I thought I'd revive this thread to draw attention to John Harris's interesting new piece on the subject in The Life of Boats.
I love his latest ideas on making the dory into a fine camping boat.
But I think Silver Salt has implemented the simplest solution in his sliding bench seats. To see his modification, scroll down toward the middle of his Flickr photos. The inevitable baggage of camping supports one's feet aft of the rear bench seat.
Sliver salt has some pictures on flicker of sliding bench seats on tracks under the existing seats,I'm considering that with a stationary piece between the aft seat and the first bench. To sleep simply slide the side seats together and put up a one man tent with a front entrance. It cheap easy And removable. It doesn't add flotation but when camping your gonna want dry bags anyway ( I'm considering a couple plastic barrels)
I enjoyed John's recent article as well and keep coming back to the NE Dory as the boat with the least number of compromises for my intended use. (camping in canoe coountry).
I looked at the SW dory, to large and complex for my use. The sliding benches that Silver salt has are elegant in the simplicity used to solve the sleeping on board requirement. Prior to seeing those I found my unqualified self looking at the first thwart foreward of the rear seat. Trying to guage measurements - if that were not there one would have a nice open space for sleeping. Obviously though that thwart is integral to the design. I was thinking of reduscing its height but have a sister thwart that goes over it but can be removed or reducsing its height but glassing smaller thwart with carbon fiber to increase strength. But both of these ideas require a pesky sleepig platform to still get over the smaller thwart. Not sure about <scary music>eliminating</scary music> it and glassing floor with carbon fiber or carbon fiber tape crossing over in its stead.
This is whimsical conjecture. If I am going to pay a proven designer for boat plans, I am not going to mess with those designs. I view Silver Salt's additionof sliding boards as adding to the design, not modifiying. It is also attractive if one likes to sail off the floor.
I just love the cumulative wisdom in this thread. Like others, I'm searching for a smallish row boat/sail boat that I can overnight sleep in. I'm wondering about the Lighthose Tender Peapod. If the centre thwart was removable, and the floo boards were built horizonntal, woud there be enough room to stretchout sgtraight to one side of the centreboard case?
The center thwart looks pretty much integral to the structure of the boat, especially in the way it supports the centerboard trunk. I do wonder if there might be enough clearance to put ones lower legs underneath the thwart with the upper body lying aft, if you sleep on your back. Might work, depending on the size of the sleeper. A side sleeper might get by with, say, legs underneath the starboard side of the thwart with upper body more to the port side of the boat with the sleeper lying on his or her right side. The tranverse arc of the floorboards might not matter so much to a side sleeper.
This is all pure conjecture. You'd have to climb aboard and try it, I guess.
I always thought the Chester Yawl would make a great cruising rowboat, as some have mentioned in earlier posts here. However, trying to make a sailboat of her would likely greatly diminish her rowing without resulting in much of a sailboat. Maybe a small dipping lug for reaching and running?
.....Michael
I've been giving some thought to the Nesting Expedition Dinghy that way, as well. Very creative, if not traditional looking, design, with all sorts of possibilities as a solo getaway vehicle with camp aboard capability. They'll need helicopters to find you...if you don't bring your cell phone. <;-)
.....Michael