Richard M. Viggiano of PRO-TECH MARINE provided much of the electronics on Ross & Gail’s ship. Rick did a demo for me, and showed me an aerial view of Whidbey Island, then zeroed in on my shop. I told him I was gonna paint a big vertical finger on my roof! 

 
Sometimes it seems odd to me that so many “variations on the theme” appear. After all, why do this DUCK when there’s so many others? Well, they all have little features that are different. I don’t really know if any are better than the other but at the time, there was something that seemed to make the new one “special.”

This version takes themes that worked so well on the 44, other things from the 462 (such as the step transom that looks goofy but is very very practical; hell, I’ve even decided I LIKE the look) that make her special, and blend them. The 462 is only available as a finished boat from Seahorse. And Bill only builds her one way; flat out outrageous yacht with about all the bells and whistles. It’s a wonderful boat and a great deal but it still isn’t affordable by many of us.

But this one is available as plans so can be built anywhere, and in any fashion you like. Me, I can see her in a simple and rugged “fishboat” manner and she’d be just great that way. But she’d also be just great with all the stuff on her too; it’s your choice.

The first of these was built in Pt. Townsend, near me. The yard there says they can do all the steel work (nothing else) for a good price. If you wanted to finish her yourself you could get into her at a reasonable price by today’s standards, knowing you were starting with an absolutely first class steel hull (see photos on the next page). This yard can also turn out a top turnkey boat too by the way, which is how they’re doing the first one.

Here’s the basic 45-plus. She has that step transom idea of the 462 as well as the cockpit of both the 462 and the 44. While I personally rather like the vertical front wall of the house, many people seem to like the leaning fwd. style, so that’s offered too…..

Here she is with a real “in yo’ face” fly-bridge. This is how I’d build her!

Along with the above versions there is of course the “Bubak Junk Rig Version.” Also, she can be built with a full bulkhead each side of the engine room, and not having the passageway between the cabins. I’m afraid that passageway thing has grown on me and I’d likely do it unless for some reason I needed an engine room full width of the boat.

Here’s one interior idea. The guy I drew her for wanted multiple bathrooms hence this version, showing two heads. Personally I’d build her with just one, either with this interior without the stern head (replacing it with a good desk), or, a large head across from the galley, and then guest bunks in the bow.

Another model, just a bit different than the others. The way it’s going it appears eventually there will be a new DUCK available in 1 foot increments. That seems silly but, there’s been a reason for each new one so I’ve quite wondering about it! Like all the DUCKS she has a backup sail. And like all but the smallest, she has a cockpit behind the pilot house, and an optional passageway beside the engine room.

Vertical pilothouse front wall version, pipe railing on the roof instead of a flybridge. A remote auto pilot allows you to roam the whole deck and drive so the flybridge isn’t really needed. You can stand on the roof and drive into tight places, using the cable system of the auto-pilot. If you dare of course!

The 55 worked out just great but, as usual, a few guys wanted more room yet. So, I took the basic design and “tweaked” her a bit. I gave her a bit deeper bow and stern sections and a bit wider transom. This added 7,000 pounds to her displacement and also allows just a bit more spacious stern cabin.
She’s a real ship….

The 55 on the site has a half spiral stair starting on the stb side of the pilothouse, and a CL helm. That’s a good way to do it except I’d be just a bit concerned about taking a fall so I gave this one a “normal” stair. I think it’s less intrusive to the living space below to have it come down on the CL but that is strictly my preference and many people like the other way better! And of course, since you’d be building her, you can do whatever interior you want. Personally, I like what’s shown here as it makes quite a livable home, down to two double guest/kid cabins in the bow. The man I drew her for has two kids, and each kid gets her own bedroom with a bunk bed so she can have friends over. There’s even a large bathroom for the forward cabins. This interior would comfortably house 6, and four more could stay on the couches if they were made to convert like we seen in motorhomes. Cruising with 10 people seems a bit much to me though….

She works out to about the same length as the 55 except she has that “stepped” transom we’re seeing on many of the new DUCKS compared to the swim step seen on the 55. Personally, I think the traditional stern is prettier but the stepped trany is certainly practical and the look is growing on me.

