The album of Ariel #422

[Robert Lemasters]

I agree that an outboard has advantages, my Nissan 6 hp 4 stroke is very good on fuel, I did however change the prop pitch per Mike Goodwin, who has the same engine on his Ariel. One advantage that I like, is the fact that you can steer with an outboard motor should something happen to the rudder. The four stroke dosn't make very much noise, even going full speed, I like that.

[commanderpete]

Its not GIMP technology, but this is how I was picturing Kurt's dinette and bunk

[mbd]

Just to keep you guys thinking, I ran across these the other night while wandering the "For Sale" sites. A couple of interesting ideas. The Bristol 26 shows a longer bulkhead with the dinette setup. The Invicta 26 has a raised vberth so you could make room for the feet on the settees. This setup could free up the aft of the cabin for galley space and storage. If I recall, the Wing 25 had this foot cubby setup on one side too.

[CapnK]

OK, you made me think.

About how much height there is at the forward part of the Vberth. There is planty of room, and some reason, to put a shallow (but wide) self-draining foredeck locker there. Maybe 6" deep inside. It would stiffen the foredeck, and make for a convienent - and perhaps safer/quicker - place to stow anchor rodes. Could even have a smaller partition integral for headsail-related gear/tools. Or, there's room there to glass in a 6" block of foam, if your quest was ffor a buoyancy-neutral vessel (like Jim Baldwins Triton Atom may be).

Ebb is not allowed to do that because he has a nice large hatch there, with a nice locker area below. I bet he feels relieved at that.

[mbd]

Naw, think really BIG "E"! Figure out a way to add an Anchor Locker! Now that would be really cool!

[CapnK]

This will interest Ebb and maybe TonyG, as we've discussed this idea...

Cutting the main bulkhead away to open up the interior.

Well, there is a Bristol 27 on eBay right now where the owner has done that, to a degree. Here's one pic, there are a few more (but no really good ones) in the ad - link follows...

eBay B27

Mike - still thinking about that anchor locker.

[CapnK]

...and here is the latest GIMP revision. Interior sans steps and sink. IIRC, Bill@231's post the other day which commented on placement of the sink off-centerline was grist for thought. I'd been thinking to put the sink off to starboard. Rolling over other possibilties in my mind right now. The large starboard stowage/galley setup I cobbled together as a prototype onboard has been functioning well, not at all intrusive or claustrophobic. Last night I removed the last vestiges of the icebox - the bottom, which had been serving as a shelf there in the corner. Ebb, I climbed into that area and thought about your pilot berth...

This was right before I went onboard a transient's Hinckley Bermuda 40 to help them connect to the marina network. Yowza. 3rd Hinckley I've been on, though I didn't get to sail on this one - what great boats. What HUGE price tags.