Small Boats for Fun Afloat

The small boats available to budding captains and seasoned skippers alike this year happily combine function with fun; as a result, American waters -- both fresh and salt -- will be more smartly populated than ever before. The ownership and operation of a small boat -- and by that term we mean pleasure craft, sail or power, 25 feet or under -- requires but modest wherewithal and only the basic skills; yet the dividends in relaxation and revelry are huge compared to the size of the investment and the size of the boat. The ever-increasing availability of good, sturdy, less-than-yacht-size craft means that every man can be captain of his own ship and enjoy a way of life that can include -- depending on his nautical proclivities -- the excitement of water-skiing or fishing, the adventurous world of skindiving or racing, or the easy sociability of just plain soaking up the sun while day-sailing with close friends.

Fortunately, the Detroit-inspired sea monsters of the last decade, which subordinated shipshape lines to something called "high style," have practically disappeared from the water, and function, an old-fashioned virtue that seemed in danger of being forgotten, has resumed its primary, and proper, place in boating design. As any old sea dog could have told the manufacturers, true nautical beauty is derived from utility. The sheer line of a Grand Banks dory, the raked masts of a Chesapeake bugeye, or the hull form of a Jersey sea skiff were determined by the tasks required of these boats. The well-designed modern craft also fits form to function, and its versatility beckons the boat buff to a wide variety of pleasures.

The most obvious yet most limited boating diversion is speed. Most be ginners tire of it quickly and settle into more relaxing and rewarding pastimes -- among them a secluded picnic on a distant beach. Many small boats have definite advantages in this regard: they're light enough and draw little enough water to be beached easily. Offshore fishing, with only the sea breezes and one's chosen sea mates for company, is distinctly more desirable than trying your luck on a crowded pier. Water-skiing was specifically designed for the small power boat, and blessedly requires less skill while providing more excitement than any comparable sport. Skindiving can be as involved as the most elaborate scuba gear -- but it needn't intimidate the neophyte, for it can also be as simple and unpretentious as a jump over the side with little more than a mask and flippers.

If some of this sounds too strenuous, even the most jaded night people can have their day with a small boat. Many craft are large enough to accommodate intimate parties, or, if more solitude is desired, a moonlight cruise for two is considerably more romantic and less energetic than the old canoe version.

It's doubtful that any owner requires a boat for all these diversions. Yet he is secure in the knowledge that a well-designed, functional power craft is capable of performing well in any or all of them, and he knows that it will also contain sensible space for comfort and gear stowage, that equipment will perform, not adorn, and that the boat will be safe under the most adverse conditions.

The choice of the proper boat seems more bewildering at first than it really is. True, there is an immense variety of boating and climate conditions in this country, and the sport appears to have many perplexing facets. But once the basic questions are resolved -- whether to choose sail or power (and what type of power) and what kind of construction to select (fiberglass, wood or metal) -- the make,(text continued on page 68) model and other particulars are easily decided. First, the question of power vs. sail. A motor makes a boat considerably more versatile than a sailboat with no auxiliary power, for obvious reasons. Water-skiing is impossible with a sailboat. Fishing is more convenient with power than with sail, and the rudiments of operating a motor boat are more easily learned than the rudiments of sailing. Power will help you cover large stretches of water in short periods of time (the better to escape to that isolated anchorage), and you can generally chart your schedule quite reliably. A power craft accommodates more passengers than a sailboat in the same size range, and in spite of the fact that speed will only be one of the kicks that motoring gives you, there is no denying the thrill of zipping along the water with the wind and spray dashing in your face and the engine roaring urgently. The effect is way out of proportion to the actual mph, and for this reason water speed usually feels faster than it really is.

If you decide to take the power plunge, you'll have four choices: outboard, inboard, (text continued overleaf) inboard-outboard, or water jet.

