Old Salt 15 Gets Wet

We weren’t at all sure we’d launch, but Brandon and I had a couple of days over the holiday to attack the long list of little things that still needed to be done to the prototype.

Brandon put me on installing battens and making a batch of spliced-eye soft shackles for affixing the catboat’s 150-square-foot main while he thought-through and located hardware.

With Old Salt being fully designed and drawn in CAD, we could reference hardware, locations and systems in the 3D universe before drilling holes.

Additional tasks completed over two days included sanding the centerboard and running control lines, installing kick-up rudder and control lines, installing all deck hardware, inspection ports and hatches, and main halyard. We also installed Brandon’s ingenious slam-hatch (on a stainless piano hinge) that closes the so-called “toaster slot” to hold the mast in place. This system and the soft sail hanks were two of most unusual systems on the boat and both proved to work amazingly well.

Joseph (pictured in boat) worked nonstop installing hardware

We haven’t had a chance to buy a trailer for the Old Salt yet. Fortunately our friend, pro builder Joel Arrington (Northwest Maritime Center) had a spare trailer. Not only did he lend it to us, he happily included his custom fitting service at no charge!

As work continued furiously on that second day we set a plan to actually launch the boat that afternoon. I joked that Joseph would probably still be working on adding stuff as we drove toward the ramp. This turned out to be more or less the case as he stayed aboard working as we rolled the boat out and hooked the trailer to the tow vehicle.

The lightweight boat proved effortless to launch, and with a 15-pound carbon mast that simply slips into the toaster slot, mastraising was easily accomplished on the water. Stab it in, push it forward and slam the hatch door. Voila.

The Old Salt sat on her lines and was exceptionally stable even without adding the substantial water ballast. We also thought she looked rather gorgeous.

I’m sure there are more comfortable cockpits—it’s just that they are on 50-footers. Note sail bag on sole that holds sail and 2-piece mast ready to go.

We motored silently from the dock and out into Port Townsend Bay under power from the little eLite motor inside her well. The motor performed beautifully at less than half throttle. We were thrilled to see the sail set went up and set quite well on the simple dyneema hanks—an exceptionally simple system—just flop the sail onto the cabin, loop the soft shackles around mast and raise the sail with the halyard. No yard, no boom, no shrouds. Simply clip-on the downhaul to tension and the mainsheet to control. Both system use stainless hooks for quick affixing and reefing.

Unfortunately the light air began to disappear almost as soon as we’d set off, but in those glorious fleeting moments we were able to confirm she moved well and had a perfect feel with just a touch of weather helm. Needless to say we can’t wait for a windier day to shake her down more thoroughly.

But the launch and short sail were ideal for a first test and we came away with a list of several mods or tweaks—perfect updates before the first round of Old Salt kits are cut. As just one example, we found the tiller swing was a little too limited, so the opening in the lower aft section of the cockpit coaming panel will be enlarged slightly.

Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks. —Josh