Little Egret: an Egret-style day sailer

[WX]

I'll bring it with me for the EBS. I'll bring up those bits of wood as well.
BTW I have the Northern section of the chart but it's under a sheet of glass on my desk. So we'll have half each.

[johnno]

Thanks Gary, can't wait! And thanks for the wood too

[PeterSibley]

Do you need any more fancy timber John?

[johnno]

Hi Peter, for the moment I'm fine..main thing I am making is leather parts at the moment. Many thanks for the offer though!

[johnno]

Another great sailing day..though the breeze super light...5 knots and a little shifty. Recording 3.5 knots going upwind on the gps, so I'm still over the moon with the lively performance. I decided today to take a foot off the length of the tiller, now that I really understand which part of the boat I want to spend most of my time in. It's too intrusive in the cockpit at the moment.

I've also today experimented with leaving the sails furled around the leach and then stowed on the mast. It's a piece of cake to raise and lower the masts with the sails already lashed on this way, as I can still grab the full body of the mast in each hand without the slippery sail getting in the way. It's going to take 20 minutes off the launch time.

I'll sew up a couple of long sail bags which can slip over the mast and sail, and keep the rats and hornets out. All that will be left to do at the ramp then is just attach booms and sheets...10 mins at the most.

I also gave her a run with the 2.5 hp Suzuki today and she gets along quite quickly, though I forgot to glance down at the gps. She's very sensitive to fore and aft balance though, to keep the prop just the right depth. Fortunately, with me at the helm and my wife up on the foredeck (the best forward position) that's the also the correct balance spot. I reckon I was doing 6 knots though.

[WX]

Ah you've got me drooling there mate. Talk about incentive to be afloat.

[johnno]

That was half the plan Gary!

[WX]

Yeah well not long now.

[PeterSibley]

I am jealous ...very !

Inspiring though !

[RFNK]

Great John!

Rick

[Thad]

Very nice indeed!!

[johnno]

Just had Ian Oughtred 'like' the photos of my Little Egret that I'd put up on the Wooden Boat website. I've also just finished reading his biography, so that's a nice coincidence. Just feeling pleasantly and humbly chuffed right now. Thanks Iain.

[Breakaway]

Please accept a late congrats on the launch. I had been following your thread and lost track somehow. She is lovely, as are your sailing waters.

Kevin

[Larks]

Just had Ian Oughtred 'like' the photos of my Little Egret that I'd put up on the Wooden Boat website. I've also just finished reading his biography, so that's a nice coincidence. Just feeling pleasantly and humbly chuffed right now. Thanks Iain.

Cool, do you have a link to the photos John?

[johnno]

Thanks Kevin, glad you enjoyed the thread. Come over for a sail! Greg, yep, it's here....
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater

[johnno]

Up in the Straits for the break, and a chance to get in some sailing. Winds around 10-12 knots today, a little gusty at times, so got out for a decent morning sail of a bit over an hour, nearly over to Fraser Island and back. It was a chance to test her out on a variety of points of sail, and have a better look at the sails and so on. She still goes like a storm, and can tack easily even from reach to reach without having to harden up first.

I launched her from the neighbour's place straight across the road, out between the mangroves and brought her back in there as well under sail. The mizzen is great for these shallow water manoeuvres around mangroves and oyster rocks, as is the ability to spill most of the air from the sails, even downwind.

The neighbour snapped a couple of shots as we were heading out and coming home....

heading out, luff still a bit loose....


and coming back in amongst the mangroves and shallows...

[timo4352]

Sure looks beautiful there, John. We got about 10 inches of snow here the other day.
Enjoy.

[johnno]

Timo, 10"! When it melts you can going sailing in that in your sharpie!

