Sailing Off the Edge of the Earth

Yes, I’m back but just barely. I didn’t really sail off the edge of the earth.

Well maybe emotionally I ended up at the edge of the earth. Difficult things, turns in the road, unexpected changes. I think you get the idea. But I’m back now. At least a little ;-)

It wasn’t all a deep abyss actually. It also included a big cosmetic remodel on our home.

As most of you understand, it’s important to take care of the home front as we dream of boats. We’re raising our twin grand daughters and they were getting filthy as they crawled around on our floors. You know, 10 year old carpet can be pretty bad. It didn’t matter how often we cleaned the carpet, they were still getting dirty. Something had to be done.

It all started with an opportunity to snag 800 sq ft of Pine Pergo flooring from a model home in one of our developments. This house had not been lived in and the flooring was like new. The new owners didn’t like the rustic pine look so it was mine for the taking as long as I pulled it out.

More on this later.

I have been in steady communication with Bryan Lowe throughout this time. He really has become a great friend and it’s been fun to exchange “life updates” via e-mail.

Like me, Bryan enjoys a variety of adventures. It’s fun to think about and plan different things. Bryan actually started flying lessons again. Yes, he had started once before. This time he was learning to fly powered parachutes.

I’ve really enjoyed his Youtube videos of his lessons, his solo’s, and his first cross country. How exciting! I’ve also flown powered parachutes in the past so I knew how much fun he was having. He started a great e-paper, Mach None Flying. 

Bryan has kept shanty boats at the back of his mind during this time. He is the creator and moderator of the Shanty Boat Yahoo Group. Bryan also has a fantastic web site dedicated to shanty boats. The really great news is that he’s starting to write again. Check out his newest articles over at Shantyboatliving.com

It’s great to have you back Bryan, you inspire me!

I’m also looking at boat building again. I’ve got the old Virtual Joli files out again and am getting Sketchup fired up.

My ideas for the Joli build are somewhat unconventional so I’ve decided to build a scale model using scale versions of the tools and techniques. I bought a Dremel 4000 and a plunge router attachment for it.

I intend to build a 1/8 scale model of my Joli boat. This will be large enough to test and prove some of my ideas.

• A 26.5' Joli would be about a 40” model.
• A 4x8 piece of plywood that is 1/2" thick would be a 6"x12" piece that is 1/16" thick.
• A 6' human or 72" would be 9".
• A 2x4 (1.5" x 3.5") would be .1875 x .4375  or  3/16 x 7/16.

My friend from Germany, Dr. Klaus Silbernagl has a nice web site where he is documenting his ideas and model building.

I’ve also been in touch with Tom Sullivan from Northern California. He just purchased plans for the Friendship, another design by Philip Thiel.

He’ll be documenting his build over at the Shanty Boat Yahoo Group.

So you can see, there is activity going on. It’s good to be back.

Let’s Review Some Features

The PDCruiser is a rather small vessel that I’m designing for multiple uses. Expecting this boat to be the perfect boat for me is a real stretch. I think we all realize that there is a chance that it won’t do anything very well.

Follow along in my thought process as I explore needs, wants, problems, and solutions. Maybe we can work together to find the compromises that will develop into a truly useful boat.

I’m designing the PDCruiser to be rowed, sailed, and powered by a small outboard motor as well as being comfortable to sleep aboard.

This means the seating configuration needs to be easily changed depending on the mode. For rowing, I need a bench seat down the middle of the cockpit. For sailing, I need seats down each side. And for sleeping, the seats need to fold out of the way.

The profile views below show how I envision using the space available.

The forward cabin needs to have a companionway opening that is almost full width of the boat. This opening is needed when the boat is set up for sleeping. However, the forward companionway needs to have a hatch cover to protect and secure items if the weather or seas are rough. This hatch needs to be easy to remove, fold, and store when not needed. I’ll need to work on a good design for this.

The forward cabin also has a sliding roof and walls that slides rearward to enclose the cockpit to create a 7’ cabin for sleeping. You can see in the drawing below that this hatch ends up obstructing some of the opening at the top of the forward cabin. I’ll live with the duck under that this creates until I come up with a better solution. You can also see that the sliding hatch needs some more designing in Sketchup. The cabin has to be longer at the top than the cockpit or the sliding hatch won’t cover everything in the closed position.

The rear cabin is used as a galley and storage. This space can be easily accessed when the boat is configured for rowing, sailing, motoring, or sleeping.

