Hitia 17 improvements.

[Josh]

Hi,
I'm getting ready for my first build and I was looking through sea people magazine no. 36 (http://www.pca-seapeople.net/SeaPeople-036.pdf) and saw Jan Leendertz article regarding modifications on the hitia 17.

Among other improvements, he suggested removing the fore beam to reduce slamming and bogging in larger waves and also cutting out the double floor and leaving a 2cm rim with its fillets thus creating a larger storage space below.

Has anyone else read the article, and made similar improvements to the boat? Or if not, would you consider doing so?

Would love to hear of others experiences and work out if these are worthwhile modifications before hand..

Many thanks..

[Michael Stephani]

Hi Josh,

this is not my idea nor my picture (I forgot where I found it). But I recomend those additional deck supports. The front and aft deck are really soft and I (90+ kg) might break them some day by stepping on them 

[Michael Stephani]

I also made the shrouds and forestay out of 4mm dyneema. It is extremely light and easy to splice. At the mast top  a chafe-sleeve out 6 mm is pulled over the 4mm.

[Josh]

Hi Michael, 

Those are both great ideas! Thanks for sharing.. Ive been admiring you build and the launch of your boat. She looks beautiful! Congratulations... A wonderful thing to do together with the family! 

[Omar M. Rashash]

Both the forward crossbeam and cockpit floors are structural elements of the design and you omit them at your own peril.  The cockpit floors do more than just give you somewhere to sit, they also stiffen up the area between the middle and rear crossbeams and are important.

 

Having said that, there are areas of the design that can be improved.

 

A birdsmouth mast is lighter and stonger than the original design-

The hulls will benefit from an improved glassing schedule-

The Cockpits and Hatches beg for a improvement-

This change will let me add vertical frames for the rigid hatches-

 

I've got some more, but this should get you thinking.