Of course, rebuilding a head would be more fun...

A rather good point, some interesting/scary stuff, and an idea whose time has come...

Not being a gearhead I seldom do the "Ooh, I want one of these" two-step where things for the boat are concerned...

I think it's just that, at least for boat stuff, I pretty much have zero in the want department and only wait till the little voice in my head tells me I really, really need something before I will grudgingly get out the catalogs.

Or, I'll put it this way... Shopping for boat gear for me is several steps below rebuilding marine toilets.

That said, since I have to make some changes to my dodger and the interior of "So It Goes" is getting some pretty major surgery (which I'm sure has Bill Lapworth spinning like a top) the fact that I have to make a decision about a new VHF cannot be put off anymore...

Truth is, I'd much rather be shopping for guitars!

Where the VHF is concerned, what I have been waiting for is for some clever company to come up with a handheld VHF that includes an AIS receiver but so far no one seems to have done one... I find that kind of surprising. The marriage of VHF and AIS seems natural. Factor in that one of the most important features of AIS is that it tells you who that big boat bearing down on you is and that allows you to call them by name...

Most folks answer you when you call them by name, not so much when you don't...

So anyway, right now I'm looking at the Lowrance Link-8 for a dodger mounted VHF. It's more affordable than the other options, doesn't take up too much space, and as things go it's affordable...

Daniel from Oddasea just pointed out that the Standard STD-GX2000-B might be a better and cheaper option as I already have an AIS receiver. I'm pretty sure he had me at the word "cheaper"!

Listening to Jesse & Joy

So it goes...

The ever evolving Harry...

A coming time of limits, on gaming the economy, and "what has the world come to..."

Yesterday's vaporware scow project, while interesting, has more than a few issues and hoops to jump through before it becomes something I'd build.

That said, if you have a hankering to build a fully worked out scow in a similar vein, Tad Roberts has just the thing in his Harry 2...

This boat, like the original Harry makes a lot of sense...

Of course, all boats and designs tend to be works-in-progress and Harry 2 is no exception so Tad is currently working on a pilothouse version for a client up in the frozen north...

Obviously, this version is going to make folks of a certain height happy campers but it will also allow all sorts of improvements to the interior, though at a cost to that awesome deck area...

Me, I'd be very tempted, as long as changes are being made, to stretch the boat out a few more feet while keeping the same beam but that's just my take.

I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find more information on the new pilothouse version of the Harry 2 as it develops over at Tad's site...

Listening to Rebecca Pidgeon

So it goes...

An interesting project...

A million-dollar fish story, a reason to be afraid, and on being too stupid and greedy for planetary stewardship...

Here's an interesting boat...

It's called the Musard 29...

Scowish and interesting...

Find out more about it over at Sabrosa-Rain

Listening to Elvis Costello

So it goes...

On not having to contend with bodice rippers anymore...

Several sandwiches short of a picnic, something to make those long night watches interesting, and a band worth watching...

I'm currently re-reading Stephen King's and Peter Straub's "The Talisman" as a prelude to getting into their "Black House"... It's a good book and much better in fact, than I remember it being.

I mention this because, for me at least, reading has always been a big part of the whole living-on-a-boat-in-interesting-places gig.

As it happens, the introduction of Amazon with its Kindle and digital delivery makes it all the better. Instead of being dependent on book swaps in places that don't have decent bookstores, I can pretty much access any book I want anywhere in the world...

While I do miss some of the social interaction that was a big part of swapping books, I'll have to be honest and say I don't miss at all those book swaps where you're confronted with a stack of Barbara Cartland bodice rippers and those "Cat Who" books.

Listening to Gram Parsons

So it goes...

It's not that I don't like people but it just may be a contributing factor...

Bankers just doing their thang, Oooooooooooooooklahoma, and trivial, just trailing-edge innovation...

As a rule, I'm not really into group enterprise along the lines of such things as cruising rallies and the like. Fact is, about the only group thing I've ever done was back when I biked across the States with the Bikecentennial...

That said, for me at least, the Bikecentennial was hardly a group thing at all as I tended to keep to myself and cycling, being a rather solitary pursuit, was perfect for me to sort out various demons, questions, and traumas in a controlled manner.

