Trailer-sailer BLUEEYES by Keith Callaghan

BLUEEYES plans are now complete. I have just started building a BlueEyes-565 for myself. Go to to see photos of the building process.

The first set of plans for the BlueEyes-20 has gone to the Izivunguvungu sailing school in South Africa. I am delighted that the design is being used in a project to educate young South Africans in the skills and disciplines of building a boat from scratch. The project organiser, Mark Algra, has promised to send me photos of the project as it progresses - see them here.

The rig is designed for single-handed or short-handed ease of use as well as performance. So she has a very efficient mainsail shape, and a spinnaker chute along dinghy lines. Alternatively, a screecher can replace the asymmetric.

BlueEyes565 isometric drawing

There are two versions of the BLUEEYES design: 5.65m and 6.0m LWL. Both have two berths in the cabin and a ballasted centreboard. Options to include:

'cruising' or 'sportsboat' accommodation and deck layout.
Rig options (from 'comfortable' to 'scary').

The common denominator is the dinghy-like hull form, with high initial stability, excellent high speed potential, and thoroughbred handling characteristics.

View STUDY PLANS (BlUEEYES 20) - PDF file

View Stability Data (BLUEEYES 565) - PDF file

View Stability Data (BLUEEYES 20) - PDF file

View draft layout plan (BlueEyes 18) - PDF file

View draft layout plan (BlueEyes 20) - PDF file

View draft sailplan (BlueEyes 565) - PDF file

View draft sailplan (BlueEyes 20) - PDF file

PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
	BE-565.	BE-20.
Length Overall	5.65m	6.06m
Length Waterline	5.7m	6.0m
Beam	2.1m	2.1m
Draft (board up)	.25m	.25m
Draft (board down)	1.72m	1.72m
Sail Area (mainsail and jib)	17.25 sq m	18.0 sq m
Sail Area (asymmetric)	20 sq m	20 sq m
Displacement inc 2 crew	800kg	860kg
Ballast Ratio	20%	19%
Towing Weight inc trailer	900kg	990kg

BLUEEYES is designed as a fast yet easily sailed coastal cruiser which is fun to sail. The designs will conform to EC Recreational Craft Directive, Category C: INSHORE. (Designed for waves of up to 2m significant height and a typical steady wind force of Beaufort force 6 or less. Such conditions may be encountered on exposed inland waters, and in coastal waters in moderate weather conditions). The yacht is not intended for open water sailing in winds above force 6. Both versions are designed to be unsinkable - there is provision for foam buoyancy in several compartments.