This month the design shows another V bottom Seabright skiff with an underbody which I like to call Atkinized. The over-all length is 21 feet 7 inches; the water line length, 20 feet; the breadth, 5 feet 10 inches; and the draft, 1 foot 3 inches. It might well be called a big-little boat with its generous freeboard, wholesome displacement, comfortable cockpit, and sea-keeping ability. The freeboard at the bow is 2 feet 10 inches, the least freeboard, 1 foot 9 inches, and the freeboard at the stern, 2 feet 1/8 inch. The breadth is somewhat less than current practice in this matter but I can assure you there is advantage in not too much beam in little boats as well as those of greater size.
The deck plan of the little skiff Frank Toop shows a forward deck 5 feet 10 inches long, a cockpit 8 feet 4 inches long, engine space 3 feet 3 inches long, and an after deck approximately 4 feet long. There are side decks 7 inches wide, and proper coamings around the cockpit opening. Side seats in the form of a U are shown providing seating room for six people; and this number, by the way, is the maximum that should be carried in an open boat of this kind.
An examination of the lines shows the typical box deadwood and straight flat double-ended keel of the surf boats of the New Jersey seacoast; but above here the sections are of V bottom form, those below the chines being straight; those above molded. There is just enough flare and flam in the forward sections to assure dryness in dusty going, and a pleasing flare and roundness as the sections reach the stern. There is, strictly speaking, no tumble-home. The line of the sheer is not so bold as that of the original boats ; but not in any manner of speaking straight. Taken altogether this latest of the family is very much of the sea and if carefully built just as shown in the plans will be a most satisfactory little vessel to own and use.
The engine shown in the plans is a single cylinder Universal Fisherman of from 6 to 8 h.p., a slow speed machine of very practical design. It should be fitted with reverse gear for handiness in coming alongside floats and picking up moorings. If the boat is built as shown in the plans she will have a top speed of a good 8.5 miles an hour. I should not attempt to drive Frank Toop at speeds much above 14 miles an hour. A light weight motor (approximately 350 pounds) of about 95 cubic inch cylinder displacement is the upper limit of power. The Universal Fisherman weighs 270 pounds and has a cylinder displacement of 67.5 cubic inches.
