Re: shortening the triple

Posted by Terry Mcadams on Sep 14, 2004

Another option might be the MC 16.5. It has space for two adults and a child and, except in very rough conditions, is more versatile and easier to store and carry than the triple. I built one last year and am pretty happy with it.

But if you really want to build a triple, I stand by my prior opinion that shortening each end by 8" would probably not alter the key characteristics of the boat in any significant way, and would not be that difficult to do if you're a bit adventurous in the workshop and have the time to fiddle with the design a bit. I personally think the double and triple are two long, large and heavy for many uses anyhow. I'd rather sacrifice some speed to get a boat that's easier to build, maneuver and carry around.

One more idea, if you want to go ahead with the redesign, is to do your plan changes, then loft and cut mock-up panels from cheap luan or other scrap plywood. You wouldn't even have to scarf the panels - a simple narrow butt joint would suffice. Cut the panels out and stitch them up every 8" or so to give you a good idea of how the finished hull will look. If it's close to being fair and true, you can use the panels to trace the building panels on the okume.

Another thought is you may want to consider knocking 1" off the beam, since you're redesigning the bottom panels anyway. You could stay with the designed beam, I'm just not sure if you still need it for the shorter boat, and it will save some more weight.

Just my opinion. Being a scientist, I love to experiment and I've found this very rewarding in some other boats I've built. Haven't had one sink yet. There are builders on this forum that are far more technically astute than I could ever be, and they may have opnions to offer also. But if you want to try this, I'm sure you'll find a lot of help to talk you through the process.

I'd go for it, but then again, I'm as crazy as I am lazy.

terry

In Response to: Re: shortening the triple by Steve C on Sep 13, 2004

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