kydocfrog

Whooohooo! Another member of the launching class of 2006. Going to be a banner year. Looks really great; both the boat and the and the experience. CONGRATS! DocA

As promised, a few more photos of launch and Captain Bob's Boat Dock. Photos have some problems from either a light leak or overaged disposable camera. More proof that Charlie Girl is actually in the water, although no good pictures of her on her bouy yet. Anyway, Captain Bob's is this just wonderful small southern fishing lake / reservoir / raggedy marina with absolutely no pretentions and just wonderful people hanging around. Cpt Bob has been a bit of a nautical roustabout, a mechanic, a designer with ClarkCraft and others (has a newly designed mini-pontoon boat that he is marketing), a counselor in rehab centers, a damn good story teller, and --when he finishes his masters in arbitration I'm going to get him on my faculty. It is just such a great place and a great guy, even if the wind does drop off promptly at 5 pm. There are certainly better sailing lakes in Kentucky, and I'll get there later, but for now I drive right past Bob's (Willisburg Lake formally) on my way to and from work every day and can even get there at lunch. What a deal. I'm off now to go to the lake. Cheers! Doc(David)A

First thread: Brit; welcome to the class of 2006. Lovely boat. Wild Dingo thread: I really have to grin (or wince) when you youngsters whimper about being 50... Adla -- nice photos. Thanks

Hang tough, man. Sounds like the wind is shifting for you on a few things. DocA in Kentucky

Would that be sort of like a bumper crop? Or would it be more of a fender render? Sorry DA

Looks like one of those 1800's waterfront pictures with all the masts and rigging all lined up and overlapping. Captain Bob, more on that later, after having done a quick sail in Charlie Girl II said "My goodness (or words to that effect), that thing's got as many strings on it as a big boat!) Don't they look good Looks like it was a great day. DocA

EXACTLY! Although it is possible that craning one's neck back, over and down kind of creates a yoga like balance when alternated with craning forward and up to squint into the sun at sail wrinkles and sagging peaks... DA

Go For It. You too can join the class Summer, 2006! It's a hoot when they turn out to actually float and the water stays on the outside! David (Doc) A. Charlie Girl II

For someone who keeps saying "makeshift" and words like that, you do have a really nice eye. The tiller mod looks really really good. I've got similar pintles on CGII; this gives me some increased confidence that a tiller head can be made and not look terminally clunky. Nice work DocA

So did anyone here make it to Lake Rend? Any pictures? Really disappointed me that I couldn't between getting rigging done and work committments. DocA

Here are a couple of pic from Saturday. A cold Liney was duly poured over the bows and she was christened. Day was very calm and flukey again. I got out today for about an hour of good sailing under the eves of a big squall line. Sailed off the dock in great form. Completely blew my act shooting the dock on return. Main jammed when I dropped it -- the parrel harness was too long and everything got crossways; jib rebelled, and I got to choose, while paddling furiously and trying to get everything down at the same time, between ramming the dock or ramming the pontoon party barge. I eventually just sort of fell of backwards in a very undignified flapping of sails. The jib is just not lifting clean or dropping clean yet. Hanks jam on the plastic coating on the wire. A lot of my photos are on a small disposable that I took with me. I'll get them developed on a cd tomorrow, including a series of shots of Captain Bob's Boat Dock (www.captainbobsboatdock,com) which is a truly wonderful, delightfully seedy, Kentucky sort of place. I love it. I am probably not only the only sail boat on the lake for years but also may be the only person to ever wear a tie on the property. There aren't many that wear a shirt, but that's another story. She points higher and tacks faster than I expected. Cpt Bob sailed her also and had the same impression. (More about Bob in a later post.) Tonight, she is happily settled on a bouy at Cpt. Bob's. If it helps clarify what a wonderful place Bob's is, the bouy consists of an elderly tire float anchored with a defunct 1960 50horse evinrude with a cracked block. I love it. More lessons learned (thangs my boat learnt me) later. DocA.

