Does anyone actually run the seas in earnest?

[Loveofsea]

There are a number of sites that are devoted to boat design and concept, but i wonder how many individuals actually bring their design to its potential. For years i have been looking for individuals who actually use their designs to fulfill their desire to run the open seas with utter impunity~?

Does anyone here do that?

Is it the configuration and limitations of your vessel that constricts you, or is it your fear to throw yourself out there...?

The fact is, there are a heck of a lot more boats out there than there are seafaring men who actually ply them against the sea....

i've been on the internet since nov '97 and i would really like to meet others who run the seas with a passion, in a boat of their design....

[Frosty]

Yes there are these people you speak of. These people do build there designs and travel the world . They can be found in little coves away from society. Intentionally oblivious of the world around them.

These people would not be found in iether California or the internet, and certainly not on a forum!!

These people are do'ers, --not talkers.

[rayk]

Loveofsea,

Nick Skeates is the man you describe.
Wylo II is the first and only design he drew and sells.
Ten years ago I bought plan #97. (postmarked from Barbados)

Nick Skeates has been sailing around and living on #1 for thirty years I think.
The boat is 32' steel or 35' spaced, various rig options.
Link to my hull

I tried to google him but nothing much is there.
I would be curious if any one else in the forum knows anything more...

[Milan]

Originally Posted by jack frost

...These people would not be found in iether California or the internet...

Well, some of them are on the internet:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/origamiboats/
http://www.origamimagic.com/
http://www.wharram.com/
http://www.setsail.com/dashew/dashoff.html

Originally Posted by rayk

...Nick Skeates ...I would be curious if any one else in the forum knows anything more...

Nick Skeates was in Panama last year.

Rayk, nice boat, Wylo II. Did you build a hull by your self? I'm bit suprised that you choose her. From you posts in the seaworthiness thread I expected that you would go for more conservative design, very heavy for her WL length and with a long deep draft keel. Wylo is despite her traditional looks above the water, quite moderate displacement, with shallow draft, especially center board version, (which Nick sail). Aside from the looks, concept is actually not that much different from modern looking, French, voyaging center boarders (discussed in the thread). Vanishing stability angles are similar.

[Loveofsea]

Hey i work for a living~!

Wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth so i can't be running all over the planet, but that doesn't mean i wouldn't want to

i try to do the next best thing; multiday exscursions as far off the coast as i can get...

Rayk, that is a good looking hull. That'll get you there and back.

Milan, those origame boats are very interesting indeed. I love the minimalist concept in hull fabrication. The pic of that aluminum hull turned awesome as soon as i spotted the man inside--that is huge. I hope they are successful in their new technique. It looks like a derivitive of the aircraft stretch-form concept.

Jack frost, i know what you mean about do'ers and talkers...that's kind of why i asked the question...

[messabout]

Arthur Piver was one of those guys. Tom Firth Jones went to sea in his own boats too. Both those fellows have gone over the bar. Piver was apparently lost at sea with one of his creations. Joshua Slocum resurrected a derelict and rebuilt it to his own devising. I reckon that qualifies. Thor Heyerdahl built some boats of questionable ability and managed some sensational achievements. There have been countless numbers of adventurous souls who have designed, built, sailed off into the blue. Quite a few of them did not drown.

Loveofsea; You frighten me with the use of the words "utter impunity". That is a dangerous way to think. The sea deserves the utmost respect and it is infinitely more powerful than we humans. Call me a wuss if you like, but I have been in some places like the Gulf Stream during a Nor'easter. There and other places, I learned the underlying meaning of an old time expression; "there are no atheists at sea"

[rayk]

Milan,

Thanks for update on Skeates, he is worth keeping track of.

Attraction of his design....the whole story from genesis of the design to present day.
He sailed off into the sunset and lived happily ever after in his ultimate boat.
If he could do it, I wanted to copy him.
I have found my own road along the way, but the first step was following his plans.

p.s. yup I built the hull myself.

