Pleasant Bay Boat & Spar Blog

Spar Thoughts

2012-01-26T19:07:00.000-05:00

Complicated intersection

Spar making is an art. There is so much more to it beyond whittling a square piece of stock into a round stick. Spars are the parts that hold the sails and rigging that propel a boat forward. They can be simple, such as those found in working boats like our indigenous sharpies. Or they can be very complex like the rig on the catboat Sarah or the Sparkman Stephens schooner Brilliant. Whatever the rig or vessel, things don’t work if they are not properly conceived and constructed. That has been our

focus: build the best spars and rig the boat properly. The outcome should be well executed, functional, safe, smart, and sail well!

Looking back at the history of sailing rigs, one gains an appreciation of the form/function principle: the smaller the vessel the simpler the rig. The obvious function of the spars was to hold the sail in place. Another very important function was to balance the boat. Many of our working boats developed their rigs by trial and error and we have benefited from this rich history so that today, most of the innovation with spars and rigging has more to do with materials than design. In fact some of the world class racing sleds are resorting to a semi gaff headed sail! That may be a broad generalization but the concept is pretty accurate.

Baybird Foredeck

Spars are the basis for rigging. Rigging is not only functional but beautiful if thought out carefully and executed with an eye to detail. The rigger’s job can be very complex, and if the craftsmanship of the splices or bending on of the sails or serving of the standing rigging is not done well, then the entire ship is at risk. This holds true for any vessel large or small. Lines unravel if they’re not whipped. Knots come loose if they’re not properly tied. And if you choose the wrong knot for the job then that could haunt you later.

56 foot mast for 41 foot ketch Leah

Mastheads are the pinnacle of rigging: everything meets at the top. The mast on the left is 56 feet, so everything had better work. A fractional rig is so dependant on standing rigging and all the accompanying hardware, most of which must be fabricated to fit properly. The box section itself is not strong enough to carry the load of a full mainsail and jib. Internal blocking must be carefully conceived, and properly shaped.

Once the box is assembled and glued, there is no chance of making adjustments. All the standing and running rigging issues need to be addressed beforehand. Any elecrical plans should be drawn out on paper then installed before assembly. The fractional rig offers so may challenges but the catboat rig is by far our favorite, offering its own set of critera and problems to solve.

Perhaps its the appearance of simplicity that draws boat owners to this very American rig. To the spar maker, the challenge is in making it perform well but safely. With new fibers on the market we can now rig these boats using some time worn traditions, such as strops in place of through bolts.

What a sight to see beautifully rigged boats tracking on course, sails trimmed right, spars shapely and strong, but not too heavy. Proportions are just right. All the rigging works as it should. The sail goes up and down with ease and sheets nicely too. Speed and the ablilty to point well were never atributable to catboats but that has all changed today. Boats can be built to high performance standards without looking too modern. Just look at these two!

Catboats big and small

2012-01-19T18:17:00.002-05:00

People assume that a 14 foot catboat is small compared to its 18 foot cousin. Catboats increase exponentially in all dimensions when you lengthen the waterline. Suddenly an 18 footer becomes a really big boat. The 14 foot Classic Cat is an incredibly roomy boat that can actually accommodate two adults for an overnight or four comfortably for a day sail. What strikes me is the versatility of the boat at this length. The shallow draft allows for some serious gunk holing. The rig is easily stepped by one person. Our hollow birds mouth mast typically weighs 45 lbs or so.

The displacement is 650lbs compared to the 2,200lbs of the 18 footer. Pushing it off a sandbar is never a problem. Getting the Classic Cat ready to go takes minutes, and is easily single handed. Going out for a quick sail after work is never an issue. For many of us that's what it's all about, with our busy schedule: getting out there and enjoying a wonderful sail without all the hassle.

When we get calls about our boats we try to listen to the type of sailing being described. More and more, the appeal of the small catboat stands up against the romance of a bigger boat. What kind of sailor are you? Solo? Racer? Family boat? These little catboats handle the variety of sailors with ease.

In our world on Pleasant Bay, cruising has taken on a whole new meaning. It can be a moonlight sail, or a picnic with friends or just the dog. It can be a challenge with a double reef or a near walk about from lack of wind. But whatever the circumstances these little boats offer so much more for so little cost and effort.

Pleasant Bay Boat and Spar launches their first Hurricane

2012-01-11T15:44:00.002-05:00

Our first Hurricane, Meander was launched the week before Christmas on a cold gusty day. On board were owner Jim Moir, builder Seth Ahrenholz and Suzanne Leahy, owner of Pleasant Bay Boat and Spar Company. After three days of test sailing, we were finally able to celebrate. Not only did Meander look incredibly good, she handled superbly.

