The Inquiring Mind goes Core Sound!

[brian watkins]

First, thank you to Travis and Graham for your thoughtful replies to my inquiry regarding the Princess 22. As pretty and clever as the Princess is, I must confess that at the time I joined the forum I was suffering from a bout of BBS*.

The real reason I had been keeping an eye on this forum was my long-time interest in open boat cruising. I gave myself a stern talking to, and have just ordered plans for the Core Sound 20.

It will be a while till I can even think about building, but at least I will have the plans to dream over this winter. I'm already planning adventures in the Northwest!

Keep up the great forum. I'll need it!

* Bigger Boat Syndrome - a common malady amongst sailors. Treat with cold showers and a dose of reality.

[mustangermatt]

I am just getting ready to go 3D with my CoreSound 17. I will look forward to seeing your boat bumming around the NW :-)

[P Doug (WA)]

Brian, I am hoping that you are from the NW of the USA. I am in the "Same boat" so to speak as you. I have the plans for the CS 17 but can't start yet. I am wondering how many CS's there are in the NW. There is mustangermatt. Maybe some day we can have a CS get together, say in about 2 years or 3. mustangermatt, please keep progress reports coming.

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

You are right about the desire for larger boats and their cost and increased work load necessary in trailer sailing. I am sure that you are all aware of the saying...If you want to know what its like to have a big sailboat, put on rain gear, take a cold shower and rip up $100 bills.

But on a serious note. It sounds like we are getting quite a few builders of B&B boats in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe soon we can have a B&B mess-a-bout. In the mean time, lets keep in contact and offer each other any technical support we can.

[brian watkins]

Thanks to all. I can't wait to see the plans, as I have been researching the idea of open-boat cruising for some time. Although I have a yen for more traditional looking boats (Drascombes, Oughtred's, and dories of all kinds), the Core Sound struck me as a good "expedition boat".

I was just down at the Willamette river after reading from the journals of Lewis and Clark. The Missouri river part of their journey has put dangerous ideas in my head, like where to mount a swivel gun to fight off jet-skiers!

[Rob Blackburn]

Now listen Brian. I want to make clear you are to keep the faith and go with your expedition concept. Don't fall by the wayside. By the way there is a good article in the current wooden boat on a couple of boats called Jenny and Big Jenny talking about just this sort of boating. Jenny looks like the progenitor of the CS range. Maybe Graham may have some insight on this observation?

Our CS 20 which we are only just starting to get to know is the best thing we have done in a long time.

Have just had the perfect day out with the kids 8 and 10 and one of their friends. Sailed, swam and just drank in the images of the boat anchored 30 feet offshore in 3 feet of water, kids climbing on covered in mud and jumping off. Them "sailing" it at anchor with the rudder up by pulling on the mizzen and then the main etc. Spatters of rain from a couple of storms skirting the river. Bloody sensational.

Also I noticed your Swallows reference. Our kids have a Sabot called Swallow. Very important to make them enjoy this sort of day I reckon. The CS is good here as it is not tippy on its ear like other boats I have had.

Our week long expedition with the boys was the best, camping and sailing and just doing it.

http://homepage.mac.com/blackburns/PhotoAlbum48.html

Have put a piccie up here of the end of the day, boat washed, esky out of the cockpit for post sailing stocktake.

Fantastic.

Shall finish my cup of tea and go to bed.

Rob

PS. you DON'T want a bigger boat. Trust me I know.

[attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

[brian watkins]

Rob, thanks for the encouragement, I have been following your progress for a long time and I was happy to see you enjoying the payoff. While I have no children of my own, I work with kids in theatre, and I have very strong feelings about the way we as a culture are raising (or not raising) them.

This may seem a wandering off from this builders forum, but I think it gets to the heart of why we are attracted to these kinds of boats.

Here in the Pacific Northwest the number of boaters running around with more horsepower than brains is scary. Oregon has now had to introduce mandatory boat "driver's licences". The more boats like the Core Sounds or any of the other fine designs out there that are sailing around without burning tons of fuel (even with a small outboard tipped up on the transom!), the better chance we have of educating the new generation that there is more to boating than roaring V-8's and scared wildlife.

If I ever get this thing built, there will always be room on board for young families to learn about our approach to boats and adventures.

There, I feel better now. Anybody figured out where I can mount the grapeshot-loaded swivel guns?

[brian watkins]

P.S. to my above: Rob, I saw the article in Wooden Boat about Jenny and Big Jenny. I once saw the plans for The Carpenter (Jenny) in a book of someones favorite designs (can't remember the author, but it was either Good Boats or Still More Good Boats). The design was by Herreshoff and was a companion to a larger boat called (of course) The Walrus. The commission, as I recall, was for a pair of boats to explore out-of-the-way places. I believe the ancestry of The Carpenter was in the Swampscott or Chamberlin Dory family, both by lines and construction.

I think that The Carpenter would be a lot easier to row, but obviously can't stand up to sail or have the room on board that the Core Sound does.

Beautiful boat though! We probably have more designs around now suited to open-boat cruising than ever before. What fun to figure out which one's best for each of us!