Re: JC ballast? (was Liveaboard Sailor for One)
Sorry to Bruce and Nels for delay in replying to you're reponces re. wounded
JC. Christmas has a way of imposing its own agenda. I intend to
photo-chronicle the entire restoration, starting with shots of the hurricane
damage. But I'll wait until I'm at least underway with the repair work
before I post any photos. To do so prematurely would only be depressing. At
least for me. She does in fact have a massively heavy plywood bottom. That's
what saved her from becoming a pill of kindling. I haven't been able to
measure the bottom thickness with exact accuracy because of the nature of
the damage, but it looks like her builder either used double 3/4" or tripled
1/2" ply. She's got to be at least 1 1/2" thick. She had been comfortably
craddled high and dry for a year at a Marina on the Bedford Basin in
Halifax. Hurricane Juan's storm surge knocked her into the basin and then
flung her back up onto a rock ledge against a cliff where she bounced away
the rest of the storm. The worst damage is to her aft starboard quarter
where side pannel, rails, and nearly 8' of chine were chewed away. Other
than being roughed up to various degrees over much of the remaining chines
and a neat hole, which look's like it could have been made by a four pounder
fired by Jack Aubrey's Sophie (though more likely a dead head), the bottom
is surprisingly sound. I anticipate being able to cut out clean sections
around the worst damage and then spring/splicing new pannels into place. The
roughed up chines I'm convinced can be ground, filleted and re-glassed
effectively. I'll need to replace and patch up a fair bit of her cabin roof.
But otherwise she's amazingly sound. All of her bulkheads are intact, her
many hatches all open and close smoothly and her cushions were still
perfectly dry after her storm bludgeoning. Mizzen tabernacle will need to be
at least 50% replaced. I'll need to build a new rudder, unless I find the
original one washed up somewhere along the basin shore. And I'll have to
replace or rebuild the pivoting bilge board (her builder, now deceased,
re-engineered the dagger board).
I have many fantasies about the possibilities for this boat. I've considered
actually "Jochemizing" it since I own plans for WDJ. By this I mean
installing leeboards, kickup rudder, and long, centre-line, piano-hinged
hatch cover. I'm strongly entertaining notions of switching to a Chinese
gaff or lug rig. The original builder already took some rather bold
liberties with this design, which, incidently, he built with only the
drawings available in 30 Odd Boats. Fortunately the builder was a
professional and highly gifted engineer. I suspect I will need to officially
commission PCB&F's help if I dare to ask their advice on any of this. But
for the moment these are all just the musings of a deranged mind. First and
foremost I'll need to get this boat into my shop (no mean feat in itself).
Once she's inside I plan to let her spend the summer drying out in the
green-house heat the bow-shed provides while I spend the season exploring
the high (though relatively close to shore) seas off Nova Scotia in the
re-launched Micro. So JC repair in earnest will probably not start before
next fall. In the meantime she's battened down under greenhouse plastic and
Tuck tape next to my driveway where she has already weathered several
wind/rain/snow storms very nicely.
jeb, with way too many boats AND fantacies with too little time, on the
YuleTIDE shores of Fundy
JC. Christmas has a way of imposing its own agenda. I intend to
photo-chronicle the entire restoration, starting with shots of the hurricane
damage. But I'll wait until I'm at least underway with the repair work
before I post any photos. To do so prematurely would only be depressing. At
least for me. She does in fact have a massively heavy plywood bottom. That's
what saved her from becoming a pill of kindling. I haven't been able to
measure the bottom thickness with exact accuracy because of the nature of
the damage, but it looks like her builder either used double 3/4" or tripled
1/2" ply. She's got to be at least 1 1/2" thick. She had been comfortably
craddled high and dry for a year at a Marina on the Bedford Basin in
Halifax. Hurricane Juan's storm surge knocked her into the basin and then
flung her back up onto a rock ledge against a cliff where she bounced away
the rest of the storm. The worst damage is to her aft starboard quarter
where side pannel, rails, and nearly 8' of chine were chewed away. Other
than being roughed up to various degrees over much of the remaining chines
and a neat hole, which look's like it could have been made by a four pounder
fired by Jack Aubrey's Sophie (though more likely a dead head), the bottom
is surprisingly sound. I anticipate being able to cut out clean sections
around the worst damage and then spring/splicing new pannels into place. The
roughed up chines I'm convinced can be ground, filleted and re-glassed
effectively. I'll need to replace and patch up a fair bit of her cabin roof.
But otherwise she's amazingly sound. All of her bulkheads are intact, her
many hatches all open and close smoothly and her cushions were still
perfectly dry after her storm bludgeoning. Mizzen tabernacle will need to be
at least 50% replaced. I'll need to build a new rudder, unless I find the
original one washed up somewhere along the basin shore. And I'll have to
replace or rebuild the pivoting bilge board (her builder, now deceased,
re-engineered the dagger board).
I have many fantasies about the possibilities for this boat. I've considered
actually "Jochemizing" it since I own plans for WDJ. By this I mean
installing leeboards, kickup rudder, and long, centre-line, piano-hinged
hatch cover. I'm strongly entertaining notions of switching to a Chinese
gaff or lug rig. The original builder already took some rather bold
liberties with this design, which, incidently, he built with only the
drawings available in 30 Odd Boats. Fortunately the builder was a
professional and highly gifted engineer. I suspect I will need to officially
commission PCB&F's help if I dare to ask their advice on any of this. But
for the moment these are all just the musings of a deranged mind. First and
foremost I'll need to get this boat into my shop (no mean feat in itself).