[ted655]

Mony. If I only had enough, I'd sail away. It's a richmans way of life these days. ( sigh )

[Loveofsea]

Messabout, i assure you i used that term with reverence...i have traveled over 90,000 nautical miles of open seas and have spent over 700 nights alone anchored at the most desolate places off this coast. i DO respect the sea and i understand its fury because i live and dwell in that realm..

my motto:

There is nothing like the feeling of utter security on a tumultuous sea~!

i guess i'm just looking to make acquaintance with others who understands what i mean by that...

[messabout]

Loveofsea;

No offense intended. Now we know that you are a knowledgeable sailor and no further admonitions will be offered.

One never knows about the competance of the subscribers of this forum. No doubt you have observed some of the posers around the marina or yacht club. Some of them are not entirely aware that the pointy end usually goes first. They think a sea anchor is heavy object attached to a very very long line. Those folks can get themselves into a serious bind by overestimating the ability of their boat or themselves. I don't want to lose any of them as a result of ignorance.

With your experience, you'll know when it's time to reef, run, or bail and they won't.

Fair winds.

[Loveofsea]

Hello Messabout, no offense taken i assure you

I do underwater photography as a hobby here in So Cal. I average about 43 nights a year on the water since i built the Good Skiff back in '91. A few months ago i was contacted by a nice gentleman who owns a web site devoted to small boats. He did a story (with some pictures) about the Good Skiff. If you care to read about it, it's here:

http://www.oceanskiffjournal.com/

I love talking about the ocean, seamanship, boat building and design--particularilly flatbottoms--

Contrary to popular belief, (properly designed) flatbottom boats can be superior to V bottoms in a number of parameters; safety, maneuverability, econmy, etc.

PS, i hear you about the posers and beginners...i don't breath a sigh of relief untill i am at least 50nm from the nearest port Take care Messabout~

[retrosub]

Brad, I've followed your loveofsea.com site for a few years. It's very inspiring. Not quite there with you yet, give me time.

[messabout]

The web site that Loveofsea mentions above is worth a look. In addition to a good description of his boat and exploits, there are some other articles about solo fishing, safety, handling emergencies, and such.

A 19 foot flat bottomed skiff was never before on my list of prospective big water boats. Loveofsea has some refreshing ideas about how to plan such a boat. Apparently he has addressed some of the problems that threaten small boats in a seaway.

I'm a flat bottom boat guy myself, but have always thought of them as appropriate only for sheltered water. The older we get the more we learn.

[Loveofsea]

Hello Messabout~ have you got a picture of your skiff?

Flatbottoms:

It really depends if you spend more time at your destination or getting there. For myself, i go for two or three nights at a time. My favority destination is San Nicolas Island. By the time i drop the hook, my trip log reads around 78nm. Depending on the conditions, it may take me 4 or 5 hours to get there, but i will be there for the next 2-3 days.

One on the most important considerations when you do multiday trips is your ability to sleep at night. When the wind blows at Nicolas, finding shelter can be impossible, so i often have to anchor exposed to the wind and seas..That is where the flatbottom really comes into her own. When the bow is into the wind, she doesn't rock from side to side. I can actually sleep on my side in rough weather because it is so stable.

One other point about seaworthiness; because i use a tiller rather than a steering wheel, i have articulate throttle control as well as instant lock-to-lock steering. When the wind blows all night and i am looking at 75nm of whitecapps on the morning i am to come home, i never worry...i fasten the velcro around the wrists and ankles, hold the skiff in one hand, the tiller in the other and bust out into the big blue wonderland. I run the seas like a dirtbike rider runs the trails. I couldn't do that without having the ultimate control that the tiller/flatbottom affords. i look for the white cresting peaks of the biggest swells and zip over there just to shoosh down the faces

Brad

(loves the sea)

[retrosub]

I noticed your tiller arm extension, so you stand up the whole time? Or do you take a break and sit as well? I didn't see a seat in your boat, but you mention grabbing the skiff with one hand and steering with the other, it's hard to imagine doing that standing. What is the depth of your boat?

I saw that your beam is stated as 59", but your boat looks wider than that. Is that measurement across the chine or gunwales?

Keep us posted on your adventures, what little I have read is very memorable. I'm going try to work "shoosh" into a conversation today.