SCAMP changes and thoughts . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Never built a whole boat before,    so I am asking everybody I know, about anything they know about building boats. Specialized Internet groups, like TSBB or FB's SCAMP Builders and Dreamers have been immense help.
Almost to the point that I trust everybody's advice, more than my own. 
Almost.

I see in SCAMP build blogs where guys double up on different areas of the transom, including one doubling panel that comes with the kit, to reinforce the rudder gudgeons.
Then they add transom doubling for stern ladders and more transom doubling for motor mounts.
At this point, the UN-doubled area could probably be covered by a handkerchief.
So I thought: "Why not just double up the whole transom instead of doing all that cutting and fitting and sanding and shaping and gluing?"   
So I asked.
Got told: NO!    You need to only double up what you absolutely have to, to keep weight off the ends of the hull! Sails better. 
Hmmm . . . . .
"If you can put a Number on it, it's Science; if you CAN'T put a Number on it, it's VooDoo!"   
So, ever the skeptical Numbers Guy, I took the transom reinforcement panel and weighed it. (2 lb.)
Extrapolated from that surface area, out to the rough dimensions of a whole transom panel. (8 - 9 lb.)
Figured ladder doubling (1½ lb.) and motor mount doubling (1½ lb.) for a total of about 5 pounds.
So approximately a 3 or 4 lb. difference between a monolithic panel, versus piece-meal pieces.
So I traced the transom onto a panel and cut it out. (8¼ lb.)
Wow!! These guys are busting my chops for all of: 3¼ lb.   
Apparently, dinghy sailboats are very sensitive to weight in the ends.
I looked at a bunch of pics of SCAMPS on-line and couldn't help but notice the large number of them that had 30 lb. Honda 2.3 hp outboards hanging on those doubled transom motor mounts.
Attached to a 10 lb. motor mount, I hasten to add.
Seriously?    You gonna give me grief over a 4 lb weight differential at the ends, then promptly hang 40 lbs of  motor/mount on it?   
Well there's ONE piece of advice, gonna get ignored!   

Ran into another problem.
This plywood puzzle piece tab coming out of the mast trunk is supposed to be flush to the cleats below it.
Instead, there's a 6 mm gap.
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When you place the cuddy sole on the cleats, the tab sticks up..
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Wondered if maybe I needed to trace out a puzzle tab of 6 mm, glue it underneath, then grind off the part sticking up.
So I again asked the learned Experts on various forums.   
Got varying responses such as, just cut off the tab vs. move the cleats up flush under the tab and then make a sloping cleat from the trunk to the floorboards.
This slight increase in grade will allow water to flow from under the cuddy more easily, when water sloshes aboard.
Sounded like a reasonable idea, albeit a lot more fussy work, than I prefer.
Then the Skeptical Numbers guy kicked in again.
Lessee here: ¼-inch over 15 inches, is < 2% grade.
Seriously?   
Hmmm . . . . seems like I can increase the grade to better than 15% by just standing in the foot well.   

OK, so these guys are technically RIGHT, but at some point Common Sense has to take over.
Yeah, I'm going to cut off the puzzle tab, glue it to the floorboard puzzle piece and move on.
The whole episode reminded me of high school locker-room sex advice.
When you actually started having sex, you quickly realized which guys knew whereof they spoke, and which guys were just blowing smoke.

Other changes are not to the boat per se, so much as they are changes to me, and my thinking.

I was originally going to paint the hull white with dark blue boot stripe and sheer stripe, just like Urchin.
I was also going to paint the cockpit and topsides a pale blue, just like Urchin.
I was going to paint the centerboard with the same paint as I used on Urchin's swing keel.
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All of a sudden, I creeped myself out.   
I felt like one of those creepy parents who have a child with serious medical issues and then have a second child, to provide spare parts for the first child.
I was trying too hard for a mini-me Urchin and I realized I was really only trying to hang onto memories that have already happened and simultaneously depriving the newer boat the opportunity to make completely new memories for me.
Same with trying to keep the name: Urchin.
It was patently unfair to the little boat, which is starting to really charm me in much the same manner as Urchin did, the first time I laid eyes on her.

It deserves to have its' own identity, its' own personality, its' own life.  (Including the Rough Parts.)

So I decided to choose a completely different paint scheme.
I wanted Bristol Beige for the cabin roof and transom cap, since that's now almost a traditional choice, harking back to SCAMP #1.
I wanted Sea Foam green for the hull sides, Hatteras Off-White for the decks, cabin sides, and cockpit. While I have a lot of EZ-Poxy in white, left over I noticed when re-painting Urchin, a tendency to get "snow-blindness" from all the bright white.
I'm going to paint the inside lockers and inside cabin with the white, (after all, I got the paint) but it will only be seen when opening a locker, where it will make it easier to see stuff rolling around in the locker.
The Hatteras Off-White is a lot more restful color on the eyes, for everything else (including the rudder).
The bottom and centerboard are going to be brown, or maybe a dark green, haven't decided yet.
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I also decided that Urchin's name will go with her, when she sells.
So what to name the new boat?   

