Archive for the ‘Hylan, Doug’ Category
Siri
Designed by Doug Hylan
18ft x 5ft 6in x 15in / 3ft (c/b) or 2ft 7in (deep keel), Disp 1800lbs
Doug Hylan writes:
SIRI’s design began when Brooklin boatbuilder Eric Jacobssen of North Brooklin Boats approached me about developing a set of plans for a coldmolded version of IRIS, a lovely little canoe yawl that appeared in the August 2, 1888 issue of Forest and Stream Magazine. IRIS would have attracted the attentions of devotees of the canoe cruising craze that was sweeping Europe, and particularly England, at that time. At 18 feet and 1800 pounds displacement, she represents a middle ground in the evolution of a type that started with John MacGregor’s tiny ROB ROY, and, some would say, culminated in Albert Strange’s beautiful SHEILA. A similar boat, HALF MOON, resides in the collection at Mystic Seaport Museum.
Lovely as she is, the IRIS design has some shortcomings. Like many of her sailing canoe sisters, she is too narrow to stand up to her generous rig. With this, and the lack of a centerboard, her windward performance would be quite compromised. Perhaps “gentlemen don’t sail to windward”, but nowadays, they don’t like to row there either, particularly in an 1,800 pound boat. So here is SIRI, an updated version of IRIS. Modern construction and a few extra calculations allow her to carry all her generous ballast on the bottom of the keel, where it does the most good. Five inches of additional beam will help keep her on her feet in a breeze. The centerboard will assist in getting to windward in good fashion. Flotation compartments will insure that she will remain afloat if the worst should happen.
A few additional tweaks have been incorporated to ease construction or improve appearance. I became so taken with SIRI that I began thinking of other possibilities for her. It occurred to me that glued lapstrake construction would be an attractive option for many builders. For sailors with no concerns about shallow water or trailer launching, a deeper keel with a cut away forefoot would give her a sportscar personality. If she could spend her season with her rig permanently set up, a gaff sloop might have some attraction. For those who love working with shavings instead of glue, there ought to be a traditional construction plan.
More information at D N Hylan & Associates.
