Samson C-Shell 36

[mjt]

Hi everyone.

I would like to obtain hull layout/structural plans for a Samson C-Shell 36. I'd also be interested in hearing from anyone who has owned or built one.

I own a 34 year old ketch rigged example of the species which I am currently working over with a fine toothed comb.

Hartleys in New Zealand, who sell the Samson designs nowadays, do not have that design and are unable to get plans for it and as far as I know Samson designs are no more.

Thanks!

[emmo]

Hi,
if It is any help I have plan for a C-mist, 32 ft.

Emmo

[mjt]

Originally Posted by emmo

if It is any help I have plan for a C-mist, 32 ft.

Emmo

Thanks Emmo.

What I want to know is how the compression posts (mine is a ketch so there are two of them) are set in the floor/keel.

They go straight into the concrete and I am wondering whether they are connected to any other steel inside the keel.

If so, what kind of steel is specified (tube, solid steel rod, old railway line etc) and how would it be connected.

Different boat so I suppose they are likely to be different, but I would like to hear what your plans say.

[4900bruce]

hi I have recently purchased a samson c-shell.It was sold to me as a sea shell and it is 11.4 m (37.6ft) on deck . I have found on board since some plans for a samson c-bird (36 ft ).the previose owner builder has drawn on the c-bird plans the internall acomadation which happen to match the way he has built the insides of my boat .I am not sure what samson designed boat I have brought.
To answer your question .the mast post sits on solid concrete in the bilges which is purposly built at the time of building.the pole is held in place by 4 s/s bolts going through a s/s flange welded to the pole.
The bolts would have been set into the ferro while it was still wet.hope this helps.
I would like to hear more about the c-shell design as you and I may have the only two in the world.Have done google search-nothing.

[mjt]

Originally Posted by 4900bruce

hi I have recently purchased a samson c-shell.It was sold to me as a sea shell and it is 11.4 m (37.6ft) on deck . I have found on board since some plans for a samson c-bird (36 ft ).the previose owner builder has drawn on the c-bird plans the internall acomadation which happen to match the way he has built the insides of my boat .I am not sure what samson designed boat I have brought.
To answer your question .the mast post sits on solid concrete in the bilges which is purposly built at the time of building.the pole is held in place by 4 s/s bolts going through a s/s flange welded to the pole.
The bolts would have been set into the ferro while it was still wet.hope this helps.
I would like to hear more about the c-shell design as you and I may have the only two in the world.Have done google search-nothing.

Wow, a reply! Yes, the C-Bird looks very similar to the C-shell.

There was a supposed C-Shell for sale recently at Mooloolabah which I suspected might have been a C-Bird. It was a very nice boat. The only obvious difference to me on the very basic layout plans I have seems to be that the C-Shell is a ketch, the C-Bird a sloop. That may be incorrect as the rigging layout is often an option on yacht plans anyway.

There was another possible C-shell moored in the Brisbane River near the Hamilton reach recently.

Thanks very much for the info. Unfortunately I don't have much more hard information than I had when I originally poted the above message!

[4900bruce]

hi mjt,I brought the c-shell that was at mooloolaba.I have more experiance with ferro boats than most and I am happy with the hull and its build history.
I hate the exterior paint colours (comes out of water this weekend for new paint job and antifoul) and the interior is a shocker.
There should be a law that says if you have not done at least 1 years boat building experiance you should not be a loud to complete the insides of any boat.
I sailed it down to sydney at xmas and 28 may i depart for new caledonia so am very happy with purchase.
the plans I found on board (c-bird) shows a ketch rig and it is 36 ft on deck but my boat I am assured by owner builder is a c-shell ( he spelt it sea shell) and mine is 37.6 ft on deck .
you say your c-shell is 36 ft on deck-is mine streched or yours shortened or do you have a c-bird.

[Boracay]

If my memory serves me right it was quite common for amateur builders to lengthen a boat by increasing the distance between the frames.

The frames were often made over full size plans so it was quite a job to increase the beam.

So the way to check which set of plans your boat was built from the best way would be to measure the beam.

[mjt]

Bruce, I've emailed you off-line and we can work out those details over the phone if you like this evening. Sounds like you got a good boat.

Thanks Boracay for the additional info!

[4900bruce]

mjt I look forward to talking with a fellow c-shell owner.
Boracay,yes you are correct about amateurs changing the plans that they purchased from a reputable designer .Richard Hartley did say that is what could be the downfall off ferro boats.
I will scale the plans I found on board to find the beam and see how it matchs up with my c-somthing.

