| The i550 is a simple to build Sport Boat which will deliver outstanding high performance. Have you always wanted a performance sportboat, but didn’t have a performance sportboat wallet? The original i550 was created for the MicroTon class, and has since been upgraded and redrawn as a one-off sportboat for fleet racing. It’s ease of building for the amateur builder with “stitch-and-glue” method ensures a light, solid hull, and a quick build for even those with NO boat building experience.  Due to it’s simple construction method, there’s not much to the construction process. The whole thing can be cutout, and “stitched” together in a weekend. The construction process is fairly simple and straightforward; The wood panels are cutout and “stitched” together in a string jig to keep the boat symmetric. Once the boat has been stitched, the open hull is left right side up, and the seams glued with glass tape and epoxy. Frames are set in the boat, and taped with epoxy in place. The whole interior can then be epoxied and finished before adding the decking. Decking comes next, then the hull exterior itself. The boat is still light enough in this stage that it can be easily turned over with the help of come friends. The bottom faired and finished and the hull turned back upright. Rigging is added, and any interior details come next. Sounds simple? That’s because it is. Total build time is typically about 200 man hours.  There is room down below for simple accommodations, and “camp style” sleeping. Plenty of room on deck ensures comfort both up and downwind. A bulbed keel gives stability and righting moment while allowing the boat to keep dinghy like performance.  The plans pack consists of: Construction Notes, Suggested Bill of Material, profile, plan and section views, nesting diagram, hull panel diagrams, frame diagrams, interior piece diagrams, keel and keelbox diagram, rudder diagram, cabin trunk diagram, deck layout diagram, and a rigging diagram. The plans pack is all A sized drawings in a easy to work with binder. Plans include both the standard, and extended cockpit version. The rig can be obtained through a number of sources. We’ve put together a rig package for North American builders available upon request. Additionally, we plan to offer hull kits, and keel bulbs in the not so distant future. Check back soon for more information.  This boat has been built in 3 sizes, ranging from the i550, to the MG25, to the MG30. Plans are currently being redrawn for the latter two models and will be available soon. There are also a number of other designs coming; a smaller 15 foot sportboat, that is in the works, check back in the coming months for more details on these projects. This is a great way to afford a high performance sport boat at a fraction of the cost of other offerings of this type of sailboat. If the builder is resourceful it can be sailing for less than $5,000. If the builder uses all the best brand new sails, mast, hardware and a trailer it can be sailing for $9,000. It is fast, speeds in excess of 16 knots are quite possible! Several of the photos in this article were submitted by Andrew Clauson in Australia. Andrew built the boat in a few seasons time, and will be racing other 6m sized sportboats. For more information on Andrew’s project you can visit his website at: https://tokyotrashbaby86.tripod.com Plans available from Duckworks - Click HERE Join the i550 discussion at Yahoo - Click HERE - Row boat plans
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i550 by Watershed SailboatsAnnoyingly fast sport boat. | Length overall | | |
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| Hull construction | Stich-n-glue | | See also | | | | URL: http://www.i550sportboat.com/ Description:The i550 is easy to construct, even for even the amateur builder, with a plywood "stitch-and-glue" method that ensures a light, solid hull, and a quick build. Or, to save drawing and cutting time, you can buy a kit from us, cut from the master templates or full-size paper patterns that are very accurate. The i550 is annoyingly fast and has troubled much larger sportboats, like Elliot 7’s and a Melges 24. The first i550 was launched in Australia a few years ago, home built by Andrew Clauson. It is the fabled Tokyo Trash Baby of YouTube fame. The i550 is a big winner in the bang for the buck department. You’ll not only have the satisfaction of crafting your own sportboat, but think of the $25 or $35 thousand