Jack Holt Heron re-imagined Pt.3

h E R O n
Part 3
In the beginning there were waters, and I wasn't on them.

End of 2021

Still working on it: small improvements, additions, adjustments, inventions. I haven't intentionally submerged it yet to test buoyancy, but have been perilously close to capsizing, taking on well over 100 L of water, and barely sailing afterward, until bailed and pumped out.
The rowing seat was slotted for the centreboard handle, and pushed foreward a bit to the original seat position, for better rowing operation. Two supports may be made to hold the mast, boom, and gaff overhead horizontally over the cabin when rowing, and to support a tent or sun shade.


Photo 21: Garden Island S.A. Cutter rigged with 2 standard jibs, and a modified jib reversed on a shortened boom, as a masthead rig. Rigged like this, or with a smaller inner storm jib, it is very stable and manageable in most conditions.

It is well used now, and about due for a new paint job (now that it's 'run in'), to hide the plugged holes from the changes made, and seal the weather decks again. The hull needs epoxy touchups on the bottom from scrapes, and sanding down the paint brush marks, before a final top coat. I have grip tape for the deck edges, needing fresh paint to stick to. I like the black hull sides still; not as hot as I feared. Then the boat's name can go on the new paint job: ERO. A Heron with the front and back cut off. And then it's all finished. Yeah right !!

I have mostly been sailing in coastal inlets surrounded by mangroves, which I tie up to to take a leak, and take a break, taking respite from diving this way and that in very fickle winds and narrow, fast flowing channels. The area's bottom is mostly mud with occasional jettisoned ballast rocks from old sailing ships, oyster and razor fish patches, and submerged dead mangrove branches, all hazards to a boat's hull and bottom paint when negotiating shallows. I take full advantage of the shallow draught and centreboard up features, skimming over shallows no one else can access, except canoeists. Deep keelers must envy me at low tide, when they are confined to a narrow channel with outboard motor running, or have to wait for the tide, and meanwhile I'm off exploring, getting close to nature, peacefully under sail, in almost any weather or tide.

Up side: stored and transported and launched easily on trailer, versatile, cheap to run, no motor = no hull rego costs and cops aren't interested, easy to repair and modify, goes almost anywhere coastal and inland, autosteering gives me blissfull peace sometimes, photogenic, I can tell people it's too small and they won't fit, keeps me occupied, I can tell people I have a yacht.

Downside: Cost thousands, rarely passengers, rarely stillness or rest, always on alert for tipping - no keel, no o/b motor in strong currents, not much sun shelter, no room for a cooler, too heavy for easy beach launch, slow - rarely planes, I made it over complicated in being able to do everything, it's wood so needs regular inspection and maintenance.

But everyone loves it. Many say it's lovely, cute, or pretty, even when I'm not in it.

