A Miracle dinghy has been the mainstay of my dinghy sailing, and often I used to go on holiday with it and a tent, but there was no way that I could find to sleep in it. A 13 ft. Voyager came along, which had a cabin, and served me well for a short while. The two boats helped me to put together a wish list (below), which was converted through numerous sketches into a proper drawing and a model. About this time an Enterprise was for sale in the sailing club, and it had a very similar hull shape to my drawings, providing the incentive to start building.

Requirements:

1. Full length berths.
2. Sitting headroom.
3. No centreboard in cabin.
4. Space for chemical loo.
5. Small, self-draining cockpit.
6. No side decks.
7. Inboard outboard, 360 deg steering.
8. No fouling of rudder, tiller, outboard and main sheet.
9. Self-righting.
10. Keels to give hull clearance and steerage.
11. Launch and retrieve with dry feet and wheel bearings.
12. Built in buoyancy.
13. No gas in cabin, overboard drain.

Although the drawn hull shape was similar to the Enterprise, there were many differences of structure and also length, so the hull was chocked up on the launching trolley, progressively gutted, and all the old varnish burnt off. Jury struts were put in place to reduce any change to the hull shape. The transom was reinforced to take an outboard motor, with a 10 degree offset. The stern was extended by 1ft 3in, to provide extra buoyancy, so that the outboard is now 'inboard'. In this position the outboard has 360 deg. steering, is clear of the rudder and tiller in both up and down positions, is closer to the centreline, and is clear of the mainsheet. A skeg was added, to provide extra directional stability, and also support the extension.

	Enterprise	Caribee
Length	13' 3"	15'
Beam	5'3"	5'9"
Draft	7"/3'2"	11"/3'6"
Weight	230lb	570lb
Ballast	—	170lb including 2×40lb plates
Sail area	113 sq.ft	100 sq.ft

The centreboard has been replaced by twin lifting steel plates as ballast, faired to streamlined sections. A frame near the pivot takes the extra loads. The plate cases are far enough apart to provide a footwell when required, and space for the chemiloo (under the bridge deck). Also the plates protrude below the hull when raised, so that there is some lateral area for sailing, and protection of the hull from minor rocks. The plate cases are extended to the forward buoyancy bulkhead and to the original transom, and two 6'6" bunks are level with the top.

A cabin has been added, with bulkhead and reinforcements to take the mast thrust and chain plate loads. The mast and plates have been moved aft by 8 ins. to compensate for the hull extension. The cabin top is additionally supported by 3 partial frames and 4 longitudinals. As the cabin has raised the mast by 18 inches, a similar amount was removed from the foot of the mainsail, to minimise increase of heeling moment. The cabin is full width, as it was found on the Voyager that to use the side decks was to risk an early bath. This also allows the side and top to be progressively angled in an attempt to reduce windage. There is a fore hatch for anchor work.

Buoyancy has been built in at the stem, and under the cockpit sole and lockers. There are a total of 8 compartments: 2 forward (760 lbs), 6 aft (440 lbs). I would have liked more of the aft buoyancy higher, but the centre of buoyancy is still 1'3" higher than the centre of ballast (plates up). It should be self-righting when flooded, but NO, I haven't tried it. Water starts entering the cockpit from about 60 degrees. The boat self-rights from 90 degrees (the maximum checked), and the cockpit only collects a few gallons of water, which soon drains out. No water should enter the cabin until about 120 degrees.

The modifications have used 6mm marine ply, epoxy and glass tape. Internal lower areas are epoxy coated. All external new build is epoxy coated, with upper surfaces glass sheathed. In retrospect, it would have been better to sheath all the outside during the build. (An aside about the ply: I wanted 1/4in, accepted 6mm, which turned out to be 5.5mm. This does not seem much reduction, but gives 20-30% less strength and stiffness.)

When sailed against a passing Enterprise on Windermere, Caribee was slower but not disgraced. Considering the reduced sail area and extra weight, I was quite pleased with the performance. Sailed single-handed there is very little wake from the transom, and the outboard is out of the water. It is most suited to light winds and less than 20 degrees heel, as the cockpit sides prevent sitting out. There is slab reefing on the main and a roller furling jib, so I reef early and sail comfortably. Sail controls (except halliards) are brought back to the cockpit. The boat is well balanced at all points of sailing, provided that the heel is less than 15 degrees, when weather helm sets in. Directional stability is fair, although affected by crew position. With a helm impeder there is enough time to go forward for sandwiches, or to anchor. With the plates and rudder raised the boat can still be sailed. Leeway is pronounced, and tacking uncertain, but is useful over sandbanks. The 360 degree steering under power gives good manoeuvrability at pontoons and jetties.

Launching and recovery can be done single-handed, without immersing the wheel bearings, provided that there is a good slipway. Help is definitely required with a crosswind or uneven slope.

Cooking is on two Camping Gaz stoves in the locker, with overboard drain. There is a wire grid to stop the pans sliding. The worst part of the domestic arrangements is that stowage is forwards, and the cooker is aft, but that is the price of not having gas in the cabin. Once food and utensils are assembled, the cockpit is a convenient kitchen, and more so if the boom tent is rigged. The two berths have 2-inch foam cushions, and the cabin sides are also padded. Sitting is comfortable, with full headroom and a footwell. The sleeping position is fair, but an extra few inches width would help. A car battery, put in for ballast, now powers several cabin lights. Navigation lights next year?