The maiden voyage of the Stone Horse, Belle Starr was north from Olympia, Washington to Port Townsend, Washington, on the Salish Sea. What a fabulous week!
This voyage began last Wednesday, in rain and thick fog with occasional lightning and ended yesterday in beautiful blue skies with a downwind run home.
In between was the always satisfying Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. Three days of navigating one hundred nautical miles northward by GPS, with hardly a sight of land, culminated in glorious skies Friday, as Belle Starr set anchor off the Port Townsend wharf.
The festivities had already begun and spirits were high with anticipation of a fine weekend. Belle Starr proved to be in good shape, with few problems and performed as her pedigree predicted. We tried all potential sail combinations and discovered a few rigging shortcomings, but nothing to put a damper on the fun.
Doryman has friends in high places (lucky man) and soon after arrival, Belle Starr was invited to tie-up at the dock inside the Basin and join the Festival, even though that was not her intention. She elected to stay outside, at anchor, the better to spread her wings at a moments notice.
You will discover, therefore, most photos in the Doryman archives are on the water, under full canvas. Shooting while handling a sailboat is not ideal for photography, though looking through the photos might give you the feeling of being there. (Thats my excuse, and Im sticking to it.)
Event Photos: Dorymans Flickr site Northwest Maritime Center (facebook) Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding (facebook)
Thanks to all my good friends for making this a week to remember (you know who you are). Doryman is fortunate indeed, to be a member of such a stellar tribe.
Your happy skipper
Belle Starr on Marristone Island. A happy boat.
Sleeping Seals on Eagle Island from doryman on Vimeo.
Sumbra III is a very typical One-Tonner design from the period. She was built of wood using cold molded techniques by Cantiere Sangermani of Italy and launched in 1973. The design utilized the Lines, Construction and General Arrangement plans from design #2094. If you recall this was a speculative design that was used numerous times, such as the boat Lightnin, design #2094-C1.
Here is the Deck plan. The style of this drawing is interesting and was commonly done. Only the starboard sheer line is drawn since in the draftsmans mind the boat is symmetrical, so why draw it?
The ballast keel was also modified from #2094. Heres the Ballast Keel plan.
Principal Dimensions LOA 38-6" LWL 28-9" Beam 11-9" Draft 6-3" Displacement 15,309 lbs Ballast 8,000 lbs Sail Area 604 sq ft
Ive spent the last few days learning to loft... in the loft. Rather than tie up 50 sq ft of floor space while I learn slowly and painfully (on the knees) to loft full size I put up a board and tried it 1/4 scale. Im glad I did. Making mistakes has never been so comfortable. Ive been using Roger Koanycias book on lofting as my guide. Ill do a thorough review when Ive finished building the boat - the proof of the lofting, after all, is in the floating. However of all the books Ive tried to read about lofting this is the clearest and best illustrated. Rather than take you through the process one painful step at a time Ill post a short video. It was actually much more enjoyable than it looks.
Whew! Just recovering from a long weekend at the annual boat show in my home port. This show happens every third weekend in August and its always a lot of fun in the sun, on the water. Of course there are the boats, many of which were created by their owners. The live music is excellent, the food is very good, there are activities for kids, demonstrations of kayak skills and paper boat races. The last is completely insane. Toledo is a mill town and the paper used in making the boats is a water resistant packing material donated by the mill. The rest is up to the imagination. Im afraid that to get the full effect, you have to visit the show.
My cruising dory, Mistral was in the thick of the action, at her usual mooring and I talked myself hoarse in three days, visiting friends from near and far. Our Teak Lady sailboats were in action, giving rides up and down the slough and the Toledo Community Boathouse provided rowing and paddling craft for free, to all comers.
I asked some friends to help take photos, which you can find on Dorymans Flickr site. You will recognise many boats from previous years as well as newcomers to the fleet (some of us just cant quit building).
