Recently, I received a note from Miles Quick in New Zealand about an old favorite of mine. You all know how much I respect and admire Pete Culler. His swampscott dory is simply perfect. It turns out, Miles thinks so too.
Miles was looking for a small boat to enjoy the excellent sailing conditions in Auckland, which lies across a volcanic isthmus separating two harbours. Waitemata Harbour to the east opens on the Hauraki Gulf and the Pacific Ocean. Westward, Manukau Harbour opens to the Tasman Sea.
Miles' view from the bus on the way to work.
For these waters he needed a well founded and seaworthy boat...
"I kept coming back to a boat I saw in the book 'Pete Culler on Wooden Boats'.
Now THAT is a fine looking boat. It has
all of the qualities I was looking for. Swampscott dories are good in
rough water. They were used for several decades as commercial fishing
vessels, first under oars and sail and later power. For sailing Captain
Pete argues persuasively for a 2 sprit-sail rig that is easily handled
in all conditions. A previous owner confirms that this is a fast and
exciting boat to sail. It rows well, and the plans are available from
Mystic Seaport. Definitely a boat worth considering."
Miles had never built a boat before and wanted to simplify the project by adapting to plywood a boat that was designed for traditional
construction.
"When
I sketched some ideas on paper I realised that with a few changes this
could be a very simple boat to build. I converted the frames to
bulkheads and moved the centreboard to sit squarely between the
bulkheads. This is simple and strong construction and removes the need
for oak frames. I converted the bulkheads into floatation chambers and
seat lockers and was pleased to see that not only did the layout make
sense, but the changes did not compromise the classic look
and feel of the boat."
By taking construction details from three modern designers, Iain Oughtred, David Nichols and Jim Michalak, Miles created a beautiful boat he is really proud of:
"The boat, to my biased eye, is good from every angle. The beauty of
Culler’s lines remains intact and the limitations of the builder are
mostly concealed."
Jim Michalak inspired the bulkhead design. The frame sections are from David Nichols' book on lapstrake canoes.
The planks are glue-lapped, Oughtred style.
Motor well and centerboard trunk are supported by the same bulkhead. Each end has a sealed floatation chamber.
The dory takes shape.
Nicely conceived, skillfully executed.
He is still working on the sail rig and for the mast positioning he is taking inspiration from Ross Lillistone's Periwinkle.
"The actual
sails are identical in size and shape to the original design, which has
a small mizzen with a sprit boom and a larger loose-footed main.
Culler’s essays describe how to get the best out of this classic rig:
when the weather turns bad you furl and stow the mizzen and add some
rake to the main; when it gets worse you reef the main, and when it
turns really bad you use the small sail to get home."
"There
is enough space between the 2 masts for a small canopy to protect skipper and crew
against the severe ultraviolet we experience in New Zealand."
"The
sail area is small (about 100 square feet), but that is one of the
things I like about the boat. By all accounts she is very fast with the
small rig. I hope to write a later report on how the sails and other
ideas work in practice."
We're looking forward to it, Miles! Thank you for taking the time to write.
Saw it yesterday. It's fantastic.
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