Given a choice between the 55 and the 55-Plus, well, I dunno. I like them both and see advantages to either. They’re both BIG boats and very livable. Don’t let my very poor interior drawings on the 55 fool you. There’s room there and one of these days I have to redraw the interior. If you give this boat the same stern as the 55, this one would be almost 4′ longer (the view below shows her like that).

I got thinking that it’s been a while since a straight “Traditional” DUCK was worked on so I took this ship but redrew her as the original concept. That makes her 59′ OD. I moved the wheelhouse a station (3′) aft because the extra hull length makes the bedroom aft long enough to do that. Besides, I like the look. I of course gave her an outside rudder. It’s part of the concept and all in all is worth it just to completely confuse the owners of new glass production “trawlers” that cross your path!

The “Traditional” profile puts the house one station (3′) aft which makes even more living space in front of the pilot house. The aft cabin will have about the same room including the huge bathroom because the traditional transom allows the bed to be moved almost 3′ aft too..

She has a low “pilot schooner” sailing rig. This will be very inexpensive, one guy can handle it, will dampen roll, will save fuel, and can get you somewhere if the engine dies. Sorry it isn’t more high tech but this really is all you need, and it’s part of the concept….

She started out to be simply an extended 55 but somehow, things changed and this new DUCK is bigger all around than the 55. The “dashed” lines show the original 55 and the solid lines are the 55-Plus. She’s a slightly bigger boat all around. I don’t know why but at the time it seemed the thing to do….

This new DUCK steel design is a “fine tuned” version of the 41-Plus, which in its own right is successful. That “plus” and “2” stuff refers to the “sugar scoop” style transom the boats have, which makes the boat a bit over 44′ on the water but 41′ on deck, making a built in “swim step” that makes boarding from a skiff easier than climbing over the side. It’s awkward to build in wood though, so wood versions have a recessed stairway down to a heavy bolt on swim step.

There’s two differences between this boat and the original 41-Plus. This boat is narrower, 13′ 3″ plus rub rails, so at most will be 13′ 7″ wide. This could make a difference in trucking; for example, it could make sense to truck it across the “lower 48”, between San Diego and the Gulf of Mexico rather than run clear around. The other difference is the pilothouse is 3′ further aft on this boat. While this reduces the size of the owner’s cabin it does open up the main cabin more. To further take advantage of this, the interior drawing shows an option with the galley in the main cabin. Some people think the galley back in the passageway is constricting, and keeps the “kitchen help” from being part of the party.
 

 


 

 
Construction is typical heavy steel “DUCK.” I think the “sugar scoop” stern makes wood impractical although you could do it I suppose. In that case I’d suggest a normal transom with a recessed stairway down to a heavy swim step.
  
 

 
The sail plan is my “Modified Dhow” idea I’ve written about elsewhere. What’s new here is the “main” (the sail aft of the mast) has been really reduced in size and is now just a “handkerchief” mean to be left up all the time. I’ve gone to this because it appears almost all DUCK owners have permanent covers over the cockpit, which makes handling a normal main very difficult. This little sail, cut flat and built heavy, will just live always up. You see this on a few west coast trollers and I remember seeing it on Maine lobster boats. It makes sense.

Is the mast to far aft to support “flopper stoppers”? I don’t think so. I also don’t think there’s a need for floppers when you have the small main up except maybe in the case of big swells and no wind, a not unusual but still not common situation. But even here the sail reduces rolling except it flaps loudly which can be annoying. But we’re talking boats, not motor homes, and you can’t have everything peaceful ALL the time!

This aft position of the mast allows a big and very low aspect headsail to be used. Owners of a 44 DUCK currently in the Med say they use this big head sail all the time. It greatly reduces roll and helps fuel economy. They never bother with their paravanes which I why I suggest not installing them. The sail makes them unneeded.

 

I have been pretty close to these designs for a long time and believe it or not, it’s hard for me to write about them! The internet has so changed the way we can find information and if you’re interested in the Diesel Duck concept I invite you to do a web search on them. You’ll see all sorts of postings ranging from bitchy criticism to friendly reviews. Like everything else on the net, take it all with a grain of salt!
 

This 2017 “update” to the wood 41 DUCK incorporates a few small changes that seemed a good idea to me. Don’t get me wrong! I like the original fine. But I like this idea too. I think 41 is a good length so might eventually do several others this general size. Maybe! It’s a feasible and affordable (if you don’t get carried away…) home building project, as well as big enough to be a comfortable cruising home for a couple.