The outboard is still supreme for the light, open, runabout class and is also valuable as an auxiliary motor for small sailboats. Unless a high degree of luxury is a key requirement in your plans, you'll find happiness with this very simple, very basic motor. It costs little to buy and install in the smaller horsepower ranges, and it supplies great power considering its relatively light weight. The outboard's placement allows full deck room for whatever useful (or, for that matter, trifling) equipment you find pleasurable, and its ease of operation and maintenance assure more leisure for the nonmechanical joys of boating. Its tip-up propeller and lack of fixed rudder make it simple to beach a boat with an outboard. Forget the notion that the outboard roars like an angry lion: modern manufacturing techniques have reduced its noise level to something resembling a loud purr. Some of the better-known outboard manufacturers include Evinrude, Johnson, Mercury and Scott. Evinrude, incidentally, recently introduced an unusual power wrinkle -- a motor with pushbutton controls.

On the other hand, there's no gainsaying the trim, sleek beauty of a craft powered by a hidden inboard. Besides giving good fuel economy and weight distribution for certain designs, the inboard also offers one a wide choice of hull form and boat size, good control at low speeds and high power options. Its four-cycle operation is smooth and does not burn lube oil, and, most important, for the rugged fun of skindiving, water-skiing or certain types of fishing, the uncluttered after cockpit of the inboard is a definite advantage.

If the boat you choose is an intermediate size, about 16 to 20 feet, it's in a gray area where the advantages of the basic motor types overlap. If it's real speed you're after, for example, an outboard big enough to achieve it in this size range will put a strain on the boat by locating all the weight over the transom, and fuel and oil consumption will be high.

An inboard-outboard (I-O) combines some of the advantages of both types of motor. Its power plant is located just inside the transom, which means you retain the spacesaving benefits of an after motor and achieve good weight distribution. It also permits a movable rudder and propeller, provides extra horsepower and allows the choice of two- or four-cycle operation.

For those who like to whoosh along the water with a somewhat different sensation, the water jet should be considered. The jet's operation is unique: a stream of water pumped out of the boat's transom takes the place of a propeller, and the boat is steered by manipulating the jet with baffles, thus eliminating the rudder. Not having underwater fittings is a safety factor and also a particular boon if you plan to do much swimming or skindiving near the boat, or if you relish exploring shallow inlets and beaches.

There are many boating enthusiasts, however, who regard any kind of motor as an extension of vile, land-based civilization. Sails to them are symbolic of the romance of the sea and represent a more complete break with terra firma. Sailing enthusiasts are usually of a philosophic bent. They love the water but do not worry about how much of it they can cover in a given period of time, unless, of course, they are racing enthusiasts. They regard the greater demands of sailing as a challenge, and are therefore more satisfied with its ultimately greater rewards.

Sailing can be the simplest kind of lazing along, or it can be developed into a highly complex skill. Its fascination never stales, and no one has ever admitted to knowing everything there is to know about it. With the help of an auxiliary motor, sailing need not be ruined by calms and adverse tides. And, comparatively, it is operationally inexpensive.

Once settled on your mode of movement -- power, sail, or a combination -- you'll want to decide which type of construction material is most adapted to your needs: plastic, metal or wood. While each boasts certain advantages, none clearly overshadows the others.

Fiberglass, the chief plastic, is especially adaptable to complex hull forms (Which partly accounts for the rash of strange fins and curves that so startled traditionalists in the late 1950s) and, like aluminum, the most popular metal, has strong impact resistance and requires little maintenance. The chief drawback of both plastic and metal (albeit a slight one) is that they are both relative newcomers to the boating field and are still unknown quantities in certain respects. For example, even an expert cannot be sure how well-built a plastic or metal boat is merely by looking at it. However, the potential boat owner is in safe waters if he buys from a reputable manufacturer.

Wood is most desirable for those who want a known quantity as well as the look and feel of a traditional boat. It's easiest to work with, and many of the old maintenance problems have been reduced through improved paints and construction that no longer require calking. Today, you can even buy an unconventionally shaped wooden hull, if you choose carvel or strip planking, molded plywood or lapstrake.