dollars you’ll be saving. Resourceful scavengers can put one together for $6,000 or less (US). Double that and you’ll have a carbon spar, fine sails, nice foils by a skilled maker and new everything. The building time typically spent comes in at about 400 hours for the hull, keel and rudder. Following the plan set page by page, with the parts diagrams and instructions, the boat will come out right. The rig has height and length limits, but the layout of the deck and cockpit are open to interpretation. Construction is simple stitch and glue plywood, epoxy and glass. Two people can have the hull looking like a hull in a weekend. Put in the transom and bulkheads next while it is right side up. Epoxy coat and glass tape the parts in place and roll it over. Fair the bottom and fiberglass cloth it. There is room down below for simple camping style. Plenty of room on deck gives you room to move around. The lifting bulb keel gives stability and righting moment, but, most importantly, lets the boat launch easily at any boat ramp. The plan’s pack consists of construction notes, suggested bill of materials, profile, plan and section views, nesting diagram, hull panel diagrams, frame diagrams, interior diagrams, keel and keelbox diagram, rudder diagram, cabin trunk diagram, deck layout and a rigging diagram. The plans pack is in a notebook-ring binder. Plans include both the standard and the extended cockpit version. Some creative builders are even building flush deck versions, and the Portland Group, who formed the North American Class (NA.org) have perfected the rounded flush deck version. The mast can be obtained through a number of sources (both aluminum and carbon fiber). We will soon be offering keel bulbs and keels, ballast bulb molds and rudders. We also will build the i550 for you to any stage of completion. Clubs are especially encouraged to inquire. Before and after any purchase, Also, we are always here to answer your questions, anytime by email or phone. Five are now sailing in Australia. Many other builders, who have bought kits or full sized paper plans, are making great progress and we expect those i550 s to start launching soon.  | Design | Length | Beam | Sail area | Engine power | Compare | | | by Bateau.com
[SB18] A trailerable high performance sail boat with lifting keel |
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| 2 - 4 | | | |  Boats about same size as i550Questions? Suggestions? Contact us at: [email protected] Welcome i550 Builders.
Have a nice day! | |
Welcome i550 Builders.
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Welcome i550 Builders.
Have a nice day! | --> Check out Andrews video from the 2011 Surf to City. Very cool footage from a boom mounted GoPro camera. Props for including footage of their wipe out after blowing up his rudder fittings. And he still holds onto the Crate Cup because Shazza wiped out later in the day. Just one of the cool things you can do with an i550. Meade of West Systems took on the 2011 Everglades Challenge in an i550. The boat was build with a fin type keel that could be fully retracted to allow beach launching along with a rudder cassette with crash protection. They used a c-tech carbon rig and a full sail inventory including a furling code zero (from the looks of the pictures). Also they uses a "flat" bow sprit which is currently unique and keeps the forestay and jib close to the deck.
There is a full artical in the current There's a cool article about last years boat everglades challenge boat too. Here's a link to the pdf version of the . Here's a link to the pdf version of the . Brings a nice persective to the i550. |
Welcome i550 Builders.
Have a nice day! | Follow our intrepid i550 builders as they battle sawdust, exotherming epoxy and massive splinters. | Builder | Blog | Hull | | Jeff | | #129 | | Kevin | | #074 | | Chris F. | | #030 | | Tim F. | | #087 | | Ron | | #108 | | Tim K. | | #296 | | Jerome | | #270 | | Ben | | #240 | | Rocky | | #288 | | Chad | | #231 | | Phil | | #381 | Craig | | #405 | Chris L | | #452 | Mark S | | #505 | Warren | | #573 | Welcome i550 Builders.
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Welcome i550 Builders.
Have a nice day! | The i550 Class Constitution and Rules are linked below as PDF files. They are the result of the hard work of a dozen committed builders who are the founding members of the class.
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Welcome i550 Builders.
