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It was a beautiful day and we managed to navigate without damage to boat or egos.
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Some construction photos. Turning day; easily done by two and the slight slope outside the garage.
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The cockpit construction, with bridge deck. I built in two battery boxes for the not too far off day when we will all be using electric motors (at the moment she's propelled adequately at 5kts by a 5hp Nissan). Lily has navigation lights, and one of the battery boxes is taken up by a 1/2 size 12v battery recharged by a solar panel.
I'm keeping the boat on a trailer, launching it every time I sail, and motoring away from a crowded dock. I chose to lock off the motor dead center and use a remote throttle from the cockpit rather than reach back over the motor well. Rapid last minute changes of direction are not possible, but in my view the convenience of having throttle control right under my hand (or foot) is a worthwhile trade off. I've also found that I need to keep the centerboard down for better directional control, especially when in reverse.
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Two weeks after launch, I took the boat to the boat to the WoodenBoat show at Mystic, CT, as part of the Phil Bolger tribute. Chebaccos were well represented,as you can see. From the left, Ben Ho's raised deck version, with a lot of useable space in an enlarged cabin, and a self-draining cockpit, "Lily Catchpole", and David? Robichaux's "Grey Cat".
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We got to meet PB himself - Ben Ho with PB:
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Here he is asking me to conduct experiments to see what effect raising the centerboard has on weather helm:
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And on Saturday "Lily C." and I were delighted with an honorable mention in the Concourse D'elegance owner-built category:
I've sailed bigger yawls in the past, but the Chebacco has reminded me just how useful the mizzen can be for a single-handed sailor. Even under motor, the sail can be used to reliably steer the boat for minutes on end, while I go about clearing things up for docking, navigating, or preparing for night. "Lily Catchpole" will easily sail at 5kts, and with 15kts of wind has reached 6.5kts under one reef - pretty good for a boat of this size. We're planning a circumnavigation of Manhattan, and hope to bring you a report.
Howard.
