Thomas Colvin's designs

Abe, I have a Thomas Colvin 42' Ketch (Gazelle) that I have been working on and sailing for 5 years it is in excellent condition. If you are interested in discussing buying it let me know. I have gotten two old for my dream and reluctantly may need to part with her. I am ready to make the right person a great deal.

 

Hello, Mr. Shaffer, I work with several sail cargo projects based both here in Europe and the Caribbean. I’m always n the hunt for new projects and ideas coming up, yours sounds interesting. Don’t know if this thread is still active but if so, I’d be much interested to hear more about what your planing to do, perhaps I’ve some useful information. Have you hear about the Coastal Explorers? Also an English based company using small boats for a little sail cargo.
Fair winds,
Jake

 

I still have the boat and have not made any attempts to sell her. I just know that I'm getting to old to keep maintaining her and she is to good a boat to let that happen. A brief history is that in 1989-90 she was put in a barn and kept there for 20 years. In that time the builder/owner kept tinkering with her with a new engine, appliance, new cabin top, etc. I have owned her since 2012 and done another 20,000.00 in work. If I could sell her for what I have in her it would be nice.

Best Regards,


Gene Stilwell

 

I believe I was confused regarding the thread. However, if someone is interested in this nice Thomas Colvin. I am having the sails cleaned this winter. The builder was incredible both inside and outside.

 

Here's some pictures that I've came across in this obituary of Tom at the condolences...​

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Hell Gene, I’d be interested to learn more about your Gazelle for sale.
Could you post more pictures and info, or maybe a link to advert?
Cheers
Kristjan

 

Hopefully these will help, however, we should trade emails so we can communicate more completely. call.gsatoday@gmail

 

I have a 36' all aluminum radian ketch project boat, hull in beautiful shape interior needs refinish has been stored for 20 years

 

If someone is interested in a Thomas Colvin Gazelle, there's one for sale in Indiantown Marina in Florida for $5000. Otherwise it's destined for the scrapyard later this summer. It looks to be a bit of a project, but it would be very sad to see it go to scrap.

 

Thomas Colvin in his book "Steel Boat Building" includes all the plans to build his pinkie cargo boat. The whole book is in fact an instruction manual using that boat.

You can check out his book from openlibrary.org

I quote him from page 14:

"The Pinky whose construction begins in Chapter 9 is a working vessel that was designed for a specific purpose; it is not a yacht, but it could be one. The complete plans are included in the text as illustrations. If one wishes to build this vessel and is content to work from the small-scale plans that appear in the book, there is no reason not to do so, since my office plans to a larger scale are exactly the same. 1 personally think that working with small- scade drawings to avoid paying the royalty to a designer is foolish, because the builder then forfeits the right to free consultation by mail, as will any subsequent owner of the vessel.

Thomas E. Colvin aboard the junk K'ung Fu- Tse May 1985"

 

switched 16' boom for a 20' boom, old boom became the gaff Sailmaker made the forsail with too much negative leech, may make a lapper/boomless forsail from the older mainsail. I did raise the boom 18" to put a hard top, I needed sunshade and can fit a 350' solar panel on it. But I think she looks better with the lower boom. New mainsail is 15% larger than old mainsail. I made luff and foot same size, leech 1.8 ratio per the gaff rigged handbook John Leather. Other changs are inside you can't see. Sailmaker also 'forgot the second reef in forsail, then he went out of business. Sails are still good though, just argh.