Ba-Ba
A 21' V-Bottom Utility Runabout
By William Atkin
A Utility Boat
All who build will find Ba-Ba not only a fast little craft but an extremely able and comfortable boat when it is rough. She will be easy to steer running off a sea, dry and safe. I have designed many motor boats like her of various sizes both smaller and larger, and know from experience what to expect in the way of performance.
While she is not very big, Ba-Ba is a burdensome little boat and one that will carry a big load with ease and without too much cutting down of speed. Powered with a motor of approximately 160 cubic inch cylinder displacement, about 65 h.p. at 3,200 r.p.m., she will have a speed of close to 26 miles an hour and should be ideal as an aircraft personnel boat, ammunition carrier, or rescue boat. At top speed she will draw not over 2 feet, her normal draft being 1 foot 8 inches. The little boat's over all length is 21 feet; length on the water line, 20 feet; breadth, 7 feet 6 inches; and draft, 1 foot 8 inches. The deck is practically open and so there is a lot of room in the cockpit. The propeller and rudder are protected by deadwood and shoe and little damage can result from striking bottom hard.
The motor is installed under a thwartship house amidship and this leaves a forward cockpit 4 feet 3 inches long, and an after cockpit 7 feet 9 inches long. Both cockpits have athwartship seats providing seating room for three persons each. Omitting the after seat will give room for any sort of cargo the boat may be called upon to carry. It will be noticed that the boat will be steered by side levers, rather than the usual steering wheel, and that there is a lever each side the forward seat. This is a good arrangement, simple and takes much less room than a steering wheel with its post. I would place the motor controls on the motor house and use a rope running through pulleys for controlling the dutch and reverse gear. The latter is a seamanlike way in which to handle this part of the motor installation, and a very good way in the bargain.
The hull is of V bottom model and is of a form that is easier for the amateur builder to attempt than round bilge types and ideal for duplicate production. I don't know that a V bottom motor boat is any better kind of boat than one of round bilge model; but the former model is popular, perhaps, because so many have been built and used these last 25 years or so. At any rate a V bottom of good design makes a fine kind of boat to build and own.
Plans for Ba-Ba are $100

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