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Atkins "Little Maid of Kent" Schooner

10K views 22 replies 9 participants last post by  WanderingStar 
#1 ·
Is there anyone interested in a Atkins "Little Maid of Kent" Schooner?
 
#5 ·
re: Little Maid of kent Schooner

I am thinking of building one. I would build her and do some bit of sailing and then sell her. I am just wondering about her resell value. I am planning to build her the traditional way, carvel planked. Fir on oak frames, fir laid deck , no plywood at all in her. I like a well made traditional boat that must be taken care of and she will outlast yourself. Has anyone sailed on one?
 
#6 · (Edited)
Have you joined the wooden boat forums? That's were to ask. If your going to build a 30ftr I hope you have VERY deep pockets! Then after she's built another 25- 45000 to outfit and rig with sails and more.
I'd suggest cedar on oak by the way white oak for timbers (frames) how about the deadwood, purpleheart? Or cold molded? Charlie cobra is our resident wooden boat expert here by the way.

Resale, That's a loosing propostiion with wooden boats. unless your very very very lucky and find someone that falls in love at first sight. I just recently found a 23 ft carvel planked boat that was 90 yrs old and free .. I did not take it.even for the lumber! but let it go.

Welcome to the Net!
 
#8 ·
deep pockets huh? thats what i hate about discussing projects with people, everybody thinks they must be a millionare to build something ! I built my 3 bed, 2 bath home worth $100,000 for 1/3 of that. Some people spend more because they cannot do it themselves. I do everything myself, carpentry to sail making. ect. Amazing what you can do when you cannot aford anything. It took me 6 years to finish my home but i did it all on $20,000 income a year.

Im thinking of all white oak keel and frames planked with fir. White oak lumber is very cheap here from local mills. $150 for a white oak keel timber. Buy scrap lead and pour the ballast myself. It will take me a few years, but it will be a nice boat. "little maid of kent" has an iron ballast so i will have to recalculate for lead, every sq. inch, very time consuming. I also am looking at a 29' paul gartside bcc cutter.
 
#9 ·
I admire Atkin designs, and they have a following. I think there is even an Atkin Forum on yahoo. I also like the Gartside Cutter, though I've never sailed on either. Wood boats, especially home built ones, can be hard to sell. I've owned four, and still sail on one. All of mine are professionally built. I have built some small boats for my own use. If you build what you really want, and you are patient in selling you may be alright. Generally small schooners do not perform as well as modern sailors expect. Two sailors in my harbor built the boats they sail, a Malabar Schooner and a Mason cutter. Both took years but are happy with the results.
 
#16 ·
Building the Little Maid of Kent

I started building the Little Maid of Kent in November of 1973. The material I used was Steel as I was a mechanic by trade and welding was done everyday. I made the wooden form out of ruff cut oak and laid it upside down. I then laid the steel sections onto the form and welded them together. The welding took ten full days and I righted the hull and removed the form. The rest of the building was finished with the help of my three sons and the patience of my wife, in the spring of 1976 and launched the boat in Apirl 1976. The time in hours approx. 2100 and the cost at launch was $5900. The first sail outside of a engine shaft bearing being to tight went perfect and the next 4 years was the most enjoyable of my life. We sailed from Lake Michigan to Lake Ontario in all kind of weather. My crew went in the service and the boat was a little much for my wife and I so I sold it in 1980. It was a joy to sail and a joy to build.
 

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#19 ·


If you love schooners feast your eyes on this 38 ft Atkin, Winfield Lash, based on his Chantey design, I believe. I happened to come across her by chance as we both arrived early one Sunday morning at Sandy Hook, and then sailed in company up the East River, close alongside Manhattan, in a race with the joggers.
 
#23 ·
LOL! Backward Scooners, I love it. Wandering Star is the big sisiter of Aries, a 36' schooner built by Crosby, designed by WD Knott. WS is a ten percent enlargement, ketch rigged. I also looked at a Colvin Pinkie schooner, Rosemary Ruth, but she was a bit small. I've sailed on charter schooners Raindancer II and Grace Bailey. I'll revisit the ASA site, maybe catch up with some members at classic boat events. Thank you.
 
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