New Hope
A 23' 11" Knockabout Rigged Cruising Sharpie
By William & John Atkin
Plans of Rumbletumbleann, a sharpie very similar to New Hope, were published in the December 1948 issue of MoToR BoatinG. Experience gained from working on Rumbletumbleann, and sailing aboard her, has assisted us in producing the drawings shown on these pages. Rumbletumbleann, named Tomojac II by her owner John Pflieger of Bronxville, N. Y., has proved herself an able, practical boat under all conditions. And these observations are first-hand. We have had letters from builders of other Rumbletumbleanns who have shared our enthusiasm. Tomojac II got off to rather a bad start in life. There were lots of "little" things which needed re-doing. The sails set bad. There were no topping lifts fitted and the booms landed in your lap the moment the sails were lowered. The outboard motor bracket was impractical. Other annoying inconveniences were about the boat. For all these relatively minor faults Mr. Pflieger was pleased with his boat. He, fortunately, was much more pleased than I. New Hope is an attempt to correct some of the major faults of the prototype and to eliminate all the minor ones.

The primary changes are the omission of the centerboard and the addition of the raised deck. The centerboard trunk, in the earlier boat, rather completely fills the little cuddy. One almost has to go outside to turn around. In its place we have shown a long, fin keel with a greater lateral area than that of the original centerboard. Now we do not expect New Hope to haul to windward along with the Six Meters and such. But then she was not designed to any racing rule, nor was any attempt made to beat any rule. Rather, the aim was to produce an inexpensive type of overnight cruising boat at the lowest possible initial cost, with the greatest degree of simplicity.

The elimination of the trunk cabin, to be replaced by the raised deck amidship will gain far greater interior space. Much after the manner of our friend Commander Bob Beebe, who originated this innovation in his sharpie modifications, we have carried the cuddy sides outboard, and pitched them in slightly for added strength and to take the curse off the "slab-sided" appearance. This construction, furthermore, is strong and at the same time more simple than the trunk cabin shown on the Rumbletumbleann.

One other major change I failed completely to mention is the rig. New Hope is a jib-head knockabout. Her sail area of 231 square feet is very close to that of Rumbletumbleann. While she is not over-rigged she will be comfortable and easy to handle under all conditions. Rumbletumbleann is a typically pirogue-rigged New Haven Sharpie. The main reason for changing the rig was to eliminate congestion in the cockpit. What with the main sheet, the mizzen topping lift, the mizzen halyard and the other miscellaneous lines, combined with the tiller and the mast bench supporting the mizzen, the cockpit is a "busy" place! So, New Hope will have only the main sheet with which to become involved and, for that reason, will prove much more satisfactory. Sails will hoist on wooden hoops. The boom swings on wooden jaws with a mast collar; a tack rope prevents its riding up the mast. The boom also carries a topping lift and lazy jacks (of which take particular notice). The sails have no battens; they do have two rows of reef points and cringles with proper nettles rove.

One other minor alteration to the original design is the inclusion of an outboard motor well. Mr. Pflieger experienced a great deal of difficulty with the outboard motor secured, amidship to port, to a standard bracket which was, in turn, fixed to a hinging device of dubious design and origin. It didn't work well. In a slight seaway the engine would sling water over the crew in the cockpit as the engine lifted out of the water. It would then, with disastrous results, submerge itself with the next sea! The rake of the transom and the rudder prevented any practical device to be secured here.

New Hope is 23 feet 11 inches long over all, 18 feet on the waterline, 6 feet 8 inches in breadth and draws 1 foot 8 1/2 inches. The freeboard at the bow is 2 feet 10 inches, the least freeboard 1 foot 6 1/2 inches and at the stern 2 feet. The cockpit is large enough for a day sailing party of four.

The cabin does not have built-in bunks or seats. Air mattresses and sleeping bags are used. There are no built-in tables or any furniture. It is better merely to have space for a Primus and so forth, without the complications of such fixtures in a small boat. The head room is 3 feet 8 inches under the raised deck beams.

Although Rumbletumbleann is relatively narrow in relation to her overall length she is exceptionally stiff. New Hope's lines are precisely the same except for the addition of the fin keel and a slight increase in rudder area. The "genuine" New Haven sharpie of the same overall length was about one foot narrower than the lines of the boat shown herewith. We increased the beam and the amount of flare in order to increase the amount of stability and to provide a drier boat. Both of these alterations proved good.
Plans for New Hope are $100

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