Boat Building 101
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
That's a Pretty Good-Looking Boat
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
First Sail. At long last!
The floating party was amazing, and fun, and a satisfying climax to this project, but it wasn't quite the end. We had to actually sail it.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Rigging - Sails Up!
Time for this sailboat to have sails! Thanks to Chuck Domby, who gave us an beautiful old triangular sail he had, and we measured it out to have it cut for our gaffe-rigged boat.
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Rigging - Part I
It turns out that when you think you're almost done building a sailboat, that you have to do all the things that actually make it a sailboat -- aka "rigging".
Friday, June 15, 2018
The Great Sliding Hatch Cover
The Engineer (Jay) came up with a beautiful sliding hatch cover. It's easy enough to move, and heavy-duty enough that it won't get off track, and would probably even survive one of us standing on it!
Friday, September 1, 2017
Wait... Where'd We Put the Mast?
After leaving her in the water a few days to make sure she didn't sink, it was time to affix our spruce masterpiece of a mast and frame the hatch cover.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Launching, err, 'Floating' Party!
In the morning, my Dad drove the trailer down to the far end of the lake, where the boat launch is. I drove the powerboat over. Once we had the boat in the water and hooked up, we switched and Dad drove the powerboat, towing the sailboat with me in it. Yes, I got the first ride! :) Later in the day we had some neighbors and friends over to see the launch, and I ad-libbed a christening 'ceremony.' It was great fun, and so awesome to see the boat finally in the water! She's sleek and ... hydrodynamic. It's a nice, low-slung, look in the water, that is somehow reminiscent of a duck (the plans call her the "Eider" but we decided on the name "Wind Runner."
Here are some photos from the day and a video of the christening if I can upload the whole thing... (I'll try to do this for later...)