January
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August - September - October - November - December
On St. Joe Bay
Chuck:
Attached is a picture of Helen at the helm of our Frolic2, Oaracle, from last Sunday, taken at St. Joe Bay -- a great place to sail if you can find the time on your eastward swing this spring. It was taken by Olivier, the first time he and Tiffany had the Goat Island Skiff out on really open waters. It was interesting to see how the boats compared. Downwind, we were about even, although the GIS seemed to pull away a bit. When we reached into the beach for a picnic lunch, Oaracle was a bit faster. When we left the beach hard on the wind, it was no contest. Oaracle just walked away from the GIS, which seemed to be doing pretty well. That's probably partly because the wind had picked up and we put in reefs, although they weren't really needed -- and then the wind lightened. Also, Olivier was sailing flat rather than heeled for Tiffany's peace of mind, and I think flat-bottomed boats should be heeled a bit, especially in a chop (we could see their motion was much livelier than ours). And it was the first extended beat the boat had been on. We'll be doing some more testing . . .
My, my, I'm getting chatty here.
Gary Blankenship
Coming Events.
There will be a launching sometime this southern hemisphere autumn or winter. Dave Perillo of www.openboat.co.nz (check out the photos of her being built) fame is building the prototype of a new John Welsford Design. AWOL (Absent With Out Leave) is a fast open gaff sloop rigged sailing boat with cruising capability which Dave is building to replace his JW designed Navigator. The plans will be available shortly after the boats completed her maiden voyage.
Photo Dave Perillo - Auckland New Zealand
It's a closed in carport, the Merc and the BMW (not kidding) have to park outside until the boat's done.
John Welsford
DinkyDink2 Got Sliced
Here is the link to the whole process so far. Shouldn't be too long before it hits the water for the first time! Dave is building a slightly enlarged version of DinkyDink...but he modified the process to ply on frame construction using chine logs. So far so very good. I'm pretty sure we'll end up collaborating to come up with plans for it.
Attached are the photos I promised of you of the LED all-around light installed on the Escargot canal boat I am building. The light appears to be well made and was easy to install. Since the roof of my boat is rounded I had to make a fairing block to match the pitch of the roof in order to make it stand up straight. Another interesting feature of this light is that the staff appears to be the same diameter of ½" conduit, so a longer staff would be easy to fabricate if needed. I haven’t powered-up the light yet because the boat hasn’t been wired. I need to float it before wiring to see where to place the battery for best trim first. I will probably do this in two-weeks while my mother is here to sew the cushion covers for me.
I also added a couple of more pictures to show the running lights and scuppers installed that came from Duckworks. Let me know if you can use any more photos or information.
Thanks for supply good quality boat pieces at very reasonable prices.
My boat for the next Texas 200 it is coming along ok. I ran into a few problems with poor quality wood but I will have that part taken care of this weekend. You can see from the pics I am going with a IMB style cabin - sort of. The cockpit and cabin are separated by a high bulk head that keeps the cabin dry.
The cartoon does not do it justice but it gives a rough idea of what I am tring to do. I think I am going with a small lateen @ 50sf or so and supliment that with a roller jib of about 10sf or so. So I will have about 60 to 70 sf. More than enough for the Texas200. I will send more pics when I am finished.
Thanks, Jason Nabors
Need a Sail
Good evening Chuck. Really enjoyed the Lake Powell pictures. Makes me want to go find some warm weather.
But first, I need a sail. Could you provide an estimate for the attached sail layout? This will be a balanced lug, borrowed from Swallow Boats and scaled down a hair. The pictures show the current state of the project in the operating room. The mast will step just in front of the cuddytop.
By the way, my son researched boat-building methods, then designed and built this hull for his high school senior project. He then turned it over to me for the interior and deck. He is graduating college this spring with a degree in aerospace engineering technology, so I figured I'd better get my part done.
The mast will be 3" hollow birdsmouth jointed fir. The boom and gaff will be semi-hollow fir/pine mix, about 2 inches thick at the center, and tapering to the ends.
Stacy S
Reworked Photo
Hello Chuck,
I reworked this T300 shot on your T200 homepage to bring up the visibility a bit. Hard to "correct" backlighting, but this is the best I can do. Maybe you like it better, matbe not; its a slow rainy Saturday....
