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| "Dear ocean, thank you for making me feel small." (Photo from Islamorada, FL by K. Walters) |
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Picture this: Dear ocean...
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Back in the Sunshine Again
"I'm back to my deck shoes with holes in the toes. Fish on the line, sails in the wind. Cooler of beer on beach with my friends. Back in the sunshine again."
- Lyrics from "Back in the Sunshine" by Jim Morris
I knew it was going to be an epic getaway when one of our friends said, "I could pee on her, but it would smell like coffee and feel less weird if Kevin did it." So, I reluctantly mustered up the courage and wrung out a kidney in an empty water bottle. I then proceeded to pour my pee on my wife's neck and shoulders.
Does urine really take away the stinging from a run-in with a jellyfish or is that a myth? Scientific American says it's a myth, but we were nearly 5 miles offshore and Erin's shoulders and neck were on fire from the man-o-war she just snorkeled through. Actually, Erin's analogy was that it felt like someone was putting out a pack of Marlboros on her skin. The good news was that she didn't show signs of going into shock, so a golden shower seemed like a decent option to quell the pain. None of us had any better ideas.
So yeah, I peed on my wife. I can cross that one off the bucket list now. Myth or not, my "remedy" did provide some temporary pain relief until Erin dipped back into the water to rinse off her shoulders. Eventually the burning/stinging went away on its own, but Erin's skin showed marks for a week or more. Her ego recovered too.
Regardless of potentially dangerous sea life and urban legend cures, we still had a blast that day snorkeling at Alligator Reef Light and Cheeca Rocks.
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| No man-o-war can keep this crew down! |
Later in the week we rented kayaks and a standup paddle board at Key Largo's Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to meander through the maze of mangroves. Hannah actually had to lay prone on the SUP to sneak through a few low and narrow passes, which she relished. The middle of the paddle was highlighted by a visit from a friendly and curious manatee who grazed on mangrove leaves from Isabel's hand as we all quietly watched. For a polar opposite to sailing, we finished the week by renting jet skis for a circumnavigation of Key West by water. Amazingly, Soleil actually fell asleep while underway. Usually it's Izzy that falls asleep when we're out sailing, but somehow the salt spray and fast, bumpy ride over the waves was the secret elixir for Soleil.
I confirmed for myself that the Keys would make for an excellent sailing cruise someday. Shoal draft would be a necessity for all of the tucked away anchorages and gunkholes I spotted. Awareness of channel markers and a reliable plotter are another must, both on the Florida Bay side where mangrove islets and shallows lurk and the ocean side with its abundance of reefs and rocks. Good fishing, excellent snorkeling/diving, quiet backwaters and lively waterfront bars seem to be a way of life down here. And Sandbar Sunday brews from Islamorada Beer Company on the sandbar with friends is an ironic treat.
We're thankful to have created some wintertime fun-in-the-sun memories with close friends to go along with all of the summers we've spent together over the years since we started sailing.
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Looking for a High Power Flashlight? Pelican 7000 LED Flashlight Review
"We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light." -Earl Nightingale
Flashlights are seemingly simple devices charged with a straightforward task of providing light on demand. The new Pelican 7000 LED flashlight is my favorite for three reasons: brightness, toughness, and size. Pelican says this pocket-sized flashlight puts out 602 lumens of intense LED light. In fact, this is the first tactical light from Pelican to break the 600 lumen output barrier. I don't have a way to test for lumens and frankly, I'm not sure what a lumen even is. But what I do know is that this flashlight is seriously bright. In fact, bright enough to be used for a spotlight. For some perspective, two other very impressive lights I've tested in the past (Inova XO3 and Streamlight Waypoint Spotlight) put out 200 and 300 maximum lumens each respectively. So the Pelican 7000 is indeed very bright.
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| Pelican 7000 LED Tactical Light |
And it's perfect for use on a sailboat because it carries an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning it can withstand being submerged to 3.25 feet for 30 minutes. While it does have an integral belt clip, I'd like to see a lanyard so I could keep it securely attached to my PFD during deck work. Build quality feels and looks excellent. The aluminum case and polycarbonate resin lens make this a durable yet very lightweight (5.6oz w/ batteries) pocket-sized (5.31" in length) light.
I suppose this is also a "smart" flashlight too since it has four programmable modes: high, medium, low, strobe. I'll probably just keep mine programmed to simply turn on in "high" mode with the single push button on the bottom of the flashlight. There's also a battery status mode to check how much juice you've got left, but accessing it requires an awkward sequence of half-presses of the button. Speaking of batteries, the Pelican 7000 LED is powered by two CR123 Lithium batteries. These aren't exactly cheap and possibly not always readily available in foreign ports, so you might consider switching to rechargeable CR123s depending on where you'll be cruising.
Programmable modes and the lack of a lanyard aside, if you seek a bright flashlight that's as tough as your crew, the Pelican 7000 is up to the task. This isn't your Harbor Freight or Dollar Store variety LED flashlight, so it shouldn't come as a shock that the Pelican will set you back ~$70.
Ready to get your own Pelican 7000?
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| Get it here on Amazon and support SFLF. |
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Picture This: Sundowners at Sundown
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| Sundowners at Sundown (by K. Walters in Punta Gorda, FL) |
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Something Different for a Sailor's Feet - Keen Uneek Review
"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." -Margaret Mead
A good shoe for sailing has a few unique ingredients - good grip, toe protection and waterproofing or quick drainage. Add to that some degree of comfort, durability and style for gracing the marina and you've got a winner. Keen has taken two cords and a sole and turned them into a really fantastic sandal that's versatile enough for the deck or the trail. Aptly named the Keen Uneek, these new sandals check all the boxes by providing wet deck grip from the non-marking rubber outsole's razor siping, a degree of toe protection courtesy of the hand braided cord and fast draining and drying due to the microfiber footbed.
What was unexpected was just how comfortable the Uneeks are on my feet. The polyester braided cord is form fitting and flexible enough that there are no pressure points anywhere yet the fit is still secure and stable. Now that I've had a chance to wear them on the sailboat for a weekend, I can confirm that the grip on deck is quite good. I also appreciate just how airy they are since my feet tend to sweat in just about every shoe I wear without socks. I personally also really like the braided cord look, which comes in a variety of color options.
All in all, Uneeks are the un-sandal. Totally functional, unique and at home on a boat or beach.
Pros: Very comfortable, very airy, good grip
Cons: Minimal toe protection from cleats, etc.
Buy these shoes if: You need a sturdy sole with an airy and comfortable upper.
Can't get enough of sailing shoe reviews? Try the others we've written:
Stand Firm - Sailing Shoe Reviews
A Sailor's Sole - The Original Reviews (including Keen Newport H2s)
Astral Porter Sailing Shoe Review
Deck Shoes or Dive Boots - Zhik ZK Boatshoe Review
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A Summer Sail to Grand Traverse Bay
"It was a poetic recreation to watch those distant sails steering for half-fabulous ports, whose very names are a mysterious music to our ears. It is remarkable that men do not sail the sea with more expectation. Nothing was ever accomplished in a prosaic mood." -Henry David Thoreau
I know, I know. Citing a Thoreau quote to open a simple sailor's blog post is going to alienate some of you. But still, I think he sets the stage well for my kind of summer cruise. There's nothing unimagined or lacking poetry when I leave the dock in the summer, even if only for 9 days. When I cast off the lines headed for the other end of Muskegon Lake or the northern basin of Lake Michigan I might as well be sailing to the far side of the world. My mind and spirit run free like a child's on the first day of summer break. I'm James Cook and Bernard Moitessier in a common skin.
And oh how those half-fabulous ports of Leland, Northport, Suttons Bay and Traverse City were indeed mysterious music to our ears.
