Boat show plans arranged..

Here’s a little information on the Woodenboat Show Multihull Pioneer Tribute honorees. I have made all my arrangements and will be able to attend. This feels like a milestone as for the past several years something has always gotten in the way of getting there. What a great year to finely get to go.

“Trimaran” Jim Brown has been designing multihulls since the 1960, since his association with another pioneering multihull designer, Arthur Piver. He is best known for his work, with John Marples, on the Searunner trimarans and as inventor of the Constant Camber boat construction method. Jim also designed the Windrider, a rotomolded trimaran for Wilderness Systems. His article on Multihull Pioneers appears in the May/June issue of WoodenBoat magazine.

Meade Gougeon is the co-founder of Gougeon Brothers, boatbuilders and manufacturer of WEST System epoxy and Pro Set resin. He is a pioneer in the construction of modern multihulls, having developed many of the protocols used in modern wood-composite construction. Gougeon-built boats accomplishments in the world of multihulls (and monos) are legion, and include the fastest time in the world speed trials of 1979 (in the 60' proa Slingshot), a 1976 Olympic silver medal in the Tornado class, and a Little AMERICA's Cup win in the C-class catamaran PATIENT LADY in 1977.

Walter Greene is one of New England’s leading yacht designers and builders. He began sailing multihulls in the early ‘70s. One of his early multihull designs won the Route de Rhum race in 1978, which quickly established his name in Europe. In the 1980 OSTAR, Walter built the Dick Newick-designed MOXIE for Phil Weld, who won the race to great acclaim. Walter founded Greene Marine in Yarmouth, Maine, in 1980, and continues to design, build, and sail multihulls to this day.

Dick Newick broke with the “plywood box” norm of modern multihull design when, in 1971, he specified cold molding for his trimaran THREE CHEERS. The boat had a one-piece, totally integrated crosswise bridge, or “wing aka,” to connect the three hulls. THREE CHEERS met a tragic demise on a risky, ice-riddled route in the 1976 OSTAR Race. She was, however, a harbinger of things to come. The boat gave rise to MOXIE, sailed by Phil Weld and built by Walter Greene. MOXIE won the 1980 OSTAR, cementing Dick Newick's legend.

James Wharram was one of the first modern multihull designers to test his creations by crossing oceans. He introduced the seafaring, home-built catamarans to the masses. Over almost five decades, some 10,000 builders have purchased his plans. Wharram recently completed a circumnavigation, with design partner Hanneke Boon, in the 63' SPIRIT OF GAIA

Wooden boat show at Mystic Seaport…

I’ve been busy with the SB18 build, as you know if you follow our other blog and am affraid I have neglected this one.

We are still very active in perusing the catamaran and just when I think we have it pinned down we see something else. Time is running out on decision-making and I have a new conundrum.

I ‘m trying to get to the Wooden Boat Show up north but am having a hard time getting my plans in order to pull it off. I’ve wanted to go to this show for years but it just doesn’t seem to work out. It’s always a busy time for us at work and you have to get the jobs when you can but, this year I’m determined to get there.

Not only will there be the usual boat displays and vendors hawking their goods but none other than James Wharram himself will be in attendance to be honored at the Multihull Pioneer Tribute. Other honorees include, Jim Brown, Barry Choy, Meade Gougeon, Walter Greene, John Marples and Dick Newick. I have read many of the above designers books or seen their plans and would feel I had been in the company of some of the greatest influences on multihull design and engineering of our time.

It is also a good possibility that there will be some completed Wharram boats and this could very well make up our minds which way to go. One builder has released a note that they will be bringing a Tiki 30. I am unsure of this boats state of completion but it would be of great interest. You can see more about this builder here http://tiki30.blogspot.com/

If you would like to know more about the show check out http://www.thewoodenboatshow.com/

It seems an easy enough task. Hop on the plane and go to the show. I just have to make it happen.