Preliminary design of a 41 feet traditional Gaff Rig schooner for oceanic cruising.

The personal interest of the author for traditional yachts naturally led to develop the preliminary design of gaff rigged schooner. Wood came to the force as building \nmaterial in this kind of construction, but it has been included in the modern building technique of the cold moulded construction. The specifications of the boat as well as the materials and building technique classify this boat as a one-off construction, and then special standards of comfort had to be applied in the general arrangements and all along the vessel. \nThis report represents a preliminary design for a long range oceanic cruiser, where 4 to 6 peoples can be accommodated. The structure has been developed using the \nAmerican Bureau of Shipping rules and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulations have been followed for the construction details and stability. \nThis project appears as an original one according to the majority of modern cruising yachts encountered in every marina, it represents a certain idea of the cruising as well as particular feeling for the traditional things. Problems have been encountered during the project as technical informations about this kind of yachts was hard to find, the majority of the past architects using empirical data as well as rules of thumbs but no established \nequations or formula!