Regardless of the construction material chosen, you'll not want to embark with a bare hull. A large variety of optional equipment is available to make your voyages safe and pleasurable. The most important safety extra is the radio. Direction finders, depth sounders and radio telephones afford a sense of security and relaxed frame of mind, the first requisites of true enjoyment on the water. It is now possible to carry as much of this equipment as you like, even on a small boat, thanks to the perfection of the transistor.

Once the question of safety is disposed of, you can concentrate happily on the accouterments of fun. You can now enjoy commercial radio and TV, formerly a gross luxury and almost an impossibility on small craft. If fishing is your game, there are boats which are designed almost exclusively as angling platforms, and on which all the equipment is intended to enhance the sport. On the other hand, if you're only a casual fisherman, you can always stow a couple of rods and install a small locker for lures, swivels, sinkers and spare lines.

Another dividend is water-skiing, a rousing game that requires only three to play (one to drive, one to play lookout, and one to ski). For serious skiers, numerous variations, like trick, barefoot and slalom skiing, are made possible by specially equipped, highpowered boats. However, for normal skiing at about 15 mph you won't need more than 20 to 30 horsepower on a 13- to 16-foot vessel.

If swimming and light skindiving are your pleasure, it's no bother to carry enough bathing suits for as large a group as your boat will accommodate, and a couple of face masks, snorkel tubes and pairs of flippers can be stored aboard unobtrusively. If you plan to play the scuba bit all the way, however, you'll be interested in a specially built craft. You'll be able to find one with a particularly stable hull, a rear platform for easy access to the water, and extra stowage for tanks, suits and spears.

There's nothing more delightful after a strenuous afternoon of water-sporting than a relaxing martini, skillfully mixed, of course, and chilled to the proper degree. Foam-plastic ice chests are only one of the many items available to convert a boat into a floating living room. You can reverse purposes on these chests and use them to store hot provisions, too. And a wise planner can find room for a small solid-fuel stove and have his own galley. If cookie doesn't have to return to shore at the stroke of midnight, air mattresses, sleeping bags and foam-rubber cushions can be used to convert the boat for planned or impromptu overnighting. Many modern boats have convertible seats that can be used as bunks.

Little odds and ends that will add (continued on page 143)small boats(continued from page 70) enjoyment and convenience to your excursions include all varieties of plastic and paper tableware, light but powerful binoculars, weighted ashtrays, gimbaled drink holders, sheathed ice picks, firstaid kits and floats for ignition keys.

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Now that we've briefly explored some of the considerations of small boating, let's apply them to specific craft and see what they look like and what they can do. The production line for 1963 offers thousands of models and while we have made no attempt to be arbiters of which are "best," we have tried to picture and describe a fairly representative selection of types. With trailering an accepted part of modern boating, all but a few models can be towed behind a passenger car.

Starting with outboards, the smallest one, McCulloch's Hydro-Scott, is also one of the speediest. This fiberglass 15-footer is called the "sports car of the outboards," no doubt because it is intended strictly for high speeds and flash. The peppy Hydro-Scott features a unitized conception, meaning it was designed exclusively for the company's own 75-hp Flying Scott motor, and this unity of planning seems to work well. Features that justify the Hydro-Scott's sports-car comparison include foamrubber-padded bucket seats, console controls, instrumented dashboard and sports-car-type steering wheel. Speed? Up to 50 mph; tell your companion to bring a scarf for her hair.

The 19'9" aluminum Duratech Neptune, a boat in the $800 class (less motor), can take up to 50 hp and fulfills a variety of functions. Her large cockpit makes her quite adaptable to skiing and snorkeling and her seat layout, with two seats facing aft, is convenient for the water-ski lookout. The deck is vinyl bond, abrasion-resistant and nonskid, which facilitates handling the anchor and moving about. Duratech hulls and interiors are painted with a vinyl coating and the extruded gunwales and spray rails are of anodized aluminum, designed for rugged treatment. This is a nifty craft with good looks, high performance, a well-planned layout and great versatility.

