| Merry Weather A 22' 7 1/2" Pirogue-Rigged Keel Dory By William Atkin |
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| A Pirogue-Rigged Sailing Dory | |
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| Merry Weather is a dory not unlike the very excellent small boats used for handlining by the fishing smacks that sail out of Gloucester, Boston, New Bedford, and many other Down East ports. She is, however, somewhat larger than the more or less standard dory that nests on the decks of the smacks. And she has modifications in other respects. Not least of the latter is the straight keel, or bottom plank; most dories have some fore and aft rocker in the bottom board. And then, of course, there is in this design the fin keel with its lead ballast. And the deck and cuddy. But, nevertheless this latest of the family is a dory and dories are excellent small boats, reasonably easy to build, able, smart under sail, ship-shape, and fun to sail. | |
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And so we have this month a wholesome kind of sailing boat. It is 22 feet 7 1/2 inches in over all length; 19 feet on the water line; 5 feet 6 inches in breadth; and 2 feet 9 1/2 inches in draft. The freeboard at the bow is 2 feet 6 1/2 inches; the least freeboard is 1 foot 6 inches; and the freeboard at the stern is 2 feet 1 inch. The correct name of the two masted sail plan in Merry Weather is the pirogue rig; not a cat-ketch rig as it is sometimes erroneously named. And it is an excellent kind of rig for small craft, all inboard and super ship-shape. The latter is a feature that gives charm and value to any type or size boat, and if the many, and many letters I daily receive are a criterion, ship-shapeness and. many other old fashioned and proven features are the characteristics many are looking for in boats. | |
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| The cabin or cuddy is a snug little place and a single handed voyager can cruise in comfort in it. The bunk is the floor with an air mattress and sleeping bag in which to dream away the hours of rest. There is an upholstered seat where one may relax and read or eat or just sit, the latter being a pastime too many of us have forgotten how to enjoy. There is a table either side the seat, with shelves for books and beneath these room for the stowage of personal things one needs afloat. And then there is a small table for the primus stove and a place for the dish pan and wash bowl. Forward on the port side there is a bin for stowage of sails while the space beneath the forward deck supplies locker room for anchor, lines and miscellaneous dunnage. With a gimbaled candle or two the cuddy will glow with warmth and pleasantness and life afloat will be the more fun thereby. | |
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| The lines show a typical Banks model dory with very generous topside flare, narrow flat bottom and narrow stern transom. This is an easily propelled form. Merry Weather has a wooden fin which extends 2 feet 2 inches below the bottom at station 7 but in this boat there is no provision for a shaft hole. Merry Weather carries 404 pounds of lead on her fin. | |
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| Plans for Merry Weather 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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