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Old 21-02-2008, 20:19   #1
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Talking Hi all!

Just ran across this forum and signed up yesterday. Hope to hang here on occasion, and get to know more in the sailing community!

I'm located about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago. Am a fluids engineer at a national lab by day, and an artist by night. 2 big hobbies are playing bass (fiddle or guitar), and sailing. Spend way too many hours on a forum for musicians, which by the way, is reflected in my handle here.

I started sailing when on a trip to Bermuda in 1999. Cap'n Bob Zuill had m out in a 42' Morgan Ketch. I was addicted right then. Was on the islands as part of a art workshop. Had several from the class out there with me laster in the week for a sunset sail. Once back to Chicago, arranged ASA sailing lessons downtown in Lake Michigan the following spring. Arranged sailing with her again in the BVI's the following year. Been sailing ever since.

My boat is a 14' Shell Swifty, sprit rigged catboat, lots of fun as a trailer sailor. Was actually looking to build one, had the plans, was going nuts trying to find marine plywood in the area. One day a few years back, came around a corner, and here's this Shell Swifty 14, nearly exactly the boat I was going to build, sitting in a yard 'for sale'. It was at my house within the week! Over the past 4 summers, I've had it out around 60 times, in 4 different lakes, winds from 0 to 15+ with gusts, and I've had a blast! This was my first boat. I am just now learning to sail it on the edge.

So, I didn't build my first one. Oh well, one behind. Am looking at building the next one, the Chincotegue, from Selway Fisher. Maybe next year. Long term plans, for when I retire in 4 to 8 years, a shoal draft or centerboard sailboat, about 30' LWL, to go up and down the Sounds and Outer Banks of the East Coast, maybe all the way to the Florida Keys. Sort of my answer to the mandatory Retirement RV years.

I've considered jumping up to more of a cruiser for Lake Michigan, like a Stonehorse 23 or Nonsuch 26 or so. But living this far out from the harbor, haven't felt it worth my bucks. But I have considered timesharing maybe. Also, I belong to the Northwest Sailing Association here, out of Arlington Heights. Unfortunately, life's been a bear the last 2 years, and the more I try to hook up with their activities, the more I'm detoured.

Anyways, that's a lot more than you needed for my first visit. Hope to get to know many of you here. Am in a new house with only dial-up ISP, with lousy email reliability, so I'll only be checking in for short spells on occasion. (And a computer box that sounds like it's losing a fanbelt.)

Anyways, Hi Y'all!
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Old 21-02-2008, 20:25   #2
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Welcome aboard Bassman! Being a boating forum I initially thought your handle was related to fishing - LOL.

Your boat sounds great!
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Old 21-02-2008, 20:33   #3
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Welcome aboard Bassman! Being a boating forum I initially thought your handle was related to fishing - LOL.

Your boat sounds great!



I met someone in a parking lot about 20 miles from here one day, to complete a small eBay transaction. The guy looks at me and says, "You've got to be a musician. You play bass, right?". "Yes! Why?" "You don't look anything like a fisherman!"

Thanks!

I wasn't sure how fast people respond around here. Some forums, it's days between replies. Others, it's more like the neighborhood tavern, but on-line. At HCBF it's like that. A bar for a bunch of folk who happen to mostly be bass players.
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Old 21-02-2008, 20:50   #4
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I wasn't sure how fast people respond around here. Some forums, it's days between replies. Others, it's more like the neighborhood tavern, but on-line. At HCBF it's like that. A bar for a bunch of folk who happen to mostly be bass players.
This is a very global group. There are folks from around the globe with no propensity to hold back ;-)

It's just after lunch on Friday here in Singapore - I should be getting back to work... So I can head to the sailing club at 3:30 like I planned all week ;-)
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Old 21-02-2008, 21:10   #5
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Aloha Bassman,
Welcome aboard! Yes, thought you were a fisherman. Oh well. Hope you enjoy the forum. I always say, why build when you can buy nearly the same thing at a smaller cost.
I'd like to see a photo of your boat.
Kind Regards,
JohnL
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Old 21-02-2008, 21:11   #6
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It's just after lunch on Friday here in Singapore - I should be getting back to work... So I can head to the sailing club at 3:30 like I planned all week ;-)

Ooooh!

