Errors in table of offsets common?

Andy Grant

Andy Grant

Well-known member
I started to loft the Merrymeeting scull offsets from Building Classic Small Craft. I ran into a couple errors. I started with the 4' mold and the diagonals seemed off by about 3/8". They just didn't line up with the rest of the points at all. I double checked my measurements and they seemed right. Although I an mot ruling out my own error on the diagonals.

The transom has this listed:
Heights buttock 16" 0-5-5
half-bredths W.L. 5 3/4" 1-4-0

This puts one point 1/8" directly above another. It seems the buttock 16" should be 0-5-6 (5 3/4"). Sorry if this doesn't make sense.

It may not matter anyway as I alread re-calculated the offsets to decrease the width of the float, raise the stern, lower the sheer on the bow and shorten it overall to make a 1 to 1 1/2 person float rather than 2 man.
 
Andrew from what I read on another site. If they are old plans it was not uncommon to purposely give incorrect off sets on plans. This was an identifier in case some one copyed your plans and tried to sell them as there own. If you purchased the plans then they would tell you. This is sometimes done today on newer vessels.
 
The offsets came in the book. The book is suposed to have complete designs for all the boats in it. I would like to build a Whitehall or gunning dory from it also to have a nice rowing boat. I could find out about the other tables of offsets in the future.

I don't know if the errors were intentional but you think they would have been caught before the printing the second and third edition if they weren't. Although I still haven't ruled out my own error on the diagonals. I am just using the offsets and lines as a jumping off point anyway.
 
I think the building of a boat is a little of art as well as science. I think you are on the right track. This boat will be yours and yours only. The blue prints from my prospective are a guide and not an absolute. The author of Small Craft I think would agree. People at Wooden Boat Forum have built boats from that book and would give you some incite.

Pete
 
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