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New Video of Bolger Hope
We are now getting some time up on the Phil Bolger 'Hope' I built back in 2003. Here is a link to a youtube clip shot on Sunday November 27 2016Damaged piston and the replacement, complete with new...
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Increasing Sail Area
One of the subjects I deal with frequently in email correspondence is the question of increasing sail-area of that shown on plans. The answer, of course, is that sail-area can be increased as much as...
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Getting 16 feet Planks from 8 foot Panels...
In 2002/2003 I was becoming increasingly aware of my lack of bench space in the Wynnum workshop.At one stage we had six boats under construction at one time, and when commencing the planking of a...
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Three Brothers - a 3D Virtual Assembly
As part of my attempt to learn how to use a 3D CAD program, I have been using my Three Brothers powerboat design as an exercise. Although the design is still under development, I thought that some...
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Design Essay - Periwinkle
How Periwinkle came to be designedThis design came about as a direct consequence of the pleasant handling and satisfying speed of the sail-and-oar beach-cruiser, Phoenix III. I guess this will come as...
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Simple Cruising
This is a re-print of a very short article I wrote for an Australian magazine about fourteen years ago. I tend to cringe when I re-read my work from the past, but there may still be something in the...
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Trim, Seamanship, and Small Boats
Hugh Blank purchased plans for First Mate in 2009, and after seven years of building (interrupted by a very heavy work schedule), launched the boat in 2016. Hugh is the man for whom the Bermudan and...
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The Evolution of Phoenix (I, II, III, and (maybe), IV)
The very first Phoenix III built - Paul Hernes'Willy Wagtail(photo courtesy Paul Hernes)Mike Schuit wrote asking:-Sorry if the answer to this question is common knowledge already, but I’ve been...
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Flint and Fleet - Different Hulls for Different Jobs
My introduction to “reading” the shape of a boat’s hull by viewing a lines drawing came from watching over Dad’s shoulder as he read copies of “The Rudder”, Motor Boating’s “Ideal Series”, Howard...
View ArticleFleet under Oar Power - a short video clip
Since publishing the previous article about Fleet and Fleet, and their respective performance under outboard power, I've been asked by several people to report on performance under oar power.Flint was...
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Dinghy Cruising with a Mothership
I am approaching sixty-five years of age and for most of my life I have spent my nautical leisure hours sailing a dinghy of one sort or another. Dinghy sailing has added greatly to my understanding of...
View ArticleFirst Mate Sailing on the Wind
Here is a twenty second clip showing First Mate sailing to windward on an enjoyably fresh day. This should give some indication of a number of things - the benefit of a sharp entry when it comes to...
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Up-date on 'Whimbrel' - a 17' 5" x 6' 8" x 7-1/2" Sailing Overnighter
Some of you may remember me having written about 'Whimbrel' a long while back. This embryonic design generated a considerable amount of comment and interest. Since my last article about 'Whimbrel' a...
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Removable Side Seating and Bunk Flat
Side seating is a subject which comes up frequently in the emails I receive. Previously I have made comments about a simple arrangement which suits Phoenix III, Phoenix 15, First Mate and Flint very...
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A Favourite Design - First Mate
Many times I've been asked which of my designs is my favourite. Well, that is difficult to answer because all boats are the result of compromises due to the combination of uses, weather, loads and...
View ArticleUpdate to the First Mate article link
Thanks to Janko and Anon, the link to the archived First Mate article has been updated.https://web.archive.org/web/20210306012157/https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/first-mate/
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More about Whimbrel
I've been working steadily on the building plans for 'Whimbrel' with most of my time going into the construction details. Concentration leads to being '...in the zone...' and some insights pop up. One...
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Periwinkle - New Sails Bent On
Previous rig......new rig.I have completed the bending on of my new set of sails for 'Periwinkle', with test sailing to come in the next ten days or so. The mainsail is the same as the original other...
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