I recently returned from a wonderful 2 week business trip in Europe. The business in France was to sail and better get to know Francois Vivier and his designs. I felt it was a good idea as his sole US and Canada kit agent and boatbuilder to better understand the cultural backdrop to his boats. I had also hoped to get on many of the that I carry in my catalog but have not had the occassion to sail on to date. The plan was to sail in Pen-Hir to Semaine Du Gulfe Morbihan (photo left at sea), one of the premier boating festivals in the world with 100s of Vivier boats in attendance as well. The trip met and exceeded all expectations. Not only are Viviers small boats well represented but there were numerous large vessels of his design sailing in the Gulfe. I was able to get onto all the boats and gain a good feeling for how they row and sail.
While hove to in the 250-boat voile-aviron fleet (sail & oar), I was able to sail with Nicolas Vivier in his Morbic 12 and transfer to a kit built Ilur afterwards. It was a fantastic morning with this sort of activity, bouncing
from boat to boat and seeing so many Vivier boats in one place. It was like a
"live" floating advertisement for his boats!
The pictures dont do justice to just how many boats there were in the sail & oar fleet, one of 7 fleet
s in the Festival which took place over the whole Gulf and rotated night to night through the different p
orts. Other boat in the fleet were: Le Seil, Minhouet, B
eg-Meil, Ebihen 15, Ebihen 18, Aber, and Francois first sail & oar boat, Aven.
I was more taken with Aber than I had thought: she is beautiful, fast, and seaworthy.
If you speak French or even if you do not, it is worth watching a video about Francois and his work shot at the Morbihan week on board Pen-Hir and aboard Francoiss motorboat design, Koulmig, pictured in the background.
Well, Spring is springing here on the Maine Coast so it is time to start unveiling some new designs at Clint Chase Boatbuilder. The pictures are of a scale model of a new skiff design by Eric Risch. We have been collaborating for years on the Echo Bay Dory Skiff and when a couple on Marthas Vineyard said, "We want a bigger version of the Echo Bay", I went to Eric and said, "We have a project!". This is the result of a redrawing of his old design, Caravelle. The result will be a stable but slippery rowing skiff with a transom that well clears the water, an immersed stem to prevent slapping/pounding in harbor chop, and space for two to row with their dog. Moreover, shell weight 90 pounds and be easily cartopped with a custom canvas cartopping cover. We plan to start construction on two skiffs May 1 and launch after July 4th.
More to come about Caravelle and the Echo Bay DOry Skiff Kit packages.
I took a pleasant 3 1/2 hr trip down to Wellfleet, MA, way out on the arm of Cape Cod, to meet Walter Baron of Old Wharf Dory Co. and see the first ever Drake 19 "in the flesh".
Walt of Old Wharf, boatbuilder on Cape Cod
The boat looked great to me. I was so pleased. Even as the designer, I was struck by how much boat there is; it is 192" LOA afterall. Designed to be an open water, cruising rowboat for one, the boat would also make an excellent tandem rowboat for rows in the harbor or in more open water.
Drake 19 rightside up.
The interior has two side tanks on either side of the sliding seat system. The tanks will help the boat be self rescuable, with some additional flotation in the ends, The rails slide right into precut holes in the frames of the boat. Everything fits just so.
Sliding seat system integrates into the CNC cut structure of the boat
After this build, and with a few months to finish out the drafting and writing of the manual, the boat will be available as a kit.
We had been planning to spend the first few days of the new year at Catalina Island but the recent cold temperatures (highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s) made that plan unappealing. So instead I worked on a couple of winter projects. First I removed the old dodger and cut the frame down a bit. The old dodger was taller than it needed to be and was not the best design. The photo below is a before shot, and Ill post some pictures of the revised dodger in a couple of weeks.
Finisterras dodger is taller than it needs to be
This dodger is about eight years old and is showing its age. The new one will be about four inches longer along the roof-line and two inches lower, and it will have Strataglass instead of plain vinyl window material. I think Strataglass is vastly superior to other materials because it is doesnt wrinkle and distort your view, yet it is flexible enough to roll up when you want to. I never fold the dodger down so there is no value in the extra flexibility of regular vinyl. Well replace the bimini along with the dodger. It is also showing its age and I want to tweak the design of it a bit as well.
Another project that got underway this week was the new cockpit table. The first step was to remove the old one. I have a good deal of respect for the designers at Beneteau. They generally do a pretty good job with styling and ergonomics in their boats, but in my opinion they simply missed the mark with this table. I have tried to like it, and even encouraged others to do so, but unfortunately we could never quite get there. Its clunky looking, its too big and it gets in the way of sailing the boat. It also makes the cockpit cramped for anything besides sitting and eating or drinking. So I took it out...Man, what a difference! Weve got room to move now.
The cockpit is almost four feet wide between the seats.
With about 3-6" of width between the seats, the cockpit now feels spacious. With this much room it will need some foot-braces which Ill install using the existing holes in the sole. Ill build a smaller table module and mount it just forward of the binnacle. It will include a dropleaf table, storage compartment, grab-rails on the sides and a housing for a GPS that will swivel so we can see it from anywhere in the cockpit.
