I have been recently working on a new pair of boats for 2008, the Harpy and the Pond Sprite. The Harpy came first and is on the net as a free downloadable plan, it is designed to be easy to build as a tape and glue structure so is quite simple in shape. Having handled her though it is a shape which grows on me. Harpy follows the line of a fuller bow with low rocker and early trials indicate that she sails pretty well.
After floating Harpy I realised that if I used a foam core I could create a more sleek look and attractive transom area. So was born the Pond Sprite which is in it’s prototype build stage at the moment. My first attempt at a rolled transom which turned out to be very easy to do and I think looks good.
So I thought I would make a few notes about them here and show some ideas I have had along the way which may be of general use. Below… Harpy is in blue.
Graham
I like them both!
The sprite’s transom looks quite sexy.
Guess I am a sucker for a sexy little transom… !whack!.. That was the sound of Jan explaining something to me :scared:
Just in the process of spraying white primer on the Pond Sprite hull… colour photos later.
Give us a stern view on the next batch of photos, or preferable a 3/4 stern view.
Hey Graham,
I really like the looks of the Sprite. The bow reminds me alot of your Siren design & I agree with Allan’s comment about the curved transom. Do you plan to make this available as a kit in the future?
Bill
Will do Allan as soon as I have finished the painting and get the masking back off.
Hi Bill, glad you like it. If sailing trials go ok then yes I do plan on ‘Pond Sprite’ being the next kit. The ‘Harpy’ and ‘Pond Sprite’ designs are certainly intended as more serious racing footys to add to my stable.
‘Siren’ had a sharper bow like the Kittiwake but with less rocker and therefore a deeper bow. I think that the ‘Siren’ will find it’s way into being a new ‘Kittiwake.2’ a little way down the river.
Of course with the Sheboygan Footy Fest coming soon I will have a chance to see how they do at this stage of development. I will have ‘Siren’ there as a spare boat so I may even get a chance to race against last year’s winner.
Graham
I now have the hull painted and the varnishing/detailing finished on the deck and fin… so here are the transom shots guys.
That’s quite nice. I like the color choices too. Is this the pringle’s lid hatch system you mentioned in another post? I’m interested in how that works out too.
I love it, sign me up for hull #2!
Bill
I love it, sign me up for hull #2!
Bill
As they said in my marketing classes way back…
'a cute little transom will get ‘em every time.’
Well we will have to get through the actual sailing trials first Bill and discover a good rig size but I’ll put your name on #2 in readiness. First reports from Florida suggested that the Harpy hull is working nicely and the Pond Sprite is the same hull below the waterline.
Graham
the Pond Sprite is all but finished and has undergone my usual test tank trials to finally determine the bulb weight, photos attached.
I am aiming for a submerged transom while static so the tank photos show that. The complete boat now weighs 15.2 oz (430g), this is with the largest rig, bulb weight is 7.4oz (209g).
So now I need to fair the bulb, which you can probably see is just temporarily attached in the photos and get some paint on it ready for this Sunday.
Graham
I’m trying to work out whether you have a radical rudder on Pond Sprite, but the side of the tub is obstructing my view. Take some pictures on Sunday please, Paul
The rudder is to the Kittiwake pattern at the moment Paul so nothing radical there… more photos to follow soon.
The radical stuff is happening on the ‘black’ project, but. It is so ‘black’ that I hid it when one of the guys came shining around my basement the other day and now I can’t find it.
Graham
Ah yes, I have black projects too. One when/if ever completed will end my days of bow burying Footy’s (maybe) That one I believe is on piece of tracing paper beneath one of the piles of paperwork on my desk… Too many projects, not enough spare time. Paul
Sunday morning had a decent blow (10mph+) and some sunshine for our openning day at Wood Lake near Sheboygan.
Pond Sprite was named and duly launched on what was to be a successful first trial. Overall observation from the group was that the new hull form (Harpy and Pond Sprite share the same below the water hull form) was indeed resisting submarining and more especially broaching better than my previous hulls. In the conditions I did have more sail aloft than ideal so she did submarine but the tendency to broach was the least I have experienced so far with my footys.
On the beat Pond Sprite showed little tendency to roll bow down and lift her transom high, something I was working on with this design. So I believe that the higher volume in the bow is working. Looking forward to more sailing now, it’s great to be back on the water here!
Graham
Those pics sure look awsome. The boat sailing along makes want to go out now. I’m waiting till some buddies get off work today, then I’ll be going out for an evening cruise.
I’m going to try to get some nice sailing pics like yours.
:zbeer:
Thanks Nigel… here are a few more to tip you over the edge:scared:
The third photo is a clubmate’s (Mark K) early Kittiwake with Pond Sprite behind.
What nice close-ups. Are you in the lake with them? 
I’m going to try to find a spot, where I can lay down and have me buddy do some sail-by’s.
Once again, nice shots.
:zbeer:
Oh ya, I like the cut of the top of your main. I’ve cut mine similar. You probably have good reason for it; while mine, was just cause it looks nice.
Not in the lake Nigel… way too cold for that yet! It’s the camera, I use a Canon A610 which has a back screen which can be swung out and turned through 180 degrees. With this I can hold the camera down low to the water and look down at the screen, I can get as close as I dare to the water… a little closer will get expensive. I have one of the guys sail the boat for me.
Like this…