Gary Lundgren's Voyage to Alaska
Hi Don,
I just got back the other day
from my trip. I ended up taking the boat up to
The boat performed beautifully. I was actually quite surprised at how dry it sailed in rough water and it's inherent stability. Having a lot of weight in it probably helped the stability, but still.
I ended up sleeping on the boat most of the time. One, because it was easier than setting up the anchoring system every night and two, I broke one of my tent poles early on. Never dragged the anchor, maybe a few feet during storm force winds that I wasn't as sheltered from as I thought I'd be.
I also used 7 ft. tent poles in each pair of oarlocks (I put a pair at the rear thwart too) to support the boom tent and that made it quite roomy.
The only change I think I'd
make is to lower the daggerboard box 1/2" so the daggerboard
cap could be thicker, and I'd through bolt the cap to the
daggerboard. My daggerboard swelled and warped making it
difficult to remove and I cracked the cap by pulling hard on it
and it eventually came off. I had a shipwright make me a new one
in
For a long trip I think I would also add an oarlock centered on the rear deck at the transom in case the pintels and gudgeons got damaged somehow. This way a spare oar could be used for an emergency tiller. Actually, if I do another long trip I'll bring an outboard with me. I'm glad I didn't have one this time though. I think I got to see a lot more wildlife because I was silent. But, there were a lot of times I would have given my left testicle for a motor.
I would also through bolt the quarter bits to the back rest and attach the back rest more securely. It held fine. I did add extra screws. But, it was very unnerving listening to the quarterbits creak and groan when the wind was strong and gusting.
All in all, it was an amazing trip. I don't think I'd do it again, at least not the exact same way. But, I will definitely go back there by boat again. It will just have a motor and a cabin and a head and a galley and a ......
I wasn't sure before if I would
or could live on a yacht. But, if I could live on a
sincerely,
Gary Lundgren
Hi Don,
I'd be happy to send you some photos and such. I only have a few that people took of me on the trip, but I have your typical vacation shots so to speak also.
What would you like me to write about in particular for your website and how long would you like it. Not that I couldn't' think of anything on my own, but it may not be exactly what you might expect. I did keep a journal for the entire trip and I have a lot of material.
A lot of people are telling me to write about the trip, so you can be sure if any of it gets published your name will be in there somewhere. You know, design selection, yada yada...
I'm glad there are other people building the boat. Maybe you should try and organize a regatta.
The anchor I used was just a cheap 15lb. cast iron navy anchor. And I mean cheap. It broke in half on the way up and I just duct taped it together for the remainder of the trip. I tried to replace it, but could only find big anchors. Duct tape holds my life together.
I'm quite surprised myself that I never dragged anchor, particularly one night when I had a very dubious anchorage in a small indent for a bay with a current that made the anchor rode vibrate under tension at max flood in the middle of the night.
But, because it woke me up, I was treated to an amazing display of bioluminescent algae streaming off the rode like a huge, tattered, neon prayer flag trailing off deep into the gloom in a large arc. The current was also agitating the algae as were schools of small fish being chased by larger fish. Streaks of light chasing other streaks of light. It was also one of those rare crisp, clear nights with no light pollution for who knows how many miles. All this made for those most dazzling light show I can ever remember. It was absolutely amazing.
The whole trip was pretty
amazing though. This boat is an excellent way to travel the
Keep in touch,
Gary
Hi Don,
Feel free to use the picture.
The credit for the photo goes to Bill Teplow. It is at the
southern end of the
I'm sending a few more. For
some reason I thought I had already sent them, but I didn't. The
credit on the attached photos goes to Mary Lou Oslund. They are
just South of Butedale, B.C. Her Husband rowed the Passage from
I asked both her and the photographer at the Ketchikan Daily News for some pics of the boat with the tent up to show you how I modified it. Basically, I used 7' tent poles bent from oarlock to oarlock creating a quonset effect. Very roomy.
I have not forgotten about writing something for your website. I've just been a little pre-occupied with the job in a new town and all that rubbish. It all takes up an inordinate amount of my attention. It's also difficult to encapsulate a 2000 mile trip in 2000 words or less maintaining focus on the boat. I think I'm over 3000 already and I haven't even mentioned the repair job, replacing about 6 sq. ft. of planking after damage during the sea trials.
If you need some of the basic
details of the trip to accompany the pics, let me know.
Basically, I went from
Glad to hear your big boat is nearing completion. I've been dreaming of larger boats a lot lately, or at least the hull shape and type of construction. Sketching out hulls baseing the dimensions and curves on the Fibonacci sequence which surprisingly mimicks some of the older classic designs within a few inches in some cases. Which reminds me, congratulations on publishing Myst in Wooden Boat magazine. Based on my Fibonacci numbers I came up with a hull width of 67.68" for that length. I realize you were trying for 6'6", but I thought it an interesting sidebar. How does she sail?
Well, I have to get to work, duty calls.
Stay warm,
Gary
To Be Continued.....