Carlyle Camping and the ABIGAIL ROSE

So... it's been a while since I've posted anything--the semester's gotten busy and I've been working on another project... But I figured I might as well show off some great pics of the boat that Jenny Brown took while we were camping with the Browns and the Rolands (who brought a 4-month-old!  Mega kudos!) at Carlyle Lake in later October.

Since this shot was taken I have finished all but the epoxy work on installing a front buoyancy chamber that will serve as a mast-step, "dry" storage compartment and (when the mast is down) forward seat.  I'll try to take some pics soon.

Sailing...

Here are a couple of photos of the ABIGAIL ROSE (still need to paint the name on her) at Carlyle Lake in IL in late August. We actually did go out on the lake, but you couldn't see much of the boat in those pics.

Waiting to embark from the "semi-private" "beach" by our campsite.


Heading out to go through the breakwater (yes, I know I'm rowing backwards--we had two guys [one of them 6'4"] in an 11 1/2 ft. sailing dingy!).

I just completed the rear buoyancy chamber this past weekend but haven't taken any pics yet; I'll try to upload one soon.

More Boat Details...

Here it is with the exaggerated rake [backward angle] in the mast to keep the sail in the same position as the old step position. Too much rake in my opinion--the weight of the sail is pulling down on the mast awkwardly and making it bend slightly, putting too much stress on it.













So I adjusted it some--this is about the same rake it had before (maybe a little bit more). I still think the center of effort on the sail looks to be about over the place where the lee-board will be, so I think we're in good shape.















Here's a view from the front...























...and one of the transom--I like how the varnished wood looks from 20 feet away! (Up close you can see more errors...)

















Finally, I realized as I was coming out the back door with the camera that I'd have few opportunities to get a bird's eye view of my boat!

Well, we got the paint job done and dried--we like the looks of the varnished (well, epoxied) wood against the blue hull! (Just hope a green sail doesn't look too weird for the time being...)

The reason you can see two thwarts in the second photo is because I'm moving the mast forward. From pictures it looks like the sail is further back than it needs to be and the cockpit feels a bit crowded with two people in it so I've moved the mast forward about sixteen inches. I'm adding a bit more rake to it (angling it back), and trying to tie the halyard in just a bit farther forward to avoid lee helm (the boat wanting to turn downwind on its own). As it probably has more weather helm than it needs right now (it seems to sail well, but then I'm a novice), I don't think the move will hurt anything, and it will create much more space when sailing.

The Last Three Weeks

I built a boat over the last three weeks,
David Beede's Summer Breeze
Here are the sides being glued after cutting in our basement:


Here it is coming together...




Another shot just before putting the bottom on:


And the "finished" boat at my parents' house (still needs inwales, paint and some tweaking, but it's now essentially together, epoxied, and ready to float).















A close-up of the kick-up rudder and the transom

And several views of the maiden voyage on Lake Lanier:

We sailed (and rowed--in very light wind) out to an island, hiked around the island then sailed home in better wind.