Heybridge Basin

Look carefully for the helmsman at the tiller!!

Essex is perceived by many as being an ugly industrial wasteland, but that’s far from the truth. Yes, there are places which blight the landscape such as the Coryton Refinery to the west of Canvey Island, and the urban areas of Southend-on-Sea, Chelmsford and Brentwood, but for the most part, the County is agricultural in nature, being composed mainly of arable farmland. On the border, between Epping and Chingford, there’s the magnificent Epping Forest which is complemented with pockets of woodland throughout the County, Hockley Woods being a fine example. The countryside surrounding smaller towns and villages to the north east, bordering on Constable Country, and the swathes of farmland adjacent to the tidal rivers of the Stour, Deben and Orwell are truly beautiful.


The 'Percy R'


For me, a place of special beauty and charm is the Yacht Basin at Heybridge, from where the Chelmer and Blackwater Canal runs inland for thirteen miles through entrancing countryside towards Chelmsford, away from the bustle of busy traffic, a place where waterfowl and other wildlife abound, such as water voles, rabbits and kestrel that seek them for prey. Of particular interest to me are the fine character yachts that moor beside the quayside and along the Canal banks. Some are ancient and show their years by being little more than rotten hulks with nostalgic memories for ancient sailors, but others are genuine quality classic boats that may have seen the Dunkirk beaches. One vessel I particularly liked at the time of my last visit was a recently-built gaff cutter in the style of an early twentieth century Essex Smack, complete with baggywrinkle, and her mast was laced with linseed oil.


Can you find the duck?

What is intriguing for me is the variety of vessels that find respite from the winter winds as they nestle between the wooded banks of the Canal, and even more is the fascination of things nautical that one sees while ambling along the towpath. An absolute delight is an old whaler that’s been converted as a ketch, now held together with GRP sheathing. On her foredeck there are two anchors, a modern Bruce and a traditional Fisherman, plus a bundle of warp, untidily curled around the inner end of her varnished bowsprit. A painted oar is slung between her two masts for supporting a PVC cover over her nicely raised cabin. She has real character, and I know she performs well to windward with her drop keel, because she left my Paradox standing when I unofficially raced her up the Blackwater two years ago. The ‘Percy R’ is her name. Just look at the photos for a flavour of the scene, including the cute duck under her bobstay.


Enjoy.


Note

I made the photos large so that if you want to download one or more of them for desktop wallpapers they will be up to the mark.

Links

Heybridge Basin

http://www.itsaboutmaldon.co.uk/basin/index.shtml


Photos near the Chelmer and Blackwater canal

http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk/essex/heybridgebasin.html


Epping Forest

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Environment_and_planning/Parks_and_open_spaces/Epping_Forest/

Searching this Blog

Paradox Sailboat

Because Blogspot is a component of Google, the easiest way to search this Blog is through the Google search engine. Go to http://google.co.uk then insert ‘bills-log’ followed by your search words.


That’s it. Quite likely you’ll find what you are looking for – providing I have posted an article on the subject.


Here’s an example. After ‘bills-log’ I entered the word ‘paradox’ which brought this response:


http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/01/faith-paradox-sailboat.html

and

http://intheboatshed.net/?s=layden


After I entered: ‘bills-log micro-cruiser’ two related links appeared:


http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/03/elusion-matt-laydens-micro-sailboat.html


http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/01/silhouette-robert-tucker-small-sailing.html

Matt Layden's 'Elusion'


Mk 2 Silhouette


‘bills-log trimaran’ produced two links:


http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/03/hobie-mirage-tandem-trimaran.html


http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/01/hobie-island-adventure-trimaran.html

Hobie Mirage Trimaran



Happy searching,

Bill.

‘Little Cruiser’, Dave and Mindy Bolduc

A fabulous Matt Layden boat, ‘Little Cruiser’ is owned by the Bolducs. They did a big refit of the 15’ boat and finished it in 2006. Mindy wrote an account of a cruise they had in her after the re-commissioning. Over a three week period they explored the Outer Banks, which are not far from their home state of North Carolina. Their route took them to Core Sound, Pamlico Sound, Neuse River, Croatan Sound, Roanoke Sound and Albermarle Sound. You can read the article by visiting the link below: ‘2006 Cruise’. This page will also take you to video clips of the cruise.


Their web site is packed with information about small sailboat cruising – probably the best example of this sort of thing on the Net - highly recommended. The web site has a large gallery of first-class photos taken by Dave and Mindy while out on the water with ‘Little Cruiser’. Oh, and the Inventory list is mind-boggling. (See link below.)


Incidentally, Dave is the agent for the plans of Matt Layden’s ‘Paradox’. He can be contacted at: mbolduc@triad.rr.com , or write to him at this address –
1736 Phillips Avenue
Greensboro, NC 27405
U.S.A.


