We're on the Water

 

The catboat Kat Boat in good company.

 Two weekends on the water in and we've gotten a lot done. Following our first sail the lazy jacks were found to be not placed right. Taped to the forestay as they were I'm happy I didn't have to reef. But a laundry list of things were completed. And for now a list is what we'll do.

• Moved the lazy jacks up the mast for a better position. 
• Rigged both of the jiffy reefing lines. I use a system partly inspired by Toby Goes Sailing on YouTube.  
• Got all my flag, burgees, pennants and ensigns ready for use. I now have a rear flag staff for when the sail is down and got the bow staff reinstalled. 
• Rigged for a fixed mount VHF radio that will be installed soon. This will allow me to monitor multiple channels while acting as committee boat. 
• Got a really good race in two hours of solid sailing, most of it at the first reef.

 It's another big weekend at the club along with 4th of July goings on so we'll try and get a proper update then. 

Photo by a dock mate of mine with a bit of editing courtesy of a fellow CBA'er.

On Target, On Time

How My Mast Was Built

 It was a good day! The biggest bugaboo that has plagued me, the mast, was sorted with some help from a friend. So as you saw earlier up the blog the mast was stuck. Very, very stuck. Lifting my boat off the trailer and jumping up and down stuck. Today the The Typesetter came over with a bag of tools and we sorted it out. Well he did, I took pictures and worked on other boat projects. Turns out the fiberglass wrap that had been put over the mast had bubbled and that was the  reason for the sticking. So out came a rasp and he set to work. After a bit we tried the mast. Still took a strap to get it out. So there was more rasping and we tried again. Still stuck. I told TT to go after it with the plane. I wanted to see wood chips. Lots of them. I'd rather too much then too little. Wood chips were asked for and wood chips came!

The Typesetter at Work

 And it was done. It goes in easy and comes out without a strap. So it's just all the other projects I have to do, the biggest being getting the boat rigged. BUT I know what I'm doing at this point so I'm not as worried about it. The simplification of the lines will help a lot. Moving from the pivot to the drop in will take some figuring but I'm sure it's no big deal.  I'll do my best to get photos as we rig so I can sort of explain my process. 

 The other attempted project was installing a used base mount VHF. I've wanted one for a while and took a shot at a used one. It received great but failed to transmit. This is after TWO extra holes in the roof of my boat trying to get the antenna mounted. But I'm a 2nd Class Boat Builder so it took thickened epoxy and we'll paint over it. Oh and sanding. But that's for later. At this point the wiring is in place I just need to buy a new radio. So that'll be post launch. 

 The boat is not looking her best. But she will be come Wild Horse Regatta weekend. That will be her 2nd debut and her Sweet Sixteen. Really looking forward to the aesthetic touches I have planned for her. The Princess of Flathead Lake will look even more wonderful. 

 But it's rain the next two days so a small break to catch up on some other work. We're far closer then we were and I'm feeling good.

Bow Flag Holder Mounted, CBA Burgee

One Piece at a Time II

The video is from March, 2021

Just a quick note that work continues at a fair pace. I have a second hand marine VHF radio I'm working to install and I'm about seventy percent done with that project. That will allow me to monitor both the race and and 16 when I need to. And I've always wanted one in the boat. Just take a bit more wiring and drilling a hole for the antenna. My handheld works all the time and will keep a charge all week so the draw from the base should be minimal .  

 The mast continues to vex me. I cut some blocks for the base to keep it from dropping all the way down but that didn't work. I have picked up a pretty good way to get it unstuck though. But it still needs a bit of shaping to really be safe. I was thinking of putting the pin back in and giving up but I really like how she sails with a more vertical mast. The Typesetter was over today and we stared at the plans. As designed she's got a touch of rake but the bottom of the mast requires a step to do so. I'm thinking the original builder just took the bottom four inches off when we put it on a pin. It'll take a bit of fiddling but we'll get it done. 

