Chuck, if you can, please replace the link for the watercolors in your March Reports with this one. Apparently the other one only allowed access to one picture. This one should link to the whole album.

Stacy Smith

Chuck,

I know everyone else has probably already commented, but I really loved the article Jagular Goes South. Tom must be an amazing guy to have all that trouble and still keep his sense of humor about the situation. I especially enjoyed his comments about the puddle duckers lounging around in their little boxes. I'm glad he took the time to write his experiences down. Excellent article!

Paul Cook

Howdy,

I get several emails a day from scammers trying to get some sort of access to my bank account or credit cards. They do a scan of my website - www.storerboatplans.com/ - to find phrases that are commonly used through the site. As you know I design boats, but I do talk about "plywood boxes" on my website because some of my boats are almost as simple to build as boxes.

This is from "Mr Berry" who wants to order some plywood boxes.
Quote:

Dear Sir/Madam

Am Mr.Berry and would like to make an Order of Wooden-Plywood Box from your store and would like to know the types and sizes you have in stock as well as the prices and the types of credit cards that you accept for payment.Thank you and waiting to hear from you as soon as possible.

Regards
Berry

I just delete the message, but I imagined writing this to "Mr Berry".

Dear Mr Berry
We have 16ft plywood box and 8ft plywood box with one or two sail and differing performance, though it appears that several have good quality performance in a variety of weather condition.

Please advise how many people you want your box to hold.

Be advised that the 16ft one person box can commonly carry an additional small person but the 8ft one person box can carry two and retain good performance.

The two person box can carry an additional two person and possibly a picnic and/or a dog.  One customer uses his two person box like this with regularity.

If fitting a motor to box a license might be necessary.

Best wishes
Michael Storer
Director - Wooden Box Co (Maritime division)

PS - Re your other enquiry, the credit card size is standard size. Approximately 2.25 inches by 3 inches.

Hi Chuck and Sandra --

We're planning on leaving February 14 to trailer the boat to Miami and sail across to the Bahamas. I've started keeping a blog about our preparations, and once we're sailing we hope to update it every day or two with a little bit of news, and maybe photos if the satellite phone (very slow) can manage it. Anyway, you can use this site to check in now and then to see our progress.

http://blog.mailasail.com/seafever

I was just thinking about how this trip all started. I think it was a mention of "Messing About in Boats" in the zine "Out Your Backdoor" back in 1997 or so . . . and then I read Robb White's tin canoe article and that lit a flame that has never been quenched -- build you own boat and all that matters is if it floats. In short order I found Duckworks and the Bolger listserv (before it moved to Yahoo), and Jim Michalak. And then I built a lot of small craft -- a Gypsy and two Mouseboats and Toto and Larsboat and Mayfly and Piragua . . . and then it dawned on me that we really needed something big enough for the whole family to sleep aboard so we could go to the sea for longer than a daytrip. So the
Cormorant was born. And we have had five deliriously happy summers sailing her all along the northeast coast of the US . . . and now we're about to go to the Bahamas. Funny how things happen.

All best,
Garth Battista

I enjoyed Rob's article but wanted to add a few things to what he wrote. The first thing is to not use your hand to power the chisel. The chisel will never stop where you want it to. Always use a mallet or something to drive the chisel and use your hand to control how the chisel cuts. That way when the mallet stops, the chisel stops.

If deep cuts are to be made, the line that is being cut to can be "stabbed in" instead of using a utility knife to score a line. The chisel is held vertically and is driven down to the the depth required, or in increments if it's a deep hole. The chisel is then used to removed wood incrementally by driving it towards the line.

A chisel is almost always used with the bevel down so that depth of cut can be controlled by rocking the chisel on it's "heel". This is done by raising and lowering the handle while driving the chisel. If you think of the cutting edge of a chisel as an angle or V, the wood that is to be removed should always be against the face of the angle that is raised away from the wood that you want to keep.

Lastly, you always want to cut through the grain when cutting with the grain. Attention to the grain's direction will need to be watched and if you find that you are no longer cutting through the grain, change directions and cut the opposite direction. This will keep the grain from splitting out while wood is being removed. If your chisel is kept sharp enough to cut cleanly across end grain with out tearing, you shouldn't have any problems making clean cuts.

I want to apologize for the lack of drawings that could illustrate what I'm saying better, but I'm not that computer savvy and am writing this during lunch.