Links


‘Little Cruiser
’

http://www.microcruising.com/lc1.htm


2006 Cruise


http://www.microcruising.com/2006obx.htm


‘Little Cruiser’ Inventory


http://www.microcruising.com/inv1.htm


Paradox Study Plans


http://www.microcruising.com/plans1.htm


Furled Sails Podcast Interviews with Dave and Mindy


http://furledsails.com/article.php3?article=674

http://furledsails.com/article.php3?article=675

10’ Ocean-going Sailboat Designs

'Gimli'

'Fafnir'

'Fafnir' internal views

'Micro 10'

Matt's Boats


As you can imagine there are only a few boat designers who have tried to satisfy the needs of ‘cranks’ who want to circumnavigate the Globe in 10’ boats. There was a flurry of design activity when the Around-in-Ten race was first proposed, i.e., a race for 10’ boats around the world.


The first well-known designer to put his neck on the block was John Welsford. When I say ‘put his neck on the block’, I mean that he was prepared to accept the criticism of those who were not well-informed and of those who were not as knowledgeable as him. He had the guts to propose a design, but not before thoroughly researching the subject, because he realised his responsibility as a designer. Primarily a designer has to consider the seaworthiness of his boat for the waters where she will be sailed, and that’s a very tall order for 10’ foot globetrotter.


Well, he came up with ‘Gimli’. She looked a bit like a scaled-down version of a Mini-Transat racer. John had already designed such a boat. On the face of it ‘Gimili’ was a flyer that would need a skilful skipper to get the best out of her. Because of her potential to sail faster than most ten foot sailboats, her skipper could get away with carrying minimal stores. Her longest leg would be 1,800 miles of downwind trade wind sailing. To make the boat competitive she had a canting keel, daggerboards for directional stability and a battened, carbon fibre rig. (I believe this design is still available from John.)


After designing ‘Gimli’ he produced drawings for ‘Fafnir’. She did not qualify for the 10’ LOA restriction, since her overall length was 13’ 1”, and unlike ‘Gimli’ she was a heavy displacement boat. The advantage was being able to carry a load of 880 lbs which included the weight of her crew. Scaling this boat down to 10’ might be a solution for the wannabe, but if you are serious, I suggest you first contact John.


Another designer who committed himself to a 10’ around-the-world boat was Paul Fisher. He had already designed the Micro 8, which was a minimal, downwind drifting capsule for the ‘nutter’ who enjoys being tortured for months at a time in total isolation – a great way to lose weight, but extreme, and not recommended. However, Paul’s Micro 10, a development of the smaller boat, looks like a practical solution for the guy who ‘must’ sail around the world in a tiny boat. Please don’t think Micro 10 has my stamp of approval, because in truth I do not know. Maybe she could make it in the right hands? The sailor is the key. As far as I know, no one has built a Micro 10, but I think she would be a comparatively easy project that could be undertaken in a typical household garage, and as expense goes, she would be cheap by comparison with high-tech solutions.


Outline drawings of designs for Matt Layden’s own boat for the Around-in-Ten were published on the Net. To me they looked appropriate, but they did not show their rigs. One illustration portrayed a round-bilge micro-yacht with a deep fin keel and the other depicted a more typical Layden sharpie hull resembling his ‘Paradox’, except she lacked chine runners. I liked both of the designs, but for doing an ocean crossing, I preferred his round bilge version. Matt has only made his Paradox plans available for general distribution; therefore if you were interested in getting him to draw plans for one of the boats illustrated here, you would need to contact him, but I doubt you would be successful. Maybe if you offered enough he would do it!



Links


Mini-Transat Designs

http://www.minitransat650.com/html/proto_buying.html


MITEC School of Boat Building

http://www.pembrokeshire.ac.uk/mitec/project5.html


Around-in-Ten

http://www.aroundinten.com/


John Welsford Boat Plans

http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/


Paul Fisher Boats

http://www.selway-fisher.com/


In the Boat Shed – Paradox Article

http://intheboatshed.net/2009/05/08/a-paradox-up-close-and-personal/

Small Sailboats that have crossed the Atlantic

'Wind's Will'
'Wind's Will'
'Giltspur'
'Giltspur'
'Big C'


Continuing the theme of small ocean sailboats, here are photos of three that have succeeded in crossing the Atlantic.


Bill Dunlop crossed the Atlantic, west to east, aboard his 9’ ‘Wind’s Will’ in 1982. Tragically he was lost at sea in 1984.


Tom McClean sailed his 7’ 11” ‘Giltspur from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Oporto, Portugal in 1983.


Another Tom, Tom McNally did a west to east crossing of the Atlantic in his 6’ 10” ‘Big C’.


These boats were primarily designed for downwind sailing.



Links


Tom McNally’s latest 3’ 10” ‘Big C'


http://tom-mcnally.co.uk/


New York Times Report on Bill Dunlop


http://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/15/us/sailor-trying-to-cross-atlantic-in-small-boat.html


Tom McClean


http://www.motivationspeaker.co.uk/


Tom McClean Wikipedia


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_McClean

10’ Micro-yacht Globetrotters

Following on from yesterday’s Blog, here are a few suggestions of possible 10’ boat types that may be capable of sailing around the world. Some of the boats shown are over 10’, but with modifications they could still meet the LOA criterion.
The obvious number one choice must be Gerry Spiess’s ‘Yankee Girl'. Gerry sailed across the North Atlantic in 1979 aboard his 10’ home-built, plywood boat from Virginia Beach, to Falmouth, England taking 54 days.