 When I got the boat the lazy jacks did double duty as a sort of topping lift but the light and stretchy line used wasn't up to the task. I've added a dedicated topping lift and no longer need to adjust the jacks from the deck. I see how many have them permanently fixed at the mast and I've decided that's what I want to do. I got inspiration on how I want to from the Ayers Pond Catboat Essential video series. It's just small boat jacks so no need to go crazy. This also feeds my mantra of simplicity for the vessel. I'll have one less line heading forward and up that I need to worry about. I've already made the luff line set it and forget it on the mast, eliminating it's adjustability aft and it's corresponding line.  When it's all done I should have from port to starboard, topping lift, second reef luff, first reef luff, throat halyard, peak halyard. We'll see if the reef lines stay. I'm thinking of going back to an all boom set up. 

 Got the house battery  in and the electrics all work. As of this moment I'm fully prepared for my USCGA safety inspection I have scheduled for later this week. Save for 2022 I've managed it almost every year with this boat. It's a simple and easy way pre-season to ensure that your boat is ready to go. I highly suggest you schedule one today, it's free.

 Lots of little projects getting done. And a lot of little projects left to go. I'm on my own this week, The Lady is on a work trip so it's just me and the boat. I'm fine with that at this point as I have so much to do. But it's all fifteen minute jobs that will be done in good time I'm sure.  

It's a 10-24 Boat

Some Michalak Boats at Rend Messabout. Photo by Joe Stromski

 It would be amiss of me to not mention Kat Boat's 16th Birthday on the 12th of June. Happy Birthday Kat Boat! With that out of the way it's been busy around here. The boat was moved from the Dayton Yacht Harbor back to my home for work. We love having the boat at the yard but the fact is that having easy access to water and power makes some projects so much easier. With that in mind we put half a pump of grease in each trailer hub, added some magnetic lights, and hit the road south. This was the first and longest journey since last spring when the boat was moved to the yard. We took stops every twenty miles at first but the tires were fine and the bearings sone cold. We have  a new towing vehicle with half the cylinders so we were bit leery but other then getting slightly better gas milage we towed the sawtooth profile at 65mph without issue. Unlike our previous Suburban which towed the thousand pounds of boat and trailer at highway speed without complaint, the Equinox ensures i know where every slow lane is on the entire 91.4 mile journey north. And we use use every single one. 

New and Shiny Up Top, Old and Busted Below

 When we first got Kat Boat there was a rush of new parts and fasteners. There were a variety of decisions made when the vessel was originally constructed that I may have disagreed with.  For the use she got it was a good choice at the time. There were also decisions made when the boat made it to our fleet that maybe could have been handled better as well. Today we look back on those decisions, give them grace, and try and improve upon them. The above is an excellent example of renewing things. Thankfully I sail in freshwater so my hardware doesn't rust rust but as you see it does wear. I haven't replaced my tiller hardware since I got the boat and it appeared it was time. Now I would have preferred stainless but I think that simply buying new in this case is enough. It's not expensive and I'll get five more years out of the new set.  We also are in the process of replacing star drive deck screws, driven in by a madman who thought it was the cats meow at that fevered moment, with stainless steel wood screws from Duckworks. 

 I've decided that the work will progress one system at a time. This keeps it from becoming overwhelming and gives a focus to the work. As it's summer and I must do my boat work outside my MS doesn't allow me to work well in the heat. That's sailing time. So my time is limited and it needs to be productive. So the first system we're working on is first is the mainsheet. When the boat arrived she has Racelite 1/4" blocks. The system we use is from the tiller up to the boom, then forward and a double purchase there. So four blocks in total. The line was originally the kind used for equine work but it was tacky with age so we replaced it with three strand utility line.  I've never been satisfied with the small blocks. The drag was pretty high and it took a bit for the rig to respond. Things improved slightly with the replacement of the aft boom block with a larger ratcheting black. I got the idea from the Katie M. and Left Coast Charters. But while it was an improvement I knew the only to really get it right was to replace all the blocks.  So that's what I've done. These are Racelite 7/16ths blocks that match the old ones but will allow far less friction hopefully resulting in a snappier action and better response overall. 