MATERIALS USED:
Threadbar, three of: brass 1 of, 6mm X 1m, (removed after bow was glued); and stainless steel 2 of, 8mm diameter X 1m. Plain SS nuts and large washers were also used.
Several litres of Bote Cote epoxy resin were used on the hull, spars, and in most places, with TPRDA additive to assist adhering to bare wood better on first coats; different types of filler powder were tried, nearly all were similar to use. Microspheres were light, smooth and workable, but weak, and some other tough filler powders were difficult to mix but very hard and strong. A mask must be used when mixing powder fillers in resin, and also when sanding them, because they are very dangerous to the lungs, as well as the resin powder sandings, and fibreglass particles.
Some polyester resin was used where it didn't matter, just to use it up before it went off completely, it was getting old and grainy, but too good to chuck.
Merbau wood was used in high wear and stress points, because it is tough, dense, and resinous, to keep moisture at bay and stay strong; used at / on rollock pivot points, tillers, bowsprit bow support and rear cradle, and the chine wear pads. It is heavy dense wood.
Most new deck raising woodwork was of cheap pine 'character' indoor wood panelling, from a hardware store. I went through literally tons / tonnes of rubbish wood to find the least twists, bends and knotholes, and sawed it up to requirements at home outside with a circular saw clamped upside down in a folding workbench vice.
The keel was deepened by about 3/4" ~20mm and extended foreward to the centreboard slot with a false keel or shoe, made of wood from a transport pallet, and about the toughest wood I've ever come across, species unknown.
The rear floors and rowing seat was 'found' old 8mm plywood, front floors, front bulkhead, and all decking is 6mm marine ply, supported by 12mm X 15mm pinewood supports layered for height, so you can walk anywhere in confidence.
Many old brass, bronze, and copper fasteners (screws, nails, bolts), were used from salvage collections, and when they were all used up I started on my stainless steel fastener collection, but still had to buy some sizes I didn't have, or needed many of.
Paint used over the epoxy undercoated hull outside was lemon yellow enamel marine paint, with sides topped with 60 year old black enamel, likely full of banned substances; it was sweet pungent smelling and covered beautifully to a magicaly smooth mirror gloss, no brush marks. White car laquer paint brushed on quickly on the rudder cheeks over the epoxy (to use it up), then orange enamel on top at the sides for colour, white enamel house paint inside the buoyancy tanks, because it was free. The cockpit wood was sealed everywhere with cheap varnish, used as an undercoat and sealer. Water based outdoor sun UV resistant paint 'Solaguard' was then used everywhere inside, and also on the decks, and on the centreboards and rudders, because it is relatively cheap, accessible, good range of colours, tough, resilient, and quickly easily touched up. A Jade tint out of dozens of hues was used.
Lots of PVC electrical conduit of 20mm and 25mm diameter was used, and many joiners, bends, junctions, and fittings on eg. tiller extensions and steering locks, rudders' tie rod, cockpit drainage tube, windvane steering vane flag frame, cabin roof support frames. And no I'm not a sparky; It's just cheap, common, useful, doesn't rust, easily worked, and fits in the bin.
Velcro was glued in place with contact adhesive, not great but doing the job so far, if careful un-sticking the velcro. It has lasted over 2 years so far, with no detachments.
Rigging: I used wires from my fathers 22' trailer sailer, which he replaced. Overkill on a small 10' plywood dinghy, and heavy, but indestructable and free, apart from the new eyes and swaging needed.
Initially all cordage for eg. uphaul was from old collections, but replaced with new stuff fairly quickly once it was used again, and found it could fail inconveniently, and also wasn't long enough to get past the cabin to the cleats. 4mm diameter is a good size for modern good quality uphaul cordage.
Lots of old Fico gear from my collection was repaired and re-used; now 'obsolete' and unobtainable, it still works fine; Riley and Ronstan alternatives were sometimes used; and some cheap un-named useful items from local boating supplies shops and hardware stores were used. Nothing particularly special or expensive was used in the re-build unless I already had it on hand, and was willing to use it up.
Some parts were modified, fabricated, adapted/mis used, and re-worked over and over until useful, or put back in my store.

CONSTRUCTION NOTES:
I started with a damaged but sound wooden hull, made of good quality plywood and good framing, with no MDF, particleboard / chipboard (I've seen it), rot or waterlogging; I wouldn't do this with a weakened hull or a poor quality home build, or things might spring apart or snap inconveniently. More so.

I did things in the order that was convenient for me to do at the time, depending on the weather, materials and equipment at hand, and what I felt like working on. Sanding the outside with a belt sander is quick and easy, hand scraping the interior with chisels is tedious but good exercise, and got put off a bit, finding other things to do. Some things were prepared well ahead of time, and some were holdups waiting for me. Nothing was rushed, except epoxy resining before it went off.

Epoxy resin is best measured out on scales, or by volume accurately, rather than guestimating what 2:1 converted from volume to weight, looks like in a small cup in a dark shed. Epoxy ratio is much more fussy than polyester resin, and accuracy gets you brilliant results. Inaccuracy gets you messy useless goo that never goes hard, and needs to be dug out and re-done. Do it right first time.

First coats and final coats of anything on bare wood are best done well after mid day, when things have thoroughly warmed up and are now cooling down, and the pores of the wood suck the air and paint/resin in, rather than expanding air blowing bubbles in your glossy finish when the day and the wood and air is still warming up.

A lot of stress is created pulling the bow further together than ever, so the threadbar and nuts used needs good anti-sieze lubricant on the threads, and the loads spread as wide and evenly as possible, with strong wood blocks and big washers. When the bow is resined and set and hardened, the outside locknuts are removed, threads cleaned, thread locking compound applied, and stainless steel nuts done up to final tension. Bottom exposed thread ends are locked up and waterproofed with resin, and the top with resin, silicone behind washers and nuts, and locknuts holding the bowsprit struts.

All holes made anywhere in all wood are immediately sealed with epoxy or varnish, including screw holes forced not drilled; and screw's threads before final fitting are all coated in resin or varnish, depending on if they are likely to need to come out again. Most metal threads have thread locker goo applied where needed, including nylock nuts.

