Brooks Boats Designs notebook

NEW lead keel layout for the Somes Sound 12 1/2

2012-01-02T14:35:00.001-05:00

If you want to (or must) build your own mold then cast your own keel or have a foundry do it for you, the long-awaited lead keel layout and details plans page is now available for order—with a set of Somes Sound 12 1/2 plans, or all on its lonesome by mail or download. Details on our website....

More about Rugosa, a little Rozinante

2011-12-12T05:17:00.003-05:00

Rugosa has attracted a lot of attention. She is small enough that she can be built in a reasonable amount of time. Her type, the canoe yawl (she is technically a ketch—and I have called her a canoe ketch—but the type are called canoe yawls . . . I stand corrected), is well suited to the look of a lapped hull, and glued-lapstrake construction will make a modern one piece, low maintenance boat, plus the laps make her a drier boat.

Rugosa layout and lines sketch

She is shoal draft so she can get into all sorts of interesting and fun places. She can also be moved and stored on a trailer. At the same time, Rugosa is big enough that she can sail out into stretches of open ocean between harbors, coves and bays.

She is inspired by one of the great practitioners of the art of yacht design, L. Francis Herreshoff. His Rozinante is a wonderful sailer and Rugosa, with a more modern hull and keel shape, will also sail great and be maneuverable.

She has a little cuddy for keeping clothes and food dry and we want to make room for portapotti.

When I first drew Rugosa a number of years ago it was with a sloop rig: efficient, good looking and easy to handle. In fact the first version had a sliding gunter main so the mast is shorter and easier to set up, plus the weight of the yard at the top of the sail brings the main down quickly when the halliard is let go.

That said, the ketch rig is cuter than a bug’s ear! But it is also practical . . . really!

One day you are out for a nice sail, lovely day, warm, perfect breeze, but then a squall blows through with pounding rain and heavy gusts turning the surface of water white. You easily and quickly drop the main to sail nicely balanced under jib and mizzen until the little storm blows through, then raise your main again and sail along happily again in the sunshine behind the dark clouds.

If it is a blustery day, put up just the main and sail Rugosa like a big dinghy, tiller in one hand, sheet in the other and she is perfectly balanced. If it is a gusty day, you can put on all sail, then ease the main till it luffs in gusts, sheeting it back in again in the lulls.

The mizzen can also be used for holding the bow into the wind or pushing the stern where you want it, such as dropping off a mooring in a crowded anchorage. Back the mizzen, the stern is pushed around, drop the mooring, sheet in the jib, and off you go. No worries about drifting onto the boat behind you, tiller useless in your hand.

What about those light days when you wish you had a couple more sails to put up? You can put up a genoa or an asymmetrical, like any other boat, but only on a ketch or a yawl can you put up the saltiest of sails, the mizzen staysail!

Fall is . . .

2011-11-02T05:47:00.002-04:00

. . . the time that people think about boats for next year. When they talk to friends, conversations start something like this:

“I’ve been thinking about a boat . . .”

or

“Wouldn’t it be really cool to . . . “

Then our phone starts to ring and the inbox fills up.

Some of the conversations we have been having lately are centered around a bigger version of our Somes Sound 12 1/2, that is taking Joel White’s Flat Fish (which is the shoal draft version of the Herreshoff Fish Class) and designing it for glued lapstrake construction and with many of the modifications we made to the Haven to create the Somes Sound.

LOA      20'-5"
LWL     16'-1"
Beam      7'-6"
Draft       2'-2"
Displ.     ~ 3,000 lbs.

SAIL AREA
Marconi    254 sq. ft.

At the same time there have been discussions about the lovely L. Francis Herreshoff canoe ketch Rozinante, but it would be expensive to build and can’t go in shallow places. I pulled out an old file (see the discussion on the web site) and updated the drawings for a 20’ version with a sloop and ketch rig.

LOA                 20’ (6.1 m)
LWL                18’-3” (5.56 m)
Beam             6’ (1.83 m)
Draft                  2’ (.61 m)
Displacement    2,500 lbs. (1,134 kg)

SAIL AREA
Sloop              198 sq.ft. (18.39 sq.m)
Ketch              192 sq.ft (17.84 sq.m)

Here are two boats that are nearly the same length, weigh about half of what a Rozinante weighs (and be about half as expensive to build) that would float in water not that far up over your knees.

The Lapped Fish is wider and so is about 500 lbs. (250 kilos) heavier–and roomier.

The Rugosa has a longer waterline so would have a higher hull speed.

The Lapped Fish has her rudder hung on the stern, which is simpler to build than the rudder on Rugosa.