But before we could listen to the music, we actually did have to cast off the lines and find the west side of Muskegon Lake and the channel out to Lake Michigan that would set it all in motion. Just like last year, it was o'dark thirty (~4am) when we left the dock hoping to make miles on the first day. Freshly baked blueberry bread from the galley oven and stove top coffee brewed in our Nautical Scout collapsible kettle made the morning very pleasant. We again found ourselves in Manistee when the crew became weary. But instead of the marina, this time we opted for the anchorage in the south arm of the breakwater. Izzy officially took on the role of dinghy master for this cruise and it started that afternoon in Manistee when she had things prepped to go ashore nearly before I even had the anchor set.
Manistee is ok, but it's only one quarter-fabulous. I'm probably just jaded by the bluer water farther north. Or maybe it's the newly created memory of Soleil's concussion she received when Erin and I allowed her to climb a boulder and then proceed to tumble off the other side. She had a good cry, but seemed ok on the ~1 mile walk back to the beach where our dinghy was waiting. Then she ended up sleeping immediately back at the boat. When I roused her for dinner, she vomited twice. After calls to her pediatrician and the local urgent care facility in Manistee, we were told she'd be ok as long as the vomiting stopped and she didn't pass out upon hitting the ground from the fall, which she didn't. Long story short, she woke up the next morning before the rest of us (like usual!) and was her normal, playful, inquisitive self. Phew! Knowing she was going to be just fine, we pull the hook and made the short sail north to Frankfort.
We grabbed a slip at pricey but quite nice Jacobson Marina so we could enjoy short walks into town to restock groceries, refill the growler at Storm Cloud Brewing, enjoy a frozen treat from Scoopers and relax in the pool. Erin hit up the local grocery store while I played with the kids at the nearby playground. The highlight was Izzy helping Soleil overcome her fear of bugs when they both befriended a newly hatched mayfly they named "Fetcher". It's pure joy to watch siblings loving on each other. Erin took Hannah and Izzy into town after dinner to see Jurasic World while Soleil and I read quietly on the boat. Erin and I put the evening to bed with sundowners in the cockpit under the glow of our oil lamp.
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| Bedtime stories by lamplight in Frankfort |
We awoke early the next morning and pointed the bow northward into blue water with the sun rising over the mammoth Sleeping Bear Dunes (a site worthy of a 4am alarm clock!). Winds were light in the morning, so the motor got a workout. Erin hooked a salmon on our dipsy diver rig and fought it for about 5 minutes until I dumbly took the rod to adjust the drag and promptly lost her catch. Doh!
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| The admiral was all smiles until I lost our grilled salmon lunch to an overly tightened drag |
We also flew our symmetrical spinnaker for the first time on Bearly-A-Wake during this stretch, which I'm proud to say worked just fine off the wind by having the spinnaker tacked around the forestay with parrel beads and parachord instead of using the spin pole (I'll describe the rig in a separate post). It took a fair bit of packing and rigging to get it all set up, which didn't seem to be an efficient use of time since the wind died completely after the sail was set for only about 15 minutes. Oh well, you've got to do something to occupy yourself on a 10 hour sail.
The breeze finally started to build by midday and we had a beautiful sail as we approached Grand Traverse Light on Lighthouse Point. We thought about making the run up to Charlevoix, but opted to spend some time exploring Grand Traverse Bay instead. Our first night was spent at anchor right next to Hulabaloo, who is ultimately headed for the Caribbean. If you visit Northport, I highly recommend Northport Brewing and their food truck for nice way to spend a few hours. When the morning came, we were treated to a card boat from a powerboat poker run anchored right next to us. Believe it or not, we sailors really enjoyed listening to and watching the brightly colored go-fasters zip in and thunder out of the bay as they retrieved their cards.
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| Watching the poker run in Northport |
Next it was on to Suttons Bay, just a short 2 hour sail south. We've anchored in Sutton's Bay in the past and it remains one of my favorites. The combination of clear water, a protected anchorage and a friendly town make for a nice trio. That evening we were treated to an amazing optical illusion. As the haze of dusk set in, the water and sky blended and the horizon disappeared. It look as if we were peering into an infinite watery opening to worlds beyond. We had a nice breakfast ashore the next morning and toured the Inland Seas Education Association facilities before continuing on to Traverse City at the southern end of the west bay.
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| A quiet morning at anchor in Suttons Bay |
Our 2-night stay at the municipal marina in Traverse City was the only multiple night layover of the cruise. Highlights included watching the girls (including Soleil) enjoy a stand-up paddle board at the beach, the nearby splash park and the atmosphere of being docked so close to a decent sized city. We had the only rain of the trip during our first morning in TC, but Horizon Books bookstore and the samples at Cherry Republic (chocolate covered cherries, cherry salsa, cherry wine...yes please!) kept us all busy for the 2 hours or so that it lasted. We were also fortunate to have an impromptu visit from Erin's parents. In addition to their company, we were happy to grab a car ride with them over to the Apache Trout Grill for dinner, one of our favorite shore side restaurants anywhere.
Traverse Bay is one of those cruising areas you could spend an entire summer exploring, so we'll have to come back to check off a few more places we didn't get to on this trip like Elk Rapids and Power Island. The deep blue water and diversity of bays and "up north" towns is a strong elixir. Nevertheless, a low pressure system was moving into the area and bringing favorable north winds on our last evening in Traverse Bay so we reluctantly made morning plans to bash through building seas on the way out of the bay until we could round the Lighthouse Point and ride the wind and swell south to Leland.
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| Soleil soaking up the fun on Traverse City's splash pad |
As it turns out, the forecast materialized just as was predicted (20+ kt north winds and 3-5' waves) and we were able to surf, splash and roll our way into Leland's unique harbor. The harbor itself is actually just a small marina tucked inside of a modest rock breakwater open to the south. The entrance is surrounded by shallow water and puts your beam to the seas in most conditions, so the turn in 3-5 foot waves was a rush, as was negotiating the tight fairways to our slip in the gusty conditions. But all was well when we finally tied up and were able to restock the refrigerator at the local grocery store and watch the surfers and kite boarders make the breaking waves look more enjoyable than they had been for us just a few hours earlier.
Another record fell for us on the leg from Leland to Pentwater...our longest continuous passage to date (~90 nautical miles). How did we keep three kids (ages 3-12) occupied for the nearly 16 hours of sea time? Food! Well, food played at least some part since the kids devoured pizzas we grilled on the stern rail mounted grill. Erin also brilliantly gave Hannah and Izzy the responsibility of cooking brownies in the propane oven all on their own. Between the eating, mixing, baking and cleaning of the galley mess, they were occupied for well over an hour. Games of Uno and singing on the foredeck also helped pass the time until Pentwater's pier showed up on the horizon an hour or so before sunset. Speaking of Pentwater, this is the first time in many visits that we never actually made it to shore. We simply dropped the hook and went to sleep shortly thereafter.
The following day we returned to Muskegon and completed our second longest total cruise mileage to date (Our 2010 journey to the North Channel still holds our family record). I'm happy to report that the new fuel tank I installed in June performed flawlessly. And as usual, our cruise taught me more about patience (It's a perpetual lesson) and provided the special connection to my wife and three daughters that I sometimes long for when I'm living on land or working in a cube. The return to homeport also made me once again face the reality of not being a full-time cruiser. I had to let go of my James Cook-Bernard Moitessier persona and let it marinate in the crockpot of shore life until our next family cruise.
