Send items to [email protected] for inclusion here next month.

Nancy's China

Stan has his highly modified "Nancy's China" about done to his liking. He'll probably never be finished with changes but it's pretty much good. I don't think Sam Devlin would recognize it. This jib is a mainsail for some other boat, has a home made roller reefer.

David Lucas
Lucas Boatworks and Happy Hour Club
(941) 704-6736

Model Sea Swift

Here’s my first model boat, which I’m planning to be my first full scale boat; possibly built this winter. It’s a Sam Devlin design “Sea Swift,” and it’s 1” = 1’. (https://store.devlinboat.com/seaswift.aspx)

I plan to change a few things: first the rudder will be a Jim Michalak design, which folds up. Second the sails won’t be the sprit Sails, they’ll be twin leg-of-mutton sails with sprit booms and easy vertical reefing. And third, I’d like to flood twin chambers for water ballast, which means I either loose freeboard or raise the sides higher to compensate for the higher floor boards inside the hull. In the end it’ll work a lot like a Sea Pearl, only the Sea Swift is 19’ 3” and the Sea Pearl is 21’ long.

This could be a great boat to sail on the Columbia River, because you basically tack back and forth up river all summer long due to the desert thermal winds (the same winds the windsurfers utilize up river in Hood River). With the leg-of-mutton sails, you’ll set the tack and simple go back and forth; never having to deal with much.

Only problem is the thermals can change with little notice. In the evening, between 6-8 pm, the ocean starts to cool down rapidly, and the desert stays or gets hotter – which equates to an all afternoon 10 knot breeze turning into a 20-25 knot (or more) windstorm in minutes. You can actually watch the white caps moving up river late in the afternoon.

I’d been sailing all my life, and when I moved to Portland Oregon, bought a boat and got a moorage slip, my boat neighbor asked me if I was comfortable reefing quickly. My response was, “on the Columbia River?” He explained how the thermals create a breeze almost every afternoon and can get out of hand quickly later in the day. I was young and dumb and didn’t believe him; until I got stuck out in the river when the wind whipped up.

Kevin

Cormorant and GIS Side by Side

By complete luck, I crossed paths with Garth Battista and his wonderful family while cruising the Maine Island Trail in our respective boats.

We were both impressed with each other's boats and did the requisite ooh-aahhh back-slapping homebuilt-boat jibber jabber. It was a fun encounter, I thought you might enjoy the picture.

Christophe

Michalak Ladybug

I wonder whether you had the same problem as I - see photo.

That is, space does not allow the motor to be tilted all the way. Which is why the rope is needed.

Best wishes,
Sakari Aaltonen

Comments to Dwforum.

Jewelbox Jr

I posted some photos of my JB Jr in an album "JB Jr Reeds". Included is a photo of my modification of the underside of the bow. It's a triangular pod just taped in place and fiberglassed over. Underneath it is the designed 1/2" plywood bottom.

The addition did not seem to reduce pounding at all. The deepest part of the "V" is way above the waterline and not effective. It's like I need to reverse the addition. That would put the deep part at the waterline, but then I'd have a drag producer.

I think I need to bring the boat back to my garage and brainstorm a different shape for the pod... deep where it needs to be, with a smooth transition to the bottom, and maybe wider... or maybe even a skinny entry widening out... or...

Reed Smith, Ventura, CA

Pathfinder Update

Still not sure on a firm date for my launch, but wanted send a couple of shots of my Pathfinder....coaming and rub rails still just tacked on at this point and a lot left to do, but it is slowly shaping up.

Jon

Wanderer

Steve Bosquette just couldn't stand not building a boat this year. As a result he surprised me with this when we met for lunch last week ! Pretty close to scale and definitely captures the spirit of Wanderer. Sits atop our TV to remind me to get out of the house and on water. A delightful gift from a skilled builder.

We took her (the real one) for a motor only jaunt up the NE inlet to Lake Nockamixon, then back down to the dam & back. Nearly five hours, maybe 6+ miles over water with a lunch break at anchor. Used the 40# MinnKota for almost the last 2 hours .. on "high", "5", making 3 kts. The battery lost just a bit after 20 minutes, then held the rest of the way. Reassuring to know that the little chart on top of the MinnKota is pretty accurate: I'd expect 5 - 6 hours on "2", maybe more. Just right to silently "cheat" in light, fluky air.

Fair winds,

Bob

The Handyman's Dictionary

SNAP-RING PLIER: Special pliers used to propel snap-rings from the part you are working on to the farthest, darkest, spider inhabited recesses of the garage .

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting your freshly-painted vintage car (or boat or airplane) which you had carefully parked in the corner of the shop (or hangar) where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench at the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, `Oh sh-....'

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age.

SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short. PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood blisters.

CRESCENT WRENCH: Used to prepare a bolt head for the application of pliers.

BELT SANDER An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round-off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

WELDING GLOVES: Heavy duty leather gloves used to prolong the conduction of intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

ACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for igniting various flammable objects in your shop. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

EIGHT-FOOT LONG YELLOW PINE 2X4: Used for levering an automobile upward off of a trapped hydraulic jack handle.

E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool, ten times harder than any known drill bit, that snaps neatly off in bolt holes thereby ending any possible future use.

BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect from the engine being removed.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 24-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A very large pry bar that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end opposite the handle.

AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt . It can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object you are trying to hit.

MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through cardboard shipping cartons delivered to your front door . Works particularly well on the contents of the carton such as seats, collector vinyl records, caustic/flammable/difficult to clean up liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing the work clothes of the person using the knife or anyone standing next to that person.

GOD-D*MM*T TOOL: Any tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling `GOD-D*MM*T' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

Everglades skiff

I remembered that Glen Simmons had received a folk heritage award, a little research found this.

Gladesmen: Gator Hunters, Moonshiners, and Skiffers / Edition 1 by Glen Simmons and Laura Ogden

https://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1273334574/4

Glen Simmons (foreground) and apprentice Donald Edwards navigating their way through the "River of Grass" on glades skiffs: Florida City, Florida From the florida archives.

Michael

A Newfoundland Crab boat, owned by Ross Petten from Port de Grave... in some "choppy water" on the Grand Banks off Nfld.

 Who says still photos can not show wave heights?

Float a Boat

This is the rest of the story about the foam boat we built a while back. I built this hull and Jim finished the rest. We all thought that it would be unsinkable but we've never actually tried, till today. The hull is two inch foam glassed inside and out with enough glass to build a battleship. Two layers of 1708 covered with two layers of 10 oz cloth inside and out. In addition the bottom front has a layer of kevlar. Laylah and I put it (#8) in the water and pulled the plug. About four inches of water came in then stopped. If we had been sailing we wouldn't have even slowed down. I couldn't turn it over in the water so I put the plug back in and bailed water into it. You can see how high it floated full of water. I took a picture, water up to the bottom of the yellow rail and pulled the plug. In about a half hour the water was out to about four inches deep. I bailed it out and put it back on the trailer. This is the boat I want. Super strong, very fast and totally unsinkable, even if you cut it all up. The boat have if you're looking for all this and safety. Jim is about finished with his new boat and will sell this one for $7000 but I think he'll take 6.

Annie Holmes sent me this picture of her daughter Wendy. She works for the state dept. and has just arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan. That's about 90 miles up from where my son Jamie is, small world isn't it? I had both of them out sailing a while back.

Pilgrim

I've made some progress on my Pilgrim. I'm at the point of fairing and smoothing and getting ready to paint the hull. I'm also thinking about turning her over and need to get my bow eye and gudgeons and pintles. I'm going to turn it over in the shop using the bow eye and fittings for the rudder.

I'll forward some pictures of my build that I took from my phone.

Thanks,
Chip Matthews

Fantail Launch

Here's the new boat I'm building, a fantail launch. Long, sleek, beautiful, no fuss and no sails to fool with. We've already got every kind of sailboat you can imagine sitting around here so I'm going motor this time. I've already started. I'm modifying the hull of the burned sailboat and using that one. We're all having a hard time visualizing something other than a sailboat. Higher sides and cabin and such. I'll just make a stick framework and stick it on to try to picture how it looks. And a side note, if you ever have a wooden boat burn make sure it burns up all the way. I think it would've been easier to make a new one than to fix this one, sanding half burned fiberglass really sucks.

David Lucas
Lucas Boatworks and Happy Hour Club
(941) 704-6736

Wesmar Bow Thrusters

Wesmar manufactures all stainless steel, dual propeller, bow thrusters that provide more thrust in comparison to conventional thrusters. They are available in a full range of size up to 371 kW.

Bryan Thiemann

Regional Sales Manager
WESMAR - Western Marine Electronics
Office: +1 (425) 481-2296
14120 NE 200th St
Woodinville, WA 98072 U.S.A.
skype: bthiemann14
Website: wesmar.com

Product of the Week: V-Lock Universal Mounting System

Use and stow most of your equipment and accessories virtually anywhere on board with the V-Lock Universal Mounting System from Larand Products.

Attach a V-Lock base in a logical convenient location around a boat, then mount accessories to a V-Lock insert. Use any accessory where there's a V-Lock base. Use equipment where it's needed, with the ability to quickly and easily move it or remove it when not in use.

Watch the V-Lock demonstration video.

More info: www.larandproducts.com or call 1+877.786.0606 (toll free in the US) or 1+954.977.6333. Larand Products, Inc. - 2173 NW 22nd Street - Pompano Beach, FL 33069 USA

Product of the Week: DuraSafe Universal Electronics Lock

Bracket-mounted electronics on unattended boats are an easy target for thieves - just unscrew the knobs, unplug the cord and walk away. The Universal Electronics Lock from DuraSafe secures bracket-mounted electronics, leaving a thief no other alternative but to move on.

The compact and rugged lock replaces one of the bracket knobs and secures the unit to the bracket. One size fits GPS, fishfinders and VHF radios made by virtually every manufacturer. It can be keyed alike if more than one bracket-mounted device needs to be secured on board.

Made in the USA of marine grade material, the Universal Electronics Lock includes a rubber cap to protect it from the elements. MSRP $US28.99.

Watch demonstration videos for the Universal Electronics Lock and other DuraSafe products at www.youtube.com/durasafe.

More info: www.durasafelocks.com or call 1+262.544.5615.
DuraSafe – 1785 S. Johnson Road – New Berlin, WI 53146 USA

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