Pram Hood Design Improvements

[John Stone]

Todd, very nice. Hard not to like a boat designed by Lyle Hess. He was a mast of the beautiful sheer line.

I like the wood bow very much. I never thought of that. I bet i could have built that over the winter. Oh well.

Does not look like your pram hood is designed to hinge forward with the push of the hand to ease going in and out. Am I looking at it correctly? How do you like it? What the material?

[Tod Mills]

It is held with nylon straps, so it can fold forward, but not without a few moments to unhook them. The proportions of the companionway are such that that isn't really an issue for coming and going. I suppose the straps could be replaced with elastic bands. I haven't fallen in love with the hood though, and don't usually bother to mount it.

I have not figured out what the material is. Maybe Stamoid? Definitely not Sunbrella. The clear (vinyl?) has yellowed and should be replaced, but since I haven't been using the hood I haven't bothered.

[John Stone]

Interesting. Thanks.

[John Stone]

I picked up the completed pram hood canvas from Inner Banks Canvas in Oriental, NC. It’s the same loft that made all my sail for the Far Reach.

I took it by the boat this morning to make a test fit. Looks pretty good. It’s just sitting on the companionway frame. It will be a tighter fit when tensioned. I’m looking forward to using it. I think it’s going to be a great addition. They made removable covers for all the windows. They used snaps. Probably install it later in the week.

[wikakaru]

Very nice! I don't know if I'd ever put the covers on the windows, just enjoy the view.

[John Stone]

I installed the pram hood today. It needs two small flaps/skirts added to block gaps on the forward edge where the material spans from the sea hood to the side of the companionway rails. Should be easy mod. The sail loft will add them for me. They did a very nice job. It was a tricky project as it is hinged so it can rotate forward and thus the fabric had to be able to accommodate the movement. Looking forward to getting offshore with it and see how it works.

[John Stone]

I have had our 9 foot Fatty Knees for 17 years. Love it. But, it extends over the companionway about 8". While an 8' dinghy would fit better the 9' is much bigger comparatively speaking. Plus it's my lifeboat so bigger is better in this instance. But we have always had to manage that extra length. Our pram hood has to accommodate the transom of the bigger dinghy. The sail makers did a good job building the hood to fit the mock up I made for them. But, the hood just touches the transom of the inverted dinghy. I knew it would be close.

I brought the dinghy home last night and cut a fat 1" off the top edge of the transom. I routered a radiused edge on it. Replaced the SS lifting ring bolts, washers, nuts with bronze. Cut and installed new corner leathers over the ends of the rub rail guard. Cut a new sculling notch. It should clear fine now. Eventually I want to replace the rudder hardware with bronze hardware.

I replicated the original layout As close as I could. I can't tell the before and after transoms are different but they are. You have to look at distance of the top of the transom edge from the transom hardware.

Will take it back to the boat this afternoon and see how it fits.

[wikakaru]

Hey John, here's a little orthogonal thinking: have you considered building a dinghy with a removable transom and using the upside-down dinghy stored on the cabin house as a pram hood? Then you could have a 10 or 11 foot dinghy if you wanted. It sort of makes sense, since the only time you need a pram hood is when you are at sea, and that's when the dinghy would be on the deck. I seem to remember seeing something like that in a book decades ago--maybe by the Pardeys, Dashews, Bruce Bingham or someone from that era. Just a thought...

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[John Stone]

Hey John, here's a little orthogonal thinking: have you considered building a dinghy with a removable transom and using the upside-down dinghy stored on the cabin house as a pram hood? Then you could have a 10 or 11 foot dinghy if you wanted. It sort of makes sense, since the only time you need a pram hood is when you are at sea, and that's when the dinghy would be on the deck. I seem to remember seeing something like that in a book decades ago--maybe by the Pardeys, Dashews, Bruce Bingham or someone from that era. Just a thought...

Smooth sailing,

Jim

Hi Jim. That's a great solution. I have see that same approach somewhere. Not Pardey's but of the 70s era. Maybe Hal Roth wrote about seeing it.

In a smaller boat I'd consider it for sure. But, not in the FR. Why?

1. I have a 9' Fatty Knees I love. It's also my life boat and has a sailing rig. My chocks are designed for it.

2. With the gallows positioned over the cabin top a longer dinghy would extend under the gallows. So it wouldn't work because you couldn't pull it out from under the gallows.

3. We actually do depend on the pram hood when anchored. It can be pouring rain and we can keep the companionway hatch open.

4. We incorporated windows in the new hood. I think I'm going to enjoy them.

5. Like our old pram hood the new one is hinged to tilt forward making it easier to enter and exit it if you don't want to duck. It allowed us to make it a little smaller and better looking than a big boxy pram hood. Can't do it with an inverted hard dinghy.

