For background to this post refer to my post dated Oct 29th
I called in on Annie Hill today, in part because I was in the area for an
engineering job and wanted a break before I drove the 2 hours or so home, in
part because she and her friend Marcus are always good to visit, and in part because
I wanted to see how she is going with building her new ( junk rigged of course
) home .
engineering job and wanted a break before I drove the 2 hours or so home, in
part because she and her friend Marcus are always good to visit, and in part because
I wanted to see how she is going with building her new ( junk rigged of course
) home .
Chopping a rebate in a floor timber, she’s more accurate than I am, I do that with a multitool and fill the gaps with epoxy!
Bow view of Siblem, there is not a lot of indication of the real shape as yet, but it will come.
She’s got the bukheads made and stood up, the daggerboard
cases built and the insides glassed, they’re stood up and fastened in place,
and she’s working on the notching for the stringers and some additional floor
timbers to take the keel bolts.
cases built and the insides glassed, they’re stood up and fastened in place,
and she’s working on the notching for the stringers and some additional floor
timbers to take the keel bolts.
View from aft, there is another frame to add 500mm aft of what you can see, its the transom and the twin skegs mount between there and the bulkhead you can see, the cutout visible is the motor mount. An outboard, inboard, so to speak.
LOTS of space in that boat for a 26 footer.
For Annie this is a learning process, her other builds will have been as
a helper to a skilled builder so here she is, 60 years old and busy learning
how to do it so she can have a little ship that’s truly her own. Go girl!
a helper to a skilled builder so here she is, 60 years old and busy learning
how to do it so she can have a little ship that’s truly her own. Go girl!
Her “Fantail” has been sold by the way, so now she’s really
committed!
committed!
So why build a new boat? One, there is a lot of thin water
around New Zealand, and when you live on a very small income, you need to moor
in the places that no one else sees as valuable, that plus they’re often the
really interesting places anyway. That plus this boat has been designed to suit
her proportions, she’ll be able to see
over the cabin top out of the cockpit when sitting down for example.
around New Zealand, and when you live on a very small income, you need to moor
in the places that no one else sees as valuable, that plus they’re often the
really interesting places anyway. That plus this boat has been designed to suit
her proportions, she’ll be able to see
over the cabin top out of the cockpit when sitting down for example.
Oh yes, and at 60 years old, looking to live on board for
the rest of her days, she said “ I don’t want to die on a boat made of frozen
snot” ( fiberglass as L Francis Herreshoff described it).
the rest of her days, she said “ I don’t want to die on a boat made of frozen
snot” ( fiberglass as L Francis Herreshoff described it).
The boats name, at this stage anyway, is “Siblem” that’s an
acronym for “Small is beautiful, less is more”.
She says that the name might change, but that’s very much the
philosophy.
acronym for “Small is beautiful, less is more”.
She says that the name might change, but that’s very much the
philosophy.
I helped for a little while, just a took a few shavings out of a
rebate with a chisel, so I’m now a member of the “Siblem club!” There arent many of us. Very exclusive you
know!
rebate with a chisel, so I’m now a member of the “Siblem club!” There arent many of us. Very exclusive you
know!
In reality I’m priveledged.
I plan to visit every month or so, will keep you posted.
I plan to visit every month or so, will keep you posted.
