Introductions / How did you find sailFar.net?

[s/v Faith]

Nath,

  Glad to see you online.  Sorry about the earlier registration problems, sometimes the email we send gets captured by peoples internet service... I HATE that...

  I have only been to the Azores by air, what is it like to livelihood there?  That is an impressive collection of boats you have built, do you have any pictures you can post? 

  I am glad you found us here, and look forward to reading more about your travels.

[tunznath]

Thanks
Re the boats, the Flamenca 26 was built from a hull deck and bulkhead set, I no longer have access to any pics of her, they are all in storage, the tiki 26 was built from scratch and I have pics of her, will post when I figure out how, the Van der stadt was a almost total renovation, mainly for blue water cruising and I have pics of her as well, so I will post them  - there is a thread on here about hard dodgers, the spirit 28 had a hard dodger that I built using stitch and glue ply, it would be interesting for those considering a hard dodger as it looked rounded like a canvas sunbrella one but was more functional, in the kind of seas we have off the south african cost. Living in the azores is nice, safe but as far as making a livlihood it isnt easy. but the lifestyle makes up for that.

thanks for sorting the registration problems, nice to be here
Nath

[maxiSwede]

I would be very interested in hearing your opinion on these as 'blue water' cruising homes.

I've seen quite a few of them here on the Algarve, Portugal and must say they are about the only cats I like the looks of.

If I were ever to consider a cat I would take a closer look for sure... A 36-38 foot Wharram could make a nice home-base for a couple, wouldn't it?

[gcerrone]

Hello, I sail the Chesapeake in many boats but my own is a Pearson Ariel. I got here while searching for an answer to a renovation due on my boat this winter. I liked what I saw and decided to stay.

Thanks,
Garry

[Captain Smollett]

Hello, I sail the Chesapeake in many boats but my own is a Pearson Ariel. I got here while searching for an answer to a renovation due on my boat this winter. I liked what I saw and decided to stay.

Thanks,
Garry

Hi Garry,

Welcome aboard SailFar.  Glad you decided to put down an anchor here.  Hope we get to see some pictures of your renovation as it progresses.

[Snapdragon]

Hello everyone,
My name is Bruce, and my little ship is a Thames Snapdragon 26 named "Puff".  This site was recomended to me by the Skipper of the good ship "Faith" who, about three weeks ago, I met while shopping for parts in a store on Barrancas Ave.  I am very gratefull for his help and generosity, and even though I am "not much of a joiner" and my computer skills are modest, I welcome the oportunity to publicly thank him for his kindness.

[Captain Smollett]

Welcome aboard, Bruce...good to have you.

[Jim_ME]

Hello Bruce, and welcome.

I've been looking for someone with a Snapdragon 26, so that I could ask:

Can you tell me what is the width dimension from the outside of the bottom of the keels--that is, what is the clear space needed between the wheel wells of a trailer for them to fit? (I understand that the draft is about 2'-8")

-Jim

 

[carl762]

Carl here.  I own a 23 foot Sundance.  Great little boat.  I'm new to the game, but learning a lot.  I'm moored on the Columbia River in Oregon, by the Portland International Airport.

Planning on sailing through the Winter, basically year round.   Have a couple of friends at the moorage, both live-aboards.  We do a bit of night sailing, just to get the most out of our boats. 

Found this site, through another sailing forum, and I'm very glad I did.  Spent last evening reading many useful threads, especially the $10-$20 composting toilet thread.  I'm sold.

Anyway, Hi Everybody (raises mug of Grog).

:)

[Jim_ME]

Welcome, Carl,

Will be interested to hear about sailing in your area (the other Portland). I have a new appreciation for large river sailing since visiting the Hudson River.

Here's a grog for you to raise.  :)

Cheers,
-Jim

[carl762]

Thanks Man.  It's 4:30 am, getting ready to shop for groceries for the annual feast.  Ah, arrrrr, having a little grog in my morning coffee.

Tomorrow: 10 knot winds 09:00 through 16:00 hrs., 3 foot high tide 9:30ish am, low tide 4:30ish 2.5 ft, 46 deg High.  Showers.  It'll probably be in the early 20s when I get there, but

I'm hittin' it!!!! 

