A PRETTY TRADITIONAL FIFTEEN FOOTER
Long time ABBA member, Michael Wade is building a “Navigator” designed by New Zealander, John Wellsford. This is a 15’ long sloop rigged, open sailing boat. The plywood construction appears to be multi chined (4 per side) but is actually of lapstrake construction with five major plywood panels comprising the bottom and sides each side of the keel area. The construction details have been well described in the March April 2003 newsletter with a progress update in the Feb Mar 2015 newsletter. (follow the Library tab on the website www.abba.org.au to access all the previous ABBA newsletters)
The major statistics of the Navigator are as follows;
- Length 14’ 10” (4.5m)
- Beam 6’ (1.8m)
- Draft 3’4” (1.0 m) approx board down
- Weight 308 lbs (140 Kg)
- Sail Area 136 ft2 12.6 m2)
The Navigator is constructed over a building frame with frame stations at 500mm centres. The frames and bulkheads are from 6mm ply forward and 9mm ply from amidships aft, doubled up at the stringer notches. The transom and deck are both 6mm ply. 9mm is also used in the bottom panel and the centre case sides while three layers of the same material are laminated up to make the stem. The second to fifth strakes, or panels, are 6mm ply, which will make the boats lighter above the waterline.
The drawings detail three alternative rigs – gaff/gunter, sloop and lugsail. Mike is planning to rig his Navigator as a gaff-rigged sloop .