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| Stop me if you've heard this one: A unicorn, a turkey and a girl with talons walk into a bar... |
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| Hannah and Izzy know what's SUP |
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| Your author enjoying a Moitessier moment in the morning |
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| Isabel polishing a Petoskey stone on the foredeck |
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| Hannah captures a surfer in Leland for Instagram |
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| Izzy takes us home the last couple of nautical miles to Terrace Point |
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Time for a Sail - Jord Dover Wood Watch Review
"The half minute which we daily devote to the winding up of our watches is an exertion of labour almost insensible; yet, by the aid of a few wheels, its effect is spread over the whole of twenty-four hours." - Charles Babbage
Sailing is sometimes that way too. The raising and trimming of sails is like the half minute exertion of watch winding labor whose effects can carry us hundreds or even thousands of miles through the wind and waves. If the wind is right, you get a lot for a little.
With today's battery powered smart watches and quartz movement self-winding watches, the exertion of labor that Babbage describes is not only insensible, but in many cases actually non-existent. Take for example the subject of this review, the wooden Dover watch from Jord. The Dover requires an initial winding, but then daily activity keeps it ticking if it's worn for 8 hours a day or so.
What I really like is that the wood feels light and comfortable on my wrist and adds a nautical flare to match the teak on our sailboat. Jord offers several wooden watch models for men and women in a variety of colors, but I particularly like the Dover in zebrawood and cream (pictured) or ebony and rosewood. The Dover also features a sapphire crystal face covering the industrial looking inner workings that remind me of why winch maintenance seems so daunting...lots of intricate moving parts precisely aligned for a specific task.
So the look of a Jord watch works well with the sailing lifestyle, but what about more practical matters like durability in a sometimes harsh environment? Jord watches are considered splash proof, which is to say they aren't intended for full submersion in water so you might consider leaving it below decks if you're sailing in rain or other wet conditions. I wore mine over the weekend on a mini cruise to a port 8nm north and found it comfortable and unobtrusive while steering, trimming, etc. but we had sunny skies and light air. Build quality feels and looks excellent with craftsmanship and a solid feel evident in all the components. Note that there's no date display, so all you're getting is time with the Dover. That's just fine for my needs, but if you're looking for a watch that does more you'll need to check out a different Jord model or perhaps complicate things with a techie smart watch.
Considering that Jord is Swedish for "earth, soil, land", I'd say that their watches make a stylish and simple statement on the sea too. Take a look for yourself here on Jord's website.
Best Wooden Watch
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Snikwah Sailing - Dress for the Occasion
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." - Mark Twain
I'm mostly a t-shirt sailor, which is to say I'm not picky about what attire I wear when I'm sailing (and I have little influence on society). But I find that the older I get the more sensitive my skin seems to be to UV and wind rash, which is exactly why I was excited to try out a shirt from Snikwah that offers sun protection (UPF 50+) and an extendable/convertible collar to keep my neck, ears and even face protected on the water if I so choose.
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| No, I'm not robbing a bank - I'm outfitted for sun/wind/bug/spray protection on the water! |
Snikwah's claim to fame is their proprietary blend of Dri-Release fabric that adds excellent moisture wicking ability to the UV protection. I don't know exactly what the material is made of, but it's been comfortable and airy during the last two weekends of sailing. I'm also happy to report that Lake Michigan's black flies couldn't bite through the shirts either. So how do they feel? My best description would be to say the Snikwah "original" shirts feel like a form fitting soft cotton tee. They stretch just enough to not feel restrictive but still hold to your body. Even better - Snikwah offers their shirts in kids sizes and designs. Hannah went with the "Sea, Land, Air" shirt while I choose the tarpon design to remind me of how much I enjoy visiting my folks in Boca Grande in the winter.
If you're looking for a quality, comfortable shirt that's right at home with your life on the water, browse the selections at Snikwah.com. I know I'll be using mine on windy passages when I want to keep the spray and sun off my skin. I'm also looking forward to wearing it on the ski slopes this winter since the wicking properties, convertible collar and thumb holes on the sleeves should be equally useful for cold Michigan winter weather too.
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Picture This: Autumn Rolling In
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| Autumn Rolling In (Muskegon, MI) |
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4 Simple Questions with Sailboat Designer Chuck Paine
"A designer must study the essentials of what is beautiful in yachts, and work these ideals into any design he draws whether blonde or brunette, transom stern or pointed, power or sail." - Chuck Paine
This post is the first in a series I'm putting together to help give myself some new perspectives on cruising sailboats from the design pros. In the series, I'll be asking well-known yacht designers to answer 4 questions. Follow along with the series and learn a bit about what makes these designers tick and the intricacies of such things as the tradeoffs for sailboats between form and function.
Here are my questions for the designers:
1) Sum up your sailboat design philosophy in a few sentences.
2) What's one of your personal favorite sailboats that you designed and why?
3) Is there a sailboat design and/or designer that inspired your own work or career?
4) Is it more difficult to design a sailboat that looks good or sails good?
For this particular post, I'm pleased (and thankful!) to share responses to my questions from Chuck Paine. Chuck began designing sailboats professionally in 1971 as an apprentice to Dick Carter. Soon thereafter, he set up his own design company - C.W. Paine Yacht Design, Inc. Although Chuck has designed sail and power boats, he's perhaps best known to cruising sailors for his work on several very high quality sailboats from Morris Yachts such as the Frances 26 and the Annie 29. He has also designed very large sailboats such as the Morris 51 Apogee and the Bermuda Series. In recent years, Chuck has gone on to found his new company, ChuckPaine.com LLC, which focuses on small, elegant sailboats "for those who wish to simplify their leisure lives in style."
So in Chuck's words, here are his answers to my questions:
1. I really didn't have a philosophy. Since I did it to make a living, I looked at myself as an artistically talented whore. I did it for the money, and I did it whatever way my John (excuse me, my client) wanted me to do it. But I had studied the designs of all of the famous designers and could pretty much draw an accurate copy of an Archer or a Herreshoff or an Olin Stephens or a John Alden or a Ralph Winslow without consulting any book. Remember, my firm designed almost as many powerboats as sail - you can't get any more commercial than that! Now, when I'm semi- retired, I still design boats, but I am very choosy. I have no staff anymore (we got up to 5 people in the office in the halcyon days), so I can only do boats small enough that I can do all the drawings myself before the customer croaks. And basically, because I adore his designs, I won't design anything that doesn't look like what Nat Herreshoff would design today if he were still alive. Like this one that was just launched this summer- my interpretation of an Alerion, with a deep keel to make her a lot more stable... the centerboard Alerions were wicked tender.
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| Chuck's interpretation of an Alerion (Read more about it here) |
2. Personal favorite design? I absolutely love my little Paine 14. It's based upon the Herreshoff 12 1/2 but a bit smaller, and with a much higher performance fin keel and separate balanced rudder and unstayed carbon fiber mast. Sail Magazine made it their Daysailor Catgory Boat of the Year last year. It sails amazingly well, and it has engendered two more designs that I am working on now - a "Paine 15" that will be almost identical, and a "York 18” that is being tooled up now. Why do I favor this design over so many others I have done? Because, being small and easy to get going, I actually use it - a lot! I have owned boats up to 38 feet in length, and the larger they were, the less I used them. Maybe this is why when you go by any urban marina in the world on a sunny summer weekend all you see is big, white, fiberglass boats that could be out sailing, but aren't. Size matters, and small is good for sailboats because it makes them easy to use.
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| Paine 14 |
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| York 18 |
3. Nat Herreshoff was without question my inspiration. I grew up on an island in Narragansett Bay and the two boatyards there were full of Herreshoffs. By age five I knew from seeing these beautiful objects that when I grew up I would be a yacht designer. Half of them were Herreshoff 12 1/2s. I think it is the finest boat design that was ever done anywhere, by anyone. Here's me sailing PETUNIA, built in 1937 so almost 80 years old now. I bought her in 1972 when I was working in Dick Carter's office.
