New build underway at Grapeview Pint, WA.

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Tom Regan has just laid the whiskey planks on our CY, Tashtego, so turn-over time soon.Best regards,Irv

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/?saved=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/?saved=1)

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pics of the build. She'll be turned over later this week.

Best regards,

Irv

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

[James McMullen]

That's awesome, Irv. I'm looking forward to seeing you out on the water!

[Irv Mac Dowell]

That's awesome, Irv. I'm looking forward to seeing you out on the water!

James,
Thanks for the wish, but I think the only time that would be likely is at the Olympia Wooden Boat Festival in May. Tom will be delivering Tashtego at the show and after a short shakedown sail, she'll be back on her trailer. She, my wife, and I will hit the road for the long trip back home in New Jersey.

Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pics. She'll be rolled over tomorrow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards,

Irv

[johnw]

What design is it?

[Irv Mac Dowell]

She's an Oughtred Caledonia Yawl. She'll be rigged as a lug yawl with mast box and two position mast step.

She was rolled over yesterday.

New pics added. On schedule for early May completion.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards,

Irv

[Ed Armstrong]

Looking great!

[wizbang 13]

He builds great boats!!

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Newest pics showing upright hull and CB parts under construction.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/?saved=1

Best regards,

Irv

[TerryLL]

Looking great Irv. Have you settled on a trailer yet? Any suggestions on make and model?

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Some new pics added. http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/?saved=1

The "floors" are well underway. The floors are the transverse pieces that stiffen the hull and provide support for the floor boards that run fore and aft. Tom has added extra floors besides the ones specified in the original plan. This allows him to use thinner floorboards, that weigh less and are more easily removable. This is made clearer in Tom's blog of the building of the sloop version of the Caledonia yawl which you can find at Grapeviewpointboatworks .com.

The trailer is a King KB 910, bought locally from Verle's Marine in Shelton, Wa.. Fitting a trailer is a bit problematic since few boats as long as the CY weigh so little. This trailer is sprung for a much heavier boat. Some have removed leaves from springs to lessen the stiffness, though this trailer has a torsion axle. Tom Regan has used this trailer for all of his CY builds and assures me that's it's fine. We'll see, since the trailer and boat will be taking a 2500 mile cross country trip from Olympia, WA to Princeton, NJ after the Olympia Woodenboat Festival in May.

Best regards,

Irv

[TerryLL]

Thanks Irv,

That King KB 910 is rated at 900 pounds capacity, which seems pretty reasonable for the CY.

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Terry,

I think the boat will weigh somewhere around 600, all up. She's being built with fore and aft compartments and a motorwell, which I suspect adds around 80 pounds to the original predicted weight of 450 to 500 on the plans. I expect to carry most of the daily use stuff in the tow vehicle while trailering, so figure maybe 50 pounds of equipment more in the boat at the outside. I think the trailer is still a bit stiff, but probably fine. If I find it bouncing a bit too much, I can always add some sand bags to stress the axle a bit more.

Best regards,

Irv

[TerryLL]

My build will be on the light side. I'm thinking maybe 350 on the hull, 100 on the spars and rigging and 250 ballast, all adding up to about 700. The trailer I had been considering was an Easy Loader rated at 1250, but that King might be a better choice.

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pictures of build of our CY, Tashtego, being built by Tom and Susanne Regan at Grapeview Point Boatworks.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

[TerryLL]

Irv,
Thanks for the update. That forward bulkhead and mast box will be interesting. Any new thoughts on flotation?

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Terry,

I think I'll use inflatable bags in the bow, as well as fenders attached under the seats. Most of my sailing, at least until I learn the boat, will be relatively sheltered and on carefully chosen days. While I know that squalls can blow up anytime, here in NJ summer weather is quite predictable. Summer thunder is always a possibility, but I'll be close to shelter if that happens. Actually, one of the main reasons I chose the lug yawl was its ability to be rapidly reefed and/or dropped if necessary. Most of my sailing in the last twenty years has been on very large boats on very big waters where weather was somewhat less of a concern, or at least less avoidable if it came. I'll be more able in the CY to choose my days, until I'm ready for the thrill of heavier weather sailing in a small boat.