[Borealis]

Originally Posted by 4900bruce

hi I have recently purchased a samson c-shell.It was sold to me as a sea shell and it is 11.4 m (37.6ft) on deck . I have found on board since some plans for a samson c-bird (36 ft ).the previose owner builder has drawn on the c-bird plans the internall acomadation which happen to match the way he has built the insides of my boat .I am not sure what samson designed boat I have brought.
To answer your question .the mast post sits on solid concrete in the bilges which is purposly built at the time of building.the pole is held in place by 4 s/s bolts going through a s/s flange welded to the pole.
The bolts would have been set into the ferro while it was still wet.hope this helps.
I would like to hear more about the c-shell design as you and I may have the only two in the world.Have done google search-nothing.

Hello, I just found this Forum thru google about 30 minutes ago, so I registered after reading this column. I live in Port Townsend, WA and have Samson C-Shell, 1980. I bought her last year and put in the water July 07. I really like the boat, was built in CA. I have a book that came with the boat, small blue cover, Titled something like 'Building a Ferro Cement Boat', written by the Samson designer. It has some good details in the back showing the more complicated parts of the boat.
My boat seems to be a combination of the C-Shell and (C-Bird?). Its got a raised house over the galley and chart table, ketch rig, port side double berth forward of midship. Excellent interior finish.

[AudreyK]

Originally Posted by 4900bruce

hi mjt,I brought the c-shell that was at mooloolaba.I have more experiance with ferro boats than most and I am happy with the hull and its build history.
I hate the exterior paint colours (comes out of water this weekend for new paint job and antifoul) and the interior is a shocker.
There should be a law that says if you have not done at least 1 years boat building experiance you should not be a loud to complete the insides of any boat.
I sailed it down to sydney at xmas and 28 may i depart for new caledonia so am very happy with purchase.
the plans I found on board (c-bird) shows a ketch rig and it is 36 ft on deck but my boat I am assured by owner builder is a c-shell ( he spelt it sea shell) and mine is 37.6 ft on deck .
you say your c-shell is 36 ft on deck-is mine streched or yours shortened or do you have a c-bird.

Bruce, do you mind if I ask what you payed? IIRC that boat was for sale for quite a while, and I will be in the market in a couple of months and would like some idea of what % off asking price to start the negotiations at.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Samson Owners,
A good friend of mine here on the Island of Hawaii used to run the Samson yard in LA when they were building boats. If you are interested I'll try to get him to join in the on the the discussion by joining the forum.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[4900bruce]

Hi Borealis,mine is the same ,parts are c-shell and other parts are c-bird.my cabin roof line is all one line as in the sea bird plans and it is mast head sloop but has innerforestay and running back stays.
I have since since seen another c-shell and spoke to builder owner,his has raised cabin roof at rear and is ketch rigged.he is very happy with design and has sailed from sydney to tasmania and back a few times and my experiance with this boat so far show design is strong and reasonably fast for a heavy boat.
Audreyk yes the boat was for sale for a while .I believe it was sold three times but when it came time for buyer to pay that person had not been able to raise money required.one buyer was selling his farm and at last minute his buyer pulled out.lucky me.
I did not purchase boat for much less than asking price as I believe I was getting a good deal even at asking price.if I took all the gear of boat and sold them I would get my money back twice.
when you come to buy you will have seen what is available . If your lucky one will stand out from the rest . make your offer based on how much you think it is worth remembering that you can always increase the offer if you need to.
good luck.
skiprjohn
that would be interesting,never know what we might learn about our boats.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha 4900bruce,
I invited him to join today but he is a busy guy so maybe he won't. He has photos and slides of his yard and the projects that they turned out. Very knowledgeable. Hope he joins in soon.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[dlam]

hi 4900bruce
i own a c-bird 37 cutter, is there any chance of getting the specs from you?
the discrepancies in these designs are ridiculous even from samson marine.
samsons book on ferro-cement 1968 shows the c-bird with the c-shells underbody, specs, and designer, peter noble i think.
the sailing seventies 1978 or so, shows a different boat designed by cecil norris, as the c-bird. which is my own.
a friend of mine had a c-shell, mid seventies, never finished, she had a raised doghouse, narrower beam, and different keel shape than the c-bird.
dlam