So many boats...

Somewhat depressing, children's brains apparently not as important as profits, and here's someone doing something that rocks...

I'll admit that I find the "To go cruising you need the best/perfect boat." mindset both counterproductive and ludicrous.Then again, the bulk of the email to this blog seems to be questions on the subject of getting the perfect boat and asking for suggestions on how to spend copious amounts of money to make the aforementioned perfect boat even better.

It's taught me a couple of things... First, is that a lot of people, apparently don't actually read what I write and secondly, even if they do, they are not going to listen to me unless they are predisposed to.

That said, for me what makes a perfect boat to go cruising in is really quite simple...

• It floats right side up
• It does not leak to excess
• It sails well
• It's simple
• It does not require you to go into debt to buy or maintain it
• It's owner fixable 

Of course that's my mindset and I'm sure, for instance, that what I consider affordable varies greatly from a lot of people who might read this but the rule still stands in the sense of Dicken's apt quote from "David Copperfield"...

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen [pounds] nineteen [shillings] and six [pence], result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

So, here's a perfect cruising boat for someone.

Sure it's small, It also, more than likely, requires some work as all boat do (even the new super expensive ones). Still it is a boat you could sail just about anywhere in reasonable comfort and safety. Not for everyone of course but, for someone with the needful vision, it would be just the thing.

Listening to the Paris Combo

So it goes...

and in the "not really anything to buy" department...

Badtux asks a needful question, a woman to admire, and over at Weather Underground they have something important to say...

I've just been perusing the Defender sale and happy to note that I simply can't find anything wantable or needful. That said, is it just me or are the deals rather lackluster this year?

Listening to a playlist of interest

So it goes...

A trailer of note...

Dorworth on karma, a very interesting program on shipping containers, in the "This really sucks" department, and speaking of karma of the negative sort tRump adds to his balance sheet...

Something for the need to watch file.



Listening to Dizzy Sunfist (nothing puts me in a better mood than Japanese Skatepunk music)

So it goes...

because good content and hard work will always be part of the mix...

Some musing of note from a boat blog, golf as an exercise in hypocrisy, and some interesting telescope stuff...

The other day I read somewhere how awful the whole doing videos about your cruising experiences and expecting people to support you by begging is the new thing and how it will destroy cruising as we know it.

Sigh...

Yesterday, I read somewhere else a fawning article about how awesome the ten best (spelled highest income producing) vlogs were.

Double sigh... I so hate film, video, and book reviews that think how much something earns has anything to do with its quality...

Personally my opinion of the whole idea of filming or writing about your cruising and getting paid for the resulting product is no bad thing. The list of cruisers who have written for magazines, written books, and even made films of their adventures is a very long list and I don't recall anyone taking issue with any of those folks. Face it, it's an already established means of supporting cruising and all the newbies are doing is taking advantage on new forms of financing and distribution.

That said, I'll defer to the great Theodore Sturgeon for a needful fact/rule...

"I repeat Sturgeon's Revelation, which was wrung out of me after twenty years of wearying defense of science fiction against attacks of people who used the worst examples of the field for ammunition, and whose conclusion was that ninety percent of SF is crud. Using the same standards that categorize 90% of science fiction as trash, crud, or crap, it can be argued that 90% of film, literature, consumer goods, etc. is crap. In other words, the claim (or fact) that 90% of science fiction is crap is ultimately uninformative, because science fiction conforms to the same trends of quality as all other artforms."

Which boils down to Sturgeon's Law of 90% of everything is crap. Just between us I've always thought that Theodore was just a bit too optimistic.

Anyway... Regarding the new flood of viewer sponsored video production of the cruising variety, it is safe to say that Sturgeon's Law is in no danger of being found untrue and I don't find that problematic at all. There is a lot of good valid stuff in that non-crap (no-selfie-stick-in-sight) 10% that is well worth viewing. A few years from now, providing we have not succumbed to thermo-nuclear annihilation because tRump was pissed off at someone or other, we'll accept the current video cruising model as the norm.

Of course, 90% of it will be crap, but the 10% will continue to get better and better so what's the problem?

Listening to Rotana

So it goes...

a couple of small work benches...

This is interesting, a price tag on bigotry, and in the "Raising the bar on stupid" department...

Trying to do fiddly stuff on a boat without a proper workshop at best can be problematic. Made more so because no one really makes things that take in the scale of not having lots of storage space or even the space to set up a bench if you could stow it.

So here's a couple of small workbenches that you might actually be able to stow and use aboard a boat...








Listening to some more Chuck Berry covers

So it goes...

a quick thought on compromise...

