10 years ago we were building a stretcher to carry a damaged river yawl from her Mississippi home to our our Florida place. We made a special trip into Pensacola to twenty foot long 2x6 lumber, to provide a base for a stable platform.
28 Jan 16: Picking up lumber at Building Supply Center to build a BARBASHELA transport cradle. We will graft it to our Daysailer trailer, and the weight/ride will balance out nicely. The 2x6x20s and plywood will also be used to build the jig. They also have some great spruce and Douglas fir. George helped me select the lumber, nice to have a 40 year employee and 100 Ton Master interested in our project!
2x6 20 footers strapped to frame and screwed to bunks as well. Then plywood was screwed into the 2x6s and bunks. Overall length of the deck will be 20 feet.
The severely damaged skiff would not ride on a regular trailer, so we built it a stretcher.
Since 2018 we've authored 90 or so articles for WoodenBoat and Small Boats Nation (Formerly Small Boats Magazine), a digital publication of WoodenBoat. Along the way we got hats for Launchings, Relaunchings and 2 of these! Mine is faded and worn and Skipper's looks brand new.
We just finished a gear article for February on Columbia Ridgeline convertible pants and have a scraper article in the hopper.
We downrigged CYANE in prep for her homeport change, here's a few photos of what had to happen along the way, mostly for us to reference when we put her back together.
The first thing to do is hook up a tow vehicle, so the trailer will not tip the boat on her stern when working near the transom. Ask me how we learned about this :)
But first, a look at the little pads we made to support an outboard motor, they prevent gouges in the gelcoat and spread the outboard clamp pressure out over a larger area. The pads are 1/4 inch marine grade plywood, attached with double sided tape.
There is no set order to downrigging, we tend to start at one end of the rig (stern) and work forward.
First thing to do is get the mainsail and boom off of the mast. The mainsheet rigging is 2:1 how Capn Jack had it, a block with a becket attached to the boom and another block attached to a bridle on the transom. We release the mainsheet and usually leave it attached to the becket block.
Next we wandered forward and undid the sail cover so we could get to the various lines.
Here is the cleat for the topping lift. The topping lift helps keep the boom out of the cockpit when the main is down.
Capn Jack put a quick release snap shackle on the forward end of the boom vang.
The downhaul is released.
Mainsheet gets released.
Mainsheet released and tied. The boom now swings free.
The topping lift shackle gets released next. The other lines there are a sail cover tie and the outhaul.
Main halyard gets released. And then it is time to remove the boom and sail. (Editor's note: I never paid any attention to the "headboard" on this sail, it adds sail area. The sail for the Bahamas Dinghy we are working on has a similar feature.)
Time to tackle the main halyard, spinnaker halyard and spare jib halyard (the one we use if we don't rig roller furling jib.) We should label these like Webb does, and add a third cleat. Wow, Skipper's boat sure is dirty, it appears that the opsrey likes sitting on the top of the mast...she needs to get out here and clean this up.
Forward tabernacle pin keeper ring is released.
Furler line gets released and pulled up to the furler.
Side stays loosened.
Furler line tied up.
Remove jib furler pin keeper ring. Go find Skipper, who will control the jib stay while the mast is lowered. If lowering the mast single handed, the jib stay can be released at this time, and line attached to the jib stay that runs through a block attached to the little shackle, and run back to the cockpit. That line can be cleated off over the cuddy until time to release the tabernacle pin.
Here's a video of raising the mast using the line.
Capn Jack made this nice mast crutch.
Time to release the jibstay pin and forward mast tabernacle pin and lower the mast. We had already lowered it partway here, then put the mast back up for glamor shots. Skipper walked the jib back while I lowered the mast.
Next up, we release the upper jib furler drum for long road trips. For short trips we leave the jib attached.
Capn Jack's diddy bag.
Mast is slid forward as far as you like, keeping in mind clearance of the tow vehicle hatch. We wrap old hand towels around the mast at the crutch and over the tabernacle for padding, and cushion the base of the mast where it may contact the tow vehicle hatch. We also tie everything down, including the side stays and pad where needed to prevent metal from rubbing on the deck. The boom tent also works as a storage cover, but we will not trailer with that attached. For long trips we remove the main from the boom and stow the boom poking out of the cuddy, with the mainsheet tucked into the lazarette. Last thing to do is check the trailer lights, CYANE's trailer is set up with LED lights on the trailer and the trailer guides. More info on those great LED lights upcoming in the Feb 2021 issue of Small Boats Magazine.
Check bearings, tires, safety chains, coupler lock and hit the road. Tires should be less than 6 years old, more info about how to check and why in our Small Boats Magazine article June 2018.
New crew pressed into service. Will work for treats.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
21 Jan 26:
A look back to 5 years ago, we were still recovering from a hurricane hit and getting ready to move 15 boats from Florida to Virginia.
1959 Sorg 15 WILLOW 21 Jan 21 Reposition
21 Jan 21:
WILLOW returned to the repaired pier and her cradle lift, which surprisingly weathered the hurricane without damage. We had to charge the battery for about 30 minutes before launching because I had not plugged in the battery tender while WILLOW was on the trailer for 4 months. I had left the new battery switch on, there is one tiny USB port with a light that draws power. Anyway, she cranked right up and and we motored over to the lift, one more bit of normalcy restored.
More surprised that the nav light electrical connections still work in this corrosive environment.
30 minutes of charging took the battery back up to 50 percent, plenty to crank the motor, it should be topped off 100 percent in 4-6 hours. I was happy to see that the Bad Battery light didn't come on to indicate a battery that wouldn't take a charge.
Our boating seasons are flipped here, it's too hot in the Summer for small boating, heat index routinely tops 110F, sauna temps. This week we expect some light rain and daytime highs in the high 60s to low 70s. We are going to use WILLOW to go search for a few items that disappeared in the storm.
We started on a cover for ONKAHYE but still have not finished that.
The old cover made the 900 mile road trip just fine, and one day we'll get the new cover finished.
We were also finishing up repairs on a damaged Sunfish, PHOENIX got new stickers...
Corona Europa™ No. 16038. This badger-style pure China bristle brush is soft with an extra fine tip. It is excellent for use marine varnishes and urethanes, as well as oil-based alkyd enamels and stains. The hand-formed chisel provides a sharper cutting edge and will ensure a truly superb paint finish. Black lacquered hardwood special peg handle. Stainless steel ferrule.
Well they came by boat from France, the MAGELLAN, does that count...
The French Gratitude Train (French: Train de la Reconnaissance française), commonly referred to as the Merci Train, were 49 World War I era "forty and eight" boxcars gifted to the United States by France in response to the 1947 U.S. Friendship Train. It arrived in Weehawken, New Jersey on February 2, 1949. Cars were distributed to each State and Virginia's car is now in the War Museum in Newport News, Virginia. We go by and peek at it every now and then and poke our head inside, it is one of the few cars that you can actually step into.
Our local library has 2 paintings from the car, which will be displayed for a short period before heading over the James River Bridge to be reunited with their car. The car was in Richmond for a period of time after its 1949 arrival and was at Ft Eustis Transportation Museum for a bit, but was deteriorating from being stored outside. Now it has a nice space inside.