I gave it the “Modified Dhow” rig. I’ve played with various versions of this and finally have worked out what I like. It features moderate sized headsail on a heavy roller furler, and a small “main” which is flat cut and almost always up as a riding and steadying sail. Many people cruising DUCKS seem to have semi permanent awnings over the back deck to there’s no point in pretending to have a serious sailing rig on them. Note it has running backstays to support the mast. Since you’ll never do short tacks up a channel, the runners are no hassle at all and really support the mast.

Placing the house right in the middle puts the engine and 650 gallon fuel tanks in the middle which helps maintain trim regardless of fuel level. This isn’t much of an issue but it’s a good thing regardless! This layout also makes the stern cabin more livable, although that 24″ further forward comes at the expense of the forward cabin. But since this boat was meant to be a home for a couple, something I fantasize about owning myself, I like the extra space in the stern cabin. It has a good desk and, well, “elbow room,” making it a decent lounge area too. I’d put solar panels on the wheelhouse roof but that’s probably the only concession to the 20th (ignoring the 21st) century I’d do. No generator other than a 2Kw Honda in a deck box. And yes, kerosene cabin lamps although maybe a couple discrete 12 volt ones. Oh, and hand pump water and a gravity shower! But go ahead and “pimp” him out if you want. A boat like this can be just as shippy and traditional as a Tahiti Ketch. If you don’t know what that is do a web search….

The construction plan is well documented on this site with several photo essays of various wood DUCKS under construction. He can be conventional planking, “composite,” or straight plywood, all “clearly and laboriously” described in my book Backyard Boatbuilding. If I do say so myself!

The Lines plan shows the simplicity of the DIESEL DUCK idea. There is nothing new or exciting about the lines. Quite the contrary, they show what used to be considered normal, which was moderation in beam and freeboard. Yacht design has got away from that, instead tending to emphasize interior volume. It’s all a trade-off and none is better than the other. Just be aware of what each does.

I’m frequently asked how is it the DUCKS are so fuel efficient. For example, the 462s (about 50′ now overall) are the ones I hear the most about and the average fuel burn is 1.25 to 1.5 gal/hr. How can this be? Simple! First, moderate windage, moderate beam, but very important, the transom clears the water before the chine is submerged. You can test that yourself with a skiff. But a “body” in the stern seat and row. The skiff doesn’t move easily. Move the “body” to the front, lifting the stern out of the water. The skiff rows easily and coasts!

George’s Turkey Visit

I’ve written before how no design springs from a vacuum and ALL designs are a combination of a lot of folk’s ideas, in most cases, going back years and years. This boat is MY combination of great ideas by several people. Bill at Seahorse’s ideas on their first 44 and then the 46-plus, Les at Townsend Bay Marine, building the first 45-plus, added some new ideas he and Ross, the boat’s owner, worked up. I liked the way those boats ended up but saw some things I’d do differently. I started drawing out ideas that took features from all of those and Paul Bubak decided he liked what was starting to appear. Of course he had some ideas that I liked, and the result is this boat, the 41-Plus Diesel Duck!

This “plus” and “2” stuff sounds silly but it’s accurate way to label them because it means the Length on Deck “plus” a bit since the deck is cut off, making a swim step that is actually part of the boat rather than stuck on the back. This is nothing original with me of course and is quite common on new boats. I think it takes a while to get used to In fact, I originally thought it was ugly but the look grows on you because it is very practical. Now I actually like it!

This design was hatched from the 44 Evolution DUCK. Changes include being “cut off” to be a little over 41 on deck but keeping the longer WL. Then, I deepened the rabbet aft a little and widened the WL a bit in the forward and aft sections which increased her displacement a little over the 44. The almost abruptly upswept chine and rabbet has been criticized by some who say it “slows her down” because her “run” isn’t flat. What folks who talk like that fail to understand is this is NOT a planning hull and was never meant to plane or even “semi-plane”. This is a fairly heavy displacement cruising boat. Having that extra buoyancy in the stern is important as it helps keep her from “squatting” under full power while keeping the transom for the most part, out of the water (that slows you down!) and helps prevent broaching if you’re in bad conditions such as crossing a west coast river bar when you shouldn’t. The first of these boats hit reportedly 10 kts with her 109 HP Volvo so this hull form do seem to work OK!

