The Shed of Damocles

 

Accident waiting to happen

Every avalanche begins with a single snowflake;
 And my hope is to move a snowflake.

- Thomas Frey

The Shed of Damocles

Well. Our latest boat project has been idling for close to five months now... stalled on account of weather. Last year we were able to work through the winter for the most part, however inefficiently. Summer was unusually wet and cool. This winter, early and hard.

Sigh.

We were soooo close to finished when November of 2025 froze our bones in sub-freezing temps. and dumped three feet of snow on us. The fixed mill site (the building behind our tarp shed) had never let go its snow before, and we were content to believe it never would. Ordinarily, we'd go up and shovel it, but the roof is old and thin in places... if we can't see where to step, we could punch through. Even if not, we'd open up a hundred leaks we couldn't fix until clear and dry.

Our light tarp structure  is pitched steeply for the duration by lowering it's street-side posts. It can stand a deal of powder snow... maybe as much as a foot? We don't want to test its extremes, so clear it once or twice a day, avoiding any more than about 6in. More often if it's wet, since waterlogged snow is 10x as heavy.

Since it's not steep enough to shed snow, the procedure is as follows: 

• Throughout this process, shovel away past the outer, lower edge of the tarp to clear a space for snow coming down. If not, it stacks up and blocks it from shedding off the tarp.

1. Make a pass along the lower edge, shouldering upward to shake the bottom 1/4 or so down and off the tarp.
2. Use a smoothed T-pole to prod and shake the underside from the solid eaves down, shaking the top 1/2 down toward the bottom 1/2.
3. Go outside, and drag that lower 1/2 of snow down and off the roof, shaking the last remnants. 

This takes from 20 minutes to about an hour of hard work depending on depth, how dry, damp or wet the snow is, and how much snow is built up along the bottom. Past a certain depth, we have to move it toward either end of the 40ft span, or fling it across the 10ft road. 

Huff. Puff. Ain't as young as we used to be. I won't go into shoveling along town, houses we're watching, our boats and those we're watching or are unattended. But there ya go.

Eventually, there came cycles of thaw and rain and freeze in quick succession. The snow compacted and melted a bit, but formed an icy underbelly.

Finally, it blew a balmy 45degF winds through the open shop, melting the interface between ice and metal roof. The unmelted portion - a foot or so of ice and snow - was happy to ski downhill and onto our shed, wreaking a degree of mayhem; tearing our tarp and breaking a few rafters.

It warmed further, and we fixed out rafters and added the double layers of the blue tarp you see. They're water resistant, but are not as slick as the polyethylene underlayer. A little harder to clear.

But the warmth was transient... temps plummeted and the snow came again, building to back to its previous level, as shown in the lead pic. 

It's raining, again, with cold in the forecast. That upper roof might melt away without dumping, this time... certainly no ice along the bottom layer to sled it down. Who knows what the next cold spell will bring.

Five months lost so far... that's enough to build the boat in ideal conditions, all found.

Wah.

Yet, we grow stronger with every shovelful. We rest between pushes of effort, catching up on chores deferred and reading. It's a time to come together with friends for feast and laughter.

And oh, the winter-time is beautiful! The skies are glorious - furrowed in the laden cloud, or bright with crystal blue, or dancing auroral against the distant stars flung above the peaks. Snow flocks bush and tree and languishes in sensual curve and hollow. Frost feathers and heaves. Fog, frozen to ice mirrors from every branch. Our cheeks our ruddy and our breath smokes on the frigid air. Lovely!

But still... spring-time, anyone?

Live Aboard MacroEconomics: A Case Study

 

WAYWARD earning her keep

As you live your life aboard a vessel, be aware of the sea of life on which it floats and on which it moves forward.

— Ian Gardner (as remembered)

Whatever floats your boat!

-- Sailorspeak

Live Aboard MacroEconomics: A Case Study

LUTRA, the boat we're currently building, offers an as-of-today set of numbers to puzzle over.

Numbers, of course, are slippery li'l devils. What counts in or out? Round up or down? Will the future hold the course? Nonetheless, it's worth a look! Here, I'll take a bird's eye look at up-front dollar costs of our live-aboard vessel relative to rent. 

So LUTRA. Our labor is 'free' (ha!). Time is probably about 6 months of steady, optimal workdays... spread across a year and a quarter in our actual context. Let's say 3000 person-hours (2 persons x 8 hours/day x 180 days, rounded up). The time investment itself hurts less than time lost cruising at large!

When all the dust settles, we arrive at two figures for her out-of-pocket cost. For building site, construction and materials of the hull and furnishings, around $5K is pretty close. Mind you, this is still semi-remote, so costs are high. That's the easy part.

Where it gets complicated is in evaluating outfit, gear and copper we're carrying forward from WAYWARD (and earlier boats!). 

WAYWARD's copper plate was originally a whopping $10K in 2014 dollars. We figure that it paid for itself in about 5 years, saving a rugged alternative finish (e.g., fiberglass/resin), anti-fouling paint, haul-outs and associated costs, repairs, on-board insurance, etc.. After 10 years aboard WW, we used half of it and her chine angles for LUTRA.  Each half is worth around $4K as #2 scrap in 2025 dollars defraying the original outlay.

Similar calculations go for anchors, chain and rode, a pile of fasteners, piano hinges, coms, nav lights and other gear.

So... um.... I'm going to say $1K for these components. Neither replacement value nor market value, but a nod toward what might have been an expensive heap if it hadn't already paid for itself. 

That brings LUTRA's up-front dollar cost to ~$6K.

We're building in our home port of Tenakee, Alaska. Currently, property is well out of our reach. Rents are running around $1K/month for a studio-ish space, utilities included. IF you can find one open. There are only a handful and chronically occupied.  In a larger town, such as Juneau or Sitka, low-end rents average $2K - $2.5K/month, utilities NOT generally included. Tight there, too, but there're generally more openings coming and going.

