P. M.
A 15' 6" Flat-Bottom Knockabout
By William Atkin
An Easily Built Knockabout
When I was a very little boy there was a small sailing boat resting on a bed of clean hay in a barn at Montclair, N. J. Montclair was a charming little town, far from salt water to be sure, but despite this handicap a delightful place in which to live. The name Sandpiper was neatly lettered across the boat's stern, very neatly, and in gold leaf to give it worth. Sandpiper was owned by a neighbor of my father, a Mr. James Adams. He designed Sandpiper and built the little boat on the beach at Douglaston, L. I., in the dim days when the water washing these shores was clean and motor parkways unheard of; a pleasant spare time summer's recreation which produced an excellent sailing boat. The boat was used for several years on Little Neck Bay and proved satisfactory in every way. P. M. our design for this month, has many of the characteristics of Mr. Adam's Sandpiper.
In P. M. then, we have a design showing a flat bottom hull 15 feet 6 inches in overall length, 12 feet on the water line, 5 feet 1 inch in breadth and with a draft of 5 inches -- this, of course, with the center board up; with the board down the draft is 3 feet. The freeboard at the stem is 2 feet, at the lowest place, 1 foot 5 1/2 inches, and at the stern, 1 foot 7 1/2 inches. She is rigged as a knockabout; the mainsail having an area of 78 square feet, the staysail 30 square feet, a total area of 108 square feet. A modest sail plan for a useful little boat. She is decked fore and aft with suitable side decking and the usual low coamings. The cockpit well is 6 feet 2 inches long and nearly 4 feet in width. This provides comfortable room for four children or two grownups.
Flat bottomed boats have their limitations -- and their advantages. Not least of the latter is the simplicity and strength of the construction. P. M. has straight sections topsides and bottom and it is easier to make these and plank over them than any other form, and by the same token, an easy-to-build hull is the least expensive kind to build. This model requires less material, less time, and, because of the simplicity is likely to turn out to be a very worthwhile venture, especially if built by an amateur. Now I hear the wise men say, "But she will pound." So she may, but under similar weather conditions so will the other types. Of one thing I am certain, P. M. will be a weatherly boat and a bit of sloppiness will not disturb her; nor will every squall lay her mast in the water while she lies at her moorings.

PHOTOS OF P.M.

Plans for P. M. are $100

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