The styling of aluminum boats has improved greatly in recent years, and whispered tales about their noisy hulls and unsuitability to salt water have largely died out -- simply because experience has shown them to be untrue. Other good examples of well-planned, functional aluminum craft include the Traveler's Sports Utility, Aluma Craft's Queen Merrie, Crestliner's 14' C Scout, and Grumman's G-19 Sportster.

Fisher-Pierce's Boston Whaler is a very distinctive outboard. This craft, designed by the ingenious New England naval architect, Ray Hunt, is a modern descendant (with refinements) of the sea-sled type of hull that was popular in the 1920s. Construction is of double-skin, foam-filled fiberglass, which means built-in flotation, and the hull is square-bowed with a modified catamaran form. The hull is fast, dry and able, and it features a great deal of room and stability. This makes the Boston Whaler neatly adaptable to fishing and skindiving and allows her to double as a utility launch. Very popular with the younger set today, she strongly dramatizes the importance of function over useless styling. Her junior size, 13'3", costs about $595, and can take up to 40 hp, while the larger Whaler, which we picture, measures 16'7", has double the power capacity and costs upward of $1200.

Outboard Marine Corporation, after years of manufacturing the familiar and highly dependable Evinrude and Johnson outboard motors, entered the "packaged boat" field and is now producing its own distinctive craft. Illustrated is OMC's Dual Deluxe, with a unique triple-hull design that provides roominess, stability, speed and riding comfort. The basic 17' hull is available in several versions. Power can be provided by an 88-hp, two-cycle OMC inboard-outboard motor that has automatically metered, independent oiling, or by a straight outboard job. One of OMC's variations is a camping model which converts into a full-headroom houseboat when the cockpit is covered by a hood. The Dual Deluxe is capable of 40 mph and has such refinements as power-tilt for the outdrives and windshield, dashboard instrumentation, and built-in stowage compartments. Specially built trailers are available in the complete OMC package.

Of somewhat similar design is the triple-hulled, fiberglass Custom-Craft 16. And in the $1000 price range is a more conventional boat of the same size range, Penn Yan's 17' Tahiti. She can take up to 80 hp in outboard power and is constructed of Vulcanile-bonded plywood laps with vinyl upholstery; fiberglass covered decks assure easy maintenance.

Glaston's V-191 Sportsman is a fast, roomy fiberglass boat in the same size range, and she can take the largest outboard motor made -- Mercury's hot and powerful 100-hp engine. As in many of the best-designed boats, easy access to the foredeck is available through the center section of the windshield, which can be raised.

The Thompson Company and Cruisers, Inc. feature wooden lapstrake boats designed for open-water performance and rugged duty. They are favorites with offshore fishermen and combine speed and seaworthiness. Lapstrake construction and flared bows make Thompson boats very dry and able in rough water. The larger boats in both lines, such as Cruisers' Barnegat 25 and Thompson models from 17 feet up can use inboard-outboard power.

We are talking now of the size range in which inboard-outboard installations have become increasingly popular, and Sabre Craft's 18'4" fiberglass Debutante is tops in this class. She's a $2000 boat with real flair and she has an interesting convertible hardtop. Shown covering the cockpit with the driver's seat in the sun, it slides to whatever position is desired. This convertibility is an increasingly important feature of small boats and the Debutante's use of it is ingenious. Outboard or I-O power (to 140 hp) is optional.

Glasspar, a company whose sound designs and sensible styles are largely responsible for the popularity of fiberglass in outboards, manufactures the Seafair 17'6" Sedan, as well as 18 other outboard and I-O powered boats. The Seafair, shown in its I-O version, will interest you if leisurely and gracious entertaining is high on your list. The spacious cockpit provides sufficient room for party supplies and comfortable moving about. This boat's distinctive styling, cabin V-berth and creditable performance in unsheltered waters have made her a popular choice in all areas.

The largest of the I-O's illustrated is Lyman's husky 21-footer. This craft is a good example of the versatility of lapstrake, a familiar hull construction that can be adapted to design innovations (such as inboard-outboard drive). The 21's large size and ruggedness make her comfortable for any kind of operation, including excursions in rough waters. She's roomy enough to carry plenty of supplies and she's especially good for short cruising, since she'll take a top and a marine toilet as optional equipment. Boats of this size are in the $4000 class, depending upon power options. Lyman, incidentally, typifies an interesting trend. Formerly, this company manufactured only small runabouts, but it has been adding bigger boats to its line each year in order to keep the repeat customers who like the brand, but want something just a little bigger in that inevitable "next boat."

Similar in size, but made of fiberglass, is Sea Craft's 21-footer that features longitudinal steps in a deep V-hull adaptable to I-O power.

Turbocraft's 17'10" Queen Bee (about $6500), shown streaking along under the impulse of water jets, is practically unique. Her powerful 230-hp inboard motor provides the Queen Bee with zip and zest, and her rugged fiberglass construction can take a lot of punishment. Because she lacks underwater fittings, she's extra safe for water sports and can virtually climb mountain rivers, laugh at sand bars and skim over wet grass (though we don't recommend you try it). Control is not as exact at slow speeds as with conventional propulsion and steering, but the water jet is an innovation that should interest any boat owner wanting to be jet-age modern.

Flashing across the Queen Bee's bow is a sporty Chris-Craft Custom Ski Boat (about $3545). Her vigorous 185-hp motor and easy maneuverability fit her well for the demands of advanced water-skiing. Chris-Craft, known mainly for large cabin yachts, also makes several smartly styled, high-performance runabouts and open utility sea skiffs popular among day-boat enthusiasts.

One of the sharpest boats afloat is Century's 18' Sabre (about $5540). This 240-hp, mahogany-planked, inboard runabout is designed strictly for fast company, both in performance (up to 50 mph) and looks. She's an unabashed showboat, and the man who likes something a little different, a little extra -- in short, the man who likes to be seen boating -- will flip for this beautifully finished and exquisitely styled craft. None of the passengers will chum for mackerel from the Sabre's upholstered cockpit (which features a unique Mercedes-Benz type of gull-wing canopy), but this is as it should be -- she was planned as a looker, not a work horse.

On the other hand, for those wishing to pair usefulness with sleek appearance, a good example of the combination is Crestliner's 18'2" Captain's Gig (about $4000). This fiberglass craft takes advantage of the best in traditional utility and modern styling. A roomy, well-designed cockpit surrounded by a trim rail enhances the boat's looks, and a direct-drive 100-hp inboard engine (top speed, 28 mph), together with a bottom designed for soft-entrance planing, assure a comfortable ride. Thanks to her high freeboard and lapstrakestyle hull, the Captain's Gig handles quite well in open water.

Our final power selection is the large, rugged and dependable Bertram Mediterranean 25-footer. In one model, this craft is roomy enough to sleep four, although we show her as a sleek, speedy day boat. Her deep V-hull, with longitudinal steps, was designed by Ray Hunt, and in prototype form has been a sensation at various races. The unusual hull form, which other builders have tried desperately to copy, has several qualities that have been real breakthroughs in powerboat design. This was the first hull capable of maintaining high speeds in rough water for sustained periods, and it has also proved to be stable, dry and maneuverable in a following sea. There are some flat-bottomed boats that can go a bit faster on a calm surface, but these V-hull jobs have so far proved untouchable in open water. The flashy craft shown ripping along at top speed of about 50 mph has a base price of $8500, with a conventional 220-hp Mercruiser and stern drives. She can be fitted with bigger power options in I-O or inboard for those who are really serious about speed.