A cherry on the top for the "Can't organize a piss-up in a brewery" files, about those shark fins, and in a time where a little escapism is needful...

While pondering the various dinghies on the list I can't keep from thinking that you're on pretty safe ground with whatever seven to eleven foot dinghy you choose... There really is no BEST or ultimate dinghy that comes to the top of the pile. The fact is that they all work, cost about the same, and consume the same amount of labor to build.

Sure they're all going to include compromises but, then again, all boats are really just a bundle of compromises so that's not really a surprise. The question remains what are your most important needs?

If super light weight is important the Stasha is far and above the best boat on the list. On the other hand if doing a lot of diving from a dinghy is the all important need that needs to be filled the Stasha is close to the bottom of the list and you might find yourself looking at the Chameleon or Spindrift. Split the difference and the DUO starts looking like the dinghy of choice.

So, what the hell am I going to build this go-round?

Right now my current needs have me considering the Chameleon and DUO. The DUO appeals because it is a tad lighter and uses less plywood. The downside of the DUO is its nested height is just that little bit taller than the Chameleon and will obscure the view forward from the dodger even more than the Chameleon.

The Chameleon has greater displacement so can carry more and that's a factor as well.

I expect what I'll do is just buy a couple of sheets of plywood and then just flip a coin. Or, just maybe if I don't feel lucky on the day, I'll just build a sorta/kinda nesting Big Tortoise with some added flotation because, you know... Spontaneous whim.

The fact is, it really does not matter too much because whatever I build I can always sell for a small profit as there is always a greater demand for good dinghies than there are good dinghies available. Just something you should always keep in mind...

Listening to Fishbach

So it goes...

a couple of folding dinghies...

A comparison of note, a bit of needful information, and in the "it's tough living in tRumps America" department...

Folding boats, in general, make a lot of sense and they have been around since the 1800's. Just check out this Berthon Collapsible Lifeboat for an example.

The basic premise makes a lot of sense and what's not to like about having a dinghy you can store tied to the lifelines or similar location?

Like this one...

Makes all kinds of sense...

Which brings us to the Wooden Widget Fliptail and Origami.

First off, I have to admit that while I really like both of these designs but I do have some issues with light skin dinghies for cruising purposes. Partly because I row 99% of the time and neither of these boats is an optimal solution for any kind of serious commuting by oar and partly, because they are so light, that climbing out of the water become problematic without adding some sort of Rube Goldberg complication to the mix. That said, if you are like most people cruising you'd only occasionally row short distances and use an outboard 99% of the time.

The good news is they work great under sail or with a small outboard and, being so light, the sort of performance you'll get with a 3hp engine will surprise a lot of folks. If you want to row a little more I'd go with the Origami as the plywood sides offer more support and you can get your back into it.

Quite a few folk have pointed out to me that skin boats are not as tough as a hard dinghy which, in my opinion is not true at all. I'd expect a Fliptail or Origami done right should last just as long as a plywood/glass boat if not longer as modern fabrics and adhesives are a whole lot better than they used to be and flexible materials tend to hold up better to the things that destroy dinghies better than rigid ones. The downside of skin boats (as with inflatables) is UV exposure.

Building a folding boat is quite a bit more fiddly than stitch and glue hard dinghies and there is something of a steep learning curve to the process. On the plus side Wooden Widget takes that into account and provide super detailed plans with lots and lots of detail so, as long as you bother to read and follow the directions, it's not hard to avoid insanity and find yourself with a practical nice looking dinghy. On the other hand, if you can't be bothered to follow the plans you'll find yourself drooling while beating your head against the wall and thinking that Donald Trump makes sense...

Need I say more?

Seriously, JUST FOLLOW THE PLANS!

More dinghies on Monday...

Listening to a plethora of Chuck Berry covers

So it goes...

and yet more dinghies...

What real voter fraud looks like, some not exactly surprising news, and in the "You'd really think that the President of the frelling US of A would have more important issues to deal with than a cute kitten website" department...

So yeah, more nesting dinghies.

The FishBote is too big for my purposes nesting at just a kiss less than six-feet. That said, it is an easy build, rows well, and the only thing I'd change is to add some enclosed flotation. Over at the Adventure Adrift youtube channel they are doing a three-part series of building just such a beast in Mexico to replace their stolen Walker Bay which is worth checking out.

The Woods Designs Duo is another nesting dinghy that nests into a 5' 6" X 3' 3" footprint with a nested height of 22". With a beam of only 3' 3" some may express concern with stability but I've never had any issues with stability in any of our Bolger Tortoises with a beam of 3' 2" so I'd discount that issue from the start. I should also add that for sailing (and general safety) purposes Woods has added two inflatable tubes that make a lot of sense in the whole hard dinghy does not play well with other boats thing and do make the boat unsinkable as well.