So let's start with our local $1K/month. That's $12K per year. LUTRA's build is paid off in 6 months at large, a little more when tied to the dock. If we live-aboard for 10 years, we clear 'savings' - in dollars not spent - of more than $100K in village rent, ~$200K in town rent!

Cash money, unfortunately, doesn't grow on trees. 

Tenakee labor is compensated at $18 - $25/hour. It's not exactly 40 hour work weeks, so can also stretch wider over time. But let's say 200 person-hours ($5K x 1 person-hour/$25) to earn the $5K cash outlay for LUTRA. Let's add to that our 3K person-hours for construction and round up for a conservative 3.5K person-hours.

Still, it's easy to see that 10 years of rent would require at least 4K person-hours at present rates.

So... well, well!... looks like we save time, too, even when calculating the bare rental alternative to living aboard. An even better dollar deal if we had bought a vessel, rather than DIY.

That being said, while DIY construction plays a role in all this there are middle grounds.

Buying a modest fixer-upper and DIY from there will (most likely) drop your time investment considerably, and quite possibly your layout costs, so give that a good look.

But the big money is in living aboard! Sail away from the dock if you can.

***

In reality, all of this is vastly more complicated. We don't begin to examine, here, the costs of gainful employment (commutes, clothing, peer outings, etc. inherent in the alternative). We haven't calculated equity and resale value vs. zero for rentals. We don't know how to count our time entangled in town while building. We haven't considered costs of maintenance and repair. We don't know how to evaluate what we learn while building, and how that pro-rates over the years. We don't know if we'll get that 10 years ahead, much less the 20 or so we have fair reason to hope for.

We keep in mind that, at the end of ten years, we still own our vessel  / home ; it's just another rent-due month for the alternative.

I started this post musing in print. I'm pleased to see that the numbers appear to crunch in our favor in both money (I was pretty sure) and time (surprise!). My sense is that, given a simple, low-overhead lifestyle, living aboard and sailing remote, the numbers tilt even further in our favor.

So don't let a little thing like money stop ya!

Rigged for Success: LOM/Ljungstrom + Quick-Rig Booms

 

MUSTELID's LOM Main and Ljungstrom Foresail

Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor.

-- Rumi

Rigged for Success: 
    LOM/Ljungstrom + Quick-Rig Booms

I'd like to share a suite of ideas toward a family of lesser known rigs for smaller vessels that I think show a great deal of promise. Part historical, part convergent evolution, part innovation, the result is a simple but versatile, robust rig that can be DIYed at low cost.

Leg o' Mutton (LOM) Sails

This tasty moniker simply means a triangular sail. They're commonly used for headsails (jibs, staysails, etc.), mains (often called Bermudan sails) and drivers (small sails set far aft).

Ljungstrom Rig (2 x LOM)

Ljungstrom Rig uses a pair of LOMs, joined along their luffs and set on a free-standing, rotating mast. No booms were used to avoid troublesome impacts with crew.

This configuration works similar to twin head sails off the wind. From a beam reach on up, the sails are doubled over to one side and sheeted as one.

Pros:

• Boomstrike is eliminated (the rig's original focus).
• Light, inexpensive spares and gear.
• Quick set/reef, roller un/furling via the mast.
• Sailing off-wind, one side can be jibed for 'instant' 50% reef.
• Sail area aloft catches higher, upper wind-flows.
• Low Center of Effort (CE).
• Twin sails tend to center down the wind.
• Potential for hands-free operation.
• Sail steering is straightforward (haul to the side you wish to sail).
• UV resistant fabric along luff and foot eliminate sail covers.
• At least in smaller vessels, the furled rig is easy to set and strike, and compact for storage.
  
  

Cons:

• Lack of a boom makes spreading sail difficult (especially on narrow hulls).
• No clew outhaul or vang options.
• In contrast to twin stays'ls (unless the mast is canted) it generates no bow lift.
  
  

Adding a Boom

The addition of a boom set under a loose-footed LOM allows spreading, a clew out-haul and vang, addressing the main cons.

Interestingly, this approach was taken by both the Sea Pearl 21 (adventurously sailed by Stephen and Ginny Ladd, among others), and is marketed as Holopuni Quick-Rig (by Holopuni Canoes). Convergent evolution?

Both of these designs lead their clew outhauls via track along the top of the boom and sheets to the end of the boom. When the sail is reefed, the upward pull of the clew at mid-boom is resisted by the end positioned on the mast and the downward pull of the sheets at boom's end. 

As a sail's belly is blown full, pulling the clew strongly toward the tack, the boom resists in compression. If it is deflected from straight by the perpendicular pull of the clew between mast and sheet lands, that strength plummets. Usual solution? A heavy boom or one made with expensive, exotic materials.

Hmm.

What if we oppose sheet and clew tensions by having them meet at the same point? They cancel out, unloading the mid-boom! The clew outhaul - led to boom's end, then turned back toward the mast to the clew completes the picture. A rope grommet - travelling along the boom - is the perfect attachment point... simple, cheap and DIY.

Principle parts of the rigging...
This platform and 'collar' are primitive but functional

How We Go About It

Rotating Mast and Gear

In our small-ish boats, we went with a thumb-sized dowel protruding from the rounded bottom of the mast. This is inserted into a hole in its step - a fixed plate of thick HMD (cutting board plastic). This secures the foot but it allows it to rotate with very little friction. The upper partners are simply a loose-fit, fixed square around the mast. The distance between step and partners should be between 10% (minimum) and 15+% (healthy) of the mast's overall length for adequate cantilever.

A gate can swivel open to free one face for raising/lowering or close and lock to contain it. 'Box' sides at the step hold the foot in place for lowering. A pin led through one side and into a corresponding hole in the lower mast prevents rotation against high winds or rock and roll.

Each boom requires an arrangement that fixes their height above the partners, yet allows the mast to rotate independently. 

Our solution is a platform affixed to the mast with a collar from boom's mast end, around the mast, set above the platform... the collar is not so loose as to slip below the platform, but not so tight as to grip the mast.