'Yankee Girl'


Another contender could be Howard Wayne Smith’s ‘Happy 11’ which was only 9’ 10”. She was the sequel boat that Smith had built for him after he lost the original ‘Happy’ on Nouméa Reef, New Caledonia. Unfortunately this aluminium yacht was confiscated by the Australian Customs, which prevented Smith from completing his circumnavigation.
Here’s an excerpt from the Benford Design Group’s web site. (See link below.)
‘However, Howard Wayne Smith was a determined adventurer. With the aid of an aluminum builder in Noumea, he put together yet another miniature offshore yacht. Economics and record-breaking tables ever in mind, the Happy II came from our drawing boards at 9 1/2 feet. Howard felt that his most-used space on the 13' 10" Happy was really the equivalent of the space he had available in the smaller vessel. He had to mainly forego stores-carrying ability and speed.


This vessel was built, with the stern fore-shortened to make her under nine feet long and he sailed her to Australia. There he had a series of misadventures with the Australian Customs and lost her to them. At that point, thoroughly frustrated, Howard returned to Toronto, setting aside his plans to complete the voyaging.’


'Happy 11'


John Riding’s ‘Sea Egg’ was 2’ too long to qualify, but the concept was good.


'Sea Egg'


Evneny Gvozdev sailed around the world in his home-built 3.6 micro-yacht, which surely makes her a contender.


Evney Gvozdev's Boat


Of course, there are other similar vessels, so this list is far from being comprehensive.



Links



Gerry Spiess – ‘Yankee Girl’

http://www.sailingbreezes.com/Sailing_Breezes_Current/Articles/Nov05/yankeegirl1.htm


Howard Wayne Smith – ‘Happy 11”


http://www.benford.us/pcty/14happy.html


John Riding’s ‘Sea Egg’

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/11/sea-egg.html


Evneny Gvozdev’s Boat

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/11/tribute-to-evgeny-gvozdev.html

Upwind in Small Sailing Cruisers

'British Steel'

For a definition of ‘small’, I am referring to very small cruising sailboats, i.e., ten feet long or shorter. I am prompted to this discussion about sailing upwind in small yachts because the topic has cropped up on the Around-in-Ten web site (Shortly to be closed.) Large yachts specifically designed for sailing upwind have the power and performance to do it. Chay Blyth proved this when he sailed his yacht ‘British Steel’ around the world non-stop against the prevailing winds, and in so doing he became the first circumnavigator to succeed. It’s obvious that his 59 foot yacht would be more suited to the task than a ten foot boat; not that anyone would be so stupid as to attempt a circumnavigation against the prevailing winds in one. However, there are a few sailors who fancy their chances of beating Serge Testa’s record of sailing the smallest boat around the world. In the main, his route took him with the winds, rather than against them. These hopefuls who would challenge Serge have to make judgments about the configuration of their minuscule yachts. To succeed, they must have boats up to the task, but perhaps the most importantly they themselves must be capable of meeting the physical and mental demands.


'Acrohc Australis'


Serge’s ‘Acrohc Australis’ was capable of sailing upwind in pretty rough conditions, but while doing so she resembled a dolphin under the water for much of the time. The fact that she could be sealed from the elements was part of her success, but as expected, the going was tough. Serge had to be pretty fit to survive. He was glad that ‘Acrohc Australis’ was a good all-round boat that could perform well on any point of sailing. He was especially thankful when beating into the Pacific from the Panama Canal, because had she not had windward capability, he may not have made it into the history books.


Any challenger should consider the essential features to be incorporated in his yacht. Should she have a deep keel? Should she have high topsides for providing buoyancy and load carrying capacity? Should she be a heavy displacement craft or should she be a light displacement boat? What rig should she have? There are many choices, but common sense dictates that a small boat capable of crossing an ocean has to be a compromise. Extremes, simply will not work; for example, broad-beamed, lightweight skimming dishes will lack performance if they are burdened with the requisite provisions necessary for a long ocean crossing. Additionally, such vessels will require constant attention on the part of the helmsman, unless they can be controlled by automated systems, such as electronic steering gears or wind-controlled steering gears. Most likely such systems will not be up to the job, and electronic ones will require power that is generated by solar panels. Deep, narrow, ten foot boats would constantly be under the water in rough conditions and they would lack drive to windward.

'Acrohc Australis' after her circumnavigation at Brisbane


I’m inclined to think the only solution is to have a micro-yacht like ‘Acrohc Australis’, and if she is to be ten feet or less in length, she must have firmer bilges to provide drive when on the wind and to allow space for provisions. Aluminium, as with Serge’s boat, probably remains the most appropriate material for constructing the yacht. Aluminium is comparatively light; is flexible enough to give on impact, rather than split; does not require substantial structural support on such a small boat, which makes for more space inside. Bulkheads, the transom and the keelson will be sufficient to hold the boat together, and as she will be welded, she will have an integral structure.



