Slocum`s Spray

Today I checked out what has come out of the bilge of the 1890 steam tug ELMORE and it's a history of her conversions. There are river rocks, steam engine parts, cannon balls and scrap iron. As her engines changed and got lighter over the years, the ballast was added to for compensation. Nobody knows how much. Just how much fits and seems to do the job. Terribly unscientific, but works for the practical seaman.

 

It was said that Cullers boat had some changes. What were the major differences. Also i wonder where one could get the lines for his boat? jnjwilson

 

More outside keel, skeg built, prop aperture, sawn frames, single cabin, topmast. That's about it. I'll try to find details in my records.

 

I read about this boat over 30 years ago when I purchased my copy of Slack's "In the Wake of the Spray" and had no idea she was still around. Many of us who (for the moment) do our sailing from behind a desk are facinated by the history behind these replicas, especially one that has been around for this length of time and has so many miles under her keel.

I don't suppose you know who owns her now? And whether or not they might be willing to exchange a few notes?

Many thanks for making me aware of her. Should you ever bring Bertie down the coast stop by Brookings, Oregon and I'll meet you at the pier with a case of cold, amber ale.

Kale

 

Spray lines "corrected" by Weston Farmer.......

 

And Pete Culler's version.....obvious differences are in the rabbet and waterlines aft, also the additional (deeper) keel and deadwood......

 

Thanks Tad for the comparison. I used Westy's lines when I laid down BERTIE, modifying her on the loft floor.
Here's another photo of the Culler SPRAY being slowly rebuilt as budget allows. So far she's gotten many frames, planks, a stem and more. The raking stern bulwarks really change the look. This particular boat is a ketch as her chainplates are positioned for that rig, though I've never seen her in the water.
Culler drew this SPRAY version late in his career and with input from the client I believe, as it's a bit different from his 1929 Oxford SPRAY, which had no external ballast, and was skeg built.
The one in the photo is planked down (referring to the garboard going to the bottom of the stern post as opposed to sweeping up to the transom, which is skeg built).
BERTIE is planked down and more resembles a Baltic Jacht/trader in the stern.

 

Last year I saw an older fellow working aboard. It seems to be a long term project at a leisurely pace. If I am in that town and see him, I'll try to get some details.

 

Bataan, many thanks for a rational and really 1st hand account construction and life and times of a "spray". You may have made alterations but as far as I can see they have been for the better. There are so many armchair experts around here who make all sorts of airy-fairy supposes. If you were to build another, what changes would you make? if any. I don't think either Westy Farmer or Pete Culler would have gone near the design if it was as bad as some people are trying to make out and neither of them made any really drastic changes. In the early 1960's I was working in the Bay of Islands-NZ. when a long haired hippie from North America arrived and built a "replica". Plans were photo copy from J.S. book, I recall the planking was 3x2 white pine strip and edge nailed. Many tons of concrete went into the bilge after launching. A miserable little "Villiers" diesel (7hp) installed driving offset prop. She drifted around the Bay for a while before heading down the coast after sale to a prominent real estate agent. I myself rescued her a couple of times.She later had a 60 hp Ford installed which improved things no end, but as a sailer she was a dud. Her name was "Joshua S" and I don't know what became of her. I do know the faults were all in the rig and inexperience of the various owners.

 

Inexperience is the death of many a good boat, and potential sailor. And so many seemed frightened of learning "old ways" out of books written by experienced people because they don't follow the current idea of space age materials and ultra-high performance being the only kind of boat permitted.
Thanks for the kind words about rationality. SPRAY is an exercise in that discipline. Too bad the vessel you knew was a failure due to undersize rig and engine.
If I were to build another BERTIE, possibly 3 or 4 feet longer, all added at the midship frame, and ketch rig. The extra length brings the mizzen inboard and it can be bigger. The extra is all in the widest part of the boat where it counts. Though, now the anchors are bigger, and the chain, and what do I really need that extra room and displacement for anyway... Voyaging, pure and simple, to carry more food/water/fuel and make longer passages.
But all in all, I think BERTIE is just about perfect for what she is. The main is heavy and takes a lot of cranking on its winch to raise, but exercise is good for you, same with the ground tackle.
Last year at the PT Wooden Boat Festival instead of being in the show, I anchored out, getting underway all 3 days single-handed, hoisting the 65 lb plow and its 1/2" chain, setting all sail, anchoring in the evenings. It was a lot of work, but by the third day no big deal. It's better to appreciate the Chinese rig when it's doing its job, so I just sailed the whole show for people to see instead of being tied to the dock with the mobs tramping the decks.
Seems BERTIE is the poster boat for WBF this year so I guess we'll join the herd.
When JS stopped in Boston at the start of his big trip, he told a reporter he'd like to change the rig to Chinese lug, like LIBERDADE. It never happened, so I did it for him.

 

This is one of my favorite threads on boatdesign.net. It's an interesting blend of theoretical discussions, real-world experience and history.

Many thanks to all who are contributing to it....

 

Troy,
You are one of the most perceptive, thoughtful and downright nice people on this whole blog.
Bataan

 

BERTIE's stem repair. The old girl is in the yard for the winter and here's the big repair to the bow. Original fir stem rotted at the lower end, taking the fore deadwood with it. Internal deadwood was replaced with Alaska Yellow cedar while the new false stem is purpleheart.
Working now on changing interior from "live aboard for 30 years with 3 kids" to "charter with adults and kayaks". This means getting rid of closets and lockers and building in bunks, basically. The demolished closet in the hold makes room for either several coolers or even a 12v freezer/reefer! Never had such a thing so am going very slow on making decisions. Always had an Igloo on deck before, then did without when the ice runs out. Last few days building small, portable picturesque toolboxes that double as seats in the hold cabin. Will get some interior photos on-line when all is painted, varnished and clean (which is not now).

 

Being a lazyboy(chair)sailer,i have always thought that the spray hull looks alot like a trawlers hull shape.living in tenn. the tenn. river-tom bigby waterway would be the way to the gulf.i have considered the idea of a spray as a motersailer . a thought from ones who have the experiance and knowlege, what size engine- prop combo. would be a good size to putter up and down the river when the wind speed was to low . the spray with a shallow draft and large displacment seems to me would make very good motersailer thank you all

 

Go buy a Roberts SPRAY with big engine, midships cockpit, bimini/pilothouse, large tanks and you've got what you just described. There are many for sale out there, usually in steel or aluminum.