I really like the look and ease of operation that a leg-o-mutton sail rig gives me and I like the idea of a main sail as well as a mizzen sail on the PDCruiser like the Squeak has below.

The rear cabin and the mizzen mast create a real problem for steering. I can’t use a conventional tiller on a rudder so I did some research. I found an old drawing of a vertical tiller mounted to one side of the cockpit that is connected by ropes to a hoop on the rudder. Now I’m wondering if I’ll need a tiller on each side of the cockpit depending on which tack I’m on while sailing.

The forward cabin and the high sides of the cockpit create some problems with getting in and out of the boat, especially off of a sandy beach. I think I just need to live with the limited forward deck access. I’ve considered hinging the cockpit sides so they can fold down. They are in place to enclose the cockpit when the hatch is slid rearward.

I plan to use lee boards for sailing instead of a centerboard since I want to use the boat for sleeping. A centerboard trunk would take up too much real estate on such a small boat.

I’m considering a foam sandwich construction method for the PDCruiser. Using 1/2” foam board sandwiched between 2 sheets of 1/8” Okume would create very light and strong panels. These panels would also add to the flotation of the boat in the event of a capsize or swamping. The finished side panels would interlock with the ends, sides and bottom creating a 3/4” overlap for sealing. The Okume could be finished bright or painted for protection.

Plans are still coming together for my adventure trip to Seattle to meet with Bryan Lowe. We plan on a 2 day cruise in the Snohomish river using his Escargot and his new mini shanty and then we’ll head over to the homebuilt wooden boat show on Lake Union where he plans to enter both boats.

The New Mistress

Yes, I’m courting a new lady, but only as a stepping stone. I’ve really been inspired by Bryan’s Blog about his Micro Shanty. He has designed and is building a neat little 8’ boat with a cabin for overnighting. How fun!

I was also encouraged by a post over on the Puddle Duck Yahoo Group from Bill Giles:

To all you lurkers out there,

I know you have never even thought about building a boat before. It is a really scary thought. And a sailing rig is even worse. What could happen? You could get wet. Do yourself a favor. Cut out 2 sides glue on the front and back, stick the bottom on, mount some oar locks and throw a 1 by board across the top and row what you just created or even use a paddle. The first time you push off from shore in a "boat" of your own creation you will be hooked forever! Understand all of the hard part has already been thought out. This thing works. There are over 300 of them floating around the world and that number is growing rapidly. Jump in with both feet (but not in the boat itself). I promise that no matter what happens you will not regret it. I have met many of the people here and they have told me their stories about the first time. It is worth it. You will never go back. You will amaze yourself. Even Andy Lynn sailed 200 miles in one of these and most people swore he would never go anywhere.

I need a nap now.

Bill

While I’ve really enjoyed the thought process in designing and drawing my Joli, I also realize that I want to get on the water. I follow the Oregon Coots vicariously through the internet but I think it’s time to “get real” ;-) They’re having so much fun getting together at various locations for their messabouts.

The Joli is going to be a wonderful shanty cruiser for me. It will have the size and comfort that will make it a great boat for longer trips. However, I’m not willing to wait.

I’m currently reading 3 Years in a 12 Foot Boat by Steve Ladd. This book got me to thinking about what I could do on a smaller scale to get me on the water.

I’ve also been following the exploits of a group of sailors competing in the Texas 200. An amazing feat in any boat, but these guys did it in 8’ Puddle Ducks. Wow! Some might call them real Duck Heroes.

The PDRacer site is jamb packed with information including notes about scaling up the design.

All of the things I’ve mentioned above have led me towards designing and building a 12’ shanty boat. I’m going to call the design a PDCruiser. It will have a center cockpit and will be set up to row, sail, and will include a small auxiliary outboard. The forward cabin will have a full sliding hatch with sides that will slide backwards to enclose the center cockpit. The rear cabin will contain a small galley and other storage. When the hatch is slid backwards, the cabin will be 7’ long, 44” wide, and 42” high at the tallest end.

In case you’re wondering if this virtual boat builder ever gets his hands dirty; Yes, I just finished building our front porch out of recycled cedar deck boards. I just love it!

It’s Too Long!

I was just sure I had settled on a floor plan that would work well for our family. The truth is, “not exactly”.

Things looked good on my virtual paper and some of the 3d stuff looked pretty good also, but I had a good wakeup call when we moved a friend’s 27’ fifth wheel trailer into the back yard for my daughter and her kids to live in.

Wow, this thing is big!