 As faithful readers will no doubt recall I've been messing with giving my boat a forestay for a while now. Catboats have a forestay, from 12' Beetles to 23' party cats they all support the mast from the front. Now it should be noted that the FatCat 2 doesn't share the same hull as a traditional New England catboat. Her bow is out of the water and she carriers her buoyancy slightly forward of midships but lacks the support a Cape Cod style hull gives the cat rigged gaff sail. She's also under canvased even with my slightly larger sail. According to Fenwick Williams, who is said to have designed more catboats then just about anybody, "Another rough rule obtained from practice says that an area of 80 percent the square of the length will give quite good results." (F. Williams, The Cat Boat Book, p32) That works out to 180sqft. Which would require much larger spars overall and quite frankly I don't think it would work all that well with so little wetted surface in the water. But I digress. I've never been a fan of the unsupported mast with that much sail hanging off the back. For lack of a better reason it just didn't look right to my eyes.  After bending two different stout eyebolts I've settled on a tang to attach the forestay at the mast. However at the angle it was hung there was interference with the gaff jaws., which were also different from plan. The Typesetter had the idea of a standoff to change the angle and distance of the forestay. Today I wanged© it together out of a piece he so kindly cut out for me. It's rough and needs paint but we'll cross that bridge a bit later. I'm pleased to say it's not going anywhere being through bolted. We'll know right quick if it worked or not but I have a good feeling about it. 

 And that's about as far as I'm getting today. The boat needs washing and at a minimum and maybe some paint here and there. And I have my USCGA Safety inspection scheduled for the Thursday before we launch but everything I need to be ready is on that list so easy enough to get done. The list of get them done's is long but doable a few hours a day. And that really what this type of work is. Just a few hours everyday and you'll see your results. 

 Oh about the title. Most of the projects today centered around what has become the standard size of fastener in the boat. The 10-24 machine screw with a Phillips head from 1 1/4" up to 5". Normally comes with washers and nylocks. 

Boat Work 2024 Begins

 

Kat and Her Boat

 Ah spring, when a young persons fancy turns to boating.  Work is hard and heavy on Kat Boat this spring. With the boat in the yard work has to be better planned and executed due to it being an hour and a half from the old boat yard, which was my house. First thing up this year was getting the mast pulled.  Faithful readers will know of the Sandell Tabernacle my boat came with. An ingenious device that allowed the raising and lowering of the mast while on the trailer with ease.  As a yard boat these days the setup was not as desired. The fact is the mast was never as straight without being in the bottom of the step as designed and a catboat wants a straight mast. And with the mast being hollow it was easy enough to swing it up and plant it in the step. We sailed like that for the majority of the last season and the boat behaved very well. Slightly better I think then before.  Sail peaked higher, lifted the boom that extra bit and wanted to go to weather more readily and closer to the wind. It was great. And at the end of the last season we tried pulling the mast for winter. And tried again. And again. It was indeed quite stuck.

  But this season we are at a boat yard. With a mast crane. A few half hitches later we were in business. The strain was put on. And then a little more. Then a few more half hitches. The bow started coming off the trailer. The lead yard hand jumped lightly on the cabin top. And the mast popped free.  It was an interesting forty five seconds, that's for sure. We are making sure to ensure this won't happen again before the mast goes back up.

When in Doubt Add More Force

 Last year in a blinding rainstorm I discovered that my cabin hatch was not in fact waterproof. And the dripping water was a rather large annoyance. So one of the projects this spring has been fiberglassing the hatch. It's amazing how well a random orbital sander will clean up the job. It's far from perfect but I am a 2nd Class Boat Builder. That is to say I'm not afeared of epoxy and I know enough to get myself if not into trouble a job done. We await the possibility of painting later this week and we'll see if it worked. We hate to lose the look of the natural wood but it's worth not worrying about keeping the water on the outside of the boat. 

Will Look Good With Paint

 And what of the Whoa Nellie you ask? Well we got the skeg on and we've got a few little things to tidy up on the bottom, then paint and flip. The changes we're working on are making the side decks 6" as per the Beetlecat that inspired it. We also got rid of the rear "seat" as full hull lounging room is desirable. Sliding around the bottom is a key component to the sailing I think. We're hoping to splash before September and get a sail or two in this year.

