The Block Island Rover is a great blue water sailer, cost-effective for the professional small boat yard, or within the capabilities of the back yard builder.
The deck is laid out with two secure areas. The aft cockpit with its pinky stern bulwarks and deck house for protection will give a feeling of security and control in the worst the elements can offer. The forward well deck provides a similar secure area for handling sails or tending the anchor. A canvas spread overhead from the main boom gallows to the main shrouds will give added protection from the sun and rain.
The below-deck spaces again reflect the deep sea breed, with a navigation console to port close to the cockpit. The galley features a gimballed stove, deep sink, and top-loading icebox. A dinette is to starboard. The main salon is amidships, full width, with berths/ settees on each side. Then comes the full-width head and shower and finally, V-berths forward.
Access to the engine is through the galley sole, which lifts up to give all-around working space. The low placement of the engine, in addition to helping maintain a low center of gravity, allows a gravity-fed fuel system to the engine from integral tanks located port and starboard under the settees. The yacht carries 50 gallons of fuel and 147 gallons of water, with space designated for a holding tank.
Shell plating is 3/16" on the bottom, to-gauge for sides and deck. All hull surfaces are cylindrical developments possessing easy fore and aft curves from stem to stern, which means that all hull plates can be hung in place without the need for prior rolling or excessive pulling during the plating process. With careful attention to craftsmanship in fitment and welding, a fair hull plating job is assured.
The raked aluminum tubing masts, capped with tapered wooden plugs and painted buff with white trim, give her a classic look that sets her apart from the antiseptic rigs of most stock plastic boats.
<top>
Last updated: Wednesday, 4 October, 2017