Booms

Booms can be quite light as compression span decreases as the sail is reefed, and diameter per unit of span increases - functionally speaking, reefing makes them stronger. Further, they are subject to no significant side forces along that span. Sea trials help settle in on a light boom with comfortable margins of safety.

Each boom has a rope grommet loosely fit around it (sized so it doesn't bind when pulled at a flat angle). 

We fix a pinch cleat for the clew outhaul at the boom's mast end, pinch horn down (10deg) toward the distal end. This allows the line to ride over the non-pinch horn (up and toward the mast), under control hands-free as it pays out while furling.

A ring seized to the distal end of the boom turns the outhaul back toward the grommet.

The outhaul leads from its cleat, through the grommet (helps control a slack outhaul) to the turning ring, and back to the grommet. We fix it to the grommet's upper side, allowing a tail which is tied to the clew. We prefer little play between clew and grommet.

The sheet is fixed to the grommet's lower side and led to deck level. A turning device (multiple or travelling for an improved lead?) leads it toward a clear, handy to the crew. We prefer enough friction on the cleat to hold in steady wind but ease in heavy gusts... no lock hitch.

Sails

We used light nylon fabric to build flat-cut sails. These are responsive, and furl neatly around the slightly tapered masts. They are stretchy enough to take on some belly (camber) when full of wind.

Downside is that camber can't be flattened easily in high winds. But reefing is so easy, we can reduce power that way.

For 2xLOMs we screwed the webbed luffs to the mast, but are now considering a pocket for easier installation and removal. Others have found that a simple lanyard from tack to mast is sufficient for furling.

Handling the Ljungstrom

We set the Ljungstrom sail well forward, where it can pull us bow down the wind. 

We don't typically vang our sails to flatten them. Instead, we vary the sheet leads and/or reef a little more than we might. This avoids extra gear, handling and the heavier booms required. Personal call, however. 

Furled Set Up

When furled, the sail is snugly wrapped around the mast. The boom(s), if any, are vertical. Sheets are left slack and hanging. One clew outhaul is marline-hitched once or twice along the mast, securing all the bits, then made fast at its pinch cleat (low).


Setting Sail

Unhitch the outhaul, then refasten to its cleat. Uncoil sheets and lead aft to their cleats. Both outhaul and sheets will go slack as the sail is unrolled. Unpin mast if locked.

Depending on wind, you might wish to round up. For downwind departures, you may have to work in stages, trimming sheets as you go.

Unroll the sail by rotating the mast (we prefer 'righty-tighty; lefty-loosey' as standard... we do this by hand, but various rope windings are possible).

Once unfurled as far as desired, haul the outhaul(s) for the curve you wish, then make fast. Trim sheets and fall off to heading. Backing sail is easy and effective. If you wish to open the sails, do so.

On the Wind

Here the sails are overlapped and are sheeted as one (outer one generally the focus of our attention). They handle pretty much as any boomed LOM.

Off the Wind

Sailing off the wind, the sail is typically balanced like a delta kite. All things being equal, it want s to hold the bow centered downwind. More belly is often a good trade-off against more area.

To steer using sail, haul the sheet on the side toward which you wish to turn (easy, now!). This shortens its force vector and directs it to that side. The opposite sail, now relatively stronger and with a longer lever-arm, works to rotate the hull that-away. Like the reins of a horse!

In a heavy gust, you have a 50% reef at hand. You can jibe one sail (lapping one over the other) or let it fly (this can be harder to retrieve... get a wide angle). But if this comes up, consider roller reefing ASAP. Consider that, in high winds, you don't have to set them wing and wing... they sail well as one.

Odd Situations

If a sudden squall has invited letting both sails fly (they're trailing down the wind from the bow), calmly roller reef until you can bring them in and under control.

If such a situation has reversed their usual sides, don't panic... just hand the sheets around the mast, or refasten them for a fair lead and carry on. The sails won't care.

The whole mast, sails and all, can be furled, hitched up and let over as a sea-anchor.

All in All

We found these LOM/Ljungstrom + Quick-Rig Booms to be simple, cheap, versatile and powerful. Each piece is DIY-able from scavenged materials. Nothing about them couldn't be made in the field, at a pinch.

The lightness of the spars is a BIG advantage, especially as we age. The masts should be manageable for as long as we're likely to be able to row.

In researching the history of the rig, the few who have used it are soberly impressed by its virtues. It is not the fastest rig out there, but its no slouch, and pays its way with easy handling and quick reefing.

I'm hoping to see more of these on the water in the coming years!

Full Ljungstrom / Reefed LOM
Sprit-Boomed LOM Aft

References

Sea Pearl 21 Review by Josh Colvin

About Holopuni Canoes by Nick Beck

Rigging MUSTELID and MUSTELID Voyage by Anke and Dave

LUTRA Update: Building Blues and Bloom

 

A Work in Progress

Rome wasn't built in a day.

-- Old saying

LUTRA Update: Building Blues and Bloom

There are two things I yammer on about:

1. Small is beautiful.  - E.F. Schumacher
2. Curves and angles add to building time and effort.  - Me

Yeesh. I should listen to myself.

We're just rounding the one year mark on what we'd estimated to be a four month project. Six months if the stars mis-aligned.

A winter build - now approaching another? -  interrupted work with deep-freezing spells and general hypothermia, leaving us staring stupidly at simple tasks. Weather - exceptionally cool/cold and wet stretched from that winter, through spring to latish July, bringing mildew in its train. A series of guests (whom we thoroughly enjoyed) brought a warm spell that ended promptly with their last departure. Back to hypothermia. Our short-handed community has needs with few to step up. Our own life has chores that can't be indefinitely deferred.

It adds up to a blues riff.

But one step in front of the other. The structure is complete and we're building and tacking on gear (hatches, tabernacles, bow rollers, cleats, rails, rudder/tiller, etc.). In a week or two - barring further issues - we'll start the simple interior, then windows, then launch. we're hoping for 2025.

So we persist. We dream of returning to life at large among the islands.

We bloom.

*****

It's a challenge taking photos from point blank!

