Why Not?

I'd like to talk about those crazy off course idea's you get when building your own wooden boat. Now it should be noted I'm of two minds on the subject. One one hand you should follow the plans. The designer knows what he's doing. Unless he doesn't.
There is something amazing about how a rather logical act such as building a wooden boat, the process that is not the actual act, can be so corrupted so quickly! In Year of the Boat Cheek makes the comment that humans want to be around beauty. And this I think explains why people love "boaty" looking boats. The lines and bowsprits, gaff rigs and ships wheels. I'm not immune. Look at my first attempt the Harley 8', it had belying pins for goodness sake! So I've once again entered on the path of going overboard when I don't need to. I may complain about people wanting to be boaty over a boat that works and I'll continue to do so. But this is a boat destined to be in public and I desire a certain look. There. I said it. If I wanted true performance I'd build a Goose. And I still might.
The Summer Breeze is inspired by the Bolger Teal. The Typesetter has one and it's a nice little boat.Clean lines, sturdy and when sailed right, brisk if not fast. A mutual friend of ours, the indomitable Andrew Linn built a Teal then turned the hull over to a friend and out of this came a miniature windjammer, the Anna Discors.

Stolen Shamelessly from www.sleepingschnauzer.com

This damn boat has been a thorn in the side for both The Typesetter and myself. We keep returning to it in conversation and moments of whimsy when we get to discussing "What if?. That whole beauty thing I'm guessing.. Now for those of you who've kept up on my boat building adventures I have the predilection to make small boats look bigger. Just wrote to Andy about the Anna Discors and he came back with "It's a hole in the water you have to push around" But the fact is he has a decent Subaru with a trailer. So as of now I'm fairly limited to pushing around holes in the water.
The gaff rig has always fascinated me. I actually came up with one for the Wawona but my mast and spars at t the time were not up to it. Hate to be tangential but here is a shot from the first time I laid eyes on her namesake back in 2008. She has since been documented and dismantled.

I have loved the look of the schooner and it's gaff rig and think it's time I build my own. It's not an impulse but a  long held desire and sometimes you have to follow those desires to see where they lead. It's said every boat you build gets a bit more complicated and closer to the boat you will ultimately build. I'm not sure what I want yet in the end but a forty foot schooner would be a pretty good place to end up. Of course a jib on a small boat can end up being more trouble then it's worth. But if done right it'll add a bit of beauty to an otherwise utilitarian craft and maybe my love of the gaff rig can be satisfied.
I'm also going to attempt something I've never done before either and that is a centerboard and trunk. The idea of cutting a hole in the bottom of a boat terrifies some but I think it'll be much easier in the long run then trying to deal with a leeboard. Leeboards and I have never gotten along well. I get that they keep the interior of the boat open and they don't require a trunk but I think I'd like to go a different route on this boat.
Of course I have to do the above while still maintaining the "Desire List".
Well I think that's out of the way I can let this blog go quiet again for a bit. For those interested here are links to the Summer Breeze page and that of the Anna Discors. And remember nothing is written in stone. And if it is a good chisel and some time can take care of it!