Thread: Best 12' dinghy

The rudder size on the E scows was instrumental in me trying the tiny rudder on Beth. Which works fine.

The trick is if the hull is more or less symmetrical fore and aft then the rudder doesn't load up when the boat heels.

But you do have to steer the boat with the sails a fair bit. Lucky this one has such big ones - the steering must be excellent!

MIK

I think this is the only video available on the net of South Africa's premier junior development sailing class, the 12' Dabchick scow. This highly successful class is the reason the Optimist and Mirror classes were never really successful in that country.

Posting this here to complement the earlier pics.

In this video, the Dabchicks seem to battling a strong current and a gusty breeze. Too bad the video doesn't show their amazing off-the-wind performance.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBf7FTxTnt8"]YouTube - video-2010-10-30-15-36-39.3gp[/ame]

Hi Bruce,

I was looking at how similar their behaviour was to a fireball upwind.

And then noticed you had some nice shots of a fireball moving along well.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h3OsEhdh-8]YouTube - video-2010-11-20-14-13-27.3gp[/ame]

Very nice. Even the finale has some class about it!

MIK

Speaking of Fireballs, it is featured in WoodenBoat Magazine’s Small Boats 2011 issue. Small Boats Magazine

Something I was not aware of was that in the 1980s there was a slight revision in the shape of the bow to provide it with more buoyancy to prevent nosediving. This prompted has prompted the use of a building mould to get the shape right. Ours were simply stitched and folded up. Also, in more recent times a development sub-class of the Fireball has emerged.

I can't remember getting the Fireball to plane upwind, but I imagine this would be possible on flat inland water with a lightish crew. Nearly all my Fireball sailing was offshore in waves, so not good for upwind planing potential, but plenty of opportunity to make up for it downwind!

An interesting article.

Howdy

The local Fireball club members on Pittwater were responsible for building one of the prototypes of the stitch boats to make sure it measured.

That would have been about '78 from memory.

Pittwater had a big fleet - about 40 boats many of which sailed at one club Saturday (BYRA) and my club on Sunday (Palm Beach Sailing Club - now the Pittwater Catamaran Club).

MIK

It just amazes me how much development of plywood boats went on in Australia. When I was first here as an exchange student from South Africa in 1974 and I saw the boats being sailed on Lake Macquarie, I was green with envy. Skates, skiffs, VJs, Moths, NS14s etc. Lots of "development" classes which we didn't have in Africa.

Africa was Finns, Flying Dutchmen, 505, OKs, Fireballs, Tempos, Sprogs, Dabchicks, Enterprise, GP14s, Mirror, South African Sharpie, Spearhead etc. All 'one design', very "English" and nothing "development".

Add to that the multihulls - mostly the A class cats, which were restricted too. The B-Class open class was blown to bits with the arrival of the Tornado - all the other designers realised how far behind they were compared to that amazing boat.

Cherubs were another class that fed into the performance equation.

MIK

I think the BoatMik is spot on regarding the size. Light enough to handle ashore, lone enough to carry enough sail for performance.

With the cruise/potter/race perhaps Tom Dunderdate's Megan/Iota would be suitable.

Megan, an Iceni 12, 4 plank stitched seam balanced lug day boat plans

Racing... The Raid 41 is an interesting concept, with bilge runners large enough to assist reboarding after a capsize, maybe Boatmik would reappraise his concerns with the design. If not, how about a stretched Europe moth?