Always Impressed With Her Lines

 And now it's little things. The work on Kat Boat this summer is being broken into two parts: The Making It Work part and the Making It Pretty part. Goal now is to get the vessel sailing. Then in July we'll haul it and take it up to the old boat yard and make it pretty.  The hope is by our Wild Horse Island Regatta she'll be looking find and hopefully be able to be used as our committee boat. The lady will appreciate the ability to take a Kat Nap during the proceedings.  We hope to launch the week I right this but the weather may not cooperate. No harm done there, it's simply another week to get the boat ready and we'll launch the weekend of our yacht club opener.  It's going to be a great year.

Starting To Look Like My Boat Again

Sailing Season 2023 is Finished

 Just a quick update on the Bolger Bobcat, now named Whoa Nellie. We've added some epoxy and I added a single layer of paint. It should be noted the paint is not the final bottom paint but another barrier to protect the wood this winter. But with the area for the skeg and the centerboard masked off I think it looks pretty sharp. From thirty feet away. While squinting. It was a rush brush job after all. 

Now epoxied up to the sides.

Add a good tarp and we're good to go for storage.

It was a good year of sailing. Ran some races. Didn't come last in all of them. Boat on the hard in the yard for another month for hopeful work. I'll do a major update post later but for now it was a good year. 

Smugglers Run 2023

1130-0501

Saturday July 8th 2023

  The day started early as a good sailing day should. I had laid out my clothes the day before so was ready to head out and pick up the crew by 0545. Regular readers will no doubt know The Typsetter, a long time friend and fellow sailor. He was a veteran of Smugglers Run, having given the event it's name, and was crew for me in 2022. He had his hand baggage when I pulled up in front of his house and was ready to go. Spirits were high as after a stop for coffee we headed north. Earlier in the week we had prepped to install the forestay and were equipped to finish it. The plan was to get the minor boat work done, get the vessel in the water and hold the skippers meeting for the yacht club race being held that morning.

Triple through bolted. Not going anywhere.

 The rigging of the forestay went well and we splashed the boat. Mike motored it over to The Old Harbor House Dock and we went and attended the skippers meeting. The plan had been to hold the Smuggler Run skippers meeting immediately after but as we were the only attendees we knew what was up. There was another possible participant but alas they were called away. Next year! As a race steward for the SFYC we piled into Kat Boat and used it's mighty klaxon to start the race. Thanks to the count down I can give you a blow by blow of that moment.

1020-blast as the ten minute warning.

1025-blast to start the the five minute start sequence

1026-blast for the four minute

Somewhere in here we lost the forestay with a metallic clank and the sound of cable on the move. The Typesetter moved forward to ascertain the damage as I looked at my watch and tried to think of options. The race had to start regardless.

1029-blast for the one minute

102930 "I just lost the mainsheet!" "I need to get the race started!"

1030-blast for the start 

The idea was to follow the fleet out but that wasn't going to happen. The mainsheet was the easy part, pull the boom in and reattach. The forestay on the other hand was going to be a dozy. I had it made locally and the crimp failed to hold. This speaks to the force that a cat boat can put on it's rig and why it's so important. For a moment I was utterly defeated. "There's nothing to do but call it. I don't feel comfortable on a long sail without it" It needed to be said and it was the smart thing to do. Immediately following this pronouncement I looked at my feet. And the 75' of 3/8th Raid Braid I had purchased just in case "We'll make a new forestay. We have good rope. That's what I used all last season." I just need to panic first. Then calm deliberation is my process. 

Kat Boat beached for repairs.

Typsetter and I at work.

  And that is just what we did. We beached the boat, as catboats do, and quickly got to work. We lowered the mast got the cable off and attached the line in it's place. We used the turnbuckle to get it drum tight and pushed off. Only about three quarters of an hour gone. We were back at it. The usual thermal in Dayton that gives us a solid Force 3 was in full effect and we took full advantage of it. We caught the fleet returning and waved them goodbye. Our goal was to pass Cedar Island and carry on into the lake. But try as we might the doldrums still caught us. 

 I should explain the doldrums as they exist on the western side of Flathead Lake and in particular the east side of Dayton Bay. There exists a perfect triangle of utterly no wind that I've never NOT gotten caught in. The insidious thing is you'll sail right into it all full and bye without a care in the world and the next thing you know you have wind lines on all sides, cats paws on the water and slating sails. It's utterly maddening. The Typesetter was sure he had it licked and I still have no reason to doubt it. We've been here before after all. We stayed close inshore and observed a beautiful cutter to match her effortless progress. 

