On a recent camp cruising excursion to BC, we towed our PT 11 along behind the Water Bug. We did not take the sailing rig but we really enjoyed after dinner rows around the different anchorages. The evening light is so beautiful and on calm, clear summer days, the reflections in the water make you feel like you are looking into another world or floating along on the sky. It was mesmerizing. I put together some clips of these evening rows. I look at my wind swept and bedraggled state with some embarrassment but I had a great time out in the vast wilderness of Desolation Sound. Here is a short video: SKY ROWING
I admit it..I am a bit of a chicken when it comes to some things. I am not a skier, will not go near a roller coaster, and have never been white water rafting. Russell on the other hand... well let's just say, in reference to THIS VIDEO, a standing wave, big or small, is as good an excuse as any for a little fun.
In any case, I do love a good adventure. Exploring the Toba Inlet in early July brought us to the mouth of the Brem River. At low tide, the river hit the inlet with some gusto to the delight of several seals, and, Russell. Had I not been holding our one, good, and yet very water sensitive camera, I would have been a lot less concerned. We could have played at this spot a lot longer than we did, although the big and biting black flies were a bit of a menace.
Russell insisted that I keep the sound on the first clip (you probably understand why, much to my chagrin) and I did my 'darndest' to be quiet on subsequent takes. Being in the boat was a bit 'knarly' AND really fun. The video hardly does it justice. The PT 11 clearly liked it. So I hope this puts a big smile on your face. The PT11 in the Rapids. Cheers, Ashlyn PTW
I have to sit down and really try to make account of this summer's first camp cruise. For now, I can offer a couple of videos and notes that can give you the idea. Today's video is a compilation of clips on the Water Bug.
Since the proa is in the yard, we took our experimental catamaran motor boat up into Canada. It could be compared to a road trip in a Carmanghia convertible ... except we probably burned less fuel. 😉 We took camping gear and towed the PT 11 for the better part of more than 400 miles. Our boat of many names.. (Kermit, Grasshopper, Pie in the Sky, Skeeter, Water Bug...) has an old 15 HP Honda outboard and with that, as loaded up as we were, we averaged 2/3 GPH at 11 knots. Under normal load and not towing, Water Bug can cruise at 11 knots at 1/2 GPH, with a cruising speed of 15 knots. We took advantage of waves to surf and shallow waters to explore since this boat is good at both. We discovered that finding spots to both safely moor the boat and camp ashore is not so easy. There are lots of places for kayakers to pull their boats up and camp, or for small boats to anchor and sleep aboard. That did not help us much and we learned a lot for next time.
I am always happy to show off new boats from our family of builders. I am also so very impressed with the beautiful work everyone has done. Here are some pictures from this Spring.
206 Composites’ Simon Miles, here in Port Townsend, has had 3 PT11 projects in progress. One of these was just launched on June 25th. Simon was a student at the NW School for Wooden Boat Building when Russell taught a class while building the first PT Skiff prototype in 2009. He now runs his own business after working on some very high tech boat building projects including the BMW/Oracle America's cup boats, sailboat rudders,carbon bicycle wheels, and submarines. simonmiles206 at gmail.com
3 PT 11 dinghies in progress at 206 composites
Hired builder, Simon miles of 206 Composites, in Port Townsend.
looking very flash with sprayed varnish and top coat!
Jan does the honors and christens the boat.
Popping the champagne
First splash
Happy in his new boat
Russell demonstrating rig set up
Bob in BC launched his PT 11 this Spring.
“Attached a photo of the first nesting, it fit perfectly.
PT 11 launched in Comox BC
"The paint is not the final, it will eventually be red, but needed the boat some it will be prime grey for a bit. I used System 3 water basted epoxy primer and it worked well and seems very hard, it will be tested this summer.
I did not clear coat the interior and will decide whether to clear coat or paint next year. Added strips of no-skid to the bottom panel by taping a few strips and adding non-skid grit from Interlux to some epoxy . It works very well and is not obvious.
