Finally, it's happened. The boat is on the water. Boats must be the most elegant of man's creations, and this did not disappoint. Despite its classic lines and old-fashioned, tan-coloured standing lug mainsail and little mizzen, its construction used fairly modern technology.
It's 14ft 8in, and really light for its size and style. I built it in the shed at a leisurely pace over more years than I care to admit, using a stock design from Murray Isles in Hobart. Didn't file my receipts so I can't say what it cost.
Planks were cut from lightweight plywood sheets and glued together with West System epoxy resin, then sheathed with Dynel fabric and more epoxy resin, in a standard clinker plywood construction. It's easier than it looks, but I did have to leave the job for weeks and sometimes months at a time because of allergic reactions to the resin hardener.
Isn't she pretty?
Although the breezes were too light to really try it out on the launch day, it does sail sweetly, and just about everything worked as it should.
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