It was a good ride... But, in truth, it was not nearly as good as the ride back across that I did alone.

So, I do get the whole attraction of the rally thing and I can see where some rallies which offer certain bonuses where red tape and such like the Pacific Puddle Jump start looking downright attractive but, the real appeal is the help on the red tape stuff...

Listening to Audra Mae

So it goes...

all over again...

A growth industry we really should shut down, just call him Mr Empathy, and Lefsetz on a film I can't wait to see...

Throwing away stuff is hard...

There's those two teak backing pads that are too small for anything I can think to use them for, all those odd surplus-to-requirements sockets that seem to breed in my tool bag, plumbing stuff that does not fit anything on the boat, lots of stainless and bronze fittings that don't actually fit anything on the boat...

Oh yeah, can't forget all that rope leftover from various projects but too short to be of any real use...

...and, of course, there's wire, lots and lots of wire in small (spelled too frelling short) bits that might come in handy some day.

The really scary thing is whenever I do a serious purge of the boat of clutter and scraps a couple of weeks later I find myself with a project that actually needs two small bits of teak, some too short wire scraps, and some odd stainless or bronze hardware that is no longer made...

...and the process starts all over again.

Listening to Reel Big Fish

So it goes...

A downside of tropical climes...

Grand theft Oreo, some seriously scary shit, and something positive for a change...

I heard on the radio the other day that St Croix has twice the number of cases of Dengue fever than the other US Virgin Islands which are having a “a noted increase” in cases...

Scary that.

So is this...

It is funny though. Not so many years ago, there was a blanket censorship of anything related to Dengue because the powers that be felt it kept tourists away. Things were so bad back then that the local hospitals would not see anyone with suspected Dengue because, as a notifiable disease, the official stance was if they don't see it they don't have to report it.

We noticed the same sort of ass-backwards thought process when we lived on St Martin. When French St Martin was having a full blown Dengue epidemic the Dutch side (Sint Maarten) was supposedly Dengue free (which of course it was not).

Which makes for something of a conundrum because it's obvious that you can't really trust the powers that be about such things. Whether they are simply pretending the problem does not exist or downplaying the severity of an outbreak/epidemic you can assume that the real picture is a lot worse than they'll admit. So be very nervous when the powers that be are using phrases like...  

“a noted increase".

We've both had Dengue... I was lucky. I just felt really, really shitty for a couple of weeks but my better half had a really severe case that laid her low for a month and a half. There is no cure, no vaccine, and when you get it all you can do is ride it out.

It is not something you want to catch so best to keep an ear out on the coconut telegraph and make a point of being elsewhere...

Listening to Streetlight Manifesto

So it goes...

On parachute anchors and banjos...

A telling disconnect, something from Dick Dorworth, and bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble...

Sure, boat gear is expensive but a lot of it really does not have to be. For instance, a parachute anchor is something most folk should consider having but the prices tend to scare folks away...

West Marine has the Para-Tech parachute sea anchor for my boat (15') for $739 which, as far as boat gear goes, is not too bad but damn if $739 does not have an ouch factor...

Of course, surplus parachutes are readily available and cost a lot less from folks like Aerocon who more than likely will have just what you need.

It's your choice... Me, I like the idea that with the money I save not going the marine route so I can buy something fun and frolicsome...

Listening to Less Than Jake

So it goes...

The problem is not the building it's the other stuff...

Happy days (for the 1%), more bailout bonanza, and in the "little bit late to the party" department...

The other day I was discussing with a friend how one of the hard parts of rehabbing or rebuilding with hindsight is that the destructive part of the process is some kind of seriously depressing.

For instance, the other day there was a very cheap Endeavour 32 for sale that might have been perfect for my plans to find a fixer-upper to use as an example for a book/film project I have in mind...

The Endeavour would make a very good candidate for a junk or balanced lug conversion. It's small enough that a few 2X4's, a half dozen sheets of plywood, some glass, and enough epoxy to use it is all you really need for a completely new, if rather simple, interior. An unstayed mast and a used 6HP outboard in a well would bring it all together...

