VOLUNTEER is in the water and I'm enjoying sailing and racing her immensely, but I still have a bit of footage that I didn't have time to post in the rush to launch. So this video contains my tips on fitting deck gear to minimise leaking.​youtu.be/rtWbMAYvxEg?si=gDZNCtZDX-8W889  ..read more

I originally expected I would do the rig with stainless steel wire and hand-splice it like I did for BRITANNIA and SERENITY but I have been impressed by the way Dyneema rigging seems to have come of age. I sat down with the legendary Joe Henderson of Henderson Rigging to discuss the pros and cons. Contains a few shots of VOLUNTEER sailing ..read more

Launching day was Sunday 1 December 2024, and it was a typical early Summer Sydney day, hot and humid in the morning with a thunderstorm in the afternoon. The video shows the highlights of the day, plus some sailing footage from our first sail the next day and our first race two weeks later. This won't be the last video in the series, I've got more to say on a couple of issues, firstly the use of Dyneema rigging in a traditional boat, and some hints on how best to bed down deck gear ..read more

This episode starts with VOLUNTEER being pulled out into the sunlight, then being transported to Noakes Boatyard North Sydney where we fitted the deadwood and lead keel, hung the rudder, faired, primed and antifouled the deadwood and keel and stepped the mast, ready to launch. The next video will feature the launching day ..read more

VOLUNTEER sits on her new permanent mooring in the calm Northern section of Mosman Bay about 300 metres from the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club where we will join our first race tomorrow. We're easing into it with a start in the classic division of this non-spinnaker event. Still working on the spinnaker handling gear (and still working on the launching video). Will post some sailing photos soon ..read more

After 3 1/2 weeks on the hard at Noakes boatyard North Sydney we dropped VOLUNTEER into Sydney Harbour on Sunday 1 December. A small crowd of friends, family and neighbours gathered under threatening skies and I began by thanking the many people who had helped me get the boat to this stage starting with my wife Tricia with whom I have embarked on many adventures and projects for more than 50 years, Then Uncle Les Macleod performed a smoking ceremony, accompanied by piper Robert Pearce OAM ..read more

I rolled the deadwood on its cradle under the boat, jacked it up against the keel and drilled the start of the holes for the 3 x 5/8" and 3 x 1/2' copper bolts that will hold it on. I then removed the deadwood and continued drilling the holes right through. Boatbuilding mate Rob Gordon was enticed away from building his own carvel-planked boat (see @gordonwoodenboats on Instagram) to help drill the holes and shape and fit the wedge between the hull and the deadwood at the forward ..read more

I built the mast, boom and gaff for VOLUNTEER several years ago before I set up the moulds on the keel, because with my limited space I knew I would not have the room to work at the spar bench once the boat was set up. They've been suspended up near the ceiling ever since. The idea of the YouTube series had not occurred to me at that point, so I only have still photos from the time. But I wanted to do an episode on sparmaking because I love doing it, and I've done so much of it over my career th ..read more

In most carvel-planked new builds the ballast keel and deadwood would be done first, then the keel laid and the boat built on top of it. I did not have the height in my shed to do this, but the design allowed me to build the boat on its keel and add the ballast keel and deadwood later. Now has come the time to do that. I show how I worked the big baulks of timber for the deadwood, and I show how I built the rudder, also from baulks of Spotted Gum. https://youtu.be/btXZ_6F6iAA?si=uLRiSa7MINU ..read more

I've almost finished building my 24-foot Ranger class gaff-rigged sloop and it's time I revealed the name. I chose the name years ago and I explain why I did, with a discussion on how important it is to choose a name that has some significance for you. The name is revealed at a party at our place with the other owners of Ranger class boats and my wooden boatbuilding mates who have worked on the fleet over the years with guest of honour Bill Gale aged 98 whose father Cliff designed the boat in 19 ..read more