For the want of a nut…

the rudder was lost. A somewhat minor disaster befell Sjogin yesterday.

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I don't need no stinkin' rudder
Your decidedly Unhappy Skipper.

Julia and I had friends out for sail Sunday, puttering around the Bay south of Swan Point. It was blowing about 6 to 10, gusting higher, out of the SSW. On the eastern side a bit of fresh sea breeze was filling in, fighting the gradient wind. It was like sailing in and out of air conditioning.

We tacked up to Hankin’s Island (a repeat visit this year!) on the shifting breeze and then ran down to the marsh by Reedy Creek. Once there, we hove to on Starboard, slowly fore-reaching towards Swan Point. In between are the oyster boxes, floating in anchored sets. Each set of a dozen or so floats are about 100′ long.

As we neared the floats, I swapped jib sheets to go on Port tack till we could lay Swan Point and head for home. Usually, Sjogin will come up into the wind after the sheets change and go over on the other tack.

Well she didn’t. We were in irons, eventually making stern way. I tried to get her to fall off on Port but to no avail. Sjogin gathered way and ran over the line of oyster boxes. As she slid over the gear it lifted the rudder off the pintles and it disappeared from view.

I’m sure some of you are wondering why the rudder wasn’t secured to prevent it becoming un-shipped. Here’s a clue:

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The missing nut

This hefty Monel nut is supposed to be threaded on the upper pintel and backed up with a cotter pin. If I had taken a few minutes last fall before launching this wouldn’t have happened. My fault entirely.

After rigging the sweep as a steering oar we made it back to Beaton’s. Not before the crisis of losing the oar, running down and anchoring close to the marsh and a walk on the marsh by Joe Foster to recover the oar. What a day!

On Monday weekend guest Phil Heffernan and I went out on Beaton’s garvey with Fred to search the marsh and Bay for the missing rudder. No luck. I’m bringing the double paddle canoe to aid in the search. Once Speedwell’s in commission I’ll use her as well.

Here’s a flyer I’m posting to let folks know of the lost rudder. If any of you find yourself in the area between Swan and Sloop Point’s and come across this curious bit of floatsam, please let me know.

Thanks,

Russ

2011 WoodenBoat Show

Julia and I were in Mystic the weekend before last for the annual drinking of the Kool-Aid. This was the twentieth anniversary of the show and had all the usual ingredients. It was I think our fifth year at Mystic. We missed the regular get together with out Forum friends at Doug and Carters. Perhaps next year.

WoodenBoat and Mystic are very happy with each other and I expect the show will be here for a while.

It was a treat meeting John and Ruth Brooks and talking about his Silver Penny design based on Sjogin.

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Our floating House?
This was our favorite boat by far. Harry Bryan designs and builds boats, mostly off the grid, in New Brunswick, Canada. Very simple with a wood stove and comfortable seats and berths from which to watch the world drift by. A small powered skiff or punt would serve as a tow boat as there’s no engine installed.

I have vision’s of her sitting on a mooring at Beaton’s. Hmmm…..

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Harry Bryan
When I asked Harry to pose for a pic he said “you want mustard and relish on that?” His Shantyboat would make a great floating hot dog stand.

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Julia and Voilet
Julia and Violet, an authentic Zulu, a type of Scottish sailing trawler.

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Violet
The view from forward.

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Sjogin cousins
The John Gardner Small Craft Weekend coincided with the WoodenBoat Show so there were more traditional small boats than usual. These boats are all Sjogin’s cousins.

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Pram by John Brooks
Nicely modeled pram from John Brooks. She would look good towing behind Sjogin.

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Amorita
Amorita, the NY30 that was run down and sunk by Sumurun, a 94′ Fife ketch two years ago. She’s been fully restored by McClave, Philbrick & Giblin in Mystic. A charmed boat for sure and a great story.

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At the S&P
Thursday night’s dinner at the S&P Oyster Company. Lobster tacos please! The Seaport is just up the river.

New sprit rig for Speedwell

As some may recall, I’ve been looking to replace the standard, 10 year old friendly, marconi rig with a traditional sprit sail. The plan was to make the spars and order a suitable sail. But I saw a Thread on the WoodenBoat Forum where a Cape Cod member had an extra rig that needed a good home. Consider it found.

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New rig!
As it turns out, the rig is too long to sheet as a loose footed sail. The boat it was designed for was a similar length but the mast was stepped closer to the bow. The sheet here is tied around the rudder gudgeon and is at too steep an angle to be effective. Having the sail sheeting point within reach would make it worse. So I’ll make a sprit boom, set up like the peak sprit. It’ll be easier to sheet, using the existing traveler set-up.

There also needs to be a fitting made to accept the base of the new mast that will fit into the existing mast step. Wood noodling coming up.

The sail was made by Nat Wilson of East Boothbay, ME., one of the best traditional sail makers around.

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WoodenBoat Show pics from Mystic to follow.

New Beaton pics

This should make Reader P happy.

Sorry for the three week gap but I’ve been busy with my business. There’s actually something new to report but that can wait a day or so.

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Paul Smith

Paul Smith getting ready to finish the details this remarkable restoration. The boat is a simple plywood outboard runabout, built in the 50’s and near death. Paul replaced the transom, keel, deck, seats and such. She’s ready for another generations worth of fun on the Bay.

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Segar
Segar waiting patiently for a return to service. She’s an Officer’s tender; I believe from one of the Dewey era dreadnoughts. That’s Speedwell, our Clarke Duckboat in the center. It’s the one with the bump in the deck edge.)

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Maid Party
Folks at the Silent Maid Commissioning Party last month.

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Us
Your host and a not too warm Julia.

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Tom Beaton
Tom and a new patient for the geriatric ward.