I just had a small camera so this telephoto shot isn’t the best. You get the idea though I think…. You don’t want to cross it today!

Speaking of a breaking river bar (mentioned above)…. I took these photos February 2009 on a calm day, in Bandon Oregon. Bush the 2nd, early in his term, quietly cut all funding for west coast river dredging except for the Columbia, and these photos show what has happened to many of our ports; the entrances are unpredictable and dangerous. I hope this is one of the many many infrastructure problems we face that the new administration will see gets dealt with.

Here she is with a vertical front house. The forward sloped house is now common but i also like this old time traditional look and the plans show her with both. YOU decide!

Here she is being built with the vertical wheelhouse as shown in the drawing above. I think I like her this way.

And here she is with the forward sloped pilot house. This looks fine too!

Both versions can have a roof bridge, and I personally would have one. This is very traditional, plus, it gives better visibility than the wheelhouse has for docking and entering narrow channels. The pipe railing idea shown here offers minimal windage, and canvas side curtains could be attached if you wanted to, for normal use. I’d have a folding chair with a tie down up there. Maybe a bench? I tried drawing in a normal flying bridge but it made her look “chunky”. I’ve read about pilot boat and tug captains washed clear off the roof when crossing the Columbia river bar back in the early 1900s when “men were men, by golly!” To acknowledge the 21st century, the drawing above shows a heavy pipe rail around the whole house!

Here’s the Seahorse SEADUCTRESS‘s (a 44 DUCK) roof bridge that David Katz came up with. David is an old time seaman and doesn’t need any pansy railings around the house. He single handed this ship on a two year trip from China to the US, up to Alaska, then back down to Washington. As I said, this sort of open air helm was common on old time tugs, and frequently was the ONLY helm!

Of course she has my “Modified Dhow” sailplan. You’ll read a lot of stuff on the net about why it’s no good and why other arrangements are better. If you read my The Troller Yacht Book or my discussions on my web sites, you’ll see why I like it. If you disagree, fine, go for what you want. I like it and I ain’t interested in arguing or even discussing it further than what I’ve already written about it!

I drew an interior I would want to live aboard.

I originally had mixed feelings on the passageway idea between the cabins but after seeing the way Seahorse placing the galley there opened up living area, I’ve become a convert.It gives lots of extra interior space because the galley is in the passageway. It does detract from a really huge engine room, but, she still has a huge engine room, much bigger than many boats her size. Oh, there’s a removable panel in the wall next to the engine giving easy access to that side of it. Keep in mind this DUCK was drawn for me, not as a commission so what you see are ideas of how I’d do it. Of course if you build it you’re free to change things how you please. For instance, #1 has guest bunks in the bow, something that to me is a complete waste of space.The table can be made so that it drops down to make a guest bed.That’s enough. Why mess up the interior for people who are rarely there?

If you want to isolate the engine room with watertight bulkhead sit would require two, one on each side of the passageway. Frankly, with a heavy steel (or wood) hull I don’t worry about that sort of thing. Sure, if you’re headed for the Arctic that’s another issue but even then, this boat’s 1/4″ steel hull backed up by closely spaced longitudinals, could take a hell of a blow without damage. But WT doors can be fitted there if you want to. As you see below, her construction plan is quite stout!

Several DUCKS have spent time banging on the rocks, one, in the S. Pacific, did it for a week before getting towed off. No damage either. When cruising it can happen so your hull should be built to take it….

I really like the cockpit aft of the house that Seductress, the first Seahorse 44, had. I believe that was the original owner, David Katz’s idea and I’ve shown it on most of my designs since. I do NOT like the permanent awning over this cockpit since it makes it difficult to use the sail rig. Unless of course you go with the Bubak version (below).

Paul, who’s idea for the boat is shown below, likes the hardtop. I know it makes sense and I’ll probably come to appreciate it but right now, I’d look at a folding awning first.It all depends of course on where you’re going to be using her.I’ve sat outside in enough sailboats where I like sitting in pilothouses these days. But I agree the hardtop makes the cockpit more of a permanent living area of the boat. This drawing shows the original house design. The new one, as the other drawings show, is a bit sleeker. I ALSO like the “Bubak Modification” as I call the junk rig below. Actually, there’s no reason you can’t have both spars!

