The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

The place to discuss SCAMP (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project), our 11' 11" micro minicruiser.

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pocketyacht
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The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by pocketyacht »

Hello Friends
Very soon I will be sailing a SCAMP I have built south on the Strait of Magellan through southern Tierra del Fuego and into the Southern Ocean. This is a voyage some 6 years in the making.

I have just returned from a scouting and logistics trip to Chile with the boats designer John Welsford and after much prompting have started a blog, my first.

If anyone is interested I am trying to post every Wednesday (at a minimum) and more frequently as new info comes up. The next weeks will focus on the boat, preparations, launching and soon to begin sea trials.

The title of the blog is: The Voyage of Southern Cross

The blog is at: http://thepocketyacht.blogspot.com

Thanks for considering a look at my new blog!
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dsimonson
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by dsimonson »

Glad you posted the link here, Howard!! We're all rooting for you! (in some parts of the worlds I've travelled that phrase has rather different connotations, but here in Canada "we're rooting for you" is an indication of undying support, and damned the torpedoes!)

Keep posting to that blog, please!
Dale
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Timo
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by Timo »

Your trip in Tierra del Fuego sound really fascinating and you have followers on this side of the Atlantic Ocean too. Actually reading about your planned adventure was the first time I spotted Scamp boat, that resulted a pretty intensive study... Please, keep on posting!

Timo
Sailing Wayfarer #8188 Sarastus and building Scamp #371 Merisirri in Finland
pocketyacht
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by pocketyacht »

Hi Timo
Thanks very much. Glad you have been inspired if even just a little.

I updated the blog again today. Hope you continue to enjoy it.

Are you thinking of building a SCAMP? Curious, where do you live. Perhaps a SCAMP Camp is in order for next year.
Best,
howard
Timo8188 wrote:Your trip in Tierra del Fuego sound really fascinating and you have followers on this side of the Atlantic Ocean too. Actually reading about your planned adventure was the first time I spotted Scamp boat, that resulted a pretty intensive study... Please, keep on posting!

Timo
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by Timo »

Hi Howard,

"Just a little" would be a bit modest expression to describe my relation to sailing dinghy cruising.

I would like to build a wooden sailing dinghy, yes. The current top candidates are Scamp and François Vivier's Ilur that both are pretty popular. Scamp seems to be more seaworthy and innovative while Ilur is a combination of practicality and traditional beauty. I have a study plan for Ilur and ordered the Scamp plan two days ago.

My home town is Lappeenranta, in Finland, which is in front Lake Saimaa which is an ideal environment for dinghy cruising, with its thousands of islands and hundreds of beaching locations. Couple of years ago Wall Stree Journal mentioned it among the Five Great Lakes Around the World and Lonely Planet included in among the 50 "Secret" destinations of Europe (#47), as part of the Lakeland.

It would be really fantastic to have a Scamp event here but perhaps bringing the boats across the ocean wouldn't be that cheap (or safe). Still, considering all the modifications and customisations you have made onto your Scamps, it wouldn't be a surprise if someone had equipped them with wings too... Wayfarer Association has its international rallies either in North America and Europe every year, although only the local boats are used. Maybe Scamp could have something similar one day after more boats are built.

I read your latest posts about film-making and the Katabatic winds. It's interesting to see them in action. You can encounter katabatic winds on the arctic waters of Norway too.

As you have plenty of experience in different sailing dinghies, I'm curious to know what made Scamp superior over all the other candidates for your adventure? Also, what other boats were you considering?

Best wishes,
Timo
Sailing Wayfarer #8188 Sarastus and building Scamp #371 Merisirri in Finland
pocketyacht
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by pocketyacht »

Timo
Busy day here. I will reply tomorrow. Thanks for the information!
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by Friends with SCAMPS »

Hey, Timo. You can answer many of your questions by reading back through this board. It's much more entertaining than many novels I've read. Welcome to the wonderful world of SCAMP!
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by Timo »

Friends with SCAMPS wrote:Hey, Timo. You can answer many of your questions by reading back through this board. It's much more entertaining than many novels I've read. Welcome to the wonderful world of SCAMP!
Hey SCAMP Friend, Thanks for the welcome. I agree that the forums are full of both educating and entertaining discussions. The challenge is to find the needle in a haystack. Sometimes google helps, sometimes it doesn't.
pocketyacht wrote:Are you thinking of building a SCAMP? Curious, where do you live. Perhaps a SCAMP Camp is in order for next year.
Howard, I think I misunderstood your point. Finland is quite far from the North America where the Scamp Camps take place. Would be really nice if they were arranged in Europe in the future too but my current plan is to build the boat by myself at home. Take your time with the answer as you must be busy with your trip preparations.
Sailing Wayfarer #8188 Sarastus and building Scamp #371 Merisirri in Finland
pocketyacht
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by pocketyacht »

Hi Timo

There has been discussion about a SCAMP Camp somewhere either in England or Europe for 2017. Kits could be cnc cut there, other materials sourced locally and the instructor could then fly in to teach it. Keep an eye open for any coming news about this happening. You would be more than welcome to join in. SCAMP Camp is an excellent, informative and really fun way to build a boat.

You wrote:
"I'm curious to know what made Scamp superior over all the other candidates for your adventure? Also, what other boats were you considering?"

