Marissa & Katie

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Oct 2009    Ben's note:
My friend Tim Cox has built another wooden boat. 'Marissa & Kate' is another fine vessel typical of Tim's excellent workmanship and attention to detail. This boat has seen little use after one season and is practically new. Tim is selling it, at $5,700 USD which does not even nearly covers the material cost, let alone the hundreds of hours of painstaking labour. Presently at Shelburne, Vermont. The following is Tim's writup. Tim can be contacted at:
timothymcox@hotmail.com

 

Basic dimensions: 15'0" loa, 13'7" lod, 5'3" beam, 12"/3' draft with center board up/down, sail area 75 sq.ft., trailering weight 600 lbs. Gunter/cat rig, tanbark mainsail by leading Vermont sailmaker. Custom fitted winter cover and cockpit cover, 1 HP electric inboard, 2 deep cycle 100 Amp batteries with onboard fitted charger, all docklines, fenders, Bruce anchor on bowsprit, two picnic coolers in fitted locker, weighted centreboard and rudder drop plate. Perfect boat for cottage or camp.
 

The boat was designed by John Gardner (past curator at Mystic Seaport) and the plans are in his book "Wooden Boats to Build and Use", page 70, (13-foot 7-inch Swampscott Sailing Dory Skiff), also called "Fat Boat". The interior arrangement was modified by the builder (me) to allow for the electric motor/batteries & charger installation, as well some modification to the rudder and to the rig.


The hull is dory construction; yellow pine stem sided 2-1/4", 5 sawn spruce frames molded 1-1/2", planking is 3/8" 'Eurolite' marine plywood, fiberglassed on the 2 -ply 3/4" bottom and garboard strake; transom 3/4" Western red cedar. The deck is 3/8" 'Eurolite' on sawn spruce frames molded 1-1/2" and all hull components are sealed in 3 coats of WEST system epoxy resin and finished with multiple coats of Interlux Brightside on all exterior and interior surfaces.

 

There are three watertight compartments, three forward and two aft, of sufficient total volume to float the boat if the cockpit becomes flooded. Access to these compartments is via 7 - 6" quarter-turn and screw-on standard deck plates. The three on deck are finished with mahogany covers. There is in addition at the fore end of the cockpit a 'hold' that will accommodate two small 'Igloo' coolers, with a mahogany cover.

 

The cockpit coaming is laminated mahogany capped with laminated ash; the seats are western red cedar, slatted, and oiled. The battery boxes and other structural parts in the cockpit are of oak, and the battery boxes have mahogany lids with brass dogs to hold them in place.


The centerboard is laminated of two 3/8" plywood pieces sandwiching a piece of steel, for a total weight of 42 lbs. The rudder is of plywood and solid mahogany construction, draws 12",  and incorporates an end plate following many of Phil Bolger's designs. It also has a lead-ballasted plywood drop plate 3/8" thick weighing 6 lbs., controlled from the cockpit, in case additional rudder depth is ever required. Both appendages are fiberglassed with 6 oz. cloth and epoxy resin.

 

The engine room consists of 2 - 200 ah 12v batteries in boxes, one each side of the centerboard; the engine controls and on-board charger are in the space directly aft of the cockpit behind louvered locker doors, between the two aft watertight compartments. The approximately 3/4 hp/55 lbs. thrust electric motor is immersed and fitted within its own skeg. Access to the wiring and controls is via a larger mahogany sliding hatch on the after deck.

 

Wiring from the batteries to the control unit and charger runs in 3/4" plastic pipes p&s with watertight fittings where they pass through the main aft bulkhead, all out of sight but accessible under the seats.


The mast is a hollow box-section spruce (not Sitka) and is 3" diameter at the deck tapering to 2-1/4" at the top, fitted with a mahogany cap and ash 'dumb' sheave for the halyard. The boom and gunter yard are of similar construction being of maximum diameter 2-1/2" and 1-3/4" respectively, with ash jaws and fittings. The mast pivots in a tabernacle of ash which in turn is stepped through the deck to the after end of the stem. All components are epoxied and have minimum 6 coats of Interlux 'Schooner' varnish applied.

Standing and running rigging and some mast and boom fittings follows the plans for 'Marisol' (see Woodenboat Publications) and uses deadeyes and three-strand dacron for the shrouds and forestay rather than wire and turnbuckles. There is a stainless highfield lever on the forestay; deck cleats and rigging fittings come mostly from Bristol Bronze and are pretty snazzy, not to say pricey to boot.

 

     

Interior view                                                               Interior close-up

 

     

Interior forward                                                           Afterdeck

 

 

   

Charger                                                                  Early Interior

 

     

Minnkota control                                                       tabernacle

 

 

        

       Motor & Rudder                                                          Motor & Rudder

 

 

      

     Rudder in the shop                                                     Custom cover

 

               

                      Full view with sail

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