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Hi Mike.
"How wide is the flat bottom panel where it runs out at the transom?"
I've dug the plans out to answer that question, as the boat is stood on the transom against the back of the garage for the winter, and not easily accessible. The transom shows a half-breadth of 251mm at that point, but it is not actually flat, as the plywood is persuaded into a gentle curve across the bottom. If you are thinking of planing potential, my Y-Emma doesn't do that, except in waves over 2 feet high when coming down the face, and then I am usually well reefed down and thoroughly scared. Yes, it has happened. That makes the stern maybe about 515mm at the bottom, when adding the 6mm ply "garboard" strakes and the glass tape.
Pros and cons of the twin skegs: Well amongst pros, the best must be the ability to slide the boat over a stone/concrete edge with no worries about scarring up the bottom. This often happens when launching or retrieving at a staithe or dockside. They also help when coming in to a stony or even rocky beach. Those skegs are made of keruing, which is the timber used for truck beds and the like which tend to take hard knocks, and yet it is very light. They are gradually wearing away, but there's plenty of meat left on them yet. They will outlast me in any case. The two handles also count as a major convenience to me, as I have to turn the boat on it's side to get it through the gate out of my back garden, again, single handed (my wife has disabilities). I slide the gunwhale on a piece of carpet. This is easily done as there is a handle to hold which is above the centre line, in either orientation, that reduces the natural tendency to either revert to horizontal or to invert. They also give great confidence when lifting the rear of the boat to slide it forward onto the roof rack. You can lift from the ground with two hands, and then swap hands one at a time to the transom edge. Maybe I use them after a capsize inversion, but I can't remember from the last time that happened. I've learned to jump out before it goes all the way over, and then get the mast out before it inverts which makes righting the boat so much easier as otherwise I end up in a series situation where the wind capsizes it after every righting, before I can get back in. They are also convenient for fitting my wheels, I would not be without them.
Cons: I expect that the twin skegs and the handholds both increase turbulence and wetted area, but to honest, there are many other things slowing the boat down more than those will.
The rear buoyancy chambers are at just the right distance (at least for me) from the aft rowlocks (i.e. crutches) to brace my feet against when rowing hard, so there are no stretchers needed. The forward rowlock fittings see very little use, and are not really worth having, as the narrower beam there makes rowing awkward at best. With three aboard, the littlest has to perch in the bow to balance the boat, and with two, the passenger sits in the centre of the rear thwart with their legs wide apart to give me rowing room. Not the most comfortable seat. The bailer fits snugly down the gap behind the rear thwart. I use those cheap foam garden kneeling mats for seat cushions (when I'm fishing, not for sailing), and I have been thinking of modifying one to have a wedge of foam to go in the centreboard slot, which would retain the mat and keep the water from surging up the slot and wetting my pants.
I can think of no improvement I would make to the design, except provision for stowing the oars whilst sailing, and I can't think how that could be achieved in an eight foot boat and still leave room for me. If conditions appear reliable I take only a paddle rather than the oars.
I hope you find all this interesting, I'm not trying to influence anyone about anything. :-)
Regards,
Ian
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