Calendar Islands Yawl

The Calendar Islands Yawl (CIY) has been built. Hull #1 was built in Minnesota and is a success. Launched late in the year after only about 6 months of part time building on weekends, the owner is really happy with the project and the boat. See his Google + site for pictures of the build.CIY hull #1 on sea trials, September 2014.Now, the work is on...

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Happy SummerPaddling & Rowing Season is upon usGear up. I thought it would be good to discuss this summer some aspects of using boats and get away from all the design talk for awhile. I recently bought a new Bell Magic fast, solo canoe and have only taken it out once, but loved it. Until I finish my next rowboat design for racing, I'll mostly be...

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NEW! Drake 19

On the Drawing BoardNew Drake 19 for tandem rowing, cruising and expeditionsFor Fixed Seat or Sliding Seat RowingThis new version of the Drake Rowboat -- my first design/build project -- really combines all that I have learned as a designer and rower and builder over the years. She is intended with the following brief:-- fast, stable cruising rowboat--capacity...

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Cool features of my kits

I'd like to discuss, in the next few months, a few examples of groovy ways to engineer a boat kit and build a boat. The first photo shows the side girders of the CNC cut strongback. This has been one of the gbuildest aspects of creating kits. In a few hours time, the strongback can be built and the chipboard molds attached via precut slots cut in mold...

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New kits, Old kits, More kits!

New and Updated KitsCalendar Islands Yawl under constructionUpdated Deer Isle Koster (KDI) kits being cut out WestThe CIY hull#1 is being expertly built in Duluth and everything is looks really good. The boat has been set up and planking has started.The building jig set up was all CNC cut and self-jigging. In a post on the Wooden Boat Forum about the...

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Calendar Islands Yawl Update

The CIY is becoming RealityA father son team builds CIY #1 in Duluth, MN.The last update had me quarter scale modeling the CIY hull. That work has completed and I've even put some paint on the model so it looks presentable. The model is also a great opportunity to use up left over paint and to test colors. I consider the color scheme -- and lack of...

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Drake 19 Design Work Continues

Drake 19 Rowboat ProjectOar-and-Sail Tandem Rowboat and Cruiser with downwind sailDrake 19 Rowboat with "squgsail" for off-the-wind sailing. Drake is primarily a rowboat (no board; rudder not shown above)The 19 is essentially a stretched Drake 17 with the hull lines tweaked to support tandem rowing and fast, camp-cruising. The boat is being modeled...

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Calendar Islands Yawl Modeling Continued

Fleshing out the Calendar Islands YawlModeling the InteriorWhile I am actually breaking out the geometry of the final 3D computer model, the interior of the "in-the-flesh" model was glued in yesterday and I'll prime it today.Cutting out quarter scale bulkheads for Calendar Islands Yawl interior.It never ceases to amaze me how everything just fits....

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Modeling in the Flesh and Screen

 Modeling the hullAfter slicing and dicing the hull "shell" in the computer, I had the parts cut and assembled them into a quarter scale model. Modeling is a great way to test the plank shapes and make sure the lines look good in 3D reality. The CNC cut parts delivered by CNC Routing & Design in Camden, Maine.The molds set up and plank-keel...

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A Real Hull Model

The Calendar Iands YawlHull Modeling in the flesh: part 1CNC cutting parts for a quarter scale modelThe 3D computer model is sliced up into sections that become molds for defining the hull shape.You can see the molds formed now, trimmed to the hull surface,  and one more to go!The hull is planked and ready to be broken up into the "flat" 2D geometry.A...

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Sail Plan for CIY

The Calendar Islands Yawl will be a lug-yawl rig. Details forthcoming!! Stay tuned for the quarter scale model of the boat. I'll be assembling the hull to check the fit and fairness of all her lines before proceeding to build out the interior structure and complete the mod...

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