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Panope · 28-09-2012, 12:17

Greetings all,

I am a new member after much lurking and information mining - Thanks.

Panope has been in my family since I was 7 (1976). Dad commissioned an empty welded hull from Greenwich Yachts of Vancouver Canada. We spent the next 6 years in our back yard fitting her out per Colvin plans as a gaff schooner for offshore cruising. We ended up using the boat mostly coastal (Puget sound/San Juan Islands) with dad taking her to the Sea of Cortez for a year in 1989.

By the Late 1990's dad grew weary of boat maintenance so I commenced with an Idea to transform the boat into one more suited for cruising the inside passage. In 2000 I hauled the boat to my back yard and started cutting, welding and grinding. I launched her this summer for a 2 month sea trial/shakedown. Changes included:

Pilot house added (aluminum).
New 40 h.p. engine.
Engine beds moved forward and lower.
Propeller shaft/log lower and larger
Propeller and aperture larger
New aluminum fuel tanks (100 gals.)
Rig changed from schooner to sloop.
New aluminum Spars (homemade), Sails and rigging
Tabernacle for mast.
New Systems: electrical, steering, anchors/rodes, handrails, davit.......etc.

Still lots and lots of rough edges and unfinished details but she did alright given the number modifications. I have got her back in my driveway for the finishing touches (I built a trailer and pull with a buddy's pick-up).

A big thank you to the CF for all the help with many technical areas (solar, batteries, anchors, etc). Also, the entertainment value here is tremendous because of the many colorful characters that regularly post.

Steve

jongleur · 28-09-2012, 12:21

Beautiful.

Bravo.

**hummingway** · 28-09-2012, 12:21

That's great. She's lovely and I hope to see her sailing by some day.

Amapola · 28-09-2012, 14:18

Work on a boat is never finished so if you wait until everything is perfect, you'll never get to sea. It's great to do your own work and know it's done right.

SkiprJohn · 28-09-2012, 14:47

Congratulations!

Happy sailing.

bobconnie · 28-09-2012, 16:03

SWEET !!! A real pleasure to look at ! And Im sure she sails as well as she looks !! Con Grats

DWT · 28-09-2012, 16:16

Steve,

Can you give all of us some specs. on her.

**atoll** · 28-09-2012, 16:33

she looks great,i get immense enjoyment from building boats,almost as much fun as sailing them.

tropicalescape · 28-09-2012, 16:34

Nice ..

mbianka · 28-09-2012, 16:47

Nice looking boat! Enjoy!

Panope · 28-09-2012, 18:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWT

Steve,

Can you give all of us some specs. on her.

Panope is a modified, Colvin Saugeen Witch (Colvin still sells plans and keeps a website). L.O.A. 34'. L.W.L about 28'. Beam is 10'. She draws a hair over 4'. She displaces about 14 or 15 thousand pounds. I figure I added about a thousand pounds with pilot house, larger engine, larger fuel etc. Her rig is my own design. Lengthened the old mainmast and stepped it in the foremast position on a tabernacle. Sail area is 600 sq. ft. Main is 480' head sail is 120 - almost a catboat. There are only 3 standing rigging wires - 2 Shrouds are 1/2" galvanized and the fore stay is 3/8". There are no winches onboard.

She is plated in 3/16" aluminum just about everywhere but the pilothouse top which I did in 1/8" to save weight. Keel is filled with 5000 lbs. of lead and cement.

I mounted a bow roller where the old bowsprit penetrated the bulwarks. 45 lb. Manson Supreme on the roller and a 65 lb. Forfjord in a hausepipe on the Port bow. There is a 33 lb. Bruce under the V-birth and a Lot of chain in the locker for all of them. All to balance the increase in weight Aft.

Water - 100 gallons. Fuel - 100 gallons - should make Ketchikan non-stop.

Old engine was 15 horsepower. Fine for light stuff but could not propel the boat into more 30 kts. of wind. New engine is 40 horsepower - much better.

I should mention that I did not construct the pilothouse and windows to what I would call "offshore-hurricane-capsize" standards. If I had those type of cruising ambitions I would have left the boat exactly the way it was - schooner rig and all.

Steve

Panope · 28-09-2012, 18:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by atoll

she looks great,i get immense enjoyment from building boats,almost as much fun as sailing them.

Yep, for me building stuff is half the fun.....o.k. maybe more that half. I especially like experimenting/modifying. I usually build something in my head 4 or 5 times before I break out the grinders and skillsaws. Heavy work is tiresome at times, but in the end so rewarding.

Steve