Thomas wrote:

More on What If :

https://gartsideboats.com/collections/sailboats/products/30ft-junk-rigged-light-cruiser-design-297

I have been chatting to Paul about this design and about constructing and setting up cambered junk sails.  If I was maybe 20-something, I could be very interested in What If.  It could be an ideal boat to seriously campaign in something like the Jester Challenges.  I'd want to modify the deck to be somewhat like the raised deck seen on Badger, which I think would look very funky and add very little in the way of weight and windage.  I think it is a clever, minimalist, singlehanded ocean racer or passagemaker in the Jester tradition.  Blondie Hasler would have loved it!

Thomas wrote:

I've uploaded better resolution for my plans, for the updated Water Bear we have to wait a little longer !

I hope to build her as soon as possible, but probably not before one or two years.

Thanks for uploading these plans, Thomas.  I am sure you will have lots of fun dreaming about building and planning this project. 

Annie Hill wrote:

Is it possible to copy the info at a higher resolution and put them in your Photo album, Thomas?  This looks a much better cruising boat than Water Bear, which was delightful, but really a bit too skinny for living on.

I hope you go ahead with building her!

Once the updated version of Water Bear - the new Gartside design, What If -  is published by Watercraft Magazine on June 25, I am going to ask Paul Gartside if I can write an illustrated appreciation of the design for the JRA Magazine.  I have not seen it yet (11 days to go and counting!), but he says it incorporates all he learned from building and sailing Water Bear, along with his subsequent experience in yacht design in general.  Too late for me, but I suspect it will be my kind of boat!  All I can hope for is that I will still have the energy to convert Arion II to junk rig once I have the means in around 18 months!

Thomas wrote:

I have always love Paul Gartside's designs, I built my little sail'n oar based on his plans, and now I asked him to draw my next boat. He announced it in his last newsletter, it's a 9.5m twin keel cruiser.

And now, he'll release another plan in the july edition of the Watercraft Magazine, a lighter 9.1m, an improved version of his old Water Bear.

Good for the homebuilders !

I am waiting keenly for the What If design to be published.  The online version of the magazine should be available on or soon after 25 June.  At 74, I have no plans to build a new boat (sadly) and will be lucky to convert my current boat in a year or so, when finances permit.  But the concept fascinates.  It will make a great Jester Challenge boat!