What Boat Next?

[David]

Try key F11 on your key board this should give you the Vertical scroll bars.

Regards David

ing

Matt,

I experience what Brian described as well. Clicking on the image opens it in a new window, but there are no horizontal or vertical scroll bars on the window. I first noticed that last year when you posted early BayRaider images. Should have mentioned it to you. Thought maybe it was my computer or connection. I now work around it by saving the image to a folder and open it up in my photo editing program (Picasa).

Some of your images load up completely pretty fast, with no scroll bars. Others indicate they are downloading for ages. I have just now had an image open for over 10 minutes and it says it is still downloading. Maybe try reducing the image size on your end. If it finishes downloading the scroll bars may appear, or the frame size may adjust.

Have to say though, I really like how you involve complete strangers with your designs by asking for input. You have a good thing going!

Regards, Bill

[Brian Pearson]

clever man. thanks. Brian

[Charles de Bouillane]

The Baycruiser s first drawing shows beautiful simple lines; I m keeping my eyes open, waiting for design progression towards the grp Baycruiser.

Some points I ld like:
- Total weight of boat still under 500kg: possible?
- Grp hull & cockpit (aft cockpit & side-decks grp Bayraider) with (light) plypoxy cabin & frontdeck: possible? also for better insulation under coachroof.
- Cockpit benches: enough long to lay oneself down (1.9m?);
- Cabin: it s a nice low shape in the profile drawing; in my mind, in a (very) small boat, the cabin is a tent and therefore here would become luxurious by tent standards, even if lower in frontward part. Front of mast: opening hatch on top of cabin (airflow, anchor-line).
Sufficient for 2 people: in the aft part (backwards), sitting headroom giving two seats, at each side of cabin entrance, with feet in a well (well in the ballast tank?); 2 sleeping-bunks and a porta-potti place (in the middle / bridge deck?);
- under-hull protection for grounding / trailering (brass with hard-wood keel fitted along the boat, with 2 shallow wooden side-bilges) ?
- 1 hand-pump for draining cabin well (and another for emptying totally the ballast tank, before trailering?). Anchor well. Sprayhood. Tabernacle.

Would it be possible to reef the mizzen or unuseful?

[Tony]

Well said, Charles. I especially agree with the cabin... luxurious by tent standards... frame of mind. The Bayraider cabin looks a little larger than the CBL version but you still wouldnt want to think of it as a liveaboard. Just one point. The fore hatch on the CBL is great for ventilation but for anchoring etc I always go over the cabin top. It is much quicker than wriggling through the cabin, opening the hatch and getting your bedding wet into the bargin then wriggling back again. On the lugger I have lazy jacks for a hand hold, cabin rails for a safety line and with the mast set ahead of the cabin, of course, all the anchor or mooring line work can be done with one arm around the mast. It all feels quite safe!
It is possible to reef the mizzen. See the Technical thread. Not tested it fully yet though.

[Ian Soady]

Matt,

Coming to this thread a little late - but I want to take you back to a conversation we had in the summer of 2006 about the LochRaider (my garagemax boat).

I am now getting closer to being able to move ahead with this and would welcome your thoughts.

B. Regards

Ian

[Matt Newland]

Hello Ian,
Not sure if you wanted other peoples thoughts, but here are mine.
Swallow Boats will be spending time this summer properly moving into the new workshop (we are in, but we have a lot of internal infrastructure - shelves, vacuum extraction, workbenches etc - to set up).
We also need to put some time and effort into marketing our current range more effectively, instead of just ploughing on with new designs right away.
I have had some serious interest in the BayCruiser concept and at the moment that is pencilled in for the Autumn, Winter and Spring, but most new boat development demands a customer #1, so we will see.
If you are interested, then I would be happy to hear from you, the nature of my business is that I cant ignore someone threatening to pay me.
However, I cant make any promises at this stage obviously.

Best wishes,
Matt

[Brian Pearson]

Ian, could you expand on your LochRaider please. My "Garagemax" would be 16'6" on its own, down to about 13" sitting on a combi for winter storage. Brian

[Craic]

So, what boat next now?
Any news on the 17 foot Raider, I see one is registered for the English Raid this summer so it must come out soon?

[Julian Swindell]

There is a preview of the 17ft BayRaider in the new edition of Watercraft. The prime driver behind its design is to make it light enough to launch from a gently shelving sandy beach. Such as you might find around Cardigan for example...

It looks good. Planned to show it at Beale Park in June

[Craic]

Matt just casually mentioned that the new BayCruiser 23 has been launched in the meantime.
There is a video on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ZvlRZcX6Y .
WOW!

[Julian Swindell]

I liked the idea of teh elctric propulsion, but I think the system used cost more then my whole boat. Its a Sillette solid bronze job with a folding prop. I also like the Boom strut suppot to the boom. I could be tempted by that, but I still like lazy jacks to catch the sail when it comes down.
The decking is beautiful. I saw it a the London Boat show in January.

[Craic]

BayCruisers 20 and 23 are certainly exquisite boats, but I suspect they are out of financial reach for many.

So how about a basic and budget priced 20 ft. GRP cabin sailer to directly compete with the Drascombe or Devon Coaster?. Can be very basic, owners can add comfort themselves bit by bit.

[Tony]

Hi, Claus.

I agree. A sort of flush deck BayRaider would get my vote. Just enough of a cabin to sleep two in the dry without messing about with wet canvas. Low enough to hop up onto easily for mooring and clear of trip hazards. Totally sealed (and access not required) in splashy weather or incase of a swamping for massive positive buoyancy - and so you can be sure that your sleeping bag stays dry.  An expedition BayRaider for go-anywhere sailors.

[Julian Swindell]

Matt has probably got ideas about that. I think there are a number of factors. Building in GRP will be heavier. That could spoil one of the BayCruiser20s prime selling points, in that unballasted it is light enough to use an unbraked trailer and it is really easy to tow, launch and recover. I can confirm this as I have just launched singlehanded in about 200mm of water without any problems at all. I think cost savings could also come about if Matt stuck to one fixed design. Each ply/epoxy boat ends up being almost a one off. But again, that is one of the selling points of an epoxy/ply Swallowboat. You can order it with all sorts of variations. Maybe it is not a direct Drascombe competitor but is in a different market. The important thing is for that market to be big enough to keep the orders coming. I must say that I used to have a much loved Drascombe Dabber, but having had a Swallowboat I simply wouldn't think of a Drascombe again. The Dabber is the best Drascombe, but the new BayRaider 17 will improve on it in every way.

[Craic]

Deleted. Software bug. Claus