charleston shellback waiting for fair tide

[gray duck]

Helpers one and two testing out hull and used trailer I finished fixing up with new fenders, bunks and rollers. (Why are those rubber things so expensive?)

Need to put sail on spars this weekend.

[C. Ross]

Lovely...trailer, boat and crew!

[Thorne]

Be sure to get someone in a kayak or canoe as your 'photo boat' for the big launch -- we wants more pics!

[JimD]

I see sailing in someone's future.

[Clinton B Chase]

Looks sweet...so do the kids!

Cheers,
Clint

[gray duck]

Thanks all. I hope this boat is a good one for them to learn in. My daughter (6) is going to take sailing classes (Opti) this summer at the club. They said min age of 8 but she wants to try so I hope to get her up to speed in the shellback before June.

[Clinton B Chase]

The Shellback is ideal for learning...it is tender enough to teach the importance of weight placement but it is stiff and very difficult to put the rail in the water. The lug rig is simple and fun.

Did you make your daggerboard yet? Add 6" to the length (if stowage isn't a concern) and watch her go up wind much better. Also, a tiller longer than the one in the plans is key so a solo sailor can sit amidships. Make the tiller to rudder stock connection much beefier than drawn.

Cheers,
Clint

[gray duck]

I did make the board longer, I only made the tiller a little bit longer than the plans, and I did beef up the connection - looked a little flimsy. Small pieces of this top grade marine grade stuff ($$$) break like balsa wood in your hands.
I can make a longer tiller and that's good to have some small projects now that the main one is finished. You know it is a bit of a strange time when the boat is essentially done and you don't need to make those "to do lists" and sketchs while at work.