Most of the deck raising strips of pine wood were glued and screwed in layers over time, each layer having the screws cracked and re tightened before the resin is rock hard, screws later removed, and the screw holes filled with epoxy resin to make a permanent plastic molded 'screw'. Subsequent drilling, sawing, and planing didn't matter if a resin 'screw' was hit. The metal screws were re-used often, until too damaged to easily remove. While the resin was firm, but still waxy, and not fully hard, the screws were 'cracked' undone a bit one at a time, to break the intimate epoxy bond with the metal, then done up firm again until the resin was fully hard. Then the screws came out easily. If they wern't 'cracked' before hardening, some heads twisted off and the screw had to be dug out and the holes filled.

All bolt ends and screw ends protruding into the cabin / cockpit and buoyancy tank areas were cut as short as necessary, trimmed, rounded, or screwed into rounded wood blocks; or coated in a dob of silicon sealant, or epoxy filler, so that fingers can go absolutely everywhere inside without any fear of having skin torn or spiked. Including inside the buoyancy tanks. Knuckles, and backs of hands are safe everywhere. This is done so that in the event of an emergency, more bodily harm isn't done when groping about for equipment in the dark or if upside down.

Decks were bedded to the deck support frames by spreading a layer of thickened resin (with some filler powder), over the deck supports, then laying down mostly straightened cling wrap film on top, and screwing, clamping, and weighting the decks in place one at a time, then removing or cracking the screws before completely hard. Everything is trimmed and smoothed up after hard, with the cling wrap removed, and you have 100% deck support, and an easily airtight sealable buoyancy tank.

If taking a long time on a wood boat, save finishing the deck panels mounting until as late as possible. My pre-made perfect fit decking didn't quite fit everywhere perfectly when I went to use it later, since in the meantime the hull shape had changed a little bit. Screw holes and final deck trimming is best made as late as possible in a wood boat I think, so it fits the latest shapes.

The hull's waterline length was reduced only by about an inch at the bow, since mostly the angled bit above water was cut off, making the bow more vertical and losing Length Over All that way. About 8 1/2 inches were removed from the stern all together, being the transom slice of about 1 1/2" plus 7" of hull, deck, and keel section, and two saw cut thicknesses. It was hoped to keep the centreboard central relative to the waterline length, and cut off equally front and rear, but the bow would have been too blunt, and difficult to work bending it even more. As it is now, the centreboard is slightly rearward relative to the original bottom configuration, since the stern has been shortened, theoretically making it bow heavy in most winds. It doesn't tack easily, but gybes quickly.

With any mainsail and no jib it is definitely a weather cock, doesn't make way without difficulty, and will not tack at all, only gybes. On a reefed storm main and storm stay sail jib, it is well balanced, can tack given some speed, and makes way up wind gradually in 25 Kn winds with long tacks. With the full Heron mainsail and standard jib it is a bit tail heavy, but not difficult except in stronger winds - over 10 knots; with two standard jibs as a cutter rig, it is better balanced than with one, but still a little tail heavy with a full sized Heron mainsail, even in light wind.

The extra 20 mm of keel depth may give some negative assistance to not rounding up quickly to tack, not sure. The very short ~6mm extension of the keel rearward of the transom shows the difference between my measurements cut, and the reality of compound angles post cut. It wasn't doing any harm so I left it there to assist, and take wear. It can be trimmed if need be.

I used Aluminium. With correct spelling. Not Aluminum, or Alum.

SAILS (so far):
Standard Heron mainsail 1, old and still good, but rarely used, because I like my short custom masthead rig better, for stability.
Standard Heron mainsail 2, old and blown out but strong, and cut down in height to be used as a mast head mainsail, no battens, and with a shortened foot for the short boom, and to maintain visual aspect; used without the gaff; it can also be used reversed as a large genoa off the bowsprit in moderate winds.
Jib, old and paper thin and disintegrating, for light days only, used off the bowsprit. Probably will become patches, or used to make a wind vane, for self steering.
Jib, old and strong, was torn, so cut down in size severely, and used as a storm staysail in all weather; or used on the bowsprit, an excellent small sail.
jib, old and stained strong heavyweight, the wire was removed and the old fraying luff edge hemmed; reefing points 2/5ths the way up were made; it can be used reefed down as a storm mainsail trysail in the worst winds, or as a jib with no luff wire. The reefing points were placed just a little too high, giving too small an area when reefed. My bad.