The Rugosa has a more modern under body so when will have less wetted surface and be more maneuverable. The ketch rig on Rugosa is cute as a bug’s ear and also puts the mast further forward so the cabin is bigger and there will be room for a portapotty and some bunks. On the Lapped Fish we would have to make the cabin longer and shorten the cockpit to fit the portapotty in it.

Both boats would be lovely, fun and easily built in glued lapstrake construction. For more on Rugosa, including downloadable sailplans for both rigs, please visit our website. A similar page for the Lapped Fish will be up soon.

Comments, suggestions, questions? We’d love to hear your ideas!

New Peregrine

2011-05-19T14:53:00.000-04:00

Please visit our website for more photos.

Joe Thompson, Salt Pond Rowing, recently completed this Peregrine, set up with a Piantedosi Row Wing. The boat is currently for sale, for more information please contact Joe directly.

Silver Penny, a "little Sjogin"

2011-05-01T08:13:00.003-04:00

There have been a couple of threads on the WoodenBoat Forum about a 22' double-ended Swedish-styled sail boat called Sjogin and the efforts to develop a set of plans for her, just completed by Paul Gartside. Because the boat is lapstraked, I was asked to come up with an idea for a 19' trailerable version for glued lapstrake construction. I sent sketches to a couple of the forumites and you can see the posting here.

You can also see the start of the thread for the plans here that include links to other threads about Sjogin.

These days I am thinking of moving the cabin aft a little, narrowing up the forward end and widen the aft end so that the top of the cabin will be higher aft than forward. There still isn't room for a sliding hatch but there is room for a lifting hatch. The idea is a person can be sitting in the cabin with their head sticking out the hatch, with drop boards in place, and have a modicum of privacy without feeling like a Jack-in-a-Box with the lid closed. My original thought was that the cabin was part of the charm of Sjogin but that it was mainly a place to throw extra clothes and lunch to keep them dry. However, an enclosed place to sit on a potty would be awfully nice.

One thing that I did, after looking at many pictures of Sjogin, is draw the design without a picture in front of me. I wanted to draw a version from my impressions of Sjogin, not copy her. There are many subtleties to this boat, some of which I think I captured, but there are some that I missed. For example, the cabin sides are actually curved, instead of straight as I drew. I think I'll work that into a new sketch, when I can get to it.

These sketches are the first step in the design process that we talked about in the first edition of LapLines. After making a few more sketches, the next step would be to start drawing a sail plan and lines drawing, then work out the final shape in a half model. But this design points up another step I would like to take. For several years I have been thinking of methods for making a model of a new design that included the major elements of the boat—rails, cabin, coamings, etc—so you could see better what the final boat will look like, but not have to spend 1,000 hours building it. This little version of Sjogin would benefit tremendously from making such a model.

Many thanks to Russ Manheimer for so enthusiastically posting the drawings for our Silver Penny. And thanks for Rod Brink for his comments and tweaks to the sketches. We're still working on that cabin and getting closer.

About the design's name, Silver Penny: Centuries before the English and French ventured to explore this side of the Atlantic, a small silver Norse coin arrived here on our lovely little part of the Maine coast. Six or seven or nine hundred years later, it was dug up by amateur archaeologist Guy Mellgren, later identified by British coin dealer Peter Seaby . . . and met with astonishment of all and no small degree of skepticism by many. A Norse coin in Maine? Were Norse explorers really here, did they give the coin to one of the people they met? Perhaps. But it is far more likely that the coin was passed from one person to another along what is now the coast of the Maritimes and New England. And that little coin doubtless made a good part of its journey by boat, since native people here were accomplished mariners, used to traveling all along the coast. So, in honor of this link to our maritime heritage and that of the original Sjogin: her name, Silver Penny.

Maine State Museum photos

A tiny bottle of champagne, please

2011-04-15T17:48:00.001-04:00

For a small launching: the first article—"Idea to boat: Design sketches out of the closet"—for our online newsletter:

We'll be talking about the rest of our design process in future installments, then we'll see what subjects climb to the top of the list. Suggestions are welcome, just zap us an email and we'll add your ideas to the list. Thanks!

Boat Ideas of the Year

2011-03-06T09:02:00.000-05:00

NFB concept, version 5.0

Despite the lingering effects of the Great Recession (or maybe because of them) people are thinking about, and dreaming about, boats. Why not? To think about going where the water sparkles, the birds soar, the wind sings, and your biggest concern is the weather and, man, am I hungry (sailing does that to me, at least.) We have heard from many people with ideas about boats, boats that if things were a little better, they would build or buy to go out on.  

At this time of year Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbors magazine comes out with their most interesting copy, the Boats of the Year issue, that reviews all the boats built in Maine and surrounding states and provinces during the past year. In that vein, let’s take a look back at the ideas people are having about boats, what they are thinking and dreaming about building and sailing.  