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| Chuck Paine sailing PETUNIA |
4. It is much more difficult to design one that looks good. For two reasons - what looks good is subjective. Some prefer blondes, some prefer brunettes. But ask any man whether a woman is beautiful, and he will say yea or nay despite his chosen "type" (same for you ladies, I am sure). A designer must study the essentials of what is beautiful in yachts, and work these ideals into any design he draws whether blonde or brunette, transom stern or pointed, power or sail. I made it because I could do this, and I think it is what set the other successful designers of the past apart.
Thanks again to Chuck for his willingness to candidly participate in this blog series. Want more writing from Chuck? Get his book - My Yacht Designs and the Lessons They Taught Me.
Want more guest posts from sailboat designers? My Sailboat Reviews page has a variety of articles that were written for SailFarLiveFree by Bob Perry and Ted Brewer.
Stay tuned for more posts in this series fromm other prominent yacht designers!
Thanks again to Chuck for his willingness to candidly participate in this blog series. Want more writing from Chuck? Get his book - My Yacht Designs and the Lessons They Taught Me.
Want more guest posts from sailboat designers? My Sailboat Reviews page has a variety of articles that were written for SailFarLiveFree by Bob Perry and Ted Brewer.
Stay tuned for more posts in this series fromm other prominent yacht designers!
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4 Simple Questions with Sailboat Designer Bill Dixon
This is the second entry in a series of my mini-interviews with prominent sailboat designers. My guest this time is Bill Dixon. Bill leads Dixon Yacht Design and has done so ever since he took over Angus Primrose Design more than 27 years ago. To cruising sailors, perhaps Bill's best known designs include sailboats from Moody Yachts since 1981. Of particular note are the unique and innovative Moody deck saloons. As Moody Yachts puts it, "Bill Dixon is more than a designer. Each one of his developments is filled with life." Dixon Yacht Design has also been involved with the Passport Vista 615, Passport 58TC, the Discovery 50 catamaran, the Tayana 54 and many others including several superyacht sailboats and powerboats.
A very big THANK YOU to Bill for participating! And now on to my questions and Bill's responses:
1) Sum up your sailboat design philosophy in a few sentences.
I enjoy designing sailing yachts, based on the lifestyles of owners. This, believe, is what can move sailing boat design forward, as sailors are using their yachts in a different way. The result must be seaworthy and comfortable, and of course fun to sail.
2) What's one of your personal favorite sailboats that you designed and why?
In production designs, the Moody 45DS stands out. It is the result of my many years of family cruising and living aboard. Why line in a cave? Instead, have a sailing yacht with great interior visibility and a deep, safe cockpit. All this in a boat that really sails fast.
3) Is there a sailboat design and/or designer that inspired your own work or career?
No particular designer, but during my career there have been significant designs that move the industry forward. Getting inspired and keeping a very open mind to design are important.
4) Is it more difficult to design a sailboat that looks good or sails good?
I think modern hull designs make for fun sailing boats, and I believe exciting to style. I think that unfortunately today, the consolidation of boat manufacturing has reduced choices for owners, which is sad. All boats don't need to look the same!
Thanks again to Bill Dixon. If you're interested in more design perspectives, visit SailFarLiveFree's Sailboat Reviews page. And stayed tuned for the next interview in this series!
A very big THANK YOU to Bill for participating! And now on to my questions and Bill's responses:
1) Sum up your sailboat design philosophy in a few sentences.
I enjoy designing sailing yachts, based on the lifestyles of owners. This, believe, is what can move sailing boat design forward, as sailors are using their yachts in a different way. The result must be seaworthy and comfortable, and of course fun to sail.
2) What's one of your personal favorite sailboats that you designed and why?
In production designs, the Moody 45DS stands out. It is the result of my many years of family cruising and living aboard. Why line in a cave? Instead, have a sailing yacht with great interior visibility and a deep, safe cockpit. All this in a boat that really sails fast.
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| The Moody 45DS and her unique deck saloon design |
3) Is there a sailboat design and/or designer that inspired your own work or career?
No particular designer, but during my career there have been significant designs that move the industry forward. Getting inspired and keeping a very open mind to design are important.
4) Is it more difficult to design a sailboat that looks good or sails good?
I think modern hull designs make for fun sailing boats, and I believe exciting to style. I think that unfortunately today, the consolidation of boat manufacturing has reduced choices for owners, which is sad. All boats don't need to look the same!
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| The modern classic looks of Dixon's Opus 55 |
Thanks again to Bill Dixon. If you're interested in more design perspectives, visit SailFarLiveFree's Sailboat Reviews page. And stayed tuned for the next interview in this series!
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Embrace the Wind and Spray - Zhik Kiama Review
"Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine." - Anthony J. D'Angelo
...or at least bring a good all-weather jacket. Zhik's Kiama jacket is just the ticket for most of the sailing that I do here on the Great Lakes.
It's design is simple, and I mean that in a very good way. There aren't a ton of panels sewn together or several colors competing for you attention. Instead, the Kiama offers a clean look and a fit that's comfortable. Even in simplicity, this jacket is more than just a shell to fend off the wind and repel rain and spray. It's got a certain heft to it that adds just the right amount of warmth and insulation.
Zhik says it's designed for inshore sailing in mild to moderate cool conditions, but I'm inclined to think it can handle more and will even make a really functional winter ski coat so long as you add a medium weight base layer. Regardless of how it's used, movement isn't restricted but the fit is modestly tight.
As for the features, the Kiama has an outer waterproof, breathable nylon shell and a mesh inner with fleece lining in the zippered pockets and around the collar. All of the seams are taped and sealed, as they should be for a jacket that will see the sea. There's also a fitted hood with a storage pouch.
Bottomline - I like this jacket a lot and find it hard to come up with an objective negative. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since I also really like my Zhik ZK boat shoes I reviewed last year. If you're looking for a sporty, well-made sailing jacket that's equally up to the challenge of nasty conditions and quiet shoulder season sailing, check out the Kiama.
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4 Simple Questions with Sailboat Designer Bob Perry
"No matter how hard I work on the aesthetics, I never arrive at a place where I feel the boat is "perfect". It may look perfect on Monday, but by Tuesday I will know I can improve it." -Bob Perry
This is the third entry in a series of my mini-interviews with prominent sailboat designers. My guest this time is SailFarLiveFree guest blog veteran and one of my personal favorite designers - Bob Perry. You probably already know many of Bob's designs, but some of my personal favorites are the Babas (30, 35, 40), the Nordic/Valiant Esprit 37, and the Lafitte 44. It's hard to sum up Bob's sailboat design work in just a paragraph, so instead of trying I'll just give you a few more examples of his production designs: Islander Freeport 36/38, Norseman 447, several Passports (456, 470, 485, 515), Tashiba 31/36/40, Tayana 37, and many Valiants (32, 40, 42, 47, 50). And did you know Bob also designed the Westsail 38, the big CTs (48-72), and the very unique Duffy 22 electric boat, Far Harbour 39 "Container Yacht" and the Pacific Seacraft South Sea 61?
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| A Baba 40 reaching along nicely. |
That's really just scratching the surface because I didn't include several other production designs or any of Bob's custom designs and powerboats. If you're interested in more of his work, check out his website or read his book, Yacht Design According to Perry.
As always, I want to give a very big THANK YOU to Bob for participating! And now on to my questions and Bob's responses:
1) Sum up your sailboat design philosophy in a few sentences.
My design philosophy is to deliver to the client a pleasant looking boat that will perform very well and make both him and me happy for a long time.
2) What's one of your personal favorite sailboats that you designed and why?
This answer changes as time goes along. But right now, I'd say FRANCIS LEE is my favorite on account of it making the client and his wife very happy and performing beyond our expectations. It's also two years old so it has an age advantage. It's "fresh".
