Received a call from Peter Kellogg this evening reminding me of the need for our Duckboat to show up for the Worlds. Sadly, another year must go by with Speedwell on the hard. She’s our Clarke Duckboat, built in the early 50’s by Phillip C. Clarke of West Mantoloking. He built the first batch of Duckboats for the local Yacht Clubs. After 14 were built he sold the plans and molds to David Beaton, who’s yard went on to build hundreds of these able little boats. Generation’s of Barnegat Bay sailors learned their craft racing Duckboats with some gone on to Olympic glory.
Though Speedwell’s showed up for the World’s before, she needs attention to the centerboard case and garboards. I’ll do some prep work this fall, with the yard doing most of the work. I’m going to use a lug rig from the Joel White Shellback design in place of the regular leg-o-mutton rig, It’s great for eight year olds but a little low for senior sailors. I’ll keep the standard rig for the annual Duckboat World Championship’s. Didn’t I say this last year? Oh well, making haste as slow as I can.
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Beaton built Duckboats ready to mix it up.
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Here’s Speedwell, dusty from several years in storage.
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Last light earlier this week. Deck work this weekend and sailing by Labor Day. Bring on September and the start of the Quiet Season.