Sailing Captain Charlie's "yepimadeit"
Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:42 pmI got a chance to cruise around a bit in Captain Charlie's PocketShip, "yepimadeit" last Sunday and I have to say I'm impressed (and really glad I finally ordered the kit). Charlie did an excellent job building his boat--fit and finish are very nice. Take a look:
He also incorporated some small mods of his own and some he got from Tattoo, most of which I will probably incorporate on mine. About the only other thing I MIGHT do is add a topping lift or lazy jacks. If the wind is eddying around (the way it almost always does in Oklahoma), it can be a little hard to keep the boom on the gallows when lowering the sail and trying to get everything shipshape. The only thing I dislike about lazy jacks is the way the blocks punish the sail when you come about.
I am also very, very impressed with the design (not that I have enough experience to be a great critic). The boat is very stable and a joy to sail. I can see where it would be a bit of a handful to single-hand, but still doable. The cubby is amazingly roomy-feeling, especially for a boat this size. I was flabbergasted when I went down there and looked around.
Congratulations to John C. Harris for what I think is a wonderful design. I looked at quite a few before settling on PocketShip and to me there is no comparison. Most of the others looked out of proportion for their size, and there was always something I didn't like--daggerboard instead of pivoting centerboard, that sort of thing. I can't think of a thing I don't like about the PocketShip (except that it is not a 25-footer
, but then I'd have to have a crew).
Charlie's choice of the propane-powered Lehr outboard is the only way to go in my humble opinion.
He also incorporated some small mods of his own and some he got from Tattoo, most of which I will probably incorporate on mine. About the only other thing I MIGHT do is add a topping lift or lazy jacks. If the wind is eddying around (the way it almost always does in Oklahoma), it can be a little hard to keep the boom on the gallows when lowering the sail and trying to get everything shipshape. The only thing I dislike about lazy jacks is the way the blocks punish the sail when you come about.
I am also very, very impressed with the design (not that I have enough experience to be a great critic). The boat is very stable and a joy to sail. I can see where it would be a bit of a handful to single-hand, but still doable. The cubby is amazingly roomy-feeling, especially for a boat this size. I was flabbergasted when I went down there and looked around.
Congratulations to John C. Harris for what I think is a wonderful design. I looked at quite a few before settling on PocketShip and to me there is no comparison. Most of the others looked out of proportion for their size, and there was always something I didn't like--daggerboard instead of pivoting centerboard, that sort of thing. I can't think of a thing I don't like about the PocketShip (except that it is not a 25-footer
, but then I'd have to have a crew). Charlie's choice of the propane-powered Lehr outboard is the only way to go in my humble opinion.