At this point, Dave and Anke have an inkling of what they want in their new boat. “Over the years,” says Dave, “we’ve collected quite a number of quirky ideas… the kind that could be great, or might crack the pot. Each one requires a real-life platform for testing and tinkering. So many ideas; so little time.
“These ideas have gone into the mental stew-pot and…well… stewed. Other ideas have mellowed and blended and complemented one another. But years have thundered by, and it’s time to serve up the stew or abstain from it.”
In this episode, Dave and Anke serve up the stew. They present their influences on the design of their new hull. From these influences, they draw ideas and innovations, run them through a filter of perceived wishes, needs, and constraints, then simmer it all down to a design plan. Likewise, they look at the concepts behind their outfit and rigging choices.
I like the entire microcruiser concept, and think that these folks have a good thing going. I definitely want to see more.
Didn’t you guys build LUNA? I remember following its adventures. I think your idea is brilliant. I had the only completed Bolger Whalewatcher, UTILIS, which utilized many of these concepts. It’s a wonderful boat and the most comfortable I’ve ever been on. I reluctantly sold it after 12 years in f ownership and I know she’s in good hands. Good luck in this venture. I’ll be following it too.
Hi Patrick,
Yes, LUNA was our home for a dozen years, and appears briefly in Episode 1 at 2:44, 3:08, 3:34 and 3:48.
LUNA was the second larger boat we built, and the first to our own design. The hull closely follows Phil Bolger’s AS-29, but was designed around plywood dimensions (Phil cut back for trailering requirements which didn’t apply to us).
WHALEWATCHER is so appealing to us. We are drawn to the marriage of the BIRDWATCHER cabin with all the AS (Advance Sharpie) advantages. It was a toss-up between it and the AS-29, but Anke loves an outdoor cockpit, so we inclined that-away for LUNA.
So many boats; so little time!
Dave Z
PS to those reading along, one of the unsung advantages of “square boats” is square vs triangular stowage along the chines. Square buckets, totes and crates are right at home. This is especially handy in mid-sized cruiser sizes.