Bauteck 10, Michael Brock: “This is a Bauteck 10 built in the 80s. She was originally designed as a rowing dinghy for larger boats but the design worked out well as a sailing dinghy. The newer boats are built with an additional 10 to 12 square feet of sail area, so she’s a little under canvased but still a wonderful day sailor and row boat. She’s got a swing keel, a beautiful teak thwart and aft quarter wraparound seating with watertight compartments both fore and aft. The free board is high so she stays pretty dry. I enjoy sailing/rowing her around the bay in St. Augustine as she gets plenty of compliments, especially since she was built in this area more than 30 years ago.”
Yakyak 425, Gary Moore: “Just completing the build of my Yakyak 425 for launch in the spring. I used plans from Duckworks with a couple of modifications. Looking forward to some shallow water time.”
Victoria 18 and Catalina 25, H. Richard Anderson: "The first boat is a 1981 Victoria 18, Charles Richard (named for a grandson). I purchased her in 2013 and earlier this year completely repainted the deck/cockpit, topsides, and bottom. She displaces 1200#, has a full keel with 550# internal ballast and is mainly original. It came with a 3.5 HP Nissan outboard with removable mount and a trailer.
"The second boat is a 1983 Catalina 25, Albatross. I purchased her in 2016. She has a standard rig, a swing keel, and 9.9 HP Yamaha outboard. I have completed refurbished the interior and have made several improvements to the rigging, etc. The first year I had her the original attachment for the keel raising cable failed and the 1500# swing keel had to be removed for repair. I removed and replaced it while the boat was on a trailer. I have modified my powerboat trailer to carry this boat also.
"Both boats are kept on our dock on Lake Marion, a large freshwater lake in central South Carolina. They are kept in the water most of the year with removal only for maintenance and during the winter lake level drawdown."
West Wight Potter 19, Tom Luque: “The P19 has Comfort for multi-day sails. The hard chine design makes the boat slower but on the plus side, it mades it safer to sit or walk around to the bow while underway with an auto-tiller engaged. I improved the boat by removing the port-side bench & sink to create a captain's bunk. I love the ability during long transits to cook or read while the auto-tiller keeps the course.”
Explorer, Allan Copp: “I started building this Viktor Harasty 18-foot explorer in late 1973 launching it in 1974. I sailed it for 6 years and sold it. It went through several owners and in 2007 I got a call that the current owner was going to burn it unless I wanted it back for free. Right in my price range! After getting it home I refinished the hull and deck as well as replaced the cabin. A year later it hit the water again. Unfortunately, due to a less the successful knee replacement it has gone unused for the last 4 years, but I am hoping to get it in the water and sailing for my 80 birthday in 2023.”
Doug McElroy: “‘Duet’ was built by eye in the shop—molds and battens. I have repaired so many of that type, it was just what looked good. Built for my lake that had a 17-foot max boat length. ‘Duet’ was named by the sax player from Pink Floyd at my band rehearsal. ’Pointless’ was actually drawn on the shop floor. I had some extra yellow cedar, so I added backward and ended up with ‘Pointless’, which is one of my favorite boats (will plane with 230lbs of me, and an (9.9hp outboard!)”
Siren 17, Stan McCall: “My boat has had a lot of modifications. It's best feature is the mast tabernacle. You just swing up the mast and attach the forest then put a pin in at the bottom of the mast. The boat only weighs 750 lb so it is easy to tow. We towed it from Hamilton all the way to Nova Scotia this year. We had our last sail of the season yesterday Nov 10 and it is now back in my driveway.”
Robert Weiss, Rhodes 22: “My Rhodes 22, Beach Spring, was "recycled" through the factory by Stan Spitzer in 2014. It is still the prettiest boat in the marina, and I never tire of getting compliments on it. (Beach Spring is an 1844 Sacred Harp pentatonic hymn tune.) It is very easy to single-hand with all lines running aft, a furling Genoa and an in-mast furling main. Reefing is very easy. The pop-top provides standing headroom in the cabin. Other luxuries for a 22-footer are the fully enclosed porcelain marine head with holding tank and galley sink with running water. “
I too noticed the typo with regard to the Siren. But I'm curious to know more about the fabrication of the mast tabernacle. My current keel boat, Precision 23, launches pretty easily when using the winch and trailer extension. But I can imagine a time in a decade or so where man handling that will be a problem. I've seen the setup like this on catboats. What are the logistics and engineering concerns of such a retrofit? Why don't we see this on more boats? Too expensive? Not workable? Not seeing this necessary? I'd love to see an article by one of your more engineering-minded contributors.
The Siren 17 has a forest? Where, or how does one attach this forest? Or should that be forestAY?
Okay, enough of my wiseacre comments. I enjoyed the show, thank you.
~Kees~