Dave

Hi Chuck -

Thanks for the editing and embedding the videos in the Raid Finland Article. I sent the link to several people, and have had nice feedback. Wojtek Baginski was particularly complementary.

Norm

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this article. Makes me want to sign up and go on the next one. I hope this and similar trips will be regular events.

C

Marvelous writing! (Down to the Sea in Ships) The solitary tone and the interior thoughts make it very dramatic. I can identify with Fort Wayne as a boating place, having seen (from the bridges) the rivers and islands that should make it a great place to explore. The reference to no place to boat seems stretched. Actually, given a bit of transport, the northern part of Indiana has a host of small lakes. I remember Chain of Lakes State Park as being a fascinating place for canoes and, I would assume, small boats. On the other hand, if going on down the St Lawrence is the dream, the boat may be too small! It brings to mind "Scuffy the Tugboat"--one of my childhood favorites--where this willful toy boat floats through cow pastures, past cities, and is only rescued as he is about to be swept out into the sea. Before you reach the sea you may want to build something bigger. Still, it makes a great dream!

Tom

I was intrigued with the building of "Caroline" in today's Duckworks. As always, this is my window to sanity and great pleasure!

Regards,
Ron

Chuck - loved the enthusiasm evident in Dave Farmer's land sailing article this morning - what a blast - almost made me want to get on down to Utah next March (can't make it this year) to try it out! Please tell him "great job" and lets hear more from time to time!

s/Pete Leenhouts
sopping wet Port Ludlow WA

Chuck

Jay does not 'do' credit, but here is a good link for his book. Note the layout to Army Hole. Judging by this he's done his homework and then some.

http://texascruisingguide.weebly.com/

John N. "Noël" Nicholls

What we’re doing, myself and area resident Gary Blum, is just putting together a very informal gathering of wooden boats in conjunction with our annual Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival. There’ll be no entry fee, no judging, maybe some prizes for fun, but mostly just a get-together to show off our boats to the general public and mingle with other boat owners and builders. Gary and I conceived the idea as an extra attraction to the festival, and thought it might be something that could grow over time.

Here's a link to the festival itself:

http://www.bayoutechebearfest.org/

There’ll be bulkhead docking available, or trailered boats can be parked beside the bayou on a grassy area are on the street, which will be closed for the festival. Adequate bumpers will be needed for bayou docking, as the waterway tends to be busy on festival weekend, but not horribly bad.

We are only holding the show that Saturday. There is one small boat landing a few hundred yards upstream from the festival grounds that has limited parking, we we’ll need to know how many are coming by April 1 in order to make arrangements where necessary. I am currently determining the condition of that landing to be sure it is in good enough shape before we let anyone put down there. If not, we’ll make other arrangements.

There’ll be plenty food and drink at the festival vendors section, and Gary and I might throw something on the grill or something.

Franklin is a very small town, only 8,500 people, and not very close to anything...an hour from Lafayette, two hours from New Orleans. But we are in the heart of the Atchafalaya River basin, the best part of the "Sportsman's Paradise" that Louisiana claims.

If you could pass the news along, anyone interested in participating can reach me at the Banner-Tribune in Franklin, 337 828 3706, or by email,

rstouff@teche.net

Anything else you need to know, don't hesitate to contact me back,

Thanks,

Roger Stouff

Hi Chuck,

First of all I would like to congratulate you on a great web publication you have. It certainly adds to the boat porn that we so eagerly look forward to here in the Philippines. Best of all it is free and updates are frequent.

Just recently, you featured an article written by Darold Carlson on his Filipino Navigator. I was very excited reading this article because Ormoc City, where Darold now resides is 2 hours away from my home town of Tacloban, Leyte. I frequent Tacloban to visit my parents and one day would like to establish a sailing club in our sea side property. I have also been a fan of John Welsford and in fact have exchanged emails with him a few months back regarding his Pilgrim and Pathfinder. Darolds article has definitely inspired me to dust up my plans to build a Welsford boat. But first a decision has to be made as to which boat to build.

Also, I would like to ask if you could give me Darold's email address as I would like him to be a member of our boat building club: www.pinoyboats.org. I am sure, with his experience building a Navigator in a relatively remote place like Ormoc, he can contribute much to the club.

Thanks again, and more power to you and to Duckworks!!! sincerely,

Dylan Tantuico

P.S. Please feel free to sign up as well at www.pinoyboats.org.