Links


Serge’s Web Site

http://www.acrohc.com/


Around-in-Ten Web Site

http://www.aroundinten.com/


Furled Sails Interview with Serge

http://www.furledsails.com/article.php3?article=759


My Article on ‘Acrohc Australis’

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/11/acrohc-australis.html

Rory McDougall and ‘Cooking Fat’

Rory and 'Cooking Fat'

I once owned a James Wharram Hina 22 catamaran and I can assure you the accommodation was pretty sparse. She was named, ‘Twinstar’, but members of my local sailing club named her ‘Twin Coffins’, perhaps not without reason, because there was just enough room in each hull for a person lie down, and she was rather boxlike. Fortunately she never became my coffin, despite capsizing her. (See link below.) The fact that I can speak from personal experience about the very limited accommodation of my Hina, enables me to fully comprehend the minimal space aboard Rory McDougall’s ‘Cooking Fat’. She is a Wharram Tiki 21 which is very similar to my Hina 22, except her decks are flush with the top of her gunwales and she has raised cabins, which provide more volume within her hulls.


Now, Rory McDougall is a legend. He sailed around the world in his diminutive catamaran which he named ‘Cooking Fat’. As far as I know, Rory still holds the record for sailing the smallest multihull around the Globe. Googling the Internet does not throw much light on his incredible adventure, but what has drawn my attention to this sailor is his entry in the Jester Challenge 2010 Transatlantic Race. He will be a star attraction for spectators as they watch the start of the race on Sunday, 23rd May at 1300. This Race will have a start line beyond the western end of the Plymouth Sound Breakwater. Spectators will have to look hard to find ‘Cooking Fat’ among the other 89 starters.


Rory built his own boat and did his circumnavigation in two stages: The outward leg was from Dartmouth to New Zealand between 1991 and 1992; then after a break of four years he sailed the catamaran back to the UK, arriving at Dartmouth in August, 1997. He was brought up with his sea-loving parents, and he first caught the sailing bug when he accompanied them across the Atlantic at the tender age of 13. This resourceful sailor enlisted the help of crews for some stages of his circumnavigation, most of which was done without an engine, but he needed the help of an outboard motor when he battled up the Red Sea on the return voyage and along the Suez Canal.

He has had several different marine related jobs, including running a day sailing business and doing marine surveys in Belize, being employed with a charter fleet in Australia, and being an Assistant Manager of Moorings Charters at St. Martin in the Caribbean.


A Wharram Tiki 21, similar to Rory's


Links


Article about Rory

http://www.austrian-wharrams.org/main_menu/epic_voyages_text.htm

James Wharram Designs

http://www.wharram.eu/live/

Furled Sails Item

http://www.furledsails.com/article.php3?article=506

‘Twinstar’ Wharram Hina Catamaran

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/03/twinstar.html

‘Within’, Greg Kolodziejzyk Pedal the Ocean

Greg


'Within'


Yesterday I touched on the topic of the Jester Challenge 2010, which is a Race across the Atlantic for solo sailors in sailboats between 20 and 30 feet LOA. Generally, competitors will not be racing hi-tech yachts especially designed as racing machines; they will in the main be very ordinary cruising yachts, the sort used for coastal sailing, such as the Contessa 26, the Corribee 21, the Twister 28 and the Wharram Tiki 26. These sailors will not be sponsored, nor will they be racing for a coveted prize, but each of them will be highly motivated to undertake the demanding task. Their boats will not be packed with electronic gadgets, nor will they receive assistance from shore-based advisors, but every competitor will have fully prepared himself and his yacht for the challenge of his life.


Greg’s challenge is unique, because no one has ever used his own human power to pedal a vessel across an ocean. ‘Within’ is a large canoe-like boat that has two cabins: one for her solo crew to work the boat and the other for sleeping in. She is powered by a propeller which is connected to a foot pedal driveshaft, of which there is a replica stowed aboard in case the primary one should fail. In fact, this is Greg’s forte, i.e., preparedness. He has fully prepared for possible eventualities, for example, ‘Within’ is equipped with a sea anchor, an emergency locator beacon, a SpiderTrax tracking device, spares of things like GPS units, water makers and he has more solar panels than he thinks he’ll need.


His solar panels are rated at 250 watts, and he knows for sure he can get by on 110 watts, but that power will have to operate an array of electrical gadgets such as, a satellite phone, an Autohelm, a Raymarine GPS coupled to an AIS receiver, a two-way radio, a fan unit, a computer, and an Ipod with a video facility. In case his solar panels do not perform as expected he also has a wind generator that can be mounted on the cabin top.


It is Greg’s hope to set a speed record for others to better. He has allowed himself 80 days at most to pedal his craft from Vancouver to Haiwaii, which amounts to a total distance of 4,500 kilometres. He would be chuffed to do it in 40 days, but if he were to sleep 7 hours a day and pedal for 17 hours in every 24 he would need to average 6.6 kilometres an hour, i.e., 4.1 miles per hour. To that end he has been practising in the boat under simulated conditions and on the water with sea trials along the inshore stretch of Vancouver Island. Tomorrow he is due to set off on his offshore trial in the company of his safety vessel. This yacht will accompany him when he does the actual record attempt in June.


