Can't Wrap my Mind Around this "Bluewater" Thing!

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by leightonyachts

I'm working on a new hull design of a 60' schooner I plan on building in the Philippines. It will be a combination of traditional design with high tech materials. Will post updates as I complete the design.

Sorry. This is what I meant to be commenting on.

[SV Windrush II]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Sorry. This is what I meant to be commenting on.

I'm definitely inspired by Donald McKay and hollow sharp ends. Bill Garden was definately one of my mentors but his designs were a little to tubby for me. I tend to lean towards Nathaniel Herrshoff.
The rudder I just threw on for now but haven't designed yet

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[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by boatman61

That's why its called 'Blue Tango'...
She dances over the waves..

Sweet boat. Is it really a MacWhatever? Nebber heard of that brand. Must be French

[Blue Crab]

Dashew's Windhorse was in the Jarrett Bay yard here for most of last year. Really something to see. Looooooooooooooooong and skinny. (The way a boat should be!) A beautiful boat in an extremely functional way.

Originally Posted by boatman61

Long keel.. and pure luxury.. 5' 10" headroom..

Glad to get off the beach I bet. Goodonya Phil.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Dashew's Windhorse was in the Jarrett Bay yard here for most of last year. Really something to see. Looooooooooooooooong and skinny. (The way a boat should be!) A beautiful boat in an extremely functional way.




Glad to get off the beach I bet. Goodonya Phil.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by leightonyachts

I'm definitely inspired by Donald McKay and hollow sharp ends. Bill Garden was definately one of my mentors but his designs were a little to tubby for me. I tend to lean towards Nathaniel Herrshoff.
The rudder I just threw on for now but haven't designed yet

Cap, I had a quickie with Mrs Google and didn't come up with much on Leighton Yachts. Did I misspell something?

William Garden was one of yer mentors? He died a couple of years ago as you know. Did you work for him as a draftsman or ???

I'm jes askin': What are yer bonafides?

I ask cuz most anyone can design a boat: A buddy of mine (I'll leave him nameless), studied NA with Westlawn in the early 80s, as I recall, and designed a 20 fter. We built a cedar strip plug that I sailed to the Tortugas from Miami. The second worst trip I ever had. Outbound was OK but against the wind homeward was a different story. I was over canvassed and under-ballasted. And ran outa water cuz it took me OH SO EFFING LONG to sail home as indicated. Beer was a distant memory.

The two boats we pulled off the plug were modified bigtime, and one went out to the Caribe and back.

Be a real shame to put all the time and dough into something that didn't work well.

Please direct me to yer website. I am here to learn.

[Andrew Troup]

On the other hand (devil's advocate reporting for duty!) there's the well reputed "Little Wing", designed by Raud O'Brien, who also put himself through Westlawn for that purpose, then did an outstanding unassisted solo eastabout circumnavigation in the Southern Ocean. (Despite being physically disabled from a near-fatal climbing accident)

[SV Windrush II]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Cap, I had a quickie with Mrs Google and didn't come up with much on Leighton Yachts. Did I misspell something?

William Garden was one of yer mentors? He died a couple of years ago as you know. Did you work for him as a draftsman or ???

I'm jes askin': What are yer bonafides?

I ask cuz most anyone can design a boat: A buddy of mine (I'll leave him nameless), studied NA with Westlawn in the early 80s, as I recall, and designed a 20 fter. We built a cedar strip plug that I sailed to the Tortugas from Miami. The second worst trip I ever had. Outbound was OK but against the wind homeward was a different story. I was over canvassed and under-ballasted. And ran outa water cuz it took me OH SO EFFING LONG to sail home as indicated. Beer was a distant memory.

The two boats we pulled off the plug were modified bigtime, and one went out to the Caribe and back.

Be a real shame to put all the time and dough into something that didn't work well.

Please direct me to yer website. I am here to learn.

Thanks for the interest.

I also took the design course in the early eighties, but just for designing and building my own boats. in college I studied mechanical engineering and composite laminate design and went to work for Boeing. So unfortunately I didn't pursue yacht design as a profession. Yacht design is kind of like being a musician, you either become one of the stars and make money, or you just do it for the love of it.