Now, for my purposes, the best way to deal with such a boat is to simply gut it and refit it from scratch. Trying to work around existing structure slows the process way down and you wind up locked into sorta/kinda doing it pretty much the same as designed.

That said, the gutting and removing of stuff that is still OK is very hard on a psychic level. Whether or not that old alcohol stove works, the mast is still usable, or that one bulkhead is free of rot makes the decision to just rip it out and haul it to the dumpster seem wrong.

On the other hand, trying to find homes for all the stuff you rip out so that it gets recycled would take as long as the rebuild project and likely cost as much...

Something of a conundrum that.

Listening to Sublime

So it goes...

All advice is not equal...

Some justified outrage, why not adopt a bonefish, and Kunstler on scale implosion...

John Vigor makes a pretty good point on his blog about the Westsnail Westsail 32 and it is well worth reading... We've known quite a few Westsail folks who seemed able to make long fast passages in a consistent manner which pretty much lays to rest, in my mind, the negative reviews you hear so often from folks who have never actually sailed a Westsail.

Which, I might add, is why it makes all kinds of sense to talk to folks who actually own, sail, and cruise a particular boat design or type before you strike it off the list of boats to sail away in...

Listening to Rebelution

So it goes...

Something about the $500 a month budget...

A look at how the system works, this is just cool, and how about a slim mini-Simmons...

A reader of Boat Bits who, apparently, can do basic math dropped us a line pointing out that by not buying a HR34 I mentioned in yesterday's post I could use the money left over and cruise pretty much forever... His thought process was that on a $500 a month budget the $200,000. would last something like thirty-three years.

Of course, the proverbial $500-a-month ($6000 a year) cruising budget is a much discussed and oft-argued premise. My personal take is that it is doable and not nearly as impossible/horrible as some of its detractors claim but certainly not for everyone unless, of course, you're poor and have no choice...

Which, I should add, is the important point that most people living frugally have zero choice in the matter. Discussions on sailing forums about low budget cruising tend to forget this point and treat it like some sort of game... It's not.

Getting back to the fact that sailing off into the sunset on an old CAL 34, Bristol 24, or sharpie you cobbled together out of formply instead of paying top dollar for a fashionable yacht does mean that the money you save can be applied to your future sailing and living expenses.

Do the math on buying a $50K boat instead of a $100K. You'll come up with a cruising kitty of $50,000 and, even if you were to cruise on the much more doable/comfortable $1000 a month budget, that would give you four years of unencumbered cruising... It's something to think about.

Listening to The Offspring

So it goes...

A perfect balance...

Fatally flawed, about factory bison hunting, and a different approach to water-making...

Yesterday I was reading a blog about film and video production that made a really, really good point that applies just as much to boats, cruising, and suchlike as it does about video post-production...

"Don’t think of good enough as settling for something inferior or imperfect, think of it as striking a perfect balance."

CAL 34

In my own case I could use the example of the Bill Lapworth designed CAL 34...

As it happens, a 34-foot boat is a good size for a couple to cruise on. Not too small, not too big, or as Goldilocks might have said, just about right. Sure, a couple could handle a bigger boat or make do with a smaller one but the CAL 34 is pretty comfortable and pretty much meets all our needs in a positive manner.

There are a lot of things it could have, more headroom for instance, but when I scan plans of other 34-foot boats with 6'6" or greater headroom I tend to say to myself "wow, great headroom, too bad about the looks..."

While our "So It Goes" does not have the same sort of extreme shoal draft abilities that either of our Loose Moose sharpies had, at around 5-foot, there are so few places we can't go that it is hardly worth worrying about.

Then, there's the cost... Last time I checked prices on CAL 34's, the most expensive one I could find was all of $30K and there were many in great shape and pretty much turnkey ready to go for around $15K. There is a lot to be said for a comfortable, well performing boat, that can take you around the world for not a lot of money.

Hallberg-Rassy 34

Sure, you could pay more, in fact a lot more! Just the other day I saw a very nice 12-year old Hallberg Rassy 34 (a much beamier boat so actually bigger than the CAL 34) going for right around $211K. I'd be lying if I did not admit that looking at the pictures induced some serious teak envy that had me checking the current rate for teak down Trinidad way...