The hardtop and the Junk rig, shown here on the original house.

I’m very pleased that Kaya Cakar, at Asboat Shipyard in Turkey, is custom building my designs, and the boat in the photos here is from his yard. You can find his web site on my LINKS section. He offers excellent prices, a fast delivery time, and delivery in Izmir which is right in that wonderful Turk and Greek cruising area. It’s also relatively inexpensive shipping to the Gulf coast of the US (or anywhere else) if you’d rather it was shipped. Since he is a CUSTOM builder he welcomes any custom touches you may want to do to yours. And, all of his boats are built to meet the European Union certification standard, which while it has some goofy requirements, means his boats can be owned or sold anywhere and easily insured.

On to Construction photos of Building the first 41-Plus at Asboat, Izmir, Turkey.

If you want to skip the building stuff and see her in the water and finished, click HERE!

Making time

Anchored in San Francisco Bay, 2004

This was the very first Diesel Duck and the following spiel is the description I wrote back then whenI sent the drawings out to various magazines. It repeats some of what you’re read elsewhere (so what else is new) but I decided to leave it all in as the enthusiasm this was written in is still fun (for me anyway) to read today!

This stout little motor ship was designed for Pat and Joe Blackshaw, a long time live aboard couple who were retiring from their jobs and decided to swap their sailboat for a cruising power boat.

The goal was to create comfortable full time living space for two with enough sea-keeping ability to be reasonably safe cruising the coast between Alaska and Mexico, all in the smallest length possible. 38 foot seemed to be the shortest we could fit a real adult sized interior in, and is about as small as I’d want for cruising the North Pacific coastline.

DIESEL DUCK has a full displacement hull. She’s not meant to plane, so her stern lines end above the WL at the transom so the hull is actually double ended at the WL and won’t suck the ocean behind it. She slides easily through the water under low power.

Although her 80 HP Cummins can power her into as much weather as anybody aboard would care to buck, she’ll normally be throttled way down. This being the case, a version showing the wonderful Sabb 30 HP, with compression releases and hand starting ability, is also offered with the plans and is how I’d like to build the boat. The problem with this is that SABB discontinued the engine a few years ago. I’d look at a 40 or 50 HP Kubota these days.

According to my computer (new 2017 update…),in FLAT calm conditions, she should idle along at 5 knots, using only 16 HP, which would take about .75 gallons an hour. I once sailed from Puerto Vallarta to Honolulu and for the first 2,000miles the ocean looked like a lake, so I know there’s many times when low power is all that’s needed. This gives her a range of over 3500 miles. Keep in mind 5 knots is a DREAM for a sailboat….If you bump her up to 6 knots it will take 27.5 HP which will be over 1.5 gallons an hour. Now, if for some reason you have to buck against it, the reserve HP is there to do it, but of course the fuel consumption goes up as you open the barn door. For example,50 HP could give you 7.75 knots but cost you close to 3 gallons an hour. However, Pat reports that she cruises at almost 8 knots at just under 1 gallon/hr., so I guess the computer is overly cautious. These of course are calm weather figures but still give a good idea about her range. In practice, a cruising powerboat will be like a sailboat; NEVER going to weather unless you really need to. Why? Because regardless of what the sailboat ads say, pointing against any sea is terribly uncomfortable, although more uncomfortable under sail because of the heel.

She is quite heavily built and plans are available in either wood or steel. Versions have been built in both. I like steel boats just fine but I’ll likely always be a (unrepentant too!) wood boat guy, so all my designs are also available in wood. But you decide! Wood still makes sense for budget minded home builders….

Unlike far to many so called “cruising boats,” this boat’s prop and rudder are completely protected by her keel and she can take groundings (she has!) or even collisions with anything near her own weight without damage. Throughout the design thought was given towards strength, simplicity, and reliability of systems. Plus, the hull lines were “faired” by computer and the plans drafted using AutoCad which makes them accurate to 1 mm, so as a result the boat is quite straight forward to build and will be simple to maintain. For example, she has a very large outboard rudder which is unusual on powerboats these days.This rudder is very stout, practically foolproof, doesn’t have a thru-hull fitting, and increases the waterline length by 2.5foot which gives more speed and fuel economy per HP. It’s large size makes the boat extremely manageable, even in reverse, able to be steered when barely moving. She does have a bow thruster as a backup but maneuvers so well with the rudder alone in tight quarters that the thruster isn’t used much at all and I wouldn’t buy one if I was building her.

