Anonymous wrote:
I have been interested in scow hulls for many years, particularly in the type which has evolved here in New Zealand. As well as the NZScow type, which is a box barge with a bluff, pointed bow, there are two other scows here that I know of which have transom bows like yours, that have been sailing around the coast for a number of years.
However, before looking for photographs of these, and commenting on your design, could I make two suggestions:
Every hull type has its advantages and disadvantages, and a potential advantage for the scow hull is its ability to dry out on a low tide and sit upright. If you are going to have shallow draft and a flat bottom it seems to me that any keel appendages should be arranged so that the boat can sit upright when high and try.
The other suggestion (which you might already have done) is to first contact your countryman from Poland who has cruised extensively in open waters in a small scow, in a very innovative boat, which he built himself. He hasn't appeared on the forum here for quite a long time, but he has quite a profile on facebook, a link to his page is here and I would think that he would be the best person to consult, to start with. His website page (mainly written in Polish) has a great many photos and descdiptions of his boat, and some good video too. His youtube chanel is here. Kris is a JRA member so maybe you can find his email address in the directory, from the "Members' Area" of this website. Here is a picture of Kris's boat.
Best wishes for your great dream, to build your own junk rigged scow. Here is my own 8m "dream" NZscow which I am currently living in, but it is unfinished and unrigged.
Hi All,
Yup, I've been passive for some time. Sorry for that, as previously I gained lots from the JRA. I still plan to write about my boat in JRA Magazine... Last year I made from Portugal to Canaries, BVI, Bahamas and back via Azores. I live aboard most of the year.
She is 6.5 x 2.5 and could be downsized to 6.0x2.0 without significant losing habitability, but being charged less when in a marina.
The four chine flat bottom hull proved to be moderately fast and stiff and extremly dry - She never took the wave on board when sailing, even beating up in 35 knots. the high displacement of the bow means that she always enters the wave - takes it under iitself. She sails at max 60 degrees COG. One downside is too small lateral surface of resistance; in the light airs (5knt< ) she sails back and forth at 90 COG, above this wind speed, the swinging asymmetric keels come into play.
She has two 14sqm sails to move a 2 ton (loaded) boat. She easily makes steady over 7 knots with GPS showing momentary speeds above 10 knots (?).
It was disputable whether put two masts on such a small boat. I am still strongly for. Each of two masts weights some 23kgs, so I am able to put them down and rise. Split sail surface alows to ply with the center of the force, and so on.
To summarize, a small flat bottom scow-bow junk rigged boat makes the great cruiser and comfy liveaboard.