Professional Documents
Culture Documents
November/December 2006
Issue 51
www.goodoldboat.com
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Allegra 24
She’s the most pampered
and putzed-with boat in the marina
by Karen Larson
W
HEN HE WAS 11, ROGER LAUTEN- work in a Wisconsin shipyard, Bay
bach figured out that a small Shipbuilding, where large boats are de-
fishing boat would be a lot signed and built. By 1982, when he was
more interesting with a sailing rig con- in his early 40s, Roger’s work in pipe
trived from an oar and a blanket. Since brazing had burned his system out, as
his family had a resort in Door County, he puts it, and the recovery time went
Wisconsin, Roger’s life was rich with by too slowly for a man with his can-do
waterborne opportunities such as this. temperament.
In that setting, Roger also devel- “So I started building small boats in
oped a do-it-yourself attitude in ad- the garage,” he says. He was obviously
dition to his love of, and respect for, able to keep busy at this: he built 10
boats. This was the right mix for a Optimist prams in two months. “I was
fellow who would later build his own building them four at a time,” he ex-
boat from a bare hull. That boat, an Al- plains. “Then I wanted to do something
legra 24 named Sara, is a beefy beauty in lapstrake,” he recalls. He found a
that is sometimes described by Roger Walt Simmons design for a 10-foot lap-
as “a Flicka on steroids.” Sara and strake yacht tender, called Sunshine,
Roger spend their summers these days lofted his plans, and built a lovely craft
in Blind River, Ontario, at the western that was to be named Sunshine.
end of Lake Huron’s North Channel.
His wife, Puck, joins them when she Spiritual side
has time off from work. Roger’s boatbuilding skills were self-
Roger’s attention wandered from taught. He speaks of “the spiritual
the world of boats when teenage inter-
ests introduced girls and cars. Then
came marriage to Puck, a daughter Fred Bingham ran Allegra ads in the
named Sara, and a mixed career early 1980s. This one captured the
involving high-school teaching and imagination of Roger Lautenbach.
www.goodoldboat.com 5
Feature boat
truck was heading east. The truck was Fortunately, one of the lead joinermen I did one job at a time. One thing that
set up for hauling Carvers, however, so at Pacific Seacraft (and a good friend helped is that I could go down to Palm-
a shipping cradle had to be built and a of Lou Nagy’s) had left a layout sketch er Johnson (a well-known Wisconsin
crane was hired. But in the end, Roger thumbtacked to the bulkhead, Roger boatbuilding firm) and buy wood and
had a hull and deck in Wisconsin. recalls. “I followed his suggestions.” parts and ask questions.”
“I took the piece of plywood out When spring came to Wisconsin,
of the companionway and looked at Full load Roger was able to begin the exterior
all that green fiberglass down below,” Somewhere along this timeline, Roger, projects, such as mounting hardware.
Roger recalls. “I went below and stood who was still generally in the unem- “Then, with the help of a student of
there and said, ‘What the heck have I ployed/recovery mode, was asked to mine who’d had experience at Palmer
done? How will I fill this thing?’ ” fill in for a local tech-school teacher Johnson, I lofted the sailplan on the
It was supposed to be a kit, he who’d had a heart attack. “Soon I was driveway with a piece of chalk so I
says, but, due to the circumstances of teaching psychology, communica- could do the standing rigging,” he says.
the failing partnership in California tion skills, marine technology . . . six “I called Bruce Roberts, the yacht de-
and the forced delivery of his hull, it subjects in all . . . a full load.” And he signer. That was his idea. He talked me
was not a kit. “It was a hull, deck, and spent three grueling months working into an Isomat spar. I bought the rig for
Douglas fir bulkheads,” Roger says. at the shipbuilding yard fitting pipe on $1,500.”