***I had been working on my own design for about two years before I received a notice from Josh Colvin about the SCAMP. I dropped my design on seeing the SCAMP design because I felt the SCAMP was better.............(gee I hate to say that but it's true;-)

This said the initial choice was for a boat I could sail from Goose Bay Labrador up the coast crossing the Hudson Strait to Baffin Island. From Cape Dyer Baffin Island my plan was to cross the Arctic Sea to Sisimut Greenland.

I mention this because the place I intended to sail dictated a particular type of boat. In the summer months the conditions are relatively stable (light to medium winds most of the time). I also desired a very small boat so I could man haul it above the tide line for camping along the way and yet just big enough so I could also sleep aboard. It had to have numerous watertight compartments for flotation and be small enough so that what I term for lack of a better term, "The thirds equation" would come into play.

This equation in my mind has me sailing a boat that is thought of in third's, one third the rig, one third the hull and the final third me the sailor.

Now this thirds thing might sound strange, here is how I see it. If the rig is sufficiently sized and the hull (the entire boat) small and light then the final third my 180 pounds of live ballast can when needed over power and control the rig and manage to keep the hull flat and under control through kinetic movements.

I have an odd bent for small boats and through my life I have moved down from my largest boat to date (38 feet, not a thirds equation boat) to explore the possibilities and capabilities of the smallest boats that offer intimate and immediate control using my body. In a sense sailing very small allows me to sort of wear the boat I am sailing as I am clearly close to one third of the performance equation. In this thirds equation I can control the boat in almost all circumstances and can get it up on land easily when needed.

I have sailed many small open boats including sailing canoes (an ideal thirds equation type) and one I have put many miles in is the Mirror Dinghy. I actually considered one of my cruising Mirrors aside from my design for the voyage to Greenland. I also considered my Enterprise Dinghy (not as good a thirds boat though) and a Klepper Aerius 11. Basically I was unable to find the right boat and as you now know when SCAMP came out I got it immediately as the right basic platform to develop.

When I changed where I would voyage to Tierra del Fuego I also made major changes to the few modifications I considered making to the boat for the Greenland voyage. I chose the boat for size, for the water ballast, the cuddy cabin, the high cockpit sole, the off set centerboard and the lug rig, quite a bundle of attributes. One of the major changes I made when switching where I am sailing is the rig although the lug rig is ideal for the boat. I have only one small issue with the lug for sailing in potentially extreme conditions so I went with the split rig.

Hope this helps. I think you would do well to consider building a SCAMP. She sails better than she should for her length and is very manageable.
Timo8188 wrote:Hi Howard,

"Just a little" would be a bit modest expression to describe my relation to sailing dinghy cruising.

I would like to build a wooden sailing dinghy, yes. The current top candidates are Scamp and François Vivier's Ilur that both are pretty popular. Scamp seems to be more seaworthy and innovative while Ilur is a combination of practicality and traditional beauty. I have a study plan for Ilur and ordered the Scamp plan two days ago.

My home town is Lappeenranta, in Finland, which is in front Lake Saimaa which is an ideal environment for dinghy cruising, with its thousands of islands and hundreds of beaching locations. Couple of years ago Wall Stree Journal mentioned it among the Five Great Lakes Around the World and Lonely Planet included in among the 50 "Secret" destinations of Europe (#47), as part of the Lakeland.

It would be really fantastic to have a Scamp event here but perhaps bringing the boats across the ocean wouldn't be that cheap (or safe). Still, considering all the modifications and customisations you have made onto your Scamps, it wouldn't be a surprise if someone had equipped them with wings too... Wayfarer Association has its international rallies either in North America and Europe every year, although only the local boats are used. Maybe Scamp could have something similar one day after more boats are built.

I read your latest posts about film-making and the Katabatic winds. It's interesting to see them in action. You can encounter katabatic winds on the arctic waters of Norway too.

As you have plenty of experience in different sailing dinghies, I'm curious to know what made Scamp superior over all the other candidates for your adventure? Also, what other boats were you considering?

Best wishes,
Timo
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Timo
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Re: The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

Post by Timo »

Hi Howard,

The SCAMP Camp in England or Europe sounds like a perfect idea, and also an efficient, informative and social way to build a boat. I'll try keep my eyes open to not miss news about it.

Your initial plan to sail from Goose Bay to Sisimut would have been interesting to follow too. Actually it reminds me of an adventure of two Brits who sailed along the Northwest Passage in a dinghy. On your blog you mentioned polar bears of the north. For sure it would be bit more challenging to keep them out than mosquitoes. :)

I don't think your "bent for small boats" is an odd thing. Actually I downsized from a 27-foot GRP keelboat to a 16-foot wooden dinghy and have not looked back, because in a small open boat you have a completely new exciting perspective to the elements and the nature. Likely a 16-foot Wayfarer doesn't match with The Thirds Equation that well, though.

When the Scamp plan gets delivered here I'll have a closer look on it. Based on your experiences and recommendations, Scamp sounds like a boat worth the effort. Definitely Finland should also get its first Scamp sail symbol onto the registry map. It would have a chance to hold a crown of the northernmost Scamp, at least on the continent of Eurasia. Even though, after you finish your adventure and the movie, who knows if a new Scamp build is going to emerge in every second garage on this planet! ;)

Thanks for your informative analysis.

Timo
Sailing Wayfarer #8188 Sarastus and building Scamp #371 Merisirri in Finland
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