A bimini for the Drascombe

Since the 1970's, we've had a 21' Drascombe longboat somewhere in our family.  When I graduated from college, I borrowed it for a decade, but these days it is back in Florida with my parents.  One of the problems with sailing a Drascombe in tropical climates is that you don't get any shade.  The cockpit arrangement and low slung mainsail don't lend themselves to a traditional bimini with steel frames.  I recently purchased a Taylor Made Anchor Shade II for motoring or sailing with Jib and Mizzen.  Works great!

Aft corners are stayed to the mainsheet
traveller (galvanized pipe)

forward corners stayed to the side stays 

2011 Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival

In October of 2011, after years of excuses, I finally attended the Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival in St. Michaels, Maryland.  

The weather was cold, wet and windy but it was a great time!  I launched at the town dock a mile from the museum docks, left my car parked there and sailed to the event (double reefed).  When I got to the docs, there were only a few dock spots dead downwind with no room to maneuver.  Since I was single handing, I was a bit hesitant to try it, but I used a trick that is only possible with a sharpie sprit rig.  As I approached the dock, I let the mainsail flag forward so that all of the wind spilled and simply drifted to the dock.  Even in a 15 mph breeze, it worked great.  Thankfully a few helpful onlookers caught the bow as I drifted in.

Here are a few of my favorites

 Below is an Ohio Pound Boat sharpie designed by Ruel Parker.

Below is a Normsboat, designed by Jim Michalak and built for Norm Wolfe (standing).  This boat is the big sister to my Michalak AF3.  I was very excited to be able to take a look.

And here I am getting a tour from Norm.  

 At this point the wind was about 15 to 20 mph but it later freshened to 20 to 25.  (Sailing pictures courtesy of my friend Jack M.)

 I had planned to take part in the regatta, but I got the race time wrong and missed the start.  Here is a little bump near the finish line.

Transom Hatch

In the summer of 2010, I repaired the transom on Peanut Butter, our 18' Cabin Clam Skiff, designed by Phil Bolger and Friends.   

The floor of the motor well had gotten some "checks" in the plywood, resulting in water collecting against the transom. Once the transom was in ship shape condition, I decided that instead of putting a permanent cover in motor well, I would add a self  draining hatch so that I can inspect the transom as needed.    

Here is the motor well before adding a hatch.  Note the ragged edges where I cut out the original plywood panel.

Here is the hatch coaming coming together.  I made this out of a piece clear redwood that was left over from the fabrication of the mast of Cream Cheese, ten years and three moves ago.

Here I have dry fitted the coaming in place.

Fitting a channeled frame into an already existing hole can be difficult you don't have room to assemble the pieces.  For this reason I felt a biscuit jointer would give the best strength rather because a mortise and tennon wasn't possible and a rabbet joint would not be as strong.

 After a few coats of epoxy, primer and paint the hatch is ready to be installed.

As a reward we took a leisurely 20 mile ride down the Susquehanna just north of the Connowingo Dam.  Here we are at anchor just downstream of the cooling ponds of Peach Bottom nuclear power plant.  According to my Garmin fish finder, the water is ten degrees warmer here than a few miles upstream.

Lac La Pêche

For years, I've kept a terse log of by boat building and sailing adventures at fsanmiguel.com/boat and have finally decided to start using a more modern vehicle for sharing my love of small boats.

To start off, here are some pictures from a trip that we made in 2010 to La Pêche Lake in Gatineau State Park near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Motors aren't allowed on the lakes and there are many camp sites that can be reserved via the web.

Tents can be set up in very clean spots right next to the boat.  There are 15' steel racks for hanging your packs to keep them away from the bears and other critters.