| Bellerophon A 25' Center-Cockpit Motorsailer By William Atkin |
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| A V-Bottom Motor Sailer | |
| Bellerophon. That is a big sounding name for a little cruising boat. It is also a very ancient name, and in many ways an excellent name. I have a tiny model of a British naval vessel. She is H. M. S. Bellerophon, one of the early ironclads, ship-rigged, half steamer and half sailing ship. And from her I have borrowed the name for this, the very latest of the family of useful small boats that have come forth from the pages of MoToR BoatinG. If not amiss, it may be of interest to record that Bellerophon is my 400th design. I presume some sort of celebration should be held on this account. Anyway here is a 25-foot auxiliary that should meet the requirements of many, many boat lovers. She comes under the classification of a boat on the small side in the matter of overall dimensions. Actually she is a roomy, wholesome cruiser having the ability to go anywhere in safety and comfort. She also comes under the especial wing of the amateur boat builder with her V sections and comparatively simple construction. Materials are of the less expensive kinds and altogether Bellerophon will have a very wide appeal. | |
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| Her dimensions are: length over all, 25 feet; length
on water line, 22 feet, 2 inches; breadth, 9 feet, 3 inches; and draft, 3 feet,
11 inches. The freeboard at the bow is 4 feet, 5 1/2 inches; at the stern,
3 feet, 1 inch, and at the lowest point, 2 feet, 9 inches. She carries 1,420
pounds of lead on her keel in addition to 1,600 pounds of inside ballast. Her
sail area is 265 square feet, a modest spread but ample for all practical
purposes. In designing the sail plan and rig everything has been simplified, and
all unnecessary gear eliminated. Rigged exactly as shown, the little boat will
be easily handled and by the same token, sailing will be fun -- not work.
The deck arrangement is somewhat unique, and has a number of advantages. The weight of crew is well amidships, the position of the cockpit puts people aboard where there is the least motion in rough water, and it effectively divides the cabin, thus giving separate sleeping accommodations. Motor and fuel tanks are installed under the cockpit floor, leaving plenty of room for any attention required. Because of the water-tight bulkhead between the two cabins the strength of the hull is greatly increased. The cockpit is 4 feet, 6 inches long by 6 feet, 7 inches wide and is furnished with a comfortable seat each side of the wheel box. A companionway gives entrance to the main cabin; a second companion to the after cabin. The cockpit is, of course, self-draining. | |
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| The forward cabin has 6 feet of headroom under the companionway slide; 5 inches less under the deck; 5 feet, 3 inches in the toilet room which is about all that can be expected in a 25-footer. The motor is under the cockpit floor abaft the companion ladder; notice that its flywheel center is set 7 inches to the port side of the middle of the keel while the stuffing box is in the center of the stern post. The little boat will handle better with the motor offset thus. Two full size berths having their after ends tucked under the cockpit floor a distance of 15 inches solve the problems of the sleepy. The galley is 2 feet, 6 inches long and shows the sink and wash tray on one side; A table for a Primus stove and an ice chest on the opposite side. The toilet is forward, 3 feet long, fitted with the usual plumbing devices. There is a water tank in the bow, and under this, the chain or rope locker. The little after cabin contains two berths. This is purely a place for resting; fine for two children or if vour crew consists of but two persons, fine for the stowage of clothing. luggage. food, and so on. | |
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| The lines show a straight-sectioned V bottom, excepting for the reverse curve in the after sections from Station 4 and aft. The hull has good depth with flaring topsides for its entire length, a wholesome draft with not too much depth of forefoot, and nicely balanced ends. Under power, with a Gray Sea Scout as shown in the plans, a speed of 7 1/2 miles an hour can be expected; 8 1/2 miles is about Bellerophon's maximum speed. | |
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| Plans for Bellerophon 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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