Sunday, March 18, 2018

____________ CANOE YAWL 'AUTUMN LEAVES' 2018 UPDATE ____________

Shipmates, you may remember a couple of raves (or is that rants!) regarding Chesapeake Light Crafts 'Autumn Leaves canoe yawl designed by John Harris. I have posted about this little packet a couple of times here:  http://yachtee.blogspot.co.nz/2016/04/autumn-leaves-simple-canoe-yawl-from.html and here: http://yachtee.blogspot.co.nz/2016/09/canoe-yawl-autumn-leaves-update.html

I have been wondering and searching online ever since the design became available for any photographs of a new build to this design. Then bingo, yesterday I received a comment from Al Stead on my 'Autumn Leaves - Update' story. Al encouraged me to take a look at his postings on the BYYB site. Al Stead is either an American or Canadian who I think lives somewhere in the Great Lakes area. I am only guessing this based on his postings regarding his build of 'Autumn Leaves' here on the 'Back Yard Yacht Building (BYYB) site: https://www.byyb.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=3328

The BYYB site is a free forum, but you have to register and get a user name and password to be able to view Als' photographs and narrative - well worth the small effort.

My heart soared when I viewed photographs of the build (there are a lot more on the BYYC site) because she looks even more interesting and enticing in three dimensions. I think she is a right little cracker of a boat and I am now even more determined to build a canoe yawl to this design some time in the future.

Al Stead is aiming to get this little gem of a canoe yawl in the water in the next few months. I will be keenly watching Als' progress as he completes what I strongly believe is going to be a very capable shoal draft sail boat. In my book, this is truly a design that dreams are made of - and because of the relatively simple construction method those dreams are very accessible.

I think this little boat is a very worthy descendant in the Canoe Yawl tradition begun all those years ago by Albert Strange, George Holmes and members of the Humber Yawl Club.

I eagerly await her maiden voyage and an assessment of her performance under sail!

2 comments:

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

...time's a passin'... c'mon, get the orders in and start building! :o)

Alden Smith said...

Yes, the clock's always ticking - my thoughts entirely Steve. But I shall wait until she is launched and I can assess how she sails - how she stands up to her canvas on the wind in a very strong breeze will be interesting - I think she will fly downwind like smoke.