Regarding the suggestion (Treasure Chest) to use old battery-powered electric drills wired directly to a boat's electrical supply: People who try this should be cautioned to watch the drill battery polarity. Simple, non-variable-speed drills won't care if the polarity is reversed (except they will run backwards), but reversed polarity on a variable-speed drill will burn out its speed control circuitry. At best, it will still work, but will no longer be variable speed. Repairing the damage is not complicated but does require scraping up the right parts.

Take it from one who knows, and who now has a really nice 12 volt non-variable-speed drill.

Regards,
Chris J

The construction appears to be the late maib Monfort's geodesic aerolite. See www.gaboats.com. --

William R Watt

Chuck~

Love yer site.  Check it daily and have built 6 boats using tips for you and your writers. 

The mystery boat looks a lot like the geodesic airoLITE boat 'Black Fly' .  I built one in my hotel room on a TDY.  It is shy of 8', 4 foot beam, dacron skin, and weighs 30 lbs.  It does indeed row and sail. 

He has many other designs...very easy to build, very light and strong....but watch for pointy things.  http://www.gaboats.com/

~Jerry

chuck,

boat plans shouldn`t be in metric!!!!! we live in the us, not overseas. i'll never buy plans that are in metric. sounds like its a ploy to sell metric sticks and tapemeasures! i built my pdr from info i got off the web. lucky for me because i would not have built it with metric plans. people really dont like being forced into things like metric.

don

Hey Chuck,

The Mary Agnes entry in your last Splash was very nice. Thanks and thank you for including my profile.  I am very proud that I was able to do what I did in WW2. I came out of it without a scratch, only thing that happened is I am deaf from it.  Small price compared to what others got.

 Tnx, T.Bone

Dear Chuck:

After reading your wonderful composition on my efforts with building Father Browne the fishing boat, one of th efishing partners of Father Browne, the fisherman, sent me this picture of th efisherman with a big fish and a big smile.

Thanks again, Fred Night

Chuck: 

I consider my account of the Texas 200 in Messing About In Boats to be plodding amateur journalism at best, but I write to express my appreciation and wonder at the amazing stuff appearing in Duckworks “What’s New” by Paul Austin and Tom Pamperin.  I think “Jagular Goes South” and “Ducks Conquer All” rise to the level of literature.  No joke. The photos and videos posted last summer were useful for solidifying the event in our memories, and sharing the same with those who were not there.  But this essay and poem carry an even more meaningful punch. Thank you to the talented authors, speaking as one who knows that what they have done ain’t easy.  It’s a remarkable thing in itself that the Texas 200 experience was so powerful that it has inspired some to try to express its meaning and impact.

--Kim Apel

Small World Dept.

Chuck,

Watch out, the New York Times is now publishing articles by boat builders.

I hope, for your and all our sakes, that this isn't becoming a regular feature or popular among other main stream media, possibly encouraging people to build boats instead of watching 3D television, causing severe shortages of plywood and other boat building supplies, clogging of water ways, a boat building cable channel, boat building movies staring Jennifer Lopez and Jim Michalak, Rush Limbaugh railing against boat building commies, boat builder lobbyists in DC, a "sawdust" third party, wall street involvement, a boat building bubble, like clockwork followed by another recession and thousands of unfinished boats across the country. Worse, it could lead to such an increase in your business, you wouldn't have time to take a boat out anymore.

Let's just hope none of this happens.

Gottfried Kloimwieder

I thought Larry Cheek might enjoy Gottfried's letter, so I forwarded it. Here is Larry's reply - Chuck

Thanks, Chuck, I had a good laugh. Also got a heap of letters from all over the country (and Europe), including several from unemployed (or nearly so) people like me who were also building boats. The heartbreaking one was from a guy who sent a photo of a gorgeous 19' Simmons Sea Skiff-in-the-making. Said he'd have to sell it as soon as he was finished to pay the bills.

Larry Cheek
http://www.lawrencewcheek.com

Hi Chuck

I cut my sides out using a skill saw for the first time and I don't know what I was stressed about. It went well and I have nice fair curves. Much easier than a jig saw.  I stapled the sheets together with a staple gun and they did not move. I used saw horses and put old pine on top as rails. I marked the first chine, cut the sheet in half longitudinally and cut both sides at once. I clamped them together to move them. I'm excited. I'm addicted. There is an AA (alcoholics anonymous) but is there a BB? Well at least I don't drink or smoke. Got to have some vices.

