Portlights and Rigging and thinking about moving.

DougPortholes, Rigging

 YouTuber Nick Richards of Renegade Trucker and Renegade Sailing stopped in last weekend and we talked about hauling the boat.  Turns out that Oklahoma is not third world with trucking permits.  You can go online 24/7 and get one.  It did give us a surprising route.  Certainly not the most direct path.  Betsy and I closely measured the boat at 16 feet to the … Read More

Portlight Help

DougPortholes, Steel Boat

We want to add portlights or portholes to the cabin tops.  I had a design for a wedge-shaped unit that is open at the top when the wedge is one way and then closed when the wedge is turned around.   It’s drawn showing it installed in a 3 foot, 1 meter, tall cabin tops, but we lowered our cabin … Read More

Sail Winch – Mark 1

DougSteel Boat, Winches

Junk sails are heavy, and we want a sail winch that is versatile.  This idea is centered around a hydraulic hub motor, allowing the sail to be raised or lowered with a remote switch in the pilothouse or a secondary switch near the winch.   I do not think the motor will hold the sail in position, so a solenoid will … Read More

Main Mast and Gangway and Assorted Repairs

DougGangway, Mast, Steel Boat

  What a great week. We get a lot of people the will weld and grind on the boat. It’s understandable that we want to leave a mark there. But occasionally we get folk like Bill Wygant and Will Linna that will fix broken stuff, like the Cummins Killer Dowel Pin, your girl friends Jeep, the lawn mower, and a … Read More

Dragons and the Main Mast – Part II

DougFoam Sculpture, Mast, Steel Boat

Their are many times while learning to build stuff that you look at it and just think there is no way in hell that it’s going to look like the image you had in your mind when you started.  This was definitely one of those times.   But trust in your abilities and work as a team and you will … Read More