This is my buddy, Jim Dewey, besties since the 8th grade, until his passing a few years ago.
He was Best Man at my wedding and I was Best Man at both of his weddings (kinda had to the 2nd time, since I had introduced his future wife to him).
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This was from a Biscayne Bay sailing trip on Urchin, where we took as many of his13(!) kids, as we could find PFDs for.
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The boy at lower right, Charles Joseph Dewey, was named for my father, Charles Joseph Brennan, someone both of us greatly admired.
As the 13th kid, I told Jim a better name for him should have been: Omega.   
That's how good of friends, we were.   

Although Jim never got a sailboat of his own, he loved them, loved sailing on mine and was particularly enamored of a 23' MacGregor sailboat: Venture of Newport.
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He loved the lines, the cutter rig and bowsprit and the pin rail coamings; he thought it looked "properly salty".
He even had a name picked out, if he ever got one: The Irish Pennant.
This was a semi-derogatory 18th Century, British sailing term, for whenever a boat's rigging was sloppy and had a line hanging down that should have been secured, or was in a general mess.
So besides the wry irony, it will also be an homage to a good friend, who was never able to realize his sailing Dream.
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New boat, new paint scheme, new name, new outlook, but otherwise, the same old me.

Charles Brennan

[Doug SC]

All you do to offset the added transom weight is sit forward and eat snacks! Fitting name. 

[Riley Smith]

I've touched on the fact that I'd do a lot of things differently were I to build my boat again and one of them would be to increase the thickness of the transom. So I'm agreeing there. About weight, there were no provisions in my plans for floorboards but I found out that they absolutely made the world a better place. And yes, I too was concerned with weight, but those were down in the bottom where any weight was more stability and I built them from cypress, a light wood. Total weight wasn't really a concern to me as I'm never going to be racing and actually weight seems to even out the chop in a disturbed sea. The catboat is far from light and once grounded on a lee shore I though I was going to have a heart attack getting her off.
 Another thing is the catboat upper decking is painted with Hatteras white. I don't know if it is off white or not (can't remember and too lazy to go look) but white is white and it reflects enough to give my face a  shade or two more sun. Just saying. I do love it though and it was applied roll and tip. It's very near a sprayed look. I get a, 1 1/2-2" yellow plastic handled Purdy brush from the hardware store that is the go too for that. The wood handled ones from Lowes aren't nearly as good IMHO.
 Around here a dark green is the traditional color on Stauter skiffs and I've always loved it and wanted a boat that color, so that's the reason I went with it. I did a slew of palette choices much like you have done and the only color that looked better to my eye was black. 
 As far as the puzzle piece goes, I remember some advice one of the designers made to someone building a plank on frame boat. These are built with molds that are lofted to the particular shape at that station and everything is fitted until it is all together and then the hull is removed from the molds . Well, one of them was consistently giving trouble and the designer told the builder to just remove that mold. Boat turned out fine. FIL also used to loft ships and ran into the same problem. The lines just didn't jive and he contacted the NA because you don't just make it work on a ship. I learned strict adherence sometimes collides with reality.
 Every name means something to the owner and it is just meant to be that way. I'm glad you found your boat's name.

[Roland of Macatawa]

Nice choice of name to honor the memory of your friend!

[Timm R Oday25]

Fitting scheme and name .
At first ,I thought you were going to name the boat "Rough Parts"

[noelH]

Since I'm not into racing ballasted monohulls, the additional weight and performance loss wouldn't be an issue. A more robust transom would be my choice. Having a #30 pound outboard hanging behind the transom must not be too much of an issue for those who prefer ICE. Oars and if absolutely need a lightweight electric outboard seems like all you would need for a ~400 lb boat. Vela is ~#800. Even the 7kg (~15#) ePropulsion Lite easily moves the boat in calm and flatter water conditions.

Good choice for the name. 

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

I remember you telling us about Jim and all those kids.    Nice way to honor him.

I think brown for the centerboard and bottom.  Green would clash with that seafoam, to my eye.  Brown would fit with the beige on top.

[Norm L.]

In the MUG year at school we were heavily smitten with Irish Pennant demerits and accompanying penalties.
However, I really like the name. It is not only to honor a dear friend but having read your ongoing saga I think it perfectly fits that boat that is no longer uniform.
You are making it yours.

[Captain Kidd]

Nice post, Charles. I know why your friend liked the Venture. Was always one of my favorite designs as well. It is indeed salty. Love your rationale on the name!