New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

2/24/12

It was a good day to "fly a hull." We moved the trailer axle forward about 3'. Then jacked up the boat to slide the trailer under.....Things went smoothly and the boat now rests on its trailer.

[sleddog]

3/1/12

With the cat well secured to the trailer, we launched the spinnaker yesterday in a gusty southerly. A Capitola PD drove by, did a double take, and nearly rear ended a car at the stop sign.

The jib boom is complete and will be bolted on today. It pivots horizontally and vertically, so it can be folded up out of the way and lashed to the headstay. The curved portion of an old windsurfer boom serves as both vang and support. The jib boom is auto tacking and allows the jib to maintain shape at wider reaching angles.

No one correctly answered the quiz "what SSS icon won the windy DH Farallones
Race as well as having sailed more SF Bay miles than any boat in history?"

The answer would be in 1982, during particularly nasty spring conditions, the black hulled RUBY, skippered by Josh Pryor and crewed by Bob Daniels, used her long waterline to win the DH Farallones Race. The 64', steel hulled, RUBY can be seen most days sailing the Bay taking out many and assorted passengers, as she has for 30 years. http://rubysailing.com/

[sleddog]

Morgan's Moore 24 spinny looking good. Splash date set: Sat. March 24.

[Jan Brewer]

Hi Skip,

She's lookin' like one mean kitty! Great pic and I'm excited for you to splash on 3/24.

Jan

[BobJ]

Why does all the good stuff happen just before April 15th?

[pogen]

Why does all the good stuff happen just before April 15th?

Yes, the shorthanded schedule is really packed, all 5 Saturdays from March 17 through April 14. But a real desert in October/November.

[sleddog]

3/12/12

Trailed the cat to the Harbor to adjust lifting slings and test attachments. The boat lifted level first time. The scale read 800 pounds. Big kitty was frisky, so we dropped her in the Harbor for a little cruise under power. With 6 hp OB, saw 6 knots at cruising revs and 7.4 at max throttle. All eyes on official launch Sat. March 24.

Thanks to Ronnie for the visit and spinny sheet!

[AlanH]

Definitely going to be there!!!

[sleddog]

"Backyard," or in our case "Driveway," built boats are of necessity an eclectic mixture of skill, parts, and energy. Making do with what we got was the mantra. Boat parts came from WILDFLOWER, RAGTIME, MERLIN, BRUZER and MOKUALANA, just to name a few.

But we would not have got this boat done without the enthusiasm and gifts of time, parts, money, and the skills of guest contributors.

Thankyou, John Foster, for the hatches, outboard, and rudders. Bob Johnston for the donation of deck gear and halyards. Joel Woods for getting us "off the ground." Gene Sofen for the many hours of grunt labor as we sanded and faired, nailed and glassed. Alan Hebert for the ground tackle. Ronnie Simpson for the spinny sheets. Morgan Larson for the spinnaker and blocks, Jeremy Leonard for the mast, boom, and main.

Thankyou also to AJ for help buying glue. Cathy Sy for keeping the shop clean and clamps running free. Rainer for the punting pole, Jay Crum for the anodizing run, Edwin Maybe for help with stainless fabrication, Eileen Sundet for varnish patrol, Steve Mason for the traveler and tiller extension, Joe Buck for nav station expertise, Matthew Coale for splicing the shrouds. And Syn Petroka for the beautiful bunk cushion, pockets, and weather cloths.

Special thanks also to my brother Scott for the jib, to my sister Marilee and husband Tom for a most wonderful gift, and to Annie Kennedy for the "break time" treats of tea and crumpets.

But we wouldn't be where we are today without the skill of WILDFLOWER's designer and co-builder, Howard Spruit. For those who don't know Howard, his eye for design, including over 75 working drawings; his craftsmanship; and his patience over the last 18 months has been inspirational. Thankyou Howard.

WILDFLOWER is her name. It's a good name, a proud name, carrying on a tradition while bringing a smile to my face thinking of voyages past, present, and to come.

~skip

[Harrier]

Congratulations, Skip. I know everyone is proud of the effort. Hope to see you and her(?) soon.
Ken