A third blown out main was cut up to make 2 custom genoas: the top section with heron logo is reversed as an un-wired light wind genoa, still with the unused bolt rope; and also a wired luff strong wind genoa was made from the remainder.

Also a pristine set of Rolly Tasker Heron sails from 1964 made in Hong Kong, beautifully stiched, and too good to use. They stay inside well protected.

I have a standard full length Heron boom, and a shortened boom for the masthead mainsail rig, which allows clearance for the wind vane steering flag. Both booms are made of wood, and slotted for bolt ropes.

A strong flat medium weight genoa would help in good weather, of max sizes: Foot 1.6m; Luff 2.7m; Leech 2.4m lengths, sheet clew angle 90 degrees, to be able to be reversed as a spare mainsail, a well reinforced large eye in each corner, curved foot. It's on the wish list. A new standard Heron jib would be very useful too.

SAILING NOTES:
Hull changes and steering geometry have made the boat "twitchy", more so than a Heron; sailing straight ahead is no effort, but if left unattended, it will round up or bear away almost instantly, making the steering locks and wind vane steering a great help to be able to do other things. The rudders are now closer to the centreboard, helping to make it "twitchy".
Shorter waterline length means slower, and now more difficult to tack without speed, and more prone to need to gybe if going slow. Being small, gybing is usually no big drama, except for loss of distance, direction, and speed.
Sailing in fickle winds, tacking often in a narrow channel, against a fast running current, handling 2 jibs, going too slow to tack so gybing often, and sailing flat out but still going backwards, is tiresome; a single moderate sized genoa would be easier to use when tacking constantly. Or maybe a small boomed self tacking jib, mostly hands free; I'm always thinking about it.

Using a modified jib reversed as a mast head mainsail, and using a single jib at the bow, is very stable and controllable in blustery conditions.
Using the masthead mainsail reversed as a jib / genoa in light conditions is useless, it doesn't point, and is hard to work; but it works and drives very well in moderate winds.
Using a jib bowsprit sail, a jib staysail, and a jib reversed as a mainsail, it is very stable and manageable in a stiff breeze, and in a backwinding changeable wind. Makes way well enough at all points possible, but is not fast.
The storm mainsail trysail (a reversed jib) when reefed down in strong winds, doesn't drive the boat foreward without some foreward jib (eg. storm jib) for power balance, then it works well; otherwise the sail and boat becomes a weather cock, and will not point at all, with no jib.
The reefed storm main is no good when used reversed as a reefed jib either, it is shapeless, and the sheets pull it out of shape even more. I had to try it though.
An un-modified jib doesn't work well as a substitute mainsail upright, as the then leech is too long, making the sail too baggy to work, and the boom hangs down uselessly in the boat or in the water.
An un-modified jib does work OK as a substitute mainsail if set lying down, with the jib's head rolled or bunched up, and tied at the end of the boom. Not great, but safely functional, and very stable in very high winds, with the extremely low aspect.

The Outboard engine mounting bracket was initially annoying, but I got used to it, and used it for another purpose, self steering. It may hold a motor one day, but I'm in no hurry to pay rego. fees now.
The windvane steering doesn't work well in heavy seas, as the waves force the rudder and wind vane too easily; and steady winds are best.
The tillers are a bit short foreward, and require some force sometimes, especially if the blades are lifted up a bit. Not much room to do anything about it, they already are often in the way; unless the rudder pins were set further back on transom frames, to extend the tillers for better leverage. I made a short wooden tiller extension from a Merbau wood offcut, but haven't had cause to use it yet, except when trying out a single central rudder one time, - not as good as two rudders, but useful.

Best speed so far is 7.4 knots by GPS, surfing down a wave off Outer Harbour when returning from the 'Black Pole'; usually travels at 3-4 knots in light to fair winds; 5-6 knots working it hard single handed in strong wind, and while not being/having a heavy counterweight to fully stand it up.
Winds 20 Km/hr or more, it is best to use the storm mainsail (reversed jib), with two foreward jibs. The full sized gaffed main is too tail heavy in anything but light winds, well under 15 knots.
In over 20 knots wind, the cabin is a liability and great hindrance to making way, and must be stowed, unless going down wind.
30 Knots (55 Km/hr) winds with only a storm jib and the full un-reefed storm mainsail, is mostly under control, but overpowered, not fun, and no rest.
30 Knots (55 Km/hr) winds with the storm jib and the reefed storm mainsail, is mostly under control, can still make headway against the wind with long tacks, but side slip is great with the low aspect rig and relatively high hull sides; it doesn't point, usually needs to gybe, and still not fun.
More sails will be tried sooner or later, eg. tall thin blade types; and more trials when the bermudan mast is on.

