Deadeye

Remember when I told you that Paul Miller offered to make some deadeyes for Saga?

The man is good as his word.










These lovely carvings have a way to go before they become rigging, but I had to show them off. They are turned from some Black Locust wood Paul had left over from making his own deadeyes.





As you can see, each piece is essentially a triple block. The whole assembly provides a three-to-one tackle for setting shroud tension. One block has a half-round groove 3/8" wide and is spliced directly to the shroud wire, which is typically wormed, parceled and served.*








The blocks work in pairs, with the other end strapped to a chainplate. This second block has a groove cut in it's circumference 5/8" wide and will require a custom made bronze strap.






It may be awhile before Saga's deadeyes look as bristol as those on Paul's Friendship.

First, the finish. Paul applied one coat of Cetol, his favorite, to my new deadeyes.





Hervey Garret Smith has been known to say, "Deadeyes and lanyards are seen but seldom nowadays, having been supplanted by the more easily obtained turnbuckles. Deadeyes have long since disappeared from the marine hardware catalogs and are obtainable only on special order, if at all. Yachtsmen wishing to convert to the old fashioned rig will probably make their own..."

* From the DoryMan Glossary:
Worm, Parcel and Serve – To protect a section of rope or wire from chafing by laying yarns (worming) to fill in the cuntlines, wrapping canvas along the length (parceling) and seizing marline or other small stuff around it (serving).
.

Odds 'n Ends

Organizing winter projects.....



This is how the deadeyes will look when set up on the shrouds of Saga. The top set are turned and seized with tarred marlin, which took a long time and was very hard on the hands. If you want to see how this was done, check With Needle and Palm.
I'm still working on the straps that will attach the bottom set to the chainplates.

This is more than an exercise in anachronism. A simple block and tackle is a worthy replacement for today's turnbuckle. The turnbuckle costs a lot more, yet is no more effective.
No matter how your boat is fitted, you might find this method useful one day.








Lofting for the Doryman Melonseed has begun. It's cold on the back porch! I noticed today that sometime around the solstice, the setting sun will shine directly down the middle longitude of this room.
(How do you like my new wool hat?)






In the corner is a secondhand miniature barrel stove, once used in a teepee. It burns very small dimensional wood, which is perfect for shop scraps. I'll have it hooked up and working in a couple days. Don't expect much from this little heater, but it will keep the teapot warm.

Preparation for the Sucia Rendezvous

Not much going on around here that has any romantic appeal. The Doryman boatyard is currently occupied by a ClipperCraft dory and a Bartender dory.

The ClipperCraft has a four cylinder Volvo engine that can power a two ton craft to speeds of 40 mph. The Bartender utilizes a 40 hp outboard to exceed speeds of 30 mph.

The modern offshore fisherman will rationalize the use of a vehicle that gets 5 miles per gallon by explaining that they need to get farther and farther offshore to fish.  

It costs over $200, American currency, to go out 50 miles and back in one day, so even if you catch your limit, the fish will cost far more than market value.
So what is the point to such extravagance?

I have no answer.

 Scraping and sanding. Will it ever end?







The redeeming  task of the day is preparation for a sail and oar trip in July. While I had hoped for completion of the Stone Horse project for this trip, that was not to be. Instead, the capable faering, Saga will once again traverse the waters of the northern Salish Sea. To that end, she has been completely repainted and outfitted as though she might commence a circumnavigation.

I have confidence in this little boat, the only reservation being that she is completely open. Sometimes the question is whether the skipper can take as much as the boat..



This year, Saga will sport a jib.

Recently, a reader found exception to the gear on Saga. The complaint was that the design by William Atkin did not call for deadeyes on the shrouds and that such an extravagance was nothing but fluff. Mr. Atkin was adamant that his designs should not be altered, but if there were one perfect design, there would be only one boat.

We've cut down an old sail to fit the worthy faering as a storm jib. I have only a theoretical idea how this might affect performance.

We will see, won't we?









Here's a link for the Small Boat Rendezvous, which will be on the first full weekend in July this year.

Chevalet de Marqueterie

Last summer, when I was sailing in Canadian waters, I had the good fortune to meet Paul Miller of Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, BC.





Paul is a retired shipwright. He's built a lot of boats.


For his retirement he built a Friendship Sloop by Jay Benford. It's cold-molded and the inside layer is laid-up to look as though it's carvel-planked. Friendship has all traditional hardware, rigging and furnishings, but a modern underwater design, so she's fast and nimble.
Paul says that he named her Friendship because that's what she's for - making friends.