Rowing Cockpit from Forward
Longitudinal Seat/Lockers between Self-Bailing Decks
Main Tabernacle at Main Bulkhead

Rowing Cockpit from aft

Longitudinal seat lockers to Leanbank/Fo'c'stle Hatch

Fore and Main Tabernacles visible

Natural Navigators

 

Seems kinda simpler on the water!

From Crowd Motion Patterns, Dupont etc al. (2017)

Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of [their] mind comes through [their] movements.

- Maria Montessori

Natural Navigators

Line of sight navigation - lines of position, ranges, transits, relative bearings - is the simplest kind of look-see reckoning. No numbers, calculations or algebra! Given fixed visible points and rough angles, we can tell where we are on the water. With a second glance, we can tell if we're advancing, clearing or if another vessel will pass ahead or behind.

Simple.

Yet many struggle with the concepts involved. Many feel that such skills are beyond them. That there is something mystical or arcane in their ways.

I won't go into the details as they're well documented elsewhere. Rather, I'd like to point out that we use these skills daily without giving them the least conscious thought. We're ALL navigators from our early infancy!

Come with me for a walk in the park?

We're walking along a path bordered by green grass. We encounter others strolling along. Occasionally, we overtake a group going the same direction, and pass through with nods and 'hellos'. We see a vendor's stand to one side and pull off for ice-cream.

Lovely.

Of course, we've been navigating the whole time. We've not overstepped the path to tread the grass. We've tended to the right as have those coming towards us. We've threaded a 'fleet' of slower folks without bumping. We cleared the corner to the vendor's 'cove' and entered.

We do this every day. We walk toward our destinations. We walk through doors rather than crash into the walls on either side, coming and going. We assess and adjust our course and pace, relative to others in motion.

The only difference that makes navigation on the water feel uncanny is that we aren't generally providing the physical impetus of our own motion. Wind and water move us along as we sit and admire the view. But line of sight navigation remains the same. We adjust our course and speed according to what we observe, just as we do ashore.

It ain't magic!

 

Metronomics: Understanding Roll

Note the weight positions... higher = slower ; lower = faster

Now roll on, Buddy?
Why ya roll so slow?
I gotta roll slow
With my weight so low.

-- Adapting a Folk Song

Metronomics: Understanding Roll

Being an Old Fart, I had the privilege of growing up with mechanical metronomes. Mechanisms - as opposed to algorhythms - that set and keep the beat.

Metronomes keep the beat, adjusting their tempo by sliding a weight higher or lower along a bar. 

Higher Weight = Longer / Slower

Lower Weight = Shorter / Faster.

Puts me in mind of the dreaded short and snappy roll that fatigues and throws crew around if not overboard. Longer, slower roll periods are desirable. Up to a point. Beyond that point, they can become self-reinforcing and enter 'death roll' dynamics. We're with Goldilocks... we're looking for a sweet spot that's juuuuuust right.

Being a sailor, I can't help but see roll dynamics in the metronome.

Bar = Mast
Weight = Rig's Center of Gravity (CG)
Axis = Hull's Center of Buoyancy (CB)
Counter-Weight = Ballast CG

Tempo = Roll Period

The connection is easy to spot. We can adjust roll period (by raising and lowering the Rig's CG while all other points remain constant.

A baseline is established by weight distribution along the mast, most likely at construction time. Hollow masts offer lots of options for messing with distribution via placing of  internal weights. Choice of hardware (e.g., masthead fittings, blocks, spreaders, etc.) for weight placement all count. Designers aim for one-size-fits-most.

Junk Rig is interesting... as the sail is raised, more weight goes aloft. Typically the yard is heaviest at the top, while battens average out(?) along the mast. The total effect is that more sail slows roll.

This suggests the possibility of elective roll period manipulation via weight that can be raised and lowered to adjust for conditions. The challenge would be a 'doohicky' which would observe these Thou Shalt Nots...

• Not be difficult to deploy
• Not interfere with the rig
• Not swing wildly
• Not be difficult to dowse
• Not be difficult to stow

While giving a seriously positive return cost/benefit ratio-wise.

Clearly, the need for roll control will all have a lot to do with the roll dynamics of the hull in question. Low form stability (/easily driven) hulls will benefit more; Form stable (/it's complicated) hulls will benefit less.

How do you roll?

LUTRA: One More @%! Boat

 

LUTRA
30ft x 5.75/4ft x 1ft
...a Sampanic Shorpie?

LUTRA -- Genus name of otters, order carnivora, family mustelidae.

Sampanic -- Having a bow resembling a sampan.

Shorpei -- Sharpie / Dory / Shorey (as distinct from any one of those?).

Meso-Cruiser -- Bigger than a micro-cruiser, smaller than a full-sized cruiser?

LUTRA: One More @%! Boat

Well, here we go again.

A quick recap of our so-called 'retirement plan'... WAYWARD, our home of the last decade is capable and comfortable, but requires a deal of physical input to sail and maintain. As we age, we expect that it would become our less mobile live-aboard. To stay mobile for longer, we added MUSTELID to the mix as an easily handled camper-cruising forager.

MUSTELID's sea trials showed us that she is more than a fair weather sailor, and quite comfortable for longer term life aboard. We feel that we could, in a pinch, make her our sole live-aboard, though in spartan fashion. By nature, however, we lean more to hedonism than asceticism.

Got us thinkin'; always a dangerous activity.

Easy handling is optimal in the smaller vessel, but maintenance on the two vessels is more than WAYWARD's alone (duh). M's lack of insulation and light build puts her at the wrong end of the comfort spectrum... for about six months of the Alaskan, rainforested year, it's cool to cold living. Stowage is minimal (only enough for about four months if depending on food stores). Tools are limited to band-aid level repairs (not reconstruction). No copper plate.

Hmm.

We decided that an enlarged version of MUSTELID would meet our needs in one package. Easy handling, less maintenance, comfortable (and better organized) living aboard with enough displacement to carry longer term gear and outfit. When we're out cruising, with all eggs in one basket we won't worry about the boat left behind.