I hadn’t really spent much time thinking about storing my Joli and if I were really honest with myself, I think I’d need to admit that my boat will spend the majority of the time on a trailer.

So, the search started on the internet. I wanted to find some pictures of designs that I liked that were around 27’ long. I wanted to see pictures of boats in the water as well as on the trailer.

I found pictures of Bolger’s 29’ Tennessee. It’s a design I really like and I think it looks pretty good on the water. (Update  11/23/09! A reader pointed out that I had mislabeled this boat. It is actually Mark Van Abbema's 40' Mark V 39. 
Sorry for the error. Read more about it Here. 

But look what happens when you pull this boat out of the water.

I don’t have room to keep something like this and in fact I’m not sure it would make it up the driveway into our back yard. I need to consider the length behind the trailer axles as well as the length of the tongue. These things will really impact the places this boat could be towed.

I’m disappointed with this reality check. I had great visions of sharing extended weekend trips on the Joli with another couple or with our kids and grandkids. The combination of a rear double bunk and forward single bunks along with a dinette that makes into a bunk would really let us spread out. The truth is, we just won’t have that luxury.

I’ve re-drawn the floor plan, again! Things haven’t changed a whole bunch except for the elimination of the rear double bunk and making the head/shower shorter.

The rear cockpit is shorter now and more like a canal boat from Europe. The forward cockpit is longer and should provide a nice place to get outside.

I’ve been working in Delftship to see if I can learn how to draw hull shapes beyond the limits of Sketchup but I’ve also learned some new Sketchup techniques that apply to drawing boats.

I want to see how my Joli shape is developing beyond the flat floor plan I’ve been working with. Here are the steps that I used to move into 3D using Google Sketchup.

This is done much like you would if you were carving a boat out of a solid block of wood. In my case, I’ll be carving a half model.

I started by using the rectangle tool to draw a rectangle that is the overall length of my floor plan by ½ the width, (23’ 7” x 4’).

I then used the push/pull tool to turn my rectangle into a block by pulling up the face to the overall height of my Joli, (82”).

Now it’s time to do a little drawing on the faces of the block. I started with a view of the top and used my floor plan to draw an outline of my Joli. Next, I used Philip’s original plans to get an idea of the amount of rocker on the bottom of the boat. I used the Bezier tool to draw this arc on the side of the block.

Now for a few tricks. I had to copy the shapes that I drew on the side of the block. I pulled these away from the surface and will use them later. The original lines on the side of the block need to be deleted. Now I can use the push tool from the top to remove the “wood” from my block that is outside of my lines. Use the eraser tool in conjunction with the ctrl key to smooth the curves and remove the vertical lines by clicking on them.

The next step was to pull the face of my rocker shapes through the block. Now another important trick. I selected the block as well as my rocker shapes and used the intersect tool to tie them together. Next, I deleted the lines and faces that would remove the “wood” from my block that is outside of my lines.

Here’s a picture and a short video showing the curved hull shape. There are some things that didn’t draw out correctly in Sketchup but it does give me a good idea of how some of my “enhancements” will look. The current drawing doesn’t show the outboard motor and cover yet. I’ll continue to work in Sketchup as well as Delftship to further develop my ideas.

Larger Video

I had a nice chat with Bryan Lowe tonight on Facebook. It was good to touch base with him again. Look for an update on his blog soon. It looks like I will be able to get together with Bryan for the Homebuilt Wooden Boat Show in Seattle during the last weekend in July. I’ll take a couple of extra days off so we can spend some time cruising the Snohomish river in his Escargot.

What Was I Thinking!

I’m pretty sure that more than just a few of you have been wondering about my hull shape for the Joli. Sure it would have a nice shape but things really got more complex than Philip Thiel ever intended. I think I’ve achieved enlightenment. It’s time to simplify again.

I know you’ve heard it here before but once again, “Boy I’m glad I haven’t cut any wood yet!” Just think about the money and time I’ve saved with this virtual build. At the current rate of money and time saved, I should be able to build a 50’ boat pretty soon ;-)

I’m still interested in curving the cabin sides in on the top and I think I’ll pursue the angled front and rear bulkheads for the cabin so access through the hatches is easier. It also seems like the front deck would be more useful if it were more like the rear cockpit with a floor and seat area. We’ll see.

It looks like spring is in the air in some places. Here in Central Oregon, we’re seeing some sun and warmer temperatures, (highs in the 40’s and 50’s), practically swimming weather. Time to get the O’Day Widgeon out and cleaned up. At the very least, I need to build a rudder for this boat. We lost it during a capsize a few summers ago.