Mike

Hi Chuck.

I first wish to say that I very much enjoy Duckworks. Great Job.

I finally broke down and bought a set of PDR plans tonight and I a bit concerned. I am a feet and inches kinda guy and these darn things are all metric. I find myself reading over them and not being able to visualize what is going on. Did I boo boo when I ordered? Is there a inch standard set available? I guess I can go over them and convert everything but that doesn't sound like much fun to me. Any ideas?

Thanks, Mel

Mel:

There are currently no Imperial plans available for the OZ PDRacer. Probably half the plans we sell are metric. That is why we sell four different metric tape measures and a meter stick. But the dirty little secret is that it is easier to build with metric than with feet and inches - and it only takes about a day to get used to the system. It is that easy. Try it, you'll like it.

This would be a good boat to learn the system on. My first metric boat was a Welsford Rifleman - I survived and you will too.

Chuck

Chuck,

I am feeling a little sheepish here. After I sent that Email I sat down in my comfy chair and read the plans word for word. I don't think this will be a major problem anymore. Also, you were absolutely clear in the description that they are metric plans. In the old days (before Email) I would have taken the time to really look at the plans before sending a letter, thus saving myself the embarrassment of getting the cart in front of the horse. I would throw this friggen computer out but then I would miss my daily Duckworks fix.

Thanks, Mel

Hello,

I recycle old sails to help keep them out of the landfills. I see you deal with a lot of tanbark and I was wondering if you run across any situations where you are building new sails and the customer is going to throw away the old ones. If so, we would love to recycle them. We would gladly pay for shipping.

Let me know if you are interested in recycling these old treasures.

Thank you,
Penny
Sea Fever Gear

--
Sea Fever Gear - real sails, real recycling and real value.

Hi,

I saw the letter posted last month about Trekka and thought I could provide some more information on the issue. Trekka was refitted from a static museum exhibit to seagoing condition several years back, and remains so to this day. She is usually stored ashore under cover and is put in the water for the annual Classic Boat Festival (http://www.classicboatfestival.ca/). This past year I was asked to skipper her to and from the festival and did so - I was going to take her out for the festival sailpast but that got cancelled due to poor weather conditions. She's a lovely little boat, and gives the feeling of something very carefully designed and built.

The mall exhibition was, as far as I know, an attempt to celebrate Trekka's and John Guzzwell's accomplishments and to allow people to see a boat that was otherwise unavailable for public viewing. I helped remove the keel and rudder - the keel is attached to two flanges along the bottom of the hull with a number of transverse bolts. I can't entirely tell from the photos posted in the article, but it appears that the mizzen is stepped along with some temporary placeholder for the mainmast. The writer is probably correct in his reasoning that the mainmast was not stepped due to height limits. The rig is still complete, and very much in sailing condition.

Thanks for continuing to provide such a great magazine/store and general boatbuilding resource,

Andrew Barclay

Hi Chuck,

My name is Bob and I listed a free mast and boom in your classifieds.  One fellow emailed and said he was interested, I thought great.  Later he asked me to lower the price?  Then he told me a delivery man would pick it up.  Lastly he sent me a check for $3500.  It looked bogus, and was.  The bank told me to tell the police and I did.  They told me that whoever this is will next ask me to deduct the cost of shipping and send them their change.  What a scam!! 

Anyhow, just wanted to let you know these idiots are out their and even watching your classifieds.  Cops told me this originates a lot from Istanbul. 

No damage done but still not found a home for the mast. 

Have a great holiday!
Bob

This’ll make more sense to you if you have actually driven a ’53 Chevy on the first warm spring day, after a long, cold winter.  OK.  A ’57 works too.  Only, if it’s a hard top, though.  And, “What does this have to do with boats?” you ask.  Well, hang on there a minute.  I’m getting to that.

You might actually remember when cars didn’t have automatic door locks, and air bags, and you could stick a hand in the air without arousing road rage.  And, if you do, just take that next step down memory lane.  Back, when the only “power windows” a guy knew about, were surrounding the foreman’s cage down at the plant; cars had these cranks to open the windows.  You had to climb over the front seat backs to reach all of ‘em.  And, like I said, this only REALLY makes sense if you’re driving a hard top.  Because, a hard top just don’t look right with part of the windows up.  And, since you had to include a bit of gymnastics—and cars were actually wide enough that you couldn’t really reach the far side windows while driving—once the decision to roll down the windows was in force, you’d better enjoy it.  Now, you remember.

