New year, new possiblities!

Tacking out of Polson Bay

It's been an eventful year here for boats and such. And since it's been ages since this blog has been updated I figure the three of you following this blog deserve and update. And with the weather showing signs of lifting for the thaw thoughts have turned to sailing. The big news for 2013 was the acquisition by The Typesetter of a 1962 Lido 14 (#1280). A real one class racing boat. 14' LOA and a 6' beam mean we have now have a means of tackling the Flathead in decent weather and of taking two or more in comfort out on the water. We did several trial sails in the fall and the boat sails wonderfully, trailers well and it opening up many weekends of time on the water. At the present time I am in the process of purchasing the vessel and we are making all necessary preparations for it's return to the water in 2014.

It's a fairly easy list this year. 

1. Inspect, repair, or install new lines, halyards and sheets. The combination wire and rope halyards are in need of work, the main halyard suffering a minor failure last year at dock. The jury ring we came up with worked but we need to get proper length and secured halyards. 
2. Inspect, repair, install new exterior and interior fittings. The upper works are in generally good order. The interior could stand some creature comforts, primarily in storage department. Just need places to stow things to make it a good daysailer.
3. Renew the motor mount. Mounted to the port stern is a solid steel motor mount of unknown vintage. After some brief discussions about its removal "I'm thinking we're not going to get to it this year." "Okay" it was decided that renewing the wooden pad and cleaning and oiling the mechanism was good enough.
4. Motor work. The boat came with a gasoline motor for the mount. At a minimum the motor needs to be tested and tweaked for possible re-installation. The other option is a an ancient trolling motor I picked for seven dollars at a garage sale before I even had a boat. That would require the acquisition of a battery and charger.
5. Finish off interior appointments. The boat needs a good dry bag with most things that might be needed day today. Tools and the like as well as the nautical appointments of a small boat. Might want to pick up a proper compass for the centerboard too. 
6. Trailer inspection. We have recurring ground issue that plays havoc with the trailer lights.

We've also joined up with the South Flathead Lake Yacht Club in Dayton, Montana. They have a wonderful clubhouse, host races which we can crew for and provide a good location for sailing and fellowship. Now it should be understood that our boat (PHRF 263.4) will most likely NOT be participating in the races as we'd have to start the day before but we plan on providing camera boat and other such nonsense.
The S/V Blue Flower will be receiving work this season start as well. She now was a wonderful new set of stripped sails courtesy of the indomitable Andy Linn and steps are underway to get those rigged up. Two major pieces of work lay ahead, the replacement of the front combing and the manufacture of a new centerboard. The combing took damage from an errant ratchet strap and upon inspection revealed itself as not wood as we originally thought but MDF. The plan is to remove it,build a steam box and shape a new wooden replacement. The centerboard, being hollow has been taking water for a year or so. I may try and epoxy along the edges and see if that works but more then likely building a new one is a better bet.
We are right now about a month and a half from doing any sort of sailing at all but it'll be faster and more expensive then we can think right now. I leave this post with short video of the Lido sailing in Dayton Harbor after making the passage from Big Arm, some eight or so miles. The weather did hit us but it was brief. Immediately following the rain the water of the bay was warm to the touch. The worlds largest hot tub. It was amazing. I'm looking forward to more such adventures in 2014!

First Sail of 2012

Here is a video from my first sail of the year. The pond was really far down and the water cold. But it sure beat a day at the office!

Little Things

On Lake Placid

  It's still high winter here in Montana but we've had a few fluke days where the temperature is above freezing. And it's been so cold here that those days feel downright tropical. So coming home from work I decided since the snow was melting I would take a look at the boat. She's dismasted and upside down on her trailer at the moment with a rain fly over her for protection. So after putting on my boots I stripped the fly to see how she's doing.
 I was pleased to see very well. Took a wet rag and wiped off the dirt that remained after my last sail and a general inspection of the hull. The fly has remained watertight and there is no sign of ice damage in any form. She'll need a bottom paint touch up and some work to cover the rubber scrapes from the Lake Placid docks but other then that she's as good as can be expected.
 I get such a rush of pride when I look at the boat. It's mine. All twelve feet of it. It's taken me places that I would not have thought to go and is promising to take me to many more. I've been with the Typesetter and many plans are being made for the summer. Sailing, boat building, a movie project. All discussed over fast food burgers and the latest issue of Wooden Boat. Good times in this off season.
It might be three months away but already the want to go sailing in my boat is pretty intense. And that is a good thing.

