JollyRoger's Blog

It seems that I can not finish one boat before I get started on another. In my defense, as soon as there was some room in the garage when “seven” was removed, it only seemed right to get started on something that I have been wanting to build and one that should go together very quickly. It is losely based on my Puddlecat 8’/9′ and 12’/13′ boats but is going to be a trimaran. I started the drawings last night, will pick up supplies today and may start cutting wood tonight. I will be doing updates here when there is news to share. The PuddleTri is going to be no less than 12 because I have been off shore in the 13 foot PuddleCat Adventure and that is as small as I care to go and enter it into tough watertribe races. Last year in the NCC 2011 it was rough and nastly. Other specs- 8’6″ wide so that it does not have to be folded or torn down and will be road legal together. The akas and amas will remove for cartoping. A guess at the weight is 125 lbs total. I will be using a Hobie AI mast and sail that I have on hand and will be ordering a Triak dousing spinaker just because it is so neat. More to come….This completed in a couple of hours over the weekend. And below is as of Tues morning 6-12-12. and 6-25 after taking a week Holiday in the bahamas. I should get back to work at it and get it close to finished this week.

Boat  should be completed and ready to test very soon. It is a Trimaran but it will also be tested in the monohull configuration which basically makes it a copy of the Paradox or enigma boat designs. In this setup it will carry 180 lbs of water ballast in the belly tank just below the captains floorboard.  This should take care of my need to have a paradox to play around with. In the Tri configuration (no ballast) it will satisfy my desire to have another boat that I have been admiring  which is a SeaClipper 10’ named Banana. My boats length is 12’ and right in the middle of both boats but mainly 12’ in order to be large enough to carry a jib and spinnaker in front of the hobie AI mast and sail but still small enough to car top. The main hull ready to sail came out to 82 lbs. In the mono config it should be right at 100 total and in the Tri it should be right at 125 lbs. The 8’ foot amas came out to 12 lbs each and they tested out in the pool at 300 lbs of buoyancy each in order to sink them to water level. Back to work, more to come.

Launched 7-1-12 All went really well and I am pleased so far. It is a cool little boat. With no weight in the boat it looks like the amas are high but with my weight they are both above the water aprox 2 inches and it sits on the waterline mark with the stern alittle low with my back against the seat. If I use the hiking board and get my weight forward it sits level so most supplies will be kept in the bow when on a challenge. I single blade paddled it and with an easy stroke that I could keep up for a few hours I could maintain 3 mph.