Speaking of building, a real highlight of this show is the Family Boat Build. Starting on Friday, each group begins their boat, which was a kayak this year. By Sunday afternoon, the boats are launched and tested by the proud owners. This little fifteen foot kayak is so appealing, Im going to build one myself. The hull is already begun. It will be the annual winter boat build, here on Doryman, so stay tuned
Other peoples boats are lovely but none are quite as full of spine-tingling potential as one that could be yours. This particular ray of sunshine is in Port Townsend, Washington. Shes well-loved and comes complete with trailer at a very reasonable $4,000. Im delighted that I cant get her in my luggage as otherwise I might be tempted. Eleven narrow strakes per side, no clench nails, just roves.
Shes planked in an unspecified cedar over oak. The various types of "cedar" are used a lot in planking American boats. Ive used Western Red Cedar and Yellow Cedar (neither of which are "real" cedars) and compared with Larch they seem soft. I have to swallow my prejudices though because Nip N Tuc was built before the end of the Second World War and shows only a few signs of wear to the planking. If I look that good at 68 Ill be delighted.
Its hard for me to believe, but this blog just passed 100,000 page views.
When I first set up this blog I honestly didnt think anyone would read it. I dont consider myself a writer by any stretch of the imagination. In the engineering profession we are taught to be brief and to the point. To present the facts and figures. Anything more is an unnecessary waste of peoples time. There is a reason that there are very few novels written by engineers. Nor do I consider myself a very good sailor, or even much of a boat builder. Ellie is only the second boat Ive ever built. What could I possibly have to offer a community, most of whom seem to have more knowledge and experience than I?
But maybe the reason this blog has had so many page views is for that very reason. Sure, everyone values expert advice, but its also nice to read stories about the adventures, and misadventures of your peers.
Who knows? All I know for sure is I am humbled and honored that so many are interested in anything I have to say.
Id like to thank you all for tuning in. I hope I can continue to hold your interest in the future.
Oh, and to celebrate this milestone, Ive brightened up the place a bit. Hope you like it.
My son Tim and I just got back from one of our favorite annual events - the Sucia Small Boat Rendezvous at Sucia Island State Park.
Like the last two years, we launched at Sandy Point Shores marina.
The entrance to Sandy Point always makes me a bit apprehensive. The narrow and shallow entrance goes through a blind S-curve, which then opens to a shallow area with a 270 degree exposure to the vast Straight of Georgia. During an ebb, the tidal current rushes through this S-curve like a river. At low tide, there is barely enough room for one boat at a time to fit through the entrance. You have to approach slowly and peek around the corner to see if there are any oncoming boats, then zip through if the coast is clear.
High tide was 8.9ft at 3:18 am Low tide was -2.4ft at 11:02 am
We launched at 10:00am. The worst possible time. Right near the end of a minus tide with a swift outgoing current due to an 11.3 tidal change.
We should be Ok, I figured. After all, Navigator only draws 6" of water. In the back of my mind, I wondered if that was still true when fully loaded with two people and a weeks worth of camping gear.
As we approached the entrance, I idled the motor, double checked that the centerboard and rudder were fully up, and cautiously peered around the corner as I slowly crept toward the entrance.
The swift current immediately grabbed Ellie and swept us into the narrow channel. I instantly realized that the current was so strong that there would be no turning back. Id be using the motor to try to stay in the middle of the narrow channel and not much else. I shot a quick glance for oncoming boats, fortunately there were none, thank goodness. The channel looked too narrow for two boats to pass and there was no room to maneuver. We were going through, no two ways about it. Along both shorelines we could see about a dozen spectators, waiting to watch the next fool to try and shoot the rapids. Up ahead the water looked "funny". Ripply. Whatd that mean? Shallow? Must be shallow. How shallow? I glanced over the side. Gravel! Crunch!
We were aground in the middle of the narrow channel with a swift current all around us.
Ok, now what? Think. Tides going out. We gotta get out of here or well be stuck here for hours, or until the next boat comes along and hits us. Should I get out and push her off? Probably a real bad idea. The strong current would most likely rip the boat from my hands.
I looked over the stern. The prop was still above ground. "Ok, Tim, were gonna try and back our way out of this. Hope it works".
