Danny green chameleon nesting dinghy

[akopac]

Really nice work there.

[DonCarlos]

Thanks akopac. It's the first boat I've built and I'm learning fast.

[01kiwijohn]

I looked at doing something like that but, couldn't get it to "nest" properly, so I could stow it on deck. My solution, to enable two to occasionally sit in the stern, was to make the buoyancy tanks a little lower, so that they were the same height as the seat and, that way, each person could use one of those square, flat cushions you see at most marine stores.

[Boatguy30]

I would just put in a few screw deck plates and not do the foam. Ore use 1 gallon milk bottles. Foam is going to ad a decent bit of weight and can absorb water over time.

Looks nice with the increased freeboard

[Atcowboy]

I built a the sailing version over the 2019-2020 winter.

I worked on it nightly and on weekends, and I think I estimated my time invested was 500 hours. I took my time to try and encapsulate all the wood in epoxy to prevent rot, fair and fillet all the joints to prevent sharp corners to trap debris, tape all joints (even inside the buoyancy tanks), and fiber glass sheeting outside and about half way up the hull on the inside. I had the silly notion that this would double as a life boat and need to be extra durable.

To answer a couple of recent questions in the thread.

The key: The key has it's pluses and minuses. The boat stands vertically nicely on the bulkhead if it does not have a key. This can be nice when storing the boat or even just moving it around. The key also makes it much easier to align the hull sections when assembling them in the water. I know it makes it easier, because my key swole in the centerboard slot and broke off in there so I left it for the season. It was possible to assemble it in the water but not as easy with the key. My plan is to reattach it soon. I will also use bronze fasteners so it will not just be glue.

The sail: I used a tarp. I sewed it flat, reused the grommets from the portions of the tarp that I cut off. I sewed all the grommets into the sail also. Works a treat, the shape is nice.

Mainsheet: I have a fairlead at the back of the tiller that I run the sheet through, and then forward to a jam cleat. I think I might change it to a sheet bridal and reuse the fairlead on the foredeck for the snotter.

Sprit: My sprit does not tuck into a pocket. My sprit is symmetrical (both ends identical) with an open ended slot on either end for a rope to go through with a jam knot so it doesn't pull through. The snotter and attachment at the peak both work the same way. I have the snotter clumsily run to the fore deck but want to eventually have a nice fairlead and cam cleat to make snotter adjustment easier, which is a big part of adjusting the sail shape for different points of sail. In the attached picture of the sail you can see some wrinkles from the clew, which would be removed if the snotter was tightened. Give me a break, that was my first sail...

Sail handling: A sprit sail is very easy to handle. But there is very little online literature of how to handle one. The snotter is not set and forget, it is part of sail trim. When you want the sail to go away, you need a brail line. I need to make the action for my brail more slippery, but when it works it's so nice. You can be heading dead down wind at a dock or beach and "douse" the sail with a brail line in seconds. If you're coming back soon, just leave the sail brailed up. If it's going to be a while, storing is very simple, just roll it up. It can be done in the dingy, on the shore, at the dock, or from the deck of the mother ship, whatever. Use the snotter, sheet, or brail line to wrap the sail up.

Rudder: I made mine so it can rotate up also. For preventing damage It's kind of redundant, since you'll hit the center board first. But it is great for intentionally grounding on a beach

Keel: I tried to fit the center board tighter, which was a big mistake. Leave plenty of slop in there so when it gets jammed full of sand, grit, rocks, shells, you can slide it in and out still. If it is free sliding and the bottom has been appropriately rounded it will slide up on it's own during most collisions. But since just about any amount of sand jams my center board, when I grounded it just stopped the boat dead. The top/stop at the top of the centerboard and filler board should be mechanically fastened as well as epoxied. The force of the center board being suddenly stopped when being installed eventually ripped the top off the centerboard. Much like slamming a drawer can remove the face after some time.

Skegs: Dual skegs make the boat sit flat and stable on a dock. I used dual skegs and took a long time to tape them down and fair them so there were no square edges at all. I also routed hand holds into the skegs to make moving the boat around on deck easier. They're definitely useful when its mounded on the foredeck as a handhold while moving around. However, dragging them around on sand wore through the fiberglass pretty quick. Instead of trying to round them perfectly I think I would leave the bottom square and make several sacrificial wooden runners. If they wear out or break, just replace them. I'm going to install these runners soon, but because the profile of the skeg is rounded it will be difficult.

Paint: Don't use totalboat wet edge. It just sucks. Do use soft sand, the stuff rocks!

Forward oar position: The plans show the mount just kinda stuck in the bulkhead gusset. In my case this left the mount canted inboard so much that the oars can barely enter the water. I'm making new mount blocks to cant the mounts outboard so they will be usable.

Weight: My dinghy got heavy enough that it is very hard to maneuver on the foredeck of my CD27. Even hanging from the halyard, moving it single handed is very difficult. I would definitely focus on trying to shave weight if I made it again.

