckpaine.com/pdf/30ANNIE230.pdf

Passagemaker 28 - http://www.macnaughtongroup.com/passagem.htm

Bulldog - http://www.tedbrewer.com/sail_aluminum/bulldog.htm

Both the Falmouth Cutter and Allegra are a bit short, but...

Falmouth Cutter - http://www.msogphotosite.com/MSOG/pdfpage/falmouth22bro.pdf

Allegra - http://www.boatyardpirates.com/svRoo.html


I didn't find Schumacher's Sassy or Black's Shearwater.

[Barefootnavigator]

Hey guys, I just stumbled across this thread. I have been working with the gentleman who hired Fred Bingham to design the Allegra 24, he also built the first two hulls. We are putting together all the info we can on this. If anyone has any questions or answers I can always be reached through www.boatyardpirates.com (http://www.boatyardpirates.com) As far as small boats go she is impossibly perfect although I always seem to want 4 more feet. Ali

[rbgarr]

We need photos of your cedar bucket!

[Barefootnavigator]

Ha, sorry. It was stoled and we have gone modern and swiched to a plastic bucket. Dont tell the old guys, they will think we have gone soft. Ali

[rbgarr]

Ha, sorry. It was stoled and we have gone modern and swiched to a plastic bucket. Dont tell the old guys, they will think we have gone soft. Ali

Put a wood seat on it and wood-grain contact paper on the plastic. Those old guys are all blind anyway :D

[andrewe]

Francis 26' was always top of my list. But the with higher coach roof as sold by Victoria Yachts. If Paine designed it for himself, what more do you need to know?
A

Plastic is way easier to clean than cedar.Tried it..

[Woxbox]

Where are the H28 fans? More H28s have been built and cruised than any other boat in this category, and I'd say for good reason. Pretty and well balanced - not too much or too little of just about everything.

[Wiley Baggins]

Where are the H28 fans?

Why, you're right here. :)

[Wiley Baggins]

I've posted this [Gillmer ketch] before but still would like to see one in the flesh. I don't know whether one was ever built. (Does anyone know if Thomas Gillmer is still with us?)

rgbarr, I've seen nothing to make me think Gillmer gone. I couldn't find much in the way of specifics for the Gillmer you posted or Franzen's Full Moon. I did see that Franzen worked with and was inspired by Gillmer.

The closest I found to the Gillmer ketch was his fiberglass design - Privateer, as detailed below (courtesy of this site - http://www.privateer26.org/specs.html).

Detail Specifications

Length Overall: 31' 9"
Length of Deck: 26' 5"
Length on the Water: 20' 11"
Beam: 8' 0"
Draft: 3' 5"
Displacement: 6500 #
Ballast: Inside 3500#
Headroom: 6' 1 "

Total Sail Area

Ketch - 393 sq. ft.
Cutter - 410 sq. ft.

Something that's become apparent is that middleweight is more appropriate than I realized. A couple of designs that meet the LOD numbers are actually of fairly limited displacement. Atkin's Eric Jr. at less than 8000 pounds is a good example (there's one for sale here - http://uk.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?boat_id=2033648&checked_boats=2033648&ybw=&units=Meters&currency=EUR&access=Public&listing_id=61889&url=) and Privateer above isn't much heavier proportionally. Even Peterson's Susan, which is no ballerina at 13,000 pounds looks almost slight compared to Atkin's Fore An' Aft at 19,200 pounds.

Thanks all, for the examples.

[Lewisboats]

Both the Falmouth Cutter and Allegra are a bit short, but...

He did a 29 foot version of Falmouth Cutter and Allegra is only an inch short =D

[Wiley Baggins]

Bump!

rgbarr, do you have any specs for the Gillmer design?

Lewisboats, how about pictures and specs for Schumacher's Sassy or Black's Shearwater?

Thanks.