I was fortunate to spend a quiet afternoon sailing with Paul. He really wanted the wind to pick up and put his boat through it's paces. But I think a boats true nature shows best in very light air. A well tuned boat sails well in a whisper of a breeze. Friendship is indeed, well tuned.

Having said that, here is a quick video of Paul single-handing Friendship on Cowichan Bay, in twenty knots of wind.

Paul is no slacker!



















As we sailed, he told me of his current passion for marquetry. I knew very little about this old art but Paul has taught me a great deal. He designed and built his own marquetry horse, of which he is understandably proud.












The marquetry donkey or marquetry horse was known in 18th century France as Chevalet de Marqueterie.

A Chevalet de Marqueterie is a frame which supports a horizontal scrollsaw. The saw can be moved in three directions (up / down, left / right and forward / backward). There is an integrated seat for the marquetarian, who's feet control a pedal that opens and closes a vise jaw holding a packet of wood veneers.

The left hand moves the packet of veneers and the right hand operates the saw. The saw frame moves on a horizontal plane and is supported on a carriage attached to the arm. Most importantly the saw blade is perfectly perpendicular to the packet of veneers, thus all pieces cut from the packet are identical. The cutting hand is in front of the packet which is held in position by the foot operated vise, leaving the other hand free to guide the work. The result is accurate to fractions of a millimeter.
How steady is your hand?





By varying the woods used for the veneers, the marquetarian can make several identical images, each with unique color and grain compositions, all from the same packet.










Paul has been prolific in design and execution and wrote to me a few days ago to say he has a new website displaying his marquetry, inlay and cabinetry - prm designs. If you see something there you like, please contact Paul and tell him so.





This is a man who knows how to spend his retirement! His work can also be seen here.















And yet, there's more! Paul offered to make up some deadeyes for Saga, out of some Black Locust left over from the construction of Friendship.




Now, that's a friend for you!











Thank you, Paul.

Deadeyes Installed

Upgrading to deadeye purchase blocks on your shrouds carries no guarantee of improved performance. But on the scale of "how cool is that?", the ranking is very high.



The Doryman Valgerda, Saga, is a very cool boat.







Thanks go out to Paul Miller who suggested this upgrade and made a substantial effort to make it happen.




If you ever wonder how much exertion it takes to post a simple missive such as this - consider that this small project has been actively on the burner for over four months. I could give you all the details but who, honestly, wants to know?

Never a dull moment...

Sucia Rendezvous, Countdown

I won't bore you with details about itinerary or course because I haven't a clue. But a cruise of any kind requires much the same preparation.

Is the boat seaworthy? Saga has been completely re-caulked and painted. She's a boat of a certain age who holds her years well.

Last season suggested some changes and the first is, lighten your load. I'll be on the water approximately two weeks, no need to take two months worth of food, as happened last year. Perhaps the extra provisions were simply wishful thinking.
Because the truth is, I could spend the rest of my life living from anchorage to anchorage. Two weeks is just not enough.

This year Saga will sport a jib. The theoretical implications might be endless, though I am willing to just see what happens. Though a designer by training, I prefer to learn by educated trial, with intuition as the impetus. There is an element of art in boat building which beguiles the scientific and mathematical.

You might also know that I support recycling and repurposing. There was this old wood box full of junk in the shed that once belonged to a shipwright from the steel yards after the last world war. He was a simple old man who lived close to the earth and saved everything. When he passed, imagine the cornucopia of hardware he left behind. This box probably has a history beyond my years. Never, in  the thirty years I've had it has the old wood box had a lid, but now it does. (made from leftover scrap).

The green bag holds the head.

 As the more astute will note, the top of the box is the perfect size for my old Salish Sea cruising atlas, which predates the Salish Sea by more than twenty years (1980). New technology has it's place, but much of the datum on these charts is close to a hundred years old, so a chart from 1980 is just as helpful as your newest GPS. Please note that the lid is reversible and upside-down it will make a fine dining tray (the mess kit is inside)..






Next to the old/new box is 200 feet of new anchor rode on the spare, collapsible anchor. I had to use this backup anchor last year and the old rode was simply unacceptable.

To the rear of the cockpit is Saga's new sign board. Beautifully done by Brandon Ford.

You've all heard about the new deadeyes. This photo is included here because it's incredible.

The cockpit tent we threw together last year was a failure. It leaked. This time there will be a new tent. Possibly a bit of over-kill, this new design is made from 10oz. vinyl coated nylon. The material must have been weighed before coating, because it's heavy as a truck tarp. A 20# (total weight) tarp is much more than enough. At any rate, it's not done yet but I'll post a picture as soon as it is.




Only a few days left until Sucia Island Rendezvous 2012. It's going to be great.