We are sailing....sailing, I said! Even Racing...really!
Not long after Alpha went splash and I moved her into a berth not far from British Marine, I took her out for a quick evening sail. The...
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Projects. We. Have. Projects.
Launching isn't the end of the project list! This is a BOAT, right? The list never ends! Here are a few that I've done over the past...
Every Boat needs a speedy bottom
In April 2022 Alpha was finally ready to leave Bethel Island and head to the Bay. Negotiating with a boatyard turned into a tricky...
WHEN did I do my last update?
It's been quite a while since I updated the blog, hasn't it? OK, here goes! In the Fall of 2021 and the early spring Spring of 2022, I...
Goodbye to the Wildcat of Loch Awe
Alpha has been my "other boat" until.....yesterday. My former "primary" boat was an S2 7.9 that I named "Wildcat of Loch Awe" after my...
Slow Progress is still Progress (on two fronts)!
In my last update, you read about how someone ran into the end of Alpha's mast and broke a spreader. However, that impact seriously bent...
More on the setback, and some purchases
As noted in the last update, which I made an hour ago after writing nothing in here since March, Alpha got ~clocked~ by someone in the...
After a long summer, a setback
I hardly got out to Alpha this past summer, as I've been busy preparing my other boat for the Singlehanded TransPacific Race. Of course,...
The Other "Really Big Job"
When I bought the Piper, she was missing a few rather crucial bits and pieces. Obviously, she was missing a rudder, or rather, her rudder...
Long time, no update
It's been months since I updated the blog, but I've been slowly working away on things. One important thing I've been doing is cleaning....
We Have A Rudder!! (and floorboards)
After six months of work, the rudder is installed, at last! The final installation went pretty well, with a minimum of cursing and only...
Moar Rudder and Rigging
When I got the Piper, the original rudder, such as it was, was missing the bottom pintle. The fitting on the bottom of the keel is...
I'm Busy, not Lazy
Progress has been slow, but recently things have been coming along. I've purchased a hank-on genoa (well used) on Craigslist that is...
Impetuous Fiberglassing
As noted below, I have a lot of hobbies. They keep me busy but my slow progress on Alpha's rudder was eating at me. So it happened one...
More Rudder Shenanigans
I've been busy with this and that ( I have two boats and too many other interests) but I have been making slow progress on the rudder. ...
Driving My Baby Back Home
Alpha has spent the last decade or so parked under the pine trees in Nevada City, California. Nevada City is in the foothills of the...
The First Project: Rudder! --Rudder Blog Post #1 - wood Butchery
January 2019: The old one was so warped and ruined that it could only serve as a template for the new one. It's hard to steer with a...
Make the Trailer Road-Worthy
December 2018: While the previous owner had encouraged me to take the trailer on the road the way it was, I was extremely nervous about...
A Piper One Design Sailboat Appears on Craigslist
Summer and Fall 2018: Back in May of 2018 I was browsing the craigslist listings in "boats" for the Gold County area, in California. A...
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