[jakeindenver]

Hi All,  I happened across this forum by accident a few nights ago while searching (as I have hundreds of times) for anyone owning a Snapdragon 26 here in the state when I came across the link about Bruce's Great Loop journey in his 26' Snappy!  What a surprise as I continued to read there another Snappy here too! 

Looking very forward to following Bruce's journey here on Sailfar.net

Thanks,

Jake in Denver

[Snapdragon]

Hi Jake, welcome aboard!!  It was good talking to you on the phone yesterday, I'm glad to see that you logged on to the site ok.  It looks like Nancy and I will be stuck in the pensacola area for a little while longer with some minor medical issues ( this "gettin old" stuff ain't for sissies ) but I'll be sneaking the boat a little further East every chance I get.  Tomorrow I should be able to get those hull numbers for you.  I really appreciate your research on the Snapdragon history and I'll do what I can to gather information on mine. 

[s/v Faith]

Way cool.  ;D

  Here is a 'grog' for both of you.  Look forward to hearing more from you both.  :)

[Jim_ME]

Welcome Jake. My Sd26 is a project. Just started this thread for them.
http://sailfar.net/forum/index.php/topic,3117.0.html

[Sheppy]

Hi everyone,

My name is RossD.

I keep a 26 foot Cavalier yacht in The Whitsunday Islands in Queensland Australia.  I've been sailing on and off for 46 years and am still learning to sail.

I found SailFar.net by accident when I was looking for information on boats around the IOR Quarter Tonner size.

Cheers,

RossD.

[Frank]

Hello Ross. Welcome aboard here. Post a pic or 2 of your 26....we'd love to see it.

[maxiSwede]

welcome on board Ross!

hope you'll enjoy this place, a friendly bunch for sure...

It's good to hear your story and encouraging to all those who hesitate to overcome their difficulties and conditions..

A few years ago I heard of a man who was cruising single-handed. Nothing remarkable in that....it's just that he didn't have any arms!

Unfortunately all I know is told from a man who met him briefly in a marina.

It still happens to me once in a while, I come to think of how he's able to make it. ever so often I find myself wanting that third hand to finish a task onboard.

Anyway , hope to see you once we'lle get to the land downunder, it might take a year or two, we're not in a hurry.

Cheers, and thanks for sharing!

Magnus

[Sheppy]

Thanks for the welcome.

The Cavalier 26 is a Quarter Ton IOR design originally from New Zealand, (In the 1970's Cavalier were the largest production boat builders in the Southern Hemisphere) however after some changes to the tax laws there in 1979 (a 20% luxury tax on yachts etc.) the company had problems and the molds apparently turned up in Australia, which is where mine was produced in 1982.

Laurie Davidson supposedly designed the Cavalier 26 although I cannot find any evidence to support this.  I know he designed many of the other cavaliers including the Cavalier 28.

There are a number of things I don't like about the boat.  I hate having a 56kg outboard hangiing off the back of the transom.  She originally had an inboard diesel, but someone removed that.  Next was an outboard in a well, but someone changed that too.  Now, well the disadvantage of the bracket is mostly that the motor is susceptible to being clobbered.  The advantage however is that if I have to reverse in a tight spot like a marina, i can turn the thing.  Something I couldn't do if it was in a well.

There are no ribs or stringers, something I would change if I sailed across an ocean.

As you can see from the interior shot, a 5'8" person can stand comfortably. 

She has a cast iron keel bolted through, and is nice and stable.  The solar panels are usually mounted horizontally. 

Shepherd Moons is named for two things.  First, one of my earlier yachts was called Enya, after an Irish singer.  I had intended my next yacht to be named for an Enya song, but she was too well known for me to change the name.  When it came to this boat, most of the suitable Enya songs were already being used. 

Also, Sometimes the rings around planets like Saturn and Jupiter will have "shepherd" moons, small moons that orbit near the outer edges of rings or within gaps in the rings.  I imagine this is where Enya got the song title from.

Again, thanks for the welcome,

Cheers,

RossD

[maxiSwede]

Nice looking boat!

A grog for you for posting the pics  ;D