| Dodger A 21' 7" V-Bottom Raised-Deck Day Cruiser By William Atkin |
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| An Engaging Little Day Cruiser | |
| Many years ago there was a fast cruiser named Dodger. She was designed by William Gardner for one of the Pratt family, and, if my memory is not at fault, was powered with twin Standard marine engines. The original Dodger was a big boat and at the time one of the fastest American motor yachts. I was surprised in looking through Lloyd's Register of American Yachts to learn that the name Dodger has not been listed for many years. It is a most appropriate name for a fast boat. Especially for a small and fast one. So it is that we have our own Dodger. The plans of this little craft show an engaging boat. The over all length is 21 feet 7 inches; the water line length is 21 feet; the breadth 7 feet 10 inches; and the draft 1 foot 11 inches. | |
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The cockit is 7 feet 1 1/2 inches long and averages 6 feet in width. The floor is 6 inches above the L. W. L. and self-draining. The motor is installed under a house which extends a short distance into the cabin. A seat built between the motor house and the coamings serves two purposes; for use of the helmsman, and to cover the exhaust pipe leading from the housing to the side of the hull, thence aft and through the transom. The after seat in the cockpit provides a place for the gasoline tank. The steering wheel and motor controls are on the cabin bulkhead. The windshield is made of plywood. And it is purely a wind shield. It is hollow, the after wall extending from the deck to the top, the forward wall beginning at a point about 2 1/2 inches above the deck. This is the orifice into which the wind blows. And the force of this at speeds over 15 miles an hour throws the stream upwards and over the heads of the steersman, or other persons in the forward end of the cockpit. | |
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| Dodger is not intended for cruising. She is a day boat and therefore has limited accommodations, and, also I might add, is a very small craft. The headroom under the carlins of the raised deck is 4 feet 5 1/2 inches, which leaves comfortable sitting room on the settee and ample clearance for one taking a short nap on the raised bunk forward. The space beneath the raised bunk provides useful stowage room; it would be possible to install a pump water closet here. There is a small counter opposite the settee. This might be used for a single burner alcohol stove. The top of the engine housing will come in handy as a table and there is a little locker abaft the settee which might be made into a tiny ice box. | |
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Dodger is of V bottom model with straight sections below the chine corners and straight sections in the topside sections forward of Station 8; but abaft this point has slightly tumbled-home sections. There is very generous flare in all the forward sections, a feature which will keep down spray, solid water and make easy going when the weather is rough. There is a reverse curve aft in the line of the rabbet which coupled with straight chine lines abaft station 7, will prevent the stern from settling at top speed. There is ample deadrise below the chines forward to eliminate pounding but still give proper lift to the bow in rough water. The bottom of the keel extends in a straight line from station 3 to the stern. This will keep the little packet on a straight course while running off the wind in rough water. The propeller and rudder are protected by a heavy bronze shoe. The long keel and its appendages may slightly reduce the speed but its advantages more than outweigh the loss in speed. A Gray Phantom Six 112 motor is shown on the plans. Turning at 3000 r.p.m. this motor will develop very close to 100 h.p. The weight is 650 pounds and the cylinder displacement 226 cubic inches. A number of motors of similar characteristics are advertised in MoToR BoatinG, any one of these may be used as a substitute for the Phantom Six. Dodger's speed with a motor installation as outlined will be 24.6 miles an hour. | |
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| Plans for Dodger are $100 MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM SHIPS PLANS STORE https://store.mysticseaport.org/ships-plans/ shipsplanstore@mysticseaport.org
+1 (860) 572 5360 | |
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