Chevy Duck

Chevy Duck based on my OzRacer RV plan. Photo by Josh of Small Craft Advisor Magazine.

Part of the 8ft duck contingent moving right along.

MIK Storer

Oz PD Goose

Very fun sail today. I took a beating, but it was worth it. This is not the sailing I imagined while we were building the Goose. Interesting how things work out differently.

Here are a few minutes from tearing around today. The airport recorded 18-30 kts while I was out. Gusty and variable was the rule. I was in more protected water this time, so didn't have to deal with the bone-rattling short chop.

Top speed was 10.3 kts according to the Garmin. Hit 10 kts four or five times. I don't know if this video has the fastest parts, but it paints a good picture of how the day went.

Had my first unintentional swim today, but the battery in the camera was dead by then. Nothing dramatic, just got a line snagged on a tack and went over. Easy recovery.

Thanks MIK, we're having fun in your boat.

Ian Henehan

Duck Plaque

My dad loves his Duck Plaque! Thank you to everyone who sailed a Duck and carried his duck with them.

Michelle Monies

Evening sail on the Anastasia Riley

Finally got some wind without lightning bolts in Florida. First video of our Goose too! Madison went with me for a father/daughter sail. She was a great first mate!

Tony

Goat Island Skiff

Here is a completed goat except for the paint and varnish. It is hanging by it's ear because it is easier to work on horizontal surfaces. I'm down to the finish sanding and paint/varnish. I hope to have water tickling the keel/centerboard soon.

Jerry

Documentary

Wa Kuk Wa Jimor - Marshallese Canoes Today from Rachel Miller on Vimeo

Documentary on the remarkable Marshallese sailing canoes.

MIK Storer

LiveStrong

That's a nice story - great job, guys!

PS: There's still time to contribute to the LiveStrong Foundation

Andrew Linn

Just Another day at the Office...

Chuck

CRBB Day

CRBB Day at the Crystal River Preserve State Park day camp. The kids toured the SPIRIT, learned about the tools we used to build her, and then put together and sailed their own model of the scow!

Bill

Self Explanatory

Chuck

GIS

Christophe's former Goat Island Skiff is featured in Ash Breeze magazine.

MIK Storer

Blog

Interesting blog by some guys who have great ideas, and crazy luck , good thing because the lack of planning can kill!

Josh

Blogging Story

"Sailing into hell: two men, a dinghy and one of the luckiest escapes ever."

A boggling story. See youtube clip in comments.

MIK Storer

GIS

Aleksander Bajt from Slovenia emailed me some pics of his magnificent Goat Island Skiff which I'm sharing. I'm sure you'll agree Miss Retro is a stunner.

From Storer Boat Plans facebook group.

MIK Storer

Summer Breeze

I finally got around to taking a few pictures.  As you can see I wasn't good about taking them as the build progressed, but at least I did take some.

The design is the Summer Breeze, modified with watertight forward and aft stowage.

I initially figured on a couple of months for this build.  Well after a long hard winter and recovering from a torn tendon in my shoulder I'm finally back at it 12 months after I initially started (so much for a couple months build estimate).  I hope to have her in the water by the end of this summer.

So, trimming the deck overhang, rudder, leeboard, sail, rigging and a few more coats of paint and I think I'll be ready to get her wet (well, more wet than the last few rainstorms anyway.

Steven

PDR

New Blue boat in the backyard.

Ted

from Facebook

Classic Boat Fair To Showcase And Sell Vintage Wooden Boats

Vintage wooden sailboats and rowing boats, some decades old, will on display and for sale Saturday July 19 at the Amagansett headquarters of the East End Classic Boat Society. The annual Classic Boat Fair from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. takes place on the grounds of and inside the Society's Community Boat Shop at 301 Bluff Road where volunteers build reproductions and restore classic watercraft. Among the boats that are up for sale include one by classic designer Joel White, a 15-foot shearwater double-ended rowboat with a lug rig for sailing, a 15-foot Six-Hour canoe, a 12-foot Bevins skiff, a Bahama dinghy and a 16-foot Old Town canoe. Besides the boats on view outdoors, visitors can come inside to the Society's workshop next to the Maritime Museum to view the equipment and look at the extensive restoration underway on a 1921 Herreshoff 12 ½ sloop, a boat first designed in 1914.

