Lightning update

[Carl Simmons]

Well we finally have warm weather here in Indiana
and I have been making giant leaps toward finishing my Lightning.

I got the Rudder mounted and built the tiller, here is a couple of pics:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pb8ebb0fa8fc0b37c8043e180c5b0b1c4/fc7c5c8d.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p7db9ee6d708e8757db66c216c5bf4fb4/fc7c5c88.jpg

The Tiller is made of Oak with Mahogany spacers. I haven't put the pivot bolt in yet and I still need to add the hikeout extentsion.

Here is a picture of the chainplates:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pfc801470cd655bafb8eca6354aa2bd82/fc7c5c96.jpg

I'm using chainplates salvaged from a defunct lightning.

I have also, painted the deck (white) and installed the CB trim. I am working on installing the seats and finishing the rigging. I still need to install the backstay adjustment, mount the jib cars and the crosby rig for the mains.

It's getting close enough I can just feel the wind rushing by my face. smile.gif

Carl.

[Art Read]

Fun, ain't it! ;) I really like the look of that tiller. Is that "typical" construction for a Lightning? I'm just starting to build up the varnish coats on the one I made for my project. Because of the rake of the rudder post, it required a pretty dramatic sweep, and I worry if it'll be strong enough after having been steamed and bent so much. (I think I'll carry a "spare" just in case!) Wonderful seeing yet another great old boat getting a new lease on life. Congratulations!

(Here's a couple of shots showing the rough ash stock I used bent on a "jig", and the beginning of the shaping I did to fit the tiller head I scrounged up. The finished tiller is tapered more now, about a third shorter, and has a little "egg shaped" end carved into it.)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid54/p480674551eed21dd73a9980d7cb6c77e/fc8530a5.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p973bf12c32d2d43753de5b02dec4b9cf/fc7e23b7.jpg

[ 03-18-2003, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[Carl Simmons]

Art,

The rudder is basically built to the plans. It is in two pieces, blade and neck. The blade slips into the neck and is held in place with bolts. I assume the idea was so you could replace the blade after it gets worn.

The boat is a new construction with a few parts salvaged from an old lightning: Seats, Mast, Chainplate and some rigging.

Carl.

[Carl Simmons]

Art,

Sorry, I just re-read your post and you were asking about the tiller. The tiller is copied after a design I saw in the WB magazine on the lightning they made. I thought theirs looked a little fragile so I beefed it up a bit. I epoxied two pieces of oak together with mahogany spacers and clamped everything down. After setting, I rounded the corners with a router and sanded everything down, then varnished. Pretty simple actually.

Carl.

[Art Read]

Whoops! That was a "typo"... I meant to compliment you on your TILLER, (not that I don't like your rudder of course! ;) ) but I guess I didn't edit my post fast enough. New construction, eh? Cool! Did I miss any earlier posts showing the building of the hull? I must be confusing your project with a Lightning re-build that has been shown here as well?

[Carl Simmons]

Art,

Do a search in this forum for my member number:
5457 and you will see all my posts including the
hull construction.

Carl.

[Mr. Know It All]

Good work Carl. Now that the weather is finally breaking you should get more done. How long until you launch her? Thanks for posting the pictures. smile.gif
Peace----> Kevin in Ohio

[Carl Simmons]

Kevin,

Thanks, I trying to have it ready by the second week of April. That's when the sailing club around here gets going. One problem could be the sails, I'm looking for a used set to cut my teeth with.

Carl.

[Jana Shaw]

Looking good Carl. Can't wait to get going on my Lightning. Still waiting for the snow to melt. I saw some used sails for sale from the Lightning Class website.

Happy sails,

Jana

[Ken Hall]

Nice work, Carl. I do like a wooden Lightning.

[santone]

Carl, I reviewed your Lightning project and marvel at the great job you've done. How many hours of your labor do you estimate you invested? Have you enjoyed sailing it? Where?
I sailed Skaneateles built #569 on the Hudson River with my dad and brothers, at Ossining NY in the early 50's. (I don't have photos). I later restored #'s 4402, 4403, 4404, and 4405 as summer projects while I attended high school. These 5 Lightnings were built in Naples, Italy, as a family project after WW11 (Gran Gallo Boat Company). They were imported by a relative and left to deteriorate in a City Island boat yard. I rigged (S/S) and refinished them, including re-covering the canvas decks. Most of the original canvas was shot. The hulls and spars were in decent shape. I kept #4402 for myself, sailed and raced it for several years on the Hudson and then on the Niagara River. I'll shortly post some photos of #4402 on my personal sailing site at www,mysailingworld.com]
Although I'm deeply involved in the revival of the Woodpussy Class (www.uswpca.org) I'll always have a soft spot for the Lightning. If you'd like a photo of # 4402 taken in August 1952, let me know and I'll forward it to you. Regards, Tony

[Garrett Lowell]

She's looking great, Carl! Love that tiller.

[John Hastie]

I thought I would drop you a line on your project.

I am very familiar with the lightning. In fact, I went to a small wooden boat show at Navy Pier in Chicago arounf 20 years ago, and a fellow from Lake Carlyle, IL, bought a lightning, took it home, and when he raised the sail and later looked at the hull, he found he had Lightning #1. I saw it and it was for real.

One thing you need to determine with great forethought is what kind of self-bailer you need. Be real careful here. It will need to be installed fastidiously and you should look at them all. This will have a great impact on keeping water out of your boat and preventing water deterioration.

One I like is similiar to the one I have in my O'Day Daysailor II. Forget the kick downs.

Good luck and enjoy.

