BYYB Forums

Greetings Gang!

Until now I’ve been a kayak and canoe builder.  A while back I decided I needed a sailboat.  I looked at numerous designs and read all I could about them and others.  I discovered this and a few other boatbuilding forums, and bought a set of plans for a Vacationer. 

After reading of the keel modifications that Ryerson Clark had done to his boat, a Weekender, and hearing how pleased he was with it, I decided I wanted to modify the keel of my Vacationer in a similar fashion.  I tracked down Paul Riccelli aka PAR from Riccelli Yacht Design and asked if he would be so kind as to help design a modified keel for my Vacationer, he agreed to help me out.  We discussed specs such as how much draft I could live with and the waters I would be sailing in most often, I asked about ballast and floatation, and about widening the stern after seeing info in an earlier post on how this might make the boat sail better.  After numerous exchanges I received a very nice keel design with the draft I was looking for.

With the new keel, the boat would have to be built differently, on a cradle, rather than on the stock full length keel.  I built my strongback and cradle but ran out of epoxy friendly weather before I got any further.  My basement shop doesn’t have room or a door large enough for a complete boat, so during the winter a built a mock up of the Vacationer bottom profile in order to pre-build the keel that would later bolt onto the boat.  I contacted PAR about moving a support in the keel so the bolt pattern would fit better with the cabin interior I was envisioning.  After some discussion I said “Paul, why don’t you just design me a boat that will do what I want it to!”  He asked me what I was looking for, and I told him I was looking for a 20 or so foot boat with the cockpit and cabin layout of a 30 footer, that would handle nicely as I was rounding Cape Horn in stormy seas, and that I could race in the America’s Cup when I wasn’t cruising!  He gave me a digital slap upside the head and asked what I needed rather than wanted.  Well OK, maybe the conversation didn’t go exactly like that.

I wanted a boat that could be easily trailered, with as shallow a draft as I could get away with and still have it sail well, being beachable would be a bonus.  A fairly roomy cockpit and cabin, that was easily single-handed (my kids are in their mid to late teens and my wife’s idea of roughing it is when she can’t get a parking spot close to the mall,  although we’re a close family, realistically I may not always have crew readily available).  A fairly tall order I know, but Paul said to leave it with him.  I received periodic updates and a few electronic copies of what Paul was working on or had just completed.  I was like a kid at Christmas waiting for the plans to be complete.

Well, the time has come and the plans are complete.  A week or so ago I received a large heavy tube of plans from Riccelli Yacht Design.  Very impressive, no, not the weight of the tube, the plans themselves.  Just short of 40 pages, many of which are near full blueprint size.  Very thorough, very detailed, very well done I must say!

Am I anxious to get started? You bet!  Epoxy friendly weather is soon to be in short supply now north of the 49th so I will be doing parts of the build that I can do in my basement shop and moving to the boatshed in the spring.  I’ll try to be diligent and post frequent updates of my progress.

Thanks for reading,

Ken

(09-09-2012, 06:55 PM)Ken Sutherland link Wrote:. . . I told him I was looking for a 20 or so foot boat with the cockpit and cabin layout of a 30 footer, that would handle nicely as I was rounding Cape Horn in stormy seas, and that I could race in the America’s Cup when I wasn’t cruising . . .

I told him this wasn't a problem, but once he received the budget estimation and design costs, he slapped himself and we moved on.

I built a Triad, just something small to get going, and intended to build something in the 20-24 foot range with a cabin.  I found I really enjoyed boat building and was really excited by the idea of a larger boat.  After exhaustive browsing and more hours on this and other foruns then I should have spent I came to the conclusion that if I build another boat it will be one of Paul's designs.  My current health has tabled any futher boat building but I continue to hope for new medicines or devine intervention.  I am not so taken with myself that I would ask for that type of intervention but one can still hope.  Paul sent me 3-4 design ideas but I won't post them without his permission since they were sent privately.  I really like his RYD 20.1 and RYD 14.11 designs which are both deeper water boats.  The 14.11 could be trailered but the 20.1 would be to much.  He did send a shallow water design that would have been a great family or party boat because of the large cockpit area and roomy cabin it is his RYD 23.1 design.  I am sure he would either post or send you that information if you contacted him.  It would be great viewing for the forum.

wow, i want one!

Painting a sailboat red is bad luck, but not below the waterline, right?

Dave

That's correct Dave, it only counts above the waist.

Discrete (RYD-14.11) is well published >  http://www.woodenboat.com/boat-plans-kit...-ryd-1411  < here's her WoodenBoat magazine page.

RYD-20.1 is a big boat, 25' on deck and nearly 35' on her spared length. This boat would typically be out of the realm of a back yard builder, unless they had a great deal of experience. The version shown her is hard chine, but a round bilge version (strip planked) is also available. Just the diesel I spec for this boat, weighs more then a full up Weekender, to give you an idea of scale.

One of the best thing about dreams is you don't have to deal with the realities of weights and measures.  I fell in love with the look of that boat from just your pencil drawing.  You are right of course the 14.11 would be a more practical boat to build if healthier.  I can't wait for Timo's pictures when he complete's his.

How could a guy get his mitts on a copy of those plans, Paul? If Ken paid you to design it, does he get to sell them, or do you? I like the looks of that boat. Some day I'll build another boat.

When you buy plans, you've purchased building privileges, not the rights to the design or intellectual property therein. Simply put, I own the plans and sell them. If you're interested in plans contact me by email (click on the envelope icon under my name) and we can discuss the options.

Rocky is available with different bow profiles (shown) and a different rig (besides the ketch), meaning as a sloop, both gaff and Bermudian. Ken can't decide which bow he likes best. Also note that there is a hole in the rudderhead. This is a handhold and  footstep, for re-boarding the boat after taking a swim. She has several interesting features, the offset centerboard is an obvious one, which was done to make the interior free of a centerboard case (it's hidden under a cabinet). She's also completely deck stepped (tabernacle), with no compression post to mess up romantic evenings.

I like the ketch, with the three portholes and "alternate bow". My wife won't set foot in a sailboat no matter how much velvet wallpaper and Barry White records there are downstairs, but the offset centerboard is interesting, romance or no.

I hope you weren't annoyed when I asked who owned the plans; I just had the impression Ken had somehow "commissioned" the design or something. I'm not familiar with the rules when it comes to intellectual property and such.