Flotsam and Jetsam
More of your letters and comments....
A few readers offered up information about their own favorite boats for others to consider. David Beach wrote:
I bought a new 13-foot Banshee sailboat in 1976. They had just established a Portsmouth rating as faster than a Laser or Force 5...appealing to my need for speed as a young, newly married guy, already in love with sailing..
My wife and I could comfortably lounge around in it's cockpit in light airs, and it was a thrill hanging on in heavy air....born in San Francisco Bay. The single sail of 88 sq ft, propelled it perfectly. We were allowed any rigging we wanted to race—just no hull or sail changes. Its appeal to me was the large comfortable cockpit, coming up dry after capsize, quick to rig and thrilling to sail. We had a trailer, but friends car-topped theirs.
Cons: a marine plywood transom which could eventually rot, unless always kept dry (which I did). If not careful, skewing the mast before fully seating it in the hull caused major, but repairable, damage and would ruin your day. (Some owners added a halyard to allow limited sail dousing).
I no longer felt confident I could climb back in from a capsize when turning age 78, so finally sold it, tearfully, to it's next caretaker two years ago. Sigh. I've passed along my "Banshee love" to many friends over the years, and we have roughly 5-6 owners (some 3rd generation) learning sailing and enjoying the thrill of "hanging on" with huge grins...
Reader Jay Knight wrote:
I have recently completed my B&B design Mathew Flinders 246. It absolutely touches every base for the perfect boat. Fast, roomy, easy to sail, all electric.
I will attempt to attach the build link. I really appreciate your efforts in the newsletter!
Reader Marc Smith wrote:
I am building a Bolger Bobcat. At 12 feet of length and 250 pounds it is small enough to handle singlehanded, but at its 6-foot beam, should be stable enough for my aging body. Not big enough to comfortably sleep aboard but those days have passed. I dream of ghosting in light airs and watching the eagles soar overhead or catching a glimpse of a great blue heron dipping for minnows in the shallows. Or, perhaps an evening sail, ghosting under the stars.
If the wind is howling and white caps breaking, I can still reef for safety but will likely forgo the excitement for a good book and plans to sail when the weather improves.
One thing sailing has taught me is patience to wait for a better day.
Contributor John Nystrom popped in to share his latest Book Stack image below. Some good ones here!
Jon Dawes was curious what boat was pictured in our opening Should I Do it?
Hello what make/model is the “Seaboots” boat in the pictures?
I've owned a 2005 Hunter 25 (newer design with the funky shallow keel). I sailed in in the Chesapeake, mostly in the autumn in and around the Chester river. I liked the “efficiencies” like lazy jacks, sail pack, line storage bags, folding wheel (we added), and connecting rod between motor and rudder.
Has anyone got experience owning and operating a Voyager 26? I'd like a 25-ish-foot trailersailer and hope to cross the Gulf Steam from Florida to The Bahamas next year at some point.
Jon, the boat pictured was a Westerly Pageant.
Some nice feedback on John C. Harris’s “Ollie” column and design.
Reader George King wrote:
Ollie is a most attractive design. A suggestion to amuse John Harris: With the flat bottom of Ollie, it should be possible to design a really efficient and effective shallow draft keel for places with a lot of thin water. Keep the retractable rudder and the pod should be a retractable outboard, as thin water often has weeds.
Our friend Rick Pratt had this to share:
A lovely addition to the smallboat population. John Harris knows of whence he speaks and his pen is graceful.
We built several of his CLC kits at Farley Boat Works and they were as described. Many of the builders had zero previous experience and yet we were able to coach them through the process with minimal fuss.
I looked him up at the Mystic boat Show and again at the Port Townsend show to invite him to come to our tiny new wooden boat show in Port Aransas Texas, in the midst of nowhere. He patiently explained that the couldn’t because of the two major shows on opposite coasts, but that if we would change the date to spring, he would come.
We did and he did and he anchored the show. Folks crowded his corner and he sold a lot of kits. His knowledge and practice of boat design is well polished by use.
His boat kits made Bolger and Payson's dream come true; you can build your own boat and it will be a damned good one. This may get me nocturnal visits from angry devotees, but CLC boats are mostly waaay prettier than the Bolger / Payson flock.
Had CLC been around when I first opened my shop in Port A, my life would have been much easier and far more prosperous.
John Gardner was my teacher and despite being a traditionalist, an advocate of Bolger's worth. He would have smiled broadly on Harris' contribution.
Keep your tools sharp. Adios. •SCA•
John Harris is the real deal --- an artist, a designer, a builder, and a capable businessman. We boaters are the better for his efforts, as anyone who has built one of his kits can attest. I built my Peeler Skiff 9 years ago, when I was 68, and she is still a big part of our family summers on Narragansett Bay.