SEABRIGHT 33: A New Reuel Parker Design

Reuel Parker was kind enough to send me some study plans for an interesting design he drew recently that he calls the SEABRIGHT 33.  This boat really caught my attention and he probably knew it would appeal to me as I am most interested in those rare designs that combine shallow draft with offshore seaworthiness.  This really looks like a great boat: watertight bulkheads and built-in flotation,  trailerable and not too expensive or difficult to build, yet offering cruising for four with standing headroom in part of the cabin despite a draft of only 1' 9".

Here are a few of the drawings from the study plans:

 

SEABRIGHT 33

LOD:  35' 2"

LOD:  32' 3"

BEAM:  8' 6"

DRAFT:  1' 9"

DISPLACEMENT:  5,000lbs.

BALLAST:  2,000 lbs. lead foil laminated in keel

WATER:  70 gallons 

TYPE:  New Jersey Seabright Skiff. Suitable for sailing in coastal and offshore conditions.  This model is designed with watertight flotation compartments and accommodations for four with a small galley and head.  The type has an excellent record as a lifesaving vessel, and can be used as an island-hopper, coastal cruiser and ocean voyager.  Trailerable behind a vehicle rated for 6,000 lb. towing capacity. 

CONSTRUCTION:  Marine plywood covered with epoxy-saturated Xynole-polyester fabric.  The hull is frameless, being built over bulkheads.  Options for planking include lapstrake, chine log and stitch-and-glue. (Plans are drawn for stitch-and-glue).  Skill level required for construction is moderate to high (lapstrake hull).

OPTIONS:  An inboard diesel (2 cyl Yanmar 2YM15) may be installed under the forward end of the cockpit well as shown on a separate drawing.  An outboard in a well is not practical for this model.  This boat may be rowed standing in the cockpit or sculled using a 10' oar with heavy-duty rowlock mounted on the transom.  Permanent ballast consists of lead foil laminated inside the keel bottom on both sides of the CB trunk covered with 1/4" teak & holly plywood.  If trailerability is not desired, ballast may be increased to 2,500 lbs.  Standing headroom under the sliding hatch (in the galley) is 6' 3"; headroom at the table is 5' 6" with exposed beams, and 5' 7 1/2" with the foam-core deck option.  The deck may be raised no more than 2" if more headroom is desired. Additional rigs are available on a custom-design basis. 

Boatsmith's Tiki 30 Reduced Price

David Halladay has dropped the price on what is undoubtedly the finest and best-equipped Wharram Tiki 30 that has ever been built.  If you're looking for a professionally built Tiki 30 - a catamaran that can take you on long offshore passages, cruise shallow waters off limits to most boats and daysail with a party on board, you won't find a better one.  David says the boat has to go because there are new projects coming soon.  This has been the demo boat for Boatsmith, Inc., and has been shown in boat shows from Mystic, Connecticut to Miami.  At two years old, it has been meticulously maintained by the pros at Boatsmith and is ready for a new owner.

 
Here's his description of the boat and her inventory, as well as the reduced price:


Looking for the perfect boat to cruise the islands?  
Boatsmith is now offering Abaco for sale for $50,000.

This is a stellar example of a professionally built James Wharram Designs Tiki 30.  This boat has been our boatshow demo boat and is very well equipped.

There is a double and single berth in each hull with 4" foam cushions with Sunbrella covers The starboard hull also has the head and nav station with a storage area aft. The port hull includes the galley with a top loading icebox aft. There are two Bomar hatches and two opening Lewmar portlights in each hull for easy access and great ventilation. These all have screens as do the companion ways. The lights throughout the boat are LEDs. There are 6 lo amperage fans, a 1400 watt inverter, a 180 watt solar panel with controller.

The cockpit is shaded by a rigid anodized aluminum tube bimini with the solar panel mounted on top.  The cockpit is fully outfitted with 2" closed cell foam cushions with Sunbrella covers. Fuel, batteries, fenders, lines, BBQ and propane all are stored beneath the cockpit seats. There is a built in beverage cooler under one of the cockpit seats.  Under the fwd athwartships seat is storage for the boat hook, boat mop, fishing poles and spears.   The forward deck is slatted teak and the aft deck includes two trampolines and a teak swim ladder.  There is a stereo/CD/XM/Ipod and VHF and GPS chart plotter. The motor is a new Yamaha 9.9 HP with electric start and power tilt. The motor lives under an insulated box in the center of the cockpit.

This boat draws only 26" and the motor and rudders are protected when grounding. The sails are in excellent condition. The genoa is on a Harken roller furler and there is an asymmetrical spinnaker with a snuffer. The primary anchor is a 22 lb Rocna and there are two secondary Danforths. The boat has a matching 14' rowing dinghy and several large fenders and a full complement of mooring and dock lines.

To arrange a demo sail or for more information call (561) 632-2628.

Planning to Build a Reuel Parker Periagua 14

I've decided on Reuel Parker's unique Periagua 14 for the dinghy that I'll be using aboard my Tiki 26 catamaran when I launch it next year.  With an overall beam of 15 feet, I can accommodate a long, slender craft like the Periagua 14 on the forward deck area, without the ends hanging off the sides (although after discussing it with Reuel, I may shorten it by a foot or two).  I want something long and canoe or kayak-like, that is easy to row, but with good load-carrying ability and room for two or three passengers in dinghy service.  I have Bolger Nymph that I built for the monohull I had previously, and it's a great dinghy, but something longer and sleeker is more to my liking.  Here are some photos from Reuel Parker:

 

In the photo below, you can see the pronounced rocker, the flare in the hullsides, and the pram bow.  It's like a stretched pram in some ways, but also brings to mind the sharpie hull form, which is favorite of Reuel Parker, who is after all, the author of The Sharpie Book.  This boat is very similar to my own Backwoods Drifter design, except that the Drifter is wider in the bottom and has a flat run amidships with no rocker.  The Periagua 14 is a pure rowing craft, though Reuel says that he has modified his to accept a small outboard at times. 

Although it is long, this is a lightweight boat, weighing in at approximately 65 pounds, depending on materials used.  Here is Reuel Parker's description of the design:

PARKER MARINE ENTERPRISES

PERIAGUA 14

LOA                      14’

BEAM                   3’ 6 ½”

DRAFT                  4 ¼”

WEIGHT               65 lbs (approx)

The PERIAGUA 14 is derived from the drawings in Chapman’s Architectura Navalis. The type was used as a lighter and ferry on rivers and in harbors in Sweden in the 18th century. She looks like a long, narrow pram, and is surprisingly fast, maneuverable and easy to row. Despite her narrow beam, she has much better stability than the DORY 14 on the previous page.

Like the DORY 14, she is built around bulkheads (or frames) and transom, for which patterns are supplied. The bottom and sides are drawn to scale with measurements supplied--all that is necessary is to transfer the measurements to full-size plywood sheets (no lofting required). She may be built lapstrake if preferred.

The PERIAGUA 14 also has only one solid wood component--the sheer clamp. It is made by ripping a slot in the bottom of a hardwood 1x2, which in turn slides over the plywood sheer.

"I built the prototype in my barn in Maine in less than 10 hours, ready for sanding and painting. Mine has only one pair of rowing tholes, while the plans show two. These were originally made from grown knees—mine are plywood, and they work fantastically well (I think of them as “out-riggers”—like those used on sculls). However, they are also quite awkward, and I ended up cutting them down and installing right-angle-fitting bronze rowlock sockets."

David Halladay also built a Periagua 14 as a tender to his Tiki 30, Abaco. Here are some photos of his under construction and on the deck of the catamaran: