I’ve got a new gadget to help with steering while sailing short-handed – Its called a TillerClutch.

The Vikki Bee has had a nasty silver tarpaulin as a cover for the last eighteen months. I have been diligently putting this on after each sail. My diligence has been worthwhile as the deck hasn’t greyed at all and everything else is still looking good but…

Been awhile since I’ve done a blog entry. I’ve recently made an update to the rigging on my Stirven that I think warrants a post.

No posts for eight months and suddenly two in a few days!!! The family and I just returned from two days down at the Geelong wooden Boat Festival and it was a lot of fun.

I had always promised myself and readers of this blog that I would post my experiences sailing the Vikki Bee my Stir Ven. I know those of you considering building this boat not only want to know what’s it like to build one, but more importantly what’s it like to sail! Has it met all my expectations etc etc.

On a beautiful winter’s day on Port Phillip bay the Vikki Bee was launched. It was a huge success! Here are some photos and videos of this momentous occasion.

Two years and nine months since I first recieved my plans from François my Stir Ven is finished! Well as finished as these things ever really are. And yes all of a sudden there were no more lists of tasks to do, except the most important one the launch.

How long is this thing gonna take!

Well that is the current statement I’m most commonly faced with by my ever patient family and friends at the moment. For those of you who have been following my blog for a while you’re probably asking the same questions!

No more building jig! This weekend the boat was lifted off the building jig and onto the trailer. In a weird way this almost felt like a launch, or maybe a lift off…

Struggling to put interesting posts together at the moment, not because I’ve been doing nothing, but the somethings I have been doing don’t make for exciting reporting or viewing – in my opinion!