Seven Days
A 17' 11" Flat-Bottom Utility
By William Atkin
A Grand Little Boat
Seven Days is the answer to the problem of a real boat that can be built easily and inexpensively by the amateur or professional boat builder. Not too big for transporting by trailer; nor so small as to be suitable only for sheltered waterways. The drawings of the profile and bow view show it is possible to produce a flat bottom boat that has both character and ship-shapeness; and, after all, these are features that add a lot of value to any type of boat.
Despite her modest overall length, Seven Days is a handful of boat. The breadth, 6 feet, coupled with wholesome freeboard, makes a boat which is exceptionally roomy, and comfortable. Sitting down on her low-placed seats, or more properly, thwarts, gives a nice feeling of security because the coamings come to one's armpits and the result is that people are in the boat, rather than on it. Four persons will not be crowded, and the hull has ample buoyancy to carry this heavy load safely and properly. As I have written and said hundreds of times, do not overload any kind of boat; trouble bubbles along in the wake of such. Another thing I have always said is that there is a lot to be said for the flat bottom boat. A correctly designed and properly built flat bottomed boat can be just as satisfactory as one of round or V bottom model. Without question, the flat bottom is the easiest to build, and the cheapest. It is rather too bad so many flat bottomed boats are rule-of-thumb productions because these give the type a bad reputation. So, Shipmates, bear in mind that there are flat bottomed boats; and flat bottomed boats, just as there are good and bad among all of us.
The cockpit is arranged for a party of four; there is plenty of room between the thwarts without crowding. The motor is installed under a house, the top and forward end of which must be easily removable. The gasoline tank will have a capacity of approximately 22 gallons. This is ample fuel for the modest power recommended for Seven Days. This, with the single cylinder 5 h.p. motor shown on the plans will give a cruising radius of close to 125 miles. The motor shown on the plans is a Universal Fisherman single cylinder of 67 cubic inches cylinder displacement; 5 h.p. at 800 turns per minute. Use propeller 12 inches diameter by 14 inches pitch, three blades. This will give the little boat a speed of 8 miles an hour. A motor of 10-15 h.p. will give a speed of 9 1/2 to 10 miles an hour, and this is about the maximum speed that can be expected from this design. The Red Wing Thoroughbred 4-5 h.p. single cylinder motor would also be an ideal power unit for Seven Days. The steering gear is of the simplest description, a wooden tiller fitted between cheek blocks on the rudder head; thence tiller lines extending around inside the cockpit coaming. With this simple arrangement the boat may be steered from any place in the cockpit. A lever or small steering wheel might be fitted to the coaming either side if desired.
Seven Days' principal dimensions are: length over all, 17 feet 11 inches; water line length, 17 feet; breadth, 6 feet; draft, 1 foot; the freeboard at the stem is 2 feet 7 inches; least freeboard 1 foot 11 1/8 inches; at the stern, 2 feet 7/8 inche. The breadth of the bottom at its widest part is 4 feet 6 inches. It will be seen that provides an unusual amount of topside flare. And topside flare is one of the earmarks of a really fine flat bottomed boat. The flare is nearly constant, which helps a lot in the fitting and fastening of the side planking. Naturally the flare also assures a dry boat when the water is rough. The lines show an easy fore and aft form. In a boat of this model the sweep of the bottom is especially important, therefore take particular care that it retains all the characteristics shown on the plans.
Plans for Seven Days are $100

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