Recent images

Forestay showing Hayn Hi-Mod terminal.  Wire is stainless 1x19 7/32"

Outboard engine.  Fresh-water flushed and empty of fuel.  Approx 30-35 hrs on engine.  Two fuel tanks come with.

Fwd. end of boom, showing gooseneck, brz. jaws.

twin-laminate yellow cedar boom

Outboard end of aluminum spreader, showing shroud capture seizing, and cedar roller (preventing genoa chafe)

Stainless steel chainplates.  All turnbuckles are Bronze 

One of two knees at mast partner.  Backing for chainplate shown, typical oak frame also visible at far right.

Base of perimeter-line stanchion.  Painted mild galvanized steel.  Very strong.

Inside of perimeter line stanchion showing fasteners.  Fastened through structural sheer, deck beam, and clamp.

companionway and chart table (port) showing port storage lazarette, storage under chart table.  Custom ladder, and "seat/ counter" aft it.  Both are removable.

Stbd stove (solid fuel) counter-space, storage locker under.  Stbd storage lazarette.

Looking aft from port berth/settee

Same view from further fwd.  Showing compression post, and pilot berth/settee surfaces, as well as deck beam and underside of cabin house.

View of Port side

Top end of compression post

Bottom end of comp. post, showing keel timber and cabin sole "grate"

Oak frames, sheer, notched deck beams

Bottom end of companionway ladder, floors, keel timber, bulkhead and under-cockpit sole storage

Chart table, w/opening top (spruce), floors and oak frames

Nav/instrument storage

"Midget" solid-fuel heater/stove.   

Depth sounder, fwd end of cabin-house, fwd round portlight 

Depth transducer w/bung, battery locker, transducer cable.  This is all under stbd. pilot berth.

Stbd storage beneath cockpit seat

Port under-cockpit storage locker

Foredeck showing skylights, hand rail, and forward end of cabin-house

Cockpit looking fwd. showing aft end of cabin house, compass, sheet winch/cleat, cockpit well

Cabin house roof, nav. light, portlight, companionway slider, mast base

Brz turbuckles

Bow cleat, chafe plate (brz.).  Perimeter line fwd attachments, bow pulpit base, stem fitting, anchor bracket

close up of stem fitting

Honey-locust Bow cleat and brz chafe plate (for anchor chain)

Cabin house and halyard winches

Chain locker (also a water-tight compartment)  showing stem timber, deck beams, hull planking

Compression post, skylights, mast partners, and deck beam detail

Cockpit showing cockpit well, coamings, tiller, and mainsheet traveller on solid brz. mounting

Tiller, mainsheet traveller, custom tiller bracket (helm-tender)

Masthead showing upper shroud chainplate, forestay, spinnaker  halyard block,

Spreader brackets, lower shrouds tang and upper end terminals

Bottom end of mast showing halyard base blocks, spinnaker pole track

Rudder and keel during haulout.

John Guzzwell presentation

I had the privilege of attending a presentation by John Guzzwell last week--an event sponsored by the Wooden Boat Society of the San Juan Islands.

I was incredibly impressed with his recall of other folks on extensive voyages in those days (the 50's), and by his charismatic yet humble storytelling.

He focussed less on his own circumnavigation, more on the passage he shared with the Smeeton's aboard their ketch "Tzu Hang--their first attempt to go around Cape Horn.  About 1000 miles from the cape, they were pitchpoled and dismasted, losing the dog house, rudder, and dinghy.

Only by exhaustive efforts bailing the boat, and ingenuity in designing a jury rig and rudder/tiller system, did they eventually make landfall in South America.

John Guzzwell, twin headsails pulling...

He also showed the 16mm film footage that he had taken of their passage, which was captivating to watch, and showed sea conditions right up to their capsize.  Their was minimal footage of Trekka under sail, which I was keen to see more of, but was much harder for John to get while sailing his own boat.

An amazing evening, and inspiring to be in the presence of someone who followed their dreams, and had he courage to see where that would lead their life.

Projects...Complete!

After a productive period of time this last summer, I am proud to say that my list of projects aboard TERN are almost entirely complete....I decided that I would just continue to teat TERN as though I'll own her forever, though she is still for sale!

Port side, showing new Lexan portlights and modified foredeck.

Stbd. bow, new portlights.

Stbd. bow showing new pulpit, dorades removed, new cabin house paint.

I customized and installed the custom stainless bow pulpit.

Port side view

New welded mounting plates.  Note internal condensation drain hole at bottom.

Removed bulky dorade ventilators on the foredeck and replaced with flush mount, opening access ports.

Customized and reinforced the cockpit coaming to accommodate for sheet-to-tiller self steering gear.

Jorgen Haarle shaping stainless brackets for self-steering attachment.

Placing for fit and fastening.  These are now primed and painted white.

Replaced old cleat-mounts with gum-wood ones and painted.  Re-intsalled sheet cleats.

New Ipea cleat mounts for job sheets

Removed the 2 wooden chocks at stern (one had broken) and replaced with stainless ones.

Removed old plexiglass portlights and replaced with bronze-tint Lexan.

New bronze Lexan matched with old portlights

Re-painted cabin house (interior and exterior) while the portlights were out.

Toe rail stripped and sanded.  Cabin house primed and painted.

Stripped to wood and re-finished the wooden cleats and toe rail with 3 coats of Interlux sealer followed by 3 coats of Interlux Perfection Plus.

I had hoped to sail the Wooden Boat Show circuit (Vancouver, Victoria, Deer Harbor, Port Townsend) in late August this summer, but was about three weeks too late in completing these projects.  Guess it'll have to wait until next season.  That's OK--I wanted to take my time and do things right;  the satisfaction of a job well-done is always worth it.