I’m also excited to get the canoes out again but I’m really kidding myself. We won’t have access to the majority of the lakes until some time after June 1^st. Oh well.

Rumor has it that John Cockerham has got his Escargot, Gumbo in the water. See his post below. How exciting!

Gumbo finally got underway for the first time. I wasn't really ready yet, since the interior still needs some finish work and the wiring is not in. My mother (80) flew out and did all of the sewing on the cushions and curtains. She wanted to go for a ride in it and I couldn't refuse, so I had to sneak it down to a quiet ramp for an unofficial launch. The official launch will be when the boat is legal. I have been waiting for about two months for the Marine Patrol to inspect the hull to verify it is home built and assign a hull number so I can register it and be legal. An agent was supposed to come today, but since it's already after 5:00 I doubt he will make it. I love dealing with bureaucracy. The Nissan 6 HP with 25" shaft seems perfect, but since the motor is still in the break-in phase I didn't use over half-throttle.

John, Grand Bay, Alabama
Escargot #7 as close as I can tell.

I’m looking forward to seeing more pictures of John’s boat in the water. Congratulations John, it looks like you’ve done an awesome job!

In closing, here’s a great video from Bryan Lowe featuring some trips on the Snohomish River in his Escargot. What an inspiration. Thanks Bryan, I needed that ;-)

Links of Thought

As I promised last time, I intend to spend a little time sharing some internet links that I’ve found; interesting, useful and sometimes, “just plain entertaining”.

But first I want to talk about my new boat design. The shape is a little odd but I think I can make it work. It’s 24’ long by 12.5’ wide. It’s about 14’ tall at the peak and the hull is made from 8” thick concrete. Doesn’t sound like a winner does it ;-)

Actually, I’ve just described my garage/boat shop. Problem is, it may need to become an apartment. You see, our oldest daughter has come back to the roost, and she has 4 children with her. Not exactly what any of us dreamed about but none the less, so it is.

Our home is only 950 sq ft and it’s feeling a little crowded with 9 people. Sure, some of those people are still pretty small but we’re running out of room.

I had the guys at work do a little drawing for me to see how we could make the garage functional as a living space. I’m not totally satisfied with their initial thoughts and I think we’ll need to think outside the box here a little.

The garage/apartment is in the lower left of the image above. You may recognize it from some of my original shop drawings on this web site.

If you think of the garage as a boat, it seems fairly roomy. I’ve been playing around with a few different ideas. We’re not sure what is happening next and for now we’re taking it a day at a time. I’ll let you know if I go further with this apartment design.

So, let’s talk about web sites. The time on the web has really been great for me during these recent times of feeling like the boat building dream is fading away.

First on the list has to be one of my personal favorites because it has been such an inspiration to me. Bryan Lowe shared his journal on-line of his experience while building an Escargot boat designed by Philip Thiel. This is a must read for anyone contemplating a boat build. Good Stuff!

Bryan has continued in the shanty boat world with a new site. Here he shares all things shanty. Keep an eye on this one!

Bryan is also the moderator for the shanty boat yahoo group. This is a great place to exchange ideas with like minded individuals.

Another great place to follow along as someone builds an Escargot is John Cockerham’s web site. It’s so awesome to see his detailed pictures and his notes about progress. He’s very close to launch day!

How about, “Build a boat, have an adventure!” It’s pretty hard to beat this down to earth, full of info web site. I’m talking of course about DuckWorks Magazine.

Want to follow along as someone makes the move toward being a full time live aboard? Greg deals with many of the day to day practical aspects of making it possible on a 24’ sailboat.

Let’s talk shanty boats here. Paul Browne designed a wonderful little trailerable shanty boat called the Lisa B. Good. Paul has since passed away but there appears to be a new interest in this simple boat. There’s not much left on Paul’s original web site but I’ve also included a link to the full set of text and drawings, compliments of DuckWorks.

Lisa B. Good Plans

The list of shanty boat sites wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Sam Devlin’s Millie Hill. Sam designs some really beautiful, traditional boats using the stitch and glue method. He’s a great guy to talk to, and his book on boat building is awesome also. The Millie Hill has been slightly redesigned and improved. Here’s a site well worth looking into.

I’m sure you understand that this list is far from complete. We’re so lucky to have so much information at our finger tips. This is just a list to get you started and to keep you dreaming!

I’ve started over on my Joli floor plan. There were several things that ended up too tight or not really workable. Stay tuned!