LUTRA vs MUSTELID

LUTRA is designed on the same general plan, but 6ft longer than M and twice as deep (1ft vs 6in for nearly 2x displacement). We've raised the cockpit sheer by a foot to allow self-bailing decks, wider footing and more storage in the T-locker. The resulting, higher (and widened bow) yields more lift over seas... this might be necessary to counter the increased momentum of a heavier boat.

• 9ft rowing cockpit (vs 8ft) relaxes our spacing.
• 3ft aft locker (vs 2ft) adds 'deep' stowage area and extends the aft deck.
• 12ft cabin (vs 8ft) 
• Adds room for a small 'chest of drawers' each (more efficient storage).
• Allows bedding to be moved forward, clearing a space for cook and fire while one of us slugs abed (we call the doubled bedding 'Cloud-Nine'  😴 ).
• Double displacement floats thicker walls and double windows (improved insulation), copper plate, extra stores and gear, and a thermal-mass rocket stove (design in the works).

A longer, deeper hull, heavy bottom and copper plate will increase form stability and add considerable ballast stability for an even stiffer boat. This allows a more powerful rig, though we'll keep it snug against the sudden williwaws to which our area is prone. Dimensions shown are about the max we might be comfortable with. Reefing is (supposed to be) a snap and sheets are very easy to release, so we'll see.

In particular, we're trying another possibly hare-brained idea:

 The mid-sail is drawn quadrilateral, spread by a sprit and boom inspired by Holopuni Quick Rig. First reef is to brail the sprit vertical (leaving a Leg O' Mutton, triangular sail standing) and rotate the mast one turn to wrap sprit and bunt. From that point, reefing is all roll-furling around the mast as .we've been doing. With luck, this will retain the easy handling of the simpler, LOM (Leg O' Mutton) sails from M.

This increases sail area and drive while moving the CE aft a ways. This will decrease lee helm from the forward sails and hopefully enhance windward performance. With luck, we'll get away with hanging the off-centerboards (which double as filler planks for a cockpit platform) from the forward end of the cabin in the blindspot at the chest-of-drawers.

We've widened the sampan bow which will allow us to use a foremast case. We'll be able to drop it without lifting it clear of the partners (a spooky operation when wind and water 'get up'!). It will be self-bailing and drain clear of the water.

Another departure is eliminating the cabin tumblehome in favor of one-piece sides. This simplifies construction, adds knockdown buoyancy in the BIRDWATCHER style cabin and helps reduce rain on the windows for better visibility.

Other than that, we'll be keeping most of M's features, only adapting as necessary.

The as yet open question is whether we'll be able to row LUTRA at speeds approaching 3kts. On the one hand, her longer waterline length affords about 7kts of Hullspeed (vs M's 6 1/3kts). On the other, we are doubling the underwater cross-sectional area and increasing wetted surface, both of which increase resistance. We'll be thrilled if we gain speed under oars; content to match speed; mildly disappointed to lose a little; chagrined to lose a lot.

Time will tell!

Getting Going

We were all set to build in a beautiful, remote location near Tenakee, but not too near (allowing us to concentrate on the build). Unfortunately, some friends suffered a series of misfortunes and we stepped in. We were glad to help out, but summer and a chunk of fall evaporated with no sure end in sight. We were offered a site in town, so moved back in and got started in late September of 2024.

It's cold and slow going. We're not as resilient as we used to be. Town life is lovely as always, but full of attractions and distractions. But we're chipping away at it.

At present, the hull is complete and we are about to copper the bottom with plate stripped from WW. It's well below freezing, at present, so we're prepping the plate and hoping for a few days of higher 30ºFs/low 40ºFs to render a waxy tape (sealant for the copper) more pliable.

Here's from a few days ago:

Tiny Tools: Toward a Compact Tool Set

 

The right tool for the job?

It's complicated.

Tiny Tools: Toward a Compact Tool Set

Keeping a full set of tools on board to handle any repair / rebuild / maintain job that might arise out there is great insurance.

But we who live in small spaces must be picky-choosy. If we can, we look for the following attributes in our tools:

• Competence - They must be able to get the job done.
  
  
• Versatility - The more jobs they can tackle, the better.
  
  
• Synergy - They should work well with other tools.
  
  
• Economy - Either inexpensive or long-lived (preferably both!).
  
  
• Small Footprint - Small is beautiful! 

Anke and I acquire what looks to be useful. Often (not always) a low purchase price indicates low quality. But we've got a tool in hand, and often find an opportunity to trade up down the road. Much more often, we'll find that a problem we face was well-solved back in the day, and we can find used tools that are no longer in common parlance for dimes on the dollar.

What follows is an annotated list of some of the less well known tools we've found to be both compact and useful. Please excuse signs of salt-water exposure... they're lately having a rough life!

*****

Notes

1. Feather File - Very fine edges and a medium cut.
   
   
2. 4-Way Wood Rasp - Flat and convex faces in rough and medium cut.
   
   
3. Small Level - To be honest, I've never used it on a boat. But for infrastructure?
   
   
4. Drilling Jig - Solid 90deg drilling guide when required (e.g., block pins).
   
   
5. Veritas(TM) Rounding Tool - 3/8 and 1/4in round... on plank and ply edges.
   
   
6. Stitch Awl - For heavy sewing (e.g., leather, sail patches, etc.).
   
   
7. Clamp-Tite(TM) - Forms and locks a tight, light wire clamp similar to a hose clamp but any size (larger tools available). Great for clamping a broken spar or any hose.
   
   
8. Needle Nose Locking Pliers - Very versatile. Great for working copper tubing. These are VISE-GRIPs(R).
   
   
9. Pipe Cutter - We use this to cut copper tubing to 3/4in.
   
   
10. (Ferrous) Nail Finder - Magnetic post points to a hidden ferrous nail. If using non-ferrous fasteners in hidden-frame construction, steel locator nails can be included to help find hidden framing years down the road.
    
    
11. Locking, Adjustable Wrench - Not a 'mini' tool, but unusual. Adjust as normal, then lock down for a secure grip on the nut with no self-adjustments as you work.
    
