Meadowbird
Bill Tosh
The original design was by Sam Rabl, called the
Titmouse - 15 feet...(quoting Rabl....he says "the design
has heritage in English "canoe yawls" that are used
for "sailing the broads"..This shape perhaps adds
credence to the trational tale." .....later redesigned
by Karl
Stambaugh (Naval Arch). - 16 feet......that's the
plans
I bought. I have modified it again and reduced "everything"
to 14 feet.....including all the lofting of bulkheads etc etc
etc.....just to make it a little easier to handle (for me) loading
and unloading.
I really liked the Sparrow 12 and used it at
Palacios last year, but it had one drawback and that was the
12" shoal keel......I had to anchor too far off the beach
and wade in,,,,tough going....
The Meadowbird (I haven't renamed it/her yet)
only has 5-1/2" keel and or skeg below the bottom, so I
can get in a lot closer, or even beach it. It has a swing keel
that gives about 30" of draft with it down.......
It could sleep two (close) but one is better
with gear. Has kinda of a "pop top" cabin that is
hinged in front and raised in the rear, for sitting headroom.
I'm hoping to hold the weight to under 600 pounds
.....maybe 500 ....should make her quite "snappy".....
I started early this year, and have just worked on it in spare
time (not much). The hull is "strip planked" with
3/4" wide by 1/2" thick Western Red Cedar with an
overlay of glass and 3 coats of epoxy, and 2 coats of paint.
Plans call for ply or planked decks, and I plan to deck with
1/4 ply and 1/4 cedar or cypress and finish bright ......should
look pretty good with the black hull. (I hope).
With any luck, I hope to be done before Palacios
and maiden voyage at Lake Palestine.......rrr