Low Tide

Yacht Designer Tad Roberts' Web Log

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Dragoon, an Ocean Racing Ketch

Dragoon, an Ocean Racing Ketch Launched 1925 Built by H.W. Embree & Son in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia Designed by Ford, Payne, and Sweisguth Built for Robert Bavier of City Island NY Contract price (firm) $6,795 LOA 66’6” LWL 55’0” Beam 14’6” Extras (owner’s additions) Ratsey sails $1270 Engine installed $1000 Hollow spars $1000 Capstan[.....]

The Hinckley Sou’wester 70 story

This is the story…..Anything I say about the H70 will be from memory as I recall it, others probably see things differently. I think the H70 project started in about 1990. At the time Hinckley engineering consisted of 3 people, Peter Smith, Steve Weiss, and Chris Van Heerdon. This was pre Picnic Boat; Hinckley was[.....]

An Interview With Me!

Bob Wise over at Boat Bits published an interview this morning……..Sort of a “where does it all come from and where’s it going?” At least he didn’t ask which boat is my favorite….the un-answerable question…….. Here it is – Chat with Tad Roberts And here are a couple of favorites…….the hard-working Sophie & Seka in[.....]

Fritzi Ann and the Stability of Fishboats

The picture above is the Fritzi Ann as she was built in 1969 by Harold Remmem. Nice looking boat. Seaworthy looking boat. With some study we can see her relationship to the smaller (42′) sisters discussed in my earlier post on Remmem Boatworks. At approximately 52’10” overall the Fritzi Ann is (as far as I[.....]

LESSONS IN APPROPRIATE ARCHITECTURE

Lessons in Appropriate Architecture Appropriate architecture (design) applies to both buildings and boats, as well as all the other manufactured items we use every day. Appropriate materials, aesthetics, how something fits in terms of surrounding environment, use, and historic context are all central to appropriate design. My first lessons in architecture came from my Grandfather,[.....]

The Trolling Cockpit

The Trolling Cockpit Trolling is a fishing method utilizing hooks and lures being towed through the water at low speed. In BC trollers target salmon, mainly springs (Chinook) but also coho, sockeye, pinks (humpies), and Chum (Dogs). The work of setting out and hauling back these lures (hopefully with fish attached) is done from the[.....]

Harold Remmem and Remmem Boat Works

Harold Remmem and Remmem Boat Works The 1960’s were boom years for wooden boat builders in BC. Remmem Boat Works was one of many busy shops building fishboats on the Fraser River. Rob Morris of Western Mariner relates that in the 1960’s the Remmem shop had a 10 man crew building three boats at a[.....]

Vito Dumas and Lehg II

It’s almost 70 years since Vito Dumas sailed around the world alone in his 31’6″ Manuel Campos designed Lehg II. In 272 days at sea he sailed approximately 20,400 miles Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires through the roaring 40’s with stops at Cape Town, Wellington NZ, and Valparaiso, Chile. First Singlehander to survive rounding the[.....]

Sail Assisted Powerboats

This is a type we see very seldom any more. The sail-assisted powerboat or as this design from Al Mason is termed, an “Auxiliary Motor Cruiser”. I guess the auxiliary part is the short sail plan. Having just heard from the owner of the new Timbercoast Troller concerning performance under sail, a short rig coupled[.....]

The Real Weight of Powerboats

There is currently a moderate amount of interest by both designers and consumers in lighter weight (displacement) powerboats. The sketch above is a 11,000 pound displacement 35′ boat. At this weight she can just manage a top speed of 12 knots (in flat water) with a single 60HP outboard, burning 6usg per hour, roughly 2[.....]

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