There is a huge amount of information on the Woods website you should check out but the bottom line is it is a pretty neat boat that is quick/easy/cheap to build.

Some different approaches to the dinghy stowage issue next...

Listening to Ryo Fukui

So it goes...

Some more on dinghies...

Ugly Americans (or how not to endear yourself to the natives), some fact checking, and Latitude 38 asks the 14% question...

Yep, the PT11 is as close to a perfect tender as I've come across but, the snag is, it is just that little bit too big to stow on my available deck space. If plans were available (they're not) I'd just scale them down a kiss but as they are not one needs to look elsewhere.

Which brings us to Danny Greene's Chameleon. Danny Greene has been designing and building nesting dinghies as long as I can remember and the Chameleon, while now a somewhat long-in-the-tooth plan is actually quite evolved.  It does the job and rows, sails, and motors well.  It's also stable enough to fly fish from and a 210 pound guy will have no issues pulling himself aboard from the water when needed. The problem for me with this dinghy is its nested space requirements is 5'4" X 4'2".

While nested length and width are crucial to stowage so is the nested height is just as important and the Chameleon comes in at twenty inches.

All in all a very nice design.

The B&B  Spindrift S11-N is another nice design.which nests in a 5'7" X 4' 7" space and has a nested height of 24". 

With a nested length of 5' 7" it is too long for my space and to be honest the 24" nested height is just too high and I really should have bought the S10-N design which is 5' 2" X 4' 3" with a nested height of 21 1/2 inches.

The Spindrifts sail well, row well, and  motor well. Designed with more sail area than most nesting dinghies if sailing with some attitude is your thing you might want to check them out.

Another B&B design is the Two Paws 8 or 9 pram dinghies. The TP-8 nested size is 4'X 4' 1" and the TP-9 nested size is 4' 8" X 4' 4" with both having a nested height of 20". The Two Paws are a little less fiddly to build and, to my mind, a bit better suited to life as a tender.

More from the list later...

Listening to Robbery Inc

So it goes...

The current benchmark...

Donkey Mountain (who posts far too seldom) nails it, so does  Crooks & Liars, and EB Misfit scores as well...

If there was one dinghy I'd be interested in buying it's the PT11 kit designed by Paul Bieker and built by Port Townsend Watercraft.

You really should check it out as it, until someone comes up with something even better, is going to be the benchmark that all nesting dinghies are compared to.

Check it out.

More on the subject tomorrow...

Listening to Red Baraat

So it goes...

another affordable windvane self-steering gear...

Meals on Wheels, some folks who don't have our best interests at heart, Chuck Berry is no longer with us, and just plain interesting...

I've always admired  the Mr Vee self-steering gears which were an evolution/offshoot of the Walt Murray DIY pvc pipe and copper tubing design ethos. I also like the fact that the Mr Vee self-steering gears are the most inexpensive windvanes around in spite of being more advanced than most of their competitors.

It gets better...

WoodenB, the first flatpack self steering system.

Made from CNC routed plywood, based on the design of Y&B.The kit comes with some cnc made plastic parts where wood is not suitable and fasteners are included. Material for the unique Mister Vee windvane are also supplied.

 Now is that neat or what?

While still in development (so no pricing available as of yet)I expect that it will bring the cost of self-steering down to the point where you can actually use windvane and affordable in the same sentence. For anyone considering a you should drop Mr Vee a note and let them know.

Listening to Good Graeff

So it goes...

Something you may want to check out...

Flying monkeys, an important distinction, and about all that plastic...

They had me at "Naviguer pas cher".

Listening to Puddles Pity Party with Howard Kaylan cover the Everly Brothers

So it goes...

A quick note on rigs...

An interesting read, Badtux is on to something, and Royal Robbins is no longer with us...

The ongoing dinghy thing will have to wait till tomorrow as I'm running a little behind on projects at the moment. In the meantime, I'll make a comment on a pet peeve...

There is a difference between a sloop, ketch, yawl, and schooner. Calling yourself a sailor and not knowing the difference, especially if you happen to think that your boat is a schooner when it only has one mast, is either lubberly to the max or just sack-of-hammers/voted-for-tRump stupid.

Just do your homework and be very leery of internet forums for your nautical education.

Nuff said.

Listening to Robin's Egg Blue/Pirates Canoe

So it goes...

A handy trick...

In the "if his lips are moving it ain't true" department,a revealing interchange, and every morning my news seems to feature nazi assholes or reasonable facsimiles...