    
12. Folding Drawknife - Mostly available as antiques.
    
    
13. Low Angle Block Plane - Handles virtually all of our planing. IMHO, low angle planes work as well or better than ordinary angles (with the possible exception of a scrub plane).
    
    
14. Schrade(TM) Carving Folder - A useful carving set for fiddly work in a small package.
    
    
15. Multi-tools - These handle most of our odd-job maintenance work.
    
    
16. Gerber(TM) Utility Knife - For sharp cutting and light prying.
    
    
17. Smith's(TM) Blade Sharpener - V notch and Serration. Complements our Sharpal(TM) Diamond 'Stone' System (not shown).
    
    
18. Ratcheting, Adjustable Angle Bit Driver - These are a great combination. They tend to be not as well made as they deserve, but are cheap and seem to last. We like shorties like this one (Husky(TM)).
    
    
19. Low Clearance, Right angle Bit Driver - For tight spaces (about 1in). This one also accepts an in-line bit at handle's end (convenient!).
    
    
20. Bit Driving, Ratcheting Push 'Drill' (aka 'Yankee') - Saves a lot of wrist work, and with the hex-bit drills shown, can double as a light duty drill. Check that it accepts hex bits... the true Yankees had a superior but no longer standard split shanks system.
    
    
21. Hack-, Jig- and Sawzall Blade Handle - This particular model accepts all three with a quick and secure release. More are coming available, so shop around. Beware... some of the name brands have been disappointing.
    
    
22. Hand Auger/Dowel Maker - 'Shawn of the Wild' improved a Scotch-Eye Auger by lengthening the ring, setting its I.D. to the O.D. of the auger bit and creating a pocket mortise-and-tenon machine! Brilliant!!! Many are following in his footsteps but beware, not all are clear on the concept (especially as found in sets).
    
    
23. Utility Hatchet - These vary in quality, but if well made are handy li'l guys. They can be modified to suit your tastes (e.g., shape and cross-hatch the hammer head or change the cutting bevel of the hatchet head).

We have a universal socket (one of those with lots of pins which fit around any nut). Though not as robust as a solid socket, it can handle a surprising amount of torque. Plenty to make it useful for most of our needs.

Better yet, we have a Metwrinch(R) Set. Instead of dual Imperial and Metric sets, with 'teeth' bearing on nut corners, these have 'cams' bearing on nut flats. The play provided before bearing hard allows one tool size to securely grip near neighbors from either system. AND, since it's not bearing on the corners, there is little to no tendency to strip. In fact, they work until the flats themselves are rounded away.

Folders

• Fastcap(TM) 1in Chisel - These guys offer a range of standardized, folding tools, singly or in kits. They include chisels, saw, rasp, putty and linoleum knives, scratch awl, etc.. Very well designed and made.
  
  
• 'Butterfly' Dozuki / Ryoba Saw - Folded handle protects blade (and us!). This one is about 6in folded.
  
  
• JOIC(TM) Folding Drill - This one is antique only, but what a tool! Handle folds 90deg and screw end-cap holds bits. Chuck and gear rotate 90+deg. At about 9in, it can fold way down and function as an angle drill to 90deg. Both options lock down securely. We saw many of them on Ebay.
  
  
• SvenSaw(TM) - Simple, solid set-up and stows in-line. These have been around for 60 years, now. My only quibble is the teeth are pulse hardened, so can't be kerfed... we're looking for untempered replacements for all our bowsaws.

*****

These aren't our whole toolset, but they do 90% of the work. The rest are fairly standard heavy lifters.

On WAYWARD, we have a large toolbox in deeper storage and a small one at hand. Many of these small tools go into the little one, and handle our day-to-day needs quite handily. It's not until we're really building something major that we dig out the big 'un.

For the future, a smaller vessel will require fewer tools and favor a yet smaller footprint. The quest for the ever-more-compact erector set goes on!

TIP: If we standardize our fasteners (and other such accessories), we can much reduce the necessary tools. For example, limiting ourselves to #10,  1/4in, 3/8in, 1/2in and 3/4in screws and bolts with, say, square drive or hex cap/nuts, both our inventory and tools can focus in.

Subjectivividy: Row / Sail Around Chichagof

 

Our route, minus squiggly bits

Is it not better to applaud
and embrace the ever-changing seas,
not a longing dream stranded
on an eroding shore?

For the relentless tides shape
the coastlines: changing the world,
leaving their imperfect marks on time.

-- from The Perfect Myth by kategorical_poet

Subjectivividy: Row / Sail Around Chichagof

Circumnavigation was incidental.

We were aiming for the outer coast. Outer Chich, as it is locally known... the (west) side of Chichagof Island exposed to the Gulf of Alaska. Big water. A half a million square miles big. One and a half million square kilometers. Wind and wave each have plenty of room to develop power. 

So we Inside Passagemakers plan to head outside in a small vessel. And not just small, but new to us, and encumbered with every oddball idea we've collected over an oddball career. 

We got more than the usual cargo of advice. Yagottas and Yacants and Yashouldnts and Yamusts. We're gonna love it. We're gonna die. There's no shelter. There's shelter everywhere. It's all foul bottom. It's good holding anywhere you'll want to be.The usual, in other words, but this time at full volume. 

A general rule of thumb is to prefer those experienced mariners who report positively. 

Nay-sayers - even those with experience - are typically reporting the negative experiences consequent to poor choices. Careless anchoring, poor choice of shelter, machoing out the blows... these all lead to a pessimistic view. Those who have good experiences are typically applying both knowledge and prudence. If these can ride out the storm, it ain't braggin'. If they find holding, it's there. If they find shelter, it's there. If they read advanced notice of trouble, it's there to read.

Still, we approached the trip with caution and not a little trepidation

*****

Passage from Tenakee to Kalinen Bay, jump off point to the outer coast, involved a lot of rowing.