Loaded for day sailing, (all day = almost everything, but no kitchen sink, no bulk food and water, or camping gear), there is enough weight to plough through any sized chop steadily without getting knocked back; and buoyant enough to ride safely over 1 metre swell, with 1 metre almost breaking seas on top, in 25 Knot winds. I feel very safe in all conditions so far with the right sails up, and only rarely have had a panic sheet release - blown down and water over the side episode, usually when a gust catches me unprepared while I'm doing something else.
On each side on the inside, the emergency equipment is stored at the chines, just forward of the beam, spreading weight across the floor/bottom; Anchors and ropes ~ 10+Kg to Stbd, and grab bag ~ 10+Kg to Port. Water and other heavy items are also retained each side equally balanced, and as low as possible, held with cargo barriers. The small sails and bottom mass at the sides gives relief from sudden gusts flattening it in an instant, a bit of weight resists even with no centreboard down, and it all has to be given momentum and lifted up high first.
One more recent episode, with too much sail up, saw about 150 litres or more come aboard at the beam as she heeled badly several times in succession in gusts. Luckily I was in an inshore channel and sailed to shallows to be grounded, then bucket and pump most of it out. It sailed just like a heron does when full of water. Like a bath tub.

SAFETY:
The hull bottom is painted yellow to see it easily if upside down. Would like to use reflective road paint, or reflective stickers if they stuck permanently. Pink is easily seen by searchers, and uncommonly seen in a seaway, so stands out in a search light. The built in buoyancy tanks should slow the sinking. With the solid wood mast lowered it should at least stay near the surface.
A paddle is always carried, and in forecast or suspected light winds oars are carried also, and usually carried anyway.
A ground anchor, and sea anchor are both carried for deep water (to ~50 ft deep), both already attached to the bow for immediate use; and a screw in anchor pin is carried for beaching security.
The bowsprit foresails and staysails can be taken in or changed easily from the cockpit, with the cabin down.
The mast can be raised and lowered from the cockpit, for bridges, and if things get really bad in open water.
A spare rudder is carried, and used concurrently. The steering locks, and wind vane self steering allows some freedom to furtively do little jobs while underway, to keep things in order.
A grab line several metres long with an end loop and float is often trailed out the back, in case I fall in.
Two 'life jackets' are worn personally: a new date compliant, compact inflatable harness type on top, and an old fashioned reliable closed cell foam one underneath, which will always work regardless of its manufacture date. I have 55 year old life jackets which are still all OK.
A manual bilge pump, two buckets, two bailing scoops, and a large sponge are carried.
A safety grab bag contains hand held flares, orange smoke, a rocket parachute red flare, wet weather gear, wind proof matches, compass, a pocket AM radio, two silver plastic survival blankets, gaffer tape, hand tools with lanyards, a selection of nuts, bolts, screws, washers, small metal plates with holes for screws, shackles, short lengths of cordage and wire, kneadable 2 part epoxy resin putty for holes, short piece of wax candle for lube, small can opener, and more small handy stuff I can't remember.
Food snack bars, 2 separate water containers, and sunscreen is always brought on board. A hat and sunglasses, and sailing gloves are usually also taken. And long socks to avoid sunburnt feet.
A very basic first aid kit contains old components from my other medical kits; old since it will all have to be replaced if / when it gets soaked; it includes bandaids, headache tablets, bandage and adhesive, couple of sugar lollies, cigarette lighter, blade, string, rubber bands, and many other possibly useful small, inexpensive items.
Communication is taken - mobile phone. If going several Km off shore or up the coast, a marine radio will also be taken.
A magnetic compass, and a GPS is taken.
When I get serious and go cruising/camping, an EPIRB will be purchased.

CONCLUSION:
After I had already started the project, and made hull cuts, I found out that the boat registration rules here in S.A. had changed, and a standard heron now fitted into a cheaper rego bracket. Oh ! Too late. I didn't do my research. I was already committed to 10' long, Oh well.

I love it even though it is small, complicated, demanding, impractical, and slow; but it's ready for almost anything, like a tough old 4X4 ute that you're not too scared to scratch the paint.
I can carefully sail and make way in up to 30 knots of wind with 2 small storm sails, and confidently sail in around 20 knots with 3 sails. I want to push it harder, and try 35 knots, but I don't want unnecessary emergency call outs. The hull's height and windage area, and the small sails needed for control, make it's aspect ratio unlikely to be useful or safe in a gale.
I'm glad I did it, just for remembering old skills and learning new skills, and for the arty crafty creative aspect of dreaming, drawing, manufacture, modification, and making my ideas work in reality.

