Another Interesting Home Built Steel Boat
- Thread starter Ed Lada
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TwoLegged
Super Anarchist
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Foiling Optimist
Super Anarchist
Tragedy indeed. Why did Roger cut up the centaur?
Foiling Optimist
Super Anarchist
Just to clarify, do we know anything past his last video, which I just re-watched? In that post from October 2020, he gave up on the idea of sailing from Bellingham to BC and Alaska for now, as the border continues to be closed, so was planning to drive around the US in his new-to-him VW camper. He never said he was abandoning the project, and I do think his tenacity, like his ability to move heavy things solo, is not to be underestimated. I'm not surprised he hasn't made any camping videos as editing on the road is hard, but that doesn't mean he's given up, so when the border does open, I would implore @zenmasterfred and our other Bellingham friends to keep an eagle eye out for SV Rusty Junk. I'm sure I'm not alone in being desperately interested in how, and how well this vessel will float.
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zenmasterfred
Super Anarchist
I'm 3 1/2 hours by sailboat to Bellingham from the Islands, I will ask around when I am in Bellingham to launch and pick up my boat first of the week and see if I can junior detective any pertinent information to keep the anarchy nation , which I know is on the edges of their seats, updated. If I am able to find the RJ and can get close enough for a spy photo I will sacrifice myself for the greater good.
IStream
Super Anarchist
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Jud - s/v Sputnik
Super Anarchist
This reminds me of a story about a guy building a massive wooden boat on his property somewhere in the San Juans. Massive, as in 80 ft or so - can’t recall exactly. I think it was an article in a local community newspaper, but it was several years ago at this point. Perhaps someone has heard of it - certainly before the Modern Era of commonly chronicling one’s copious efforts on YouTube.
May have been Orcas Island...that sticks in my mind for some reason. Guy’s last name may have been Applebe? Again, just going in memory. And it was a very large wooden boat -70, 80 or more feet long. I seem to recall the article mentioned some hair brained scheme to roll it very far from his inland property on logs...perhaps those in the Friends of Rusty Junk community will know this one
Or perhaps he’s already down in Mexico/Polynesia with a bevy of beauties onboard as crew having the last laugh
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SloopJonB
Super Anarchist
Back in the days of ferro a guy built a ferro hull on the top of Eagle island in West Van.This reminds me of a story about a guy building a massive wooden boat on his property somewhere in the San Juans. Massive, as in 80 ft or so - can’t recall exactly. I think it was an article in a local community newspaper, but it was several years ago at this point. Perhaps someone has heard of it - certainly before the Modern Era of commonly chronicling one’s copious efforts on YouTube.
May have been Orcas Island...that sticks in my mind for some reason. Guy’s last name may have been Applebe? Again, just going in memory. And it was a very large wooden boat -70, 80 or more feet long. I seem to recall the article mentioned some hair brained scheme to roll it very far from his inland property on logs...perhaps those in the Friends of Rusty Junk community will know this one
I remember a picture of it being slid down the hill with block & tackle.
Autonomous
Turgid Member
I built kayaks in an upstairs bedroom. If the 17 footer had been 17' 1/4" it would have had to go out the window.
Jud - s/v Sputnik
Super Anarchist
That’s a cool story! Back when Eagle Island was a bit more backwoodsy, and less West VannyBack in the days of ferro a guy built a ferro hull on the top of Eagle island in West Van.
I remember a picture of it being slid down the hill with block & tackle.
. I would absolutely love to see a pic of that ring skidded down. Was that in the 1970s? 80s?(I did some electrical work on a lady’s house there a few years ago - a prof at a local university. Suitably eccentric, in a lovable sort of the way —as you might expect someone living in a weird/cool little island like that
everyone with his/her own private barge boat.)
SloopJonB
Super Anarchist
It was late 60's or early 70's - the heyday of ferro here.
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Jud - s/v Sputnik
Super Anarchist
@SloopJonB
You’ll like this - I just posted a question on our local community Facebook page to a guy who grew up locally - asking if he knew this boat story on Eagle Island you mentioned.
His reply below. Great story! (Separately, wonder if anyone here who knows the publishing industry could suggest a publisher for the books they’re planning? Sounds pretty fun and interesting.)
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Bull City
A fine fellow
^^ I would read it.
Happy
Super Anarchist
Very early 70s a guy in Cape Town bought a cheap block of rural land a few hours drive inland to build a 60ft ferro boat. It had the "pirate ship" clipper bow and his plan was to rig it as a brigantine and circumnavigate. He was living in a small caravan while he worked on the boat.
Many years passed, and eventually he had a completed bare hull. He got a local ferro expert to check it out. Acting on the expert's advice, he made a concrete slab, hired a crane to turn the hull upside-down, and cut a few doorways and windows to turn it into a house.
I wonder if it's still there............
Many years passed, and eventually he had a completed bare hull. He got a local ferro expert to check it out. Acting on the expert's advice, he made a concrete slab, hired a crane to turn the hull upside-down, and cut a few doorways and windows to turn it into a house.
I wonder if it's still there............
Fah Kiew Tu
Curmudgeon, First Rank
We've often joked about buying one cheap, digging a big hole in the yard and putting the hull in it. Instant guest accommodation...
FKT
DriftingWithoutGrifting
Member
Yeah - I remember that guy and his crazy Noah's ark type boat way up the hills on Orcas. This is back like ~25-30 years ago. Driving up from Doe Bay (not sure how I got invited, just at my usual anchorage back then) was about 15 minutes. And yes, his plan was to just 'roll her on down to the water'. It was never quite clear to me how that works with private property boundaries and all that. Meanwhile - they had a pretty fun little scene going on up there for sure. Not my style, but I always enjoy seeing how others live and try not to be overly critical.This reminds me of a story about a guy building a massive wooden boat on his property somewhere in the San Juans. Massive, as in 80 ft or so - can’t recall exactly. I think it was an article in a local community newspaper, but it was several years ago at this point. Perhaps someone has heard of it - certainly before the Modern Era of commonly chronicling one’s copious efforts on YouTube.
May have been Orcas Island...that sticks in my mind for some reason. Guy’s last name may have been Applebe? Again, just going in memory. And it was a very large wooden boat -70, 80 or more feet long. I seem to recall the article mentioned some hair brained scheme to roll it very far from his inland property on logs...perhaps those in the Friends of Rusty Junk community will know this one
zenmasterfred
Super Anarchist
Well, tried finding the RJ in Bellyburg yesterday, checked the usual suspect boatyards on the city front and no sign of her (or "it"). Maybe the skipper is waiting to trailer her up after his road trip. Will be back up on Tuesday and ask around some more. Used to be you could find the ferrocement guys and they would know this kind of stuff but not so many of those around anymore. Most of the chicken wire has rusted out and the skim coat on the hulls fallen off by now.
zenmasterfred
Super Anarchist
I used to talk about digging a hole and planting my Cal 2-46 in it but it was too good a sailboat to meet that ignominious end.