6. I spent a lot of money for this sucker and there is no going back now. LOL.

As a side note,I met John and Ellie Wheeler on their PS 37 in the Virgin Islands last trip. Very neat couple. They have sailed all over the world in that boat. He was a machine gunner in the Marines in Viet Nam. He had an 11' nesting dinghy and they rowed it everywhere. Very cool set up.

[John Stone]

Took Sweet Pea back to the boat and reinstalled her in her chocks. Clearance all the way across between the pram hood and the dinghy.

[JD-MDR]

Hi John. Does the dinghy block the view from under the prom hood. I sometimes put my inflatable up there. If I put the pontoons so they straddle the mast it fits without touching my dodger. But I hate blocking the view. I always sit there. So I rarely travel with the inflated dinghy. Unfortunately it is too much work to blow it up and launch it when I'm only staying for a night and a few daylight hours. It's ok when I stay out more than one day. I usually deflate it and stow it below in the v-berth.

[John Stone]

Hi John. Does the dinghy block the view from under the prom hood. I sometimes put my inflatable up there. If I put the pontoons so they straddle the mast it fits without touching my dodger. But I hate blocking the view. I always sit there. So I rarely travel with the inflated dinghy. Unfortunately it is too much work to blow it up and launch it when I'm only staying for a night and a few daylight hours. It's ok when I stay out more than one day. I usually deflate it and stow it below in the v-berth.

Yes. It blocks the forward view. With the old hood, which I liked fine, I could not see a thing since it had no windows. I used to sit on the bridge deck and look into the old pram hood like looking into a white bowl. But, mostly I wanted a more convex design. And I had some money I made on a delivery and thought the new design would be nice addition. The windows were kind of an afterthought. But I can kind of see forward around the dinghy on the starboard side and sort of angled forward on both sides without sticky my head out side. Great vision to either side.

Having the dinghy on the coach roof is the right way to carry a dinghy when a boat can accommodate it. So, not having a perfect unobstructed view forward is part of the deal. Just like with the old hood I plan to stick my head up and scan 360° every 20 minutes, or less when the situation dictates. With the hinged hood I can do that without leaving the companionway.

Having the dinghy there blocking the view forward is a little like Lindbergh flying the Spirit of St Louis. Seemed good enough for him so I figure it’s good enough for me too.

[wikakaru]

Hi Jim. That's a great solution. I have see that same approach somewhere. Not Pardey's but of the 70s era. Maybe Hal Roth wrote about seeing it.

In a smaller boat I'd consider it for sure. But, not in the FR. Why?

1. I have a 9' Fatty Knees I love. It's also my life boat and has a sailing rig. My chocks are designed for it.

2. With the gallows positioned over the cabin top a longer dinghy would extend under the gallows. So it wouldn't work because you couldn't pull it out from under the gallows.

3. We actually do depend on the pram hood when anchored. It can be pouring rain and we can keep the companionway hatch open.

4. We incorporated windows in the new hood. I think I'm going to enjoy them.

5. Like our old pram hood the new one is hinged to tilt forward making it easier to enter and exit it if you don't want to duck. It allowed us to make it a little smaller and better looking than a big boxy pram hood. Can't do it with an inverted hard dinghy.

6. I spent a lot of money for this sucker and there is no going back now. LOL.

As a side note,I met John and Ellie Wheeler on their PS 37 in the Virgin Islands last trip. Very neat couple. They have sailed all over the world in that boat. He was a machine gunner in the Marines in Viet Nam. He had an 11' nesting dinghy and they rowed it everywhere. Very cool set up.

I didn't think about the boom gallows. Plus, I just realized that your companionway is offset and I think the dinghy/sprayhood solution is best suited to a centerline companionway.

I've always liked the idea of a nesting dinghy. I ordered plans for a Tryst many years ago but never built it. If you've ever watched S/V Florence on YouTube, they have a really nice nester that I covet. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkExLY ... PsMCdSjmxQ Of course, if your dinghy is your lifeboat, a nester is the last thing you want.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[John Stone]

The teak block I used on the starboard rail to raise it level to the port rail for the pram hood developed a crack. The crack ran the full length connecting each of the three screw holes I drilled to secure it to the companionway rail. I'm not sure why that block of teak cracked. While I oriented the grain horizontally it was not perfectly flat. It could be it cracked along the grain. I carefully selected drill bits to get the right size hole for the fasteners so I do t think it cracked because the hole was too small for eye fastener. Maybe I overtightened it and the 82° wedge angle of the fastener stressed the wood and cracked it. Maybe there was a crack there already. IDK.

Anyway, as part of our pre launch project list I made a new riser block. I made this one longer. I rounded the forward edge and flared the edges for a more refined look. I made sure the grain was oriented horizontally. I radiused the edges. I also offset each hole slightly to ensure they were not aligned in a perfect row. I decided to use a 1/2" foster bit to drill flat bottomed counter sink holes and used pan head screws vice flat head to reduce the wedge effect flat head screws can induce. I bedded it with Dolphinite, same as before, and installed 1/2" teak plugs. It looks better and is stronger.

Check it off the list.