That said, the Halberg-Rassy is no more capable than our CAL 34 in getting us where we want to go in safety and comfort so, I have to ask myself, is the slightly better build and prettier interior worth the nearly $200,000 difference?

The answer all depends on what you need and works for you. A matter of factors and how they all balance out. In our case, the CAL 34 is more than good enough...

Listening to Madeleine Peyroux

So it goes...

about our state-of-the-art electronics and the Rolex factor...

The real risk factor, an odd fact about the recovery, and something everybody should read...

I'll be honest, I just don't get the gear fetish thing...

Sure, I understand the need for good gear on a boat but the obsession with what passes for perfection (aka simply out-of-control consumerism) is nuts.

OK, so yeah, I'm opinionated...

Some, might even say I'm cheap...

But, the fact is, once you've reached a point where something is both functional and reliable, anything else is just spending money for show... Call it the Rolex factor.

Which is why I'm not the sort of person you want to write for an opinion on your choice of high-tech integrated navigation systems.

Or, I'll put it this way... We still have a Trimble Ensign GPS.

Hey, it WORKS!

Now, if you need to know all about early 1990's state-of-the-art electronics I might be able to give you a hand. On the other hand, if you're looking for informed advice for the current electronic system "Bling" I'm really, really the wrong guy...

Listening to Chantal Chamberland

So it goes...

Way too close...

Techdirt asks an important question, not exactly what a lot of people think, and an interesting teardrop...

So, nothing like a ten-ton meteorite going boom in Russia to make me wonder about Asteroid DA-14.

I don't know about you but, when an asteroid comes closer than weather and communications satellites, I find it just that little bit nervous making.

Big chunks of stuff falling out of the sky is the sort of hazard to navigation that makes me ponder the whole idea that Kevlar headliners just might make some kind of sense...

Listening to Emilie-Claire Barlow

So it goes...

About the Dove...

Business as usual, the future of education, and how to win those hearts & minds...

I watched "The Dove" a couple of nights ago and it sorta/kinda made me a little sad.

While not a great film by a long shot, it did have a certain charm and did better than most what sailing long distances by yourself is all about.

Of course, being 2013, I wouldn't be surprised if many of the readers of Boat Bits don't even have a clue just how important Robin Lee Graham, his boat "Dove", and his book actually is to the whole sailing off into the sunset gig.

He made it seem possible...

So possible in fact, that the seeds sown are the reason so many folks of my generation took to sailing and went to sea.

While I was in Jr High, the ongoing piecemeal accounts of Robin and his Dove were serious dream fodder because a little boat designed by Bill Lapworth was within reach and, by damn, he was DOING IT!

The sorta/kinda sad part comes in when realizing that anchorages these days are seldom empty or as pristine as they were in the late 60's/70's and the sailing gig, while more accessible, is simply not the same and suffers by comparison.

You know, I'd trade my GPS in a heartbeat for a few more pristine anchorages...

That said, there is still adventure to be had, and if you are not following Where is Tara Tari? maybe you should be...

Listening to Melody Gardot

So it goes...

Anyone need a mast?

Krugman makes a good point, kinda interesting, and, maybe I should get some FBI cufflinks...

Some of you may remember that Daniel from OddaSea lost his mast last year on his way towards Newfoundland...

His mainmast, I suppose, is still sleeping with the fishes but he still has a mizzen in good shape that is surplus to his requirements since he's in the process of doing a new junk schooner rig. For those with an interest you can find more about his conversion to junk on his blog.

That said, for someone building, planning to build a boat, or has a project, there is a 29-foot mast (6"x 4" section) with Dynex Dux rigging sitting in South Carolina just looking for a good home at a pretty reasonable price...

Might want to check it out!

Listening to Stacey Ken

So it goes...

A quick thought on boat design...

A "let them eat cake" kinda moment, scarier times, and something to think about next time you go out to eat...

I know quite a few designers of boats and most of them are very cool people with great ideas...

That said, there is a problem with the way things work in the whole yacht design gig which basically comes down to this... It's mostly rich folks who commission designs.