Have a nice day! | Visit Buy the Plans |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Web Site Snapshot: If available, above is a snapshot of the Watershed Sailboats web site at http://www.i550sportboat.com as it appeared when this site was added to the directory or last verified. Please Note that Boat Design Net has no involvement with the above web site; all content and images depicted in the above thumbnail are the property and copyright of Watershed Sailboats unless otherwise noted on that site. Details:   - Forums New posts Unanswered threads Register Top Posts Email
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This past winter I got hooked on a small sportboat called the i550. It's a stitch and glue plywood screamer that is quickly growing world wide. The boat can be built from plans, kit or from full size patterns. I chose to loft my own since I had enough Okoume plywood to built the boat. There are class rules which are have plenty of room for error for the first time builder. There are two cabin length options and the designer has chosen to build his with a flush deck. Needless to say, I have pushed the envelope a tad and heavily modified mine, while keeping the boat class legal. I kind of wish they mandated a cabin but if someone was going to build a flush deck screamer, I had to do it as well. The first boat, Tokyo Trash Baby is well known and has several fantastic Youtube videos which will certainly get one's attention. The boats do have an interior and if you don't mind cramped quarters, berths for a small family of four. Full kits are somewhere near $2,500+- and plans, including official class hull #s are only $75. They claim build time is around 200 hrs, but I have at least that much time staring at the boat wondering what to do next. It has been a blast to build and the class involvement and contribution is second to none. The boat is has a retractable bulbed keel and can be ramp launched with ease. Total sailing weight is 800 lbs. No restrictions on materials, but plywood is best. I had a tough time with the stitch and glue because of my background of hard plug construction, but got it done and feel prouder of that accomplishment than any boat to date. Class website for any interested: http://www.i550.org/index.php My boat (have not updated photos for a few weeks) : http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/Tynaje/222/ Tokyo Trash Baby video (several to choose) : http://video.google.com/videosearch...&q=tokyo trash baby&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv # Hull # 107 video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iux...=view&catid=2&id=2931&feature=player_embedded I don't think a person could get into any boat with this kind of performance, stability and fun for the buck. It can also be detuned a bit for family trailer fun, 107 has reduced sail area and rig height I believe. Peter  sailormanbigdgood stuff Peter, thanks for sharing. Whats the length?  Phil Herringsailormanbigd said: good stuff Peter, thanks for sharing. Whats the length? Click to expand  You cast your own bulb? Where and how did you determine the alloy? Saw a couple of pics of a foam positive. Any other information on the website? Thanks Napa Ed said: You cast your own bulb? Where and how did you determine the alloy? Saw a couple of pics of a foam positive. Any other information on the website? Thanks Click to expand  Spreading the Koolaid I see, the west coast is a little behind you guys, we hope to see 3 or 4 splashed next year, working on keel and rudder on mine this summer, laminated redwood foils and wheel weights for the bulb. There have been discussions about a group build for the hulls this fall in L.A, if anyone else is interested.Go the I550. Tim, hull #159 i550, we're spreading like a fungus Hi, found another place to recruit KoolAid drinkers, I see. Heheheheheheh TR - This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more…
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Boat Building & RepairBuilding the i550 Sportboat HOT CANARYBy: Benjamin Gougeon Spring 2011 by Ben GougeonAn autopilot steering failure on his sailing scow Yello Thing forced Meade to withdraw from the 2010 Everglades Challenge . When he reached the shore, he was already thinking about building another boat for the next race.  The next boat needed to be more substantial to handle rough seas. It needed to be trailerable and comfortable yet still meet the race’s natural requirements. Meade and Jan began looking into the i550, an 18′ sportboat designed by Chris Beckwith. The pair decided that with a few modifications the i550 would be perfect for the race. They ordered the plans and construction began. The i550 Sportboat SolutionThe Gougeon Brothers technical staff constructed the hull in their shop with Captain James R. Watson overseeing the building process. The i550 sportboat is built with plywood stitch and glue construction. We used ¼” 5-ply Okume plywood and judiciously placed 5 oz carbon fiber. The entire boat was built with WEST SYSTEM® 105 Epoxy Resin® and 207 Special Clear Hardener® .  