Dinghy Boat Plans | Multihulls in the islands

Dinghy Boat Plans

We are anchored in Prince Rupert Bay in Dominca today. The sail down from the Saints was in 30-35 knot close hauled conditions. The HFM made the crossing of 19 miles in 3 hours with three reefs in the mainsail and the 1# jib. When tacking into the bay we had to sail into an excelleration wind zone with gusts up to 40. With the jib furled in half we still put the sheer down to the water for the first time but had no problem tacking in and anchoring under sail. We have renamed these the exzilleration zones. There are 93 sailboats anchored here today. Five years ago at the same time there were only 10 yachts. Times are changing. The town boasts new roofs, docks, a half built huge hotel , and is remarkably clean. The place has gone through a clean up act. 

Having asked the boat boys how business is with all the yatchs about they say it is down because not so many charter boats that spend the money, just cruisers that only spend a bit in each island. They understand that our boats are our homes . But they do their best to help out and to see what $ can be earned from this crowd. 

Yesterday , Tim , Gayle, Rachel , I and our daughter Lillian climbed and hiked up one of the mountain peaks here taking 5 hours for this hike. It is mostly strait up on slippery leaves, rocks and mud. Going up the trails is hard but going down is worse as its so steep and slippery.

Today is recovery day so I will post some boat pictures in various categories .

I will be showing cruising multis mostly. A simple nice cat.

A fast looking tri in Guadaloupe sailed by a young couple.

This tri comes apart for shipping.

An oldie foiler. This tri has got to have some tales to tell.

This I belive is a Rodger Hatfield design . Built in plywood. Very simple and very strong.

Going to rot in Guadaloupe as this tri is outdated already.

A nice old Newick wooden tri in the Saints.

Simple plywood catamran . Truth is it takes as much time to build this boat as the HFMS as you have to do every thing perfect. The HFM in plywood could build 3 of these easyily. No lead though.

31 tri in Antigua. Looks fast but not so sexy.

A Nigel Irens tri getting ready for the Caribbean 600. I have had the pleasure of drinking rum and getting drunk  with this great designer talking shallow draft boat ideas and designs a few years back after a days racing during the Antigua Classic regatta . I was sailing on "Gaucho" a 65 double ended Mario Campos design from Argintina as tactian. We won third place in our class. 

This Dutch tri has anchored in front of our place last spring . They hung out for a couple of days waiting for a good weather window to sail to Bermuda in. They like light winds of 10-15 knots of wind as this tri would sail at 4-5 knots faster than wind speed so in 12 knts they would be doing close to 18 knts. When the wind got up so would the seas and so would the spray, motion and noise. After 18 knts they would then have to slow down to be comfortable. All boats are a compromise.

The Dutch speak such perfect English it makes me feel like I should go back and study my own language again. The woman that was sailing on this tri had built it herself years before with a husband and then sold it. With a new partner she found it again and bought it back. A work of art and a sailing machine.

Here is Lew Mcgregger on his Russell Brown Proa " Cimba" cruising with us on Hogfish 23 years ago. 

What a great concept. So much fun to watch them sail into a bay heading into the fartest Cornner with no room to move, suddenly stop , swing the mainsail around and sail back and out on a new tack and new bow.

This is Rodger Hatfields 31 tri built and designed by him in wood,ply and nomex. Here we are sailing out of Salt Run in St. Croix to go over to St. Thomas to do some warranty work on the first wave piercer power tri. This boat was a dream to sail as it was so fast you could just breeze by any sailboat. We closed reached over the 42 miles at an average of 18 knots an hour. This shot was taken 24 years ago.

This is my own Dick Newick Val  31 trimaran that I salvaged from a remote island in the Bahamas. It was sunk up a very hard to reach creek. I will be bringing this boat back to life when we return from this cruise. Its taken apart now and up high and dry for the Hurricane season.  It should be very fast as I will use all my knowledge to keep her light and strong with todays modern materials. So far I have removed whats not needed and she has risen by 6" . I feel this will be the fastest Val to date when Iam done. Iam looking forward to this project. This boat will be my fantasy speedster if I can handle the pressure. Ive told Rachel she will have to share a tooth brush and only wear bikini bottoms with Pareos only. Must stay light and fast.

This tri and my other sloop project are both 31 long have the same size masts and sail area. The tri weighs 1,900 lbs  designed vs the sloop at 9,800 lbs. The tri has one bunk. The sloop We can live in comfortably.

When we eventually sell the HFMS these will be our Bahama sailboats. I hope to live long enough to enjoy these boats.

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Pontoon Boat Plans | The skiffs of Dominica and the Boat Boy Mafia

Pontoon Boat Plans

Through out the islands of the West Indies you will encounter many types of characters coming up along side your vessel trying to engage you in hiring them in some form of capacity to sell you something. These are know as Boat Boys. In days gone by they would meet you way offshore paddling an old windsurfer or on a make shift raft. Today they zoom up in nice little fast wooden skiffs with big outboards at breakneck speeds to be the first on the scene to hopefully claim you as theirs.

