April 2015

Boat Profile

The Escargot canal cruiser

As a wooden boat, the Escargot is an unlikely charmer. It has a hull like a shoebox, only one curve to speak of, and is entirely bereft of brightwork and brass. Nonetheless, it has an ineluctable appeal inside and out. The cabin with its arched roof and stovepipe has the look of a gypsy wagon and the lure of running away from it all, in comfort. My father said of it: “The moment I step aboard, I’ve arrived.”

Boat Profile

The Candlefish 13

Three Men in a Boat (to say Nothing of the Moose)

Sam Devlin drew up plans to a customer’s specs and in the process imagined how he might adapt the design the boat for his own use: “a couple of weeks of moose hunting on a far northern lake with my friends Sven and Ollie.” To that end, the Candlefish 13 he’d build for himself would be able to carry three successful hunters and a half ton of moose meat, and still have about a foot of freeboard.

Adventures

The 2015 Everglades Challenge

A race that wasn't

After rescuing a dozen WaterTribers in distress, the Coast Guard canceled the race and requested that racers proceed to Cape Haze Marina and make arrangements to be picked up. I felt bad for him. He’d paid the entry fee, took time off from work, and traveled to Florida, only to have the race canceled. We pulled into Cape Haze Marina about 8:30 p.m. and over dinner decided to continue to Key Largo.

Technique

Wiping Varnish

Final coats fast and close to flawless

I had just finished again sanding out the wiggly, wavy, saggy results of my latest brushed varnish attempt on my wherry interior. I’d bought yet another quart of expensive marine spar varnish and was discouraged that I could expect most of it to wind up in the shop vacuum. In the dusty reaches of my memory I recalled an article by a furniture maker describing his efficient wipe-on varnishing technique.

Product Reviews

SolLight’s RailLights

Solar-charged lighting for camp and cockpit

Solar charged lights that come in handy in underway, at anchor, and in camp

Product Reviews

BoundaryTEC’s ShowerCoil

Campfire Water Heater and Shower

Roughing it has its merits, but do yourself a favor and take a hot shower.

Reader Built Boats

MA CHERIE, a François Vivier Ebihen 16

Plywood, epoxy, and life lessons

Wind & Oar Boat School is a Portland, Oregon, nonprofit that teaches boatbuilding not only for its own sake, but also to give meaning to math, science, design, and practical problem solving. As part of a workplace readiness program in the summer of 2013, students were tasked with building François Vivier’s Ebihen 16.