We'll only describe a small sampling of what's available in sailboats, since the choice is almost limitless -- there are more than 200 different one-design classes in this country. (Boats in a onedesign class are all built to the same specifications and can be raced against one another without handicapping.) Many of these can be utilized for racing or relaxing, while others, like the Stars, Flying Dutchmen, Lightnings, Comets, Penguins, and Moths are mainly for competition. Sailboat construction is usually of wood or fiberglass; aluminum has not yet achieved wide popularity.

Two Connecticut sailors, Al Bryant and Cort Heyniger, are largely responsible for the current popularity of the small sailing boardboat. The 11'7" plywood Sailfish was designed by these young men shortly after World War II, and before long, they had a thriving business. The Sailfish, merely a surfboard with a lateen rig, a dagger board and a detachable rudder, was simple and inexpensive enough for almost anyone to own, and shortly after its introduction, the boom was on.

Incorporating as "Alcort," Bryant and Heyniger next designed the Super Sailfish and then introduced the 13'10" Sunfish, illustrated here and available in wood or fiberglass. Today, there are more than 2000 of these boats afloat, and their low prices ($268 for a wood kit; $395 ready-made in wood; and $447 in Fiberglass) still assure this craft's popularity. The Sunfish, with a 75-square-foot Dacron lateen sail, performs well and is big enough to feel like a real sailboat. She is well out of the toy class, yet has a bathing-suit informality that is responsible for so much of this type of sailing's appeal. In all but the calmest weather, you're going to get wet on one of these boats, but you'll have fun doing it. The Sunfish is especially sporty on a broad reach when it rises up and planes on top of the water with a wing of spray shooting out on each side. Eight to ten mph on a Sunfish feels like 50 mph in a larger boat, and the water rushes invigoratingly close to the bare skin. The Sunfish's shallow cockpit is a plus for vessels this small, for it makes her comfortable and helps her crew stay aboard. Capsizing, however, is not a thing to be feared, for if you flip in a Sunfish, which has a sealed, watertight hull, you simply stand on the dagger board until the boat pops up again, clamber aboard and sail off.

Just as the boardboat made use of the traditional surfboard form, so has another primitive boating concept been adapted to the most modern kind of sailboat -- the catamaran (originally Polynesian). A good example is the 17' Pearson Tiger Cat (about $2000), whose prototype popped eyes in a 1959 regatta by outsailing the fastest mono-hulled craft in competition. The Tiger Cat is 7' wide and carries 235 square feet of sail. Her broad deck, connecting the twin hulls, provides room for several passengers and makes her an excellent daysailer or camping boat.

The conventional 19' Orion fiberglass sloop, made by Sailstar Boats, is a good example of how careful planning can produce a boat with multiple uses. The Orion, costing $3000-$3500, is available as a straight centerboard model for shoal waters or with a combination keelcenterboard hull. Her beam is 6'9" and her 200 square feet of sail plus spinnaker adapt her well for one-design competition, or as a very comfortable daysailer and camping boat. A "Kickerpit," built into the hull aft, allows for the use of an outboard motor as an auxiliary, and there is room in the cuddy cabin for a marine toilet and a couple of bunks. A tent over the boom and a few air mattresses will enable her to accommodate additional overnighters. The hull form is adequate for operation in exposed waters, yet this boat is small enough to be handled easily -- a good combination of the qualities an owner demands in a sailing craft today.

An excellent compromise between sail and power is Person's 18' Packet, a fiberglass character boat that is the last word in modern construction methods. Adapted from the lines of a Hudson River packet, she can be used as a straight power launch with a 30-hp inboard, or she can be rigged as an auxiliary sloop with a 203-square-foot sliding gunter rig -- not too common these days, but capital for easy handling. The Packet's compromise between sail and power means that she will not be a speedy performer in either department, but she is comfortable both ways and is ideal both as a utility boat and a lazydays party boat. Her roominess also enables her to serve as a club launch, a tender for a large yacht or a committee boat.

There you have it. Whether you choose sail or power, inboard, inboard-outboard, or outboard, plastic, wood or metal will depend on your own conception of floating fun. But fun it will be, rest assured of that, and the varieties are virtually endless.