Which is one of the reasons that you don't see a lot of creative time being focused on more inexpensive designs, crafty frugal ways to build a better boat, or better boats for the working class. It's not what rich people want.

Folks who commission boats are just not interested in the sort of boats that you or I can afford or might be interested in building or sailing and, as a result, it's not all that surprising that most marine design firms cater towards those with deep pockets.

It's also a path of least resistance sort of thing... BFBs (Big Frelling Boats) are a lot easier to design on a lot of levels because you don't have to be creative with small spaces and a limited budget. It's a lot harder to design a 28-foot cruiser for a couple to sail away on than an 85-footer with the same design brief. Of course, the 85-boat, more often than not, has a lot more work (spelled billable hours) involved because it is a bigger project but it's not exactly rocket science...

I hasten to add that, on the other hand, my experience working for and with very rich people, is that it is never easy. The difficulty is seldom actual design problems but more along the lines of keeping rich people who feel entitled happy.

As it happens, that also happens to be my own personal vision of hell.

Which is why, whenever possible, we should support boat designers that actually put in some effort to designing boats for those of us not born with trust funds or have stock boat plan programs that are affordable.

Buy some plans, build a boat...

Makes sense to me.

Listening to Jamey Johnson

So it goes...

Conspicuous Frugality...

A must read about the USPS (Mr Zip's in trouble and he could use some help), this is not good at all, and the downside of rum from the USVI...

Over at Northwest Edible Life (a most excellent blog) they used a phrase in a post you really should read that seriously resonated for me...

Conspicuous Frugality

Has a certain ring to it, does it not?

Listening to Kasey Chambers

So it goes...

I'd pay six quid for a boat design...

I get nervous when folks say the words "nightmare scenario", an important court case, and a man with a dog over at Tent City...

I was checking out the Eventide Owners Group last night and if you're looking to build a boat you might be interested in knowing that they have plans for various public domain Yachting Monthly and Maurice Griffiths designs for CHEAP!

I've always been a huge fan of Maurice Griffiths designs in general and the Waterwitch in particular.

The Waterwitch came in various versions and rigs but I always wanted to build the leeboard version...

Listening to Shovels and Rope

So it goes...

A problematic but interesting sharpie...

Too close for comfort, modern police work, and some good works...

Missie & Laurie, a gaff cutter rigged sharpie, is a boat you should take a look at because it brings up a lot of questions...

Designed by William and John Atkin, though I suspect more William than John in the mix, Missie & Laurie is something of an odd duck with a profile more akin to a Broads yacht... Not what people think a sharpie should look like at all.

Of course, it's hard to get a clear view where sharpie criticism is concerned because so many folks simply HATE sharpies. People, I might add, who seem to be of the fools, incompetent, and folks of limited vision brigade with little or no experience with actual sharpies but then, hate is seldom ever based on real facts is it?

That said, I have to agree that there are quite a few issues with this design that sorta/kinda bother me...

For one, the proportions of rig, hull, and coachroof just look wrong. Then again, I can say the same thing about the Broads yachts so, just maybe, it's more about what you expect a boat to look like than anything being really wrong with it... I'd wager people who live in the Norfolk Broads just might look at Missie & Laurie as the bee's knees.

At forty-five feet it's a big boat but sharpies, as a rule, are cheaper to build and don't have the interior volume most boats do, so it almost always makes sense to go bigger.

The interior might be dated but considering it has to work around that big centerboard trunk it does passably well... I'm pretty sure if I were to build this design that the interior layout would get a major work-over that would allow me to lose the coachroof forward of the mast.

Of course, the hull is where most people have issues with sharpies. Flat bottoms and hard chines are seen as such a negative that no matter how much you explain that they actually work and have some advantages, it almost always falls on deaf ears.

You could easily cold mold the chines (at a cost of added complexity/labor/time) but that winds up being something of a one step forward/one step back situation. Sure, the rounded chine will result in a slight gain in speed but then you also wind up with a boat that will not point as high.