I don't have a published web site yet as all my yacht designs have only been for my own purpose and not as a business. Maybe I could do that in the future If I spend more time at it

So far I have designed and built several sailboats and motor yachts that have done well. but of course some of my first tries were very similar to your story, they didn't sail well and in fact I wrecked my first 21 foot racer I built when I was 14 so sad... but learned a lot and never gave up.

I met William Garden a few times in the past and have been a long time studier of his work, but I never have worked for him. He was a very private person and was hard to get ahold of especially in the last 10 years of his life.

BTW Donald McKay was the famous clipper ship builder that designed and built most of the extreme clippers of the 1850's during the gold rush. His ships broke all the speed records of the time and were unbroken for 135 years until finally "Thursdays Child" broke the record in 1989. And the Clipper "Flying Cloud" that held the record in 1951 did it with a broken foremast and putting into port in south America for 14 days.

The were the stories that inspired me as a child to build my own yacht and sail the oceans of the world.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by leightonyachts

Thanks for the interest.

...
I met William Garden a few times in the past and have been a long time studier of his work, but I never have worked for him. He was a very private person and was hard to get ahold of especially in the last 10 years of his life.

BTW Donald McKay was the famous clipper ship builder that designed and built most of the extreme clippers of the 1850's during the gold rush. His ships broke all the speed records of the time and were unbroken for 135 years until finally "Thursdays Child" broke the record in 1989. And the Clipper "Flying Cloud" that held the record in 1951 did it with a broken foremast and putting into port in south America for 14 days.

The were the stories that inspired me as a child to build my own yacht and sail the oceans of the world.

I'm a bit of a sailing scholar meself... no watermaker, hard dinghy ...you know the type. That wasn't the part I needed to learn. Your use of the term "mentor" caught my critical eye.

Apologies sir ... it just seemed to me you were sounding somewhat pretentious. Guess there's no law against that.

[VirtualVagabond]

The term 'mentor' has broadened a lot in recent years and no longer only applies to formal mentoring along the lines of an apprenticeship.
I've noticed it being used in art and literature to include, or give credit to influential leaders in the field whose work and style has been studied and aspects of it adopted.
'Pretentious' on the other hand still remains somewhat provocative, but I can think of a lot of CF members who would wear the title well, all present company excluded of course

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

The term 'mentor' has broadened a lot in recent years and no longer only applies to formal mentoring along the lines of an apprenticeship.
I've noticed it being used in art and literature to include, or give credit to influential leaders in the field whose work and style has been studied and aspects of it adopted.
'Pretentious' on the other hand still remains somewhat provocative, but I can think of a lot of CF members who would wear the title well, all present company excluded of course

Of course.

(s) Blue Crab, sailing scholar

[SV Windrush II]

Well I'm definately just learning right along with everyone else here and no expert in anything.
I and i admit that I probably use the word "mentor" too loosely and do not want to make myself any more knowledgeable than anyone else. After all I joined this site to share and gain information, and in the process, if we all learn a little more then I think that's a good thing

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[Polux]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Sweet boat. Is it really a MacWhatever? Nebber heard of that brand. Must be French

Humm, Mac something French? French like lighter boats that's a very typical British mini cruiser from the late 60's. They always had a fancy for that kind of boats.

Home | Macwester Owners Association

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Polux

Humm, Mac something French? French like lighter boats that's a very typical British mini cruiser from the late 60's. They always had a fancy for that kind of boats.

Home | Macwester Owners Association

This is 1972... and yes.. the Brits did have a penchant for the 'chunky' look back then as illustrated by Colvic, Westerly, Macwester and others.. the French have always been that bit 'racier'...

[SV Windrush II]

Originally Posted by boatman61

This is 1972... and yes.. the Brits did have a penchant for the 'chunky' look back then as illustrated by Colvic, Westerly, Macwester and others.. the French have always been that bit 'racier'...

Yeah, how come the French ended up with all the fast boats and cool technology hahaha

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