All of these design requests were solid enough to warrant sitting down and working out a concept sketch for the boat. They came from editors and publishers who have a better grasp of the big picture than we do, from groups of people expressing the same idea, or from people that would have bought the boat or the plan if we had it. Over the coming weeks we will post design sketches and discussions of these boats.  

Dragon Flyer. A 10' kit boat for kids that could be assembled in two and a half days for family boatbuilding events. Drawn when WoodenBoat put out a call for designs for the Family Boatbuilding event at the WoodenBoat show. Carl Cramer, publisher of WoodenBoat and Professional Boatbuilder magazines, said of our description, “Sounds perfect.”  

Fox. Another 10' kit boat for kids, with a shape based on the Javelin model (see below). Both of these 10' designs are small enough that they can be easily car topped—even on little hybrid cars—carted down to a beach and launched. Both boats have a flexible rig that will fit those who are learning to sail as well as those who want to have fun sailing fast.

Sailing canoes. Small and light, these are like building a big model, and they are boats that will also go. Our daughter suggested a boat that kids could tow on a light trailer behind a bike, and a sailing canoe is one of the possibilities that would work. Over the year we had requests from a number of people for this kind of boat.  

High school boats. There is a movement afoot to start sailing teams in some of the many high schools that don’t have them. The cost of the boats s a big stumbling block so these designs are for boats that can be built from kits in high school shops for the teams to race. These designs include two easy to build sail trainers, a V-bottom chase boat, and four varsity racing designs that will also be the most challenging to build. The idea is to pick one design from each category so that each school can grow its builders and sailors.  

Time of Wonder boat. Inspired by the drawing of two kids sailing in the Robert McCloskey book, this boat is an answer to the numbers of people that have found our Somes Sound 12-1/2 just a little beyond their means or too big a project to tackle.  

Bigger Daniel outboard skiff. This summer my Modern Methods class at WoodenBoat School built the hull for a 12-foot V-bottom outboard pram we call the Daniel skiff and there were several requests from different folks for a bigger version. I drew a 17' version with a center console as a chase boat for the high school sailing teams.  

Little Sjogin. The original Sjogin is a lovely 22' Swedish-inspired work boat style design built in the 60s in New Jersey and is much loved by those on the WB forum (Update on developing plans for "Sjogin" 11/15/2010), where pictures are often posted. We were asked for a design for a smaller—19'—trailerable version.  

Javelin. A 20' version of the Open 60 class, minus the (very expensive) deep fin keel, that could be built from a kit. Like the high school boats, the idea is to get more people sailing. This is a boat for those that like to read Outside magazine who want to go wild places on the water, a boat that that is environmentally friendly, plus fast and fun to sail and can be rowed when the wind cuts out. The hull design has a chine with a cambered bottom made of batten-seamed plywood, and the topsides curved in section and built in glued-lapstrake construction. This is a rounded hull that is speedy, drier and easy to build.

Fish Class in glued lapstrake. WoodenBoat forumites (Falling in love) and others who like our Somes Sound 12-1/2 have also talked about the idea of doing the same thing to the bigger versions of the Herreshoff and Joel White designs.  

Javelin 26. A bigger version of Javelin that could take a whole family and specifically requested for sailing in the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. This is a boat that would be capable of keeping up with bigger boats in fleet. This is also a boat that fits the requirements of the WoodenBoat Design Challenge III, if I had time to draw it.

  New folkboat. An updated version of the venerable lapstrake design with the same philosophy of simple, economical and seaworthy, for one-design racing and for short cruises. I’ve also drawn this boat at 26' so it can also race in events like the ERR.

More soon!

John

We have a workshop!

2011-02-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

The first Somes Sound 12 1/2 workshop will be Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8, here at our shop in West Brooklin, Maine. If interest warrants, we'll schedule a second workshop for one of the following two weekends.

For all the details, please go here:

Spring will happen.

2011-02-09T07:37:00.002-05:00

We hope. We'd like to help it along, so . . . .

www.brooksboatsdesigns.com

So far, $35 plus a little shipping will buy. . .

2011-02-01T21:58:00.001-05:00

. . . a set of Compass Harbor pram plans and a copy of our book, How To Build Glued-Lapstrake Wooden Boats.

Only two more days left to bid! Go here to see the online auction listing and bid.

All proceeds go to help our most wonderful Brooklin library, the Friend Memorial, which holds an annual fund-raising auction every Valentine's Day. This year, they're doing an online auction as well. There are all sorts of interesting items to bid on. While you're there to check out the pram plans and book, take a look around for more boat-related items, including a set of Siri plans from Doug Hylan, offerings from WoodenBoat, and much more. And if you visit Brooklin, please make sure to stop in at the library, it's a treasure . . . and there's even a screened gazebo tent on the lawn with a table inside so you can check your email and enjoy the shade and flowers at the same time.

