Building Baby Dot

[johnno]

just add water

Bloody gorgeous Tim! Best of luck with the launch! We are all eagerly awaiting pics..hope you have more luck with the weather than I did!

[wizbang 13]

great job!!
may I suggest a tiller extension and a sculling notch, 2 things I have on all my small craft.

[Michael Wick]

Tim,

My melonseed is dolled up and ready for the Small Reach Regatta, leaving tomorrow. I was racing PHRF on a local lake, and I've found that I suddenly have to worry about such things as the course, where the turning marks are, which way to round. The modern marconi glass boats have a tiny advantage going to windward, but the gaff rig is powerful on all other points of sail., and I am suddenly near the top of the fleet. This is a change for me, and I'm sure that BABY DOT's performance will be just as good. Mike

[Tim Marchetti]

We had an awesome week in casco bay sailing baby dot every day. More details and pictures to come. My middle son tried her out with a double reef. It was blowing 20 and gusting higher. Short story is... she performed better than I could hope for. I still need to learn the rig a bit more(questions to come another time). My oldest son took hundreds of high quality pics. I will post some as soon as I get them from him.

[johnw]

She looks even better under sail.

[Tim Marchetti]

thanks John, better pictures to come. Here's a video of her with my son pushung her into the wind.
http://s877.photobucket.com/albums/a...t=MVI_2905.mp4

[johnw]

Looks to me like you got the sail area about right. How much is it?

[Tim Marchetti]

135 sq.ft. It does seem about right. She still moves in a light breeze, but she stays comfortable when it starts blowing. The real limiting factor to me are waves. We were out in some 3 foot seas with some big boat wakes and she wasn't happy.

[gstanfield]

Congrats Tim, she's a fine craft indeed.

[Rich Jones]

135 sq.ft. It does seem about right. She still moves in a light breeze, but she stays comfortable when it starts blowing. The real limiting factor to me are waves. We were out in some 3 foot seas with some big boat wakes and she wasn't happy.

No 15' boat is going to be happy in 3' seas with a lot of wake cross-chop. She looks fine. Looking forward to more pics.

[johnno]

Tim, what a feeling! Very well done, I'm thrilled to see her out on the water and looking so good. I hope you have many many wonderful days out in her, just like this last week seems to have been. I'm busy changing and resolving little things with mine. I'll be interested to see what you get up to as well.

[Tim Marchetti]

Thanks for the comments everyone. John, the only thing I would like to resolve is how to control the spars when hoisting and lowering. I will ask in another thread when I get my head around what it is I'm looking for.

[Clinton B Chase]

Tim, pass the halyard through a block on the yard, then around the mast and down to the heel of the yard. Make off the halyard to an extra hole there with a bowline. The tension keeps the yard against the mast. This is how we do it on the GIS's.

She looks fast.

Cheers

[Tim Marchetti]

Tim, pass the halyard through a block on the yard, then around the mast and down to the heel of the yard. Make off the halyard to an extra hole there with a bowline. The tension keeps the yard against the mast. This is how we do it on the GIS's.

She looks fast.

Cheers

Thanks Clint
I'm using a mast traveler and that works great. What I'm looking for is a way to keep the boom and the peak of the yard from crashing down when I lower the sail by myself.

[Clinton B Chase]

Having the halyard tie to heel of yard is the only way I know of. It slows the peak of the yard when it is lowered.

[Michael Wick]

Tim, The Small Reach Regatta was a blast. At one lunch stop I was parked between a GIS and a Lillistone Phoenix III, and it was fascinating how different the three fifteen footers were, although they were just about the same dimensions. Freeboard and washboard & deck vs. open boat were the biggest difference; all three are fine boats.

[Tim Marchetti]

some better action shots

[Tom Painter]

Great job Tim! Have you capsized her yet?

[Tim Marchetti]

thanks Tom
Not yet, but I should do a test

[Tim Marchetti]

My son showing his love for his brother the photographer

[timo4352]

Baby Dot looks great and you guys sure look to be having fun getting to know her.
I like the sail size - looks really sweet on there. Like the two reefs too. Well thought out and executed.
Congratulation on a successful build, Tim.

[Tim Marchetti]

Thanks Tim. The sail seems about perfect. I still have some learning to do with the lug rig.

[Clinton B Chase]

Thanks Tim. The sail seems about perfect. I still have some learning to do with the lug rig.

Tim the sail looks about right. No creases or anything. In the photo above to middle finger it looks like the sail is pretty flat. Having an adjustable outhaul would help keep the sail full in light air and better drive the catboat hull through the water.

Grant makes great sails. He is now my go to sail maker.

[Tim Marchetti]

Tim the sail looks about right. No creases or anything. In the photo above to middle finger it looks like the sail is pretty flat. Having an adjustable outhaul would help keep the sail full in light air and better drive the catboat hull through the water.

Grant makes great sails. He is now my go to sail maker.

thanks Clint, an adjustable outhaul is on the list of simple improvements