Gorgeous BCC under full sail.

 We also enlisted the help of the J24 Sverre J to find out where the wind was.  We'd match her course and with the knowledge aboard the racer that far exceeds our own we'll be in the clear. It was truly a cunning plan.But with one major drawback. A Michalak Fat Cat 2 is NOT a J24. They left us well in their wake and we blissfully sailed into the doldrums. Blast. 

 Eventually we fired up the electric spanker and made our way very slowly north towards Shelter and Cedar Island. As we made our way towards the hoped for end of the accursed triangle we came across a pair of MacGregor 26's having a gam. That's the joy of the lake meeting up with your friends on your motorboats with sails and enjoying life. Shelter Island is known for the huge chateau that is built on it. In my opinion it's tastefully done, that is it could have been far worse. As we passed Rock Island we saw the breeze ahead. Raising sail and sheeting home we made our way further north and into the main body of the lake.

The open lake. That's Cedar on the right.

 Sunday, July 9th

And so we sailed. And sat. And sailed. And sat. The goal was to break the 12 hour barrier or at least beat our time last year. We didn't do that. But what we did have was some wonderful memories as we headed up the lake. We've heard what winds might  do as we headed north. But we had no idea how much fun it would be sailing past midnight with the stars high above and the lake stretching out in front of us. Or how lights and towns play tricks on you as you see them in the dark and from the the lake side. Or that the port side navigation light would blink in time with the waves. We need to get that fixed actually. I'm not going to try and write a full blow by blow. Part of it is because I was so sleep addled I don't remember it well enough to properly recount it. And also because for a lot of it you just needed to be there.  I grew up on stories of these epic voyages in small boats and would hang on every word. And here I am with my own epic voyage and I'm unsure of how to tell the full story of the dark time, from sundown. It's good conversation, guessing at the wind and sailing when we can. It's looking at spots of light and trying to make them match our charts and finding out where a northerly wind will REALLY take you. For the record it wasn't north.

Dinner at sea. Wonderful.

Heading into a smoky sunset.

We crossed the line at 0501

I had gotten about an hour of sleep and when I awoke we had no wind. "We better motor in the last bit" my companion suggested. So we lowered the rig and did just that. I put the Typesetter off watch and tidied up. As I was flying my clubs burgee and that of my office a decent harbor furl was called for. The shock cord furling inspired by Marshall Marine does a fine job of that. As we ghosted along the entire eastern horizon became pink and purple. The mountains became visable and I was confused for a moment. It struck me that it was dawn. We had been on the lake all night. We passed the outer trestle at 0501. We had not improved upon our time of last year, coming in an hour later. But the sense of accomplishment was even greater. As I navigated the last bit into the North Flathead Yacht Club I thought of why we do this. Because we can. We see sights no one else does. And do it at our own hand. It's truly an amazing thing to do. And my little boat is up to it. As is my stalwart crew.

 In closing I'd like to thank The Typsetter who puts up with me and keeps this sailing thing a going concern. The North Flathead Yacht Club for their wonderful hospitality. And all of those who enjoyed my story here and elsewhere as we make plans to do it again. Next year. But this story isn't done yet. We woke up around 0800 and had even more adventure. But I'll leave that to the next post. 

Done.

Preparing For the Longest Sail of the Year

 

The Typesetter Working on the New Forestay

 For the second time the Western Montana Small Boat Association is putting on it's long distance event on Flathead Lake, Smugglers Run. From Dayton To Somers taking most, if not all, of the day. Final work is being done on Kat Boat to ensure we're in good shape for the run. As planned the Fat Cat 2 does not have a forestay. With our heavier boom and larger sail it's become apparent that this is going to be a necessity. Final work will be done the day of the event but the rough parts are taken care off. Stocking the larder and prepping the electronics will take up the remanider of the day. 

 Plan is to star with the South Flathead Yacht Club race fleet and then go slow, go north. We've been in touch with the North Flathead Yacht Club and have secured overnight spots. Excitement is high.