I love the new-found space here!
Beneteau installs a clear plastic cover on hinges over the instruments at the helm. Nearly every Beneteau weve looked at, ours included, showed signs of the hinges coming adrift. Naturally they were installed with self tapping #6 screws which usually lose no time in working loose, so its not long before those itty-bitty threads are stripped. I took the plastic cover off permanently, and will do something creative with the leftover holes.
Here are a couple of views of the cockpit table. Its not pretty but with the drop-leaves attached, it makes into a large dining table in the cockpit. On our boat the leaves are beautifully varnished teak.
The table is stoutly made with a nice welded stainless steel frame that includes a foot-rest. The table comes with a plastic lid that fits loosely on top.
The drop-leaves are attached to the table with slip-pin hinges, and the blue tape covers the forward one because it had an uncanny ability to grab clothing as you go past it. Beneteau used a RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) process to make this molded fiberglass part. This is a cost effective and environmentally responsible process that results in a strong, lightweight part with a smooth finish on both sides. Im a big fan of RTM.
Here are a couple of photos of the finished ground tackle system. It includes a chain stop mounted on a teak block and bolted through the deck, which was reinforced with a large backing plate. The chain is 200 of 5/16" type G40 spliced to 150 of 9/16" nylon 3-strand rode.
The chain stop is mounted on the block to align it with the chain between the windlass and bow roller. Notice the shiny underside of the hatch. It was also made using an RTM process. The waterproof plastic box holds the handheld windlass controller.
Anchor installed.
There has been considerable controversy in the last few years regarding anchors, with all sorts of accusations flying in all directions. For many years I used Danforths on my racing boats. They are relatively compact and fairly reliable anchors, and are a good solution for boats that dont get into challenging anchoring situations. When I began outfitting our last boat for cruising I chose a Manson Supreme. It is what I call a spade type, as opposed to a fluke type of anchor such as a Danforth or Fortress, and while there may be disagreements about which brand anchor is better, I think the spade type of anchor is superior to the fluke types. The Manson 35 we had on the Honcho is one of the few items I kept when we sold her. When it came time to buy an anchor for the Finisterra, I felt there was little difference between the Manson and Rocna units and chose a Rocna 25 (55 LB) mainly because it was a little lighter and less expensive than the comparable Manson.
In Mexico the holding ground is varied, and we anchored in sand, mud and rock bottoms. In the lagoon at Barra De Navidad, the bottom is more like a black slurry than proper mud. In Bahia Santa Maria we spent five days anchored over a sandy bottom while 25 to 40 knot northerly winds combined with a strong southerly swell rolling into the bay, making it quite a lively anchorage. All the while the Manson did its job perfectly and I expect that the Rocna will do the same.
The Small Reach Regatta was the next stop in my busy summer. The SRR is a gathering of 70 sail-and-oar boats, this year, at Lamoine State Park and put on by the Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association. Irowed and sailed (downwind) his rowboat design Drake and consistently finished in the front of the fleet (but of course it wasn’t a race!).
This event is an annual gathering and a wonderful chance to test and showcase the boats CCBB sells and builds to designs from around the world, for example Michael Storer in Australia, Francois Vivier in France, Eric Risch in Maine, Bruce Elfstroms beauties and my own designs. We will be carrying kits and building boats produced by a Finnish builder, Suomen Puuvenepiste. These are unique, semi-exclusive agreements to bring new sailing and rowing boats into the US market as CNC cut kits, bare hulls, and finished boats up to 25 feet. My hope is to bring a demo boat from all these folks to boat shows and events like the SRR. Next year well have a Goat Island Skiff Yawl to show off like this one built by a kit customer in TX for the Texas 200:
The event was three days. Day 1 was a short windy upwind row and downwind return to a classic small Maine coast island. Every day features an interesting lunch stop, a wonderful opportunity to rest and to look at others boats. Moreover, I see it as a learning experience to talk to the builders and owners of the boats. I learn something new from every one of the boats. For me, the SRR is about the finest form of professional development I can get.
On the downwind return to camp, a small squall came through and the force overcame my mast step..."WHAM!"...I heard the snap and the boat lurched and we nearly capsized. The first night was a quick repair with polyurethane glue while the sun set. Day two was to feature a long, fast broad reach to the lunch spot, and there was no way I was going to miss sailing that stretch! I was repairing until I couldnt see anymore boat...will it work?
A few weeks ago, Dennis Marshall wrote to me asking for comments about Phil Bolgers superb Micro. Here is Dennis message: -
Dear Ross,
I hate to commandeer your blog with all my questions and comments. I do enjoy it immensely. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to comment on Bolgers Micro at some future date. I would be very interested in hearing about your experiences with her and your assessment of her abilities. That was the first boat plan I ever bought. And ten years later, she still intrigues me.
