News, Stories & Photos

” After several years we launched our boat. Thanks for the design and help. Still a little more to do and then outfitting it for sailing. First tested on July 3rd in Wetherhead Hollow Pond in Guilford Vt. That's my wife Judy, in the first photo. The boats name will be Judy's Revenge”.

Nice job, David!

I am very satisfied with her nautical qualities: she is a stable and manageable boat; she speeds up at the least breeze but stays easy to steer. And she looks really very elegant.

Congratulations on your beautiful design, Arch, and many thanks for this unforgettable experience building, and now sailing, the Ace.

Sincerely, Jacques.”.

Cameron reports that he enjoyed the project, although he needed help at times understanding some of the boatbuilding terms. “Overall I was very happy with the final product. I entered the Sand Dollar into the MITES (Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society) and placed first and got a Division 14 Grand Award in Regionals; later that week I went to the state competition and won another first and got a Grand Award for all projects overall. I enjoyed making the boat - thanks for picking up all those phone calls and answering my questions.”

The photos show the boat at the MITES show. In the upper photo Cameron is flanked by his woodworking instructor, Don Nowel, on his right, and his Dad, Charles, on his left. Cameron laminated the mast and spars from ash and walnut, with striking effect, as can be seen in the lower photo.

Congratulations on a great job, Cameron!

“Grania is named after the 16th century Irish pirate queen, one of my daughter's favorite stories. We visited her castle on Clare Island in Clew Bay and brought back a bottle of Clew Bay water, which we used for the christening.

“Although I have done some woodworking, this was my first boat. Your plans and instructions were very easy to work from, and the project was very satisfying. Building something like Grania together was a wonderful father-daughter project, and we're looking forward to lots of fun times in her.”

“I put in a total of 300 working hours, but I made everything from scratch, including four oars, two at 8' and two at 7'. I used five different woods including Ipea (which I rescued from a friend’s fireplace) in the heavy use areas, to a piece of fir driftwood that I made the bow stem from. I found some Yellow Cedar which I used for the seat beams. I used leftover sugar pine and 1/8" doorskin laminated together for my oar blanks. I'll let you know if they survive. For all your west coast fans, you may wish to recommend using Port Townsend Foundry for standard and one of a kind bronze fittings. Those guys are artists when it comes to metal. And they are around the corner from Edensaw Lumber.

“I deviated from your plans by making the front and back seats into hatch covers so as to use the space below for all the stuff you trip on when sailing.”

The top picture shows Grace fastening the top of one of the quarter berths. At the same time, we pre-finished all the plywood deck panels before gluing and screwing them in place. The next photo shows me rolling a coat of epoxy resin on one of the side deck panels. The strip of wood in the center of the panel is reinforcing for the headsail sheet track. Two coats of epoxy resin were followed by undercoat, then paint. Before fitting the panels we also pre-finished the sheer clamps, carlines, and deck beams with epoxy resin and varnish. The next photo shows the underside of the foredeck, after fitting the plywood. Doing the job like this gives a very nice, clean contrast of paint with varnish, without a lot of fussy masking and cutting in (not to mention a lot less paint in your hair!).

The last photo shows the boat at this time, with a locker outboard of the port quarter berth, ready for varnishing. You can also see part of the galley (there is another counter with a sink to starboard). Not visible are the berths in the main cabin, and cabinets in the head, forward of the bulkhead projecting above the deck. There is still a little cabinetry to finish, then we will start on the cabin trunk and cockpit.

“Building the South Wind II was a very exciting and rewarding experience. I was able to sail her just enough to get the rig set up the way I wanted it before other commitments forced me to put her away for the winter. I have been very encouraged with the way this boat sails and handles. She is quick and responsive. I think your instruction was excellent, and it made building the Penobscot very enjoyable.

"I am a new member of the TSCA [Traditional Small Craft Association], and I am planning to attend the Small Reach Regatta in Frenchman’s Bay this coming summer. I will be proud to tell everyone the boat is an Arch Davis design.”

“Initial experience this summer suggests that the boat’s duties will encompass messing around by the dock, for early-morning exercise up and down the shore, and for just getting away from it all as needed. It has been equally popular with ‘grannie’ who can launch it on her own and get in a good work-out before others are up, and by the youngsters who pile-in and putter around.

“ I have been very impressed with the boat's handling. I found its straight-ahead speed compares favorably to a canoe, and it maneuvers very nicely. It is very comfortable to sit in, whether rowing or not, and works well with occupants on one, two or three seats. It is very stable, and has no problem with moderate sized waves. It was a very satisfying project all-round.”

“A friend and I just returned from an 8-day, 200 nm camping trip along the north Gulf of Mexico within Apalachee Bay. We left from Alligator Point, FL and made it as far as Apalachicola. For most of the route we had the protection of barrier islands ranging from three to ten miles from the mainland. The boat did really well. There were times when we were taking waves over the bow, but even when she shipped a lot of water it was easy to turn downwind and let it all drain out. We ended up facing serious chop and 20 kt winds on several days in the open areas of the bay, but I never felt uncomfortable with the seaworthiness of the Laughing Gull. For the return trip we faced NE winds, which is where we wanted to go. For three days, we beat upwind, and though exhausting due to the 15-20kt winds with higher gusts, the boat did well.”

Peter reports some problems with the rudder pintles and boom jaws. He comments, “My use of the boat over the past week was pretty extreme given the conditions. We were in a lot of open water with waves that would give a much larger boat trouble. But as I said before, I was really impressed with how she handled everything, and I am now confident that she is a strong boat with great sea-keeping for her size. In the end, the minor problems made the trip a lot more interesting. I met a great many nice folks walking around Apalachicola with the rudder over my shoulder looking for help. Thanks again for the wonderful plans.