Ready to Let Her Go - SOLD

C-Lute has been SOLD!

With a tear in my eye I am ready to let my Passagemaker Dinghy go. Besides the PMD, I have built three kayaks (a Night Heron Hybrid, a Shearwater Sport Hybrid and a fully stripped Petrel). Now I am contemplating my next build, another sailboat - another lap-strake hull.

Alas, in order to build my next boat, I am forced to make some room in my residential boat yard and thus I have decided to make C-Lute available for sale. This dinghy has everything your heart desires and she is in tip-top shape. She can move on a wisp of air yet can take 15 - 20 knots without a problem.

Included are the following:

• One Passagemaker Dinghy (painted in Hatteras White lower strakes and bright upper strake)
• The bright work is protected by interlux schooner varnish - with top coats of satin varnish
• 2 stations of bronze oar locks
• 8' spoon blade oars
• stitched on leather on oars, boom and yard
• Tan-bark Lug Sail (upgrade) with reef points
• sail and spar bag
• hi-end Ronstan Carbon Blocks on down-haul
• hi-end Ronstan Carbon Blocks and cam cleat on mainsheet
• Mahogany carved tiller extension
• Trailex trailer with special bow fitting for pram
• Spare tire 
• "travel kit" a customized setup which allows you to trailer mast, spars, oars and dagger board safely and securely

Asking $3,500 (essentially a little less than the direct material costs)

Boat located in Pittsburgh, PA
If interested, communicate via email cmharlan@ruach.net

So, how - you may ask - can you stand it... letting go of my baby? My answer: that's how any builder of fine musical instruments must feel... and yet - there is comfort in letting someone else enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Here are some current pictures:

A Sunny Fall Outing

As winter is upon us and flurries fill Pennsylvania skies, my heart was warmed by a recent email from my friend Paul whose sailing companion had captured some pictures of my little C-Lute having a sunny fall adventure.

Here she is, ready to catch the breeze...

...moving right along.

Even though I want to sail C-Lute most of the time, I always want to take the oars along because I love to snuggle up into little coves and inlets where the water gets thin, the air bends light and squirrely and bird-watching becomes fascinating.



I figured out a convenient way to store the oars out of the way whilst sailing. 

You'll notice that the oar locks are sitting in the front rowing station (sockets). They are folded one blade on top of the other at the bow and rest on the forward transom where they are secured with a bungee. This arrangement works very well while sailing. You can sit anywhere in the boat without the oars getting in the way.

This method works very well with the balanced lug. The mast does not have any shrouds or forestay and it is easy to drop the canvas and roll up together with yard and boom.

You could then row immediately. However, I also like to lift the mast out and lay it so that the top end of it is secured at the bow with the self-same bungee.

It is possible to lay mast on one side and the sail, boom and yard on the other in such a way that they do not interfere with rowing.

The gunter rig would obviously preclude such maneuver while at sea.

An Autumn Outing

An Autumn Post Card from Moraine State Park:

On Oct 30 the forecast called for temps in the upper 40's. Well, truth be told - and I was there for first-hand reporting - the mercury never reached 40F.  However, the fog caused by cold air above much warmer water, created an eerie almost spooky atmosphere.

Though many leaves were still tenaciously hanging on - the end of fall snapped through my bones.. My feet froze but I loved being there - especially aboard C-Lute.

Obviously, had I expected 30's, I could have brought another layer...  But then again, had I expected 30's I most probably would not have gone to Moraine for the sail in the first place and...

...would have missed a magical Moraine moment.


I never thought of the rowing option quite in this way but when I got too cold, I dropped the sail for a  while and rowed... for sure the physical exercise warmed me up and before too long, I was ready to hoist the lug rig once more.

What's next?

That's right.

What to do after you have finished a boat project?

Even as I awaited the overdue arrival of my Passage Maker kit from CLC late last year, I found myself continuing to peruse the catalog of beautiful other boat designs available from Chesapeake Light Craft.

Have I been bitten by the boat-building bug? You bet!

So when I attended the CLC-sponsored OkoumeFest this past spring, one of my main objectives was to take a look at various kayak options, try them out and determine what my next winter project would be.

I was looking for a project that would build on my stitch and glue experience yet set a few new challenges. The various hybrid options in the kayak designs seemed to be an excellent step up since the strip-planking of the deck is a more intricate building technique.

Paul Plowright's winning Shearwater 17

I had already set my eyes on the 17' hybrid version of the Shearwater design. The kayak has great lines and looks fabulous. It also seem to offer the right mix of stability and performance that I thought would be best for me.

In fact, upon arrival at the OkoumeFest, various builders had brought their hybrid Shearwaters and I was just floored by the beautiful, personal designs.

Several test paddles on Shearwaters reinforced that this was a superb craft that was great fun to paddle and would suit me well.

Testing the Petrel

Dan Thaler's kayak:  Best in Show

I tested a variety of other extremely elegant designs including the 17' Petrel.


What a powerful kayak?!

