HILDA II is designed along the lines of a
serious working boat, but will also appeal to the couple looking for a comfortable, all
weather cruiser. The enclosed pilot house allows two people to operate the boat under
shelter, prepare meals, and sleep comfortably on two full length "vee" berths. A
24 inch long counter top behind the two cabin seats can be used for a galley, ice box, nav
station, or even a wood stove. An outboard motor (20 - 60 hp) is mounted inside a well at
the rear of the cockpit, and completely enclosed with an insulated engine cover. This
reduces noise to an absolute minimum. The transom, which is varnished mahogany, is cut
away behind the motor, to allow the engine to be locked up. A boarding ladder can be built
into the engine cover, which would be especially useful when trailering, as it allows easy
access to the boat in campgrounds or rest stops.
The cockpit is self draining, and contains two
18 gal. fuel tanks, located under the port and starboard gunnels. A raised coaming
separates the cabin from the cockpit. Headroom is 6'2" in the center of the cabin. A
marine toilet can be mounted forward, between the Vee berths, and covered with a hinged
seat. The cockpit is large enough for everything from fishing gear to lawn chairs. A short
mast can be fitted to the cabin top for an antenna, steadying sail, radar mount, or boom
tent.
HILDA II retains a traditional work boat
styling, with emphasis on simplicity and ease of construction. The hull, deck, and cabin
are built from wood strips and plywood materials, over temporary frames. A novel feature
is that the deck is built first, upside down on 2x8 supports, and then fiberglassed before
assembling the hull frames. This surface is easy to fiberglass when the boat is upside
down, and greatly strengthens the deck / cabin joints. A 2" raised coaming is also
molded into the deck to form a leak proof joint with the cabins. The outside hull surfaces
are next stripped, smoothed, and fiberglassed. The hull frames are then removed, and the
inside hull-deck joint fiberglassed. After turning the boat over, the outside deck
surface, outside hull-deck joint, and the entire inside surface is fiberglassed. This
results in a very solid, leak proof, hull to deck joint, and no overhead fiber glassing.
Dry rot is eliminated since all wooden materials are sandwiched between layers of
fiberglass. The final result is an easy to build assembly that is very stiff, light
weight, and low maintenance.
The fore deck is level, cambered, and has a
12" raised trunk cabin that sets flush into the main cabin. Deck beams are not
required because of the stiffening effect of an integral deck coaming. The cabin pieces
are cut out, glued together, and fiberglassed while fitted to the deck coaming. The cabin
is then removed, turned upside down, and fiberglassed over the entire inside surface. The
cabin assembly is bedded to the deck coaming with 3M5200 adhesive, bolted in place, and
fiberglassed. This is very sturdy construction, and has virtually no chance of leakage.
The pilot house has a circular front, formed with 5 plywood panels, each containing an 18
inch square window. The plywood is fiberglassed, then varnished to a bright finish. If
done with care, it will be very difficult to see anything except the natural wood grain.
The pilot house is bonded to the cabin with more 5200 and screws, then decked over with
6" overhangs.
The bottom is stiffened with two full length
plywood stringers which form the sides of the engine well and cabin bunks. Partial
stringers extend from the cabin bulkhead to the transom. The cockpit deck and cabin bunk
tops are covered with 1/2 " plywood, and then glassed to the hull. This forms a rigid
"box" beam with the hull and adds a great deal to the boat's torsional
stiffness. Cedar strips and exterior plywood panels are adequate, but the ideal material
is balsa cored, mahogany faced, strips and sheets from BALTEC. This material is expensive,
but will save around 2-300 pounds, and lower the center of gravity slightly.
The size and type of the propulsion system
depends entirely on how fast the owner wants to go. HILDA II will cruise comfortably at 10
knots with a single 10 hp outboard engine, but a 40-60 hp outboard will move her out at
25-30 mph. While structurally capable of high speeds, HILDA II is primarily designed for
easy cruising at 10 knots or less. This greatly reduces cost and weight, which is always
important, but the real benefit is the very low noise level. Small outboards, especially
the Honda and Yamaha 4-strokes, are very quiet, fuel efficient, and allow a leisurely pace
and relaxing atmosphere, where conversation, music, and nature can be enjoyed to the
fullest.
For coastal ocean cruises or inland lakes and
rivers, HILDA II will be a hard boat to beat. Weighing only 2088 pounds , she will trailer
easily behind an average car, and is right at home in a campground. This opens up cruising
opportunities in areas normally reserved for larger yachts, as well as inland waters and
parks. Many variations to the design are possible, such as decorative bulwarks, "tug
boat" styling, different cabin features, cockpit layouts, opening ports, hatches, and
custom features for fishing, lobstering, diving, or commercial fishing. The simplicity of
the design, rugged construction techniques, and ability to carry a large cargo will also
make HILDA II competitive with bigger, more expensive work boats.
Plans for building HILDA II include a set of
building instructions which cover fourteen stages of the boats construction. These are not
detailed, step by step instructions. They assume a general knowledge of boat building and
focus on specific procedures which apply to HILDA II. Be sure you understand the basics of
wood strip construction and fiber glass techniques before you start a project like HILDA
II. Many good books on the subject are available, and I strongly recommend that you read
several.
The drawing package for HILDA II consists of
fourteen "D" size drawings. Nine of the drawings are full scale patterns used to
construct the building forms. The patterns have been computer faired, and no manual
lofting is required. The following drawings are included in the plans package:
1: OUTBOARD PROFILE
2: GENERAL LAYOUT
3: BUILDING FORM
4: HULL AND CABIN CROSS SECTIONS
5: COCKPIT DETAILS
6: TRANSOM DETAILS
7: CABIN DETAILS
8: PILOT HOUSE DETAILS
9: FRAMES ASSEMBLY
10: FULL SCALE TEMPLATES: (9 SHEETS)
All drawings are original color plots, not reproductions. A
26' version with an 8' 6" beam is also available.
(Prices)