Author Archives: admin
The Trolling Cockpit
The Trolling Cockpit
Trolling is a fishing method utilizing hooks and lures being towed through the water at low speed. In BC trollers target salmon, mainly springs (Chinook) but also coho, sockeye, pinks (humpies), and Chum (Dogs). The work of setting out and hauling back these lures (hopefully with fish attached) is done from[.....]
Harold Remmem and Remmem Boat Works
Harold Remmem and Remmem Boat Works
The 1960’s were boom years for wooden boat builders in BC. Remmem Boat Works was one of many busy shops building fishboats on the Fraser River.
Rob Morris of Western Mariner relates that in the 1960’s the Remmem shop had a 10 man crew building three boats at[.....]
Vito Dumas and Lehg II
It’s almost 70 years since Vito Dumas sailed around the world alone in his 31′6″ Manuel Campos designed Lehg II. In 272 days at sea he sailed approximately 20,400 miles Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires through the roaring 40’s with stops at Cape Town, Wellington NZ, and Valparaiso, Chile. First Singlehander to survive rounding the[.....]
Sail Assisted Powerboats
This is a type we see very seldom any more. The sail-assisted powerboat or as this design from Al Mason is termed, an “Auxiliary Motor Cruiser”. I guess the auxiliary part is the short sail plan. Having just heard from the owner of the new Timbercoast Troller concerning performance under sail, a[.....]
The Real Weight of Powerboats
There is currently a moderate amount of interest by both designers and consumers in lighter weight (displacement) powerboats. The sketch above is a 11,000 pound displacement 35′ boat. At this weight she can just manage a top speed of 12 knots (in flat water) with a single 60HP outboard, burning 6usg per hour,[.....]
Sailing Yacht Proportions
The first fundamental of great design is basic proportions, if you get those wrong the rest is just window dressing. I was stunned to see a full page ad in the latest Classic Boat featuring really bad proportions. See the new 56′ from Spirit Yachts above. Everything is wrong, the sheer is too high,[.....]
The Typical Powerboat is Not Seaworthy
The typical production powerboat is far from seaworthy in even slightly adverse conditions. Above is a Cooper Prowler 42′ which is typical of boats intended to sell at boatshows because of impressive interior volume. These boats are huge inside for their length by being high off the water and beamy, both detrimental to[.....]
Documenting Historic BC Boats
BC BOATS PROJECT
Today my son and I were looking at the Nanceda construction drawing by Robert Allan published in the opening pages of Alan Haig-Brown’s Fishing for A Living. Keel, 11 ½” sided, 13 ½” molded, Fir, Shelf 4×10, Clamp 4×12, Horn Timber, Fir, sided 16”, Stem 10×18, Gum…..and so on. Every piece[.....]
Sealing Schooners
The Pelagic Sealing Industry boomed from the 1880’s until it was closed by international treaty in 1911. The sealing was done from small open boats based aboard relatively small sailing schooners. This Bering Sea sealing fleet was based out of Victoria BC and in the photo above some of the schooners are seen[.....]
LESSONS IN APPROPRIATE ARCHITECTURE