The only “sure cure” for sea sickness is to sit peacefully under a tree until the feeling passes.
Category Archives: Minimalist Cruising
Sea Sickness
Filed under boats, cruising, Minimalist Cruising, Sail, sailboats, sailing, Small boat cruising
Minimalist PDR Cruiser
Any regular reader of this blog knows I have a real soft spot in my heart for the Puddle Duck Racer. Naturally it was only a matter of time before someone expanded on the concept and turned one into a minimalist cruising reality. Probably the first to do it was Jason Nabors, who built the Tenacious Turtle which he entered in the epic Texas 200. Not really a race but more of a “cruise” up through the semi-protected waters along the Texas coast.
A bit crude in its execution and jarring to the eyes of anyone who loves classic boat lines as I do, I still thought it was one of the neatest things I’d ever seen.
Of course the Aussies couldn’t leave the simple PDR well enough alone and came up with the OZ PDR which is a bit flashier than the original. Now,Perttu Korhonen, in collaboration with Michael Storer who came up with the OZ design, has come up with the Ocean Explorer. No offense, Jim, but this one really has a chance of taking off.
Plans for building this wonderful little boat are available at Duckworks for $40 US. The set which is downloadable in PDF form from the above link consist of around 95 pages of drawings, photos and text which should provide you snow-bound dreamers with plenty to ponder this winter and hopefully kick-start you to build one yourself. You can get more photos here: www.woodworkforums.com/f169/ultimate-cruising-pdr-120306/
Personally I think I’d want to use these plans as an inspiration for modifying the PDR Goose, the expanded 12′ version of the original 8-footer. It would allow you more room for supplies and, possibly, a companion.
Filed under boats, cruising, homemade boats, Microcruising, Minimalist Cruising, Puddle Duck Racer, sailboats, sailing
It’s GOOD To Be The Captain
“Walk the plank,” says Pirate Jim.
“But Capt. Jim, I cannot swim.”
“Then you must steer us through the gale.”
“But Capt. Jim, I cannot sail.”
“Then down with the galley slaves you go.”
“But Capt. Jim, I cannot row.”
“Then you must be the pirate’s clerk.”
“But Capt. Jim I cannot work.”
“Then a pirate captain you must be.”
“Thank you, Jim,” says Capt. me.
Shel Silverstein
But it SUCKS to be the crew!
Filed under boats, Classic Boats, Minimalist Cruising
Small Boat Blog
Interested in small boat sailing as I am? Here’s a good site I stumbled upon today:
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Filed under boats, Classic Boats, cruising, homemade boats, Microcruising, Minimalist Cruising, Sail, sailboats, sailing, Small boat cruising
Home Made Sea Swing Stove
One of the pieces of gear that I really loved on my Nancy Dawson was the gimbaled Sea Swing stove.
It was great for cooking while bouncing around underway. I always cooked things in my small pressure cooker without the weight. With the cover locked on even if dinner got flung across the cabin you weren’t cleaning up the food all over the bunks and cabin sole. I also used it at anchor and in port when I needed a third burner to supplement my usual stove top.
They go for about a hundred bucks a pop at West Marine.
I recently subscribed to a Yahoo Group called LowCostVoyaging and someone calling themselves Ken V came up with this home made version which is really clever. His post read, “I have a non-gimballed stove in my galley, and needed a stove that would work on passage. I put together a low cost gimballed stove out
of a propane camping stove and a galvanized steel pail. To make the stove, take apart the camp stove and find a way to fit it through a hole in the bottom of the pail, then hang the pail where it can swing. I had no spillage even close hauled into 6 ft breakers.”
There are few people as resourceful as cruisers on a budget.
Filed under boats, Microcruising, Minimalist Cruising, sailboats, sailing, Small boat cruising, Uncategorized
Enjoy Your Boat
The important thing is to get out on the water and enjoy your boat.
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Filed under boats, Minimalist Cruising
More Dylan Winter
I’ve moved up on Dylan’s journey around England in his 19′ boat because I didn’t find the posts too interesting since they didn’t show other boats. This one does.
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Filed under boats, cruising, Minimalist Cruising, sailing, Small boat cruising
Another Dylan Winter Episode
This is the sixth posting of Dylan Winter’s single-handed trip around England in a 19′ sailboat but it’s his seventh episode. I thought the sixth was rather boring and there weren’t enough shots of other boats in it. Since one of the themes of this blog is boats and sailing I’ve decided that if there aren’t a lot of boats in Dylan’s scene I’m not going to post it. Hey! My blog, my decision. Anyway, if a YouTube post here sparks your interest I hope you’ll have enough initiative on your own to go to YouTube and check things out.
Anyway, here is this week’s contribution.
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Filed under boats, cruising, Microcruising, Minimalist Cruising, Small boat cruising
One More Good Adventure 