With all of the bulkheads in place the ties were cinched tight before fillets and fiber-glass tape were applied to reinforce the joints.The next boat needed to be more substantial to handle rough seas. It needed to be trailerable and comfortable yet still meet the race’s natural requirements. Meade and Jan began looking into the i550, an 18′ sportboat designed by Chris Beckwith. The pair decided that with a few modifications the i550 would be perfect for the race. They ordered the plans and construction began.  The first task was to scarf three 4′ × 8′ pieces of the marine plywood together using the WEST SYSTEM 875 Scarffer™. We constructed a simple jig to enable the proper cut point on the plywood to minimize waste. After cutting the panels, we bonded them together with a mixture of 105 Resin and 207 Hardener thickened with 406 Colloidal Silica filler. Then we lightly sanded the panels with a random orbital sander to clean the scarf joints and prepare the surface for a coating of 105/207 mix. We “flow coated” the surface by applying mixed epoxy with a 10″ drywall knife. This was an efficient, yet effective method to coat three 22′ × 4′ panels with epoxy prior to construction. With the panels coated, we overlaid the Tyvek™ patterns (provided by Watershed Sailboats) on the panels and made reference marks to transfer the pattern shape for accurate cutting. Using a handheld jigsaw, we cut the patterns from the panel, careful to leave the original reference marks intact. It’s always easier to remove extra material later than it is to put it back on. Captain JR Watson built an ingenious jig we used to set a scribe mark around the perimeters of the cut and trimmed panels. From this point, we drilled holes at 8″ intervals to allow for the HDPE zip ties to “stitch” the panels together. We loose-fit the panels with the zip ties in place to achieve something close to the desired hull shape. With bulkheads fitted in the same manner, the i550 was starting to look like a boat.  After cinching the zip-ties we added some spacer modifications to the bulkheads to alter the hull camber midship and forward of midship. We tabbed the seams with WEST SYSTEM 732 Episize 9 oz fiberglass tape. When the epoxy had thoroughly cured, we removed the zip ties. We then completed the cockpit, deck, stem, and stern using techniques detailed in the book, The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction. After completing the hull, we moved the boat across the street to the Gougeon Brothers boat shop for Meade and Jan to finish. They made a few modifications and customized the boat to fit the needs of the race. The i550 sportboat is a one-design class that allows modifications. The first thing we looked at was the bulb keel called for in the plans. Because we needed a shallow draft, we built a straight keel that fully retracts into the hull. This flush keel arrangement is ideal for moving the boat over land. The Everglades Challenge requires all boats to be manually moved from the beach to the water. We cast a NACA 12% lead foil and attached it to a board with the same section. An aluminum crane fitted with a winch lifts the keel through the daggerboard case. This arrangement provides a sufficient mechanical advantage for one person to raise the keel to the desired height. The boat can be sailed with the keel up, down, or at any position in between. When portaging, the keel would be raised until flush with the bottom. The keel allows for sailing in shallow waters and for it to be easily trailered. With the keel cranked all the way down, the i550 is very seaworthy and has tremendous righting-moment. Meade and Jan will use three heavy-duty, reinforced 10″ × 48″ beach rollers to move the craft over land. The rollers, stowed beneath the cockpit, serve double duty as positive flotation. The next thing we focused on was the rig. We bought a 25′ 6″ carbon fiber mast from C-Tech in New Zealand. Because the rig has to be lowered during the portage and pass beneath a 10′ high train bridge, we fitted the craft with a tabernacle instead of a standard mast step. This tabernacle allows one to raise and lower the mast without assistance. No gin pole or stay guides are required. All internal halyards pass into the tabernacle and route to the cockpit.  