I wouldn't use a bowsprit bow again on a small boat, because you can't easily and safely nose up to a pole or jetty or other boat to tie off or moor, especially in any waves, or even in small chop. On the trailer it knocks your hat off, and worse.
Cutter rigs are very good, and not that difficult single handed once you have an efficient tacking / gybing routine worked out. A place for everything, and everything in its place helps greatly, with places assigned to each sheet tail end, so you always grab the right one, without tangles. Well, less tangles anyway.

A 10' long boat is good if you like being alone, because there is precious little room for happy passengers. Overweight (now normalised), people just don't fit inside. A child would be cramped.
In any sort of variable wind, small chop, seas, or swell, or other boats distantly passing and making a wake, being 10' long and with no deep or heavy keel there is no stillness or rest, to be able to urinate, or do anything else requiring steadiness, unless going down wind quietly, with no waves or gusts. Get a bigger, longer, or deeper keel boat for comfort and ease on long trips.
Don't make a relatively slow boat even slower, unless it is somehow better in other ways.
Old parts can break often, even after you have 'brought them back to life'; sometimes it's better, less work, or cheaper to bin worn out original parts and get new modern replacements.
I used good old stainless steel parts wherever possible, instead of light weight aluminium alloy parts. When aluminium bends it is already compromised, but stainless steel can be bent, snapped, hammered, welded, ground, re-welded and still be relied on. In a pinch it can be welded to function equally well with mild steel welding rods in someone's shed, to keep going, and sorted out later; try that with your expensive aluminium alloy parts.

I did make a slight error of judgement in not recognising that the "Around In 10' " race boats were 10 feet long, yes, but about 1 tonne or more displacement fully loaded, mostly steel hulls with fixed keels, packed to the eyeballs with supplies, and with barely enough room to lie down. I imagine they would be like a rolling pitching yawing sit up coffin when sealed up inside one in wet weather and high seas, surrounded by supplies and equipment. Claustrophobic, humid from breathing with hatches closed in bad weather, and wet if very cold and condensing water vapour on cold surfaces. Good discomfort, and isolation training for submariners maybe. A steel Heron hull with water filled centreboard / keel ? Maybe if I was rich.

Many people have commented on how good it looks on the water, or at the dock, and there must be dozens of photos of it out there somewhere, it seems to attract photography. It actually looks better than how I ever imagined it would. Too bad it doesn't go faster though.

I still would like:
electric outboard motor, new EPIRB, new range of sails, new 4 / outboard engine, wind generator, solar panel and gell cell, GPS tiller auto-pilot, hand held VHF / HF marine radio, mast top radar reflector, new navigation lights, and so on . . ., and a bigger boat to hold it all !
I think 14 feet long would be more comfortable for space, but still not too heavy, maybe. My Hartley TS 16 loaded for camping was a bit too heavy for a small man to drag to deeper water when the tide dropped a bit.

The Bermudan mast and cat sail are still waiting for my attention, and time and money.

So far ERO has cost me all up about $5500 AUS. as of June 2021, including trailer, using many free parts from my collections, without man hours even considered. Hundreds of casual man hours spent over nearly 3 years, in no hurry, messing about in boats, beer in hand.
Small jobs continue, and small expenses are ongoing, system normal, business as usual for any boat.

Now I like the look of and space of a Jarcat trailer sailer; not yet seen here in southern waters, but has potential down here I think. Can they handle ocean swell with crossing seas on top, without twisting apart ?
A Wayfarer, Wanderer, or Miracle appeals also.

I'd really like a 40 or 50 footer, with an all female crew, with ERO on a small slipway at the stern, ready to jettison and go exploring the shallows and creeks, or the shore. Of course I'm dreaming again, broken cheap 50 footers are way too expensive to fix up.

I took a long time to build the boat, and a long time to file my report here.
The build timeline is a bit mixed up, don't nit pick.
I don't come to this site often, so don't expect quick replies to any questions, but feel free to talk amongst yourselves. I'll look when able, - busy.


"Your wife called and said "It's OK !"."
A sign seen on a local boating store. Made me laugh.

 

Nice!

 

cramped in the heron with a child? there was someone just up from my sailing club who used to sail his Heron with his dog on board...




A St Bernard!!! sat bolt upright in the middle!