Shoes, Ships and Sealing Wax

Sailing the legend

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

 Regular readers of this blog will know whenever I wax poetical the winds of change are about. Or maybe not but the winds o'change are blowing a steady F3 and that is perfect dinghy sailing. And the age old question arises, what dinghy? The fact is I'm ready for a change of boats. To once again narrow my desires for my water going craft to better suit the type of sailing I want. And to satisfy my needs of the "perfect" boat. Of course sometimes that boat exists in multiple boats. And that is where I find myself. 

 Building and tweaking the Piccup was a good first step. I've had it out three times this year and each time it becomes closer to the boat I had hoped it would be. Interestingly enough when I got my first copy of Jim Michalak's Boat Building For Beginners one of the first things I did after pouring over it was to look at the selected catalog of plans in the back of the book. And I kept coming back to Piccup, putting it on the short list. And I'm glad I did. Lazy Shamrock is a little truck of a boat, sweet mannered and decently weatherly when sailed right. Long enough to overnight in, something I'll try this year, and just enough of a traditional bent to stir the tall ships sailor that lurks in my mind from time to time.

 This last weekend I had a five hour sail in on Esmerelda, my longest so far. Made the Dayton Run in under twelve parsecs and frolicked around the leeward side of a race course for an hour. Boat did everything I asked of her. She was solid as a rock and showed a fine turn of speed. My crew was excellent and it was the type of day sailing not many Lido owners get to explore. When all was said and done I had re-injured one of the old girls recurring injuries, the tiller, and she's on the hard until that gets sorted out. And it's given me time to think. About that boat. And future ones. 

 The fact is while the Lido 14 is still one of the finest first boats I could have hopefully asked for, I think I'm ready for the next one. And that means that some boats will ahve to be disposed. I can't right tell you when this hit me but I'm sure sailing the Beetle Cat had something to do with it. I guess I meet one of my boating heros and I can't go back to where I was boat wise. To be ensconced in wood, with the history and sheer weight that that type of boat brings, well to me anyway meant I had to have a part of it. I want to have a cat boat. 

What a great sail. 

 So that's the plan. I will sell the Lido, get the Gypsy to a new home and build a cat boat. Hopefully get the main construction done this sailing season. Having finally put this plan on paper makes it seem all the more wonderful. I've missed having a project. Something to look forward too. I need boats that will be useful to me alone. And right now the Lido, as much as I do enjoy sailing it and being part, albeit a very distant one, of the Lido Community I feel it's time to move on. When I list the qualities I like of the Piccup it ticks far more boxes than poor Esmerelda can. It's not her fault, she's simply not built to do the kind of gunkholing, messing about type of sailing I want to do. Racing around buoys will never be my real thing. The very act of sailing in light wind on a day when I'm not at work is worth so much more. So I need a boat that will do that. And I think I've found the next one.

  While scrolling through Duckworks Magazine I came across a mention of the Skat. A 12' catboat designed by Jim Michalak. How I had never heard of this boat was beyond me but I was smote quite hard. Almost as wide as the Lido, not quite as heavy. 80 odd squares of gaff rig. I've not had a gaff since my Super Teal Blue Flower, and I do miss it. Straightforward instant build and the ability to put a shine on that will make the most ardent fiberglass fan take a second look and never fail to turn a head when coming into port.

 There was a description of it's sailing abilities with two grown men aboard in less the perfect seas and that's all I needed to read. I've always loved cat boats. Having briefly sailed the legendary Beetle Cat and 100% unable to afford of of those of my own, why not build one? Putting this all down here on my blog make the idea sound a bit absurd but it also shows me I have nothing to lose. In the end I'd rather have boats that I'm sailing then ones I'm not. That's half the fun isn't it? As for the other half it may just be building them. 

 Now it'll be a few weeks for me to get my proverbial ducks in a row to ready the Lido for sale, get the unfinished Gypsy off to a proper home and sail the Piccup a few more times but that is my plan and as ever we'll see where I end up. If I'm lucky I'll get to sail the Beetle Cat again near October if the winds blow right. It's going to be a great season and we're just getting started.

"The mate was a mighty sailor man, the skipper brave and sure..."