Big Lake Alaska Mess-About

[Mike Pennington]

Official notice:

I will be hosting the Big Lake Alaska Messabout gathering of the Alaskan Fleet for the 4th of July weekend.

Mark,

I will gladly scout out the North Shore state park for your motor home, if you want me to. Of course there is also room to park at my new house, now that I think about it. Showers and laundry facilities available :wink: I can probably loan you a tow vehicle if you don't want to hitch up the motor home everyday.

John,

I am sure we can find room for you as well, if needed. It will be good to go sailing again, the Aurorawolf will be more than happy to let you Skipper her about.

I will contact Jeremy, and let him know of our plans. Lars and Angelika will be attending with their Loon. I will also post on the Alaskan Sailing Forum www.aurorawolf.com to see if I can draw some new recruits. A perfect opportunity for any potential builders here in Alaska to go sailing, if your out there lurking.

So sound your foghorns gang, lets go sailing!

[Mark Gudschinsky]

Mike ,

We'll surely be there. So you can count The Flyer, Swimmer, and if her lead shipwrite will get off his duff you might even get to see Laura's Skipper too.

I've got to think about how to get all three craft down there? The Flyer we'll tow. Swimmer goes on top of the motor home, but Skipper might be a challenge. Maybe I'll tow two trailers in tandem like the big rigs. :wink:

[JMetzner]

Hi Mike,

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it up to Alaska over the 4th of July. I've tasked with some issues at work which will keep me in town. I WILL be coming up there over the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. The gang from Silver Gulch Brewery invited me up for the Brew Festival in Haines. Who can turn down free beer? I'll make it back down here just in time for the Minnesota Messabout.

I got back from the Grenadines last Saturday night. What a great trip! I didn't quite finish the ASA bareboat certification. Completed the 101 & 103 requirements, and the written for the 104, but couldn't complete all the skills for 104. The boat had a lot of mechanical problems and I spent the first few days just kicking back enjoying the sun and sailing. I became very proficient at re-installing the prop shaft, which practically auto ejected whenever we went into reverse. We became very good at sailing onto anchor, and impressed the hell out of a bunch of boaters when we sailed through moorings in Admiralty Bay on Bequia our last night without engine power.

Here's a pic I took at Tobago Cays, where we anchored the second night. Yes, Life. Is. Good.

--John M.

Alaskan-in-exile

[Mike Pennington]

Well sorry to hear that!

But I am sure we can get a hull wet if you make it over this way. Haines is truly the best kept secret of Alaska. A real nice place with some awesome weather, they even have some small orchards.

We'll be lifting our tankards in a toast to you. :wink:

[Frank Hagan]

I think you need to fire your web host, Mike. He's really behind schedule!

Sorry about that! I put up one of the templates I created; we can tweak it this weekend. There are 20 headers to choose from, or we can create one of our own. Then, the text laid over the header graphic will need to be tweaked for the right colors, position and contrast. But at least it gives you an idea of the choices.

And at least there's a link from your home page to the forums now.

[Mark Gudschinsky]

Hey Mike,

A few questions about Big Lake Alaska.

Compared to our home Port of Harding Lake what is the likely weather and winds we'll encounter during the first week of July.

And just how big is Big Lake?

What level of jet ski repellant might we need: spray, a brace of pistols, or Deck guns?

[Mike Pennington]

Mark,

The winds on Big Lake are about the same as on Harding. There are lots of little islands with houses to cabins on them. I have not yet made it to the North Shore Park yet, but I will get there sometime this week.

Jeromy sails his Weekender on Big lake so don't let the name throw you off. The size is about several Harding Lakes, but the lake twists and turns amongst some hills, so the wind doesn't throw up those giant rollers like on Harding.

Lots of jet skiers and ski boats, but my reputation as a cold hearted scondrel usually sends them squirting to the other side of the lake.

Since we will be sailing in hunter packs, they will be doubly cautious, I can assure Doreen. :wink: The Auroawolf can also serve as a tow boat if the winds die or one needs to get ashore quickly.

There are a couple of marinas, also a South Shore State Park with facilities, The Big Lake Yacht Club on the northwestern end, and the Call of the Wild, beer and burgers, if it hasn't been sold yet.

There is a grocery store and a hotel near the main road in, although I would not board a hated dog there. I can meet you at the turn off to Big Lake if needed to escort you in.

Gary Porter, would you like to join us? You didn't think you could post and not be stalked did you? :wink: We have plenty of crew slots.

[GPorter]

Mike, thanks for the offer, sounds good but I'm not sure we can make it this year. We normally make the Homer Wooden Boat show and we belong to that group down there but looks like we might not even make that this year.

Would like to see your boat/boats sometime. We do get down to Anchorage and Home quite often. Thanks for the welcome

Gary

[Mike Pennington]

Gary,

I was hoping to make the Kachemak Bay Wooden Boat Festival, too. But then I decided to move, and now it even looks like I may have to take a job I applied for. :roll:

Maybe, Mark will ask you out to Harding Lake, at a time more conveinent and my wife and I can drive up for a sail. :idea:

Would you happen to know some of the Rhen Tolman builders or be one yourself?