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| One of 4 custom carbon fiber 43s Bob is currently working on for one client. |
3) Is there a sailboat design and/or designer that inspired your own work or career?
Yes. I have always been inspired by the work of Bill Garden. I met Bill when I was 15 years old and I crewed on OCEANUS with him. Aesthetically, he was a genius.
4) Is it more difficult to design a sailboat that looks good or sails good?
No differences for me. The two go hand in hand. But performance elements are easily defined and controlled while aesthetic issues are more nebulous and may take more effort. No matter how hard I work on the aesthetics, I never arrive at a place where I feel the boat is "perfect". It may look perfect on Monday, but by Tuesday I will know I can improve it.
Thanks again Bob!
If you're interested in more design perspectives, visit SailFarLiveFree's Sailboat Reviews page. There you'll find more articles written for SFLF by Bob Perry as well as Ted Brewer, Bill Dixon, Chuck Paine and others.
Lastly, stayed tuned for the next interview in this series!
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4 Simple Questions with Sailboat Designer Ron Holland
"I believe designing a fast, good looking sailboat does not require any design compromise." -Ron Holland
Here's number 4 in my series of mini-interviews with prominent sailboat designers. Today I'm welcoming Ron Holland, the premier large yacht designer.
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Ron's love for sailing began at an early age. Ron's father, wanting the best for him, bought Ron a sailing dinghy for his 7th birthday. Ron recalls feeling upset because he really wanted a rowing dinghy, not a sailing dinghy. He was afraid the dinghy would tip over and sure enough, it capsized on their first trip out on the water.
By the age of 15, Ron was a well-known crew member of several successful yachts. One of which was the 36-foot ketch Aloha on which he sailed from Auckland to Sydney, a journey of over 1,000 miles. His experiences lead to an apprenticeship with boat builder Keith Atkinson through the Auckland Technical Institute. While there, two teachers recognized a budding designer in his drawing abilities. With their support, Ron's focus shifted from boat building to boat designing.
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| Ron in New Zealand with Thalia in the background |
Ron was only 18 when he received his first commission to design a 26-foot yacht for a fellow student. The success of the first yacht led to additional commissions. In 1968, Ron had an opportunity to go to San Francisco where he soon found employment as a Trainee Naval Architect with celebrated American yacht designer Gary Mull. Through Mull, he was introduced to some of the top sailors in California and began crewing with some of the best yachters of that time.
Ron's innovative designs have repeatedly shaken up the world of sailing. Today, Ron Holland is one of the world's leading yacht designers and creator of a new generation of 100ft plus performance super yachts. 2014 marked the 40th anniversary of Ron Holland Yacht Design. Ron's studio is currently based in Vancouver, Canada. As you'll see in the questions below, Ron is dedicated to working closely with both clients and builders.
His design portfolio includes the 247-foot Mirabella V, the largest single-mast sailboat ever built. The 210-foot Felicita West is one of the largest aluminum sailing yachts in the world and was a collaboration between Ron and Perini Navi Group. Ron Holland Design is also responsible for the Discovery 55, 57/58, and 67. And then there's Ron's personal cruiser from 10 years ago, Golden Opus (pictured below).
As always, I want to give a very big THANK YOU to Ron for participating! And now on to my questions and Ron's responses:
1) Sum up your sailboat design philosophy in a few sentences.
Work like hell (with the client and the builder) to give the client a design he will love! I believe my design portfolio spans a wide variety of design concepts because of this philosophy. The one constant MUST - they have to sail fast and handle well.
2) What's one of your personal favorite sailboats that you designed and why?
Racing yachts: Imp. She was designed for a great client that let me free to do my best work. Imp also had a great crew who drove her to win many races.
Big yachts: Mirabella V. The biggest at 247 feet, most challenging design effort. Very big. Composite. Tallest (by miles at the time) carbon mast. Biggest sails. 150T on lift keel and so much more. I've been aboard close reaching at 18.9 knots!
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| Mirabella V |
3) Is there a sailboat design and/or designer that inspired your own work or career?
I've been inspired by so many designers. Olin, L Francis, Bill Garden, Arthur Rob, and Kiwis John Spencer and Bob Stewart (both light displacement designers).
4) Is it more difficult to design a sailboat that looks good or sails good?
I believe designing a fast, good looking sailboat does not require any design compromise. Designing to a handicap rule challenges this. Also, fashion challenges this, especially on aesthetics (i.e. the present vertical ends, straight sheer line profiles). The big compromise relates to designing a yacht that can sail well (win races) in all conditions. That's difficult!
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| Golden Opus, Ron's personal 73' cruiser (10 years ago) |
Thanks again Ron!
If you're interested in more design perspectives, visit SailFarLiveFree's Sailboat Reviews page. There you'll find articles written for SFLF by other designers such as Bob Perry, Ted Brewer and more.
Lastly, stayed tuned for the next interview in this series!
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4 Simple Questions with Sailboat Designer German Frers
"I have to say that I don't believe sailboats with rakish and slippery superstructures that look like they are out of aerodynamic superfast vehicles enjoy mixing the company of spars, rigging, cloth sails and large angles of heel and pitching in heavy chop." -German Frers
This week I'm welcoming German Frers to the helm of SailFarLiveFree.com. Below is my mini-interview with German that continues the blog series asking four questions to prominent cruising sailboat designers.
If the name German Frers doesn't ring any bells for you, you're still almost certainly familiar with some of his designs. He has been the exclusive designer for Nautor's Swan in Finland, much of the Hallberg-Rassy range and several Hylas sailboats. In fact, Frers firm, Frers Naval Architecture & Engineering, is responsible for many high end racers, cruisers, superyachts, day sailers, multihulls and even some motor yachts. Far too many to list here!
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| The Hallberg Rassy 342 |
As you'll read in his responses below, German spent time at Sparkman & Stephens in the 1960's and has carried on the design work from his father, German Frers Sr.
As always, a sincere THANK YOU to German for taking the time to answer my questions. And now, here are his responses:
1) Sum up your sailboat design philosophy in a few sentences.
I am not sure I can call it a philosophy, but what I try to achieve when designing any kind of boat is to do something which is fast and good looking. That is to say, the whole thing is well proportioned and has grace regardless of the size and type. A boat that is responsive, gracious and has character. A boat that meets the owner's specifications and/or is commercially successful is the goal I follow.
2) What's one of your personal favorite sailboat that you designed and why?
I can name a few. Mirage, a 10-meter yawl, was my first design built back in 1958 when I was 17. She had a flush deck with a very small dog house and well rounded deck edges to gain headroom and reduce windage. It won a lot of races under the CCA rule. Scaramouche, a 53' Palmer Johnson sloop, was the winner of the 1974 Bermuda Race. Recluta II, which I sailed in the 1973 Admirals Cup, was another flush deck boat which also won her class in the 1974 Bermuda Race. The 1981 Swan 46, the third design I did for the Finish builder of more than 30 models and counting. The Beneteau First 42. The 143' spirit of tradition ketch Rebecca. The 51'Acadia. The Maxis - Boomerang and Moro di Venezia. Stealth, the 98' sloop built for Fiat boss G. Agnelli. Unfurled, the RHS 112. All of them succeeded in meeting their owner's expectations and I was deeply involved in one way or another.
3) Is there a sailboat design and/or designer that inspires your own work or career?
Obviously my father, with whom I started learning the trade and did a lot of sailing, racing and cruising with. And Olin Stephens for whom I worked for a few years in New York and learned to make a living. They were different in character, but both were very talented, curious and always in search of innovations and improvements.
Father was much older, charming, a bit of a rebel and somewhat eccentric. He started designing a boat for himself in 1925, a Colin Archer type double ender by the name of Fjord. It was the first of a long list. He was very prolific and successful here in Argentina and worked hard until the early 70's and never stopped sailing until he died in '86.