Git Her Done Continues

 

The Worlds Only(?) Skidder Powered Travel Lift

 The wind blew westerly today which on the southern Flathead portends poor weather ahead. But with clearing skies it was enough to be working on the boat. I need to ensure we're at least able to go sailing this weekend if not aesthetically perfect. This means that the leeboard guard needs to be reattached. I also wanted to redo my peak and gaff halyards. So to work. 

The night before I glued up my leeboard guard. Mixed it to a peanut butter like consistency and clamped and screwed it. Set it in the utility room to cure overnight. I was overjoyed to see that it had done exactly as it should and was solid as could be. Almost like it never broke. I was very pleased with this development. Then it was into the truck with a quick check this time to make sure I had the tools and supplies I needed and it was north. 

 Thankfully the work went quick. Because we had taken both parts home it was a simple matter of setting the bolts back into the guard. Then a bit of work getting the board back in and just like that the boat was whole again. According to my friend Carl I'm a Class 2 Boat Builder now which means I can use epoxy without fear. And that has made jobs like this so much easier. It's not pretty but it's functional. So with the guard on it was time for the next set of projects. I should note so far less then a half an hour has passed and I had budgeted three hours for projects. On top of that I am planning on coming up later in the week to finish what I don't get done here. This is why this is a blog and not a vlog. There isn't enough moving content to make it interesting. 

It's nice to have a chandlery just a click away

 I could stare at the line set up of Katie M. for hours. There is so much detail that I can use it's amazing. And it set me on a course to change my line setup for my running rigging. On the starboard side of the boat at least. That includes four lines: Throat Halyard, Peak Halyard, Leech Line, and First Reef. The halyard blocks are in a rather awkward position forwards and in a case of It Came Thatwayitis it's never been changed. But it's time. I ordered new bronze deck blocks to replace the Ronstan Jib Blocks that were in place for my halyards. This is directly from the Katie M. and it should work a bit better. The blocks went in quickly with all new stainless steel hardware and were bedded with butyl tape. The interior of the boat means that the original plan of giant fender washers in the 1/2" deck wasn't possible but I'll be VERY surprised if the blocks go anywhere. Since the bronze jam cleats I picked up are shorter in profile my plan is to elevate them with a nice piece of wood to make them easier to use.

This layout needs updating

 In the process of getting the blocks to a place where they will work I found all the lines forward need to change. I also need to remove a bunch of hardware that is now superfluous and fill all the holes, sand and paint. The cabin roof presents challenges in directing lines aft. I think I'm going to move to a fixed leech line and eliminate it's run aft. That just leaves the forward first reef line. More staring is needed. I also added the new quarter boards from Matt Cline of Salvation Navy fame. They are just in place with wood screws for the time being but they look so much better now.

A good overview of the work completed today

 Five days remains until the official launch for 2023. The goal is a functioning boat and continuous work throughout the next few months. Having the boat on the hard and not at home is a game changer when it comes to working on the vessel. This means afternoons can be devoted to projects that distractions at home always seem to put off. If all goes well we'll take the boat home better then when it came up and do it again next year.

Yard Work Begins

Kat Boat at rest

  The time has finally come for Kat Boat to live somewhere else during the summer. I sail out of of and around the Dayton Yacht Harbor and after a few summers decided it was time to bring the boat up for the season. And there is work to be done! We had our first underway of the year this last Sunday. Just a out for about an hour but everything seemed to work well. The Typesetter and I took the forestay off for the cruise and the boat didn't seem the worse for wear. 

Obligatory sail shot with two burgees and the ensign.

 

  Upon returning the leeboard guard was ripped from the vessel during a disembarking. It happens. So that will need to be fixed before the 24th of the month and the opening of the club season. It's actually quite a list.

• Fix leeboard guard
• Replace and reposition gaff and peak halyard blocks using deck blocks
• Replace current halyard cleats with brass jam cleats
• Touch up the paint where able
• Rebond the rudder plys for the season. 
  
• Add rubrails to cabin top and bow
• Intstall trail boards

 Should be able to punch it out over the weekend. The Lady is off to family gathering so I'll be left to my own devices. The plan is to make a list of what I need, bring up and get it done over on or two mornings before the heat chases me off. Should be easy enough. Famous last words I know. But time will tell.  

This is not ideal.

Well that's not right.