Design review of the Compass Harbor pram

2011-01-03T16:13:00.000-05:00

. . . just published in the latest issue of Mike O'Brien's Boat Design Quarterly. As always, this issue contains a fine collection of wonderful boats, and the best boat design writing you'll find anywhere, anytime. And some very kind words about our Compass Harbor pram, for which we are very appreciative and grateful. To download and read the entire review article, and learn how to subscribe to Boat Design Quarterly, please visit our website page, here.

Ten days

2010-12-15T14:15:00.002-05:00

If you're still thinking, there's still a few days left to order plans and books; we send out everything Priority Mail so unless you're very far from Maine things ought to reach you in time. And there's always a gift certificate, downloaded to print or email, for a truly last minute present.

If you're wondering what else might make a great present for a boatbuilding someone you know, the photos pretty much say it all: you can never have too many clamps or battery drills (or batteries . . . .) It's also likely that decent chisels, and a lovely plane or two (www.lie-nielsen.com) would be welcome. Especially this low-angle block plane. John's is in pretty much constant use, which may be why I can't find a photo of it lying around in the shop.

And if they've got everything else they need, more shop space is a gift that will never be returned!

December, already? News and updates

2010-12-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

We're on the short steep slide to the holidays, with three kids in elementary school, but we're still here, finishing some things, planning for the next, and shoveling (first real snow yesterday.) Plans up next will be the Compass Harbor pram's sail rig, then the Sundog fishermen's skiff. There's a whole pile of new designs in early development and we'll be putting some of these up here, with discussion, in the coming weeks, once I (Ruth) have finished my part.

I've been steadily putting together more slide shows for building the Somes Sound 12 1/2, and there are more to come. There is a lot of interest in the Somes Sound 12 1/2 workshop proposed for spring 2011, so planning is going ahead for that. We're looking forward to that weekend (sometime in May) and it's possible that we may offer another SS12.5 workshop in the early fall.

In our Brooks Boat Designs store, our Sail Sale (10% off all plans for boats that sail) is still going on. We've added a new option if you're thinking of what to get that special someone and aren't sure: gift certificates, either by mail or to download.

If you're thinking of ordering plans or books for the holidays, it generally takes at least a week and sometimes a bit more (in the U.S.) from the time we receive your order until it arrives. Everything is sent Priority Mail, which generally moves things right along. . .but the holidays are the holidays, so please keep that in mind if you're thinking about putting a boat under the tree this year. Thanks!

Building the Somes Sound 12 1/2

2010-11-05T15:05:00.000-04:00

We've just begun a new section on building the Somes Sound 12 1/2, with two slide shows up now (Part one, jig, molds and backbone; Part two, scarfing and planking—more to follow. While the boat being built is a SS 12.5, the process is the same for other designs, just a bit different here and there depending on specific details for each design. (We'll be doing building slide shows for the other designs, too; the SS 12.5 is just the first.)

Sundog fisherman's skiff

2010-11-03T09:48:00.000-04:00

Tethered to town docks all along the Maine coast, amongst plastic dinghies, grey inflatables, and noisy aluminum boats, are wooden fisherman’s skiffs that quietly work for a living. These skiffs have a moderately wide flat bottom that's usually fore-and-aft planked, and flaring sides that are often lapstraked, typically with a nice springy sheer to them. These skiffs reflect the personality of their builders, and range from purely utilitarian to quite elegant.

I love the good looks and good manners of these busy boats and I wanted a boat that was both easy to build and would make her builder proud, plus would be an all around useful boat. A flat bottom boat will get into the thinnest water for exploring all sorts of coves, creeks and marshes plus this design makes a stable platform to fish from and for loading and unloading gear and supplies onto a bigger boat.

A flat bottom by itself doesn’t guarantee good stability. A good amount of flare to the topsides is a big help. Giving the sides a little curve also helps and adds some nice shape to the boat but is still easy to build, requiring only a little beveling at the laps.

Another nice thing about the flat bottom is that when you pull her up on shore or the tide goes out, she sits nicely upright patiently waiting for her crew to return or the cove to fill back in.

The Sundog skiff's bottom has a moderate amount of rocker (fore and aft curve) so with a decent load of people or gear the transom is at the waterline and the boat rows nicely, without fuss.

We designed and built the skiff in the photo for a couple who wanted a comfortable, capable, stable boat for everyone in their extended family to use for rowing, exploring, and fishing in the creek and nearby cove and harbor. Their boat has enjoyed well over a decade of happy busy summers since her launching.

