| Bobby M. A 17' Fisherman By William Atkin |
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| A Little Motorboat | |
| Ever since the publication of the plans of Good Luck in the August number of MoToR BoatinG I have had letters asking advice as to installation of an inboard motor in that boat, and wishing for a boat a little larger that would be just as easy to build; sort of a big sister to Good Luck. It will be remembered that Good Luck is 13 feet 9 inches in length, and was designed for a practical fishing boat and driven by an outboard motor from 2 1/4 h.p. to 5 h.p. She is of simple lines and designed to be planked with waterproof plywood. So here is the reply to those many good people who asked for a larger edition of Good Luck. | |
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| This latest of MoToR BoatinG's family of boats is 17 feet in overall length; 16 feet on the water line; has a breadth of 5 feet; and draws 12 1/2 inches of water under its keel. The freeboard at the stem is 2 feet 4 inches; at the lowest place, 1 foot 7 1/2 inches; and at the stern, 1 foot 8 3/8 inches. So, you see, this is a burdensome little craft. It has a very comfortable seating capacity of four persons and will prove to be a most useful and satisfactory little boat. If it blows up rough, Bobby M. will have the ability to live through it easily. This will be especially true if the boat is fitted with a khaki spray hood over the fore end of the cockpit to prevent spray from coming aboard. And spray you will have in any small motor boat when the water is rough and the wind high. | |
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The motor shown on the plans is a single cylinder model ZW-927 Lauson developing 5 1/2 horsepower and driving the propeller at engine speed. The speed of the boat should be close to 7 miles an hour. I would not advise a motor of much over 10 horsepower, one like the Red Wing Meteor four cylinder model of 61 cubic inch cylinder displacement rated as 7-18 horsepower, being the outside limit of power. Turning at approximately 1400 r.p.m., the speed of this little plywood-planked job, as the boat salesmen will call it, should be close to 10 miles an hour. The cockpit floor is well down in the boat and this permits seats to be 1 foot below the top of the coamings, and so when you are seated you have the feeling of being in the boat rather than on it. And, Shipmates, there is a big difference between the two positions. There is a seat forward for helmsman and seat aft. Rather than a steering wheel there is a side lever for steering and the motor controls are, of course, located close to the steering lever. There is no objection to using a steering wheel or geared steering equipment in place of the old and tried tiller lines and sliding tiller. The choice depends upon preference and the size of one's pocketbook because one will steer the boat as well as the other. | |
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| The lines show a hull ideal for plywood planking, all flat surfaces and no bothersome complex curves, steam bending or preformed plywood. And if the work of building is nicely done and suitable sheer moulding made and applied as shown, the appearance of the boat will be pleasing. | |
 PHOTOS OF BOBBY M 
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| Plans for Bobby M. 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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