He designed all types of boats at different stages. Initially, thanks to unexpected events, his Fjord became famous and the local sailing community aware of its sea kindliness and the inherent safety of the Colin Archer type flooded him with orders for similar designs.
For a few years, he became a builder in partnership with his cousin Ernesto Guevara (father of the famous "Che"), employing more than 100 marine immigrant workers from Europe coming to the new world from Italy and Spain creating a new industry in the process, which is alive and reasonably well in spite of governments of every color. Upon his return from a long trip to Europe, which included sailing the 1936 Olympics, he found conditions not to his liking and closed the shop.
In the late thirties and forties, father's designs became very refined and classics. Numerous fleets of yachts ranging from 30' to 60' were built. Fjord was one of them and it won the 1950 BA to Rio race. In parallel, he began to do a few small hard chine light displacement fast sloops. The first sketches of these light boats were started while flying to Germany on the Graff Zeppelin blimp where he was detained by the German crew who thought he was spying.
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| The Swan 66 S. She's a new design from the Nautor shipyard and German Frers. |
In the early fifties, the light displacement hard chine wide transom offended many traditional sailors, but were all the rage in Argentina. The CCA rule which was locally adopted at his recommendation, killed the light boats, but they were fast and surfed downwind and people enjoyed them. He built Fjord IV (40'), Trucha II, a sistership sailing in class C that was second overall in the 1954 Bermuda race in spite of the rating penalty. (Fjord III won class B. Joanne was a sistership that was second and beat Rod Stephen on his own Mustang.) Later on, the designs became a bit more rule oriented and Fjord V turned out to be a successful medium displacement yawl following the American fashion at the time.
I started racing offshore on Fjord IV with my brother Pepe. The subject of conversation at home was mostly yacht design. Father did not care too much about money or its administration. He did not think it was possible to make money out of yacht design. When he needed to build a new boat, he just sold a piece of property to pay for it to the point where by the time I was in my early twenties there was little left and I had to start thinking seriously about making a living. I wanted to be a yacht designer.
Then there was a stroke of luck! In 1965 a letter arrived from Rod Stephens (of Sparkman & Stephens yacht design) asking me to join him at their Madison Ave office. I could not believe it. A couple of months later I found myself in New York, living on my own, free of my earlier protected environment and making $110 a week to pay for rent and food with pencil in hand trying to remember all the years of English lessons.
Working at Sparkman & Stephens (S&S) was fantastic with lots going on. The S&S designs were some of the best: America's Cup Twelve's, RORC Admiral's cuppers, CCA racers, large production cruising boat designs, etc. I learned the importance of designing to a rule and finding loopholes, the importance of delivering the work on time and assisting builders worldwide. Olin's designs and Rod's methodic attention to detail during construction formed an unbeatable team, assisted by a number of engineers and draftsmen. I think we were about 40 or more persons at Madison Ave.
I thought Olin was going to tell me what to do. Instead, I found he was always willing to listen and curious as to whatever idea or experience anyone may have. However, he was very strict in some parameters and hydrostatic coefficients, to which he paid very close attention.
The design method was by evolution and we were to maintain similar proportions of various well defined planes of the favorite designs. Designs had to be very good and attaining the best results in races was the primary goal. Before computers, all calculations were made with simple calculators or sliding rules and finding the right place for a comma was a fundamental feat for me.
At S&S, I learned to work and how to deal with clients successfully. It was thanks to my apprenticeship at S&S and the experiences gained while living in the US that I was able to set up a successful yacht design career including making a good living in spite of my father's skepticism. Enough so, in fact, to grow a large family and survive a couple of divorces.
4) Is it more difficult to design a sailboat that looks good or sails good?
Father always said, "Between the face of San Martine (our national "liberator") and that of Sophia Loren, there are only a few millimeters difference, but the effect is very noticeable." I have never found a real conflict between form and function. Anyway, taste and aesthetics change with time and perhaps one can say that form adapts itself to function. I have observed that on cars where models that came out in the 60's until the 80's or 90's looked terrific at their time, but today look a bit ridiculous. Perhaps one can say that the appearance matches the technological advances and new materials.
Earlier classic cars as well as classic boats purposely built always look very good, which leads me to think that it is better to avoid designing after a fashion. Having mentioned cars I have to say that I don't believe sailboats with rakish and slippery superstructures that look like they are out of aerodynamic superfast vehicles enjoy mixing the company of spars, rigging, cloth sails and large angles of heel and pitching in heavy chop. The problem is completely different on motor boats where wind resistance is a consideration.
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| Traditional values meet modern technology in Frers' 138-foot Rebecca |
Thanks again German!
If you're interested in more design perspectives, visit SailFarLiveFree's Sailboat Reviews page. There you'll find content written for SFLF by other designers such as Bob Perry, Ron Holland, Chuck Paine and others.
Stay tuned as this series will continue with more mini-interviews with sailboat designers!
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Musto Orson Drift Deck Shoe Review
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”–Dr. Seuss
You may have heard of Musto. They’re an England based company that focuses on technical clothing and their offshore sailing brand. But do you know Musto’s backstory?
Keith Musto arrived in Tokyo as an unlikely choice for the British Olympic sailing squad of 1964. He was too light and short for the heavyweight Flying Dutchman boat he was competing in. Keith and his crew, Tony Morgan, quickly realized that their only chance of winning gold was to be fitter than their opponents. So they did the unthinkable. Every day, Christmas included, they did fitness training. Fellow competitors derided their training as unsporting, but a new breed of sailors was emerging. They were athletes.
Keith recalls, "We sailed in Guernsey sweaters and old flannel trousers for years. You got wet and you accepted it. But, as we progressed up the ladder in terms of competition, we realized that this was a problem that needed to be solved.” So, after taking the sailing world by storm and winning silver in Tokyo (missing out on gold by ‘nanoseconds’), he set about producing technical sailing apparel.
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| The Musto Orson Drift deck shoe |
An old WWII prisoner of war hut in Essex served as the beginning of everything. Keith started out making sails with Edward Hyde under Musto & Hyde Sails. But Keith soon shifted his focus to constructing technical sailing clothing. He quickly taught himself all the basics of manufacturing clothes, paying his wife with a Mars bar a day to machine and do all of the typing. Money was tight.
Then in 1980, Keith split from Musto & Hyde. His team quickly became the technical manufacturer and wholesaler of the best sailing kit available. It was specialist clothing worn and endorsed by the world’s most celebrated sailors. The red silhouette of Keith’s Olympic Flying Dutchman boat was emblazoned on the sailing apparel. MUSTO was born.
That’s a story and a dream I can appreciate. I love companies that are built on their owner’s true passions. That sounds like a no-brainer, but then just think about all of today’s products that are simply put to market to fill a niche and make a buck, rather than born of someone’s hard earned experiences.
I’ve been vaguely familiar with Musto as a brand for a number of years now, but my first experience with any of their products is their Orson Drift deck shoes. While these shoes are indeed a Musto product, Clarks (also from England) is a collaborator that brings their reputation for superior fit and comfort in footwear to Musto’s sailing apparel acumen. For what it’s worth, I can tell you the combo is a success.
These shoes have an insanely comfortable insole, thanks to two components; a sheepskin lining and a footbed with small, round plastic/rubber nodes. The initial feeling is that of a subtle foot massage. As you wear the shoe for more than a couple of minutes, your foot begins to ignore the nodes and their massaging, but the fit is still pleasant and support. I’m guessing this type of footbed is spawned from Clarks influence. I've also found a slight heal irritation on my left foot. I'm hoping this disappears as I continue to wear them.