Well, I am keen to respond to this request, although I have to admit to being intimidated by the idea of making comment about the work of someone as well-regarded as PCB. I hope to write something this week.
Ive been very busy over the last week, and have also been away, so the writing has been delayed. However, I thought it may be appropriate to start off with a very short piece I wrote about ten years ago dealing with an imaginary cruise aboard a Micro.
The style is a direct copy of the type of essay which Phil used to write about cabin arrangement in issue #86 of Woodenboat Magazine. Although the trip is from my imagination, the information is based on experiences I have had over a decade or so.
Mike Rowe stood in the companionway of his small cat-yawl holding a mug of black coffee, which was now half-cold due to his habitual day-dreaming. He was at last starting to relax after the mental and actual turmoil of the preceding days. It seemed to him that the only place he could really unwind was on the water, and the current conditions were his favourite. A light north-easter was moving his keel-sharpie steadily past Earlando Resort and he was anticipating with satisfaction the first mental milestone of his outing – Gloucester Island.
Mike, who was approaching middle age with at least some grace, had calculated a speed over the ground of 4.63 knots since departure four hours earlier. Calculating was habitual for him. At this rate they should reach the rendezvous with his friend Ian by one pm the next afternoon, allowing for the present favourable ebb tide.
Although Mike’s coffee was now cold and unfinished, it had provided him with satisfaction beyond measure, just by having been prepared in the tiny cabin while the boat steered herself. How many times he had dreamt of such activity he could not have told anyone; but although long in the gestation, the situation had been as sweet as he had anticipated.
The other activity he had particularly enjoyed was lighting the kerosene navigation lights. These had come from a supplier in Canada many years before (he also habitually bought gear before it was needed, as though it would bring a cherished project to fruition ahead of time!) and promised to be a worthwhile investment as long as the contents of the reservoirs could be prevented from permeating the vessel. To this end, the skipper had stored the filled lights in a plastic nappy bucket. This he had chosen because of its robust construction and close-fitting lid. It normally resided in the aft free-flooding well, where kero spills could be washed away with seawater. They were more reliable than the corroded wiring of his mate’s GRP sloop – electricity had its place, but that place was not on a small boat.
Just after eight pm, Mike went below to rest. Had anyone else been present he would have justified his action on the grounds of tiredness – but as he was alone he could indulge himself for the real reason, which was that he loved to feel the little yawl steer herself. The feeling was heightened enormously when he went below. The wind was forecast to veer, so any unnoticed course change should be towards open water. A medium sized, spherical compass was mounted through the main bulkhead, so he could monitor headings from the bunks as well as from the cockpit. Danger of collision was his only concern, but during construction he had stuffed crumpled aluminium foil inside the hollow wooden masts to act as radar reflectors.
The hypnotic sound of water against the 6mm plywood planking lulled him into a short, relaxing sleep, but the novelty of this trip soon saw him back in his favourite position in the companionway. What had always puzzled him was why so few people followed the cheap and simple route to boating pleasure? Mike’s boat had cost him only a few thousand dollars, and six months part-time labour – yet she was built of the best materials and had an effectively unlimited life expectancy. His friend’s glass boat had been much more expensive (even second-hand) but gave little extra other than internal room. On the other hand, it was in need of major work to treat osmosis, and was a real handful on a trailer. To each his own – but Mike Rowe felt happy in the knowledge that his boat was simple to maintain, and that her total cost including trailer was less than the expense that Ian had incurred upgrading his vehicle to tow the second-hand GRP boat. The little wooden boat had no standing rigging, no sail battens, no stainless fittings, no winches – yet she was a true open water vessel. Self-righting, positive buoyancy, two full-sized bunks, dedicated storage hold – all very shipshape in her brush painted finish.
Mike Rowe’s advice to those who came to see his boat? : -
·Start building, even if it is smaller than the project of which you dream;
·Use high quality timber, adhesives, paint and tools;
·Keep up the momentum of the project – letting the job remain idle for even a few days makes it much more difficult to continue;
·Never leave anything in the construction which you don’t feel good about – no bad timber, no bad glue mixes, no bad joints etc;
·Seal all surfaces and joints;
·Follow the application instructions for the painting system religiously;
·Resist the urge to varnish;
·Keep it simple.
Here is a link to a youtube video taken from on-board a Micro. It was a very light day - 8 knots of wind max - but the little boat went very well indeed on the smooth waters of Wivenhoe Dam here in Queensland, Australia.
left at sea), one of the premier boating festivals in the world with 100s of Vivier boats in attendance as well. The trip met and exceeded all expectations. Not only are Viviers small boats well represented but there were numerous large vessels of his design sailing in the Gulfe. I was able to get onto all the boats and gain a good feeling for how they row and sail.
The Small Reach Regatta was the next stop in my busy summer. The SRR is a gathering of 70 sail-and-oar boats, this year, at Lamoine State Park and put on by the Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association. Irowed and sailed (downwind) his rowboat design Drake and consistently finished in the front of the fleet (but of course it wasn’t a race!).
