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!