Best regards,

Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

By the way, Terri, the design of the forward open bulkhead is such that, if in the future I decide I need a full watertight compartment, I can add covers to the opening. Tom has reinforced the openings with a laminated edge. I would need simply to add a step-down edge to provide a support for the cover. For now, I think the airy, open compartment is best.

Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pics added.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards.

Irv

[GregH]

Interestingly shaped cutout for the motor. What model Torqeedo motor will be used?

[Irv Mac Dowell]

It's a 1003 Travel.

[WCM]

Great looking boat. Tom Regan does beautiful work.

[Oyster]

very nice Irv,
might i ask what are spline weights? what are they used for? what are they made out of?
thank you
royce

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Royce,

First let me say that I am by no means a boatbuilder or expert in building, (the last boat I built was a small wood block sailboat with twin dowel masts that I put together 60 years ago in my Cub Scout troop), but i have some idea of the uses of spline weights. They are very heavy for their size and are used to hold a flexible curve in place while drawing lines. As shown in Tom's picture here on my thread, he used them to achieve a fair curve for the openings in the forward bulkhead on our CY.

For more, much more, try googling it.

Best regards,

Irv

[Oyster]

thanks Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Tashtego is on schedule for completion in late April. Some new pics have been added.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards,

Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pictures have been added.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pictures of building progress.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards,

Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pictures have been added.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

[SMARTINSEN]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7043557413_ec5b96d656.jpg

Nice detail. What a nice clean build.

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pictures have been added. Lots of final details before painting and rigging her.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards,

Irv

[Thad Van Gilder]

Gorgeous boat!!!!! Are you ever gonna take it to south Jersey? Let me know, I'd love to see it in person!!!!

-Thad

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Thad,

She may well be in Forked River someday. Barnegat Bay would be ideal .

Best regards.

Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pictures of Tashtego. Paint and varnish are now underway.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards,

Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

New pics have been added. The build is almost complete.

Best regards,

Irv

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

[Irv Mac Dowell]

These are the final pictures before I head off to Olympia, Wa for sea trials and pick up. Tashtego will be shown at the Olympia Wooden Boat Festival next Saturday and Sunday, then we'll bring her home to NJ. I'll add some final photos from the show.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards,

Irv

[wizbang 13]

dang, I just launched my newest boat yesterday, you have not launched yet. You will be the newest boat at the Oly event!!

[Gerarddm]

That is a fine​ looking CY. Kudos to your boat wrights.

[Alan H]

Wonderful...Tom is a great guy...

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Tashtego is finally ours. We picked her up at the Olympia Woodenboat Festival in Washington last weekend. What a treat to see her after her four month build!

Many, many thanks to Tom and Susanne Regan at Grapeview Point Boatworks for the terrific job they did on our dream boat. Their workmanship is simply incredible!

Below is a link to some final photos of our girl.

Now for some East Coast sailing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75065117@N05/

Best regards,

Irv

[wizbang 13]

Yer home already? All those lakes dint call yer name?

[Irv Mac Dowell]

No, Bruce, our home lakes called too strongly. Unfortunately, weather here in the East has been snotty--wind, rain, hail and lightning and thunder--too much for me to go for a sail.

Below I've linked to a very short video of Tashtego, Tom Regan at the helm, in light winds at the Olympia Wood Boat Fair in May. This was the first time she had seen the wind.

https://vimeo.com/43383362

Best regards,

Irv

[Irv Mac Dowell]

Thad,

A while ago, you asked whether my boat would ever be in South Jersey. Well--almost. She and I will be at the Toms River Woodenboat Show on Saturday, July 21. We'll be there from 9 to 5, if you'd like to stop by.

Best regards,
Irv

[WCM]

No, Bruce, our home lakes called too strongly. Unfortunately, weather here in the East has been snotty--wind, rain, hail and lightning and thunder--too much for me to go for a sail.

Below I've linked to a very short video of Tashtego, Tom Regan at the helm, in light winds at the Olympia Wood Boat Fair in May. This was the first time she had seen the wind.

https://vimeo.com/43383362

Best regards,

Irv

Tom Regan is very skilled boatwright and also a very nice guy. Your boat is beautiful.