Sorry Graeme, but you made a mistake in your mail today. You said, “Good one Slieve”. That should read, “Good one Alec and Peter”.

I started them off by suggesting that they tried to use straight lines and eventually they worked out that the width of the 3 stations and the flare of the sides controlled the shape, and by trial and error, and another cereal packet found a shape they liked. It was them who rocked the basic frame on the flat panel to 'loft' the bottom panel, not me.

As for them now drawing up the rig, they are busy with tests and GCSE exams for the next two weeks, but on Sunday 30^th are coming for dinner so I'll be able to chat to them then. Alec will be spending a few days with us in the following couple of weeks so the rig could be a good project for him then. I may have guided them and asked the questions, but the design came from their answers.

Cheers, Slieve.

Over the last two evenings I have spent a couple of hours knocking up a quick model of Slieve’s dinghy design KISS. I just wanted to see how easily these simple straight-line pieces could be made into 3-dimensional curves.

First evening: loft four pieces just using a ruler and a protractor. (Actually I could not find my protractor but I found an old set of trig tables so I drew the angles on the plywood by linear measurement – more accurate anyway). Wrap the sides around the centre frame and attach to the bow and stern transoms. Apply epoxy fillet.

It just went together almost by itself, no force required, I jambed the side planks in place with a few blocks of wood and a couple of tiny screws – and introduced some thickened epoxy fillets. (Its too small for stich or tape. The scale is 1:50 so they are giant fillets and the epoxy alone will be enough for a model  edit: silly mistake. its 1:5).

Two hours.

Next evening – clean up – rock the bottomless hull on a fresh piece of plywood and draw around it, thereby lofting the bottom panel. (Good one, Slieve). Support the bottom panel on a block of wood each end and press the hull down to it. Everything fits. Apply epoxy. Two hours.

Magic. A curved hull from straight-line lofting.

Building the hull in full size won’t be much more difficult than that.

I reckon this is easier and quicker than building a box.

It’s a nice shape too. The only curved plywood cuts are the transom tops – and those two curves are what transforms this plain little punt into something special and cute – an inspired touch.

I wish all my projects would be as quick and easy, and satisfying as this.

In the real case, I doubt that stitching will be necessary. Could the glass tape be left out too? I don't know the answer to that.

Of course, a real dinghy needs thwarts, a belting, four knees and a centreboard case - maybe a skeg too? So I would say the job is only half done. Leaving out buoyancy chambers saves heaps of time, weight and surface area to finish. The cost of inflatable  buoyancy bags to stuff under the thwarts is about equal to the cost of inspection ports for plywood buoyancy tanks, so buoyancy bags is the way I would go.

Not for the first time, I take my hat off to Slieve - who I now implore to draw up a quick rig. That's all it needs. The construction details are sufficient as they are.

And I wouldn't add any extra beam - I'd leave it exactly as it is.

Referring to the portfolio of designs:

John seems to have been the only entrant who has drawn on Chinese culture in his design. He says that his entry, Boxer, is based on two similar Chinese sampans recorded by Worcester in "The Junks and Sampans of the Yangtze" and for interest sake, for those who don't have a copy, here are the two I assume John was thinking of.

(Sorry for the rough photography and distortion, didn’t have time to do a better job. I think the book can be downloaded from the JRA library).

Fangtou (方頭  or 方头 ) literally means “square head”

It is between 12’ and 18’ in length, propelled by yuloh (or sometimes a sprit sail) and (Howard will be interested to see) it features a false bow, incorporating a tiny floodable bow compartment.

The other I assume to be this one:

Yaolu Huazi (摇橹 划子  or  搖櫓划子) which Worcester somewhat puzzlingly translates as “Oar Boat”. Puzzling, because the first two characters (yaolu) mean “yuloh”, which is obviously its manner of propulsion. The second two characters chosen by Worcester (huazi) can be translated as “rowboat” since one of the meanings of "hua" is "to row" or "to paddle".

This simple vessel is 23’ x 7’ and decked over, designed for cargo not passengers.

The Chinese seem not to have bothered with boats as small as 8' - apart from the Wuhu Tub (which is small enough to meet at least that one of the JRA committee's requirements) - and which was literally a re-purposed wash tub.  Worcester has somewhat pedantically provided us with a full drawing, and a few paragraphs of information, including: that it could be anywhere between 3' and 8'6" and that its form of propulsion is hand-paddling.

Fortunately there appears to be no sailing version.

By the way, the Chinese made paper models too, but more elaborate than Slieve's and for a different purpose.

Worcester tells us that this "spirit boat" was found in a shop specialising in paper models, made to be burned at funerals - destined for the use and pleasure of its far-sighted owner after arrival in the next world.

Slieve - don't throw that model out! You might be able to continue enjoying the occasional sail and if by chance anything goes wrong during the transmigration, you might at least expect, for eternity, the benefit of cereal for breakfast.

The JRA seems to have more than its share of individual thinkers, from all parts of the world and with quite different sailing grounds. Perhaps this is the reason why this endeavour has produced such a remarkably diverse variety of results. Quite remarkable I think. Perhaps the true value is not in the "winning design" but in the diversity of ideas upon which future dinghy builders can draw. However, in order to compare and contrast, it is not an easy task by scrolling down a web page. They need to be printed out in order to savour.

Given the success of the "competition" and the wealth of ideas arising, I am wondering if a gallery of design concepts, in the form of a supplement to the magazine, might be an appropriate suggestion. It would be nice to have on a bookshelf or magazine rack, to go back to from time to time, and might possibly have some enduring value as a reference. I have no idea what it would cost, or whether or not there are surplus funds to do it - or indeed if the Editor is not already over-worked just to produce the magazine. So I am not sure if it is an appropriate suggestion, but here it is anyway, for the committee to consider.

PS and perhaps David might be prepared to also throw into the mix his mini-siblim concept - I would rather like to see the midship sections of this, alongside Arne's Halibut. Two five-planks is better than one.

Ok, since it appears that others are entering with yet un-built boats, I accept to enter with my plans for ‘Halibut’ as well. However, I think the real competition should be between those who can show us a working vessel.

As for my design, there has been much back and forth, with two sets of lines and three sailplans, not to mention ‘the appendages’  -  rudder and all sorts of boards.
I therefore present the valid plans (..so far...) below.

The lines plan shows Halibut being symmetric fore and aft of the central main frame (stn. 2), just like a shuttle ferry. I found no reason for not doing it like this, and the design and building will be faster this way. The way the curves along the panels run, also saves time when building. When plank no. 2 (bottom side) has been lofted and cut out, it can be used for scribing the lower edge of the topsides and for the side edges of the bottom plank. Only the sheer line has to be lofted in addition.

As for the 3-panel “Halibut Special” JR, I am quite confident that this will work. After all, it is mainly a top section of a JR, which I am fairly familiar with. The whole idea with it is that the lowered sail bundle can be brailed up with the topping lifts and stowed flush with the mast. The rig can then be lowered for easy stowing  -  and easy rigging again.
That sail has been made very small, to bring the mast length down to 2.5m. I would not be afraid of scaling this rig up to 3-4sqm with the same number of panels. If that mast is lengthened from 2.5 to 3.0m (20%) and the sail is also expanded accordingly, the sail area would end at 3.6sqm (the sail of the Optimist dinghy is 3.3sqm).

Something like that...
Arne