Hey James

[Otter99]

What??? Didn't you hear about the bears?

At any rate, I'd heartily encourage you to get out the Sawzall this winter and make her right. Don't settle for any less. Complacency gets you nowhere. If you're not entirely satisfied when you could be, then you're not giving yourself the best deal. Add in that front bulkhead, it'll make your boat both substantially safer and more self-reliant in case of disaster, as well as more convenient to pack and use on long trips. Swap out rigging, add tie-downs or pad-eyes, install a built-in pump, add binocular shelves, replace that bulky, enormous rear hatch with a nice, watertight flush round one to make your deck more comfortable to sit on, make an anchor locker, make a boat tent, install a mast tube to make your rear compartment watertight, figure out a compass mount, turn some belaying pins, install a bottle opener, sew up storage bags for fenders, spare lines, oars, sail covers. . .

The list is endless, but it's all fun, satisfying tinkering. Make your boat better. Don't settle. If anything whatsoever bugs you, go fix it. It's all absolutely worth it in the end.

Thanks James, I'll start with the bottle opener. ~Dan

[James McMullen]

Building boats is just as satisfying as using boats, I think.

[WI-Tom]

A bump for this oldie but goodie for anyone wanting to read about some sail and oar cruising in the PNW. Seems like that movement has gone underground of late...

Tom

[BBSebens]

Well, the most vocal proponent betrayed us for some crazy notion called "warm water". The others are quite content to not spread reports of their activities far and wide.

[Yeadon]

Haverchuck and I had several pretty solid multi-day sail & oar trips this last year, including one where I slept for 13 hours at anchor at Clark Island. Best slumber of the year. That's my report for 2020.

[WI-Tom]

Haverchuck and I had several pretty solid multi-day sail & oar trips this last year, including one where I slept for 13 hours at anchor at Clark Island. Best slumber of the year. That's my report for 2020.

Ah, well, who needs you guys to write more, anyway? I just re-read the entire Haverchuck build thread this morning (school's closed for cold weather today). Time well spent.

If Canada remains smart and refuses to let us 'mericans cross the border this summer, I may have to head for the PNW. Or Maine. Probably not both in the same summer. Hmm... This year could be the last SRR ever. They might welcome a Hvalsoe 18. Just sayin'...

Tom

[AJZimm]

Haverchuck and I had several pretty solid multi-day sail & oar trips this last year, including one where I slept for 13 hours at anchor at Clark Island. Best slumber of the year. That's my report for 2020.

I don't remember Clark Island as having any really snug anchorages. Not sure I would have slept that soundly there.

[Yeadon]

Sleep of the just, Zimmerman.

[AJZimm]

Sleep of the just, Zimmerman.

Well, that definitely leaves me out.


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[Bill Perkins]

AJZ ; on the subject of floating your anchor line : I saw in Blue Hill Maine some long outhauls that used a square ring buoy made of PVC of about 2 1/2 inch diameter ; producing a ring about 2 ft. square .They were sized differently depending on the length of rode and outhaul being floated .There were long sweep 90's in the corners with the rode hitched to one corner and the out haul running on the other . For your case a bight of the rode the correct distance from the anchor could be led through and over such a ring forming a ring hitch ,maybe with a half hitch thrown over all for added security . No separate fender required ,and the end of the line would not need to be rove through a hole . The unneeded line would never leave the bag .

There were still a few of the old wooden cross style floats being used on the shorter outhauls (this was 15 years ago ) .The rode was not tied to a hole in the softwood . One arm was longer than the others and about 6 inches from the end had opposing notches about 4 inches long on the edges of the plank .The rode was hitched to this ,the depth of notch being about equal to the rode's diameter . Where the outhaul ran a short piece of PVC pipe was bolted in place for a bearing surface . Some were souped-up with the addition of small squares of closed cell foam glued to the underside of the cross piece's outer tips .
img20210218_10370847 (2).jpg

[AJZimm]

Bill, I abandoned the wood float that I built for Hornpipe for a much more simple system that I use on Fire-Drake. I basically copied what McMullen, Yeadon and Hvalsoe use because it worked so well.

[Yeadon]

I basically copied what McMullen, Yeadon and Hvalsoe use because it worked so well.

There's my new signature!

[AJZimm]

There's my new signature!

Of course - imitation being the sincerest form of plagiarism, or something like that

[James McMullen]

Well, the most vocal proponent betrayed us for some crazy notion called "warm water.”

Yeah. Living at the equator definitely changes which kinds of boats are fun to use. Singapore isn’t really sailnoar territory anyways. Too hot, too many crocodiles, to want to anchor out in a little boat off the mangroves for a weekend. It would be fun to sail Rowan here, sure, but she wouldn’t get used to her full potential as a cruising boat. She’s safely stored (I hope) in her garage in Anacortes, though I haven’t seen her for more than a year and a half now, due to deadly global pandemics n’ stuff.

But little daysailers are plenty fun when getting splashed doesn’t give you hypothermia. My local ride is a carbon fiber tri. Going fast is a decent substitute for going somewhere, if you’re only willing to be out in the tropical sun for a few hours at a time. Here’s Cluster, doing her thing.

https://www.facebook.com/10000102165...8117192232296/

[Breakaway]

Yeah. Living at the equator definitely changes which kinds of boats are fun to use. Singapore isn’t really sailnoar territory anyways. Too hot, too many crocodiles, to want to anchor out in a little boat off the mangroves for a weekend. It would be fun to sail Rowan here, sure, but she wouldn’t get used to her full potential as a cruising boat. She’s safely stored (I hope) in her garage in Anacortes, though I haven’t seen her for more than a year and a half now, due to deadly global pandemics n’ stuff.

But little daysailers are plenty fun when getting splashed doesn’t give you hypothermia. My local ride is a carbon fiber tri. Going fast is a decent substitute for going somewhere, if you’re only willing to be out in the tropical sun for a few hours at a time. Here’s Cluster, doing her thing.
https://www.facebook.com/10000102165...8117192232296/

Hi, James!

Good to see you posting!

I'm stealing that line about going fast v going somewhere.

Stay well.

Kevin


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[Bruce Bateau]

I miss you guys up north. I've been out about half my normal days this year, but 2021 is shaping up to be a good year.

I've been sharing a lot of my writing on 48North Magazine, which has an actual paper version! (as well as a website). I got this funny idea that maybe getting the small boat voice in a bigger boat magazine might inspire some of those folks to turn to the other side and join us. Here are a couple of stories you might enjoy:

* Mucking around where the Columbia River meets the sea.

* And a little fun closer to home on the upper river.

But be warned, I'm raiding Washington this summer and I'm going to rope you guys into coming!

-Bruce