Rows beautifully and my 100 lb wife and I can load it in the truck easily. Should fit will on the nets of my F31 trimaran."
A PT 11 just launched in Florida. Here showing the first ‘in-water’ assembly practice.
practicing in-water assembly
Family fun on a PT 11 in the Bahamas: Seeing these young gents sailing around put a big smile on my face..
As of Monday, April 7 th, our PT 11 nesting dinghy will be on display at Fisheries Supply in Seattle. This is something we have talked about doing for a long time and we are pleased it is happening this year. Fisheries Supply is one of our very favorite resources.
On display is our PT 11 that we have used a lot for 3 seasons now, around Port Townsend and north into Desolation Sound, BC. We have done a lot of exploring in this boat, some of which is featured in our videos. The interior finish is still the original WEST SYSTEM EPOXY(R) clear finish using 207 Special Clear Hardener(R) done in 2011. It is due a coat of varnish but I think you will be impressed at how little the scratches show even after all the sand and shoes. So if you are in the area, please stop by FISHERIES SUPPLY and check the boat out! Let us know you stopped by. THANK YOU!
Loaded with gear commuting to our boat's mooring, before taking off for Canada.
More boats are getting wet this year. I am really enjoying everyone's news.
Olav in Victoria BC launched his PT 11 earlier this year. I like the below photos in particular. If you had to choose a dinghy to be proud of for your beautiful cruising boat, would it be like those in the back ground? Or more like the sleek hull in the fore ground?? Beautiful job Olav! 😉
James in Australia launched his PT 11 this winter (summer ,'down under') with his son. I received these pictures in January. Again, a great job on the boat!!
It sure is fun when folks get colorful. This sunny yellow PT 11 is sure to turn heads for Gregg in California! I continue to be impressed with beautiful workmanship. I may be able to publish more photos soon as the weather warms and folks get out on the water.
Is your PT 11 or PT Skiff in the water? I would love to feature it next. 😉 PTW
We recently had the opportunity to test drive a Lehr outboard on the PT 11 nesting dinghy. http://golehr.com/lehr-marine/
I should say up front, that we are personally anti-outboard for this boat. The PT 11 is lightweight with a hull shape well suited for easy, near effortless rowing, even for longer distances. The sailing rig is also very easy to use. Our vision has been that this dinghy can be a tough, utilitarian, and totally enjoyable alternative to inflatables, as tenders for cruising boats. Even so, the PT 11 can be used with a small outboard. We have calculated that a 2HP outboard would be plenty of power to move this little boat with ease and also keeps the PT 11 within a certain USCG category.
In our opinion, however; those who expect to use a motor on their dinghy more often than not, might be better off with a different dinghy. One could choose a boat with a fuller aft end. Rowing performance would be compromised but these boats would plane with a 5HP motor.
There are, it seems, few, new model outboards of 2HP or less. Most outboard producers currently have models of just over 2HP. Other than the perceived "need for speed" from the general public, we are not sure why they have chosen to discontinue lower HP motors. See a PT 11 test drive with an EP CARRY.
For the sake of experiment and because this motor was offered to us for this purpose, we went ahead and made a test drive. Thank you to J.S. for this opportunity.
Here is what we found and there is a link to a short video at the the end of this post.
I. Motor: New Lehr 2.5HP propane outboard. ( 15” shaft, cost: roughly $1050)
II. Weight: We feel like this motor is quite heavy at almost 39 LBS(incl small 1 LB gas bottle)
Electric Paddle 16LBS(including battery pack) (shafts 33-38” $1600)
III. Noise: Moderate.
Comparison:
On forums online, the Honda 2.3 has been proclaimed as very noisy.
Electric motors are obviously the most quiet.
IV. Speed: The Lehr 2.5 propelled the PT 11 with a single, 180 pound operator, at 6.8 knots, at full throttle in protected waters.
No comparisons at this time.
V. Trim: The PT 11 is light weight. The weight of the motor being nearly half the weight of the boat, and with a single operator having to sit far enough aft to reach the tiller, causes the bow to ride high. One would need a tiller extension to be able to shift driver weight forward.
Taking off at full throttle..
VI. Mounting: The outboard was mounted with a raw mahogany block just below the inwhale. For the purpose of this demo, we adhered it with double sided tape. For more permanent installation, we would advise exchanging the bolts on the top gudgeon, for screws that bite into the block. On the outside of the transom, we used raw mahogany strips. The block and pads are to prevent crushing or denting the hull skins when tightening the clamps. For a motor this heavy, we recommend re enforcing the transom with vertical ribs adhering to the buoyancy tank walls and butting up to the underside of the inwhale. This would be light and effective.
VII. Conclusion: In general, if you are set on mounting a motor on the PT 11, it is preferable to choose a motor that weighs less than 30 LBS. We will be making some effort to mount and test drive the Electric Paddle in 2014. Click here to see a short video of the PT 11 with the Lehr 2.5HP. PTW 😉
Note: If any of our builders have tried a small outboard on your PT 11, please contact us with your experiences.
UPDATE: This information was sent to us from one of our builders in Florida. The HP used exceeds sanctioned HP for this boat but the results are informative.
POWER: 2.5 HP (rpm restrictor removed to increase to 3.3 hp), 1990 vintage two stroke, factory propeller, 27 pounds, Mercury outboard with tiller extension.
Life jackets, paddle, no additional gear.
Top speed, one 140 pound operator, 10 mph. Top speed, two people 330 pounds, 8 mph. Top speed, four people 810 pounds, 6 mph.
More PT Watercraft boats are hitting the water! Here are some to spotlight;
Simon and "crew" happy after launching in New Zealand. I quote Simon, "I didn't really realize how much of a delight to build she's been until the bumper had been stuck on and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't anything left to do except go sailing."
The blog for this build is great. Simon took wonderful photos of his progress. Check it out HERE.
I really like the red on the PT 11! Great choice of color!
Garland has finished his PT Skiff in Virginia! The first one to be built on the East Coast and the first with self bailing installed. Congratulations! Looking very classy!
While taking his time to build the boat, he wrote, "“The other thing that delays me is I enjoy it too much! And it relaxes me. I stand back and admire the quality of the wood, and how things look. Once it takes shape, I'll admire how the flat panels pull together to make the graceful curves.”Garland says.."we launched Sunday, and carried a real load! Five adults and two dogs. Considering the load, we did well. I was prepared for the boat to be tender, and she was, but not bad."
Not everyone has a camera handy, even in the age of fancy phones. I still want to congratulate James in Olympia on his launching of his PT 11 this year. I am looking forward to pictures! See his blog with some construction photos HERE. Awesome glosscoat!
Wouldn't it be fun to have a fleet of dinghies and skiffs at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival in 2014??!! My thanks to everyone for doing such lovely work on their boats. These kits are very detail oriented and our growing family of builders appears to be putting heart and soul into their projects and I must say, it makes us feel really good! Thank you! 😉 PTW
Our first PT Skiff builder, Jan, who built the PT Skiff, "PIKA", continues to create beautiful boats. "PIKA" was by far, not the first small boat he had built, but I will venture to say that it was a turning point for him.
Jan on PIKA in Lake Chelan. Photo courtesy of Jan and FamilyPT Skiff, PIKA, and family touring Puget SoundRussell and Jan talking boats...
Exploring and camp cruising in 'PIKA" with his family led Jan to dream of a bigger, fuel efficient motor boat. When he could not find quite the design he wanted, he noted what he liked about the many possibilities and after absorbing Russell's confidence in him, combined them into an original design. Jan's experience and detail oriented, methodical mind made him a good candidate for this. The result is "SYHOJA", a 22ft cedar strip planked and carbon sheathed, retro and yet very modern motor boat. With her modified "V" hull shape "SYHOJA" runs on a 60HP E-tech outboard, quietly and efficiently. We caught just a little of "SYHOJA" on video at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2013.
