BYYB Forums

I was at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, Washington today and spotted this incredible Weekender.  Anyone know the builder?













That last photo shows what appears to be a double-gaff rig, where both the lower (boom) and upper spars are gaffs.  Interesting.

I also saw other homebuilts, like the Chesapeake Light Craft Pocketship, a number of Sam Devlin designs, and even a few Jay Benford cruisers.

No idea whose boat that is, but it's a work of art! Great pics, what did you think of the pocketship? I've always liked the look of that boat but never seen one in person.

The Pocketship was nice but I was more impressed with the Weekender.  The Pocketship looks more modern than classic.

It's not a double gaff. The boom , as well as the gaff simply use jaws, that's all. This is the way it was done in Admiral Nelson's navy, but was quickly changed, once goosenecks were invented. In fact, the last evolution of the gaff rig also employed a gooseneck, mounted on a "U" shaped metal saddle for the gaff too eventually, which took a lot of weight and trouble out of the rig.





The saddles pictured are single axis versions, but I like to have two or preferably all three axises, to prevent breaking stuff. I use saddles when possible as they don't break like a gaff jaws can and there's a lot less windage too.

I can't see the name well enough on the transom to ID her, but she sure is a very nice build isn't she.

Here's another Weekender I spotted at the festival.  I had a nice long chat with the owner.














Here's the Pocketship I mentioned earlier.






And here are three Sam Devlin designed boats.

These pictures are a perfect description of why it pays to build your own boat.  It is perfectly clear that both boats were lavished with all the attention to detail and artistic devotion that any artist would be satisfied with.  You simply can't buy that.  To get the most bang out of it, you have to do it yourself.

I like to look at pictures like these to get ideas for improving Duckie.  I've been thinking about it this year and now there is no way I am going through another summer without cockpit cushions.  I'm just going to have to sit down at the old treadle machine and make some up. 

Say Paul, what is the deal with the tackle on the bowsprit of the first weekender?  It has a double headstay and a block and tackle set up on it, but I can't see what it does.  I'm assuming that it allows for changing the head sail without climbing out on the sprit,  but I can't see how that would work.

I guess that I'm going to have to haul myself out to that show one of these years and get a better look for myself.

Al

The double headstay arrangement is one I use frequently on both Bermudian and gaff rigs. It permits the sail to be doused, by bringing the stay inboard, with the stick falling over. This setup (pictured above) requires the jib be set flying, as the fitting can't move. A better arrangement is to employ a "crance" iron, which is a ring that fits around the sprit and slides back and forth on a tackle, permitting the inner stay, jib and all to come inboard to the foredeck. Than again, the above boat may also be flying a double headsail rig. Weekender is a little too small for this setup, but some think it looks cool. Notice how little freeboard is available on the pinkish Weekender. It's not going to heel far before burying a rail and shipping water.



This is a page I've posted previously and it shows the double headstay setup the way I do it. The right hand side of this page is the way I prefer. The left side works too, but the mast needs to be in a stout tabernacle or keel stepped, so it doesn't fall over when the headstay is slacked off.

Mark, Thanks for the Beautiful pics from the boat show!  I think the purple Weekender is shown on the Stevensons site, and is from Canada if I remember right.  Did you get contact information for him by chance?

Regards,

    Will