17' Fantail Steam Launch Myf

Design Number 217
1984


This design began with a discussion with friend and boatbuilder Rob Denny, whose clients wanted him to build a small fantail steam launch. They had seen our larger 34' Fantail Motor Yacht and liked the style of the design. We took that successful boat as the basis and created a smaller version of it for this launch.

The 17' steam launch Myf was built in Rob Denny's shop in Victoria, B.C. in 1985 and her wood fired machinery was built by her owner, Blayney Scott.

She's built of traditional wood construction with modern adhesives to facilitate building, aid longevity, and reduce maintenance. Since she is often trailer-sailed, it was decided to seal all the structure with epoxy, so that she would not dry out and change size while out of the water. This has worked out well and she's a delight to behold.

In fact, she is so well done that she's been awarded a prize at the Victoria Classic Boat Festival. There's often a good contingent of the local steamboat group there, and these little steamers are very popular with the visitors.

Her cockpit provides comfortable seating for the crew and is open enough to provide easy access to the engine and controls.

Myf's hull form is quite easily driven and has good form stability. She can also be fitted with the smallest of inboard engines to make a diesel launch too.

As Blayney often tells me, "She's just like a duck on the water." Look at the photo of her with four large adults aboard. This is a comfortable crew for her to carry. She is quite buoyant and seems to ride over the swells instead of plowing through them.


Alternative Power

Alternative power would be a small inboard engine. She only needs a few horsepower to move her along, so the smallest of the marine diesel engines would be plenty of power for her.


Alternative Construction

This boat would lend itself well to strip-planking with a covering of a couple of diagonal cold-molded veneers.


Pattern Set

We were fortunate in being able to get Rob Denny to make up a set of patterns from the loft floor used to build Myf. The three views of the lines plan are overlaid on each other to conserve space, as is traditional in doing lofting work. The edges of the sheets overlap so that we can allow for variations in the patterns being printed all the way to the edges of the paper. While it is best for each builder to do their own lofting work, to familiarize them with the work at hand, use of patterns like these can speed up the work for those unfamiliar with doing the work.

Particulars:ImperialMetric
Length overall17'-0"5.18 m
Length designed waterline15'-6"4.72 m
Beam5'-3"1.60 m
Draft1'-8"0.51 m
Freeboard:Forward2'-7½"0.80 m
Least1'-4½"0.42 m
Aft1'-9"0.53 m
Displacement, cruising trim1,160 lbs.526 kg.
Displacement-length ratio139 
Prismatic coefficient.605 
Pounds per inch immersion33059 kg/cm
Entrance half-angle20º 

*CAUTION: The displacement quoted here is for the boat in cruising trim. That is, with the fuel and water tanks filled, the crew on board, as well as the crews' gear and stores in the lockers. This should not be confused with the "shipping weight" often quoted as "displacement" by some manufacturers. This should be taken into account when comparing figures and ratios between this and other designs.


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