We had this very same discussion with Phil Bolger for Loose Moose 2 when we were having it designed. I was hell bent on a rounded chine and Phil was happy to go either way but pointed out that the hard chine in the long run just might be the better bet. In the end, we went with the hard chine and never regretted that decision because everywhere we want to go seems to be to windward!

The thing that bothers me about the hull is the bow entry... Having sailed no small number of miles on sharpies of the overhanging bow (rather than immersed) type, I'm a firm believer in the wisdom of sailing OVER rather than THROUGH the water whenever possible.

I don't think I'd hesitate to sail this boat over to Europe and, I expect, it would be quite welcome in the Norfolk area...

Would I build this boat? Not really, but I'd sure consider a little more evolved version with a different rig (spelled schooner) in this size and simplicity range... As it stands, Missie & Laurie would be a very easy and fast to build project. Well within the reach of anyone with a short time frame and a blue collar budget.

Listening to Rickie Lee Jones

So it goes...

there goes another week...

An interesting bet, about those bankers, and doesn't she just sound perfect for the job...

Wow, it's Friday again!

Of course, being a boat bum/pimp and filmmaker it's not like Friday means the same thing to me as it does to some of my cubicle-dwelling-worker-bee readers but it does have a certain, shall we say, resonance.

I do tend to freak out a little about how I have not got around to various projects on Friday and, while I can pretty much work on the boat any day, the proliferation of cigarette boats waking the anchorage at high speed on weekends makes the use of power tools a somewhat interesting proposition...

Which reminds me, I still have not got around to the forward deck trebuchet project!

Listening to Elin Ruth

So it goes...

If only Schwinn was making masts...

Seems like the Archdruid is making some sense, the fish got away, and you'll have to admit that this guy makes a good point...

This bike caught my attention the other day...

The reason for said interest is that the bike's frame is made of flax and carbon fiber in a 90/10 mix. That's 90% flax and 10% carbon.

I've pretty much always thought that the idea of carbon fiber in boats is much more attractive than its actual use or, I really should say, overuse.

Of course, the overuse of carbon is related to a few factors... For one, it is HIP at the moment so it's a selling point... Not because it is needed but because they think you're too stupid to know otherwise.

Another reason is carbon allows folks to charge a lot for products that don't really cost a lot. The general misconception is that carbon is super-expensive (it's not), so having carbon in the mix justifies next dimensional profit margins...

The most common problem is that when badly used (which would be most marine usage) it really is super expensive because it becomes expensive when stupid gets into the matrix.

The bottom line is that when used intelligently a composite mast using carbon should be less expensive than an alloy mast...

Which brings us back to that 90/10 flax and carbon composite bike...

Can you spell s-m-a-r-t?

Listening to Hurricane Chaser

So it goes...

What's another project when you're on a roll?

Something to think about next time you're at the market, Just a little bothersome, and, apparently Pat never met any of my scoutmasters from the way back when...

I'm kinda excited... I just sent a check off to Tad Roberts for some serious design expertise and, as such, added yet another project to the list!

The project in question?

A new rudder for our CAL 34 "So It Goes"!

The reason for a new rudder is partly because the original rudder stock in 304 stainless has been in the water for nearly 44-years or, to put it another way, when this rudder first hit the water "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival was a brand spanking new song... So, more than time for a replacement.

The other reason behind the new rudder is accepted knowledge of foils and suchlike has improved and a new rudder will improve handling and make the boat just that little bit faster. For those in the know in the CAL fraternity, the CAL 40's with the more modern Schumacher rudder kick some serious ass and give them a definite edge..

Anyone interested in picking up a slightly (cough) used CAL 34 rudder... cheap?

Listening to Frank Turner

So it goes...

I might be splitting hairs...

Ian Welsh points out some needful stuff, jumping the shark (in a political sense), and a book I expect everyone is going to need...

A few astute readers have noticed that VolksCruiser is now live and is currently rerunning some of the VolksCruiser themed posts from Boat Bits. The plan is to do some more in depth nuts and bolts sort of articles that folks have been asking for. So, more new content will soon come.

Speaking of VolksCruisers in general, a reader recently pointed out a book and asked me for my opinion and it raised a bit of a question...

What the hell exactly does affordable actually mean?

"Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere" by Gregg Nestor is not a bad book... Fact is, we seem to like a lot of the same boats...

That said, the last time I checked the Island Packet 31's seemed to go for between $35-65K, Pacific Seacraft 31's are around $65-160K, and the Cape Dory 33 from $30k up to around $60k or so.

Which brings us back to the point of what exactly is affordable to you? Personally, I find sliding scale words like affordable, inexpensive, and reasonable pretty useless unless it also includes a key like the words "plastic surgeon" as in the sentence...

"John, a plastic surgeon, found the Swan 80 both comfortable and affordable".

Now, one wonders what sort of a boat would pop up if you were to start a sentence with...

"Fred, an assistant manager at a Denny's..."

Well, I'm pretty sure we're not going to be talking Swan or Hallberg Rassy!

Which is not to say that "Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere" is not a good book, it is. I just found the title rather unfortunate.

For a book that Fred, our assistant manager fighting the good fight at Denny's might find more useful, I'll point you to the really excellent "Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere" by John Vigor of a similar ilk. 

Listening to the Indigo Girls

So it goes...

Can't think of anything to write today...

Inspired problem solving, sounds about right, and I found this interesting...

Maybe some days not having an idea is a good thing.



Listening to Third Eye Blind

So it goes...

All it needs is a little paint and sweat...

A must read for Superbowl Sunday, files from the god squad, and it seems someone has something to hide...

A while back I compared the Pacific Dana and the Bristol 24... Both boats I really, really like.

Being bored today, I was scanning the ebay boats for sale and came across this Bristol 24...

The beauty of little boats is that it takes very little to make them into very nice little boats...

Here's what it could look like!

Nuff said...

Listening to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

So it goes...

Something pretty...

Taibbi making all kinds of sense, a good sign, and the tourism/ecology divide...

Roy, over at CKD has an interesting post about the difference between glass fiber construction and ply/epoxy composite... See why I like ply/epoxy composite boats?

Speaking of plywood boats this one is kinda cool...

It's the Koalen 26 designed by François Vivier.

Pretty, is it not?

This is a really neat boat and Monsieur Vivier certainly knows how to design a buildable boat that will sail. You can learn a lot about how a plywood boat is built by taking a look at a design like this... For instance, the way Vivier handles the keel makes so much sense that I literally slapped my forehead in a eureka moment when I realized just how the keel worked in the overall construction.

The Koalen 26 is what I call a "BIG" little boat... It's expensive for what it is. For example, compared to the Bolger Jessie Cooper design, it has less accomodation, it's slower on every point of sail except dead to windward, and lots more expensive.

On the other hand, if you hanker for something with a sorta/kinda Lyle Hess flavor on a budget with a faster build it starts making all kinds of sense. Truth is, I'd much prefer a boat like the Koalen to something off the board of Mr Hess... But, that's just me.

I'd really like to see François Vivier design a cruising lugger along the lines of the Koalen in the 9-10 meter size range... He's already designed lots of traditional luggers so really knows his way around the rig. A fusion of something like the Koalen and a lugger would really make some people sit up and take notice.

Listening to Guadalupe Plata

So it goes... 

A short moment of clarity...

Something to read regarding the debt problem, profoundly depressing, and this, just might make your head explode...

I'm not a designer of boats...

Which is not to say I don't know how to design a boat, it's just that while I can design a boat that fulfills its function and floats right side up, there will be no art in it...

And, a boat without art is a very sad thing.

What I'm really good at is building a boat in a way that makes sense which, sometimes, is not exactly how a designer of yachts, no matter how much art involved, might draw in terms of construction details. The reason for this is not so much that I am a wizard in terms of boat construction but more about how a lot of designers are not really boat builders.

For instance, I have some very clear ideas on how to build and fit out a cruising sharpie construction wise, that would make it easier to build, stronger, and cheaper which seems to be in direct contradiction to the way most folk design/build sharpies. Of course, I also have some rather strong opinions on what makes sense in terms of rigging a sharpiesque boat as well that flies in the face of what most people think a sharpie should be rigged or look like...

But, more about that a little later.

Listening to Melody's Echo Chamber

So it goes...