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Garden pics, news from Nova Scotia and a new rig for Speedwell to follow.

Silver Penny

That’s the name John Brooks of Brooks Boat Designs has come up with for his version of Sjogin. He was among the designers contacted to produce building plans. His is a 19′ centerboard version, suitable for trailering. Here’s the link to the page on his Blog.

He’s a very talanted designer as you can see from his Somes Sound design, modeled on Herreshoff’s Buzzard Bay 12 1/2. The construction would be glued lap.

The name comes from a Norse coin found in Brooklin in 1978. John tells the story in his Blog post. Nice link between a Norse coin and a Swedish boat coming to America.

Here are a few preliminary sketches John was kind enough to send me:

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Sloop rig
This is the sloop rig, similar to the original.

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Gaff rig
And here’s the gaff rig. Nice and low with plenty of power to drive her. It may be my imagination but it looks like John drew both sail plans with the boat hove to.

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Layout
Here’s the general layout. The cabin/cuddy is still being moved around to get it just right.

Seem’s this design might work as a Raid boat. With a couple of sweeps you could make good progress to weather. Hmmmm.

Julia and I are off to the Silent Maid Commissioning Party at Beaton’s. Pics soon.

Sjogin plans are almost done

Paul Gartside has sent me the latest set of his building plans for a new Sjogin. I couldn’t be more pleased. Paul is one of the finest small boat designers around and at the height of his craft. The plans are technically clear and hand drawn with an artist’s touch.

There are a few folks here and abroad that are planning to start building now that the plans are almost done. It’s all very amazing that this humble little craft should attract such attention. Paul’s work now makes her available to anyone with a sufficient amount of boat-lust.

Paul is still working on the plans for traditional construction in cedar, oak copper and bronze, similar to Sjogin. They should be done this Spring.

If anyone is interested in purchasing plans, please visit Paul Gartside’s web page for further details. The plans will look great framed while the desire to build grows. Obvious prejudice aside, this is a beautiful small boat design.

Click on the images for a larger version.

Enjoy:

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Sjogin Lines
Here are the completed Lines Plans. Paul has taken the numbers Steve Martinsen and I gathered last summer and refined them to this perfect state.

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engine
She’s drawn here with a small inboard diesel. Very useful if you need to get in and out of tight spots, through bridges and such. (And get home in time for dinner.) Note the traditional bucket hiding under the cockpit seat. Very clever.

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Deck Plan and Layout
Here’s the Deck Plan and Layout. This is for the Bermudan Yawl rig. The plans come with drawings for three types of construction (glued ply, cold molded and traditional).

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Gaff Yawl
This is the Gaff Yawl version and one of my favorites. Paul has drawn the above rig along with an original Bermudan sloop, Gaff sloop and Bermudan Yawl. He’s moved the rig a bit forward in these designs, thus the need for the bowsprit which is becoming more attractive the more I look at it. He’s also added running backstays which are something I’m glad not to have on board. Oh well, progress.

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The original
Here’s the original Sjogin last Friday about to go out for a bit in a nice light NNE breeze.

Let a thousand Sjogins bloom.

First sail!

Last Friday saw the first sail of 2011. Disappointed that the Winter didn’t allow a single sail but ice, persistent strong westerlies, low water and the leaking split plank conspired to keep me dockbound. I did have many watches below thanks to my semi-retired status so don’t feel too bad for me.

There was a moderate breeze out of the NNW, bright sun, about 40 degrees. Couldn’t resist so I did my usual circuit, heaving to off Swan Point for breakfast. Of course the wind picked up, gusting to 15kts with one blast just off Beaton’s that put the deck under up to the coaming. So far so good with no increase in Sjogin’s normal weeping.

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Ready to go
Nice breeze; ready to go. No one on the Bay but Buffleheads and Ospreys.

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First sail!
Running out of Beaton’s with the stove doing it’s work as the smoke streams to leeward. Unlike most times when there’s a long time between sails, it felt like I had been sailing just the day before.

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Sail covers off!
Left the sail covers off in hopes of another sail but this interminable cold Spring put paid to that hope.

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Happy Skipper
Your very Happy Skipper enjoying the first sail of 2011.

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Rearranged books
When I got back to the dock and looked below I found the ships library had been shifted to leeward when hit by the gust off Beaton’s. The white and green book on the shelf ended up directly opposite the place where it started. I imagine there was a bit of bouncing to have ended up where it did as Sjogin was certainly not knocked down 90 degrees.

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The Maid emerges
Silent Maid out of the shop after an off-season makeover looking Beaton Fresh. Oh how she glows. Word is that she’ll stay on the Bay this summer and compete for the Toms River Challenge Cup against the A-Cat fleet. This will be the first time a boat other than the 28′ Mower/Sweisguth designs have competed since 1906.

Happy Retirement Jake!

Signs of Spring

The change of the coming season is visible at Beaton’s: the bubbler system has been put away, signs of owners can be seen around the yard and the Ospreys are back. The Silent Maid and the A-Cats are being prepped for the coming battles with lots of varnishing in evidence. Here are a few pics from the last few weeks:

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John Haas and Spyder
Here’s John Haas, up from SP for a visit and Spyder’s freshly varnished transom. Even the wood shop’s being used for paint work.

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Glowing!
Here’s the Silent Maid’s freshly varnished transom and newly painted and gold leafed name. The painter is a gentleman who’s been painting names at Beaton’s for decades. Fine hand.

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The Shadow knows
Speaking of transoms, here’s Shadow, looking Beaton’s Fresh.

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Ingrid Ann
Ingrid Ann getting ready for the dock building season.

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Hi
And we have signs of Spring at Ourhouse. Everything seems to have survived the Winter with the bulbs thriving. Bring it on.