FRANCES 26'
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The First FRANCES built by C.W. Paine
FRANCES specs in 1996
Water: 15 Gallons
Diesel: 7 1/2 gallons.
Engine: 1 cylinder Volvo Diesel
Electrical: One marine battery (1996), cabin lights, navigation lights,
anchor light, Tri-color light, electric bilge pump, 20W solar panel.
Accomodations: One long full width berth forward (6'6") aft to
mast, two opposing settee berths (6"), quarter berth (6'6")
aft to port with head under, galley aft to starboard.
Galley: Hand pump, two burner Origo alchohol stove, ice box.
Sails: Bondell Main with two reefs (1988), 100% jib (1988), Staysail
with new (1996) club foot, 150% genoa (1996).
Rigging: Stainless steel 1 x 19 wire, cutter rig with bow sprit, club
footed jib, 5/8" halyard and sheets, Aluminium mast with varnished
boom, Jiffy reefing for main.
Winches: Three Barlow primary #16 winches, one Barlow #15 halyard
winch on cabin top and one mast winch for jib halyard.
Electronics and Navigation: GPS, Fathometer, VHF, AM/FM radio.
Equipment: One 13 lb. Dandorth anchor with 250' of 5/8; 22 lbs Delta
anchor with 315' of 3/4" line, 5 fenders, dock lines, manual bilge
pump, three fire extinguishers, canvas winter cover with frame, life lines
with gates. stern rail, cowl vent, Monitor self-steering vane, boat cushions,
three Type I life jackets, fog horn, Danforth white Cosair compass.
Comments: This boat was finished by the designer C.W. Paine, as his
personal yacht in 1974. Th e interior joinery is excellent and is sonply
finished out white bulk heads accentuated with carnished mahogany trim.
New deck in 1994 covered with twwo layrs od fiberglass and West apoxy
resin. Topsides re-conditioned with Pettit All-Temp Barrier coat and bottom
with Glass Flake Barrier coat in 1995. New rudder, Some interior work
needs to be completed.
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Chuck Paine quotes
from 'The Best Boats to Build or Buy' by Ferenc Mate - more
here.
"She was to embody everything I knew about the design of efficient
cruising-vessels of fiberglass construction, to be capable of yearly cruises
to and among the Caribbean Islands, to be small enough to fit my limited
budget, but large enough to safely survive a gale at sea. She had to be
as beautiful as her namesake, for some day I would part with her and I
know well that beautiful yachts reward their owners' good taste with profit
upon resale. Yet she is small enough for me to handle the little maintenance
required, capable of being laid-up alongside a local lobsterman's wharf
on an outgoing tide for periodic attention to the bottom, or even towed
behind a good Maine Peapod if the engine and wind should choose to crap
out simultaneously. Then there is always the dream of circumnavigation,
and well, some year I might just find the time and have saved up the Panama
Canal fee and a few cans of ravioli."
"The entry is quite sharp (25% half angle forward, which is sharp indeed for most racers have around 20 to 23). The keel extension is carried right up to the canoe body of the hull with a very tight fairing radius."
"I wanted to end up with a boat that could carry her sail well (an essential conflict between cruising and racing yachts, the stability being penalized in the latter for rating purposes). On the other hand I wanted the desirable wave performance of a tender boat. That is, one which is. an easy roller. There is only one solution to this seeming conflict. I get the sail carrying ability from the moderately heavy displacement (directly proportional to the riding moment). I achieve the easy motion by shaping the hull sections with a high angle of deadrise and very easy bilges, or more technically, designing the shape with a low meta-centre. The result is a hull which is driven easily and has relatively less wetted surface for her length than many yachts of her size range."