But our third day, in Peril Straits, a forecast of 'light winds' turned suddenly nasty. Five foot chop and gusts to 30kts of wind caught us mid-strait. This was our first stiff wind and way more than we'd bargained on! But MUSTELID took it well. With her whipstaff (vertical tiller) fixed a smidge to port, we could steer to s'brd by sheeting the main and raced across to shelter under a patch of sail.

Away in the distance, a humpback whale - longer than our hull and maybe 20x the mass - was coursing more or less toward us. But so long as we both maintained course and speed, it would pass easily behind us.

A few, absorbing gusts later and I looked again to find it now on a collision course! Not much time, and no room to maneuver on the face of the waves, I stomped the hull and called to Anke, below, to make noise.

That whale surged close, breathing slow and easy all the while, before it suddenly realized we were there, gulped air and emergency dived. I could have touched it with an oar. Anke saw its back, point blank, eclipse the sky. It's quick action saved us from being t-boned!

It would prove to be the closest call of the whole trip!

*****

From Kalinen, we faced a NW passage along 14nm of foul bottom shoreline, girded by breakers over jagged rock teeth. Wind was predicted S15 with 7ft seas, which would allow us to adjust distance off as needed, despite the rock 'n' roll. The concern was SW wind (prevailing direction along there)... we weren't sure we could close reach in the slosh of sea... if not, that coast would be a gradual lee shore.

As it happened, following a wild start the wind dropped to nothing. We rowed. And rowed. And rowed. All the time rising and falling to W seas from the Gulf and watching them burst against the shoreward rocks, close at hand.

Finally, we found the S wind, blowing hard, and made for Peele's Passage.

Peele was a paragon of the many Prohibition era smugglers supplying hootch to hundreds of outer coast miners. He knew this rock strewn passage well, and ditched pursuing law enforcement in its narrow, weed-wracked confines.

Our first look at it, we come screaming in under dark of a squall. We close-hugged a windward rock, ensuring we could make the sharp turn in. As we rounded, we were alarmed by the roar of several sharp, black fangs of rock that seemed to surge toward us!

Quickly became clear... those were no rocks. Sea lions, startled as we were!

*****

Crazed and Crazy

Once through Peele's we entered an island wonderland. 

I don't love the word 'awesome' (overused), but it's hard to think of a better. 'Terrific', maybe, in it's archaic sense of ability to inspire fear and respect? In any case, words fail.

Stretching from Slocum Arm in the south (Peehle's snakes along it) to Lisianski Strait in the north, outer Chich packs thousands of miles of coastline into a raven's flight of 30nm.

Approaching from the sea, solitaries and spray lines of rock must first be negotiated. Then fans of myriad tiny islands surrounding larger anchor islands. Then the perforated main body of Chichigof itself. All separated and connected by a labyrinth of weedy, bereefed passages. Shoals and deeps. Mountain, cliff and moor. Sheer rock and climax forest. And populated by fish, fowl, land and sea mammals running the local gamut.

Pretty much all of Southeast Alaska in a nutshell!

We drifted. We rowed. We sailed. We poked and prodded and scrabbled and scrooged. Feasted on its bounties, nourishing body and soul. And tucked away like the gem it is, White Sulfur Hotsprings let us look out on the open Gulf from the luxury of hot water! OMFG!! (Can I say that??)

We moved about in a daze - sometimes a literal daze of fog - overwhelmed by the beauties of the place.

But autumn was approaching, and with it equinoctial gales and storms rolling off the Gulf. On the first day of September, we rounded Three Knob Rock and turned toward inland waters.

*****

Sunset over Icy Strait

Icy Strait looks simple. Should be simple. Ain't simple.

Forecast winds blow mostly E or W. Water rushes in and out the E end... that's a fact. After that, it's complicated. Deep troughs are separated by relatively shallow ridges... water rises, turns and rushes. Waters collide in rips and ridges. Eddies back and fill. Point Adolphus puts a kink in the whole works, throwing water from one side of the strait to t'other.

Over the years, we've figured out jigsaw pieces of the puzzle. Maybe put a corner together.

Going E from Adolphus, for instance, if you follow the S shore (where all the good shelter is), you soon run into a W setting current. A strong one. Always. Goes like this:

• Outgoing tide, headed W to the sea, is on the nose.
• Incoming tide, headed E from the sea, is on the nose.

Wait, WHAT?? Well, incoming water is thrown NW by Adolphus, setting up a huge back-eddy that curls and back-fills alongshore, headed W.

Best bet is to push E at low slack, hoping to forge across the eastbound river of water, into the eye before the back-eddy sets up full throttle.

And that's just one challenge!

But the vistas! Wide waters aligned with sunrise and sunset. Towering, glaciated mountains and Glacier Bay to the NW, with lesser but no less beautiful mountains lining the shores. Deep sounds, inlets and estuaries to either hand.

With all this open water view we realize that we're surrounded by whales in flight, breaching for reasons they have never shared with us.

They say when pigs can fly, meaning never. But whales do fly. Go figure.

*****

Chilkoot Mountains

So we pull into Swanson Harbor at the cross-roads of Icy, Lynn and Chatham Straits. It's now late September and well past time to return to Tenakee before winter comes down hard.

But. But. But. But. 

But we're having such a great time! The temps are milder than usual for the season, and we're feeling in command of our vessel. Having family up there in Haines gives us a pretext. If we're there for a birthday on the 1st of October, we can take the next window S.

Now Lynn Canal is a full on fjiord let into mainland, North America. The wind comes down, as a friend says, with his Long Boots on! We've sailed it often, but even in bigger vessels, we prefer to keep our time there to the summer months. It would be... y'know... ill advised to head into the Lion's jaws this late in the year.

So rather than turn our bow south for home, we head north.

It's a humbling run at any time of year. The Chilkat and Chilkoot mountain ranges ramp up and up as we sail north, their peaks shredding the clouds. But as October approached, snow fell high and beautiful, clothing the naked rock with a mantle of white.

Birch turned autumn golds and reds are at first now and then. Soon they crowd the alluvial fans spreading at the outflows of valleys yet buried in ice. Flats along the way are limned with grasses turned sere and electric. Birds are flocking and on the wing, heading for winter grounds. 

