Phil - s/v Grasshopper

We spent a week camping at Lake Dillon this year. Sailing and exploring the lake's many islands every day. Work has been more relaxed this summer and I've managed to get out much more often. We're headed to one of our local lakes today for a few hours of sailing. You can check out the Lake Dillon shots here: http://www.pmimage.com/svg/dillon.html -Phil

Ray, We're Boulder hippies...:-) It will be Monique and the kids rowing :-) -Phil

Thanks Garry, I hadn't seen that one. There's a bunch of great information on that thread. -Phil

I've had my CS17 out several times this spring and summer. Being a newby when it comes to the cat ketch rig I'm still experimenting with adjustments to obtain the highest pointing possible while keeping boat speed to a maximum. As everyone who has sailed a CS17 knows, it is a blast to chase down much bigger boats. It's pretty easy to do on a reach or run. It gets trickier when going to windward. I would appreciate any recommendations getting the most out of the CS17 to windward. Thanks, Phil

Ray's approach works well. It makes it very easy to adjust sail trim and reef when necessary. Cheers, Phil

Hi Dale, Good to hear you like how my CS17 looks. Ray did an awesome job. It's not only a wonderful boat to sail, it's a joy to look at. Unfortunately (or fortunately since I'm a skier) it's dumping snow here in Colorado. I won't be doing any sailing until spring. Here's a shot of Grasshopper in her winter berth. Cheers, Phil

Yeah...it is an interesting article. Definitely a little fuzzy on the application of score. The most important thing is how well do you know your boat and how well do you know your own limitations ("A man has to know his limitations"...the best Clint Eastwood quote ever). By the way...did you notice the new SCA cover boy is our own Ray Frechette :-) Cheers, Phil

Ken, I actually will be skipping work next Friday and the following Monday for a trip up to Lake Granby. It's probably the best sail / camping lake in the state. The altitude makes it interesting as well. A while back someone posted a shot of a Cape Dory Typhoon from my site on this BB. I haven't figured out how to do that yet, but here's the link. http://www.pmimage.com/sail/f10.html It's really a beautiful place. -Phil

Ken, Nice boat! Your photos make me want to skip work and go sailing. Thanks for sharing. -Phil

Ken, I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of Southbound. Don't forget your camera this weekend. Cheers, Phil

Steve, Good to hear you like the photos and story. Yep, Lake McConaughy is in the plans. So are Carter Lake and most importantly Lake Granby. Getting into the back side in Rocky Mountain National Park is spectacular. The wind is usually very good as well. Look for further updates on the website later in the summer. In the immediate future it will be Boulder Reservoir as it was yesterday. It's not an incredible venue, but the wind is usually fairly good and it's close by. -Phil

Hello, I've been lurking on this site for ~2 years and decided that I finally have something worthwhile to post. The "Adventures of Grasshopper" actually began 2 years ago when I sadly sold my Frances 26' after moving back to Colorado from Hawaii. To deal with my new-found, boatless depression I started researching small sailboats for use on Colorado lakes. The design had to be easily trailered behind the average small station wagon, rowable, beachable, capable of carrying 2 adults and 2 kids, and provide incredible sailing performance. I managed to find several good candidates which included the Norseboat, Navigator, Pathfinder, Jersey Skiff, Bay River Skiff, and Core Sound 17. Since I want to spend time with my kids before they reach the age where I become "lame" I needed to find a used boat or a builder for a new one. They aren't quite old enough to help me build a boat....yet. As I sharpened my pencil on the trade study I came across Ray Frechette and Great Falls Boat Works. After talking to Ray several times and doing my homework I decided he would be a good choice for a builder. We worked out the details of the contract last fall and I sent off my deposit check to get him started. The only problem remaining was that Ray is in Maine and I live in Colorado. This situation had the makings for a great road trip! Fortunately my wife is the adventurous type and her parents love to take our kids. We made arrangements to send the kids to Hawaii for 2 weeks then we started making plans for the road trip. The timing was perfect. We had just celebrated our 10th anniversary and were looking for an adventure. Everything worked out great. Ray finished the boat the day after we arrived in Portland so we had the time to explore. We met up with Ray on the scheduled day and splashed Grasshopper in a pond near Lewiston. A real sea trial requires salt water however. As we discussed this with Ray he offered to play tour guide in Casco Bay on an outing to Fort Gorges. This would be perfect. Ray wanted to help us get a few more minor bugs out on the rigging and I wanted to shoot some photos of Grasshopper under sail. My wife also wanted to get more tips from Ray on sailing the CS17. Ray was wonderful to work with and is still more than happy to provide answers and insight for all my remaining questions as I learn the details of sailing a cat ketch rig. I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants a boat built. If you are interested in seeing photos from the adventures of Grasshopper you can check out an ongoing photo essay that I've put on my website: http://www.pmimage.com/svg/grasshopper.html I will be updating this site somewhat regularly. Cheers, Phil Mislinski