Bill Moffitt
Buying a New Boat...
submitted by Jack P
Summer Fun
Are you looking for something fun and new to do this Summer? The Boat School is now enrolling for our Summer Workshop Series Building the 16 Foot Swampscott Dory. Workshops conveniently take place on weekends beginning July 10th and ending August 30th.
The Swampscott Dory is an excellent open water and expedition boat. It is also known as a surf dory because it can be launched from the beach directly into the ocean. It is a flat bottomed dory, allowing the boat to sit square on the beach. The boat was designed to be used for commercial fishing, but also makes a great boat for transportation. The boat is noted for seaworthiness and speed, small enough to be very maneuverable, yet large enough to carry 3 adults and their gear. For more information on the boat, check out The Dory Book by John Gardner (1987) published by Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic Connecticut.
Come for a weekend or join us for the entire series, either way you will spend time with some great people, in an ideal location, and will learn everything you need to know to get started in wooden boatbuilding. Follow the links to our web site to view workshop descriptions, dates, and to register.
The Scullmatix is a simple device to make sculling a boat almost automatic. It is made from 1/8" stainless steel plate and has two 5/16" SS carrage bolts with wingnuts. It weights just under 2 lbs. It is very robust - it should last several lifetimes.
The Scullmatix is made from 1/8" stainless steel plate and has two 5/16" SS carrage bolts with wingnuts.
A little history
Nearly a year ago, I learned of Guy Capra and his amazing automatic sculling machine. He had invented a simple device that would allow anyone to move a fairly large boat around with a single oar. You have probably seen this done, especially in movies set in Hong Kong or similar exotic locations where the natives propell their relatively large craft with the use of a simple oar over the stern of the boat. Perhaps you tried it yourself and found it impossibly hard to do. Guy's genius is that it makes the process as simple as wagging the end of the oar back and forth.
Guy spent years developing his device, trying all the different types of sculling equipment from all over the world. Finally he boiled it all down to a simple two-piece clamp with two screws.
Guy spent years developing his device, trying all the different types of sculling equipment from all over the world. Finally he boiled it all down to a simple two-piece clamp with two screws.
How did it come to be manufactured in the US?
I contacted Guy to ask where we could buy his wonderful invention to sell to our American customers, but was told that there were none but his in existance. So knowing that our friends at Race-Lite were very good at making things out of Stainless Steel I suggested that we have some made here in the states and a deal was struck.
So, Prototypes were made and sent to Guy for approval and when we had it right, I tested one for myself. I found it did everything it was supposed to do - even to the point of working on the little jonboat in the video below. You will notice Sandra protesting my movement because it is such a small boat. The Scullmatix really shines when used on a larger boat - like the typical trailersailer.
How does it work?
The principal behind the Scullmatix is very simple: The offset between the handle and the oar causes the blade to turn to the proper angle to move the boat when you sweep the handle in one direction. Then, when you sweep the other way, the handle shifts the angle the other to keep you moving. It is only necessary to keep your grip somewhat loose to allow the handle to make this shift.
Where can I get one?
The Scullmatix is now for sale over at the Duckworks Store. There is more information and links there too.
Kelsall Catamarans'
KSS BOAT BUILDING WORKSHOP
Picture of table surface (red), gel coat (white), and hull panel pattern (yellow).
The Leading Edge of Custom Boat Building
Thursday 16 - Sunday 19, April 2009
171 Franklin Rd, Waihi, New Zealand
Lead by Derek Kelsall
Come and spend four days of hands-on instruction and demonstration, building perfect round bilge hulls.
Your introduction to KSS (Kelsall Swiftsure Sandwich), the complete boat building method.
Picture of 8m hull, nicely shaped with gel coat top sides.
KSS is suitable for any boat, any size
KSS is for the professional or owner boat builder.
KSS gives a gel coat finish without lonng-boarding.
KSS partners with resin infusion for clean, odour-free, highest quality build.
KSS with Kelsall modular design options provide further labour savings.
Cost per person NZ$650
includes lunch. 9AM start. Special rates apply to couples.
Chuck:
Come for a weekend or join us for the entire series, either way you will spend time with some great people, in an ideal location, and will learn everything you need to know to get started in wooden boatbuilding. Follow the links to our web site to view workshop descriptions, dates, and to register.