So, there you are: driving on that magical, first day of the year when the temperature outside is just plain pleasant.  The windows are down.  You see, there really was a time when “air conditioning” was something for theaters and maybe the malt shop.  Cars had windows.  With hand cranks.

You stick your hand out to make a left turn signal.  Arm extended horizontal.  Fingers more or less flat to the road surface.  The air feels just about wonderful.  You tip your left thumb up a bit, and the arm rises like an airplane wing.  You dip it, and pretty soon, you’ve got a gentle swoop and roll going.  You almost forget to turn left.  Things used to be a bit simpler, I suppose.

Now, the boat part.

If you want to know why a rudder stalls, just try a left turn hand signal on a warm day.  As you roll your hand one way and then the other; it’s simple to feel what the rudder “feels.”  Just a little out of flat, and you have lift.  A bit more, and you have lots of lift.  A teensey-weensey bit more, and you have stall.  And, if you truly stall out with your hand while sticking it out of the car window, you’ll remember why it was better to do that with a hard top.  No door post to smack into.  Same thing, for feeling what the sails “feel.”

The official racing jargon involves concepts like, “Overtrimmed,” “leech too tight,”  “excessive camber,” and all that stuff.  The real deal with getting a sail just right is like flying your hand out the window on a spring day.  You move it in and out until the rudder  just “feels right.”  Or at least, that seems to work for me.  But, then, I’m kinda’ old, and may have forgotten some of the steps.

Dan Rogers

Dave Davignon owner of Edey and Duff boats [Builder of Dovekie, Shearwater, Fatty knees, Stone Horse and many others], and a friend for 25 years, died Monday quite unexpectedly. Sad news for the sailing world.

Lee Martin

"Jagular Goes South" was written so well as to allow me to see, smell,
feel, that beach and experience that Texas 200 start morning, again.

John Wright
_______________

His description of the park at Port Mansfield is dead on: Desolate, degraded, barren, beaches heaped with rotting sea grass, and a pee soaked, concrete block outhouse that does have running water and a flush toilet, but that's all.

The other thing he mentions is his new-found ability to adjust, adapt, plan, and react. Leaving Port Mansfield is like jumping out of an airplane: It is damn hard to change your mind.

Andrew Linn
_______________

the first part of Jagular's was well written and gave me a better idea of what to expect in the TX200 and what to prepare for. I was disappointed that the second and third parts of the story aren't in the magazine for reading yet but I will sure be waiting for them to appear in Duckworks Magazine. Let us know when they are ready to be read.

John Monroe
_______________

Bravo!

Great writeup. i can hardly wait for day two!

Breaux
Bolger design #268
_______________

Hey Chuck, very nice. Thanks and thank you for including my profile.  I am very proud that I was able to do what I did in WW2. I came out of it without a scratch, only thing that happened is I am deaf from it. Small price compared to what others got.

Tnx, T.Bone

Hello Chuck
 
Knowing your online magazine’s coverage of many sailing activities, I thought the following, or parts of, may be of interest to your readers.
 
Regards, Colin Ming,
 
***************************************
 
The Old Gaffers Association - British Columbia, Canada area is now forming. The Old Gaffers Association (OGA) was formed in the United Kingdom in 1963 and today has members throughout the world with local Areas in Ireland, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Holland, the USA, Australia and now Canada
 
The aims of the Old Gaffers Association are to preserve interest in and encourage development of the Gaff Rig, and to participate in the maintenance of our Maritime Heritage. Membership of the Association is open to all who are interested in sailing, building; restoring or simply admiring gaff rigged and other traditionally rigged craft. There is no requirement for members to be boat owners.
 
Shortly after joining the OGA, I attended the Association’s Annual General Meeting in London. After favourable discussions with several of the Executive I was given permission to form a Canadian Branch of the OGA.
 
Enthusiasts of traditional rigs from British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest are cordially invited to join the Old Gaffers Association - British Columbia Canada area. To promote the new area, membership fees have been temporarily waived. To be included on our mailing list and to receive information and news regarding the date and place of our first meeting, please visit us on Facebook
 
Facebook Group: The Old Gaffers Association - British Columbia, Canada
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=186498124176
 
Colin Ming,
OGA Canadian Area Representative.
Surrey BC.

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