Sailing Big Water 2012

I know I've mentioned it several times but here is a slide show of our big water outing. Day was marvelous, ended up going out three times that day. We also ended becalmed and drifting but great fun was had by all. Andy Linn has offered new sails for next season so we'll get it started out right. As I type this the boat is covered in snow. Don't worry she's covered. But many great plans are being made for next season! Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year from the IP&NCo.!

Heading Towards the End

The IP&NCo. has plans for some big water sailing later in the week so work has been heavy these last few days. As I have eluded to in previous posts there are a few nagging issues with the rig that need immediate attention. I have a terrible habit of sailing by the lee. When I head dead downwind the boom sky's then snap jibes. It's a bit of a terrifying experience and not one I enjoy very much. So The Typesetter and I spent the better part of this past Tuesday figuring out how to keep the boom down. At the last sailing session he had jury rigged a quick fix that tamed the boom enough for sailing in moderate winds. But a more permanent solution was needed.
Being the guys we are about eighty percent of our day was spent making things way more complicated then they needed to be while buying parts we ended up not needing. Finally a design was decided on in ten minutes later we had the result.

Tension is maintained with the turnbuckle and it works quite well so far on land. The end result is the boat is now a bit safer and it increases the performance envelope of my boat. The improvement of sail shape, such as it is, is markedly improved. Or at least my sail girts are in the proper orientation now.
The sail itself is on it's last legs. They came with the boat and are the original sails as of August 2008. I've sailed holes in them. Andy has graciously offered to build some new sails.

We have some big water sailing scheduled later in this week and this time I'll be sure to have the camera. Tonight however they are forecasting wind and possible snow in the valley. Winter comes quickly in Western Montana. I've buttoned down the boat as best I can and made some hot cocoa.

I like how she looks like Nautilus from from the 50's Disney movie. One of my favorites! I leave you with a quick tour of the boat.

The Goose Comes Home and a Jib Comes Down

It only took a year but the Goose is finally home! Yes the famous "eXpedition" eDition by the indomitable Andy Lin is now safe and secure in my yard. I'll let the pictures tell the story of the move.

Sitting forlornly on her trailer.

Throwing some Titebond at a corner

All hooked up and ready for a move

Safe at home

Some work was done on the Blue Flower as well. I've encountered a few problems with lowering her jib during rising winds. The obvious answer was a downhaul. So after a quick trip to Ace work began in earnest, the Typesetter working and me photographing. First up was adding a nylock to the jib block. (There is probably a better name for this particular block but I'll simply put up a picture.)

Flattering picture of the Typesetter digging under the foredeck

Lending a hand. Literally

With the block in place we set up the downhaul. Seems there were a few other bits on the boat at one time as there are three distinct holes in the bowsprit. We added a block, ran the line through the hanks and a downhaul was had. Here are some pictures.

Always excited to get a new line on the boat

Through the block and aft. A great setup!

The second issue we tackled was the consistent issue with the triple block set up on the mainsheet. I've never been happy with the slow response and the amount of drag in the set up. Maybe with her original 80sqft of polytarp but now it's overkill and more so dangerous. I'm unable to get the boom far enough with sheet to control her safely and the slow response can be killer in high wind. My last  few forays in wind I've attached the mainsheet directly to the boom and held it in hand for better feel and control. After a bit of discussion it was decided a traveler rig was the best set up. We could have opted for a fancy double block but a single ring was used instead. The swivel block from the old set up was attached to the boom after a bit of eyebolt wrestling by the human vice and the new set up shows marked improvement while on the hard. We hope to do water testing soon!

Notice too that pictures have returned to the blog! My camera has already survived one capsising and is still going strong. Look for more pictures and adventures soon!

Busy Summer

Launch of my boat with it's original 80sqft sail plan. Stolen shamelessly from the Sleeping Schnauzer.