“And some hardware,” he adds as an container ships. “I earned money for As it is with all projects, not every-
afterthought. parts,” he says. thing went smoothly. There was that
“I climbed into the anchor locker Still, the boat project moved ahead incident with the scaffolding. Roger
and said, ‘This looks like a good place at a quick pace. “She was sailable in 18 says he fell off and wound up lying
to start.’ The boat told me how to do it.” months, Roger says. “I focused well. on the driveway for two hours before
www.goodoldboat.com 7
Boat comparison
Four small
bluewater cruisers
A comparison of Allegra and three rivals by Ted Brewer
T
HESE FOUR SMALL YACHTS HAVE ALL PROVEN TO BE VERY ages speed under sail and weatherliness. In any case, their
capable bluewater cruisers with many long ocean short waterlines limit them to theoretical 6-knot speeds
passages to their credit. Several of them have made in the best of conditions; 4 to 4.5 knots would be a more
successful circumnavigations over the years. Despite likely average, given their characteristics.
their small size, these mini-cutters feature reasonable The Flicka appears to be the slowest of the group,
accommodations, suitable for two friendly sailors who due to carrying her generous displacement on the
don’t mind close quarters. shortest waterline and being driven by 100 square
With the exception of the Dana 24, the major prob- feet less sail area than the others. With only a 30
lem with these yachts is that they were designed with percent ballast ratio, she could be a bit on the
accommodations for four. That works reasonably tender side, quite a handicap when the breeze
well for family cruising on a short summer vaca- pipes up. My suggestion to any sailor interested
tion, but the best use of these very able small craft in a Flicka would be to look for a gaff-rigged
is to carry a singlehander or a couple on extended version, for its greater sail area, and then set up a
coastal and ocean voyages. To that end, the interior Allegra 24 main topsail to add a few more square feet high up
layout would be greatly improved with the elimi- where it can catch the errant breezes.
nation of two berths and the The other three appear to be
addition of more stowage and evenly matched. The Allegra
tankage. I’m sure the design- would do best in lighter air
ers would agree with me, but due to a finer hull and ample
builders generally feel that sail area. The Dana should
added berths are a selling show her worth in heavier
point and insist on them. going, due to her husky
As I pointed out, these displacement, slightly
yachts are extremely greater beam, and
able for their size and, generous ballast.
given an experienced The dark horse
and knowledgeable could well be the
crew, quite capable Falmouth Cutter.
of sailing anywhere She could prove to be
in the world within Flicka Falmouth Cutter Dana 24 the best passagemaker
reason. The secret of all over a long voyage
of their seaworthiness is Falmouth Dana 24 where the breezes varied
Allegra 24 Flicka
that ultimate speed and Cutter from calms to gales.
weatherliness have been LOA 24' 3" 20' 0" 22' 0" 24' 2" As to seaworthiness,
sacrificed for the ability to LWL 21' 2" 18' 2" 20' 10" 21' 5" the combination of heavy
take almost anything the Beam 8' 2" 8' 0" 8' 0" 8' 7" displacement with mod-
sea can throw at them. A Draft 3' 6" 3' 3" 3' 6" 3' 10" est beam gives each a
look at the comparison Displacement 6,500 lb 6,000 lb 7,400 lb 8,000 lb reassuringly low capsize
table will bear this out. Ballast 2,400 lb 1,800 lb 2,500 lb 3,200 lb screening number, along
Note that the Allegra LOA/LWL ratio 1.15 1.10 1.06 1.13 with a comfort ratio that
is the only one with a sail Beam/LWL ratio 0.386 0.44 0.384 0.401 many 30-foot and larger
area/displacement ratio Displ./LWL ratio 306 447 365 363 yachts would envy when
over 16 and that their av- Bal./Displ. ratio .369 .30 .338 .40 the wind is howling and
erage displacement/LWL Sail area 369 sq ft 250 sq ft* 357 sq ft 358 sq ft the seas run high. These
ratio is a very heavy 370. SA/Displ. ratio 16.95 12.11 15.04 14.32 compact cruisers will
All four sport a full keel Capsize number 1.75 1.76 1.64 1.72 carry their crews to dis-
combined with modest Comfort ratio 27.5 30.8 33.6 31.5 tant shores in safety and
draft and beam. This Designer Fred Bingham Bruce Bingham Lyle Hess W. B. Crealock comfort, if not in the lap
combination discour- * gaff rig option provides 288 sq ft and 13.95 SA/Disp. ratio of luxury.