Society members at work on latest boat project

Photos by Hugh Patrick Brown

The project includes replacing the transom and stem, putting in new ribs and refinishing floor boards, seats and spars. Members are also at work constructing a 14-foot East End Sharpie. The sharpie a flat bottomed boat designed for rowing and sailing first built at the end of the 19th century. It was used for fishing and oystering work. "It's a traditional waterman's workboat for working in shoal waters off the East End and the Chesapeake," explained Ray Hartjen, the society's president. Hartjen said the club, which meets from 9 a. m. to 2 p. m. every Wednesday and Saturday of the year and is open to anyone of any skill level and is "all about mastering the skills of traditional boat building." The Sharpie, when completed will be the prize of the society's annual raffle drawing, which raises funds to pay the non-profit group's costs. Tickets will be available at the fair.

Upside Down

Fastening rub rails can be a pita.

Joe

from Facebook

Pirate Ship

Here are a couple of pics of our pirate ship. From the tip of the bowsprit to the stern is 31'. The tanbark sails that Duckworks made are beautiful, and I'll send another pic with them up.

Rob Farrell

Why Boats Sink

Most boats sink at the dock, like this center console that went under due to a failed hose clamp.

10 Prevention Tips from BoatUS

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 30, 2014 -- When a boat sinks, that’s likely the end of her. That’s because repairs on a sunken boat often cost more than the actual value of the boat. So if boaters want to prevent a sinking at all costs, what can they do? Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) recently took its first significant look since 2006 at its boat insurance claims files to identify the causes of boat sinkings and found that most were preventable. About two out of every three (69%) boats sink at the dock or mooring, while the remainder (31%) sink while underway.

Of all of the dock/mooring sinkings, 39% occur when some small part gives up the fight with water due to wear, tear and corrosion. When it comes to gradual leaks due to slowly failing parts, too many boats existed in a “zombie state” somewhere between floating and sinking, dependent upon the bilge pump, which merely postponed the sinking until the pump failed or was overwhelmed. This one is a no-brainer: lack of maintenance is the factor here.

For boat sinkings while underway, the most common cause (43%) is hitting something – a log, the bottom or colliding with another boat or dock. Some of these sinkings might have been avoided if some some extra care had been taken – and some can be chalked up to simply bad luck.

Interestingly, low-cut transoms that were common on boats in the 1990’s and a cause of sinkings is no longer much of a factor, as contained splash wells separating the interior of the boat from the transom are more common in boat designs today. However, being swamped while tied stern-to waves remains a cause.

To prevent a sinking, here are ten tips from the boat owner’s group:

• For inboard-outboard powered boats, inspect sterndrive bellows annually and replace every three to five years. The shift bellows is usually the first to fail.
• For inboard powered boats, check the stuffing box every time you visit the boat, and repack – rather than simply tighten down the nut – every spring.
• For engines with raw water hoses, replace them the moment they indicate wear – such as when small cracks appear or they feel “spongy” when squeezed. Rusty hose clamps are also a concern and should be replaced.
• Replace the engine cooling system impeller every two to three years.
• Inspect the boat’s cockpit and livewell plumbing – again look at hoses, clamps, and cracked or broken fittings. Make sure you can inspect all such plumbing, and if you can’t, install inspection ports to make the task easier.
• Each season take are hard look at all below-waterline fittings, hoses, and clamps.
• Don’t forget the drain plug – you knew this one would be on the list.
• Keep a good lookout and ask guests to help keep their eyes peeled for deadheads. If you’ve grounded or hit something, consider a short-haul to inspect the bottom or drive gear.
• Always pull trailerable boats from the water when storms are forecast. These boats generally have too little freeboard to stand up to any kind of wave action.
• Dock line management systems that keep the boat centered in its slip can prevent snags that sometimes lead to a sinking.

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