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William R. Watt
 
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People should keep in minmd that sailboats don't sail flat, they sail
heeled over (mostly about 15 degrees), hence flat bottom sailboats sail on
their chines and are therefore really V-bottom boats. In addition Phil
Bolger recommends flat bottom boats have their bow fore-and-aft deadrise
angle equal to their bow half angle, which I finally realized gives them a
pretty symetrical entrance and also somewhat less weather helm than boats
with less deadrise.

When I raced club dingys we sat out and sailed them flat because they were
designed to be sailed flat and could, on occasion, be made to plane. When
the wind picks up a flat bottom boat might also plane (especially the lake
scows which are desinged to do so) but in normal winds I believe they
should be sailed heeled over. That's why I sail my small flat bottom boats
more comfortably, sitting in the center on the bottom on a cushion facing
forward. None of this scrambling from side to side with each tack and
sitting out over the gunwale in every gust.

I also paddle small home made flat bottom boats in which I am more
sensitive to resistance and can feel the difference when I heel the boats
over solo canoe style. They move in a straighter line with less effort
when heeled and moving along on the chine, again, V-bottom when heeled.

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