Transoms, Ladders and Swim Platforms

[prv]

All these boathook afficionados fail to help me understand the purpose of a boathook where the bouy cannot be lifted from the water due to it's short chain length and the topsides of a normal boat are too high to reach the loop that the boat's line needs to be passed though.

Presumably they rarely leave the Solent, where pendants with pickup buoys seem to be ubiquitous, and forget that some other places only provide a buoy with a shackle on top

I'm not at all a fan of overhanging sterns, though, having had one. If you do have aft sleeping cabins the slap-slap, slap-slap, slap-slap of wavelets under the overhang is maddening.

It depends what you mean by "overhanging". A 1990s sugar-scoop certainly exhibits the problem you describe - we suffer from it now on Ariam. But a more traditional short counter stern (what I assumed the OP was thinking of) does not slap; we had that on Kindred Spirit and it was never a problem.

Pete

 

[Skylark]

Presumably they rarely leave the Solent, where pendants with pickup buoys seem to be ubiquitous, and forget that some other places only provide a buoy with a shackle on top

Amen to that.

You must have an extraordinary boat then.............but if no boathook in the world is long enough for you and the peasant crew aren't willing.....................

I do have an extraordinary boat, it's the second best boat in the world. As we all know, the best boat in the world is an Anderson 22 as you regularly remind us

I hope my wife doesn't get to see your view of her........she'd have you for breakfast......

 

[Seajet]

I'm truly sorry for you that your wife is so distracted by my transom, I really can't help it; as this is the only view you are likely to see should we ever meet, I suggest you get her some sedatives...

 

[Lakesailor]

Lakesailor,

I have the same folding step on my boat, it's a little painful on bare feet but a helluva lot better than nothing in an emergency.

My thoughts as well

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

For the design of a 40' plus sailing boat.




I am quite keen on an overhanging stern (although only moderately overhanging for efficiencies sake) and was wondering if a good system would be a large swim platform folding down to reveal a moderate sized dinghy locker. You would need to fold up a hatch to have steps down onto it (due to the overhang).

What are your thoughts?
Thanks.

For that size of boat I would guess that the actual transom would be close to 8 feet wide.

Assuming that this is so, I would question the need for a full width swimming platform and would probably design to have just the central third capable of being hinged back. This arrangement would add strength to the 'outer' transom and still be wide enough to be usable for swimming, showering, or even deploying a ten-man liferaft in an emergency. If workmanship is good (and I do not doubt that t will be) the hinged part would not be very evident, especially if the hull is dark-blue or similar.

 

[lw395]

If you have a simple flat bottom inflatable like an AX3, mooring it side-on to a sugar scoop stern or bathing platform is generally no problem.
I think in a 40ft boat, there are better uses for the space than elaborate dinghy garages.
Access off the stern is valuable when you're rafted up and want to use the dinghy.

But why build a unique boat with the same compromises as loads of readily available boats?

 

[pmagowan]

If you have a simple flat bottom inflatable like an AX3, mooring it side-on to a sugar scoop stern or bathing platform is generally no problem.
I think in a 40ft boat, there are better uses for the space than elaborate dinghy garages.
Access off the stern is valuable when you're rafted up and want to use the dinghy.

But why build a unique boat with the same compromises as loads of readily available boats?

What better uses? I will need somewhere to put the dingy and it seems a good idea to have it near where it will be deployed and recovered. There will be lockers above it but deep lockers are pointless as stuff is simply buried. With the bottom of the transom making a dinghy locker you get the best of both worlds. It is not going to be a dinghy garage for a fully inflated dinghy if that's your concern. It will only be the size required for a deflated and rolled up dinghy.

Why build it? A number of reasons; I will enjoy it. It will be satisfying. It will be my boat. I think I can do it better than any commercial builds I have seen.

The most important thing is the enjoyment. I like a challenge and I like doing new things. I want to build it, do electrics and electronics, cast the metal fittings, upholster it etc etc. Buying one would be too easy and not satisfying for me.

 

[Daydream believer]

For emergency use could you use fold down steps. The little Dockrell I bought has them

I know of a home completed gaffer that had a problem complying with regs for boarding so put them on the bow.
Having a deep forefoot & a huge bowsprit he has something to hold on to
However, he freely admits he would never want to try it in practice

 

[prv]

I know of a home completed gaffer that had a problem complying with regs for boarding

Must have been in Australia or France or somewhere similarly bureaucratic, I guess?