There are two interiors offered although a builder can change her if he wants! I like the version with the 5′ x 7’bed in the stern, but the original was built with the two singles and head in the stern. Although two overnight guests can sleep in the forward cabin, the interior was planned out to be comfortable for two to live aboard.

The living area and sleeping area are completely separated by the wheelhouse. The stern cabin has two good sized bunks, lots of clothing storage, and a large “head” (original version only) with a vanity and shower. The wheelhouse has a couch and an easy chair, with a centerline steering station. The engine room is below, and is 6′ long with 6′ of headroom between the floor beams and the keel. Fuel tanks run on each side of the engine room, and their top serves as a tool bench on the starboard side, with storage shelves for lube oil, parts, and other items you don’t want to keep in the living area, to port. The engine room has watertight bulkheads on each end to completely seal it off from the rest of the boat.

The forward area of the boat is the galley and main living area. There’s a 3 burner propane range and enough counter space to be able to work. The rest of the cabin is devoted to lounge space, with two “easy” chairs, and a table and couch. The back of the couch folds up to make a second guest bunk, and the table has a folding leaf so it can feed four people if needed. Between the front wall of the house and the “crash bulkhead”making a backup chain locker (the primary anchor system is a cable drum on deck) is a 36” “clean storage” area for linens, out of season clothing, and so forth. There’s a very deep bilge that serves as a “storage locker,” with plenty of room even for a rolled up Avon raft. The hull is heavily insulated, and thanks to her little diesel heater stays warm and dry inside regardless of what’s happening outside.

The outside appearance is pure “work boat” and her plumb stem, vertical pilot house, and large flush aft deck with cargo boom that has an electric winch to launch her skiff or to swing a bicycle to the dock, make her a real standout. Everywhere she goes people admire her.

She was built in 5 months by Millerick Bros. COAST MARINE CONST., Catati, California. Soon after construction started Joe died, and Pat took over and ran the project herself. She lived aboard in Alameda California for 4 years and in spring of 1996 sold the boat to a guy who plans long cruises. Pat had a lot of fun with the boat and reported that DIESEL DUCK proved to be all we hoped; a comfortable and fine sea boat, giving a real feeling of security even in bad weather.

PARTICULARS

Length on Deck: 38′ 3″ LWL: 36′ 8″ Beam: 12′ 9″ Draft: 4′ 9″ Displacement: 32,600 lbs. Power: 50 to 80 HP
She floated a bit low so the steel version displaces probably 3 tons more.

Here’s some pics; I loves this little boat; she was the first, so to speak….

One guy said the pilot house windows make her look like “Little Toot.” Well, what’s wrong with that!

A business like helm

Loafing along on San Francisco Bay…..

Here’s the first wood 38. She needs the “Little Toot” windows in my opinion…… She was built by Roy Mcbride in S. Africa. His company is CKD Boats. They are thinking about offering kits of these boats. For more info email him at roy@comlumber.com

Another Wood 38 DUCK

Series of Photos showing a Wood 38 DUCK being built in Brazil

Jump to LAST PAGE added to Building in Brazil Series

This hull started off as the largest true Diesel Duck version; sail rig, cockpit behind the house, low forward cabin. We all liked this hull and thought it ideal to also be offered as a straight powerboat. Lily, Seahorse’s talented Naval Architect, and Bill, owner of Seahorse, took this hull and added the straight powerboat superstructure and a comfortable interior. Instead of sails, the boat will have twin smaller diesels, able to easily cruise her at 6 knots, with about 8.5 knots maximum. Twin small engines won’t burn much fuel and give the safety margin that sail substitutes for. We expect her to have as much as a 6,000 mile range. She will be built to be certified for polar or Northwest Passage use. These are preliminary drawings but we’re quite happy with the idea!

Here’s preliminaries of the deckhouse interior. Not shown (yet) is a large gear room at the transom for dinghy gas storage, a diving compressor, or anything else! The main family (owner’s) quarters are forward, and there’s an aft cabin area that can be crew quarters or a lab or workshop, spending on what an owner wants her set up as. More details soon.

