PocketShip.net

The CLC website states... "Auxiliary propulsion is a pair of oars or a yuloh which will drive the boat at a couple of knots when the wind doesn’t suit. (PocketShip can carry an eggbeater outboard for those who simply cannot live without gasoline.)"

Does anyone have any thoughts on...

• If you are going to use oars, where would you stow them?
• What length would they be?
• Where would the oar locks be mounted?
• Any thoughts on transom details for a yuloh?
• Would an outboard (gas or electric) fit in one of the lazarettes?
• Could an "outboard well" (perhaps in one of the lazarettes) be used?

Perhaps I should just be thinking of something like an Eastport Pram, store the oars in the pram, and tow the Pocketship instead!

I'm sure there will be plenty of power configurations, from man power to machines, both gas & electric), once some of the various ongoing PocketShip projects get to the water. Right now I'm planning on oars and a vintage British Seagull 2 HP motor along with an antique mount. I think they will look great on the old-time design of the PS. Stay tuned. Jer (aka mtsailor)

mtsailor wrote:Right now I'm planning on oars and a vintage British Seagull 2 HP motor along with an antique mount...

I'll be watching to see where others mount the oar locks. There should be quite a few PocketShips finished before I get to that stage. We had a Seagull outboard on a 28 foot power boat many years ago. It was a backup for the big (and thirsty) V8 inboard that normally pushed it along at planing speeds.

According to the Shaw & Tenney formula the oars should be about 12' long. I would suspect the same for a yuloh. The plans show an oarlock mount on the transom for a yuloh, but nothing for oars.

Donm1753 wrote:According to the Shaw & Tenney formula the oars should be about 12' long.

Thanks for the info. I'm still not sure where one would keep a 12' oar on a 14' 10" boat though! I am curious about what others will do, but there's lots of time before I get to that stage.

Good info. Thanks. Probably could get by with 8-10' oars, but even then it would be a challenge to find a place to stow them. Wonder where John keeps his and how long they are? mtsailor, http://gallery.me.com/jermcmanus

The oars have to be pretty long. I was going to try 9 or 9'6" oars. I spent a lot of time at the design stage making sure you have a seat (the "bridge deck") for rowing the traditional way. I've never found a good place to store them. It'd have to be on deck, running forward to meet at the end of the bowsprit, or slung aft on either side with the oars sticking out the back. Neither approach is especially elegant for storage.

A yuloh can be a lot shorter, and can even fold in half. Phil Bolger has plans for one in his book "30-Odd Boats" that I was going to try, because it would stow below. Then someone here posted that cool Racelite yuloh widget, which gets you to the same place with less assembly work. My preference for the boat has always been a yuloh, since the stern area gives you plenty of working room, and the long keel helps so much with tracking.

Merle Bailey showed me an ingenius scheme to convert the rudder itself into a powerful sculling device. A little fussy to install, and I'd have to do something to reduce the friction in the stock rudder pivot scheme. The scrape and rattle isn't noticeable while sailing, but prolonged sculling with the rudder would drive you nuts.

I've got the yuloh mount for the "transom skirt" mocked up. Hope to have it done by the WoodenBoat Show.

For all my fulminating against outboard engines, there are places where you're just going to need one or it'll be too hard to go sailing. There's plenty of buoyancy back there to support a 2hp four-stroke. Just for the fun of building one, I was going to fabricate a fiberglass outboard mount for mine. If I get to it I'll take photos and post them.

After living with the interior for a year, I think you could install two batteries down below. If you're a careful electrician, you could hardwire a lead for a nice trolling motor. You'd want to be thoughtful about the weight distribution of two batteries----don't cram them in the stern. With two batteries in place, the boat ought to trim down by the bow slightly so that your weight aft balances everything.

So, what would it take to design an outboard well for either a 2hp o/b or electric trolling motor? The one designed for Welsford's Pathfinder seems appropriately elegant:

http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/projects/thierry/index.htm

I don't think I trust myself to make the modifications while building... with me, too many things can go wrong! ...I'd have to have something to follow, and even then, of course, there are no guarantees...

Has anyone incorporated anything like the Pathfinder's outboard well into their Pocketship?

John, The question of aux. power has been haunting me for sometime as well and I would like to use an electric trolling motor or gas ( whichever is most affordable) If I use electric I would like to install the battery in the lazerett as close to the keel as possible and against bulkhead number 8. Some trolling motors fold up and could be stored in the opossing lazarett for better balance. If i use gas I would like to store a 3 gallon gas can in the lazarette with a direct feed to the outboard. The outboard would be mounted on the stern semi permanent. In either case I think the weight of the gas or a battery would be approx the same. I will also keep a battery in the original location at the bow. both batteries could then be charged using the solar panel. Question: will I be screwing up the balance by installing a battery or gas can in the lazarett or can I offset that by adding a little more ballast in the bilge on one side to compensate. Any comments are very welcome. Jeff

I saw the PocketShip in wooden Boat mag and fell in love. I am kind of a design geek, so the PocketShip really got me going. My problem is that I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, which means 25 Knot winds, 3 foot chop and 7 knot currents on a daily basis. The thought of cruising the bay in a PocketShip is a little intimidating. I don't mind taking chances, but hitting the bay without a motor "just in case" seems more foolhardy than adventurous.

So I've been poring over the drawings and it appears to me that you could fit a small electric motor immediately abaft of the centerboard housing under the "bridge deck", with a straight shaft to a prop that you could fit in front of the rudder if the keel/skeg were relieved. The way I figure it with 2 batteries under the seats, the engine could act as a generator under sail, charging the batteries as the prop freewheels, and provide plenty of emergency power in case the bowsprit is not enough to intimidate the many containerships plying the bay. another bonus is that you could easily power a couple LED lights for the cabin or running/anchor lights, and maybe even a radio (for hailing those aforementioned container ships).

I know the PocketShip is all about simplicity, and this seems the simplest solution to a couple problems all in one. I just don't know enough about packing boxes and through hull fittings to know if this is a stupid idea or a good one so I'd love to hear what you all think of my crazy idea.

P.S. I am short so the loss of legroom to the batteries would not affect me!