I was pretty much set on the Shearwater. But then something unexpected happened. I sat in a very narrow and long boat called Night Heron, designed by Nick Schade (who actually designed many of the kayaks that are available as kits through CLC.)

At any rate, at 18 feet of length and with a mere 20" beam, this boat offers an altogether different paddle experience. When I first got into the snug cockpit I was a bit nervous because I thought that this design would simply be too demanding for me.

Click here for slide show of the CLC Night Heron.

After a couple of laps I became more confident and comfortable with the feel and control of the boat. Paddling this sleek, powerful machine was a total thrill! What can I say? I was smitten! Big Time. Sitting in this boat reminded me of the time when I was shopping for a new concert guitar (a classical guitar) and I played the instrument (made by Nicholas Ioannou) where - as soon as I played the first few chords - I knew that THIS WAS IT.

I did switch back and forth between the Shearwater and the Night Heron several more times and my initial infatuation with the Night Heron was reinforced with each test ride.

Detail of the wood grain at transition from loom to blade

I ordered the hybrid Night Heron kit. It arrived recently. I'll probably start in October if I can bear to wait that long. For now I have been reading up on strip-planking kayaks (Nick Schade has written two books on the subject) as well as the instruction booklet.

Then there is the important task of drawing up a deck design. I suspect that I will be able to do a better job once I have a full understanding of all the implications in construction of any particular design. I have three different types of cedar strips to work with - light, medium and dark.

The tip of my paddle is reinforced with a mix of epoxy and wood-flour

In the meantime I have been priming the wood-working pump by building a Greenland paddle.


I found a fabulous 2 by 4 of immaculate Western Red Cedar at a nearby lumber shop. Amazing stuff!

Eric Schade Demonstration at CLC

The inspiration to building this type of paddle came from one of the workshops offered at the above-mentioned OkoumeFest.

Nick Schade's brother Eric gave a demonstration.

In addition, very detailed information on making such a paddle is available online.



If you start with good wood, the paddle becomes an elegant thing of beauty.

Paddling with the Greenland paddle feels very different from the modern power paddles.








It'll be fun to learn using it to best advantage.

I'll be reporting on building the Night Heron on my new blog.

A Fine Day

On a recent Sunday, my wife Iris came along to sail for the day.

She is generally very supportive of her husband's sailing passion but otherwise does not share in the fascination with wind, water and what-not.

However, she does make an annual appearance at Moraine State Park and I am always anxious to ensure that it be a successful experience.

In the past, we have actually had some wonderful outings on the JN18 with perfect conditions, not too scary but sufficiently thrilling.

On this occasion, C-Lute offered an altogether new experience.

The temperature was balmy perfection and the sun peaked out to shine on small ripples across the water. So C-Lute set off - happily gurgling her way onto the lake toward a little island nestled near Pleasant Bay.

I had previously thought how the PMD with lug rig would be a perfect little learn-to-sail boat. It does not get more basic than the tiller plus the main sheet attached to a single lug sail with a long streaming pennant which tells you immediately whether or not the sail is trimmed correctly. You don't even have to understand the finer points of apparent wind.

Iris, do you want to take the helm?

Yes, she did! - Great! 

So there, a perfect day, indeed, on C-Lute: the Love of my Life sailing my Labor of Love - Ah!  a winning combination.

After a delectable lunch, I dropped the mast and tested the forward rowing station while Iris was sunning herself on the back seat.


I was delighted with the easy swoosh: the hull was perfectly balanced and rowed itself with greater ease than I would have expected. 

Later the winds freshened up a bit and I quickly stepped the mast and hoisted the sail for a fine finale back to Watts Bay.

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.

Out to C

Pardon a bit of shallow humor but this blogger is out to sea...

on C-Lute  ~~~_/)~~

Also, this here don't look like no "C" to me!  More like an "L" for little lake. So there!

On C-Lute this little lake sure seems quite a bit bigger than on my other weapon of choice (see below)

At some point, I hope to get a picture or two (or video) of  the Passagemaker Dinghy in action.

For now, at least you get to see a bit of my stitching handiwork on the boom and part of the the down-haul and snuffer configuration.

Truth be told, it was not exactly the kind of day that the weather frog was all excited about either.

All the same, there was enough wind (at times) to test out the small modifications and adjustments I had been working on.

I replaced the block with becket at the traveler with a block, becket and cam cleat. That turned out to be a major - albeit not inexpensive - improvement!

I hope to take her out a couple of more times before I transport C-Lute to the OkoumeFest 2011 which CLC sponsors once a year as an annual Rendezvous of CLC boat builders. It'll be a great opportunity to actually take C-Lute "out to sea" as well as to evaluate which kayak exactly I should plan to build next winter.

Pic not of me but of the guy who convinced me to install the trap.

For now, I need to do a final coat of satin on the outside of the top strake.

I had planned it all along and now that I have the name plate, I'll be able to do it.

In the meantime, whilst waiting for the varnish to cure, I am hanging out on the new trapeze wire that I set up on my Johnson-18.

Generally I sail the JN-18 with my trusted crew. However, single-handing my JN-18 from the trap is a total blast.

Not a bad place to be!!!