He certainly cannot be faulted when it comes to being fully prepared, even to the extent of building a prototype boat named ‘Tofino’ which did not come up to mark. Hence he rethought the whole enterprise; instead of attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean, he opted to pedal from Vancouver to Hawaii. He has sought the very best of everything to succeed, including the designer of the boat, naval architect Stuart Bloomfield and Rick Willoughby, an experienced marine engineer. The result is a state-of-the-art lightweight high performance machine capable of reaching speeds of up to 9 knots under the right conditions.


Greg is not undertaking his adventure purely for selfish reasons, because he has an altruistic nature, being a man who cares for the less privileged. To that end he invites his sponsors to donate $50 dollars per mile, and for each mile he pedals ‘Within’, the Kimberlee’s Bikes for Kids Charity will donate one bicycle to a deserving child. The aim is to promote general physical fitness and to reduce obesity. Greg’s primary mission is to encourage youngsters to be more physically active for better health and to encourage us all, irrespective of age to adopt this ethos and put it into practice.


Links


Pedal the Ocean

http://www.pedaltheocean.com/

Adventures of Greg

http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/


YouTube Video of Sea Trials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9SrCzIZa2k&feature=player_embedded#


YouTube Video Tour of Within

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXgVhgmFdI4


My YouTube Playlist for Greg

http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=8CDA22DA177D2CFF


SpiderTrax Tracking

http://www.spidertracks.com/Home.mvc

Jester Challenge 2010

Thomas Jucker's 'Marta'


Rory McDougall's 'Cooking Fat'

The single-handed crossings of oceans by sailors, both male and female, are almost commonplace these days, but the oceans have hardly changed since early voyagers risked their lives while attempting to cross them. I suppose some of the earlier ocean seafarers were those who left the shores of Morocco, circa 3000 BC in search of new lands. These mariners aboard their ancient reed craft sailed and drifted across the Atlantic. Their route was largely determined by the prevailing winds and currents which took them to the Americas, or so Thor Heyerdahl believed. To prove the viability of his theory, he and seven crewmates sailed a replica craft to Barbados in 1970. They took 57 days to complete a crossing of 3,270 miles.


The story of ocean seafaring is well documented by historians from the 6th Century, when Procopius described the double-ended dhows of ancient India and he told of their voyages. Others have chronicled the likes of Leif Ericson who voyaged from Norway to Greenland in a wooden lapstrake longship. This voyage of discovery and resettlement took place approximately five hundred years before the historic crossing of the Atlantic by Columbus in 1492 aboard the ‘Santa Maria’. From those times, sailing vessels have ‘evolved’ because of emerging technologies. We live in this exciting age of new man-made materials which makes it possible for us to build vessels lighter, stronger and larger than those of our forefathers, but don’t let us be carried away by thinking we are gods who can overcome the oceans by our technologies.


Those who have crossed oceans can give testament to their vastness and the power of wind and waves. For most, the experience is very humbling, and they are amazed at the creatures they encounter, whether flying fish, whales, sharks, birds and the sights they see: sunsets, clouds, waves and even waterspouts. Of the 90 entrants to the Jester Challenge Race to take place this year, I doubt there is one who will be totally reliant upon technological gismos to get him across the Ocean. They will be sailing in the spirit of the ancient mariners, reliant upon their own resources. They will not have the ultimate, automated racing machine in which their role is to monitor instruments, press that button and be guided by onshore weather gurus. These are the true Corinthians who will come face to face with challenges, and have opportunity to test themselves and answer the question, “Who am I?”


Notes


The third Jester Challenge for single-handed yachts, under 30 feet, leaves Plymouth at 1300 BST on 23rd May 2010. This will be the 50th anniversary year or the first trans-Atlantic single-handed race.


Links


Jester Challenge Web Site

http://www.jesterinfo.org/jesterchallenge2010.html


Entry List for the Jester Challenge 2010

http://www.jesterinfo.org/jc2010entrylist.html


Bill Churchouse

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/12/bill-churchouse-at-finish-2008-bill.html


Tribute to Mike Richey

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/12/jester-and-mike-richey.html

Easter Boating

'Ladybird' in hibernation

The religious aspect of Easter will largely go unheeded by the mass of people, but quite a few yachtsmen and dinghy sailors will take note of the date, because for them it is a time to be out on the water enjoying their boats, fresh air and the company of others. If they are into racing, they’ll look forward to competing; if they are into cruising, they may make the first cruise of the year, or if they are into just messing about, they will have a jolly around.


The date of Easter Sunday varies, depending upon it being the first Sunday after the 14th day of the lunar month that falls on or after 21st March, which is the nominal day of the vernal equinox. This year, Easter Sunday falls on the 4th April, which means that many of us will have a long bank holiday weekend extending from Friday, 2nd April to Monday, 5th April.