John

[santone]

John, Carl and friends,
Here's additional information about lightning #1 designed by Olin Stephens, now on display at the Mystic Seaport Museum (CT). http://www.sailmag.com/features/OlinAndLightnings/
Regards, Tony

[santone]

Lightning lovers,
Here's a link to "blow your mind" about the evolution of the Lightning. http://www.lightningclass.org/Articles/ABigDeal.html
Regards,
Tony

[rbgarr]

Thanks for the links on Lightnings. I worked at a fiberglass shop in the mid 70s and we built three Lightnings. Their sail numbers were in the 12000s somewhere.

One went to a merchant sailor who turtled the boat in Casco Bay. He climbed up on the bottom by hooking his hands in the centerboard slot... and the stainless steel centerboard slammed back into the trunk, severing his pinky. :eek: :eek:

The second boat was paid for in cash by a young man and his girlfriend and I gave them a lesson as we sailed it to their home upriver. The cash should have been a giveaway, because it turned out they were drug dealers and had been running substantial amounts of dope into their dock. They were soon arrested and the boat sank at the mooring.

The third boat was the charm, however. I got to race her in some regional regattas and she was a good competitive boat.

I left the company soon after, and I think they sold the molds.

[Alan D. Hyde]

A good job, Carl.

I hope you've had some wind when you've taken her out.

I've always had bad luck with that around here, and tend to be impatient of being disgusted (so to speak :D ).

Alan

[Carl Simmons]

A quick update on my Lightning. I have throughly enjoyed sailing and tinkering with it. There has been a pretty steep learning curve for me. It still amazes me how quickly the lightning turns. Since it was launched, I have made some changes. I added a cunningham and an adjustable main traveler (The Crosby rig wasn't keeping the boom down the centerline). I still need to add an adjustment for the Jib cloth. I currently use a bungee to keep it under tension.
The only problem I have had is the rudder came loose and fell off the boat before I could catch it. I'll be adding a clasp to keep it from coming free from the tiller. Besides the clasp for the rudder, I plan to make a bridle for using a hoist for launching and a control for the jib cloth.

I'm learning how to sail a lightning and race at the same time which makes things interesting.

The lightning was christened in Maine in 2003 and sailed out of E. Boothbay. Last year we took it and sailed it out of the WBS. This year were planning on bring it to the woodenboat get together in Syracuse,NY on July 23rd and 24th. We'll then continue on to Maine for another sailing course and some exploring.

BTW, I remember Joel Thurtell's article in the May 2000 lightning flash about the up tick of new Lightning construction projects. The Lightning construction article in the WB Magazine was where I got the idea to build mine. I haven't seen any other new woodies out there but I know they are there. Maybe there will be some additonal new woodies at the get together?

Carl.

[rbgarr]

I built those fiberglass Lightnings in the Boothbay area. Did you launch her at the Linekin Bay boat ramp near the Hodgdon boatshop? (I worked there after the fiberglasss shop.)

[Carl Simmons]

rb,

We actually christened the boat in Rockland at the public ramp just south of Atlantic pt. We sailed for a week out of E. Boothbay. We used a small public ramp off Hodgdon Island. We were renting a cottage on Sawyers Island where we docked the boat. I made a small motor mount that fit on the transom where the rudder attached. I used a electric trolling motor to motor over to the dock at the cottage. At low tide I dropped the mast in.

I'll post some picks of the christening when I get a chance.

Cartl.

[rbgarr]

If you sailed south (two miles?) from Sawyer's up Ebenecook Harbor to the Boothbay Region Boatyard that's where I helped build the Lightnings. :D

[santone]

Here's Lightning #4402, built in the late 1940's sailing on the Hudson River at Ossining in 1952.
http://24.47.49.176:8000/sailingworld/lightning.htm
I'm sailing it with my dad and a friend.
Regards,
Tony

[Trog]

Thanks for the update and good show.

Hopefully I'll be able to start restoring my 3-digit 1938 Lightning this coming year or the next.

http://home.pacbell.net/trog/starboard-quarter-4.jpg

[Gary E]

Trog,

When I was a Sea Scout we had #352, as far as I know they still have that boat.

[Trog]

Cool!

Mine is Rampage #467, built in Skaneateles. She was national champion a couple times in the mid to late '50s.

She'd been sitting on the hard for a decade or two, sequestered in a hopeful restorers garage until the landowner yanked said garage out from under them. They were going to trashheap her but a marina mate interceded and bought her for $50. Then one day he walks by my boat and barks, "Hey! Wanna 'nother boat?"

Silly me. I decided to look her over and she bit me. So, for the cost of two new tires I now have an old beat-up classic with full rigging and even a spare set of cotton sails (damn things are SOFT!) :eek:

Now if I could just get ahead on the sanding and varnishing of my Kings Cruiser, I could start tossing money into this other hole.

:D

http://home.pacbell.net/trog/rampage-467.jpg

[ 03-04-2005, 06:26 PM: Message edited by: Trog ]

[Wild Wassa]

Trog, How do you resist the urge to start ... are you waiting for some CPES?

Carl, I'm very envious of you and your boat. In fact I'm envious of all Lightning owners. I think that they are one of the best looking boats when powered up, on the water. I've only seen Lightnings in photos.

There has appeared recently on two South Australian racing dinghy sites, new sections on the Lightning. One site was drawing attention to the boat, there must be one or two over in SA now and the other site was calling for interested people to contribute to a new section on Lighnings. I would like to see the Class in South Eastern Australia but I'm sure it won't explode onto the scene, like the Lazer and Taser dinghies have here ... sadly.

I've been looking on Australian sites for Lightnings for a few years (since joining the Forum) hoping one might turn up ... the boat's timeless look, looks well worth the wait.

Congratulations and kick boat Skipper.

Warren.

[ 03-05-2005, 02:39 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]