Definition of 4-plank boats

[Ken Goddard (Guest)]

Further to the discussion initiated by Paul Turner's recent message, I have been pulled-up by a claim from an owner that my article on eligible 4-plankers in the 2006 Newsletter is ambiguous. Evidently the owner is a patents expert and his work involves eliminating ambiguities.

(I'm not sure why I got dragged into this discussion; I don't even own a 4-plank boat!)

In the discussion following Paul's message I referred readers to that article, which is on Page 40 & 41 and the claimant feels that my wording does not make it absolutely clear that after N.3012  "Punkarella" (when round bilge boats were introduced), and up to the last of the older 4-plankers, N.3160 "Slippery When Wet", only 4-plank boats can be eligible to compete in Vintage + 4-plank events. I thought all this was fairly obvious but looking at my article again, I recognise that it was not well written and would have more readable if on the first line of Page 41, after "N.2512", the whole of the rest of that line was deleted.

It would also have been clearer if I had headed the table,
"Summary of the numbers of "4-plank boats" constructed between N.2512 and N.3160 (roughly in chronological order)".
I should also have left out the line "Wooden clinker--------108". The total number of boats then eligible to compete in Vintage +  4-plank boats would then be 453.

I propose to exit this particular discussion. If anyone wishes to pursue the definition of a 4-planker, perhaps they should contact Jonathan Brown and his Technical Committee - but he doesn't own a 4-plank boat either!

Ken Goddard
N.2300 "Duodecimal"