Well here we are May 18, 2020, and of course you all know what has been going on for the last two months, panic and fear over the dreaded corona virus #19. It really amazes me how the liberal politicians and media along with establishment organizations like CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO?) have been able to through this almost entire country into chaos over the flu. And just when did they make this W.H.O. and just what is their mandate and just who is watching over them? Obviously they are not watching very closely if we've been put through all these shenanigins over another seasonal flu. You know don't you, the ALL flues are a corona virus!
Oh well, you're not here to get educated on flues and government agencies, so let's get to what's been going on in the boat world. My boat world that is. When all the hubub broke out and they started yelling that anyone over 65 was going to get this thing and die, of course my sweet wife was concerned that I might be at elevated risk. I am as it is 68 now and I don't want her to be worried so I was obedient and stopped working back in March. So in the meantime I've spent many hours watching Off Center Harbor and Geoff Kerr building a Caledonia yawl, step by step (over and over). I don't mean to hide that I quite like it very much and Geoff Kerr makes it look so easy. So much so that I ordered a set of plans from Iain Oughtred for a Tirrik. Which would be about the comparable model to a Navigator. At 15'10" OAL and 5'4" beam with a balanced lug main of 97sqft and a sprit boomed mizzen of 17sqft, both boats are equal sail area wise. Only one transomed and the other double ended. One partially decked and the other open or partially decked, they seem pretty much the same. Both claim to sail well in light air as well in heavy air. Both well known for their seakeeping ability and their design pedigree, ancestry and plethora of examples to back it all up.
So what to do? Abandon the one started for the one not? Well it comes down to interchangeability of parts. I know you are saying "What???" I had started a Family Skiff by Jim Michalak simply because I thought it would be a simpler build and less expensive and I could be sailing sooner. Silly me that I would think such a thing, really?? Well I was thinking of the cost of premium plywood which at this time is sort of out of my realm, and I had started the Navigator with the quote from John Welsford resembling something like " the less money you spend building you boat, the more you will enjoy it" . So the Navigator build was started with regular lumber yard (read "big box store") BCX plywood sanded both sides. But in a fit of frustration over the constant bending due to the humidity I thru in the towel and thru up my hands and said, "Enough! I can't deal with this any longer!". Enter the Family Skiff which I have had plans for from awhile ago.
Picking up my copy of Roger Barnes book "The Dinghy Cruising Companion", he mentions the Navigator as one of seven or so boats well suited to dinghy cruising. Lo and behold what's that rolled up and standing in the corner of the room next to the lamp table? Could it be, is it, yes it is, my set of Navigator plans. This obviously must be some kind of sign or divine direction, ya think? So the plan is to restart the Navigator but using the premium ply for the hull planking and bottom to start with but using the frames and such already built. Oh yeah the interchangeability part, I had already ordered the sail for Family Skiff and, you guessed it, it's the same 97sqft and only off in shape by a few inches in one or two places. So pretty much the same sail with pretty much the same center of area location as the Navigator. Should work ok.
So no pictures today and it may be a while before assembly can start, we'll see how it goes.
Until next time
Geoff
