Monday, May 23, 2011

Goldberry

This spring has been oh so wet and chilly. There have been very few days without any rain. Finally, this past weekend, Saturday was entirely dry. Yeah!

Light and variable winds are not exactly the preferred mode for this sailor but who is complaining?! It was such a pretty day!


Garth was ready to launch  Goldberry with her new rig. It proved to be a wonderful opportunity to get some excellent shots of the boat that inspired the creation of C-Lute. You might say that Goldberry was C-Lute's Godmother. So there, two tan-bark luggers lounging in Watts Bay! What a lovely sight!


Goldberry's new Lug sail and Mizzen were custom-made by Washington, PA-based Tom Bell, a highly-skilled and experienced sail-maker.


A number of years ago, Bell Sails made a beautiful miter-cut cruising chute for my SJ-21. Tom Bell also made C-Lute's  sleeve for the sail, boom and yard.

With three sets of reef-points, Garth will be able to take Goldberry out in hair-raising conditions...


... and though I love heavy air, one thing is certain, when he does tuck in that third reef, my lil C-Lute will not be allowed to go out to play.

Goldberry is a Iain Oughtred-designed, high-class displacement vessel, a "Ness Yawl" - which means business, y'all.



Let's say that she'll handle a blow and take on some serious seas.

One of the first outings - before the leaves emerged

By comparison, the Passagemaker Dinghy seems more like a toy. Of course, that would not be fair at all.  The PMD was designed for an entirely different purpose.  

Goldberry and C-Lute both are wooden boats that have tan-bark lug sails and - each in their own way - have a rather old-fashioned, salty look. But that is where the similarity ends.

Goldberry is a classic boat made by a master craftsman.  

C-Lute is a first-timers attempt at wood-work.

Ghosting along - ready for some serious air!
The fact that it turned out looking rather nice gives credit to John Harris and CLC for creating a wonderful kit that can be built by anyone able to read and follow the instructions.

In light air, the PMD does surprisingly well. As light as she is, it takes only a wisp of  zephyr to get her going.

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