I turned the motor around and gave it half throttle. Nothing. Gave it full throttle. Our mighty 2hp outboard was giving it everything it had, but still nothing. Still stuck.
"Tim, lets try shifting our weight around". Ellie slowly started to move, then broke free! We backed a safe distance away from the gravel bar and took a couple minutes to regain our composure and assess the situation.
Looking more closely at the water, we could see that it was shallow and ripply on the right, but on the left, closer to the opposite shore, it was clearly deeper. But then it shot directly into a rocky breakwater. "I think we can make it, Tim. Well have to hug the left shore, then quickly zip over to the right at the last second to clear the rocks, then were home free". Tim agreed, it looked doable.
So we checked again for oncoming boats, then cranked up the Honda to half throttle (full speed for Ellie) and rocketed through the channel.
Whew. Made it! Next time, we vowed, well pay closer attention to the tides.
After that ordeal, we were rewarded with many hours of absolutely perfect sailing conditions. We saw lots of dolphins. One surfaced less than 20 from the boat.
We arrived at Sucia and set up camp. This was our first opportunity to try out my new Anchor Buddy - a Fathers Day gift from my daughter Heather. Thanks, Heather! It works great.
Thats Cameron Im talking to. Cameron and his son take a month off every summer and stop by Sucia for the rendezvous. They sail a beautiful Wayfarer.
Jamie Orr, organizer of the event, always brings along a set of bagpipes, which he uses to greet arrivals, wish them farewell, or summon the group to various get-togethers like wine and cheese night, campfire gatherings, and the around the island race. Boaters all around the island applaud using their horns. In this video clip is Bob Ennenberg (Scram Pram "Duck"), Jamie Orr (Chebacco "Wayward Lass"), Paul Miller (Benford Friendship sloop "Friendship") and Dan Rogers (Balboa 16 "Ladybug"). Dan is organizing an 8-day Movable Messabout in Eastern Washington and Idaho that I am looking forward to attending. Here, Jamie is summoning the group to celebrate the 11th anniversary of this Rendezvous, with a fine bottle of single malt scotch.
There is so much more to write about, but it is getting late. I will write some more soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this most beautiful sunset.
This is going to be an awesome messabout. Join us if you can!
North Idaho/Eastern Washington movable messabout 10-17 September 2014
The 2014 Eastern Washington Moveable Messabout will be held Sept. 10 - 17 starting in Idaho and moving to eastern Washington. This is an 8-day event which includes several locations in Idaho and Washington which we visit in sequence to camp and sail/motor/paddle/row. The general plan is to offer a spread of places and types of “accommodations”. Each launch ramp will have a regular state or private campground handy for people who either don’t want to spend every night on the ground or who may be traveling with somebody who would rather stay behind. There are overnight beach camping spots at each location, with either “destination/turn around” spots or stops-of-opportunity for folks who choose to go less far by boat that particular day. More specific information is available at
"Think of it as a raid, with the option of sleeping in your camper. A messabout, with a changing set of scenery. A race, where everybody finishes a winner. A cruise, with no trailer shuttling. A wilderness adventure, with close access to the freeway. Like that. Somehow, the interior Pacific Northwest has been kinda passed on by when it comes to organized small boat events. The TSCA folks and Pocket Yachters, over on what they call the Wet Side do an extraordinary job of bringing messers, builders, and armchair types together for some spectacular events. But between places the likes of Lake Pepin, Eufaula, Havasu, and Matagorda, and Puget Sound, there seems to be only Andy Linns tour dforce on the lower Columbia and what his fellow COOTS offer up in and about northern Oregon. That leaves just about a bazillion cool places to put paddle to puddle, or just about any other boat-propulsion method you might care to bring.
A chance to meet new people. Experience new scenery, and new places to take your boat. The plan is to start in some of the most rugged and pristine country the Idaho panhandle has to offer...
... move on to the canyonlands and semi-arid country of the upper Columbia watershed...
