Hot Hot, Pot Pot

Camille waiting on her clothesline

Small boats are generally simpler boats, and, simpler boats are easier to use. An unused boat will suffer from neglect. Though new to us, little Camille was built in 1958 and found recently languishing in a shed. Over the past year she has given us some wonderful sails and warrants more attention. We’ve begun to cross off a number of her “to do” items. Improvements this week were: main sheet, peak and throat halyards are now new spun polyester, soft to the hand and supple. The old lines will serve as dock lines for C. I like to think they are souvenirs from her decades of sailing.

Used traveler with new running rigging

Bright sail ties dress up and hold a furl in the main. Looping the main sheet around the package was awkward and probably harder on the old sail. A discarded bronze traveler from Peter at Howard Boats replaces what was a rope traveler secured with two deck eyes.

Sail tie and new sheet

With a new masthead fly, Camille is ready for more memories.

Fly

Here is a short video as she cut along a string of a dozen crab pots. It was a very hot day. Think we’ll favor cooler evening sails for the next several weeks instead.

On By eebe4In Beetle Cat- CAMILLE, Beetle projects, Beetle sailing10 Comments

2 Short Sails

Finally took Chick back out over the past few days. Diving revealed she had little growth, but a scrubbing removed some scum and let her slip along even better still. The water was a perfect temp. Did some reading and napped in the shade of the cockpit afterwards. As the days heat up, late afternoon sails have been delightful too. Look here:

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Memorial Day Afternoon

Sailed all through the grey weekend and then the sun came out finally Monday afternoon. This short video clip shows the sensation of “speed” in a little boat when your tailbone is riding at the waterline. Getting to know this boat has been fun.

Camille video

On By eebe4In Beetle Cat- CAMILLE, Beetle sailingLeave a comment

Camille’s Reprise

Took a break to sail a wonderfully well-behaved little boat, Camille, a little fatty who’s grace holds no surprises. On her clothesline mooring now, she waits for this weekend’s fun and the weather looks obliging.

Camille

Made a short video playing with the phone’s iMovie app. Upon seeing a partial clip, my buddy Jay says, “Dogs really do like cats!”

On By eebe4In Beetle Cat- CAMILLE, Beetle sailing8 Comments

What’s in a Name?

Our Tartan 27 has already proven to be a capable little vessel. The small sturdy bird commonly referred to as a “Chickadee” seemed an appropriate name for our tiny ship. Additionally, my momma used to call her 4 babies “chickadees”. So, yesterday we made it official.

Afterwards we took a short sail upriver and back.

In studying the sail plan, I realized the shrouds were backwards. Added to that, the spreaders were sagging as their support rod going through the mast was upside down. 2 of my sons cranked me up the mast to fix the latter. The fix required disconnecting the various shrouds while suspended and healing the boat to counteract the loose rigging.

Chickadee’s rigging is happy now. It’s not drooping and is properly tensioned. Her main sheet is new. The other was half the needed length! (That escaped my notice in surveying.) The Cubic Mini stove install is nearing completion. So, we’re making small improvements while keeping her working. Very satisfied with the boat! More later.

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Getting Things Right

Running the engine to charge batteries is a poor solution at best to deliver amp hours back into the cells. A shore powered multi stage charger is far better. So, I added a Powermania 12 amp 2-bank “smart” charger that plugs into an appropriate extension cord led forward in the cabin and up through the bow dorade to pier supplied electrical power.

Other adds/fixes are:

  • Battery monitor: Xantrex LinkLite. This effectively a true amp hour “fuel gauge” to know the state of the batteries.
  • 12 volt/ USB outlets for all the 12v components now used from phones, cameras, speakers, handheld VHF, GPS, etc.
  • Bilge pump switch works now in manual mode, but automatic mode will require a float switch of some sort. I’ve a Water Witch switch from Luna that may serve. The wine glass bilge may be a challenge. We’ll see.
  • VHF Radio: a Uniden waterproof (overkill?) VHF radio is now mounted and powered. The masthead antenna will have to wait for a Spring haul out.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

May need a few more breakers as instruments and autopilot are added, but for now the boat is much improved. More later-

On By eebe4In Tartan 27 projects, Tartan 27- CHICKADEE4 Comments

Tartan 27 Specifications

170% genoa

Hull Type: Keel/Ctrbd Rig Type: Masthead Sloop
LOA: 27.00 ft / 8.23 m LWL: 21.42 ft / 6.53 m
Beam: 8.58 ft / 2.62 m Listed SA: 376.00 ft2 / 34.93 m2
Draft (max.) 6.33 ft / 1.93 m Draft (min.) 3.17 ft / 0.97 m

Displacement: 7,400 lb / 3,357 kg Ballast: 2,400 lb / 1,089 kg
Sail Area/Disp.1: 15.89 Bal./Disp.: 32.43 Disp./Len.: 336.14
Designer: William Shaw at Sparkman & Stephens

Construction: Fiberglass
First Built: 1961 (Chickadee is hull #471 built in 1974 at Douglas & McLeod in Grand River, OH)
RIG AND SAIL PARTICULARS
I: 34.65 ft / 10.56 m J: 9.83 ft / 3.00 m
P: 30.50 ft / 9.30 m E: 13.50 ft / 4.11 m
SA(Fore.): 170.30 ft2 / 15.82 m2 SA(Main): 205.88 ft2 / 19.13 m2
Sail Area (100% fore+main triangle): 376.18 ft2 / 34.95 m2
Sail Area/Disp.2: 15.90 Est. Forestay Length.: 36.02 ft / 10.98 m

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Chilly Chickadee

I’ve too many excuses with little reason behind any of them to explain my love of boats. Simply, I feel dead without them. (I apologize here and now Luna). Last summer I saw a boat advertised for sale that I’ve long admired, the Tartan 27, “classic plastic”. She was in Annapolis. Couldn’t get up there. By chance a month or so later, a family wedding was nearby. The boat was still available. Hmm. Perhaps I could escape during the reception? No one was going to ask me to dance. I’m a bit of a one trick pony and the Chicken Dance is out of fashion (was it ever?). Would have been bad form I know, not the dance, the disappearing. I suppose all was for the best. Luna needed a new home first. It seemed a long 3 months getting that done. Was quick really. Once accomplished I felt maybe I was done with “in-the-water” boats for awhile. The best day in a boat owner’s life … No such doing however. In short order I began thinking about the little Tartan. Yet, the ad had disappeared and I had lost the contact. So, I joined a T27 group to inquired of others on the market. Sadly, most were dogs or too much in the “project” category. Then favor shined. The son of the summer boat saw my post. “Faith” was still waiting. After several calls, 2 trips north and2 minutes of deliberation, the sweet little girl became ours. Getting her is a long 3 day journey. Add our December weather to the mix and none of it makes sense.

The first attempt was aborted after I got the rental car loaded. Optimism didn’t prevail. “Faith” became “Chickadee” and one week later a 3-day window opened. It was quite cold with small craft warnings, but no rain. The clear skies brought winds from the starboard quarter to offer a firm push home. Lunacy! Here are our 2 days getting south. A third is to come. Merry Christmas!

On By eebe4In Tartan 27 sailing, Tartan 27- CHICKADEE4 Comments