Pacific City Dory Plans

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Bowen1911
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Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by Bowen1911 »

Hello from Oregon.

Has anyone designed a PC Dory that isn't ply on frame construction? I know Renn Tolman started with flat bottom skiffs that were essentially stitch and glue PC Dories, but he destroyed all plans once he came up with a V bottom version according to his remaining family. I like the Learned/Farstad dory, as well as the Glen-L Hunky Dory, but I'd like to go stitch and glue if possible, with stringers as opposed to frames every 18-24 inches.

OneWayTraffic
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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by OneWayTraffic »

Any reason why an OD18 type design wouldn't work?

Bowen1911
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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by Bowen1911 »

The PC dory has a specific shape designed for beach launch/landings, as well as the Pacific Northwest swells, that are usually more of a mountain of water than the east coast wind chop swell. I have looked at the OD18 study plans, but that isn’t the hull shape I’m hoping for. It’s somewhat close though

Bowen1911
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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by Bowen1911 »

The PC dory is pretty straight until it has the pronounced rocker to allow it to rise over breaking waves. Sides are angled out as much as 30°, bottom is flat and smooth. Usually they have a pretty open layout, but most include a gunwale storage/shelf which I believe will lend itself to longitudinal stiffness in a S&G design. The sole is usually low, since a low center of gravity is more important than self bailing in this use. Some have transverse fish boxes under the narrow console, others have the fish box up by the bow.

This is the Glen L version

I believe this is a Learned Dory.
Image

Not an uncommon wave to have to navigate
Image

Fuzz
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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by Fuzz »

If you could lay out the side and bottom panels I do not see why it could not be put together stitch and style. Stringers and other built in stuff would go a long way to stiffen things up.

Bowen1911
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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by Bowen1911 »

I finally found the picture of a sketch I made a couple years ago.

The idea I have is to utilize a PC dory shape, but build it S&G and include anti trip chines. The only designer of a "dory" with anti trip chines I've heard of is on these forums, which is why I came here. I know I could wing it and see what happens, but professional advice and other eyes looking at it would be wonderful.

Image

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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by jacquesmm »

I designed a Pacific Dory some years and decided not to finalize or publish the plans. The main characteristic was the raised bottom at the bow. The only advantage was the beaching but there is a heavy price to pay in slamming. Considering how few will really beach such a boat, I think it was not worth it to draw production drawings.
Jacques Mertens - Designer
http://boatbuildercentral.com

Bowen1911
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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by Bowen1911 »

I take my kayak to Pacific City often to launch from the beach, but some power would really be nice to open up more options, hence why I'd like a dory for beach launches. I can understand why it's not commercially productive to produce plans for a boat that few would build.

There is really only two sets of plans that are available for this style boat. The Little Hunk and Hunky Dory, both from Glen L. They have relatively narrow bottoms, and a 30° side angle resulting in a 7-6 and 8 foot beam respectively.

There are three concerns with this design in my mind-

1. Anti-trip chines? I like the idea. Reading through threads here, and people like them on the OD18 it seems. No one in the dory fleet over here have them. One fiberglass model has a slight AT chine, but my understanding is they put it in to strengthen the mold, not make a better boat.

2. Bottom rocker. I have numbers from the Glen L Little Hunk. Different bottom rockers have different bow steer characteristics in a following sea, which is how you'll be landing the boat 99% of the time.

3. Side flare. The dories you'll see on the coast have anywhere from a fairly vertical side, to a 30° side angle. Anecdotal evidence points to the higher flare being a drier ride through the surf. However, a bigger flare means more leaning out over your toes while on a rough ocean unless you build a wide gunwale/shelf. Less leaning over the cold Pacific is always more confidence inspiring.


I've been playing around with various dimensions to make line drawings and see what looks good on paper to the eye. None of that takes into account how it may or may not handle, or how strong it needs to be. One step at a time though...

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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by OneWayTraffic »

The recently departed Jeff Spira has some ply on frame plans for beach launching. I'm not a fan of the construction method at all, but I like the look of some of them. Can't put my finger on why. You could change the scantlings at your own risk.

Not normally done to recommend other designer's plans here, but since Jacques has said he won't publish such a plan you might want to look. I'd still build the OD18 if it were me, or an FS17. There are ways to launch such boats off the beach.

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Re: Pacific City Dory Plans

Post by TomTom »

Bowen1911 wrote: Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:31 pm I take my kayak to Pacific City often to launch from the beach, but some power would really be nice to open up more options, hence why I'd like a dory for beach launches. I can understand why it's not commercially productive to produce plans for a boat
This could be a totally unhelpful comment but in many parts of the world (South Africa) for example - a catamaran is the preferred solution to beach launching…

It would of course be a lot more work and have its own draw backs… but there are plans available in stitch and glue on this website.

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