A Pacific Troller for Tassie - A Winter for Summer Project

What do you do when its too cold for epoxy without heating the shed - and you can't heat the leaky shed enough?

You get a set of plans and start marking out and cutting wood ( or ply in this case)

The idea was that when the weather warms up you start building ...well that was the idea.

So began my Paul Butler Pacific Troller Dory - a double ender in the US Peapod tradition which should make a useful addition to the "fleet"

>>Click here to read up on the progress<<

Coronavirus Project: a Cat Dinghy

Trapped by circumstance - the 14 day isolation on entry to Tasmania was changed on the weekend of our sailing, from "Home" to "at the Governors pleasure" (a motel room with Rocco off to the RSPCA) ; I elected to stay in NSW until the isolation requirements relaxed. (which they have since done). (Jan 2021)

The consequence was I wanted a project which wasn't house maintenance, and after acquiring some Bunnings grade marine ply, I set to.

The project is a catamaran dinghy, which I hope will allow me to access the trailer sailor when needed and provide a stable platform for Rocco to ease into the idea of being a sea dog.

The designer is Mark Gumprecht, the dinghy is the Li'l Nip and the plans are available from Duckworks. (Note: the plans are now "free")

Its was to be a rough and ready project as I acquired and refine the skills ""on the job"

I'll document my progress over on the CatDink's own page so >>click here<< to go there!

Mark demonstrating the Lil Nip's capabilities

Project Sea kayak updated

I've updated the project report over on its special page. 

Its not a build log as there are too many gaps in step and detail, however I'm feeling better about getting back to it and pushing on for a finish and launch!

Kettering Wooden Boat Rally Feb 2014

Long weekend 8th, 9th & 10th February 2014

Julian's Joy

Saturday:

I arrived at the Kettering Yacht Club just on time. Just in time to start bailing :-)

While the rest of the Kettering Crew headed off to Peppermint Bay for lunch and to meet the "(mini) Tawe Nunnugah 2014" crew at the pub Graeme and I set to bailing the piners punt. Alas the timbers had not had time to take up and we set to for at least an hour of character building bailing interspersed with helpful comments from passers by. 

Peppermint Bay wooden boaters!

We eventually came to the realisation that our efforts and the inflow were about matched and we wisely downed bailers and set forth to Pepermint Bay by car leaving the punt and its timbers to continue their work while we went about ours. (just call us would be punters)

We arrived at Peppermint Bay and were eventually joined by all the sea travelers. There was a bit of a headwind so kayakers like Judy had extra work, nevertheless we were all able to climb the steps to the pub and feast, discuss sails and sailing and perhaps tell tall tales. (if we didn't we should have!)

The Terra Linna paid us a visit, but they turned about off the pier and headed home; we did but see them sailing by....

Terra Linna sailing by..

Then it was back to Kettering by various means.

What can I say - salt sea air, fine friends and wooden boats - is there a better life?

Pining Piners Punt

Hobart 2013 - Tall Ships

Snapshots from the Tawe Nunnugah 2013

My phone isn't much of a camera - but its not a bad phone :-)

Nevertheless, here's a few snaps from the raid.

Peeking through the scrub at Cockle Creek

Campground staff at Cockle Creek - they mow the grass

The Capricornia at Cockle Creek

Capricornia in profile

View from my tent at Cockle Creek

Tinderbox and Imagine at Cockle Creek

Imagine

Tinderbox

Cockle Creek view from the bridge

View upstream of  Cockle Creek from the bridge

Cockle Creek view of one of the fleet

 

Campsite at Mickey's Bay (Bruny Island)

Paradise -  a short walk from Mickey's

 

One of the locals on the walk to the Lagoon

The lagoon looked well worth exploring.

A reward for the walk!!

You could do some useful contemplation here!

 

Off Bakers Beach

 

Part of the fleet at Bakers

 

Derwents at rest - Dover

Dover - evening

Dover - morning

Libor observes his charges

The Yukon

Yukon at Cygnet

Racing at Cygnet!

Mooring at Allona

Allona has a challenging entrance if the wind is up.

Off to Hobart - the fleet assembles

A great view from Capricornia

approaching more of the parade

Tall ships aplenty

 

Sarah admires the tall ship while Denise checks our sail.

Julian and Joy, Glyn and Nord

Rafting up

Dubious portly character observed on the docks

The gangs all here - mostly

Theona

I liked this - and almost every other wooden marvel scattered and moored about!

Thali at Annapurna - most excellent!

Tawe Nunnugah 2013

In late January 2013 I joined a fantastic group of people to take part in the Tawe Nunnugah, a raid of 197 kms over 9 days, from Cockle Creek in Recherche Bay to Hobart in time for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival.

It was an experience of a lifetime not just because we travelled through one of my favourite parts of Tasmania, but because of the way we travelled, the boats, the places we saw and stayed at and above all the people we travelled with.

There are better descriptions on the official Tawe Nunnugah 2013 website - take a look here!

My boat wasn't ready so I was very happy to be invited as crew. This ended up being on the Capricornia a 31 foot whaleboat, owned and loaned by Piet Lunstedt. The crew varied a bit initially* but by the time we sailed into Hobart we were Sarah, Denise, Colin, Rick, Graeme and Gary. Denise was our skipper & had us tacking, reefing and sailing like a well oiled machine ( OK maybe not that well - but pretty well!).

The Capricornia on a broad reach to Allonah - before the wind got up :-) 
Thanks for the photo Col!

Some of the Capricornia crew at the Yukon's "Cocktail Party" at Cygnet (L to R - Gary, Rick, Denise, Col and Graeme - Photo by Graeme)

 After the official ceremonies, the Capricornia Crew sang a shanty to the rest of our fellow raiders. Hopefully the ireverent phrases captured the spirit of the Capricornia & how we felt about our (loaned but well loved) boat and the whole Tawe Nunnugah experience. (see below) 

The Song Of the Capricornia

 

*Over the Raid Capricornia's crew included The Laidlaws - Peter, Nicka, Euwen and Billie, Rick, Will, Gary, Aaron, Eva, Piet Lunstedt, Meg, Denise, Furgus, Chris, Sarah, Col and Graeme. (Note: two of the crew listed are the dogs Billie and Meg - both noted and experienced seadogs who set a fine example to the humans).

Thanks again to all the participants be they fellow raiders, organisers and hard working ground crew, safety boaters and the inimitable cooks Bob & Jamie - not to mention their dreaded "Crying Tiger". None to be forgotten!