Once she's inside I plan to let her spend the summer drying out in the
green-house heat the bow-shed provides while I spend the season exploring
the high (though relatively close to shore) seas off Nova Scotia in the
re-launched Micro. So JC repair in earnest will probably not start before
next fall. In the meantime she's battened down under greenhouse plastic and
Tuck tape next to my driveway where she has already weathered several
wind/rain/snow storms very nicely.
jeb, with way too many boats AND fantacies with too little time, on the
YuleTIDE shores of Fundy
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Jack &Lois" <jalo@i...> wrote:
I'm inspired by the idea of the Micro as
> a trailer-sailor, allowing me to motor to within launching range of
any
> waters I might like to explore.
Hi Jeb,
Funny, each time I go outside I walk right by Lestat and
wonder, "What more do I need?" Just this morning I began to imagine
how she would do with a boom tent addition:-)
I did have some concerns about launching at some places but have
solved that with a winch and a dolly wheel on the trailer tongue. I
really like Peter's idea of using a cradle to store the boat and also
transport it on a regular flat trailer.
I see every lake as a possibilty and especially lakes with
campgrounds and showers nearby!
I lifted the JC's floorboards to bail out
> water and seaweed I found at least 1000 lbs. of concrete ballast.
Pictures
> I've seen of this particular boat under way show her riding high
(water line
> visible) while she appears to be sailing along very nicely. Re-
launch of the
> JC is likely at least a year and a half away, so the question is
rather
> academic at this point, but mention of JC brought it to mind.
How much work do you anticipate you will have to do on the JC? Does
it have the plywood bottom? Will you have to replace it? Yes, that is
weird about the ballest. But it could probably use more than 480
pounds.
I think it will be ideal for where you are located, as you will have
lots of water when the tide comes in and a flat bottom when she goes
out. Just make sure that board is up!
Of course she is more of a liveaboard for two than one, with that
nice big permanent bedroom. The photos Chuck has of Tomboy are very
inspiring. I see he even has what looks like an instant hot water
heater installed as well as micro and coffee maker.
Season's Greetings, Nels
rom sunny Saskatchewan, where it is a balmy -1 C:-)
>
--- Jack &Lois wrote:
I am begging to see photos!
The drawing reproduced in the
book shows 480 lbs steel ballast,
but I agree that seems light, and
it is likely that more ballast
would be (is) better.
> mentioned JC's 480-lbs. ballast.You have a Jessie Cooper!
I am begging to see photos!
The drawing reproduced in the
book shows 480 lbs steel ballast,
but I agree that seems light, and
it is likely that more ballast
would be (is) better.
I'm enjoying the liveaboard discussion. A topic near and dear to my heart
since I (still) have a Micro in my workshop nearly ready for re-launch and a
hurricane damaged Jessie Cooper sitting next to my driveway, ready to be
moved into the workshop when the Micro moves out. Nels, I especially
appreciate your description of the ease with which you transported Lestat
from Montreal to Saskatchewan. I had a hint of that quality when I sneeked
across the Annapolis Valley under cover of pre-dawn darkness with the Micro
on a less than road legal trailer. I'm inspired by the idea of the Micro as
a trailer-sailor, allowing me to motor to within launching range of any
waters I might like to explore. At this point I anticipate the JC's longest
road trip will be the three minute drive (with heaven only knows what kind
of truck/trailer) from my driveway to the nearest ramp on the Bay of Fundy
shore. From there the world is at my doorstep... well ok, maybe not the
world, but at least the Maritimes and Gulf of Maine coast. Hopefully someone
can clear up a ballast question for me. Early in this discussion someone
mentioned JC's 480-lbs. ballast. However, I noticed in the specs. section of
Bolger's discussion of JC, posted on Chuck Merril's web site, that 1000-lbs.
ballast was penciled in. Was this Chuck's doing? If so, is that what Tomboy
carries? I'm curious because when I lifted the JC's floorboards to bail out
water and seaweed I found at least 1000 lbs. of concrete ballast. Pictures
I've seen of this particular boat under way show her riding high (water line
visible) while she appears to be sailing along very nicely. Re-launch of the
JC is likely at least a year and a half away, so the question is rather
academic at this point, but mention of JC brought it to mind.
jeb, enjoying the illusion of spring-like warmth in my bow shed shop on the
(at least for today) sunny shores of Fundy
since I (still) have a Micro in my workshop nearly ready for re-launch and a
hurricane damaged Jessie Cooper sitting next to my driveway, ready to be
moved into the workshop when the Micro moves out. Nels, I especially
appreciate your description of the ease with which you transported Lestat
from Montreal to Saskatchewan. I had a hint of that quality when I sneeked
across the Annapolis Valley under cover of pre-dawn darkness with the Micro
on a less than road legal trailer. I'm inspired by the idea of the Micro as
a trailer-sailor, allowing me to motor to within launching range of any
waters I might like to explore. At this point I anticipate the JC's longest
road trip will be the three minute drive (with heaven only knows what kind
of truck/trailer) from my driveway to the nearest ramp on the Bay of Fundy
shore. From there the world is at my doorstep... well ok, maybe not the
world, but at least the Maritimes and Gulf of Maine coast. Hopefully someone
can clear up a ballast question for me. Early in this discussion someone
mentioned JC's 480-lbs. ballast. However, I noticed in the specs. section of
Bolger's discussion of JC, posted on Chuck Merril's web site, that 1000-lbs.
ballast was penciled in. Was this Chuck's doing? If so, is that what Tomboy
carries? I'm curious because when I lifted the JC's floorboards to bail out
water and seaweed I found at least 1000 lbs. of concrete ballast. Pictures
I've seen of this particular boat under way show her riding high (water line
visible) while she appears to be sailing along very nicely. Re-launch of the
JC is likely at least a year and a half away, so the question is rather
academic at this point, but mention of JC brought it to mind.
jeb, enjoying the illusion of spring-like warmth in my bow shed shop on the
(at least for today) sunny shores of Fundy