Should have pictures shortly. Extremely calm day; alternated between "I'm baking" and "Am I moving...?" But very successful for engineering and first sea-trials. (Translation -- could not get in trouble.) Added a new cleat for throat halyard, moved the second pulley on the main sheet further forward -- it kept wrapping around my neck, which seemed a bad idea -- and did some work on trailer. She floated off hard. Tounge on my trailer is too short, and I may have problems with shallow ramps. The semi-slot top worked like a charm. Access to halyards, etc, and to dropping and furling was great. Did not rig or test the downhaul on the jib. When I did get breeze, she was slick. I'm going to add a tiller this winter. I kept looking over the transom to see what the rudder was doing... Anyway, more tomorrow. I'm woofed and sunburnt. Thanks to all. DocA Pirate Frog

She floats! She swims! The water stayed on the outside! Pictures follow as soon a possible. DocA

That must have been fun. Glad to know other boats look funny with the cover on too. Wonder if you could get a cover that has a big swordfish graphic on it; sword and big fin and all that. Profile is about right. DocA

In response to Adla's remarkable Dragon, I offer, though admittedly from a rather different plane of existence, the intial sketch for the heraldry of Charlie Girl II's owner's ensign. I'm sure there is a Latin expression from the King of Arms, College of Heraldry for this when it is all finalized. KYDocFROG! The League of Extraordinary Frogs

You know, it's the steering stories that make me nervous. You just can't load test that on the trailer. Winter modification may well include tiller and plugging that big water intake in the transom. I'm going to be interested in seeing Alda's mods for tiller. She does nice work. Tim D. did a nice one too. Love the 30 knot story though. DocA.

Yup, but I reserve the right to edit so as not to terrify small children or otherwise create undue alarm and consternation... DocA

Thanks for the great photos. The gaff improvisation was a hoot! DocA

Plan right now is for a test launch to see in anything falls off on Friday afternoon with a more formal launch and sail on Saturday at a nearby lake. Looks like other things, including stuff at college on Sunday, will keep me from making Rend Lake again.... But heading for the water DocA

Dave, the new sails look great. And here are the old ones. Update from here. This evening Charlie Girl II went through her first successful full dress lift of all spars and halyards. New lines, twist shackles, and some rework and everything went right up.I'm not confident in my gaff yet, but along with Julie K's old sails, I now have her old gaff if the jaws on mine don't work out. I don't know if it shows on the picture, but I put a small spreader on the mast to lift the shrouds slightly to clear the gaff jaws. I think I misfigured the location of the shroud eyebolt. Also, you may be able to see the line for the "Gerr Downhaul." As someone noted, it isn't quite as neat as the drawings, but I'm really trying to make things work from the cockpit or cabin. The twist in the lines of the peak halyard has been corrected. What you can't see really clearly is the field expedient mast hoops. The tablernacle kind of played hob with lacing and mast hoops cost a lot, so was thinking about rope grommets. That will come along or else mast hoops will, but the interim fix is big, wide nylon cable ties. Strong as all get out and no slip. I'm going without the club foot for the moment. I may change my mind. We'll see. Still need to make some jam cleats. Also, in the non-skid debate, I found these strips (in several widths) at one of our local Lowe's. Someday, like the next paint touch up, they might turn out to be the same color as the deck... There is a very good chance that she might get a test launch tomorrow afternoon; not a full christening, but at least enough to see if anything falls off and the water sort of stays on its side of the hull. (And where do you put th jib and forestay when trailering...?) Thanks to all who have contributed ideas and help and to Dave for the great deal on the sails and the gaff. DocA, much encouraged, in Kentucky

Looking very nice. Very nice indeed. DocA

Arrrrrghhh.....foiled again.... DocA

Seriously, what I am really waiting to see is your running rigging plan. I also suspect that you could do a second role with her as a fabulous float for hire in parades during the off season. Pirate Ship Santa! (And I won't tell anyone about the vulnerability problem you have on the port beam. Right. Like Duke ain't peddling the secret to the beans...) DocA

Okay, tactically speaking we need to hold the wind and run up on you from the port side.

Well, that certainly does look a bit better, although the original Baltimore Clipper look had a certain amount of charm. Just out of curiosity, given the rather massive keel available to mount into, did you put some sort of new step or other block to actually set the new location of the foot of the mast? DocA