Yacht clubs will be buzzing with members busying themselves like bees organizing and taking part in races. Some will be painting and varnishing their prized possessions, and a goodly number will be looking forward to a slap-up meal provided by their Club to open the season. Socialites will hang around the bar drinking gin and tonics, while telling tales of heroic deeds, or of fearsome times when they escaped from the clutches of the awesome sea.


Unusually, for me, a boat of mine remains in hibernation before Easter. ‘Ladybird’ is still tucked up in her winter cocoon, because the weather has not been cooperative in stimulating activity on the part of her skipper. Well, that’s my excuse, but it has been jolly cold, and there have been bountiful showers, all very good for the flowers, but not for the varnish! With the launch date is set for the week commencing 18th April, whatever the weather, I have to make the effort.


The worst part of fitting out is lying on my back between the bilge keels trying to apply antifouling that wants to obey the universal rule of gravity. The last thing I want to happen is for blue toxic gunge to speckle my expensive spectacles. If I don’t wear them I cannot see clearly what I am doing, and if I protect them with goggles, they fuzz up with condensation. There’s only one answer, and that’s to take great care how the brush is handled and how the paint is applied, but I have to be double-jointed to get the brush into the pot, while on my back. As I am not double-jointed, I have to raise myself up every time I dip the brush into the pot, and sit-ups are not my forte. The process can be self-inflicted torture, all for the hope of hedonistic pleasure when the boat smiles at me and she skips over sparkling blue water.


Sometimes pain has to be endured for a better outcome. Just spare a thought this Easter for Jesus who endured unimaginable pain to give access to many to the riches and glories of His magnificent kingdom. (John 3:16)

Around-in-Ten

Yankee Girl

The Around-in-Ten saga may be coming to an end. Steve who owns and runs the web site has announced that most likely he will not continue to sponsor the site through lack of interest. His reasons are very sound. He does not think the expenditure and effort on his part warrants continuing, because of the waning interest and negligible use of forum. It looks as though Steve is determined to close the site, but he would be prepared to pass the whole lot on to a new owner who would be responsible for maintaining and developing what has been started. If there are any takers, I suggest they get in touch with him.


In response to Steve’s recent announcement about the likely closure, I replied to the Around-in-Ten Forum with the following post:

Hi Steve,


We can all sympathise with you wanting to close the Around in Ten web site. The costs are not to be sniffed at, and you did all that hard work to make the site attractive and useful, besides having to maintain and develop it. I certainly appreciate your efforts. You’ve built a resource for those interested in small offshore yachts and you’ve been a fine facilitator. Thank you for giving advance notice that you will be closing the site, because there will be a number of people who may want to copy things to their computers for personal use. I shall be sad to see the site go.


A race such as the Around in Ten is never likely to be sponsored by a newspaper or even a generous philanthropist, for the very reason that it is too risky, because lives may be lost. This would reflect badly on a sponsor. On the other hand, if someone with a viable boat were to throw the gauntlet down for challengers to race around the world in a ten foot boat, there might be a chance it could take off, just as was the case when Blondie Hasler challenged others to race him across the Atlantic. Officialdom will not want to be involved with such a race because of the risks; therefore a prestigious yacht club would not want to be involved with organising it. The burden is heavy for the organisers of the Woodville Challenge Rowing races, but for a round the world race in ten foot sailboats, the burden on the organisers would be greater.


However, I’m convinced that a brave sailor will achieve a global circumnavigation in a ten foot, and his or her name will go down in history.


Bill

http://bills-log.blogspot.com


Note


The above statement is a personal assessment, and it does not take into account the immense effort and expenditure of those who originally intended to participate in the Race. Not one of them was able to make it to the start line, for various valid reasons. I take my hat off to them for trying, while others have benefited from their input.


Links


Around-in-Ten

http://www.aroundinten.com/


Bills-log, Around-in-Ten

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/11/around-in-ten.html


Small Boat Circumnavigators

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/11/small-boat-circumnavigators.html


Alone against the Atlantic

http://www.marlinbree.com/alone_against_the_atlantic_33621.htm


Alone Against the Atlantic – Book from Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Alone-Against-Atlantic-Marlin-Bree/dp/0898935067


Ten Feet across the Pacific

http://www.sailingbreezes.com/Sailing_Breezes_Current/Articles/Nov05/yankeegirl1.htm


Marlin Bree

http://www.marlinbree.com/broken_seas_38771.htm

Prout Dinghy

Prout Dinghy

I was glancing through some old photograph albums and I came across a photo of two of my daughters messing about in a Prout folding dinghy. That would have been in 1971, when I sailed my Torbay Class 2 Racer to Alderney. (See link below.)


Prout and Sons started producing their 6 foot version of the canvas and plywood dinghy after the Second World War when they set up their business at Small Gains Corner, Canvey Island. These very tiny dinghies were sought after by yachtsmen for use as tenders. I bought a second-hand one for my Torbay Class 2 Racer. She was just large enough to accommodate two cooperative people who didn’t object to being in close proximity, but using her in anything above a force 2 would have been folly. She did not have internal buoyancy, and had she become flooded she would have provided no useful floatation to her floundering crew. There was no way the crew could have got back aboard her.