Simple and neat.



Listening to one of my favorite albums

So it goes...

a new dinghy (continuing)...

Something anyone on a boat knows (providing they have an IQ above room temperature),
empty promises, and in the "have you hugged a single-hander recently" department...

 First I'll start out answering a couple of questions generated by yesterdays post.

"Why not buy a RIB or a roll-up inflatable?"

&

"Why not use davits?"

The main reason I have issues with inflatables is that they simply don't row well. Add to that that they are expensive, require an outboard, and  (for RIBs) take up as much or more room on deck than a hard dinghy.

As to davits... I'm of the opinion that davits are unseaworthy for passages. Having been pooped once where the dinghy in davits filled up with water then nearly tore the transom off the boat in the ensuing carnage. Also, having worked in a consignment store (where people bring things that break or fail on a regular basis), I have lots and lots of experience with just how often davits fail in even moderate use. So color me opinionated on the subject.

Anyway, that brings me to the available options which fall into the nesting and folding categories...

I already have several sets of plans for folding and nesting dinghies along with some plans that could be adapted to nesting or take apart options. So that's where we'll start.

1. B&B Yacht Designs  nesting Spindrift (11 foot0
2. B&B Yacht Designs  Two Paws (8 foot)
3. Danny Greene Chameleon (10 1/2 foot)
4. FishBote (10 1/2 foot)
5. Wooden Widget Fliptail (9 foot)
6. Wooden Widget Origami (8 foot)
7. Wooden Widget Stasha (7 foot 2 inches)
8. Woods Designs Duo (10 foot)
9. Yann Quenet's Dinghy-Toy (3.5M)

They're all good designs but they all have some issues or compromises in the mix that keep me from making an easy decision. All of which we will talk about tomorrow...

Listening to Puddles Pity Party cover Cheap Trick

So it goes...

just another exercise in compromise aboard a boat...

American boots on the ground in Syria, a deal with Russia that should result in a lifetime supply of orange overalls, a clear case of insanity, and in the "jaw-droppingly stupid" files...

Time to build yet another dinghy. So, let's talk about compromise.

Here's the nitty-gritty...

• The logical space available for storing a dinghy aboard "So It Goes" on passage is a 5' x 4' bit of territory in front of the hard dodger and behind the cabin top hatches.

• The dinghy needs to row reasonably well in most conditions.

• Carry loads of at least 100 pounds and ferry 20+ gallons of water with two people aboard.

• A sailing rig would be no bad thing and, as it happens, since I recently became the owner of a Trinka 10 sailing rig (mast/boom/sail/dagger board/rudder) it really should be able to utilize it.

• Diving/swimming from the dinghy is important.

• The ability to stand up while fly fishing is a must.

•  Able to be launched single handed.

• Lifeboat capable.

Pretty much sums it all up but not nearly as impossible as you might think.Our current dinghy, a Bolger "Big Tortoise", is actually pretty close to those parameters with the exception that the Trinka rig has way too much sail area to work and, of course, it would need to bisected and nesterized.

We'll start with the list of candidates next...

Listening to David Bromberg & Jonatha Brooke

So it goes...

a film you may want to check out...

Talk show dude removes head from ass and looks around, today's word of the day is C-O-L-L-U-S-I-O-N, and in the "lipstick on a pig" department...


Island Earth Trailer from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

Listening to some Jimmy Griffin songs

So it goes...

Plywood...

Some environmental news regarding salmon, method to their heartlessness, and in the "very interesting indeed" department...

On the subject of plywood being a great material to build a boat from.

I rest my case.


Listening to music from the Brooklyn Folk Festival

So it goes...

The DIY alternative...

Buffy Summers has a lot to answer for, slave labor in America 2017, and hey look it's GOPcare...

The other day someone was bemoaning the high cost of self-steering gears and made the statement that it was impossible to get one for less than $3K.

I pointed out that a used Aries or reasonable facsimile could, with a little looking, be had for between $400 to $600 or you could buy a kit for an excellent gear that with a little sweat equity could be had for between $300- $600.

The advantage of the kit approach is when you are somewhere far, far away and something breaks you know how it's built and you can just fix it.

DIY is not just about saving money...

Listening to Esmé Patterson

So it goes...

Oh happy day!

A fact of note, some seriously scary shit, and Sailing Anarchy makes a couple of good points...

This weekend I've been rebuilding the bookshelves in the forepeak and came across a John D MacDonald book that I have never actually read. Somehow or other I'd managed to completely miss "The Turquoise Lament" in my various readings and rereadings of the Travis McGee series.

