Buccaneer 18
The Buccaneer 18, also called the Buccaneer dinghy and the Gloucester 18, is an American planing sailing dinghy that was designed in 1966 by Rod Macalpine-Downie and Dick Gibbs as a one-design racer and day sailer. The prototype was first shown in 1967 at Yachting's "One of a Kind" Regatta, in which it placed second.[1][2][3][4][5]
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| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Rod Macalpine-Downie and Dick Gibbs |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1966 |
| No. built | 5,000 |
| Builder(s) | Chrysler Corporation Texas Marine Industries Wellcraft Marine Corporation Gloucester Yachts Cardinal Yachts Nickels Boatworks WindRider LLC |
| Boat | |
| Boat weight | 500 lb (227 kg) |
| Draft | 3.83 ft (1.17 m) with centerboard down |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 18.00 ft (5.49 m) |
| LWL | 16.67 ft (5.08 m) |
| Beam | 6.00 ft (1.83 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | centerboard |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Fractional rigged sloop |
| Mainsail area | 114 sq ft (10.6 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 61 sq ft (5.7 m2) |
| Spinnaker area | 178 sq ft (16.5 m2) |
| Total sail area | 175 sq ft (16.3 m2) |
| Racing | |
| D-PN | 87.9 |
Production
The design has built by a long line of companies in the United States. About 5,000 boats have been built and it remains in production.[1][4][5]
The design was initially built by Chrysler Marine, a division of the Chrysler Corporation, in Plano, Texas, starting in 1968. The company completed just over 4,000 boats, during the period 1968-1980. As a result of a government bailout of Chrysler Marine's car manufacturing parent company, the marine division was sold in 1980 to a consortium of six former Chrysler Marine executives who formed Texas Marine International Inc. (Texas Marine Industries), retaining the location in Plano, Texas. Texas Marine built about 700 boats in 1981-1982.[1][6][7]
Wellcraft Marine Corporation's Starwind division built the design from 1982-1984, completing about 250 boats.[1]
From 1985-1986 Gloucester Yachts, part of Lockley Newport Boats, built 59 boats under the name Gloucester 18, before the company went out of business in 1988.[8][9] Cardinal Yachts took over production from 1987-2000, building 28 boats over 13 years.[1]
In 2008 Nickels Boatworks became the official builder. That company merged with WindRider LLC in 2015 and production continues at their Burton, Michigan plant, under the WindRider name.[5][10]
Design
The Buccaneer 18 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of vinylester resin fiberglass, with wooden trim. It has a fractional sloop rig with foam-filled anodized aluminum spars. The hull has a spooned raked stem, a slightly reverse transom, a transom-hung, kick-up rudder controlled by a tiller and a kick-up centerboard. It displaces 500 lb (227 kg) and has positive flotation for safety.[1][4][5]
The boat has a draft of 3.83 ft (1.17 m) with the centerboard extended and 7 in (18 cm) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer.[1]
For sailing the design may be equipped with a spinnaker of 178 sq ft (16.5 m2). It has adjustable jib fairleads and jib roller furling. A boom vang, jib hauler and spinnaker launching tube are optional. For stowage it has a lazarette and compartment under the covered foredeck.[4]
The design has a Portsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 87.9 and is raced with a minimum crew of two sailors, although it can accommodate six people.[4][5]
Operational history
The type is supported by a type club, the Buccaneer 18 Class Association, that regulates the boat design and holds races.[11]
In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote that the, "Buccaneer, originally built by Chrysler, is a big boat with a 7-foot 3-inch cockpit, seating six. The boat was designed to be easy to sail and maintain. The hull is planing, with the wide beam well aft and a lean bow."[4]
See also
References
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Buccaneer 18 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "J.R. (Rod) Macalpine-Downie 1934 - 1986". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Dick Gibbs 1929 - 2009". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 90-91. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
- WindRider. "Buccaneer 18". windrider.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Chrysler Marine 1957 - 1980". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Texas Marine International (USA)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Lockley Newport Boats (USA) 1964 - 1988". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Gloucester 18 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Nickels Boat Works, Inc. (USA)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Buccaneer 18 Class Association". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
