Pocahontas
A 12' 7" Lapstrake Leeboard Sloop
By William Atkin
A Twelve-Foot Sloop of Exceptional Interest
Despite an overall length of only 12' 1" the subject of this month's article is a burdensome little craft. Her plans show a waterline length of 12', a breadth of 5', and a draft of 1' 4". At her bow the freeboard is 1' 11 1/2"; least freeboard is 1' 1/2", and at the stern 1' 5 1/2". The depth of the hull at station 6 is 1' 9". Unlike the usual sailing dinghy of similar length her displacement is 1,400 pounds and, it may be interesting to mention, the tiny vessel carries approximately 400 pounds of inside ballast -- this weight to be compensated one way or another depending upon the heft of the crew.
Pocahontas's mainsail has an area of 118 square feet, her jib 33 square feet, total area 151 square feet. The luff of the mainsail carries five wooden mast hoops, as shown. The jib is set flying, the tack is hauled to the end of the bowsprit with a single part outhaul, the head with similar tackle.

Thanks to the leeboards, there is, for the size of the boat, exceptional room -- room while sailing, room for rowing, room for setting and taking in sail.

She is a fat, little hooker with very firm bilges, full level and water lines, powerful buttock lines, and diagonals of similar character, and, I would like to add, worth. These well-balanced features assure a well-behaved boat -- an able, stiff, dry, weatherly, comfortable, fast, and safe open boat.

In model, Pocahontas is not dissimilar to the Bounty's launch which, laden with a dozen or more sailors, was rowed and sailed several thousand miles from the South Pacific to a port in the Dutch East Indies. The launch was about 20 feet over all and certainly a neatly turned example of small boat design as well as sound construction.
 
PHOTOS OF POCAHONTAS
Plans for Pocahontas are $100

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