Getting to read a new to me John D MacDonald book is like a birthday and Christmas all rolled up into a big ball of wonderfulness.

Even made me forget the whole tRump/end of civilization as we know it thing for a little bit.

Listening to the Wilder Society

So it goes...

Just neat...

FUBAR meltdown, destroying a much needed agency, and the mystery of the dead robots...

This is just all kinds of neat.

I've always thought a canoe would make a great tender.

Listening to Gesu No Kiwame Otome

So it goes...

a trailer of note...

While music & media promoters are all hell-spawn (or worse) this really is an all time low and  SXSW is dead to me now, an excellent article, and in the "Gee-gosh-darn I feel so much safer now" department...

A catamaran and not a beach bar in sight.



Listening to Trad Attack

So it goes...

Thoughts on downsizing an outboard I don't use very often...

Kurt Vonnegut on nuclear annihilation, vicarious liability, and some not at all good news regarding clean water...

I like to row. Really, I find the repetition of the oar stroke combined with the sound of the water induces a kind of clarity that is both relaxing and helpful the thought process. Most of my best ideas tend to pop up when rowing or bicycling.

Which is not to say I'm against outboard motors and I have a 5HP stored on my pushpit because, from time to time, you might find yourself somewhere where an outboard is needful. Though the last time I found a n outboard needful on the dinghy was several years ago and in those years I've happily rowed several hundred miles or so in spite of the fact that, as a rule, half of that rowing has been into the wind and current.

Every once in awhile I consider putting the outboard on the dinghy but the hassle factor of the motor always seems to point to the conclusion that it's just more hassle than it merits.

I recently came across a new 1.5 HP motor that I'm considering replacing the 5HP with... It's tiny, light, and functional. Has sort of a weed-whacker vibe. Might make a lot of sense. Then again, stick an outboard on your transom and you get the outboard noise and lose the rhythmic concentration aid of rowing.

I expect I should row on it some...

Listening to Hazel English

So it goes...

a question/answer of note...

Interesting, well worth reading, and some riveting stuff...

Oh yeah, Storer asks the age old question.

Is a Modern Lightweight Dory REALLY Seaworthy? Are Dories REALLY Seaworthy?

That should keep you busy!

Listening to a whole lot of Leon Russell

So it goes...

Just get pragmatic...

EB Misfit gets it right, interesting, and in the "Has it really come to this" department...

I've noticed, through the ongoing cold/flu-from-hell I've been suffering (as well as my possible new addiction to Nyquil), that my sense of humor, apparently has taken off for parts unknown  (possibly Brazil?) and I miss it.

I mention this mostly because I generally enjoy the antics of folks searching for the perfect boat, discussions of what makes a perfect boat, and, especially, long diatribes on how important having a perfect boat is...

I suspect in an earlier time I would have enjoyed the "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin" debates as well.

The problem is, without an intact sense of humor, the whole searching for the perfect boat, discussions of what makes a perfect boat, and, especially, long diatribes on how important having a perfect boat is just really pisses me off. I even find myself hating the word p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

Houston we have a problem...

Truth be told, I've never ever thought that there was such a thing as a perfect boat. At best, boats can be perfect in a finite set of circumstances but those are rare as hen's teeth, the one true love, or honest politicians and, when they happen, it is a short time magical event to be savored.

There are lots and lots of better than good cruising boats out there and, in fact, there is such a glut of the damn things that the prices for a better than good to great cruising boat is cheaper than they have ever been.

Seriously, for $10K, in any major city with a coastline in the US of A you can find a turnkey ready to go boat thirty feet or under that will sail you pretty much anywhere you want to go in safety and no small amount of comfort. Spend a thousand or two more and you can have an even nicer more than good enough to boat that will fulfill your dreams.

If you need a bigger boat (as in you're not a single-hander or couple) because you have a family add  anther $5k for a 35-foot or under boat and if you still need bigger $20k will buy you something in the under 42-feet zone. Sure you'll still have to look to find the good ones but there are so many out there you won't have to look far or long to find a boat that will work for you.

Well, that is, if you're pragmatic about actually doing stuff and getting to someplace gone.

P-R-A-G-M-A-T-I-C, it's a very good word where cruising is concerned and, having been on and around boats since the early 70's I have yet to come across an unhappy pragmatic cruiser. Pragmatism works just fine, will never let you down, and will get you by when perfection fails.

Just something to consider...

Oh, and by the way, if you happen to come across my sense of humor on some southern beach please let it know that I miss it, all is forgiven, and I really miss being able to laugh at all the donuts trying to find perfection afloat...

Listening to Lily Meola

So it goes...