Hard to go for a sail when it's about 4" of whitestuff on the ground after a thaw-freeze cycle...

My big boat thrill right now?
The boat, and the snowblower, can fit in the garage at the same time as my Forester.
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Old 21-02-2008, 21:16   #7
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Here's one I put together several years ago.
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Old 21-02-2008, 21:20   #8
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I'm just getting it back together after some toerail damage both port and starboard. I'm rerigging using Flying Junior sails so it will be a marconi rig when I get her back in the water. It is 11'8" with about 2 feet of bowsprit. Fun sailer when I can't use the big boats.
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Old 21-02-2008, 21:25   #9
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Nice!


Sticth-n-tape?

What construction?

Looks sweet, How's it handle in higher seas?
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Old 21-02-2008, 21:40   #10
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I used a friend's Herreshoff Marco Polo dinghy as a plug and used 1/2" surfboard foam boards to follow the lines of his dinghy. Taped the edges of the foam to hold it in place while I put some glass over it. The hull was done in the 80s and I finally put some sails on it in the 90s. Had it rowing and motoring before that.
Never had it sailing in anything more than 15k. It handles well in that. I figure its time to put the dinghy away if the whitecaps are getting too frequent. Lasers and Sunfish are fun in 20k but not an open pram that doesn't plane easily.
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Old 21-02-2008, 21:57   #11
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Ooooh!

Hard to go for a sail when it's about 4" of whitestuff on the ground after a thaw-freeze cycle...

My big boat thrill right now?
The boat, and the snowblower, can fit in the garage at the same time as my Forester.
I just did 3 weeks in the midwest. It was considered "warm" below 10C. I am still thawing out and it's 28C here (again)...

Tonight we twilight sail, tomorrow and Sunday we have a regional race and next Tuesday I am doing a charity sail. Take a day off work, go sailing and get a check mark in the community service column - Ain't that a peach!

It's brilliant living on the equator...

Sorry to rub it in - LOL

PS - SkprJohn - very cool looking boat...
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Old 22-02-2008, 00:06   #12
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Hey Mate! I'm a Bass player too. Although I am well out of practice now. But Bass playing in a band many years ago lead me down the track of eventually owning my own Live Audio company and I became a live sound engineer. Don't know why, but anyone that became a live audio engineer was either an ex bass player or there name was Dave. David was my middle name as well :-)
All that's behind me now. Retired from sound and now sail as much as I can.
P.S. do you know the website "Prosoundweb.com"??
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Old 22-02-2008, 00:24   #13
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David was my middle name as well :-)
Did you have to change it when you went into the witness protection program, Wheels?
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Old 22-02-2008, 09:16   #14
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Here's one I put together several years ago.

Nice!


I don't have many pics of mine currently, and none with me sailing her that are any good. Will scavange my files and see what I have.

Here are 3 as attachments, from the day I first got it home a few years ago, and set it up in the driveway of my condo.
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Old 22-02-2008, 09:21   #15
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I just did 3 weeks in the midwest. It was considered "warm" below 10C. I am still thawing out and it's 28C here (again)...

Tonight we twilight sail, tomorrow and Sunday we have a regional race and next Tuesday I am doing a charity sail. Take a day off work, go sailing and get a check mark in the community service column - Ain't that a peach!

It's brilliant living on the equator...

Sorry to rub it in - LOL

PS - SkprJohn - very cool looking boat...



When I retire, it WILL be to a warmer climate, where I can sail without freezing at least 7 or 8 months out of the year! :cubalibre
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