Pete

 

[lw395]

What better uses? I will need somewhere to put the dingy and it seems a good idea to have it near where it will be deployed and recovered. There will be lockers above it but deep lockers are pointless as stuff is simply buried. With the bottom of the transom making a dinghy locker you get the best of both worlds. It is not going to be a dinghy garage for a fully inflated dinghy if that's your concern. It will only be the size required for a deflated and rolled up dinghy.

Why build it? A number of reasons; I will enjoy it. It will be satisfying. It will be my boat. I think I can do it better than any commercial builds I have seen.

The most important thing is the enjoyment. I like a challenge and I like doing new things. I want to build it, do electrics and electronics, cast the metal fittings, upholster it etc etc. Buying one would be too easy and not satisfying for me.

So, you will have platform or sugar scoop, with a locker opening in the transom?
Seems to me you'll want a reasonable size platform to inflate/deflate/roll the ding on?
min 2-3ft of your 40ft LOA?
Could be wet if low to water and it's choppy?

Interesting idea though.

 

[pmagowan]

So, you will have platform or sugar scoop, with a locker opening in the transom?
Seems to me you'll want a reasonable size platform to inflate/deflate/roll the ding on?
min 2-3ft of your 40ft LOA?
Could be wet if low to water and it's choppy?

Interesting idea though.

My idea was for a hinged transom so that would only take a few inches to get the 'swim platform'. When you hinge it down the lowest part could open into a locker for the dinghy. If it was too rough I would simply tow the dinghy or pull it aboard in the normal way. I was also planing on having a solid dinghy on the deck. I was thinking I could design a nesting dinghy in such a way that it would store easily and could be much better as a rowing boat. I will be having most of my locker space in the aft 5 feet as it makes sense to push the aft cabins forward to get more space while having good storage on deck. I might also hide the gas, heaters etc in this space. I have also considered electric air generation for the dinghy and for dive cylinders.

 

[prv]

I was also planing on having a solid dinghy on the deck. I was thinking I could design a nesting dinghy in such a way that it would store easily and could be much better as a rowing boat.

Good plan - a hard dinghy is a great asset, that's usually unavailable to us due to production-boat deck layouts. Since you're designing the whole thing, you should be able to fit it in without too much difficulty.

I will be having most of my locker space in the aft 5 feet

Makes sense, just don't forget that you're juggling weight as well as space - a well-packed locker full of heavy gear weighs a lot more than a sleeping cabin. Having had two different boats with too much weight in the ends, and experienced the resulting motion in a seaway, I would take great care to avoid this in a new design.

Pete

 

[pmagowan]

Yes, my current boat has this problem mostly due to its small size and therefore the relative weight difference. When we start a cruise and have the cellar fully ladden we sit down at the bum quite significantly. I have to force the downstairs captain to allow me to stow heavy items forward. I am hoping that a larger boat will have a relatively smaller problem. Also my design will be much beamier. I will also have much of the heavy equipment over the keel, such as engine, fuel, water etc. This should improve stability and trim. Of course, in a bigger boat you also find more room to stow those things that may come in handy one year in a hundred. You know, like old screws with broken heads and bent shackles. Why do we keep them??

 

[Seajet]

This does not bode particularly well for the new boat, re loading; more space and load carrying ability = more junk !

A scorched earth policy is the only way, then start again; believe me it won't take long to find new stuff that ' might come in handy ' !

 

[pmagowan]

This does not bode particularly well for the new boat, re loading; more space and load carrying ability = more junk !

A scorched earth policy is the only way, then start again; believe me it won't take long to find new stuff that ' might come in handy ' !

I'm not that bad, or more precisely I am but I know it and can therefore take mitigating action. I now remove anything that does not have an immediate use or which isn't a safety requirment. If you can buy it at the next chandlery then there is no need to carry it about. I do keep a small tool chest and a box of 'useful bits' but then they are useful and come in handy most trips. On the new boat I will have the opportunity to design all these things in with custom tool chest and every thing in its place. Hopefully I won't need so many bits as everything will be new and working.

 

[Seajet]

OK, print that out and put it on a bulkhead !

 

[pmagowan]

OK, print that out and put it on a bulkhead !

I am going to build a new workshop at home and I was thinking of putting a sign on the door on the way out saying "Put it Back!".

 

[Daydream believer]

Must have been in Australia or France or somewhere similarly bureaucratic, I guess?

Pete

UK

 

[prv]

UK

OK, so what regulations are there that require boarding steps on a home-built boat?

Pete

 

[Seajet]

OK, so what regulations are there that require boarding steps on a home-built boat?

Pete

Common sense, which would take you and me a milion pages and quite a few ink cartridges, or zero if the OP engaged brain !