The Sundog skiff goes easily and is fun to row. With a notch in the transom you can learn to scull. She can also take a small outboard or trolling motor. She’s a perfect boat for kids to learn in, since she has great manners but. . .you row, she goes. Two kids starting out rowing together, one to each oar, would have some serious fun and by summer’s end they’d be expert rowers. This is a boat you will want to grab when you need to do a little work around the mooring, dock or big boat, the boat you’ll want to sit on the transom and look into the water to see what’s going on on the bottom of the cove, the boat you’ll want for exploring a little island out in the middle of the harbor, or ferrying someone out to (or off) a rocky point or gravel beach. This boat is perfect dipping a net into the water to see what you catch, for towing toy boats behind, going out for a morning row with binoculars and breakfast, evening row with binoculars and beer, dropping a line over the side with a baited hook on the end to see if anything is biting, or retrieving something that has come adrift, and—if so inclined, cannonballing over the side then climbing back in over the transom.

First up on the drawing board is the sail rig for the Compass Harbor pram, then John will start in on the drawings for the Sundog skiff over the winter. When shop space and time open up, we’re planning to build a Sundog skiff, for all the helpful photos—and because we seriously need a new skiff to replace our old one that went on a private trip out of the harbor on a stiff northwesterly, never to be seen again. The kids are looking forward to helping with the building of Brit (small herring.) Brit goes along with our big boat, Tinker (small mackerel—and what we will be doing for some time to come on this vessel.)
We’ll be putting up progress notes here on the blog and also on the Sundog fisherman's skiff page on our site (more photos there, too.) If you’d like us to send you an email when the plans are done, please let us know and we’ll put you on the list.

The Sundog skiff design has proven to be a good one and her turn for a complete set of plans, after many requests. The Sundog skiff has the characteristic look of a typical fisherman's skiff with the added touch of a little curve to the topsides. This adds elegance and more stability. This is an easy boat to build with gentle curves everywhere and we will draw the plans in a step-by step-style, like the plans for the Compass Harbor pram, to make building her clearer and even easier.

Red Sky is for sale!

2010-10-19T11:19:00.001-04:00

Red sky's owner has asked us to help him find her a new home.

For more information. . .

Special days. . .plus a few more

2010-10-08T13:35:00.002-04:00

Around here, Columbus Day weekend is the last hurrah,

there will be a few more nice days but from now on,

but the more "very interesting" ones will prevail.

To say a fond farewell to summer,

and think ahead to next year,we're offering

free shipping from now through October 18.

(Domestic only; international customers please contact us

for your specially discounted shipping. Thanks!)

brooksboatsdesigns.com

2010-10-04T15:31:00.000-04:00

The big move is almost complete. . .we hope! If you should try www.brooksboatsdesigns.com and get an error message, please try again soon, or email (brooksboatsdesigns@gmail.com) us and we'll help you out. Everything should (should) go fine but until it does. . . .

More clamps!

More ERR Action

2010-09-26T20:41:00.000-04:00

Here's a few more pictures of Anna. This is at around the last turning mark before the finish line.

Working steadily through the fleet of smaller boats.

Changing head sails as the wind picks up and the boat bears up.

Another shot with Big Ti a few minutes later.

What a fun day!

Reach Race Report

2010-08-24T06:30:00.003-04:00

Here's some pictures of boats in the Eggimoggin Reach Regatta earlier this month, including ones that I helped build at Brooklin Boat Yard. It was glorious sailing weather that resulted in the fastest ERR ever. It was hard to take a bad picture.

In the foreground is Anna, a Sparkman and Stevens design built at BBY in 2006. That's Big Ti just ahead of her

Here are three BBY boats; from right to left are the new W-37 Race Horse, the W-76 Wild Horses, and Ginger, built in 2006. I worked on Ginger. I had heard that Bequia, the 90 foot yawl that we built from 2007 to 2009, was coming up but she wasn't in the race.

What a day! I was torn between thoroughly enjoying watching and taking pictures of the race, and wanting to be on one of the boats racing. In this much breeze there were some challenging sail changes.

Red Sky is for sale!

2010-08-06T14:37:00.001-04:00

Red Sky is the name of the completed Somes Sound 12-1/2 pictured through out this bog and on our website. She is the first one we built and was launched in 2003. Her owner has decided to sell her. She is in great shape. She mainly needs a little work on her bottom paint and a touch up on the varnish work.

She has a bilge pump system with a float switch, a three way switch and a motorcycle battery. The battery is in one of the seat cabinets in the middle of the boat. There are two covers, a cockpit cover for when she is on the mooring, and a total boat cover when she is on a trailer.

She has been kept on a mooring in the summer and in a barn in the winter. The owner did all his own launching and retrieving with the extending tongue Triad trailer (who also make Haven trailers) that comes with the boat.

Write to us at brooksboatsdesigns@gmail.com for more information.

Design sketches

2010-06-25T11:20:00.005-04:00

The original idea behind this blog was to share boat design ideas. Now it’s time to do that.