 It's been a fairly busy couple of days. Seze is now full rigged and waiting to return to her trailer. The varnish really improves the appearance of the vessel. Now he won't admit it, but when I first introduced him to wooden boats The Typesetter couldn't understand why people varnished wooden boats to make them look like fine cabinets. I think he understands now, his boat has more bare varnished wood then both of mine put together. Or it could just be a happy accident.
 Re-rigging the boat was an experience in itself. I have no camera and forgot to take notes when I disassembled the rig. I was left with spars ten miles away and a literal plastic bag of boat parts Now my rig is far from being the most complicated, I would imagine most plastic boats this size have far more rigging bits then mine, but it seemed daunting nonetheless. All my life I've been taking stuff apart. Sometimes to see how it worked, other times to simply take it apart for the sake of seeing how many parts were in it. And I can't count on one hand the times I put what I took apart back together. So while taking it apart is a theme,  putting it back together certainly isn't. Well the Typesetter put three good coats of spar varnish on my bits and let me know he was done. So with nothing else to do I picked them up and figured I'd wait a bit to look at pictures and the like to prepare.
 Turns out I'm also impulsive and impatient. What started as simply putting the bits back on turned into fully re-rigging the boat. First up was putting the pulleys and metal sidebars on the lower mast. Now when Andy rebuilt her, in his finite wisdom he added a tabernacle mast much like the one found on his Weekender. I'll spare you the details but just to say the first time I put it together I got it all backwards. On the plus side judging by the holes and wear telltales on the mast I was not the first to make this mistake.
 The rig proper was fairly easy to get done. I did learn that my fear of heights disappears when I'm rigging a gaff rig ten feet up on a shaky aluminum ladder. Who knew, right?
 With and extra day off evening work I pulled the Trudy off the blocks she's been resting on all winter and wrung out her spirit sail for the first time in a year. She's rested about as well as one would expect. A full restoration would be required to get her up to snuff. I could sail her now but a few hours of work will make her her truly ship shape once more. One thing that did impress me, as it always does is the simplicity of her sprit sail. I'd forgotten I'd added a boom and she responded well while yard sailing today. I think I'll need to fashion a proper mast and spars for her. And redo the rudder with less haste and more thought to actually making it work. Once I get the bugs worked out I hope to use her as my training ship for prospective captains and mates to Blue Flower. If you can sail an eight foot dinghy with a sprit rig I figure you can sail just about anything, certainly a 12' gaff rigged microjammer.
 As work continues on my current fleet a few nagging thoughts come up. As always, what is the next boat. This has been a constant on this blog and it's no closer to getting solved. The fact is I have a boat I can finish without too much work. She's the eXpedition Goose, 12' of pure Andy Linn innovation and planning. Really a scaled up Salem Electron, a PDR he sailed on the 2009 Texas 200. She's got a centerboard, rakish shape, a cloud of sail and designed for long distance solo sailing. Andy actually just finished his last? Texas 200 in an Perttu Korhonen designed Oooze Goose. She's carry four comfortably and be safe for Flathead if I wanted to take her out on big water. The cost is finishing up the centerboard, painting, framing and decking. And finding a 100sqft lug sail.
 Currently she sits in the Typesetters boat yard with a coat of primer and no wood work completed. It's almost August and I can't leave her there forever, nor in that state. She was given to me for free and she's mine so finding something to do with her is up to me. Part of me want's to find her a nice family who'll use her every weekend. I mean I could use her every weekend and I may end up doing that but only time will tell.
 IF I were to have a next boat, the list is short. Bolger Tinycat (Bobcat), Mayfly 14 and the Goat Island Skiff. All have their plus's and minus' but they are all a step up from the Super Teal. They will require more attention, patience, materials and money then my current build. If I were to add an in between boat I'd include the Bolger Payson Windsprint.
 But 80% of boating is planning and scheming that rarely comes to fruition.But it's a damn sight better then nothing at all!

Doldrums....Not Quite

 The varnished mast, spars and trim are sitting on the trailer as I type this. And they look gorgeous. Now comes the bit where I put it all back together. Weather permitting I'll finish most of it up tomorrow. After a bit of discussion we'll be changing the triple purchase offset mainsheet to a single purchase traveler set up. Should ease some of the problems I've had with the boat in heavier airs. The Typesetter is pushing to get the Goose done and other distractions are taking up their share of my time and money. Oh if only I had a single hobby! But juggling is half the battle and I'll be back on the water by mid August, if not sooner. I do have S/V Trudy if I get desperate.

