Since 1978 I have been fortunate to sail wooden boats. In 2006 I set out to find a Drascombe Longboat Cruiser for single-handed expedition sailing. This is the continuing story of how it came to be, our adventures, notes on the maritime world and other things I don't want to forget...


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Down by the Reservoir

Earlier this summer we walked through the trees along the Ashokan Reservoir, on a cool,  sunny day in the Catskills. We came upon scores of flipped-over johnboats cabled to trees along the shore. The environment had left its marks. Something in me thought to scrape and paint... my other self wished that I could create something half as good.






Sunday, August 18, 2013

Annie... down below

Friday was a beautiful day and I had it off. I've seemed to have become a handyman for several clients. It affords me a lot of independence such as painting and sailing, and I appreciate that. 

It would have been swell sailing day but opted to deep clean. I have had requests from online friends to describe the interior of Annie, a one-off Drascombe. So as I swabbed, I got these snaps...

You are looking aft, starboard side. The door is storage
under the bridge deck and the centerplate trunk is on the right.
I had just replaced the teak floor boards. The wheel is take-up for the
 centerplate line that leads out to the cockpit. 


I made a padded filler to span the well


This makes a level sleeping area



Storage netting extends around both sides with a
heavy bungee threaded through the top


Since I am rather thin I use a 2 1/2"
self inflatable mattress


Here is the berth made up. It is out of the way with the
 companionway on the port side.



Looking forward there are two compartments with heavy gear:  extra claw anchor
water and tools



With hatches replaced



Originally the centerplate trunk extended
forward. Since the stainless plate did not fill the entire well
I was able to make a substantial cut-out that afforded
more room to move about below


Brass door "button"


Small forepeak area beyond the forward bulkhead






Small ventilation hatch



Shelf for books, charts and registration papers with leather 'lee cloth'



Aft cabin coaming basket storage for quick grabs



Centerplate well cover with removable fiddles




Looking aft, port side. The companionway is above and the gusher pump
plumbing can be seen inside the bridge deck storage.


Cleaning the cockpit bilge

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Digging through Photos



Found a picture Ellie took a few years back of me with our sailing friends Leonard and Graham. We had gone up to Belfast, Maine from Camden to check out Buzzard Bay 30s that were being restored at the French & Webb Boatyard. We couldn't pass up a shot with a smart lookin' Triumph.