Thanks

big thanks to Dan Rogers, his words switched my early mood from poor to great...

my daily wake up ritual of weather and Duckworks paid off today, great words and great weather to maybe launch my repaired Wee Seal mk2.

btw Dan, spent time on a Canadian YMS that was in USN sevice at the Tokyo Bay Grey Palooza. Talk about big wooden boat upkeep, my woodies are easy.

peter 

Videos from Mystic Seaport

Hi Chuck,

I help operate a blog for Mystic Seaport, and I thought you might be interested in our newest video, “A River of History: Home to Mystic Seaport.” The Mystic River was once home to more than two-dozen shipbuilding enterprises, and today is known as the home of Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea. Take a glimpse of life along the river!

Here is a link to the video

Each week we have new content available, from videos, to social pieces, to blog posts.  If you would like to receive an email update when a new video is posted please let me know and I will add you to my alert list. 

Hope you enjoy the video! 

Thank you,

Adam

Foam Boat

I made a full size pattern of the foam kayak and I’m going to send it to you then I’m going to tell everyone to order one from you if they want.  I can’t seem to get away from these things. Everyone who comes wants to see and try one out.

Dave

Dave and everyone else: The pattern has been scanned and the file is printed and available here:
duckworksbbs.com/plans/lucas/foamboat/ -

Seen On Facebook

Well it is either:

1. Yes the boat has a stern.

or

2. Inappropriate truncation of a title.

Tim

Simple Sculling Oar

a fun and simple sculling oar i built from angle aluminum, plywood and a string trimmer shaft. it's mounted in a clamp style oar lock with a motor clamp bracket from an old 4 hp outboard. as you can see in the video it works quite well. the original mounting bracket was made from a cypress board and a wheelbarrow axle mount held with c clamps.

feel free to share and publish. it shouldn't be too hard for anyone to copy. it also doesn't need to be centered on the transom, so it makes a great back up in case of a break down. i built it to get around physical issues from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and still be able to cruise around. with a bit of extra effort it will plow it's way through large patches of water hyacinth. mine is a downsized version of this one:

astro breaux

Cedar Bayou

Cedar Bayou was my destination for a quick two day trip, sailing the Paradox. Didn't quite go as planned. Left late, bout noon, not really a problem considering the amount of daylight this time of year. The problem was winging it. When I got to the entrance to the cut off the ICW, that's Intracoastal Waterway, I'd realized I didn't have the needed chart of the area; don't go by memory.

Well, getting past the first bottle-neck, I had to motor sail, me on the paddle being the motor. That behind me I proceeded to follow what I thought were pvc markers, white plastic pipe stuck in the mud. A low island down wind of me kept me somewhat on course; that is until the reef directly ahead of me, the wind now picking up.

Birds are sometimes tell tell signs of a reef, they're standing, walking about, birds in open water are floating and bobbing up and down. My boat is shallow draft but not that shallow. Not seeing a direction to go I did a u, and had a good quick sail back to the entrance. I noticed a tug coming, over the top of the island I could see just the top of him. His speed and my speed put us at the entrance at the same time, no telling what he was pushing. I shortened sail, reducing speed. Ends up he was pushing two barges deep in the water.

I got back up wind to the bollards, a place where tugs and barges often park, and spent the night, getting tug washed every time they passed durning the night. Going to sleep with the idea of having to sail up wind past two reefs on either side of the channel didn't sit well. In the morning, though, with some rest, things didn't look so challenging as the night before.

Took just seven hours up wind, bollards to dock. A good sail.

.........michael j beebe=

Interesting Boats

Jeff Gilbert Writes:

Hi guys,

hope you are well, and all your loved ones too, and enjoying growing older. Our generation was fairly lucky so I am enjoying the years, though I'm not a jot wiser.

I guess you North Americans are enjoying the tail end of summer right now, even as we are enduring the tail end of winter - a heavy frost this morning but we aren't in a Snow Zone so its nothing to complain about. Not that I mind snow - I just don't like the slush when it goes, and the dangerous driving conditions it engenders.

I've nearly finished the 28 foot Scow write up for Duckworks and general preliminary comment. It and the study drawings will be on PDF. It's 6 pages already so hope that's not too long, but it includes a lot of relevant info on timber types and tips on building such a craft.

Other boats I've sketched and see no problem (apart from time) with designing include:

1. A little 8 x 4 x 1 foot kids camping cat with a low aspect (lateen-jib) sail plan and a big bowsprit that a father or grandfather could enjoy building and sailing with their offspring. As the boat is too small for most adults (except it would make a great yacht tender) kids would soon learn it and take over. They could undertake expeditions to the next sheltered bay downwind, perhaps keel-hauling hapless Dad on the way, and sleep safely aboard in knee-deep water while Dad searches the beach for his car keys. An electric trolling motor would be handy. The mini-cat will fit on a 6 x 4 trailer and many a Dad will borrow it Sunday to fish on the river (fast asleep tied under a willow, with a line round his toe)
2. A 20 x 5ft planing V-bottom outboard fishing boat dressed up to look like a WW2 PT boat (McHales Navy?)
3. A 28 x 7ft fast overnighter based on the Prohibition Rum Runners. With a DF 200 Suzuki outboard (chosen for the 3.6 liter engine and 2.33:1 gearing) Some of the more efficient of these types were "Sea Bright" skiffs, but I was intending a simpler to build hull form. One of the few boats that you wont mind breaking a bottle over. I'll shout the rum, as long as the weathers cold.
4. A 20 x 4ft light convertible fishing sedan with basic camping accoms, very efficient at 18 or so knots in flat water. Flat bottomed and as easy as it gets to build.

I have the complete set of drawings for AlleyCat. I'll need to dress them up for sale, Chuck.

Cheers Lads!!
Kindest regards
Jeff Gilbert

Big Metal Boat Project

This multi-page, pictorial history of his 14 year build is remarkable. Such skill and determination!!!!

https://www.sliptalk.com/backyard-boat/

Kind of humbles the rest of us mere mortals. Wow, over the top. I found it fun to look at. Hope you do too.

John Vacha