Decade: The 00s

Built: 2011

Name: Lucie

“Lucie” was built in 2011 by Michael Tyler, John Bicknell and students on the 2011 Boat Building Academy (BBA) course in Lyme Regis, Dorset. 

“Lucie” is a graceful 14ft strip planked catboat with a shallow draught, fan tailed raked transom, plumb stem and sweeping sheer, modelled along the lines of Gil Smith’s “Great South Bay Catboats” which were built on Long Island in New York between 1860 – 1930.

Using the line plan for “Lucile” (one of Gil Smith’s boats), Mike Broome, Instructor at the BBA, draughted a shorter version. Lucie is planked in cedar strips on a Sapele centreline. The strip planks form a core that is strengthened by epoxy resin and bi axial glasscloth.

“Lucie” is gaff rigged, the gaff yard is hollow and built of cedar and the mast is solid. She is light and smart through the water and carries a sail with a sail area of around 90 sq ft. She is a traditional box construction and has a Tiger Elite plywood deck, stainless steel rudder and 28 kilos of lead in the centreplate.