(published Multihull World 1995)
Since the last article there have been six more Easy's launched, including our own 10.5 Liberty. Anne had the privilege of cracking the champagne on the good ship "Zero" and we both enjoyed the hospitality of the Mc Namee's at the launch of "Alzark".
Within a week of our own launch in September we were off on our favourite dance -
" The Whitsunday Quickstep" , with two weeks to get up there, three weeks sailing around the islands catching up with friends and a great six day return trip.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of time we had only squeezed in a half hour test sail before departure, but as Capt Ron says, "If anything's gonna happen, it'll happen out there!", so we" kicked the tyres and lit the fires" and we were off.! As this was to be a working trip we set what we thought were fair parameters for our test cruise. The boat was laden with 350litres of water, 150 litres of fuel, 2 dinghies, dinghy outboard, crab pots, yabbie pumps and all the gear to kill stuff, 6 weeks worth of dry stores and gas, a fortnights fruit and veggies, spares and tools and on the first leg from Mooloolaba to Tin Can Bay, 5 adults on board.
On the trip north we had light variables till Gladstone, where we picked up the sou'easter and were able to achieve some respectable speeds, averaging over 8 knots for the daily runs in the generally 15 knot winds. On the last day we did 60mile in 61/2 hours in a 25 knot sou'easter, surfing nicely with the autopilot on (while we sat in the saloon reading trashy novels).
While in the Whitsundays we were able to show the boat off to many old cruising comrades, to Terry Sheppard who is halfway along on his own 10.5 near Mackay as well as to Paul & Ruth Matters who were holidaying at South Molle Island . Paul & Ruth have since bought plans and will be the first Easy builders in Tassie.
We were also to put the staysail to the test, rolling in the genoa when going to windward in any more than 15-20 knots for stress free sailing in the gusty conditions around the islands.
As this was to be a test sail of a cruising boat we wanted to, as well as proving her capabilities in stronger winds, show her worth in the lighter breezes.
This we achieved on our return trip of 6 consecutive days from Goldsmith Is in the Whitsundays to Tin Can Bay all in daylight hours and always with the anchor down in time for a glass of wine to farewell the setting sun. The trip included three days where we logged 85-90 miles ,with at least 60 mile done after lunch. We managed to sail all the way through the Narrows, near Gladstone and down the Sandy Straights, and one day we spent tacking into a 15 knot southeaster. All in all a very satisfying experience.
Although the sailing on the trip north was quick & exhilarating, the real sense of achievement I received was from the good averages we achieved on the trip home, with the light and sometimes flukey conditions in the mornings that we experienced (and that are common in the summer months).
It was interesting to note the changes in the 5 years since we last did this trip. The access to current weather forecasts has improved .The beaconing seems to be improved, although maybe because of the G.P.S. I just knew where and when to look for them. The number of, and interest in ,cruising catamarans has increased dramatically, with even many monohullists familiar with MULTIHULL WORLD articles ,though unfortunately nobody leaves the magazines at Laundromats or doctors surgeries.
And the highlights
It was a very
satisfying trip, reminding me that the point of building sailing boats is to go
sailing, and that the requirements of a cruising boat have not changed at all.
Back home now, Liberty is up for sale (I hope it doesn't sell too
quick) for $140,000 inc. sales tax. But in the mean time, if the phone doesn't
answer, it's because the Snells are still at Liberty.
Take it Easy
Peter Snell
When Big Mal said "Life wasn't meant to be Easy" we all knew intrinsically that he had to be wrong. How could all the yachties and good time boys of the world have swanned about so happily for so long if he was right? Perhaps he forgot that it was his job to make it easier for us.
Building a boat is not without difficulties and unhappily they don't build themselves. No matter which way the amateur boatbuilder goes , he's looking down the barrel at a lot of hours of work, many of which will be sticky , gritty and unpleasant.
But as with most of life's' journeys, you can choose to do it Easy or do it hard. For someone who's never built a boat before, the first crucial decision is which boat to build. Are you going to do it Easy or do it hard?
The guy who considers himself pretty good on the tools shouldn't make the mistake of thinking he can do what a good professional boatbuilder can do and get the same stunning results. Maybe you can, but if you can't you're off down the road to frustration and disappointment. Boatyards all over the country and all over the world for that matter have their back paddocks full of unfinished boats - a field of broken dreams.
Remember what your mother said? Don't bite of more than you can chew! Remember when you stuffed yourself full of cakes and lollies at your birthday party and realized too late that you'd made an awful mistake and all the solutions to the problem were going to be ugly and painful?
All your mates and work companions who are egging you on to go bigger and more flash are just like John Cleese in the "Meaning of Life" , trying to feed Mr Creosote that last wafer thin mint -- but you could be the one that goes BANG! The ports of the world are full of people in simple boats having a lovely time.
