Colin Archer

[unbusted67]

What boats did Colin Archer design? I know he had a hand in the west sail 32 and I love his lines. Just curious.

[Morgan Paul]

Robin Knox-Johnston sailed one of his boats. He was first to single hand nonstop around the world.

[unbusted67]

I have been reading this book where a couple sail a boat modeled around "Joshua", Moitessierre's boat. I think it was designed by Colin Archer. The boat is bad ass, to put it bluntly. It's called "Northern Lights". The couple named a book of photography after it.

[swagman]

Sorry, sounds picky, but a small correction.

Robin K-J was in fact the 33rd person to circumnavigate the globe solo under sail. He was indeed first to go port to port non-stop - but not first around the globe non stop.
Moitessierre beat him to that record in the same solo event. He is officially the first man solo to circumnavigate via 5 capes, albeith he did not win the port to port race.
Ref source:
http://www.solocircumnavigation.com/...ators.htmRobin

And yes, if any boat can be called bass ass, IMHO Robins does look that way to me too.
Cheers
JOHN

[Celestialsailor]

I have an Ingrid 38 that was originally designed by Colin Archer (which he was Knighted for) and later modified by William Atkins.

[GordMay]

The WS32 is descended (through Atkins, Kendall, & Crealock) from the Colin Archer 47' Pilot Boat “Regis Voyager” (designed in the 19Th century).

“A History of the Westsail” ~ as edited by Lynne & Snider Vic
Westsail History

Westsail 32 ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Westsail 32 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[cat man do]

Also the Wiki on Colin Archer Colin Archer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia you can see he spent time in Rockhampton, im Queensland Australia, which is where I will be based when the boat goes in.

Dave

[unbusted67]

Funny article about the westsails, Gord.

Although Robin KJ's boat is very hardy I was referring to this boat when I said bad ass:
Amazon.ca: Books: Time on Ice: A Winter Voyage to Antarctica

I know everyone says that the full-keeled-heavy-displacement-12"-thick- shrouds thing is doesn't necessarily make a good boat, but damnit if I don't have a bit of a thing for tanks. Am I alone here people?

[swagman]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Funny article about the westsails, Gord.

Although Robin KJ's boat is very hardy I was referring to this boat when I said bad ass:
Amazon.ca: Books: Time on Ice: A Winter Voyage to Antarctica

I know everyone says that the full-keeled-heavy-displacement-12"-thick- shrouds thing is doesn't necessarily make a good boat, but damnit if I don't have a bit of a thing for tanks. Am I alone here people?

Hopefully

John

[Jonathan Reiter]

The only thing I know for sure about Colin Archer is he designed the Norwegian Rescue Services' 47 foot gaff ketch "Oscar Tybring" named for Dr. Oscar Tybring, the NRS' founder. At the time I sailed in her out of San Diego in 1968, she still held the record for lives saved at sea by a sailing vessel, according to her owners. She would put to sea in all weather taking crew off ships foundering in the North Sea and providing a stable platform in order to care for survivors. I have sat below on a hot day with every porthole, hatch and companionway shut and felt perfectly comfortable feeling a cool stream of air coming uo out of the grate set into the cabin sole. In 12 kns. or 80, Oscar would only do 4 kns. through the water. In 1947 a diesel engine was added. She was one of the great boats I had the priviledge to sail in.

[roverhi]

Colin Archer was a Norwegian Naval Architect and boat builder of Scottish descent. He was hired by the Norwegian government to to create a design for a standard North Sea rescue boat called a Redningsselskapet. He came up with a double ended design of about 48' in length that reflected local traditions in design as well as incorporating his own theories. The boats proved to be very good for their intended use and a number of boats were built to this design for the Norwegian Government and quite a few copied for use as private yachts. He did extensive study on the water flow around hulls and his findings are still used today though his basic design idea was in error. The most famous boat he designed and built is the Fram that was used for arctic exploration.

William Atkins was hired to design a miniaturized version of the Redningsselskapet. He came up with the 32' Eric/Thistle design that was copied by Vito Dumas and Robin Knox Johnston for their around the world voyage boats and that of many others. At one time, the design held the record for the number of boats that had circumnavigated. A guy by the name of Kendall came up with the idea to build the Eric in fiberglass with design help from Bill Crealock. Kendall ran afoul of the IRS and Snyder and Lynn Vick bought the molds, a hull or two and one partially finished boat at a tax sale With really creative marketing by Lynn Vick, that was the initial impetus for the Westsail 32.

William Atkins designed a number of double enders in his long career and that of his son John. The 32' Eric/Thistle were probably the most successful for the number built. Interestingly, the guy that hired Atkins to create the Eric stiffed him on the design. The 38' Ingrid design was probably the best of the Atkin double enders for sailing ability winning a couple of prestigious west coast races. That design was copied in the Alajuela and the hoard of Ingrids from the PNW. The best looking of the Atkin's designs, in my mind, is Cape George 36 originally built by Cecil Lange and now his son. It's an outboard rudder but a transom stern with a bit more length and narrower beam that built a reputation for speed in a wooden version in the PNW. Atkin's plans are still available from William's Grandson. http://www.atkinboatplans.com/

[Hydra]

Bernard Moitessier's Joshua was designed by Jean Knocker, not Colin Archer.

Alain

[Billy Higgins]

Comparing any two boats with the same linear and mass dimensions, the boat with the Colin Archer stern will pitch more in all conditions (including at anchor), have less room on deck aft (making rudder and s/s gear repair difficult), and will have a lower top speed off the wind. It may be slightly better ballanced, but not necessarily by much. In really heavy weather the heavy displacement Colin Archer will pull a larger stern wave which may enable a steep following sea to break aboard sooner than the same sea would break aboard a counter-sterned vessel. I have delivered a Westsail 32 and cruised a Tahiti ketch, so I do have on-board experience with these very salty, if cumbersome little ships.
A canoe stern like some of L.F. Herreshoff's designs, for example, is another stern altogether, and it fits a completely different type of hull - lighter, leaner, faster.

[TeddyDiver]

A couple of remarks.. Redningsselskapet is Norwegian rescue association. The boat CA made (as a designer and boatbuilder) was redningskøite as rescue cutter. He made also pilot cutters and ketches and also some expedition ships like FRAM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fram'
He never did any cruisers and all of the "Colin Archer" cruisers are more or less modified models of the originals
BR Teddy

[Butler]

Thanks Billy... Appreciate the real world experience with our double-enders and I think "cumbersome little ships" says it about right.

I look forward to learning more about my own double ender this way. So far I would add comfortable to the cumbersome as I have not noticed any more tendancy to pitch than a Tripp designed square transomed sailor with long overhangs I once owned and sailed a lot. While on a mooring during a storm recently I noticed that we were riding more smoothly than the medium displacement and light displacement boats sharing the field. This may be a function of the speed of the pitching motion given our much heavier displacement but we weren't "chumming" all night like two of our neighbors were. I have also noticed a difference in comfort in a rolly anchorage between our boat and another I was recently on where the ballast at 50% was all located deep in the keel ( a tendancy to "whip" back and forth) whereas our ballast is about 1/3rd in the keel itself ant the rest is spread out in stores and lead pigs so the motion, once again is easier/slower if not less deep. This is how I understand it works with the Tahitis as well. As I said... looking forward to more open water experience in our Dreadnought. Great stuff all! Thanks