Richard Woods'
Bee is one of two similar 'oar cruisers'... the other is
Linnet.
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| Peter Kovacsy's Bee |
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| Plans Overview of Bee |
Specifications
- Length: 16’ (4.86 m)
- Beam: 4’ 3” (1.3 m)
- Weight: 108 pounds (49 kg)
- Carrying capacity: 4 Adults
- WLL: 16' (4.86 m)
- WLW: 38" (975 mm)
- WLL/ WLW Ratio: 5:1
- Hull speed: 5.4 knots, 9.9 kph, 6.2 mph
- Optional sail: 38 sq ft (3.5 sq m)
Plans available from:
Fyne Boat Kits
Richard’s Commentary:
“BEE has a Vee bow which allows her to slice through a choppy sea. The moderate freeboard midships with reduced windage fore and aft plus the built in dagger-board case mean that sensible owners can take her out in coastal waters, in addition to all inland waterways.
BEE can also be fitted with a simple low rig for offwind sailing or when the crew is feeling lazy. Because of its light weight and easily driven hull, BEE will surprise with her speed. BEE can easily be rowed for long periods by one, or even by two… there's room for passengers and lots of gear. She is stable, so you don't need to be an expert to handle her.
Because of her light weight BEE can easily be cartopped, opening up many more cruising grounds. BEE is very easy to build using just 3 sheets of 4 mm (3/16") and 3 sheets of 6 mm (1/4") plywood, plus some timber and epoxy.”
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| Bee Car-topped |
Peter Kovacsy's Bee:
Peter Kovacsy site is a photo essay of his building Bee… His photography is beautiful, as well as his workmanship on Bee... as attested to by the following two photos...
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| Transom of Peter Kovacsy's Bee |
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| Peter used Gaco locks on his Bee |
Summary-Pros:
- She is capable of
carrying a heavy load of supplies and equipment for extended cruising.
- She is large
enough to be comfortable, with stability to move around.
- Low windage due to
her reverse sheer enables her to track well while
rowing in cross winds.
- Built-in flotation to keep her right-side up
when flooded.
Summary-Cons:
- At 108 pounds (49 kg), single-handed car-topping could be difficult.
This is an oar cruiser that is sea worthy, stable and able to carry a full set of equipment and supplies for cruising.
It looks slippery enough. I just don't understand the purpose of the reverse transom. It seems to aggravate hanging the rudder. The rest of the design makes a great deal of sense to me.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob... Reading through Richard's materials, he said that the reverse transom prevented people from using an outboard... I'm not sure if that was his rationale for it... Another possibility is that it MAY enable a better fit of the panels on the sheets of plywood? Or he thought it just looked cool... I kinda like the look... Tom
DeleteInteresting boat-particularly the stability when swamped...yet another project to consider !!
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling... so many boats and so little space and time.
DeleteTom
So Shinny and slipery, that's how it looks in pic, hope that's not the case with original. Overall it looks really good, thank you for sharing it with us
ReplyDeleteYes... Peter does beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteTom