Port Townsend Watercraft is closed June through mid July this year as we will be sailing the boat back from Ketchikan after the Race to Alaska,  discovering places new to us along the way. Getting to take a cruise of some kind every year is a big reason why we run our own business and it supports our ability to maintain our high standards of quality. It refreshes our minds and spirits so we can devote ourselves to producing these custom kits, writing books, and develop new ideas.

If you have just discovered our site or have been following our designs for some time, it is good to let us know sooner rather than later that you have decided to build one of our kits. We have a convenient Quick Deposit button on our website that puts you in a ‘first come, first serve,’ position. Upon our return, we will contact you and begin the process of preparing kits on order. ptwatercraft.com

While we are away, some of our products can still be purchased with timely delivery. See the links below image.

PT Watercraft.comE-books (PDF downloads) immediate delivery of download link to your email. Plus other book links.
Epoxy Basics and Scarfing Basics Print books on Amazon- search by title
Epoxy Basics and Scarfing Basics can be found in some stores, including Wooden Boat,(Brooklin Maine), Admiral Ship Supply, Edensaw Woods, NW Maritime Center, (Port Townsend), Fiberglass Supply,(Burlington WA),  Fisheries Supply(in store Seattle)
Delrin Turn Dogs (Hatch Toggles) at CLC boats
Carbon Eye-straps (Glue on!) at CLC boats
Builder manuals-use the Buy Now option. There may be some delay via third party shipper.

ptwatercraft.com
The PT 11 out in the bay with an RC sailboat and a classic motor yacht.

The 41st Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival is happening September 8-10.  We are so happy to announce that we will be there again, sharing a tent with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.

ptwatercraft.com
Our booth with WEST SYSTEM EPOXY and 3 PT 11's on display!

I am told that there will be several PT 11's, Spears and Skiffs at the festival. We also hope that anyone in the area with a PT 11 or PT Spear, will come over for the "under 26ft" Regatta in the afternoon on Friday. Wouldn't it be fun to have a fleet of our dinghies to compete against each other? There is also a rowing race on Saturday  morning. They should have a schedule up soon; Tickets go on sale July 1st. We hope some of our PT11 family club will set up one class regattas over the next year and we will help spread the word via our Quarterly Newsletter.

We hope you will enjoy discovering all of the information on our website, Videos on our Youtube channel, and please do not hesitate to send your questions to info@ ptwatercraft.com. (no space) We will respond as soon as we can.

Happy Summer and Fair Winds! 😉 AEB

We have shadowed leg one of this race for it’s first 2 years and we have mused on what it would be like to participate. Well, now we know and are still as excited by it as ever. Russell always understood what was needed to enter such a race. Ignorant me had no idea, only enthusiasm! He has worked for months without time off to get the boat ready and to meet sponsorship expectations. We might never have entered had it not been for the encouragement of WEST SYSTEM Epoxy CEO Alan Gurski and founder Meade Gougeon. They were the first to say 'do it!' and offered to sponsor us with some new North sails.

At the time of this writing, Russell is at the north end of Johnstone Straits hunkered down while the wind screams out of the SE. Had either of us been more tech saavy, we could have been updating all along as some of the other boats do but the SPOT tracker will have to suffice. Gougeon Brothers  designed and built our boat, Incognito,  and we hope to make them proud.

I was able to put together 2 brief videos (click links) of the June 8th, Port Townsend to Victoria start, and a second of the June 11th Victoria onward start.

Russell has had a few challenges mast-down-again along the way already. Starting with a rigging crisis that had gone un-noticed until June7th, the day before the start. It was in Victoria, after almost 10 times lowering the mast and later shimmy-ing up to check, that the issue was resolved satisfactorily. The first day out of Victoria, he lost his preferred pedal drive prop and prop nut. He had a spare and continued with that. He had a close up-mast-againcall with the reef off East Point Saturna, battling current, pedaling "for my life!" as he put it. Being conservative with words by nature, I imagine it was pretty darn scary for him. Mixed chop made life uncomfortable up to Nanaimo and at Seymore Narrows, he chose not to go through at night and to do some precautionary repairs on the pedal drive instead. The boat clearly likes to move as portrayed by the tracker as he would catch up in the day to many of the multi crewed boats that passed him in the night.
ptwatercraft.com

I want to thank our talented old friends & talented new friends who have contributed custom parts, innovative equipment, rigging, problem solving, and general advice. Not all have websites but I will share as many links as I can here;

The best new development in auto pilots: Pelagic Autopilots in California
Custom Pedal Drive: Design expertise from Brandon; Turnpoint Design, PT
--Thanks to Williwaw Bike Shop and Max at Admiralty Precision for amazing custom metal machining for the pedal drive. (Port Townsend)
Custom sheaves and machining: Zephyrwerks in Port Townsend, Thank you Ed! Rigging (and excellent service!): Colligo Marine
"Saved by" Colin Dunphy of Ballard Sails, Seattle
Carbon Tubes from Innovative Composites in WA
Sail design; Magnus Doole of North Sails
The BEST resource for a million important things: Fisheries Supply, Seattle
Custom washers: Bueno Systems Port Townsend
Serious shades: Julbo
Favorite Drysuit: Kokatat USA
Electronics geniuses: John Bailey and Corey Kashiwa
Promotion from Off Center Harbor
Moral support from wonderful friends.

Depending on when Russell makes it to Ketchikan or any point between, I will meet him to sail the boat home, at a cruiser's pace, of course. We will be closed until our return sometime mid-ish, July.  😉 AEB