Folded Prout on Phillida


Despite her limitations, she had a number of attractive features, i.e., she folded flat, took up very little room, was quick to set up, and she was light. Great care had to be taken to avoid damaging her canvas bottom, but her long narrow keel, capped with a length of half-round brass strip, helped in this respect.


The design was simplicity itself. There was a central narrow plank that acted as a keelson, and attached to it at either end there were upright supports: an internal curved stem for the bow canvas and a straight stern post for the transom canvas. The sides of the boat were made of plywood, and waterproofed duck canvas was tacked to them to form her bottom, transom and bow. To prevent the structure from collapsing there was a hinging crossbar near the stern, and at the bow there was another. Floorboards were laid on the crossbars to keep the crew clear of any bilge water. She didn’t have a thwart, which meant the occupants had to sit on the floorboards. This was a good thing, because it kept the centre of gravity low. The upper edges of the bow and transom canvas were strengthened with rope which was sewn to the canvas, and nailed to the plywood sides.


As far as I know, there is nothing like the Prout dinghy on the market today. The Origami has to be built from plans, and she is far more complicated than the Prout. Seahopper manufacture a folding dinghy, but it is much heavier than the Prout and takes up more room.


Links


Cruise to Alderney

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/01/cruise-to-alderney.html


Wooden Boat Forum – discussion on Prout Dinghies

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-14811.html


Origami Dinghy

http://www.woodenwidget.com/


Seahopper Dinghy

http://www.seahopperfoldingboats.com/

‘Elusion’, Matt Layden’s Micro-sailboat

Matt and 'Elusion'



I believe I’m right in saying that Matt Layden, known as Wizard, has completed nine races organized under the banner of Water Tribe, either in the Everglades Challenge Race or the Ultimate Florida Challenge Race. He has performed well in a variety of his own-designed and home-built craft. His sailing vessels of note are ‘Paradox’, ‘Enigma’ and his latest boat, ‘Elusion’. I was so fascinated with ‘Paradox’, that I built my own. She truly was a very fine little beach cruiser, capable of sailing in shallow water where other craft would find it impossible. This was in part due to chine runners either side of the sharpie hull and the efficient hydrodynamic shape of the hull. When running downwind she was a stable boat because of her flat bottom and buoyant bilges. Matt incorporated a cleverly designed roller-reefing, standing lugsail, which was rigged on a short, freestanding mast.


Wheels for portaging


He has put a lot of thought into the design of his sailing boats with a view to reducing surface friction, both below and above the waterline. He has designed them as displacement boats, rather than light-displacement boats. Drag is an element that reduces forward motion, and Matt really appreciates the importance of minimizing its effect. Rather than relying on waterline length to achieve speed, Matt, has concentrated on being super-efficient at reducing friction, e.g., his boats have no standing rigging and few external halyards, downhauls etc. On his own boats he avoids using topping lifts.


Two up!

‘Paradox’, ‘Enigma’, and ‘Elusion’ all look similar, as if they are sisters – ‘Paradox’ the eldest and ‘Elusion’ the youngest. Matt relies on ballasting his boats to bring them to their designed waterlines. Paradox has water and lead ballast; Enigma has bagged sand, plus her cruising gear; ‘Elusion’ has cruising gear and water, plus her crew. Paradox is the largest of the three, and ‘Elusion’ at 9 feet by 38 inches is by far the smallest. To my mind, the most remarkable is the very tiny ‘Elusion’. Matt endorses his confidence in the boat by entering her in the Water Tribe Ultimate Florida Challenge Race. Here is a man who has competed on these waters for many years; hence he knows them like the back of hand. He is fully aware of possible scenarios that could arise – principally caused by the effect of the wind on the shallow waters around the coast of Florida. He knows where he can seek shelter if need be. Matt’s preference is for extreme minimalism, and he is a guy who enjoys the challenge of overcoming what for most of us would be perceived as goals that are impossible to achieve. As I put this article together he is currently the leader in Class 4, which is for Small Sailboats.


Matt using a single bladed paddle


As a tribute to him for his special contribution to the small sailboat community, I am pleased to have this opportunity of thanking him, and wishing him good fortune as he continues with the Race. Whether he wins or not, is irrelevant, because I feel sure his aim is to compete to the very best of his ability and strength. Whatever happens, he is already a true winner. Well done, Matt!



Links


Water Tribe
http://www.watertribe.com/Default.aspx


Matt Layden’s Boats, by Dave Buldoc

http://www.microcruising.com/pictures.htm


Paradox


http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/01/faith-paradox-sailboat.html


Enigma

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/11/enigma.html


Dave’s Wiki

http://aiki.pbworks.com/Enigma%20sailboat

Hobie Mirage Tandem Trimaran

The Tandem


On Wednesday, 13th January I posted an article at this Blog giving details of the Hobie Island Adventure Trimaran. (See Link below.) From the general tenor of my article I was pretty enthusiastic about the lightweight, single-seat, sit-on-top kayak that can be transformed into a sailing trimaran. I particularly liked the retractable amas that allowed easy access for the crew, to or from pontoons, quays and jetties. I also liked the patented ‘twist and stow’ rudder. Likewise I thought the unique Hobie Mirage pedal drive system was a great, because it could be used independently, or in conjunction with the sail. (This ingenious, extractible piece of equipment utilizes fins similar to those of a fish for propelling the vessel through the water.) The rig was pretty cool too, since reefing can be carried out almost instantaneously with little effort, simply by pulling a line attached to a furling drum.


