Articles discussing my thoughts on sources for boat design information for performance, structures or boat handling – with a bias towards repeatable information.
It could be from competitive sailing or through interpretation of careful testing by others including my design peers. It all ends up applying to my boat plans
In the end … if it doesn’t appear on the racecourse somewhere … it probably doesn’t work.
This may be an overstatement, I have a soft spot for those who work through several versions of an idea over time.
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A little bit of writing how form in boat design seldom follows function in terms of what “looks good”. It was prompted by a discussion about whether the PDR is good looking or not.
My Podcasts on design also cover this idea to a greater depth – they are in the menu at the top of each page.
A nice little article by Jackie Monies who is turning into the writer in residence for the PDRacers.
It posits the idea that because of its cheapness, ease of building and the creativity in the group that it qualifies as the “All American Boat”.
Actually I think it is the perfect boat for places that are water rich and cash poor. Anyone can afford to go sailing in these cool little sailing boats. The options of material and design solutions allow the boats to be built of local material just about anywhere. Very cheaply.
I don’t have a car so how can I go canoe touring? Its something I fell in love with in the USA on Lake Powell.
This is an idea for a simple, cheap, almost throwaway (or give away) canoe. I can get the materials shipped to somewhere on a river, build the boat over a couple of days then go for a paddle.
At the end I can give the boat away or store it for the next part of the trip.
This podcast/mp3 talks about why Australian (and New Zealand) wooden boatbuilding is different from the rest of the world..
Click to listen to the talk. This is the third of three.
This is the second of my talks in the USA. It focuses a bit more on construction and some of the methods that can be used to keep a boat light and simple, but very strong and stiff.
It also discusses how there is a “creep” in boatbuilding and design that increases the weight of boats way over what is really needed for a strong structure.
This talk is the first hour of my exposition on boat building and design. There are two more parts to come. This covers some of the background and design issues. The second is more on the building side and the last is a bit more about why the Australian (and New Zealand) wooden boat tradition is different from the Northern Hemisphere.
You can stream the talks over your internet connection or download them as a podcast.
Thorne (aka David Luckhardt) is well known in both wooden boating and historical recreation circles (particularly those involving gunpowder).
He normally lurks around San Francisco, but on this occasion had driven up to Timothy Lake underneath the summit of Mount Hood.
I had the chance to interview him while sailing on Lake Timothy in Oregon.
Invitation to a Talk by Boat Designer Michael Storer
At Clint Chase Boatbuilder, 25 Deblois Street, Portland, Maine
Sunday Nov 1st @ 11am-1pm, Bring Boats and Questions
After some food and chat, Michael will talk to us about making our boats better…
Ralph Gersson in Holland got a very nice mail from Michael McNamara from mcNamara sails UK. He made a nice sail for Richard Harvey’s GIS “Blanche” and Ralph has decided to order.
Michael, a racing sailor with a lot of background talks about the experience of sailing the Goat Island Skiff.
Astoria Maritime Museum – Now the really cool thing happened. Long had organised for us to see the storage sheds across the road.
USA Day 3 – Missed Appointment, Walk, Asian Museum (and a couple of little boats) and meeting some fans
Well, this is the first real post on Wordpress and it is about my trip to the USA for the Puddle Duck World titles plus a couple of months of other boating adventures.
Gifted Amateur Boatbuilder Chris Perkins has laboured during some of the most difficult boatbuilding weather to produce the prototype of the new RAID41
First we had a computer drawing
Then pics of a mock up model
Now we have pics from American where one is being built by some young people as part of the Compass Project organisation’s Classes.
Ok … balance lug vs sprit boom triangular sail – what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two rigs that naturally control sail twist
RAID41 expedition sailing dinghy. Some of safety factors made it less safe. And it led to building simplifications
This Finn is owned by OZ wooden Boatbuilder and Designer Ross Lillistone. who restored it.