So what about Musto? Did they give the Orson Drift any characteristics of a really good deck shoe? Well, I’m told the leather (which is very soft compared to my Sperry Billfish shoes) is salt water resistant, though I’ve only splashed mine with freshwater thus far. This is good since Keith Musto reminds us that in sailing we’re going to get wet and we need to accept it. The eyelets for the laces are rust resistant and the rubber sole is siped to resist slipping. Those features check most of the “must-have” boxes for sailing. There’s also drainage (Musto calls it “aquaDX Technology”) near the midfoot area on both the inside and outside edges.
I won’t pretend to tell you what style you should look for in a sailing shoe, but I will say that the Orson Drift deck shoes are subdued. The overall shape says “classic boat shoe” to my eye, but there are hints at something sportier with a bit of rubberized accents on the heel and around the drainage areas. Musto provides both leather and fabric laces in the box, so you can chose between the two. If you still want to add some flair to these shoes, try them navy or dark gray.
Are they worth the $160 retail price? Quality leather and sheepskin linings don’t often come cheap. I haven’t had them long enough to comment on overall durability, but I can say they have the feel and build (stitching, seams, etc.) of a high end shoe. They’re also much less ubiquitous than Sperry’s and Sebago’s, at least on this side of the Atlantic.
Stand Firm - Sailing Shoe Reviews
A Sailor's Sole - The Original Reviews
Astral Porter Sailing Shoe Review
Deck Shoes or Dive Boots - Zhik ZK Boatshoe Review
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4 Simple Questions with Sailboat Designer Bob Johnson
Once again, I'm pleased to bring you another installment of my "4 simple questions with a sailboat designer" mini-interview series. This week, I welcome Bob Johnson from Island Packet Yachts to SailFarLiveFree.com.
Bob Johnson's passion for sailing bloomed at an early age. He was only eight when he bought his own subscription to Yachting magazine, and fourteen when he wrote a term paper on his future career as a naval architect. That same year, he lofted his first sailboat on the living room floor, then sailed it down Lake Worth, with his brother holding a garden umbrella for a spinnaker. He was hooked for life.
Even though he became a mechanical engineer, ending up at McDonnell Douglas designing missiles, his heart was still with sailboats. With a master's degree from MIT in naval architecture, he went to Florida and worked with Irwin Yachts and Endeavor, gradually becoming general manager. But he had a well engineered dream. He started Island Packet modestly in the mid-seventies by borrowing money to buy the molds for a 26 footer with a beam of more than 10 feet - a catboat proportion. He was everything at the company - engineer, purchasing agent, production manager and sales staff. Island Packet grew to a peak of two hundred employees in an immaculate, family-owned facility and has developed over the decades one of the most enthusiastic and loyal followings in cruising boat history.
As a dedicated observer, Johnson had seen boats go from full-keel, wineglass-shaped hull forms to the Cal 40 type with a fin-keeled, U-shaped underbody. He was struck by the fact that there had been no thoughtful, logical transition from one extreme to another. He felt that something sensible, seaworthy and very manageable was missing. He wanted to utilize the best of both extremes by taking a modern U-shaped hull for performance and create a long keel for seaworthiness, not only by stretching the fin keel and making it shallower, but by making it an air foil shape. Instead of the big baron door rudder hung on the after end of the keel, which generated huge turning radiuses, he maintained the stability and seakeeping quality of a long keel and gained a good shallow draft. Even in case of grounding, his internally ballasted hull would suffer little damage compared to the major repairs necessary for bent keel bolts or turnout bottoms, which some deep finkeelers might endure.
Today, Island Packet has expanded Bob's vision to at least nine models, including the recently launched L24 launch, an open eco-friendly powerboat. I've personally always liked Island Packets and admire Bob's willingness to bring something different to the cruising sailboat market. Sailboats like the IP Estero with its unique cabin layout and the SP Cruiser motorsailer with its salty looks and innovative forward cockpit show that Island Packet doesn't feel the need to conform.
And so, I'm pleased to present Bob Johnson's answers to my 4 simple questions:
1) Sum up your sailboat design philosophy in a sentence or two.
Any new sailboat design depends on establishing the priorities for a given vessels. The goal then is to create a design that meets most or all of these objectives in a functional and attractive way, balancing design and construction elements that frequently can be in conflict with one another. Given the same input, experienced designers are likely to create very different solutions.
2) What's one of your personal favorite sailboats that you designed and why?
I am probably most identified with the numerous designs for the Island Packet range of yachts that I have created over the last 35 years. Like family members, all have their own personality and individual history making it hard to identify a personal favorite. However, I was among the crew on an IP35 in the 1990 Annapolis-Bermuda race when we took first-in-class and second-overall honors, so that's an extra "gold star" for that particular design.
3) Is there a sailboat design and/or designer that inspired your own work or career?
I have always been a fan of both Phil Rhodes' and Bill Atkin's work.
4) Is it more difficult to design a sailboat that looks good or sails good?
One always strives to create an "attractive" boat, and to a large degree this is a qualitative judgment dependent on the boat's intended use and the eye of the beholder. A boat that "sails well" is a combination of both qualitative and quantitative assessments, further complicated by the skills of the skipper (as demonstrated by observing the broad distribution of boats at the finish line of almost any one-design race).
Thank you Bob!
Stay tuned for the next feature in this blog series. If you can't wait, feel free to explore our Sailboat Reviews webpage to read previous posts in this series and check out exclusive content from other designers such as Bob Perry, German Frers, Ron Holland and more.
Bob Johnson's passion for sailing bloomed at an early age. He was only eight when he bought his own subscription to Yachting magazine, and fourteen when he wrote a term paper on his future career as a naval architect. That same year, he lofted his first sailboat on the living room floor, then sailed it down Lake Worth, with his brother holding a garden umbrella for a spinnaker. He was hooked for life.
Even though he became a mechanical engineer, ending up at McDonnell Douglas designing missiles, his heart was still with sailboats. With a master's degree from MIT in naval architecture, he went to Florida and worked with Irwin Yachts and Endeavor, gradually becoming general manager. But he had a well engineered dream. He started Island Packet modestly in the mid-seventies by borrowing money to buy the molds for a 26 footer with a beam of more than 10 feet - a catboat proportion. He was everything at the company - engineer, purchasing agent, production manager and sales staff. Island Packet grew to a peak of two hundred employees in an immaculate, family-owned facility and has developed over the decades one of the most enthusiastic and loyal followings in cruising boat history.
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| The Island Packet Estero |
As a dedicated observer, Johnson had seen boats go from full-keel, wineglass-shaped hull forms to the Cal 40 type with a fin-keeled, U-shaped underbody. He was struck by the fact that there had been no thoughtful, logical transition from one extreme to another. He felt that something sensible, seaworthy and very manageable was missing. He wanted to utilize the best of both extremes by taking a modern U-shaped hull for performance and create a long keel for seaworthiness, not only by stretching the fin keel and making it shallower, but by making it an air foil shape. Instead of the big baron door rudder hung on the after end of the keel, which generated huge turning radiuses, he maintained the stability and seakeeping quality of a long keel and gained a good shallow draft. Even in case of grounding, his internally ballasted hull would suffer little damage compared to the major repairs necessary for bent keel bolts or turnout bottoms, which some deep finkeelers might endure.
Today, Island Packet has expanded Bob's vision to at least nine models, including the recently launched L24 launch, an open eco-friendly powerboat. I've personally always liked Island Packets and admire Bob's willingness to bring something different to the cruising sailboat market. Sailboats like the IP Estero with its unique cabin layout and the SP Cruiser motorsailer with its salty looks and innovative forward cockpit show that Island Packet doesn't feel the need to conform.
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| The L24 - A nifty new launch from Bob Johnson and Island Packet |
And so, I'm pleased to present Bob Johnson's answers to my 4 simple questions:
1) Sum up your sailboat design philosophy in a sentence or two.