[davebrown]

Apologies if this question is answered earlier in the thread (I have read the full thread in bits and pieces) but hull length and sail area? I saw your builder's badge that said 20'...I am studying up about the same rig on my chesapeake oyster drudge right now. Which build hasn't really taken off--I've had a whole bunch of life getting in the way for the last three months. The Chesapeake plan shows about 190 sq. ft with mainsail and foresail, and mainsail is already the sprit legOmutton like yours. Foresail looks like a gunter, and I am about cured of gaff-style sails. I have been ruminating about a lug vs. a pair of legomutton sails...did you or Ross consider the lug for the foresail? Your set up, btw, looks fantastic and seems to perform beautifully from your vids.

[johnno]

Hi Dave, good to hear from you. The overall length is just on 20', water line a lot shorter of course. There's 113 sq ft of sail, 65.2 in the main, and 47.8 in the mizzen. I believe Ross would probably put in a lug, because I know he finds them very efficient and well behaved. I was keen on the leg o' mutton simply because the Bill Schwicker sharpies were my inspiration for the design, and I wanted to keep that rig.

I'm about to order a smaller suit of sails (51 sq ft main and 35.7 sq ft mizzen) which is the reefed area of the current set. It's always so windy up here, I figure this will be a better combination. Quite a small area for the length of boat, but she sails well, quickly, and is very stable with that reefed area of sail.

[P.L.Lenihan]

Hi John,

Just bumping this up to place a request, if I may. I know it is tough down there, what with the sun and the heat and the poisonous critters and all but do you think there is any way we could have another grouping of wonderful sailing pictures to drool over. Not me drooling, but you know, some other folks may be drooling and need a fix.


Thanking you in advance and wishing you well!



Cheers!


Peter

[johnno]

Happy new year good sir! We've just returned to city life for a couple of weeks to get a live music fix, see a few other human souls, catch the odd house light that stays on after 7pm, and venture into shops that sell something other than bait, mosquito coils and anchor rope.

It won't be long until we're back up in The Straits, and as you know how much I like to make folks envious, be sure there'll be a photo fix on the way. Meantime you'll just have to return to those posted a week ago, and position yourself in a variety of different spots around the room where perhaps a new angle will reveal some previously un-noticed detail of warm sparkling tropical water, a mangrove leaf, puffy white cloud set against a warm blue sky, a straining sheet, or a curling bow wave, while sipping on your favourite medicine and having your winter-chilled brow rubbed lovingly by your intrepid and lovely captain.

All the best with it...

John

[P.L.Lenihan]

as you know how much I like to make folks envious, John

Now there's the rub, isn't it? You actually like to drive folks insane. Ruthless even in victory,I say!

Thanks for the additional viewing tips, look forward to giving them a try later today once I'm back from the boat and believe me, by then it won't be my brow which will need to be "lovingly rubbed" by the captain.NoSirree! But is is some times related to wood.....

Savour your brief return to what passes for civilization John and may your nights be haunted with dreams of snow banks, broken shovels and snow suit clad vixens!



Cheers!



Peter

[johnno]

Just dropping in to say hi as we sail past...... (apologies for the low res pics, taken by a passing fisherman on his phone)...trying out the new suit of sails.

If you remember, I decided to get a smaller suit cut, which are about the same size as the first set with one reef in them. They worked a treat! The breeze was very light but they've still got plenty of power to drive her along. I actually laced them on a bit low, and as a result couldn't get the downhaul into them that I really wanted. Adrian at Switch sails at Redcliffe made them...beautifully cut and finished. Thanks Adrian!

For Mr Lemonhands' benefit, as it's getting in winter here, I had to have my sleeves rolled down 3/4 just to keep the chilly winds at bay. Tomorrow the special secret cap gets a try out! More pics to follow I hope!

[RFNK]

Looking fantastic John! No wrinkles there now - really beautiful!!
Rick

[P.L.Lenihan]

Such a clean wake and sweet set to the sails,John. Some of the pictures,particularly the first one, look like they could be a painting!

Not all that long ago, if some one had said "Here, wanna see some pics I too with me phone?" , the reply would have been "Sure and why donchya pull the other one while yer at it!"

Amazing how technologies keep marching ever further forward.