I like the dinghy. I haven't tried it under motor, but I reinforced the transom incase I ever want to. Never having owned an inflatable, I can't compare to that. It is definitely the best rowing boat I have ever used. It tracks well but turns and keeps going. It sails nimbly and is a head turner. Everyone has something to say about it. Sailing around Great Salt Pond on Block Island labor day weekend, weaving in and out of the mooring field to visit friends was a blast. The weight and difficulty getting it nested on deck is a real problem for me as a single handed sailor, so I have wondered if this was the right choice. I have a couple ideas about how to make getting it onto and off of the mother ship easier and hopefully they work.

- AT

[akopac]

Really nice boat. Mine is a little heavy too. About 110 lbs. total. I’ve had some problems with bull works starting to come loose. How have you fastened yours on?

[Atcowboy]

Originally Posted by akopac

Really nice boat. Mine is a little heavy too. About 110 lbs. total. I’ve had some problems with bull works starting to come loose. How have you fastened yours on?

What are you calling the bulwarks? Do you mean the inner/outer gunwales along the top of the sheer? No problems there. The gusset at the front transom swole up enough to buckle so I had to pull that out and will be installing it again.

I had left no fasteners in the constructions of the boat at all to try to prevent water intrusion and wood sickness.

- AT

[akopac]

The gunnels. For some reason mine are starting to come loose a bit

[Atcowboy]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

I would just put in a few screw deck plates and not do the foam. Ore use 1 gallon milk bottles. Foam is going to ad a decent bit of weight and can absorb water over time.

Looks nice with the increased freeboard

Fortunately not. I would probably jam epoxy in the gaps and thru bolt, leaving the bolts in place. The gunnels do a lot to stiffen the sheer.

One thing I forgot to mention in my review is bouncy and swimming.

The bouncy tanks are just enough to float the boat. Just the boat.

Swimming entry needs to be done from the stern or the boat will swamp. I'll probably make a stirrup to make entry easier this year.

- AT

[Jammer]

I am again thinking of building one of these. My goal will be a lightweight build.


* Careful fiberglass work using peel ply to get a thin layup with minimum epoxy

* No sailing rig, row only (saves about 5# on the daggerboard case, mast step, mast doubler, mast support pipe, and rudder gudgeons

* Reduce the tape to one layer of 4" (saves 8# in tape and epoxy)

* Redesigned lightweight seats and brackets (saves 4#)
* Replacement of aft buoyancy tanks with fiberglass-covered foam (saves 3#)
* Some changes to the bow locker to lighten it. At a minimum switch to a flush hatch with a plywood frame underneath to reduce use of dimensional lumber. May change construction from plywood to 3/8" corecell core in a fiberglass sandwich which would save about 4#
* Use lightweight fittings where applicable e.g. nylon or aluminum bow cleat rather than stainless


Hoping to keep the weight to 80# including the removable seats.


So far this is just a paper exercise, no materials purchased

[DonCarlos]

Thanks Atcowboy for that comprehensive information. Making the sail from a tarp is such an excellent idea, especially since you say it works well. I have also discovered that there is very little information about sailing a spritsail online, so your insights are great. Unfortunately I have just ordered a spritsail from a local sailmaker, albeit it at a very good price as he had an oddment of suitable fabric he was trying to use. I too have made twin kegs fully glasses in with two handholds. But I was planned to epoxy a thin aluminium or brass strip onto them for protection.

[Copacabana]

Originally Posted by Jammer

I am again thinking of building one of these. My goal will be a lightweight build.


* Careful fiberglass work using peel ply to get a thin layup with minimum epoxy

* No sailing rig, row only (saves about 5# on the daggerboard case, mast step, mast doubler, mast support pipe, and rudder gudgeons

* Reduce the tape to one layer of 4" (saves 8# in tape and epoxy)

* Redesigned lightweight seats and brackets (saves 4#)
* Replacement of aft buoyancy tanks with fiberglass-covered foam (saves 3#)
* Some changes to the bow locker to lighten it. At a minimum switch to a flush hatch with a plywood frame underneath to reduce use of dimensional lumber. May change construction from plywood to 3/8" corecell core in a fiberglass sandwich which would save about 4#
* Use lightweight fittings where applicable e.g. nylon or aluminum bow cleat rather than stainless


Hoping to keep the weight to 80# including the removable seats.


So far this is just a paper exercise, no materials purchased

Jammer, I used very high-quality thinner marine ply when I built mine (6mm I think) and the weight of my dinghy is under 80 lbs for sure. I think the biggest weight savings will be in the plywood you choose. The plans call for 1/4 inch ply, but thinner, high-quality ply (not fir) will give you more strength and be lighter. I would follow the plans for taping seams (2 layers) as it won't save much weight and really adds strength.

[DonCarlos]

Copacabana, I also used 6mm but I thought that 6mm is the metric equivalent of 1/4"

[Copacabana]

Originally Posted by DonCarlos

Copacabana, I also used 6mm but I thought that 6mm is the metric equivalent of 1/4"

I don't remember now (it was a few years ago). Perhaps it was 4 mm. I do remember that it was thinner than called for in the plans.

[JAFO]

Originally Posted by Copacabana

I don't remember now (it was a few years ago). Perhaps it was 4 mm. I do remember that it was thinner than called for in the plans.

Probably 4mm then, because 1/4" = 6.3mm.

I'm building mine out of 4mm, but am making the rudder, daggerboard and daggerboard case from 6mm. It's good to hear that the weight saving could be substantial.