A Wholesome V-Bottom Cruiser

BECAUSE of the charm; and because of the interest; and because of the merit wrapped up in the pages of Rockwell Kent's latest book concerning Greenland, and some of its people, I have borrowed Salimina (the book's title) for the name of this, the latest of all the large family of MoToR BoatinG's useful boats.

Somewhat larger than in the immediate past, and in pace with the desire the buying public is displaying for more expensive cruising boats, I have made the design for Salimina 39 feet long; 38 feet on the water line; 11 feet 6 inches in breadth; and 2 feet 8 inches draft. The freeboard at the bow is 4 feet 6 inches; and at the stern 3 feet 3 1/4 inches; a big wholesome craft in every respect.

With a trunk cabin every advantage can be taken with opened port lights, windows and hatches, for proper ventilation and excellent light. The trunk cabin permits getting forward along decks 15 inches wide and having a 1 1/8 inch high toe rail completely around the edge of the deck; and a trunk cabin makes it comparatively easy to design a boat that appears low in profile and yet gives full head-room; in this particular craft six feet under the cabin-top carlins. The forward deck is 6 feet 6 inches in length supplied with proper mooring bitt, chocks, and a ventilating and exit hatch 18 by 18 inches inside dimensions. There is ample room below this hatch for the stowage of ground tackle and much of the miscellaneous gear that inevitably collects on a cruising boat of any kind.

The hatch in the fore end of the cabin trunk assures plenty of air for the toilet room and contributes toward the full headroom in this compartment. The skylight gives light to the main cabin. The companionway and side windows admit light and air in the galley. The cabin trunk is 14 feet long and 8 feet wide at the middle part of the main cabin.

The cockpit is 16 feet long by 8 feet 9 inches wide; its floor is 18 inches above the water line and self draining. The hatchway over the motor is 4 feet wide by 6 feet long. This should be flush with the floor and made in two pieces, these to hinge as shown. The second hatch is supplied to give access to the large space under the cockpit and abaft the motor. This should be similar in construction to the motor hatches.

Two gasoline tanks of 80 gallons each are fitted either side of the motor. The tanks should be made from 16 gauge copper; riveted and soldered. Fit at least three splash plates in each tank. And pipe the whole thing up with copper tubing using solderless fittings throughout. I should be disposed to fit shut-off valves on both tanks and lead both to a single large strainer; thence to the motor.

Water tanks are under the cabin sofas; there is nice room here for something over 80 gallons supply. Make the water tanks from best quality galvanized iron properly riveted and soldered. If copper is used for the storage of drinking water it must be planished; this means tinned inside to prevent spoiling the water. All water pipes should be made from galvanized iron pipe.

The steering wheel, motor controls, instrument board, and binnacle-box stand on the port side under the standing top. You will find in practice that it is best not to extend the standing top all the way aft. Leave part of the cockpit open to the sun; there remains plenty of room under the top as shown for protection from the weather. I had planned to use khaki side curtains abaft the single fixed sash each side. However the substitution of sash arranged to drop into pockets each side the cockpit may seem desirable to many, and as this change will not in any way affect the performance of the boat I feel it is permissible. Another thing; some kind of light weight movable seat or sofa would be rather nice aboard. This might be made to fit across the aft end of the cockpit, and also to fit under the standing top opposite the steering wheel position; not too heavy, mind you, and just wide enough to permit opening the hinged motor hatch.

In the cabin there is:

The galley. This spreads full across the boat with stove, sink, dish lockers, cupboards, and shelves one side; ice box, locker, shelves on the other. The top of the ice box is smooth and is to be used for a chart table.

The main cabin. This has two sofas, convertible into berths, and two folding berths formed from the lazy back of the sofas. There is unusual width between the sofa fronts, and of course full head room. Hanging locker, bureau, and high locker over the bureau completes the cabin.

The toilet room is forward. And contains the regulation equipment including fixed corner wash stand, lockers and shelves.

All the wood work comprising the interior trim should be of the lighter varieties. Spruce and white pine and the light weight grades of mahogany; loading the hull down with wood-work inside will accomplish nothing in the way of strength and will surely be detrimental to the speed and the comfortable behavior of the boat in rough water.

There are so few motor boats painted black that I would favor white anti-fouling underwater composition, yacht-black topsides, blue or green decks, and every other part of the superstructure yacht-white. With a mahogany sheer moulding, and the gold cove below, Salimina will have character of her own, charm, elegance, and beauty; even as the principal personage among those women and men of Greenland of whom Rockwell Kent writes so well.

The lines show a V-bottom model having moulded topsides and straight bottom sections; but from station 7 and aft there is a sharp reverse curve between the buttock line and the rabbet line. The purpose of this is to create more room for the crankcase of the motor and, and of equal importance, to permit a very low degree of angularity between the propeller shaft and the waterline. Motors operate better the more nearly level they are; propellers are more efficient, and less fuel and lubricants will be required. Also, the curving sections allow the water stream to flow evenly and with very few eddies into the propeller. This form of underbody gives unusual strength to the keel and deadwood preventing the keel from springing or bending side ways as is likely to be the case where the keel drops directly from the angle formed by the keel and deadwood and the usual flat garboard seam.

The lines for Salimina were drawn with a view to speeds of between 16 and 20 miles an hour. A six cylinder engine is suggested, direct connected to the propeller shaft, of approximately 5 3/4 inches bore by 6 inches stroke developing 120 to 125 h.p. at 1,400 turns a minute; the propeller should be of the truest diameter and pitch, three blades 22 inches diameter by 20 inches pitch. A power plant of this description will give 20 miles an hour.

And now, shipmates, don't change this lady. Build her as is; or choose another boat from the Atkin catalog, or elsewhere, that meets your needs without modification.

PHOTOS OF SALIMINA

ARTICLE ABOUT SALIMINA