Another Tandem


Well, according to popular demand, Hobie Cat are about to release the Tandem version of the Hobie Island Adventure Trimaran. Although similar in appearance, the two boats are different. The Tandem, as the name implies, has room for a crew of two, but she is a longer and heavier trimaran, incorporating features of the smaller boat. With a heavier payload, she has more sail area and more storage capacity, but attention will need to be paid to trimming her correctly, by balancing crew weight with cruising gear to ensure she sits on her designed waterline.

Two of them


In my opinion, both boats are best transported on purpose-built trailers. Indeed, the Tandem at 190 lbs could make car-topping difficult. Some might say it was bad enough car-topping with the 115 lbs Adventure Island. The difficulty of handling the Tandem off a beach during a bit of a blow was clearly demonstrated in a video taken during the WaterTribe Ultimate Challenge Race, 2010. Single-handing the Tandem if she ends up on the mud could be very awkward, as was explained in another video filmed during the Ultimate Challenge Race. (See my Youtube Playlist link below.)


So far, I have not seen a price quoted by any of the dealers, but here in the UK, a new Hobie Island Adventure Trimaran with the basic gear will set you back £3,175.00. My guess is that the Hobie Mirage Tandem Trimaran may be almost double the price.

Illustration

Another Illustration


If you are seeking thrills and speeds, both boats will do you well. For adventure expedition type situations, particularly in shallow waters, she should be pretty good, but not so good for situations where large breaking waves may be encountered. The disadvantage of both Hobie Trimarans mentioned above is exposure for the crew, even if they are well equipped with the appropriate clothing. For day sailing in sunny climes in semi-protected water, I think they would be great fun. Because the Tandem can be steered by either crew, she would make an ideal boat for tuition. She’s almost large enough to warrant a mooring and almost too big for launching on a regular basis for day sailing, which makes her an in-between boat.


P.S. I forgot to mention that both trimarans can be equipped with the latest electric propeller drive, supplied by Hobie Cat, the ‘eVolve’.


Notes

Statistics of the Hobie Mirage Tandem Trimaran


Length Overall: 18' 6" / 5.64 m
Ama Length: 13' 4" / 4.06 m
Width W/ Amas Out: 10' / 3.05 m
Width W/ Amas Folded in: 4' / 1.22 m
Width (hull only): 30" / 0.76 m
Mast Height: 18' / 5.49 m
Sail Area : 90 sq. ft. / 8.4 m2
MirageDrive Weight x2: 6.6 lbs / 3 kg
Rigged Weight: 190 lbs. / 86.18 kg
Capacity: 600 lbs. / 272 kg


Links


Hobie Cat

http://www.hobiecat.com


My Article about the Hobie Island Adventure Trimaran

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/01/hobie-island-adventure-trimaran.html


My Hobie Mirage Tandem Trimaran YouTube Playlist

http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=3B3FA7A20ECDB6D7


Features of Hobie Trimarans

http://www.hobiecat.com/media/video/video_features.html

Roamer Dinghy Photos

At Tower Bridge


Some time ago I posted an article about my Roamer dinghy ‘Harriott’: http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/12/roamer-dinghy.html


Here are a few more photos of her.


DCA at Walton Backwaters, Kirby-Le-Soken

The same place

Running comfortably

Happy Crew



If you would be interested in building a Roamer, you could contact the Dinghy Cruising Association to discover if plans for the boat are still available. Here’s the URL: http://www.dca.uk.com/

‘Tyrol’, a Shortened Scout Kayak

'Tyrol' under sail. Note the fixed plank across the cockpit. The sails were made from parachute material.



On the River Tone

Also on the River Tone



At the age of 13 I built my very first boat, a Shortened Scout Kayak. The plans were obtained from the Boy Scouts organization. As far as I can remember, the decked canoe was about 11' long and 2' 6" wide.


My little nephew


I first had to attach six frames to a keelson; then fit the sheer planks either side of the frames. The stem and stern posts were shaped and screwed to the keelson and the sheer planks. Laths were laid over the framework and the boat was covered with canvas. Linseed oil was brushed into the canvas as a preservative. Finally the boat was given three coats of oil paint. External rubbing strips were added to her bottom, and wooden laths were screwed along the sheer to seal the deck and hull canvas.
My canoe was rigged with three sails and she was equipped with a screw-on keel and a fixed rudder. I sailed and paddled her on the River Tone, the River Exe and the River Avon. I also sailed her at Plymouth.

River Avon


In 1947 the Taunton Canoe Club held a successful cruise and camp at Starcross. We paddled to Teignmouth via Dawlish Warren. Our canoes were transported by steam train from Taunton to Starcross and from Teignmouth to Taunton.

Taunton Station