Speaking of technologies, as your antarctic winter slowly begins to lay its' cold hard arms about your land I should let you know shorts now come in full lengths,called "trousers" and there are even some neat clove like devices for your feet called "socks." These two items, at least, will be necessary when you slip into your snowsuit and hunker down for yet another long and deadly onslaught from the season you call winter and which we,up here, some times spell s-u-m-m-e-r. (Note how winter and summer have exactly the same number of letters.No accident, that!)


Nevertheless, really nice photos John and certainly what a fella needs to hold onto through the deepest darkest parts of winter.

I trust the esteemed Mr.Lillistone is suitably impressed? I certainly would be!




Cheers!


Peter

[Duncan Gibbs]

Nothing to add to Peter's most excellent commentary other than to say that I'm now wearing my j-u-m-p-e-r.

Look forward to sailing in your company John!

[jim_cricket]

Very nice, John! So what's on tap for this winter? Modifications, or a new boat? Or maybe hole up with your paint kit and easel.

[Larks]

She does look a treat John!! Lovely day for it by the looks as well, but what's that chasing you in the water over your right shoulder on the edge of the first pic?

I reckon I might email Switch sails and see what they can do for the Bateau sail....

[johnno]

She does look a treat John!! Lovely day for it by the looks as well, but what's that chasing you in the water over your right shoulder on the edge of the first pic?

Looks like a bull shark fin to me...but I didn't bring a trolling line with me....

[johnno]

Very nice, John! So what's on tap for this winter? Modifications, or a new boat? Or maybe hole up with your paint kit and easel.

I wish we'd just get a run of fair May and June weather so I could sail my heart out Jim! It should be warmish, nice breezes and clear blue sky and gin clear water at this time of year. Instead, it just keeps raining. Yesterday beautiful, this morning I'm looking out at grey skies and no wind. I blame that La Nina bird! Just have to play some guitar and do some painting and be patient I reckon.

[timo4352]

Nice to get an update on Little Egret. The sails look good.

[RodB]

Hey Johnno... she is looking good. I was wondering if you had written a detailed synopsis of her sailing characteristics compared to other sharpies and if you would make any changes besides sail area if building again?


She's a beauty.


RodB
www.brinkboatrepair.com

[johnno]

Hi Tim and Rod. Rod, to be honest I haven't anything like the hours sailing in her yet to really get an overall picture. Since launching 8 or 9 months ago, or whatever it is now, I have only been out sailing half a dozen times or so, and because of the tides here, never for more than an hour or two at a time. The weather has been so bad this last year, it has hardly stopped raining or blowing.

In addition, as I like to go out sailing with my wife mainly, I've been very conservative in my sailing so as not to put her off. I've seen too many wives lose interest after having been taken for a couple of gung-ho sails.

That said, everything so far has been excellent. For this very windy part of the world, this newer smaller suit if sails is much more pragmatic. They were absolutely fine in the light airs yesterday, and there was still adjustment to add a bit of shape to them if I'd wanted. These sails have one reef point in them, so I've got a good margin still to either flatten them out more or reef them.

Of course I also have the other option, if I wanted go out on a very windy day, to just step one mast at the outset.

Things I'd like to possibly amend.

1. I need a tiller extension. This is for two reasons. The first it just to allow me to get a bit farther forward. However it would also be really useful for another reason, and that is, if I'm on the side deck as I was yesterday, and I want to bring her up to windward in a gust, I have to move my weight right across to leeward to get the tiller across, which is conter-productive the the whole exercise. With an extension I can hike out a bit and push the helm down at the same time. Easy fix, I already have the components, just need to size it all up and fit it.

2. I built the boat from a very light and string marine ply you can probably only get in these parts. As a result the whole boat is very light and not as stiff as I would like it to be. I think it could do with some extra ballast, but I don't really like the idea of making the boat any heavier than it needs to be. Because it's light, there's not really enough weight in her for the masts to bend off as they should in a gust and spill some air.

I think I could have made the masts slightly thinner, and lighter, which would have taken some more weight out of them (great advantage in terms of weight distribution) and also made them more flexible. It would also have made them even easier to step. But I didn't. Hence the current strategy is to keep the boat light and reduce the sail area, rather than make the boat heavier.