The Hurricane is a keel/centerboard version of a retake on Carl Alberg's Typhoon. The most striking difference above the waterline is the traditional gaff rig. This boat rides lower in the water thanks to the removal of four inches of freeboard. The combination of reduced freeboard and a small centerboard makes this a very trailerable boat. The biggest plus is the handling at the helm and on the sheets. I love a big boat thrill and this boat has all of it without the hassle. The roomy cockpit was comfortable and dry (!) in spite of the breeze and the wintry water temperature.

Merv Hammatt conceived this boat, knowing the popularity of the Typhoon, and the benefits of a more manageable package. In a few short years he had built twelve Hurricanes. Pleasant Bay Boat and Spar was busy for the first few years after taking over from Merv building the Baybird and making a new plug for the Classic Cat. Last February the Moirs commissioned us to build our first Hurricane. Jim was the dream customer, with a font of knowledge and knowing exactly what he wanted, working with Brian Porter, Seth set out to build a custom sloop, rigged by Doug Ingram using innovative materials on our signature hollow spars.

Jim wanted and electric outboard and chose a Torqueedo with battery storage inside a bridge deck. The O/B weighs 15 lbs making removal a snap.
You can see from all the activity on deck that removing an outboard would have been awkward, but with a light electric motor storing it was so easy. It moved along at 4 knots with hardly any effort or noise.

We can't wait to sail it in warmer weather. Meander's homeport is Stuart, Florida, so hopefully we'll get that chance.

Visit our Facebook Page for more pictures.

Check out our video below.

Herreshoff Mast Completed

2011-03-26T18:31:00.003-04:00

We loaded Pat Fincham's 46 foot mast this morning. Deep Water Transport picked it up at the shop. It is headed to Virginia where it will be finished and rigged for Pat's Herreshoff Nereira ketch. This was one of our fastest spar jobs to date. It is amazing when everything goes according to plan. Doug Ingram and Brian Porter did a superb job over a three week period,part of that time taken up by the Maine Boat Builders Show so I like to think it took less than three weeks. Pat gave us the right information so that I was able to draw good plans that Doug and Brian were then able to follow, without stopping to recalculate! We are continuing to fine tune our leaner, meaner machine that is Pleasant Bay Boat and Spar Company.

Last Monday, Doug and Brian started cutting the staves for a 35 foot flagpole for the Bedford Golf and Tennis Club. By Friday, Seth and Brian had glued it up. Our efficiency has improved and is howing in the time and craftsmanship.

In the meantime, Seth is finishing up Tony Roth's Baybird and Brian is trying to finish up the Classic Cat hull. Both boats look fabulous. You can see more pictures on our Facebook Page.

Soon we'll start a third boat: the 18 foot Hurricane. I'll post pictures on Facebook as that project develops.

Spars and flagpoles

2011-03-24T19:44:00.001-04:00

The week is nearly over and Brian and Doug have done a phenomenal job getting Pat Fincham's 46 foot mast finished. They also started on Bedford Golf and Tennis Club's 35 foot flagpole. It'll be glued up tomorrow.
It's been an interesting couple of weeks. We have been in the process of re-evaluating how we work, including the layout of the shops. Working with Bob Elliot of GBMP, the crew has made many smart changes that have increased productivity and general work flow. Every corner of each of the shops has been tackled. In fact, when I returned from the Maine Boat Builders Show on Monday, I found a huge pile left for me to dig through and hopefully throw out...which I did. Some stuff I'd been carrying around for years. If that isn't a metaphor! But it is worth it. The shops are open and refreshing. When I walk through them I can see the organization and flow. The crew seem happy, so we will continue to clear out oan reorganize.
I never realized how chaos could affect production. Now I see it first hand.We would have never built a forty six foot mast so efficiently as this last one. I can't wait to see how fast we can build a boat!

Maine Boat Builders Show 2011

2011-03-17T20:29:00.001-04:00

March always seems to sneak up on me. All winter the shop has been busy building boats and spars, snug in our warm(ish) cocoon out of the weather and to a small degree off everyones' radar. Our customers have been staying warm in their own way. But March is here. The days are suddenly longer and slightly warmer. Going out to the wood shed is no longer torture. The door has been left open and let air (!) in. Folks are stopping by more often and emailing about launch dates.
Now in mid month, we find ourselves in Portland for the Maine Boat Builders Show.
Not only does it showcase wonderful superbly built boats, but it also marks the beginning of the annual spring commissioning season. The days will fly by from this pint forward, so Portland has come to mean something more than just a boat show. It has become a reprieve of sorts, a celebration or culmination
It is also the chance we all have to gam with eachother, talk about boats and business, and generally share, which is one of the wonderful attributes of boat builders. As much as I dread the madness we are about to experience (spring commissioning), I really do look forward to the show, to the commaradery and hustle/bustle this show brings.
Soon we'll be sailing through another season on the water.
Check out
Maine Boat Builders Show