2 - Modifications in Design

I am going to modify the design of this sharpie somewhat. The cockpit is large, and without an outboard well, even larger. So, move the cabin back a couple of feet. Then, of course, the mizzen mast is where the companion hatchway is supposed to be, so, make it a yawl.

I asked my friend Stanley Woodward (Stanley built among other boats, Moccasin, designed by Phil Bolger, which is a shallow-draft yawl) what he thought about this.

A short note about Stanley and Moccasin taken from Phil Bolger's book, The Folding Schooner:  "Stanley demanded headsails (he's a demonic sail-carrier; I vividly recall beating out of a narrow inlet in his old Belasarius with a huge mizzen staysail taken in and reset every tack.) I suggested the log canoe topsail as more appropriate to the unstayed mast and more effective as well. He liked that, but in addition to the jib and later, the masthead reaching jib-cum-spinnaker as well. I never knew him to carry anything away and expect that he'll always take in that balloner just before the top of the mast would otherwise break off. She can set over twelve hundred square feet of sail and should be a great spectacle reaching in light airs.

Moccasin

So, Stanley took out a pencil and drew up what he felt might work right then and there on the trunk of my car. Lots more sail and a much more flexible sail plan here.

Stanley Woodward's sketch of Egret 31.5 as a yawl

Reuel Parker drew up this plan as a yawl with a sprit boom  mizzen.

Yawl Sail Plan with Sprit Boom Mizzen

Yawl plan and Inboard Profile

This plan has a plank bomkin similar to the bowsprit with a bobstay for reinforcement. This sail plan has the mizzen with a sprit boom leg-o-mutton sail. It could also be Bermudan but, according to Reuel, the sprit boom leg-o-mutton sail should allow a flatter sail shape (no lift), when reaching or running. This yawl version has more sail area, is a somewhat more flexible sail plan than the ketch, has a slightly smaller cockpit and larger interior making room for a wet locker. Here is a quote from Reuel about the rig which he had originally thought would have a Bermudan mizzen:  "I also drew a second Yawl sail plan with a sprit boom mizzen option (best for single-sheet point, and eliminating the need for a vang)."

A Bermuden mizzen has the advantage of being easy to reef, whereas with the sprit boom rig, this seems more difficult. Reuel doesn't believe there will be need to reef, but I'm in favor of it, although don't have any experience compared to him.

I asked Reuel about making this version with a raised or flush deck, and his response was "I don’t think there would be a great advantage to a raised deck on EGRET, although it has been done. My boatbuilding partner Bill Smith put a raised deck on LAHOMA (28’er), and it certainly made the interior larger. But that was a very moderate modification (low). With the high cabin height on your EGRET, a raised flush deck would be quite high, and you would lose your side decks for going forward. You would have to crawl over it carefully in any kind of seaway. It would also change the cockpit coaming arrangement (not much of a problem), and the round cabin front would be eliminated in lieu of a flat front, with the cabin sides extended forward slightly (like my Sea Bright 33 and 36). But the weight consideration is a problem also, again because EGRET is somewhat tender and sensitive to weight above LWL."