Not only will Haven be a useful little craft for use after the war but she would be an excellent kind of boat to use in air craft rescue service. The draft is little, the speed high and ability to keep going in rough water assured. Also the construction is simple and rugged. And the power is modest considering the high speed she is designed to make. Her over all length is 29 feet 9 inches; water line length, 29 feet; breadth 8 feet; and draft, 1 foot 10 inches. The bottom is protected by a long straight keel; rudder and propeller by a strong metal shoe. She cannot be damaged much if run aground at high speed. She has a strong guard rail along her sheer and deck edge so she can lay against dock spiles and other craft without likelihood of bashing in planking.
The arrangement on the deck shows a cockpit 12 feet 8 inches long by 6 feet 6 inches wide. The fore end of this has a bridge deck long protecting the motor. The cockpit is self bailing. A seat can be fitted in the after end of the cockpit. The iron pipe railings give a nice sense of security and if fitted with weather cloths will stop a lot of spray from flying aboard.
The plans show an open space for the cabin; this is 12 feet 1 inch long the full width of the boat. Headroom is 4 feet 5 inches, enough for two wicker litters. And enough for comfortable sitting up if bunks were fitted for sleeping. A water closet might be installed at the forward end of the cabin with a small space for an icebox and cooking stove aft.
Haven is of V bottom model and of straight sections. Also of raised deck type. There are very evident advantages in a boat of this form. Certainly easier to produce, equally as fast, and just as good in rough water as the more shapely concaved-bottom and rounded-topside models. With plywood planking the straight sections have great advantage because this modern material is difficult to bend in two directions; unless pressed in special moulds. The ease of building holds true as well if the boat is planked in the usual manner with narrow strakes and battened seams.
The motor shown in the plans is an eight cylinder Gray of 175 h.p. at 3600 r.p.m.; cylinder displacement, 372 cubic inches. Speed should be 35 miles an hour, perhaps a little better.
