Charles,

No need to apologize for mentioning that fine looking boat. Thank you for the link. Each time we see another boat we learn something and that may be just the small detail we would like to add to a new boat. Or we may see something that we may want to make sure we do not add/use/duplicate.
Discussion of previous \\\"conventional\\\" designs helps us move forward to new designs or improvements of past designs.

As far as space utilization on a <20\\\' vessel, I don\\\'t think there is any thing that is revolutionary, just evolutionary. Sand bags along the centreboard to water ballast as an example.

I am interested in the previously mentioned here aft cabin concept. Would still require something forward as a shelter, maybe just a dodger? Claus mentioned the fact that a boat with a cabin forward does give crew protection from breaking waves. So would we actually have a centre cockpit design? Sleeping accomodation aft, cockpit in the middle, a couple of seats with portable head forward under a cabin top? How would the aft cabin handle an outboard motor and the need to access it to start it, and possibly steer with it in tight situations?

I like the electric option on the boat you linked to. That will become more common going forward. Has anyone on this forum any experience with electric motors? Fixed or outboard type like the Torqeedo?

I also noted the fact that the portable toilet on the boat you mentioned was plumbed for pumping out on deck. That is the only legal way to use a portable toilet on board  in this province of Ontario. Since we are in a relatively closed freshwater system, the Great Lakes, and hundreds and hundreds of smaller inland lakes and canal systems, great care must be taken with the handling of black water.

However, I digress from the topic at hand - boat design. 

Yes, that rear cabin concept quite sparks off many new ideas.
I wrecked my brain where I had seen a rear cabin on a small yacht before. Found it:  \\\'Buckler Mk II\\\' (http://www.friday-ad.co.uk/AdRef/F167802/Class/652/Web/FullAdDetails.asp)

Not a very pretty sight today, I admit, but it is amazing how much space they could fit on a 24 ft. LOA boat (including the clipper bowsprit I spose) using the rear space too: Even TWO separate cabins, toilet, inboarder, chart table etc. .

Bill, it beats me why people can be interested in \\\'portable toilets\\\'.? - I know lodza things I would rather do than share a small cabin with a half-full chemical thing. I think they are truly awful.

As the originator of this aft cabin concept to this Forum,I had envisaged
1) a half decked foredeck with a v berth under.
2) a center cockpit
3) the aft cabin does present a few problems with those who wish to use a motor, but I would solve that problem by having an internal engine well on the centre line with perhaps a opening hatch mouted on the roof to stand and control engine from.,or have remote controls for the engine mounted on the rear of the boat , keeping engine smells out of the cabin,the engione would need to breathe anyhow.

As cluase mentioned earlier,the advantage of having an in cabin inboard well, is that you would have a ready made Sea toilet!

I would hope that the boat would be rowable.

Gerald

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John,
you re right: the Ataraxia design may not be so easy to launch/retreive.
my experience with trailer: 12 inches draught can still be easy to launch/retreive from a tilting trailer without getting more than the trailer-tires immersed in (salty) water; the trailer needs to be enough long after its axle (moving it frontwards, in the right way, when possible);
for me, some flat (wide v) after-bottom (without skeg there) is needed to help the hull floating in shallow water?
and a small keel is important (and skeg, not right aft)   to protect the hull bottom when running aground (also when launching/retreiving alone, boat sometimes runs aground upon concrete ramp-sole?), and would help sometimes (with more draught) directional stability?
(excuse my poor English).

Charles

Hello,
Thank you for all your comments. At the moment we are still very busy getting into our new workshop, and finishing the GRP BayRaider design.
I have updated the \\\"on the drawing board\\\" link on your left, with two new designs. One is the BayCruiser, discussed here, and the other is a 24ft pocket yacht that\\\'s been on my drawing board for years. The workshop will have the space to build her, if we can find a customer...
Lastly, we have not forgotten where we came from, and small boats are a real passion of ours. We do have plans for the smaller end of our range which will become clearer in due course.
Best wishes,
Matt

Matt, very nice. Is BayCruiser to be GRP from the same mould as BayRaider with an extra top strake? When I click on the pictures they pop up too big for my screen so cannot see the hull? Brian.

Matt,

I experience what Brian described as well. Clicking on the image opens it in a new window, but there are no horizontal or vertical scroll bars on the window. I first noticed that last year when you posted early BayRaider images. Should have mentioned it to you. Thought maybe it was my computer or connection. I now work around it by saving the image to a folder and open it up in my photo editing program (Picasa).

Some of your images load up completely pretty fast, with no scroll bars. Others indicate they are downloading for ages. I have just now had an image open for over 10 minutes and it says it is still downloading. Maybe try reducing the image size on your end. If it finishes downloading the scroll bars may appear, or the frame size may adjust.

Have to say though, I really like how you involve complete strangers with your designs by asking for input. You have a good thing going!

Regards, Bill