Recently I was asked to draw a set of plans for an existing boat. But the customer only wanted to pay the cost of a set of stock plans. He thought that his dream boat would be a great addition to our list of stock plans. We were dubious.

That made me curious: if I want to draw plans for boats and not get paid for it (at least right off), how many design ideas do I have that I would love to draw that I DO think people will want to build and sail? I pulled out various files I keep of design sketches for boat ideas and started tallying them up.

Daysailers, racing boats, motorboats, outboard skiffs, sailing canoes, double-paddle canoes, beach cruisers, skiffs, kids boats, kit boats, rowboats, small cruising boats, trailerable boats, keel boats, one designs, a couple of development classes, and fun boats. Many of them are ideas suggested by people or drawn from comments of several people. Dozens and dozens of them.

Design sketches are interesting. Mine are small freehand drawings, usually done on graph paper so they are to scale, that outline an idea for a new design. They are at once loose and yet vital to my process of designing boats. They often hold the kernel of the idea I am trying develop. They are much like the small study an artist makes before committing to a big, time consuming oil painting, to work out the overall idea for the painting. There have been times when I have gone to almost ridiculous lengths to measure a design sketch, while making the large scale drawings, so I wouldn’t lose the feel and style of a design that was captured in the original sketch.

I’ve also drawn many many sketches that just weren’t it. They just missed—or missed badly—but they helped me keep working on an idea. Some days I was just drawing badly. Other times it seemed that I couldn’t miss—I liked everything I drew.

There have been times when an idea has popped into my head and I have had to sketch as fast as I could before the clarity of picture in my mind faded. I carry a graph paper pad wherever I go.

Two things happened while I looked at the sketches in the files. First of all I was surprised to see just how many of them there were. I figured there was maybe a couple dozen. But I counted up nearly 70 solid design ideas that I would love to draw up. And that isn’t all—I later remembered several other files squirreled away.

Also, as I looked over the sketches, I found myself excited by each idea all over again, “Oooh, that would be a lovely boat!”

To give you an idea of what the design sketches can do, here’s the original sketch for Somes Sound 12-1/2 . . . .

And here’s the finished boat at the mooring and sailing in a nice breeze. Many elements in the original sketch stayed in the final design and many people have said how lovely she is.

You can take a look at formal drawings and other photos of the Somes Sound 12-1/2 here on this blog.

More sketches soon.

SUMMER SALE: Save $20 on the full set of Somes Sound 12 1/2 plans. More info on the blog, here, and on our website: www.brooksboatsdesigns.com.

It's Summer! Somes Sound 12 1/2 special savings

2010-05-25T09:31:00.001-04:00

Save $20 now

on the full set of Somes Sound 12 1/2 plans

We're more in the boat shop than on the computer these days, so we're still handling orders through Paypal (email us or call, then we'll email you a Paypal invoice) or just give us a call and we can take your information over the phone. Old-fashioned mail works, too. (Full set, regularly $200; now $180 plus $15 shipping in the U.S.; please contact us for international shipping. Thanks!)

See posts below for the study plan as well as sail plans and lines for the Somes Sound 12 1/2. Another workaround until our new site is up, but the viewer/download application works well, allowing for easy viewing and printing here, or downloading through their site.

No hope of leveling the horizon on the photo above; lovely stiff breeze and bay to match. Caught this quick shot mid-bounce. The Somes Sound 12 1/2 (and John) loved it, she just took off and went. A great afternoon.

Somes Sound 12-1/2 study plan

2010-05-03T21:26:00.000-04:00

For a closer look at the Somes Sound 12 1/2, here's the new study plan. It's a sizable download, since there are fourteen pages with quite a few photos and images. The sail plans and lines follow (please scroll down the blog page.)

BBDesigns Somes Sound Study Plan

Somes Sound 12-1/2 materials costs

2010-03-29T14:44:00.001-04:00

A number of people have asked about a total cost for the materials for the Somes Sound 12-1/2. As with any project, it so completely depends on what you choose. However, here's a look at a few numbers that may help: The materials for the (partially completed) boat built at the WoodenBoat School over the past couple of summers came in at $6,000; this includes essentially all of the wood, the cast keel (about $1,300 sans shipping), some of the hardware, the spars. What remains are the rest of the hardware, sails and rigging, paint and varnish, trailer, etc.

So this boat gives a place to start when figuring out costs. And it's only a start; here's one example of how fast the numbers can change: The SS 12.5 requires nine sheets of 9mm plywood, one sheet of 12mm. The WBS boat is built of sapele, which costs $179 per sheet (9mm) and $246 per sheet (12 mm.) High quality meranti marine ply, which is a fine choice, costs $55 per sheet (9mm) and $72 per sheets (12mm.) This adds up to a difference of $1,286, dropping that $6,000 down to $4,714.