See the end of this post for Jan's description of the project and the boat specs and be sure to note the 16knots with 2.2gal/hr fuel consumption!
SYHOJA, at the PT Wooden Boat FestivalHeading back to Seattle from Port Townsend on SYHOJA
Jan is now looking into a 'tender' for "SYHOJA" and he favors the PT 11 as both tender and toy. He recently came to PT from Seattle to fit a PT11 on board. The two positions tried were both a pretty neat fit. A third idea was to make a stand for holding the nested boat on edge. The idea here is that even small boats often need a tender and a good nesting dinghy is a great option. With small boat camp cruising getting ever more popular, we are seeing an evolution in home built, "pocket" cruisers. The mind set is leaning ever more towards fuel efficiency, minimal cost, and minimum waste. Further, people want to spend less effort on transporting and storing their boats, and are having more fun with less. Having a good rowing/sailing dinghy as part of the package, really adds to the fun.
Fitting the PT11 abeam on SYHOJAFitting the PT11 fore and aft on SYHOJA
"PIKA" and "SYHOJA" have been family projects for Jan & Holi and their daughter, Sydney. I find it inspiring to see how they have enjoyed it all and each is personally invested in ownership of the whole process of dreaming, choosing, creating and using their family boats. I have no doubt that the next project will be as beautifully executed and thoroughly enjoyed as their previous endeavors. Russell and I really like the idea of getting more individuals & families involved in back yard boat building and away from today’s addiction to electronics.
“SYHOJA” is a one off design and therefore, plans are not available. Now that "SYHOJA" is the family boat, "PIKA" is actively for sale.
Designer notes & SPECS from Jan: "The concept for SYHOJA was for a fuel efficient planing cabin cruiser for a couple + teenage daughter (if she wanted to come along) for day trips and up to week long cruising in the PNW. While we do not need to travel at excessive speeds in our beautiful cruising ground, we have found that 14-16 kn is a nice cruising speed to cover the sometimes larger distances between anchorages, and having some speed in reserve allows a small boat to make use of a weather window or even "make a run for home". While small by many standards, 22 ft was the absolute longest hull I could build in my 2 car garage, and even this required a temporary addition to provide the necessary space. However, we are content with few amenities and are comfortable operating a small boat in the reasonably sheltered waters of the PNW. For the brisker days we have a full cockpit enclosure, which also provides our "living room" while at anchor.
For our inaugural family cruise we spent 8 wonderful days this July along the Sunshine Coast of BC and Princess Louisa Inlet. SYHOJA exceeded all of our expectations. "
LOA: 22 ft, including stern scoops which serve as hull extensions and swim platforms
BOA: 8'2" which includes generous bow flare
BWL: 7'2"
Displacement fully loaded: 2,700 lbs
Displacement light ship: 1,475 lbs
Engine: 60 hp E-Tec
Fuel 29 gal
Fuel consumption @ 16 kn: 2.2 gal/hr
Range @ 16 kn 210-220 miles
Cruising speed: 16 kn
Max speed: 26 kn
The water is cold here. The idea of jumping into it takes some courage so this video has been put off for way too long. Russell actually did about 8 capsizes while I happily recorded them....or so I thought. In sunlight I could not see if I was recording or not and guess what... I had some nice video of my feet, and Russell getting ready to capsize.. I had to ask him to do it all again and by this time he was pretty chilled with teeth chattering and all. Well, he persevered and I got in there afterwards so that he would not be the only one to freeze, and because I had never done it before! It was much easier than I thought it would be. Lucky me had a wet suit but the initial shock of the cold water was not wasted on me even through the wetsuit. So the footage we got was limited but hopefully fun and informative. If for some reason you cannot view it, please let me know. I did use some music that may cause it to block. If that happens, I will have to change the tunes.. PTW 😉
