Gifted Amateur Boatbuilder Chris Perkins has laboured during some of the most difficult boatbuilding weather to produce the prototype of the new RAID41
Slideshow of build – really should have epoxy filleted the whole structure
It is designed as a one person boat for distance cruising. Once I finish the detail plans, of course.
Anyway Brian Pearson, the owner of the boat has just been to pick it up and bring it to warmer climes.
Report from Brian
“Trim” is home!
Trailer and dolly worked great. 670 miles on a trailer and all seems well when I looked her over. She sits very low, sled like. Rather than all the weight on the keel and bouncing from side to side on the trailer bunks as per wine glass shape, she just sits there all square and steady.
Great trip from Yorkshire up to Ullapool with my brother-in-law. 800 mile round trip in the day. Fantastic sunshine, quiet roads, wonderful scenery.
Chris did a terrific job, so I will try to finish her as well as I can. One more coat of epoxy, then three of Epifanes two pack varnish.
She looks terrific, sort of long and chiselled. Very different from anything else. Particularly nice from the cockpit with the long sweeping bows flowing off into the distance.
I Agree.
I agree … I am very happy with the appearance, nicely set off by Chris’s neat timberwork.
Brian was going to paint her … but I think he will be tempted to keep her varnished as long as possible – she does look so nice.
My BETH sailing canoe design shares some appearance .. and she looks rather nondescript like this, but put the masts up and she looks very nice and with the sails up on the water … rather gorgeous and lots of attention.
She is also a box like this!
Brian will be rigging her and trying to get her ready to sail at the Beale wooden boat event supported by Watercraft Magazine.
Bless their cotton socks!
The RAID41 website is here and the best discussions are here on the OZ woodwork forums.
The design is meant to be flexible and fulfil a range of needs being built as a lightweight flyer or a slightly more sturdy Expedition boat. Important to keep her light though! She is certainly narrow enough to be roofracked, but not sure about the overall weight yet. I expect around the 140lb range.
Crossed fingers.
Chris has been great about feeding back through the building process and we have nutted out some simplifications that will save quite a bit of labour and solid timber.