If interested in this boat please contact Bill at ZHYACHTS@MTHTRAINS.COM

Back to Seahorse Yachts

Click Harry & Vickie’s Wooden 48 (shown above) to see step by step wood construction photos of this ship!

At this length the DUCK concept gives us a pretty spacious cruising home. While certainly a substantial boat, she’s also quite trim. She has the same beam as the 44, but the extra length has been spread out throughout the design. The owner’s cabin, engine room, and wheelhouse are a little longer than the other two. I made her entirely flush decked to give the maximum feeling of spaciousness inside, as well as making her even simpler to build. The flush deck drops down 16″ to the main sheer along each side of the wheelhouse and up in the very bow by the windlass, breaking up the deck line and making things more interesting to look at as well as giving more of a feeling of being in the boat than you get from standing on a normal flush deck. However, she has a heavy railing made of 1 1/2″ pipe welded to the deck so you’ll feel secure anywhere aboard.

Like all the DUCKS, she has a rugged and businesslike “air” to her. It’s a real strong look. As you head out of the jetty mouth you’ll engage the autopilot, then go out and climb the ladder to the flying bridge. Settling down into the bridge seat you’ll sip your drink and smell the salt air and hear the faint throb of the diesel dry stack, and as you survey the sea and the retreating coastline you’ll feel like seaman first class Wolf Stiener himself, piloting Der BISMARCK. Or maybe even Mother Foss, the foundress of the great Foss Tug & Barge Company!

In July 2002 I revised the drawings a little, calling the new version the “Evolution 48 Duck.” The reason was that the original floated low on the WL. This wasn’t an issue really, but, I added a bit of volume aft to increase the displacement about 3.5 tons. This will help support her heavy scantlings. I then added some changes that Seahorse Yachts did on the first one they built. They came up with a passageway beside the engine to the aft cabin, and a “staircase” down to the swim step, as well as an inboard rudder. Then, I raised the wheelhouse 7″ to make it easier to see over the bow. The possible downside to the change is that the sections aft near and including the transom underwater are a bit shallower “vee” than the original. In short chop, at anchor, if the stern for some reason is pointed into it (which can happen at a dock), you’ll possibly hear some wave slap. Everything’s a compromise. This shouldn’t happen often and heavy foam insulation against the plate under the bunk should really dampen it.
I like the original version fine but I also like the evolution version. So, you decide!

Original Version
LOD: 48′ LWL: 45′ 10″ Beam: 14′ 1″ Draft: 5′ 6″
Displ. at DWL: 70,000 lbs.

Evolution Version
LOD: 48′ LWL: 46′ 3″ Beam: 14′ 1″ Draft: 5′ 6″ Displ. at DWL: 72,000 lbs.

Power: 110 HP Deere or equal. Plans are available for wood construction also.

Computer projected speed/power requirements, calm and off-weather conditions for the wood original.

Here’s the new, or “EVOLUTION” version

Two house designs are given in the stock plans. I personally like the vertical front wall.

This is the original interior. I don’t like it now; the fwd. head area is way to large although there’s nothing wrong with storage. So, below is the new idea. This makes the main cabin far more comfortable and still has a big enough head up fwd.

I like this!

The new version has a slightly taller pilothouse, the passageway aft beside the engine, and the stairway to the swim platform. Here’s a look at the passageway, and, the transom with the “stairs”.

With all the talk about the “Evolution” version, I still like the original. She’s trimmer on the waterline. If I was building in wood or aluminum there’s no question that I’d choose her hull but I’d likely go with the new interior. But as I said, in steel, unless you lighten the scantlings, she’s going to float low. Here she is below; again, while there’s nothing wrong with THIS interior, there’s no reason you can’t use the new interior in her if you want to.

Here’s the first version of the 48. Note I gave her guest bunks in the bow, something other versions lost as I hate wasting space for company. They can sleep on a dropped down dinette or couch! However, as I keep saying, part of the appeal of building your own is to make whatever interior you want….

Here’s another version using the “Bubak” modification, a junk rig. This version also has a vertical transom.

Solar cells on the roof. These photos are of Rusty Duck, the first 48.

Renamed “Slow Dancing,” she’s headed south. This photo was sent to me from Cabo.

Click to see a Photo Essay of Harry and Vickie Building their Wooden 48!