Any new sailboat design depends on establishing the priorities for a given vessels. The goal then is to create a design that meets most or all of these objectives in a functional and attractive way, balancing design and construction elements that frequently can be in conflict with one another. Given the same input, experienced designers are likely to create very different solutions.
2) What's one of your personal favorite sailboats that you designed and why?
I am probably most identified with the numerous designs for the Island Packet range of yachts that I have created over the last 35 years. Like family members, all have their own personality and individual history making it hard to identify a personal favorite. However, I was among the crew on an IP35 in the 1990 Annapolis-Bermuda race when we took first-in-class and second-overall honors, so that's an extra "gold star" for that particular design.
3) Is there a sailboat design and/or designer that inspired your own work or career?
I have always been a fan of both Phil Rhodes' and Bill Atkin's work.
4) Is it more difficult to design a sailboat that looks good or sails good?
One always strives to create an "attractive" boat, and to a large degree this is a qualitative judgment dependent on the boat's intended use and the eye of the beholder. A boat that "sails well" is a combination of both qualitative and quantitative assessments, further complicated by the skills of the skipper (as demonstrated by observing the broad distribution of boats at the finish line of almost any one-design race).
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| SP Cruiser and her innovative forward cockpit |
Thank you Bob!
Stay tuned for the next feature in this blog series. If you can't wait, feel free to explore our Sailboat Reviews webpage to read previous posts in this series and check out exclusive content from other designers such as Bob Perry, German Frers, Ron Holland and more.
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A Versatile & Small Shipmate: Buckshot Pro Bluetooth Speaker/Flashlight/Powerbank
I love electronic gear that doesn't eat into my sailboat's battery bank. Add in three-in-one versatility and an IPX5 shock/water resistance rating and you've potentially got a nice piece of cruising tech. Those are the features that the Buckshot Pro Bluetooth speaker/powerbank/flashlight from Outdoor Tech possesses and as their website says, this is "stuff you probably want".
I first became interested in the Buckshot Pro as a small Bluetooth speaker that could handle wet rides from the mothership to the beach and back. Its small size (about 4.125"L w/ a 1.75" diameter) allows it to fit in a pocket, a cup holder or mount to stanchions and the bimini frame using the included rubber mounting strap. I routinely get over 10 hours of play time at 3/4 volume, which is quite good considering the size. Sound quality isn't stellar, but it's still very respectable, again considering the speaker size. Most of the time the sound is on par with other small to medium Bluetooth speakers I've used (the bigger Fugoo, for instance), but low end bass and max volume trails a bit behind. The speakers' output is on one end of the device, as opposed to omnidirectional, so you'll need to be mindful of which direction it's pointed when playing music.
What I wasn't expecting was the usefulness of the flashlight accessory and the ability to recharge other devices via USB connectivity. The flashlight accessory screws onto one end of the Buckshot Pro and provides three variations of lighting. The first is a lamp setting that could be used in the cockpit or at the salon dinette for an evening game of cards. Second is a flashlight setting that provides surprisingly bright LED illumination on two brightness settings. The third option is to use the light as a sort of strobe or distress light in the flash setting.
As a powerbank, the Buckshot Pro shares its 2600 mAh battery to charge connected devices such as an iPhone or iPad. The charge output is 5V (max 700 mAh). My iPhone 6 Plus has a 2915 mAh battery, so I can't recharge it to 100% from the Buckshot Pro, but it does work nicely if we're in a pinch to get a charge while away from the sailboat on the dinghy or ashore.
So what's my overall impression? The Buckshot Pro is a really useful, mobile speaker that has added functionality for cruisers with it's powerbank and flashlight. I'm guessing most sailors will give up a little sound quality to have portability, water resistance and other functions that we all also need from time to time while cruising. And yes, this is stuff you probably do indeed want!
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I first became interested in the Buckshot Pro as a small Bluetooth speaker that could handle wet rides from the mothership to the beach and back. Its small size (about 4.125"L w/ a 1.75" diameter) allows it to fit in a pocket, a cup holder or mount to stanchions and the bimini frame using the included rubber mounting strap. I routinely get over 10 hours of play time at 3/4 volume, which is quite good considering the size. Sound quality isn't stellar, but it's still very respectable, again considering the speaker size. Most of the time the sound is on par with other small to medium Bluetooth speakers I've used (the bigger Fugoo, for instance), but low end bass and max volume trails a bit behind. The speakers' output is on one end of the device, as opposed to omnidirectional, so you'll need to be mindful of which direction it's pointed when playing music.
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| The Buckshot Pro with the flashlight accessory and mounting strap. (A USB charging cable is also included.) |
What I wasn't expecting was the usefulness of the flashlight accessory and the ability to recharge other devices via USB connectivity. The flashlight accessory screws onto one end of the Buckshot Pro and provides three variations of lighting. The first is a lamp setting that could be used in the cockpit or at the salon dinette for an evening game of cards. Second is a flashlight setting that provides surprisingly bright LED illumination on two brightness settings. The third option is to use the light as a sort of strobe or distress light in the flash setting.
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| Flashlight accessory attached |
As a powerbank, the Buckshot Pro shares its 2600 mAh battery to charge connected devices such as an iPhone or iPad. The charge output is 5V (max 700 mAh). My iPhone 6 Plus has a 2915 mAh battery, so I can't recharge it to 100% from the Buckshot Pro, but it does work nicely if we're in a pinch to get a charge while away from the sailboat on the dinghy or ashore.
So what's my overall impression? The Buckshot Pro is a really useful, mobile speaker that has added functionality for cruisers with it's powerbank and flashlight. I'm guessing most sailors will give up a little sound quality to have portability, water resistance and other functions that we all also need from time to time while cruising. And yes, this is stuff you probably do indeed want!
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Picture This: Big Skies and Smooth Seas
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| Big Skies and Smooth Seas (by Hannah Walters) |
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Magnetic Mounting for Handheld Devices - Scosche Magic Mount Review
Simple solutions. That could be a sailing cruiser's credo. And in that vein, the Scosche Magic Mount is a super simple solution for mounting portable electronics at the helm or the nav desk down below. I've been using the Magic Mount Original for about a week now with my iPhone 6 Plus and have been really happy with the functionality and ease of use.
But before I get into the likes and dislikes, what is a Magic Mount? Well, it's essentially a magnetic mount that allows you to dock and undock devices quickly and easily in either landscape or portrait orientation. The base is similar to a lot of other mounting systems and allows for twisting, pivoting, etc. The base of the Magic Mount original (the model I think will be most useful to boaters) attaches to just about any surface using a sticky adhesive pad. If this semi-permanent arrangement is an issue for you, I suggest you consider one of the window mounts that use a suction cup instead.
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| Magic Mount Original from Scosche |
What sets the Magic Mount apart is the magnet on the surface of the mount and the small, thin metal plate that gets attached to your device. Once attached to your device, all that's required is to get the metal plate on your device close to the magnet in the base and voila...it's mounted and conveniently where you need it. It works really well and feels strong and solid. However, my biggest quibble with the mount is that the metal plate gets attached to your device with adhesive, so it adds a tiny bit of weight/thickness to your device and of course a potential eye sore too. Note - You can order the metal plate in a variety of colors to match the surface of the device you'll be sticking it to so it's not as noticeable. I mounted the plate on the exterior of my iPhone's case, so it's not on the iPhone itself but it's still visible. Not a big deal to me, but you should at least be aware of this if you're considering a Magic Mount for your phone, tablet, handheld VHF, portable GPS, etc. And speaking of those other devices, the Magic Mount's magnet is super strong and had no problems holding my iPhone 6 Plus or my Garmin 76.
Get more details and a look at how the Magic Mount functions in this video:
Get more details and a look at how the Magic Mount functions in this video:
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