[Mark Gudschinsky]

Gary,

You are officeally invited out. As with most everyone Memorial weekend is the first real summer weekend at the lake. It's usually when the doc goes in and we start sailing. If you're boating, put in at the public boat launch, sail through the channel into the lake. We're about a quarter mile off your starboard bow: A brown Weekender alongside an aluminum dock. The only gaff rigged boat on the water. There is also usually a few kids beating the water to a froth just off the end of the dock.

We're also going to miss the wood boat festival this year: normal life's events getting in the way of fun.

[GPorter]

Mike, I think I'll be missing the show this year as well... Don't like that but thats the way its looking.

Yes, I know many of the Tolman builders and I know Renn well.

I am a Tolman builder and have sold two of them and am starting on a 24' Jumbo now to sell. Well I've sortta started but won't really get at it hard till fall.

Mark, thanks a lot for the invite, we might just make it out there.

We'll keep in touch on that.

Gary

[Mike Pennington]

I bought Rhen's book and have been looking at that Jumbo myself :wink:

I don't think I can afford the motors right now or anytime real soon, so I have been holding off. I already have a project boat and a Caledonia Yawl that I have just started. Life is to risky, to get my wife, Joan, upset with me at this point

Glad to meet you, Gary.

[Dave R1]

So Mike, I was looking at Big Lake on Google Earth. Water's still hard in that shot. Looks like a cool lake to sail on. Is there anything on those islands?

After looking at the lake for a bit I started wandering East toward Palmer. Who in the world is in charge of naming streets up that way? I found W That Way, W Born Lazy Way, Mutiny Ct. Those are just west of Wasilla.

Why don't you send the street namers down this way? We could use some creativity.

[GPorter]

I bought Rhen's book and have been looking at that Jumbo myself :wink:

I don't think I can afford the motors right now or anytime real soon' date=' so I have been holding off. I already have a project boat and a Caledonia Yawl that I have just started. Life is to risky, to get my wife, Joan, upset with me at this point

Glad to meet you, Gary.[/quote']

Glad to meet you as well. You know you can spend say three years working on a Tolman part time. Just casually bring home some ply or pick up a couple of Versalam Beams and just start making parts now and then . One of these days you'll look out and there will be a Tolman of some sort. Then worry about the motors. ..

Gary

[JMetzner]

After looking at the lake for a bit I started wandering East toward Palmer. Who in the world is in charge of naming streets up that way? I found W That Way, W Born Lazy Way, Mutiny Ct. Those are just west of Wasilla.

Dave, yes they are inventive up there. Just north of Fairbanks, in Goldstream Valley there are a lot of dog mushers and streets like "Yellow Snow Rd." Although I don't think that was the official name. The street sign would keep disappearing, then show up again a few weeks later. Never found out if it was the State DOT or vandals removing it.

--John M.

Alaskan-in-Exile

[Mike Pennington]

Gary,

When I was looking for Tolman builder sites, to find constuction and finished pictures, I didn't find that many. How about you joining my Forum and Gallery. Open up an album and post some of your pictures. I wouldn't even mind opening up a Tolman thread for you and others.

Just click on the website below, register on the Forum and Gallery. I'll probably have to activate the gallery album for you, because I haven't figured out how to make it work by itself.

I have the web space and it wouldn't cost you anything, but the most important, TIME. :wink:

[JMetzner]

Hey Mike,

Here's a couple of Tolman pics I have from last year at the boat fest. The second is of a brand spanking new Jumbo from Anchorage. I don't remember the guy's name, I'm sure Gary will. This boat was immaculate! Not seam or ripple in the hull. It was beautiful.

The first pic is from the boatfest setup. I believe that's Gary's boat in the middle with that very cool eyebrow cabin roof. The Tolman's ARE great boats. I bought the book and drool over it regularly.

--John M.

Alaskan-in-Exile

[GPorter]

Mike and John & all, The website gallery sounds good, give me a bit of time . You can also find quite a bit of info and photos on the fishyfish site

www.fishyfish.com/tolmanskiff.html

If you click on the photos like say the one on my boat then it will take you to many more. John , your right, that is my boat in the middle which is now being bought by my daughter and her husband in Anchorage. The nice new Jumbo is Craig Floerchinger's boat which is very nice. Neal Schlee from Anchorage also has a very nice Jumbo., he makes CNC kits for the Tolman hull now in any model you want. His site is www.skiffkits.com

As with this group, the Tolmanites are a great bunch of folks.

I think John is the only one here that I have actually met, perhaps not, but looking forward to meeting more of you.

Thanks

Gary

[Mike Pennington]

Neal, also sells marine plywood 8)

I have a couple of photos of your boat that I took last year, Gary. I was out on the water during most of the festival last year :oops: Looks like I missed out making some new friends.

But the offer stands for the Gallery, anytime you want to start, go for it. www.aurorawolf.com

John, you take care of yourself, we'll meet up again, yet.