... and wind up in the prairie-lakes amid some of the most productive grain fields any where on earth. Our last stop will also be at the edge of the dramatic scab lands formed by the multiple pre-historic Lake Missoula floods that also scooped out topsoil from as far upstream as Montana, and left it piled up where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.
Think of it as just a sampler of what this part of the country has to offer small boat folks.
What I mean to tell you about is an idea for fun-on-the-water, with admittedly toned down heroics. Maybe, even balmy temps in the 70s or 80s. No crowds. Maybe, no people at all.
Fiberglass over plywood is ridiculously tough. There are wood and fiberglass boats still around after 50 years. However, fiberglass has an Achillis Heel -- sunshine. Fiberglass rapidly degrades with exposure to UV rays.
Thus, it is recommended to paint or varnish fiberglass with something offering UV protection.
We wanted the boat to show off its lovely woodiness, so we chose varnish. There are fancy marine varnishes that are made for marine applications. Spar Varnish is one example. They are relatively expensive (though not compared to epoxy which is ridiculously expensive). However, there are exterior varnishes that are equally good that you can pick up at the hardware store/lumberyard which are just as good.
In a moment of insecurity, I called and checked in with Gayle at Glen-L just to make sure. She gave me a thumbs up on my selection of exterior UV varnish.
After varnishing, it looked pretty much the same as after the last finish coat of epoxy. But in my mind, I knew Id protected the fiberglass from its Nemesis the big ball of fire in the sky.
Wouldnt you know? The last work session on the Stone Horse, Belle Starr was during a snow storm. Now, you should understand, it doesnt snow very often in the lower elevations of the Pacific Northwest anymore. Yet, here it is a month later and guess what? Yes its snowing.
This makes for a challenging outdoor work situation when most of the repairs involve epoxy and the rest of the work is sanding and painting.
One huge benefit from the cool weather is, the epoxy cures very slow. This means that glue applied yesterday is still pliable today and is easy to shape, form and finish. There are tricks to successful use of epoxy in cold weather so be warned, dont do this at home unless you are willing to accept the occasional failure of your material.
The last few days have seen some progress in the repair and rehab of Belle Starr. This is not a restoration project as we so often see in the Doryman boatyard. Belle Starr is in great shape for a 30 year old boat.
You may think differently from the photos but often, long before an owner decides to sell their boat, maintenance falls to a minimum. It is not unusual to see a fine wood boat, only a couple decades old, with serious problems. In this case a few yearly haul-outs were neglected and it is a tribute to the builder that the boat held up so well.
As noted earlier, the bowsprit and boomkin needed to be replaced. In the process of researching the development of the Stone Horse, I discovered that the original plans called for a plank bowsprit.
This is good news! Im not too fond of hanging out there, over the deep blue, on a stick.
To supplement the safety factor, Belle Starr will soon have a bow pulpit, which for some inexplicable reason, she didnt have before. A wide flush deck with no life-lines or handholds seems precarious for the single-hander, though I find the sparse, clean lines aesthetically appealing.
This boat has a bridge deck in the cockpit. Its about the same level as the galley, down below. When rot developed in the main bulkhead from the cockpit deck, as it so often does, it traveled across into the cabinet on the other side.
This is an excellent opportunity to install a new sink where Belle Starr had a simple plastic pan. (May I mention that it is wonderful to have a project that can use some of the stuff that has accumulated in the material storage shed? Its a regular chandlery out there!)
This was a tricky repair; a puzzle. All of the pieces were glued-up at the same time and each had to be installed in the correct order. There is a piece of the deck missing from under the teak overlay that you cant see here. Talk about a challenge!
Once again, the cool weather slows the epoxy cure to a crawl, giving plenty of time to get it right.
The entrance to Sandy Point always makes me a bit apprehensive. The narrow and shallow entrance goes through a blind S-curve, which then opens to a shallow area with a 270 degree exposure to the vast Straight of Georgia. During an ebb, the tidal current rushes through this S-curve like a river. At low tide, there is barely enough room for one boat at a time to fit through the entrance. You have to approach slowly and peek around the corner to see if there are any oncoming boats, then zip through if the coast is clear.
