Drake in the Small Reach Regatta on the Coast of Maine: Day 1

The Small Reach Regatta was the next stop in my busy summer. The SRR is a gathering of 70 sail-and-oar boats, this year, at Lamoine State Park and put on by the Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association. Irowed and sailed (downwind) his rowboat design Drake and consistently finished in the front of the fleet (but of course it wasn’t a race!).

This event is an annual gathering and a wonderful chance to test and showcase the boats CCBB sells and builds to designs from around the world, for example Michael Storer in Australia, Francois Vivier in France, Eric Risch in Maine, Bruce Elfstrom's beauties and my own designs. We will be carrying kits and building boats produced by a Finnish builder,
On the downwind return to camp, a small squall came through and the force overcame my mast step..."WHAM!"...I heard the snap and the boat lurched and we nearly capsized. The first night was a quick repair with polyurethane glue while the sun set. Day two was to feature a long, fast broad reach to the lunch spot, and there was no way I was going to miss sailing that stretch! I was repairing until I couldn't see anymore boat...will it work?

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Fast Sailing in Indonesia

Sandeq Race, une course sur le fil
Trouver à l'autre bout du monde des multicoques bricolés et surtoilés était une belle surprise à laquelle nous réservons un reportage extraordinaire dans notre dernier numéro. En complément de cette publication, voici une vidéo aussi amusante qu'étonnante consacrée à la Sandeq Race qui se déroule chaque année en Indonésie.© D.R.
Posted by Voiles et Voiliers on Wednesday, November 25, 2015

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Yard Mews

Its been all go this winter at the Tim Loftus Boatbuilding yard . Just before the Christmas break we finished framing up the Cubbage Wood boat. Two days of steaming and bending in one hundred 35x25mm oak frames. We have now left the Cubbage as the planking stock need more time to season as it was freshly cut only months ago. To stop us getting cold we are building a new Paul Gartside Design (see this months 'Water Craft' mag - available all good newsagents...) Its a 17foot Gaff rigged Yawl day sailer. All the details on the boat are very well thought out and beautifully designed. It has looks to die for with sleek low freeboard, plum steam  and 3/4 decked not to mention the stunning wine glass transom. Once the backbone and moulds were all in place Tim started the planking while I have been making all the spars and components for the interior fit out including rudder and centreboard box/centreboard.

8mm Larch planking with 22x12 frames every 150mm (not in yet).....  3 planks to go.

Sawn oak Stem assembled with 9mm copper clench's. Rabbet has been cut.

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Canoes of the Marshall Islands

Wa Kuk Wa Jimor - Marshallese Canoes Today from Rachel Miller on Vimeo.

A fine one hour video about the importance of the canoe building tradition
in Marshallese society.  Marshallese canoes are among the very best designs
that exist in the Pacific. 

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Sussex Wa'apa

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We have KEEL. O Yes

oat slings slung under the hull and connected to the tackles. We then lifted the boat about 5 foot up to give the keel good clearance. This took five people - one on each tackle and one to give orders (me!) . Next we dragged the keel sideways across the rough concrete floor using a smallish chain hoist working horizontally . We made a good anchor using thunderbolts in the concreat floor. To reduce friction we managed (just) to get two scaffold poles under the keel. It took to people to operate the chain hoist to lift the keel (i think it was on its limit).
We made a template to drill oversize holes for the keel bolts (24mm for 20mm bolts). The keel was then lowered onto a load of thickened epoxy and also epoxy poured around the bolts inside the boat (filling the + 4 mm gap) befor the nuts went on. Interestingly one bolt hole took about a pint of epoxy!! humm.
The whole lot looks totally solid and i would not fancy trying to get it off again.
Richard whipped up some fantastic trestles using only a chainsaw which the boat is now sitting on.

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Didi Cruise-Mini available in UK

The Didi Cruise-Mini, a sleek little performance cruiser.I sailed one of these boats recently on Puget Sound when I was there for the Lifting bulb keel, excellent stability with shallow draught.It is a complete boat, with all hardware and sails, ready for coastal cruising. The lifting bulb keel and twin rudders will get her into shallow anchorages that are inaccessible to larger or deeper-draught boats.

Swept spreader rig for easy handling, less complication than a Mini 650 rig.

100% of the selling price will be donated to Efficient cockpit with cuddy for shelter when on watch.She is priced to sell, at £6,000 and well worth a look to see if she may suit you.

To see more of this and our other designs, visit /.

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