Years ago we had many very unpleasant experiences with these guys trying to politely tell them to stay away from our top sides and no we did not want for a thing and did not want to rent a mooring. 

They , but not all of them would try and intimidate you with their skiffs as you would be sailing in after you declined their offers. Lots of charterers and other sailors would just give in and follow them to the appointed mooring buoy which the Boat Boy would be holding up from his skiff asking for the nights payment as the charterers would be grabbing the buoy line. The Boat Boy and his skiff banging along side till the cash was in hand, then taking off to the next victim. The unsuspecting boater would be so glad to have this skiff gone from the side of his boat that they paid him as quick as possible to get him off and away.

Now safely on their mooring they would settle back into the cockpit to relax and then start to realize that the boat next to them was dragging onto them. Sheesh ! But how can this be that the boat astern is dragging its bow into our stern !

Well the Boat Boys realize that to foreigners all their brightly painted skiffs kinda look alike so handing them a mooring buoy that is tied to an old 15 hp outboard is a good way to make a living. Said boat pays them, off they go to another mooring that is fake or not. While the latest victim is dragging down wind the next one is coming in the harbor and can see this going on so wants a good mooring so on goes the process.

The best place to see this Racket is in Admiralty Bay in Bequia. I anchored there for a month a few years ago watching this scam go on. I dove the entire harbor and would say that over half the moorings there can just about hold a dinghy, not an 18 ton Catamaran.

When sailing into Mindelo bay in the Cape Verde islands in 2004 we knew in advance of the potential crime and dinghy theft. The deal that was waiting for us was there would be at least 5-6 Boat Boys in small rowing craft that would be waiting for you at the harbors entrance to offer their services of guarding your dinghy from the others so it would not get stolen. They would ask for 5-6 euros a day for this service. So basically the deal was pay us or your skiff is a goner.

Knowing this in advance we sailed into the bay after a 7 day passage from the Canaries in the early morning. The Hogfish Maximus at that time sailed engine less so we were under full sail for the tack up the bay. Sure enough after rounding the breakwater 5 Boat boys awaited us in their 12" rowboats . They all started after the Hogfish but we were under sail and not power so this was to be a new challenge to them . They understood sailing so could see where our first tack would end up. Off they rowed racing each other to our possible tacking spot. Watching this go on as I threaded my way through all the anchored ships and yachts, I tacked 100 short of where they were waiting to grab ahold of our rail . Bam, off they all go chasing us onto the next tack. After playing with them for 3 more evasive tacks I was left with one Boat Boy following us up the anchorage till we anchored. Breathless, he came alongside and very politely offed his services. We struck our deal at 2 euros a day.

Later that day as we came alongside the dinghy dock he was there along with his competition. He could not belive I was still chaining my skiff up with 3/8" chain. I explained I did not trust anyone watching my skiff including the other yachties.

Today in Portsmouth Dominica the Boat Boys have formed an association and take their business very seriously. They are very polite , have fenders for the skiffs and understand that not all of us sailors have deep pockets. This so far was the safest place Ive felt in leaving our skiff while out hiking. Still locked up of course.

Typical old school Dominican skiff buit on the beach in wood.

New skiff being built in plywood with a heavy glass skin.

Underside of this skiff. All the supports will be remove when flipping over.

Todays Boat Boy all round skiff used for fishing and working the Yachties during the season.

Very nice running sea boats.

Skiff building on the beach.

The builder of most of the current skiffs in Portsouth Dominica, Alfonso. Very quiet guy but loved talking skiffs and building. I gave him a jack plane that was my fathers to replace his broken one and a bunch of hand saws. The chunk of curved wood laying on the keelson will be the inside of the stem in the foreground. Hes cutting it out with a chainsaw.

Met this guy in town and he said my Government might let me sail to his country someday. Can this be true ?!!!! If so thats where Ill be for the next bunch of years. My dad was born in Cuba.

Us with Sea Cat Boat Boy and hiking Guide  extrodainair . Here we are putting on volcanic mud on our hike to the boiling lake. We have done all our hikes unguided but he came so highly recommended for the way he explained the world about you we hired him and had a great time.

Sea Cat boiling eggs for us in the thermal vents.

Gayle , Tim , me and Rachel in the hot thermal sulfur water run off from the volcanic vents upstream.

This was a good rest as its quite a hike to get there and back.

Tree squashing de bus in hurricane Hugo

Fisherman netting Bahlou in Roseau 

 Roseau Boat Boy Desmound. The water is 160 deep up next to the shore but he had moorings placed there that had a good reputation. In the old days you would back your stern up to the beach dropping your anchor in maybe 60 and then tying your stern ashore with a line to someones house sea wall. Todays moorings are every where so hard to be on your own anymore. $ 10.00 US a night.

Yes he is , and the beer was very cold.

Sara another sailor on hike with us on the north coast. 

Roots

Lots of water falls

East coast.

North coast anchorage with skiffs.

And last , this is a typical fish haul from a huge gill net drawn in along the beach. Thses are all juvenile fish . But thats whats left. They are killing and eating every last thing . Sad.

Dominica has been a wonderful place to sail to and hike about.

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