Panope

Kim, I know nothing of this ham stuff, but I was wondering if the ability to "share" a ham antennae exists. I'm thinking about someone who has as hilltop site who could share/sell the use of a really tall antennae via an internet connection of some sort. I know that independence is a hallmark of ham operators, but it seems like it would open up the hobby to people who cannot get a large antenna off the ground/out of a valley. Steve

My friend Kit (Spike's son) lives just down the road. Steve

The added utility of solid lifelines is huge. Numerous activities are made possible or easier because you have something to LEAN AGAINST. Fishing, handling anchors, taking a piss, or just a group standing on the foredeck for a bullshit session. Steve

That is probably true for most sailboats. However, my uniquely styled boat seemed to look better when I added the pipe rails. They somehow made the cabin trunk and pilothouse appear not as towering. Steve Netting as since been removed. Looks better.

Yep, I was expecting (hoping) for at least some kind of noticeable performance gain for all my effort. I'd be lying if I said there was any. At least I did not give up anything. In my above post, I should have said that I removed over 1000 pounds of CEMENT (not lead) and wood. I guesstimate that the VCG changed little if any. Steve

That is all true enough. However, I recently removed over 1000 pounds of lead and wood from this boat (16,000 to 15,000) and could not measure a speed difference. Fore and Aft trim also change by more than an inch. I check speed by averaging 4-way (North, South, East, West) GPS numbers with a constant RPM. I guess weight sensitivity depends a lot on hull type. Steve

At least the towing bitt was hell for stout.

It is probably not worth the hassle to create a fair leading edge unless one is a bit fanatical. If you are, best to weld something on. My "square leading edge" averaged about 3 inches wide. I could not perceive a performance increase after adding the fairing.

The Church Pew along the front of the pilot house is a nice touch. Steve

Sounds reasonable. Of course once you get a motor boat, the wind will always blow 18 kts from 90 degrees. Some sort of stabilizer (riding sail?) might be nice When I sawed off Panope's old schooner rig and added the roof and big motor, I seriously considered leaving it with no rig. I suppose my never being spoiled by a great sailing place (like San Francisco) was a factor in my decision to build a new rig. No regrets. Steve

I like it. Get the dinghy before the mother ship. Priorities. Just to clarify, does "eliminating the redundant mast" mean the new ship will have only one mast, or zero masts? Steve

DDW, I'm curious, will this new dighy fit in your garage? If not, it sure seems like a big pill to swallow (no pun intended). Steve

Did someone say "popsicle airplane"?

I'm trying to come up with analogies between out in the open sailing, motorcycling, and flying. With motorcycling, I prefer full face to open face helmets. Much less fatiguing/distracting. Safer. More fun. Open cockpit flying is great for short hops or inverted flight. Nothing like flying through the tree tops and getting quick whiffs of forest smells that come and go in an instant. However, even with a front windscreen, the constant buffeting/noise is very tiring. Anything more than an hour, and I'll take an enclosed cockpit. Aboard Panope, one has the choice of being inside or out. Outside has its moments, but I'm inside most of the time. Even on perfectly dry days. Steve (the wimp)

Proper, Dutch, go-anywhere yacht. 360 deg visibility "wheel"(joystick)house. Centerboard. The only bad thing about this boat would be having to sell it when your trip is finished. http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2001/Noordkaper-47-Classic-3041636/Almere/Netherlands#.Wt09_IjwbD4