3. If I ever did go the ballast way, I think, even though I have actually bought some lead already, I would actually make a galvanised centreboard. It's not the sort of boat construction or shape that would do well with lumps of lead ballast distributed around her, either within or without the hull, because it is lightly built. But it is plenty strong in the centreboard trunk, and then the weight of the iron centreboard would really be down low.

4. I deliberately chose the leg o'mutton sprit rig because that was the rig on Schwicker's Egret and I really liked it. One way or the other, they are still the most difficult rig to reef. And sharpies should be able to be reefed easily I reckon. So one day, when I'm in a slightly less romantic mood, I might put in a sail track on the mast, which would solve the whole reefing problem in an instant.

[Larks]

Adrian at Switch sails at Redcliffe made them...beautifully cut and finished. Thanks Adrian!

Just had an email back from Adrian, (already - great to have such a quick response from someone for a change) he's given me a good price so reckon I'll get my sail through him as a result of your satisfaction with his work John. cheers!!!

[RFNK]

Well, I'm really impressed with how well you've set up that sprit rig. But I also think putting a track on the masts will give you improved performance and manageability. But it does look great the way it is!
Rick

[Duncan Gibbs]

John, I had a thought that sandbags could be good as a nice compromise to lead as an experiment, can be easily adjusted to suit conditions and are pretty low impact on a lightly built hull. They're cheap too!

[RFNK]

I think the sandbags are a good idea but I suspect John will probably want to go for something more integral - a cleaner design, so to speak! A steel centreboard is a good idea - you could use the existing, wooden one when light conditions are expected and the heavier one when it's expected to be a bit rougher.

Rick

[PeterSibley]

She does look a treat John!! Lovely day for it by the looks as well, but what's that chasing you in the water over your right shoulder on the edge of the first pic?

I reckon I might email Switch sails and see what they can do for the Bateau sail....

Those photos are a great recommendation aren't they Greg. JIM will be needing sails, I'll email him a drawing.

[RFNK]

John, I note that in your photos, sometimes your tell tales are not parallel when they should be and parallel when they shouldn't be. This is unacceptable and you shouldn't post photos of your boat in this state, or in your state, for that matter. Now, there is a way to correct this sorry state of affairs. I refer you to Bruce's explanation of why rowboats don't tip over which he provided a day or two ago in a thread I don't recall the title of, but it was something like Why Doesn't My Rowboat Tip Over? The solution to your non-compliant telltales, and those which are simply trying too hard, is something along those lines.

Rick

[RFNK]

Those photos are a great recommendation aren't they Greg. JIM will be needing sails, I'll email him a drawing.

If JIM needs sails, I doubt he's going to be happy with a drawing!

Rick

[johnno]

Rick, I regret indeed that those telltales are indeed telling a sorry tale of inattention on the part of the skipper to any number of adjustments while he was either posing for the camera or looking around to wave. Indeed, on some shots, it looks as though the windward telltales have themselves decided to wave, but it was just that kind of cheery afternoon sail.

You will be pleased to know I am now the beneficiary of a rather pleasant sailing cap, which, amongst other magical properties, is endowed with the ability to inform the skipper instantaneously about any errant telltales. It shall be worn on all future outings so as to avoid the shame brought about your insightful observations.

More on this on the LPBC thread.....if you would like to wander over.

Duncan, I do indeed have some sandfilled hessian bags in the shed which I used when designing the deck for my fly fishing skiff, in order to check weight distribution. I've been thinking of dumping them onboard one trip, just to see the effect. I think the first step though will be the tiller extension.

[RFNK]

You could always just cut them off.

Rick

[PeterSibley]

If JIM needs sails, I doubt he's going to be happy with a drawing!

Rick

He'll take what he gets !

[johnno]

Greg, that's great news, he's a first class bloke. I think the shots of Sarah Wilson might be up on his website soon, as he wrote today asking if that would be okay.