Peter and I believe that the Easy 32 and 10.5 represent a genuinely achievable project for the amateur builder. These designs have been developed by a builder with genuine concern for the poor devil who has to put it together. We also insisted that they look pretty nice. The pain of standing back and gazing at your creation and realizing it is as ugly as a hatful of a-holes is far worse than putting a bit of extra time and effort into places where it counts.
The 32 would be our recommendation for the first time amateur boatbuilder with limited resources because everything fits into sheets of plywood making it quicker and more economical than bigger boats. It will also fit into most travelifts for easy maintenance. It can also be comfortably built in a 20' wide shed.
The 10.5 is a bit more difficult because sheets have to be joined for turrets and bridgedecks. The 11B with it's round bilge cedar hulls is trickier again and would require a good dry building site.
We build the boats here ourselves and after 20 years of sailing and building , think they are a rewarding project and make well behaved , good little sailboats.
(published
Multihull World Spring 1996)
In the last 12 months
37
Easy plans have been sold and
now the first boats are nearing completion with one already in the water and
quite a few, including my own 10.5m well underway.
It
was very satisfying to see
Too
Easy in the water at Hervey Bay. Darryl
has done a superb job with a great finish inside and out His efforts will shoot down some pre-conceived notions of plywood boats.
Alan
has built his beautiful and very light 32 out of gaboon ply and silver quandong
at Benarkin, two hours from the sea, while down at Donnybrooke John and Harold
are building two boats in one huge shed. They will be launching soon and doing
the final fitout in the water.
In
Maryborough, Mike is painting his much modified 10.5m in a ship building shed on
the river. On a tiny square of flat land cut out of the side of a mountain,
Steve, a cabinet maker, is doing the finishing touches on his masterpiece under
disintegrating tarps.
Up in Cairns; Eddy, who has prefabricated everything he can inside, is
now assembling the pieces somewhere in a canefield. Down in Wollongong; Phil
builds his 10.5m in a shed that looks like it escaped from a Jolliffe sketch.
Around Brisbane Trevor and Brian are making frames , Gary is doing
something inside a PVC igloo and a seemingly complete 10.5m lurks mysteriously
behind a hardware shop. Boats are underway in W.A. and N.T. And so it goes on -
the people are all different but one thing is the same - they are all making
dreams come true on Easy Street.
Here
in S.E. QLD we look forward to the New Year and the first in the water gathering
of the Easy's.
Anyhow,
Take
it Easy
Peter
Snell
As regular readers will know Easy
catamarans have been around nearly 10 years now, and I have recently sent out
my 100th plan . After this time they have achieved a good enough
reputation that a week rarely goes by without at least one enquiry from someone wanting to buy an Easy.
I am always happy to discuss my boats with potential buyers..
I would just like to say that I am very proud to be associated with the
Easy builders as for the most part they do an excellent job ,in many cases
better than a professional (who has to justify his every minute).
This has led
to the boats having very good resale with demand usually exceeding supply. I have visited 40 Easys and have been to 14
launches. A few of the builders are on
their 2nd or even 3rd Easy. The price of the plans is set
at one percent of the expected market value (about the cost of a year’s
insurance ,trust me that’s hardly covers my costs).
With all this good news here comes the bad news. Because Easys are in
demand, some unscrupulous people are calling allsorts of boats Easys. Some
boats are just built from pirated and altered old versions, some bear no
similarity to my boats. It is always important that if you are buying an Easy
to contact me, also if you buy an Easy and change its name contact me and I’ll
change the register, so that at resale time I will be able to help you (a free
service).
The other big danger is altered boats, if someone is offering a ‘modified’ or ‘improved’
version Be VERY careful , insurance companies will not necessarily pay out on
claims arising from structural design defects , poor building practices or
overloading and if someone is injured or killed
because of this you could lose a lot more than your boat.
Do not think that
professionally built boats are exempt, always check that
the designer is familiar with, and approves of, any alterations to his plans.
This goes especially for masts and rigging, if it is not standard find out who
will take responsibility if it falls
down. If the supplier accepts responsibility (in writing) for the altered rig
ensure that they have checked that chainplates, mast bulkheads and the forebeam and its anchorage
are adequate. Who pays if you tip the boat over? Do not expect retrospective
approval from any one for free. Get everything in writing .This applies to all
designs not just mine.
This is all so easily avoided, if you are buying a boat, get a witnessed
statuary declaration from the builder
that he has purchased plans and has followed them, (if there are alterations
get him to note them), check with the designer, get an independent
survey from someone familiar with
multihulls of the type and construction of your planned purchase
(not just some
bod from the broker).
Remember, before you buy an Easy , ring me, if you change the name ring me, or if you’re sitting in an Easy’s cockpit somewhere nice with lots of beer and want to gloat, ring me, but if you’ve ignored the above advice and have problems please ring someone else.
Anyhow,
Take
it Easy