Just want to mutter something and this seems like the best of spots for it!

[Wild Dingo]

Okay I was wondering which area to stick this in and figured to stick it here as its about designs and a particular designer ... Ive also put the following on the woodenboat world forum as well just sooo as to make his blush even bigger!

Well as most would know Ive been searchin high and lo for several years for "THE" boat to build... now about a year back one Swedish "Koster" type boat took my heart as it did many at the time... Now this wee vessel is out of Nova Scotia and known as Elly and beautiful she be although aged to a great degree she is still a sweet lady upon the eye.

Anyway at that time there was a fella who offered to take Ellys lines for a study plan to be done... and so it came to pass the drawings and offsets duely paid for and sent out from Nova Scotia to all points of the globe yes even downunder they came... to be drooled over drawn out and framed and hung on walls throughout the lands of the globe...

Now in my search I came upon many a great design by many a "great" designer and one such was the almighty "Fame" by one BB Crowninsheild a 40ft schooner of the sweetest lines that I began a search in maddening earnest to find and procure a set of plans for my own... and lo after much hassleing cussin spitting and shouting to all and sundry from near and far a set of "Fames" plans landed upon my desk sent by one Todd fella who lived nearby to the Peabody Museum and did the good deed and secured the plans and so sent them downunder to me... but in the meantime Id become amoured by Mr. Crowninshields Dark Harbor and sent away to the Woodenboat store in Brooklyn Maine for a set... and lo in time those plans too landed upon my desk

So I set myself up cleared away the debris of life and family moved the furniture from out of the main living room and with trusty blue tak in hand began the arduous task of sticking the plans recieved upon the wall to look at endlessly and earnestly and to check and eyeball at my leasure these treasures from the 1910 and 1913-15 era... and in doing so I put Fame on one side and Dark Harbor on the other of one framed set of... Elly...

And truth to tell...

Ellys STUDY plans are clearer... more precise... have far more information contained in their 3 small sheets than all 8 of those large sheets of Crowninsheild once held to be of the same genius calibre as the mighty Nat Herroshoff {sp?}

Sooooo... as a token of esteem from me downunder in sleepy hollow Mandurah West Aussie to one up in the frozen wastes of Nova Scotia... I hereby recommend and commend one Micheal Mason {fellow forumite mmd} to any who wouldst be of a mind to have a design commissioned!... His study plans alone are better than many complete sets by some other designers.

note... it should be known that the only knowledge I have of Michael is through the study plans recieved a small parcel of Canadian music sent {along with a small book on the Oak Island treasure mystery} and contact via email and 2 forums on the internet... Ive not yet even met him! mind you I should be sharing a nice lobster or two with him about now if things had gone different... ah well... no worries!

This post is simply my way of telling him that his study plans are truely aweflaminsome in a way that others may take the time to consider him as a truely good and viable option in commissioning a design!...

oh and to make him blush! HA!!!

Goodonyer Micheal!! cheers mate

[mmd]

Awww, shucks... [img]redface.gif[/img]

You are too kind with your compliments, Shane, and I certainly do not deserve to be spoken of in the same breath with Crowninshield. I am a mere mote in a duststorm of creative people, and none would have heard of me without this medium and my penchant for blather. But thank you; I'm glad that I could brighten your day a bit.

[Wild Dingo]

Now truely Micheal enough of the self depreciation mate

They are the finestkind and honestly they are... at the least... as good as either of those by Crowninsheild or in my rather humble estimation better...

and mate remember Im holding all three!!

[Alan D. Hyde]

Don't sell yourself short, mmd.

I've been lucky enough to stumble across quite a few great people, the best in their fields, in my lifetime, and most have this one thing in common: they really CARE about what they do, and are happy they can get paid for doing what they'd love to be doing anyway...

Your comments here over the years suggest to me, from afar, that you probably fall in that category, as do several others of our company. I'm happy to be able to learn a little something from you all as we go along. Thanks. We're all heading for the exit door, but we may as well enjoy the walk... ...and perhaps leave something good behind along the way.

Alan

[Bill Perkins]

I too appreciate your expertise and gentlemanly presence here mmd.

[garland reese]

Nicely said, Alan! I agree! This is a great place for gaining insight and knowledge. I never would have dreamt the possibilities without the fellas here on the WB forum. It is nice that there are pros here offering their experience and guidance.
mmd's advice is always well spoken and highly appreciated. And I don't think I've ever seen a post that self-promoted (not that I'd mind if ya did!!!).

Anyhow.......this landlubber is thankful for all you guys.

[Aramas]

Not to downplay mmd's abilities (and Elly is a particularly lovely boat), but one should bear in mind that BBC's plans were drawn in a commercial environment for use by professional boatbuilders. There was no point giving a builder more detail than he needed. Anyone that's dealt with tradesmen knows that you can wave a hundred detail drawings at them and they'll still build it the way they know how.
From what I gather, the drawings of Elly were a labour of love, and I suspect that if mmd worked out the hourly rate for his efforts it would probably be less than the minimum wage in Laos [img]smile.gif[/img]
I wouldn't be at all surprised if mmd racked up hundreds of hours on that one.

[Wild Dingo]

yeah but...

[On Vacation]

But and if, the two biggest words in the dictionary, used in more sentences than any other words I know.

Many others do the job that Mike does, but its hard to find a fellow with a PE degree that shares the thoughts for free and with enthusiasm on the subject of boats.

[Ken Hutchins]

I also wish to add my appreciation for the wonderful professional advice and comments MMD has been posting. [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] Truely a professional of the finest kind. [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]

[mmd]

Thank you, one and all, but this is getting to be too much. There are many Forumites, past & present, who have contributed much more than I for much longer. Bob Cleek, theChemist, Thad, come quickly to mind; they and many more deserve accolades much more than I.

(edit) And let's not overlook the great contributions by Jeff Lane, Dave Fleming, Ed Burnette, Todd Bradshaw, John Hardiman, and so many more.

[ 07-05-2003, 11:11 AM: Message edited by: mmd ]

[Wild Dingo]

Yes I know there are other worthy shipmates here as you say... sorry about that Michael...

Really all I wanted to do was to point out how much more detailed your study plans were in comparison to in my first post Mr Crowninshield full plans... and yes Im aware of his era and target builders but none the less...

So I will allow this thread to sink...