dear followers of Ducktape Engineering, I hate to admit it: I just managed to stupidly loose the old look of the Miniflower and kayak projects by going ‘blog’. The data are still somewhere in cyberspace – I hope I can reconstruct an access to them. Until then, stay tuned. This is the beginning of a new project. Tada.
So we bought a new iMac as the old warhorse eMac reached its capacity limits. All pictures are transferred (>4000) and now I have to rearrange the albums to get some structure back in. Obviously, I did not get it.
It’s been a quiet couple of weeks in Tierrasanta. The Miniflower project has reached maturity – all that remains is the article for Wooden Boat. But that is not really fun.
Fun is to get started on a new project. And somebody said writing a blog with Worldpress is a piece of cake. Well, so far I wonder.
Here is a book that I managed to get from Germany after doing some basic internet research. The backdrop is good old lines drafting, ducks and splines on our grand piano that has been turned into a drafting table. How is this for the complainers about photo sizes? The pictures are clickable in case they are larger than the display window.
Anyways, since mid November I had started taking some notes and built a scrapbook of thoughts. Again, this phase is probably the most fun. Energy flows well up to midnight.
So here are some objectives:
- The vessel shall be trailerable on US roads (8′ max width) by my trusted old F150.
- Easy to set up the rig and strike down.
- Have a cabin at least for 2 people. With a stove and other basic.
- Have a tent for many friends
- Minimum deadweight but must sail well. So probably a water ballast scheme.
- No metal or minimal usage
- Must be seaworthy (coastal and light offshore navigation, like the Channel Islands and possibly Guadaloupe Island, off Baja, just at the upper edge of the blog theme cover)
- Beautiful. Did I mention beautiful? Yes, clear wood, white/red sail.
- Be a challenge as to building technology.
So If I do the math right, a scale factor of 47% will create the 8′ width about right, length over all is 36′, 3′ height at midships (the stems more than twice that). A formidable size for our backyard. An amphibious assault vessel of yore, built with epoxy and a few other tricks.
Anyways, enough damage done for a day. Stay curious my friends.
I will stay curious ….:)