Demasted

S/V Blue Flower Gooseneck (Stolen from Sleeping Schnauzer)

 After an hours work the Blue Flowers rig has been taken off and stripped. I'm left with an upside down boat and a bag full of hardware. The masts, spars, bowsprit, tiller and trim are at The Typesetters for varnish. From what I can tell the wood has never been finished. I can't wait to see to see what she looks like when it's all done but I feel kinda empty with a partial boat out in the yard.

 I must admit I felt a little weird as I took apart the rig. This is what gives my boat her identity as a sailboat and is her only mode of propulsion. I did get to see a lot of the detail that went to the rig though. Most of the attachments are hand made and the nylon lock nut is the preferred fastener of choice. The spars and mast are surprisingly  light weight and easily transported. I'm unsure of the wood used but it's rather dense.

 Underneath the bow trim piece I found the other mast step, about a foot forward of the one I use now. Would give a jaunty catboat look and maybe open up the possibility for a mizzen but that's for another day.  I'm thinking that sandpaper may take off enough of the top coat to get rid of the white speckles that coat the starboard side of the boat. When this refit is done she'll take on more of the identity I'd like for my boat. She'll still turn heads no matter where she goes and that is important. What sailor doesn't want a good looking boat?

 So I'm out of the sailing game for a few days but I could use a break. I figured it's 24 miles to my pond one way. Last week I drove almost 200 miles going sailing. That's a lot of gas! I'm thinking of cutting it back to twice a week for the pond or once a week to bigger waters. Will it happen like that? I don't know but it's a good plan. I'm hoping to get The Typesetter and S/V Pica out on the water with me a few times. Always more fun to sail with friends.

Setting Her Up

 One of my favorite rituals is the after sail ritual with my boat. When she has done her duty and deserves some TLC for a job well done. I think these times with a boat, or any hobby, are important. When I'm on the water, I depend on my boat for my safe return home. Call it what you will but I have and will continue to view her as a living thing and as such deserving of kind words and attention. I've found things powered by steam and old cars are no different.
 First thing to do is to step the mast and raise the sails. This shakes out the rigging and makes inspecting it all the easier. Then it's on to sweeping the interior and inspecting the fore and aft bulkheads. Tonight this included tightening the eye bolts at the rear of the cockpit. One of them holds a Race-lite swivel block that has a habit of catching at the most inopportune times, leading to poor sail handling verging on dangerous. The Typesetter noticed them moving on the last sail so I decided to limit the movement of the eye. This involved removing the seat and getting into various contorted positions with a screw driver and crescent wrench. This lead to a general inspection and tightening of all screws, nuts and bolts on the entire vessel.
 The next step is prepping the vessel to sail at the next available moment. Part of the joy of a small boat is the impulsive sail. The more ready your boat, the more impulsive you can be. Having got the sailing out of my system I set the boat for full readiness. Anchor and anchor bag stowed forward. Two PFD's for captain and possible crew. A few good reading books in aft compartment as well as a small store of water, foul weather gear and ball bungees. Everything I need for a day on the pond.
 The final step is tarping the boat for storage. I use an old tent fly and secure it with railroad spikes. This keeps the water and tree needles out of the bilge.
 Today I found several interesting things I think are worthy of note. I finally got around to measuring my sails and found more then ten square feet I didn't know existed. Andy provided me a sail plan of 45sqft when I questioned him about my sails. Originally the Annas Discors sported eighty square feet of sail so a reduction seemed prudent. But according to my calculations and not to imprecise measurements I have 57.8sqft, very close to the 59sqft Leg O' Mutton specified in the original plans.
 One thing that has been annoying me of late is my seat. So today I decided to fix it. The seat itself is warped and the original Chinese pot metal screws appeared to have been attached by a palsied blind man. It's a amazing what wood screws can do. Seat now is firmly attached and ready for more use.
 One of the briefs in the making of this crafts was for a lot of strings to play with it. I'm thinking of adding one more. I've found that the inability to drop my jib has caused issues. So I'm going to rig a downhaul with appropriate line and tackle. This will make docking and a much happier experience. No longer will I clamber forward and flail at the jib hoping I don't go into the drink. Hopefully I'll have pictures of that project.
 Also my boat needs a flag. I've looked at plenty of pictures and if I have my way Old Glory will be hanging from the gaff the next time I set to see.
 Don't think I'll be heading out on the brimy deep until after Independence day. I could be wrong though.  Actually, I kind of hope I am.