Low Tide

Yacht Designer Tad Roberts' Web Log
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Wooden seine boat Chelsea Lake. Sank 1987Documenting Historic BC Boats

Sailing Vessels

DRAGOON

By admin | Published: August 7, 2025
Dragoon Dragoon, an Ocean Racing Ketch Launched 1925 Built by H.W. Embree & Son in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia Designed by Ford, Payne, and Sweisguth Drawn by Francis Sweisguth (1882-1970) Built for Robert Bavier of City Island NY Contract price (firm) $6,795 LOA 66’6” LWL 55’0” Beam 14’6” Designed draft 8’6″ Ballast 27,000 iron outside[.....]

NEW WORLD

By admin | Published: July 30, 2025
New World New 8 JuneShow less The ocean racing schooner New World was launched in New Zealand about 1971. 69′ x 13′, of light plywood construction, with a displacement of 30,000 lbs, 11,600 lbs of ballast, flush decks and no engine, she was pretty different. Her design was a collaboration between designer/builder John Spencer, and[.....]

What is a “Bristol Channel Cutter”?

By admin | Published: April 26, 2021
Marketing doublespeak…….We’ll build a fat little boat and call it a “Bristol Channel Cutter”, that’ll bring in the rubes……And it did and still does. The Hess designs are in reality pretty much the exact opposite of the original Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter’s, in that they are wide with lot’s of form stability and minimal outside[.....]

Scow Schooner hull design

By admin | Published: March 15, 2018
Making a simple cardstock hull model of my 32′ x 11′ cruising scow schooner. Explaining a shape can sometimes be difficult. So I encourage potential builders to make a simple model. Even something very crude teaches all kinds of lessons in how a boat might go together. Having something to hold in your hand is[.....]

LOOKING AT STABILITY CURVES

By admin | Published: February 17, 2017
Stability information presented to the public is usually simplified to the point of being useless. When I see a published stability curve like that above, my reaction is “That’s nice and it looks good, but it tells me almost nothing.” It’s a nice graphic but key information is missing, mainly data on the conditions under[.....]

BLUENOSE AND COLUMBIA

By admin | Published: February 2, 2017
Bluenose and Columbia raced against each other in only two races in 1923. Bluenose was then 2 years old and Columbia brand new. Bluenose won both those races but the committee awarded the second race to Columbia due to Bluenose rounding a mark improperly. Angus Walters took exception and left Halifax without the issue being[.....]

Sheerline Problems

By admin | Published: September 26, 2016
Many think the sheer is the most important line on any boat. Get it right and all else is forgiven, get it wrong and nothing else matters. To some extent this is true, this one line in 3D space, must be attractive when viewed from any angle. If it’s filled with humps and hollows from[.....]

The Cogge Nonsuch

By admin | Published: May 10, 2016
In 1916 Douglas P. Urry was serving (probably RCN) in the North Sea. While reading off watch he came across mention of “the Cogge Thomas,” and started to wonder what that ship might look like. He wrote to his brother, F. Wavell Urry, in Vancouver, and Wavell started sketching. These drawings are the result, the[.....]

Pacific Proa cruiser

By admin | Published: July 11, 2015
There was an interesting minimal cruiser in the cove last night. A so called “Pacific” or “Flying” Proa, which carry the outrigger to windward. Main hull appeared to be skin on frame, about 28′-30′ long, beam might be 12′-16′. She had no trouble in sailing all over in this crowed bay, leaving the cove under[.....]

R2ak Dick Smiley leaving Silva Bay

By admin | Published: May 28, 2015
It was chaos for most of the day, but by late afternoon the boat was loaded and the dock was empty. Of course the wind was slowly dying all day. Around 15:30 they got away, headed to Vancouver for some minor sail work (fourth reef). I think they got some practice with the new 12′[.....]

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