The Rudder AssemblyBecause the rudder was the major source of malfunction on Yello Thing, Meade knew the i550 sporboat needed a forgiving steering system. He designed a daggerboard-style adjustable draft rudder with a blowout safety feature. The rudder foil is set into a case with a non-destructive breakaway system that involves a moveable trailing edge tensioned with a shock cord. The boat can be sailed with the rudder fully extended, or in shallow water, partway up. This rudder configuration eliminates any chance of damage when grounding, while retaining a balanced helm at any depth of rudder setting, permitting shallow water control. Instead of a retractable pole that protrudes from one side of the bow, common to sportboats, we experimented with a pivoting pole that can be adjusted off-center up to 30° for better downwind performance. The bowsprit is hinged at the bow and attached to a cross-line at the base of the cockpit. This allows the spinnaker to be articulated from inside the cockpit. With this final change complete, the i550 is now ready to take on The Everglades Challenge. We wish Meade and Jan, along with all the participants of The Everglades Challenge, the best of luck this year. Anyone who is interested in building their own i550 sportboat may contact Watershed Sailboats at www.i550sportboat.com. Our WEST SYSTEM technical advisors are happy to assist anyone considering this project. Call us toll-free Monday through Friday 9-5 ET, 866-937-8797.  Jacques Coon’s Drift Boat Build Building a Strip Kayak Swim Platform Rebuild DN Iceboat Building |
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i550 sport boat. The i550 is a very popular 18 foot stitch and glue design. Simple construction and avid builder blogs and websites add a sense of community and support for the builder. It is sloop rigged with an asymetric spinnaker and the powerful sailplan is modern and controllable.The Gougeon Brothers (West System Epoxies) liked the design ...
The i550 is a fast modern sharpie type hull shape owing its roots to the historic sharpies of Long Island Sound. The sharpies were known for their speed and seaworthiness, the i550 picks up where they left off. It fits in with the sportboats speeds and ability to plane off the wind.It is a simple design for stitch and glue construction using 1/ ...
The i550 has found a spot in the building sheds and imaginations of hundreds of sailors around the World. It is an 18 foot performance sailboat designed for amateur home builders. The performance is thrilling and has given many sailors memorable days on the water. i550’s plane in moderate breeze and can be sailed single handed, two crew make ...
This boat has been built in 3 sizes, ranging from the i550, to the MG25, to the MG30. Plans are currently being redrawn for the latter two models and will be available soon. There are also a number of other designs coming; a smaller 15 foot sportboat, that is in the works, check back in the coming months for more details on these projects.
Or, to save drawing and cutting time, you can buy a kit from us, cut from the master templates or full-size paper patterns that are very accurate. The i550 is annoyingly fast and has troubled much larger sportboats, like Elliot 7’s and a Melges 24. The first i550 was launched in Australia a few years ago, home built by Andrew Clauson. It is ...
The vision of the i550 Class Association is to develop fast, affordable, accessible, amateur-built sportboats, to foster fraternity and sharing of knowledge between builders, and to promote class growth and competitive racing. The members of the Class agree that Class Rules ought to be clear and concise, and provide firm and unequivocal ...
Watershed Sailboats Plans and Kits for the i550 high performance sailboat. The i550 is a stitch and glue 18 foot sailboat designed for the home builder. Nearly 400 sets of plans have been sold worldwide.
18. i550, International 110, International Tempest - Jamestown. Jul 30, 2009. #1. This past winter I got hooked on a small sportboat called the i550. It's a stitch and glue plywood screamer that is quickly growing world wide. The boat can be built from plans, kit or from full size patterns.
Plans are emailed as a 65 page .pdf It is dimensioned in both Metric and Imperial measurements. There are 6 deck layout options and a flow chart to name each of the relevant pages. Mast, keel and rudder dimensions are included. The keel keel bulb and rudder shapes are NACA 0012 sections. These shapes are a good performing easily followed foil shape.
The i550 sportboat is built with plywood stitch and glue construction. We used ¼” 5-ply Okume plywood and judiciously placed 5 oz carbon fiber. The entire boat was built with WEST SYSTEM® 105 Epoxy Resin® and 207 Special Clear Hardener®. With all of the bulkheads in place the ties were cinched tight before fillets and fiber-glass tape ...