We had more wind in six days of actual transit, coming and going, than we had all the rest of the trip combined! Water heaping up with 'well marked streaks' between bouts of scud blowing off the cresting waves. 

Sailing in such felt much more under control, however, knowing our boat and having advanced our small craft sailing skills considerably over the summer. A little cotton mouth here, shaky legs there, and speedy runs up and back.

At one point, we were running south with a fair wind and last end of tide. Wind and sea had both been picking up, but a large lee lay close ahead. But then three short, steep, tall waves overtook us, one after the other. If they arose with a fair tide, we'd better get out of that before it turned foul! We had at hand a cove with a tricky tidal entrance, but low slack is the perfect time. So we rounded into a sudden, flat calm and rowed, easy as you please, with the new incoming tide into one of the best harbors in the world.

Slept like babes.

*****

Back in Swanson in mid-October, it was only a matter of waiting for a window to head for home. It's still the cross-roads of three cranky stretches of water, and Swanson itself is a geographical wonder... wind might be 15 gusting to 25kts higher than the surrounding areas at any given time.

But in due time, a window came. After all this, the homeward leg was uneventful, to our great relief. We rowed and sailed in lighter winds for the very most part.

Turning that last corner into Tenakee inlet aroused mixed feelings. 

We felt the pull of that next horizon strong within us. Despite generous helpings of friends and family along the way, we'd mostly been just the two of us, delighting in our duetude. We had faced much together. Leaned on one another with an intensity not called from us since our early days on the water. To immerse ourselves in a community, even for a season, is to trade something we value for something invaluable.

To me, this closeness to one another throughout the trip was the most vivid aspect of our whole, luminous venture.

Subjectively speaking.

MUSTELID

S/V SCAVENGER

 

PLASTIKI

– A particularly ambitious vessel from found materials

From theplastiki.com

For a scavenger, patience is the key to the pantry.

– Delia Owens

S/V SCAVENGER

Trouble can come upon whole peoples, catching everyone by surprise. It happens. It’s happening now around the world. It can happen here.

Let’s try a little thought experiment…

Say that things have fallen apart, a little or a lot. Either the local, regional or global center did not hold and things got chaotic. Looters came and went, along with most residents. 

Say we want or need to build a sailing vessel from scratch with materials at hand in a depleted sub-urban area. Let’s say things have been permanently abandoned, and the moral coast is clear. Let’s further stipulate that all stores have been emptied.

What do we need? What of that is at hand??

Triloboats are designed to comprise a workable minimum. Simple box barge / scows, they are relatively quickly and easily built from rectangular materials (sheets and planks). They’re largely ‘form stable’, requiring little or no ballast. 

But there are plenty of other contenders!

Free-standing rigs simplify construction immensely. They are set on what are essentially flagpole principles: get a solid grip at the bottom and let the rest fend for itself.

A whole range of waterproofing puckies can be magicked up from combinations of asphalt, oils, waxes, gas/diesel/mineral spirits/turpentines, cement (lime) and toxins (antifouling).

So let’s look around for what’s at hand…

• Residential – Fasteners galore, plywood (sheathing and sub-floor, mostly), 2x framing, beams (solid and composite), hardwoods(?), insulation (foam and fiber), windows, roofing (asphalt, sheet metals and flashing), plumbing, electrical, hinges, carpets, fabrics, housewares, soaps and bleaches. Jonni Rings™ (micro-crystaline wax rings sealing toilets)!!! Electronic and electrical.
  
  

• Commercial buildings and schools – Bolts, hardware, hardwoods (bars and VIP enclaves), plumbing/piping, stainless sheets and furnishings (from kitchens), propane hardware (can be used with home brew methane), industrial cleaning agents, big glass, plexiglass, electrical, asphalt (flat roofs). Awnings?
  
  

• Cars, RVs and trucks – Oils, 12VDC electrical and batteries (keep an eye out for lithium based batteries or better!), alternators + regulators, inverters, engines (can run on wood -smoke or -gas), pumps, hose, radiators (vehicular air conditioning radiators use lead-free solder), bolts, tires, tarps?, jacks, tools and tire irons, maps.
  
  

• Roads – asphalt, bolts (guardrails), sheet metal (signs), manhole covers (ballast), culverts. Bus-stops (plexiglass).
  
  

• Power Lines and sub-stations – Poles, guys anchors, bolts and Ubolts, turnbuckles, wire (electrical and supporting cable). Copper for melting and plate production.

Appliances and accessories yield small AC and DC motors (windshield wipers, vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, washers and dryers, etc), alternators and vacuum pumps (refrigerator/freezers). 

Line can be found in various ropings, scaffolding and window-washing set-ups, on flag poles. Keep an eye out for line in the back of trucks.

Look around for tools. Saw blades and files are some of the harder things to improvise, so keep an eye out. The business end of power tools can be given handles and used manually. Home garages, garden sheds and firehalls may have been overlooked. 

If you’re in a higher-brow kind of area, look for copper furnishings, roofing, gutters and flashing for anti-fouling.

Marinas and boatyards could be full of goodies, up to and including vessels that weren’t cherry-picked and need some work, much of it left behind in the rush to turn-key

 (see Bob Wise’s Volkscruiser Blog). 

Junk yards, of course. And landfills.

I’ll bet libraries - full of analog know-how - will largely be unlooted. Meantime, any skills acquired in advance of trouble are a plus.

And I didn’t even mention dumpsters!

Point is, we’re awash in material abundance which our ancestors would have coveted, and immediately pressed into service. No matter which way we turn, the merest garbage of our age is the stuff of early sci-fi dreams.

Consider looking around for vessel ideas that might work well with found materials. Let’s use our imaginations! Think out-of-the-box!!

The scenario of our thought experiment is extreme-ish. But no need to await some fallen sky… much of all this is available now for nearly free. Permissions to mine liabilities (condemned or obsolete installations) are easy to come by.

Look around!

Related Posts:

A Rogue’s Gallery of Boat Recipes

Musings on the Economics of DIY

Simply Does It