And so it goes. . .you can take the materials lists given in the plans, work down through and get creative. Also, a boat is not built in a day, you can start at the beginning, with the hull, then acquire materials when it's time. The parts list is organized by sections of building to make it easier to order materials one section at a time (hull, exterior, interior, spars, and also hardware, sails, rigging.)

For the Somes Sound 12-1/2 study plan, sail plans, and lines, please scroll down a couple of posts. Thanks!

Somes Sound 12 1/2 sail plans

2010-03-10T21:46:00.002-05:00

BBDesignsSSound12.5 sailplans

Somes 12 1/2 lines

2010-03-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

BBDesignsSSound12.5 Lines

Somes Sound 12 1/2 sailing!

2010-03-05T11:05:00.000-05:00

Plans are all done, and the study plan will be along shortly. Looks like the PDF download from this blog will work, until the new site is ready and we can do all kinds of useful, fun, and interesting things.

Somes Sound plans ready for sail!

2010-02-28T13:49:00.001-05:00

Here's quick look at the two sail plans for the Somes Sound 12 1/2; we'll post more excerpts from the plans sheets and details for the design in the next few days. We're still working with our old web hosting outfit which is, to put it charitably, less than flexible and completely not Mac-friendly. Now that the Somes Sound plans are ready to go, Ruth is back to work redesigning our site, which will allow for a lot more photos and information, and will be just plain more useful—and will (finally) have an easy, simple way to order working with Paypal.

But for the next week or two, the old ways will have to do, since we don't want to switch everything over until we're sure that the transition will be smooth (as possible.) Details are now up on the site; check out the Somes Sound 12 1/2 page. Thanks!

When it rains, it pours—and blows, then the lights go out

2010-02-27T12:25:00.000-05:00

We picked up the printed plans sheets last week, then sat down to put in the final corrections on the specifications/details manual. Did a bunch of it, then a very healthy bit of weather pulled the plug. No snow here for us, it's unusually warm, but blew like stink—70-, 80-knots out of the ENE and east. Lost half a dormer's worth of (new) roof shingles, but the main damage everywhere is a lot of trees down, and many of these landed across roads taking the power lines down with them. The office house, on the main road, is now more or less (still a little iffy) back on, but the home house will probably remain unplugged until Sunday or Monday.
But so long as the office computer continues to work, we're good. Broadband isn't great, so it may well take another day or so to put everything up on the website.
But final corrections can finally be typed. If it isn't one thing. . . . .

At the printers

2010-02-19T21:16:00.000-05:00

A brief update: All the Somes Sound 12 1/2 plans sheets are at the printers, and we expect them to be done early next week. Final corrections on the specs remain, which will be done while the plans sheets reproduce, then the plans will done and ready to send out.

Somes Sound 12 1/2 plans update: Proofing

2010-02-12T09:32:00.000-05:00

Seventeen sheets of detailed drawings, seven of them full-size patterns; thirty-page annotated and detailed specifications manual; a few other useful odds and ends.

We'll keep this short, much to do today, cross-checking and proofing everything, and we aim to be done with this process by early next week. But it's got to be done carefully and right. Then it's off to the printer, which will take few days (or less if they're not busy.) As soon as we have a firm date for when everything will be done, we'll post a note.

In very large friendly type. It is fun to see these plans coming together, and it will be even better to see them done and ready to become some boats!

Back to it!

Getting there

2010-01-22T10:37:00.001-05:00

Working on the last of the masters for the full-size patterns, which are drawn and labeled on Mylar.

Putting labels (many labels) on the scaled construction drawing. The gray numbered labels key specific points to explanations and details in the specifications.

12-1/2 Plans this week

2010-01-16T07:38:00.000-05:00

The last scale drawing, of the keelson and keel layout plus a plan for a cradle and the way to install the lead keel using the cradle, is all DONE and ready to be scanned for labels. Ruth went to Bangor to get all the other scale drawings scanned and is putting in the labels.

Since the new shop is still not insulated or has any heat, I spent yesterday setting up a large drawing table in an upstairs bedroom (in the house next to the shop that we are using as an office) so I can draw the last few full size pattern (FSP) sheets. These are for the sections, developed transom and the profile of the transom.

Thank you to everyone for your patience!

Last spring a fellow ordered the plans for the 8'-8" Compass Harbor Pram and after he got them he wrote us saying that he had built boats to plans by several other designers and said our plans were the most complete and comprehensive he had ever seen. We are aiming to continue that tradition with the plans for our 12-1/2.

More soon . . .

Soon. . .

2010-01-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

There are sixteen well-filled and detailed hand-drawn sheets in the Somes Sound 12 1/2 plans, including full-size patterns—and today is the day for the last sheet of details (fitting and attaching the lead keel.)

