BETH - Sailing Canoe

[Boatmik]

One Boat we haven't spent much time talking about is my design #1. (I don't keep track of design numbers at all - I think i grew so confusted at design number 6 I just thought it was pointless.

It was BETH the sailing canoe. (actually Robhosailor did talk about it a few times and has done a polish article on Beth on the web).

Robhosailor sent me a picture of where he would sail Beth - a lake not too far from his house - so I did a bit of photoshopping to tease him to alter the picture he sent me a little. He did claim he would be the first to sail a BETH on this lake - however I have photographic evidence that I was first - just don't be too concerned that the wind is coming from the opposite direction.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/2539770643_542eb83e9b.jpg

Part of the reason BETH is less visible I try always to direct more experienced sailors towards her - she does take extra skill to handle being so light, narrow and fast. I generally compare her to a Laser - most people can sail a Laser OK in 10 knots or less of breeze. Once it gets over 10 it takes more skill to prevent capsizes - but good sailors will seldom capsize. When you get up to around 20knots of breeze even the top Laser sailors will go over sometimes. They get right back up again of course.

A second reason I haven't pushed the plans is that they are only on paper for now. Meaning they have to be posted from Australia if they are ordered from Duckworks in the USA or Seawing in the UK (or CKD in S. Africa)

Soon, Soon.

Imagine my surprise today on my weekly visit to Duck Flat to find a fist full of photos from a chap called Dennis who build one a few years back and has used it regularly. He is having to sell it to increase his shed space - he sent some pics of his shed too!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2074/2530716007_6eb44ce619.jpg

Anyway ... Pics speak louder than words ...
(BTW the mainsail needs to have the yard at the top slid a bit further forward relative to the mast and the sail a little bit lower.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2019/2531532416_4c8066cea5.jpg

This is one very nicely built boat! Very pretty indeed - the only defect I can spot is that he has used the plastic clamceats for the mizzen sheet and downhaul. Swap over to the more compact alloy one for the downhaul (CL217mk2) and put a cam cleat (the spring action type) on the tiller head for the mizzen sheet (better for quick release and rapid trimming) and the boat is defectless.

You can see why I love this boat!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2391/2530717879_781c88d8c3.jpg

Considering it is a Bolger style Box! (with a few storer touches)
and some nice ones from the owner too - dig the rudder fittings!

The rudder blade is non standard - The original one is the same depth but tapered a bit to the bottom. Dennis' version is easier to shape with one template only. How can the boat get away with such a small rudder?

You need to use the sails a little too if you want to really spin her. But responsiveness under rudder is good too.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2335/2530718345_c319fffcf3.jpg

A trad boat that can sail round a racecourse equal with club level Lasers.

:)

This is a pic of me sailing the original Mk1 BETH at Clayton Bay - the mainsail is reefed - it was a bit blowy. Note that there is water in the bay in this shot. It is all dry now - you wouldn't see a drop of water in this pic and the water would be around 60 to 100 metres to the left of this location. I have just under 3ft of centreboard down in this pic.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2288/1599911441_c3bb83a014.jpg

MIK

[KJL38]

Hi Mik, I'm curious about what happens when you dump it in Beth, does she get much water in her and does it need to be manually bailed?

regards
Kelvin

[Boatmik]

Howdy Kevin,

Yes - you do have to bail. You could fit a self bailer - but I don't like them because they always leak after some time.

A boat that comes up dry is a great boon but also can have disadvantages.

Generally they float quite high on their sides so they
1/ Tend to turn turtle very quickly (unless they have wooden or sealed masts).
2/ It can be a big reach to the centreboard to pull the boat upright.
3/ The boat is so high out of the water it can blow away from the crew.

I did think it through when I designed her. Went with bailing because I wanted the deep cockpit for sleeping, to keep the weight and construction complication down and because I was expecting her to be fast I was a bit concerned about #3.

Because sometimes fast boats and the sailor get separated as they go over.

Anyway the balance was tipped in the direction of bailing.

If someone was concerned they could put tanks under the side decks, but the cockpit would be very cramped. 32" - 7 -7.

For a less cruising design you could bring the front tank back about 400mm and the back tank forward about a foot. I would be tempted to fit the coaming to follow the current outline - so the front and rear would be thin strips glued to the deck.

MIK

[Theodor]

Mik,

I must admit that I have been slightly deceived by BETH. Having not seen many pictures up close of BETH, I assumed she was just a canoe with sails. However it looks like she is actually of a boat design, just thin and long like a canoe. I didn't realise she had some significant decking to the point where she is pretty enclosed. A mini Caledonian Yawl??

I have just had a quick geek at your website and now I realise that 1. the pictures aren't too clear compared to the ones above; 2. I hadn't noticed the absence of paddles in all the pictures.

So how would you compare the BETH build to your other popular builds (PDR, GIS, etc)?

Mark

[robhosailor]

MIK

Thank you a lot for new beautiful Beth's photos!!!
I like them VERY MUCH!!!

[Boatmik]

Howdy Theodor,

Beth is super simple for the hull but more complex for the deck. In some ways it is actually easier than the Eureka Deck as the deck covers the edge of the hull all the way round - which is the big complicating factor with those little decks of the Eureka.

Then there are the centreboard and rudder and the six spars to make.

All the bits that are extra work are to make her beautiful - the deck, the spars, the coaming, the neat connected rope tiller.

You can see why Bolger will avoid all those bits as far as possible to make his boats faster to build.

Remember though ... Beth really is for more experienced sailors - most people can sail a Caledonia Yawl OK, but they will get wet in Beth if they make a mistake.

The main reason for designing Beth is that I have had many lightweight sailing boats - including some lighter than Beth (Moths) but their bulk and complication meant that the singlehanding was on the water but you always had to ask people for a hand when on land to move the boat.

But Beth works in two ways - she is light enough to lug by myself (or she was 10 years ago - not so much now after the "bicycle accident") - and she is so gorgeous and unusual that there is always someone wandering over to have a look anyhow!

And i can ask them to help!

Michael

[robhosailor]

Recently Boatmik prepared his new photo album of Beth photos on his Flickr web page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boatmik/sets/72157605586297710/

[Boatmik]

Another BETH thread is here
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?p=797287#post797287

And on my webpage
http://www.storerboatplans.com/Beth/beth.html