Tomorrow the last batch of master plan drawings goes up to be scanned and then the labels go on. Meanwhile, the final edit on the specifications and building details is just about done (all thirty-some-odd pages of it) and that will receive a little graphics work to make it easier to read and use.

Lots of details, lots to check and re-check, but we're back in the office full-time after the holidays, letting the shop building take care of itself while we finish up the plans. Time to get her off the mooring!

Shop, just before winter really arrived

2010-01-11T13:06:00.000-05:00

These photos were taken back in November, at the end of a long surprisingly warm and not too wet fall. The great guys working on the shop kept us in the office working on the Somes Sound 12 1/2 plans, though we did spend some time staining shingles and painting trim. The shed on the shop's north side will be enclosed but unheated, for wood, boats, and all the other things that settle into boat sheds. It will also serve as a painting bay at times.

Somes Sound 12-1/2 Plans Update

2009-12-26T10:13:00.000-05:00

We tried to get the plans done for December first but still have a bit more to do. Blame it on the weather. It has been a warm fall and, as you can see in earlier posts, we were finishing off the outside of the shop (with a crew--we're the painters and door builders) because we have a project to work on (a 12-1/2 as a matter of fact) this winter. A couple of weeks ago it turned cold and I was able to start drawing again. Basically I am inking and darkening several drawings and have one more FSP (Full Size Patterns) to draw. I've written the specs (all 37 pages) and Ruth is editing them.

We took several of the finished drawings to a plans copy shop and had the drawings scanned to a disc. Ruth then experimented with using a layout program to put labels on drawings. This worked very well. It will make all the labels easier to read and we can easily make changes and corrections. It also allows us to double up on getting these plans--and future sets--done!

With this set of plans we will be including a Parts List to make it easier for a builder to organize and cut out the blanks and make the parts for the boat. I am adding the drawing numbers to the list and need to double check the list for changes or things I forgot.

I'll be discussing all the features of these plans in a future post.

Happy New Year!

And more shop. . .

2009-11-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

More shingles, and soon the lumber/boat shed extension . . . and soon, a real door for the boat side of things.

More shop

2009-10-27T14:03:00.000-04:00

There's a boat in there, nice and safe and waiting until all the house-building subsides and we can work on her.

Finally, the shop

2009-10-27T09:40:00.001-04:00

We're working on it! For those of you who have been to Brooklin in recent years, you may have seen the shell of our studio/shop to be, complete with well-aged Typar and plastic windows. No more. We're finishing off the building, and adding a shed for lumber and boat storage. We'll be all done and ready for visitors by next summer. . . if not before.

Many shingles. Latex sure isn't real [boat] paint, but this stuff at least covers well and dries fast, even on a fall day.

The kids helped with the first bundle of shingles, then they found something much better to do. We had the crew dig a couple of trenches on the way out so that we could build some better soil for the trees and shrubs to be planted here next spring. Then it poured for a day and a night. Looks like whatever we plant will have to like wet feet. Doesn't get any better than this: fresh dirt plus tons of fresh water equals lovely clean squishy perfect mud.

And two happy parents happily staining shingles while the kids squelch and splash away.

Building an Ellen 12 in 4 minutes

2009-10-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

And you thought it would take months.

Check out the video.

Great job!!

About those 12 1/2 plans . . .

2009-08-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

As I write this, John is applying ink to one of the drawings for the Somes Sound 12 1/2. We are in the process of expanding our office into what was our small (very) house in West Brooklin and the place is a complete disaster . . . all except for John's drawing space. The Somes Sound plans are our first priority. We'll let you know the publication date, but it won't be long now. Thanks to all who keep asking about them, you've been more than patient!

(And yes, we only let him off the chain for a little food now and then, and the occasional essential break.)

Our new website is finally launched!

2008-01-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

And, like many new vessels, there are few things that will have to be done at the dock or on the mooring. But she's floating, and she'd love to have some folks take her out for a little tour around the harbor. Please stop by!
Our new web address: www.brooksboatsdesigns.com.
We'd love to know what you think. Thanks!

Somes Sound 12 1/2

2008-01-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our new blog. Since we've had quite a few inquiries about the Somes Sound 12 1/2, the boat that we'll be building in a new two-week WoodenBoat School class, I thought we'd start with that.

The Somes Sound 12 1/2 is a completely new design, a descendent of the Herreshoff 12 1/2, just as the Haven 12 1/2 is. It was designed from the start for glued lapstrake construction—and excellent handling and performance.

Specifications: length, 15'9"; waterline, 12'6"; beam, 73"; draft, 18"; displacement, 1,389 lbs., sail area, 134 sq.ft.

For information about the class, please contact the WoodenBoat School.