How I built Patty B

March 20, 2022: Build began in my new and therefore nearly vacant living room, after the kit sat on our old porch for several months. Glued the puzzle joints to make planks full length, started gluing doublers to bulkheads, cut cleats for middle bulkheads. Inspirational note on the fridge says “this boat is a tool, not an artwork”.
March 23, 2022: all bulkheads got their doublers and cleats glued on in preceding days. First two planks are stitched together with bulkheads; third plank (shear plank) getting stiffeners glued in place. I think at this point I wrote a note on my refrigerator: “Mistakes were made.”
Gratuitious George picture (on heated floor)
May 23-26 took a break for rowboat build to help my partner check out a racing sailboat in Maine.
May 27 upon return, George tells us to get back to work.
March 31 the boat has now been stitched, gotten filleted with thickened epoxy, and we’ve pulled its stitches. Ready for more fillets, then fiberglass.
April 2 I have fiberglassed the interior (I assure you the hidden bays are the most tidily done), and now the outside of the hull.
April 4: yesterday George hopped off his easy-chair straight onto a wet epoxied part. Today he’s testing his luck; the barricade was meant to discourage him from transiting what I’m about to wet out…
April 5: Taped the deck on. That’ll work, right?!?
(along with the epoxy)
April 7: trimmed the deck yesterday; today applied fiberglass tape to the edges and a coat of epoxy to the rest of the deck.
April 8: examining the geometry of the Piantedosi rigger and how high the oars can get. Oar height can be a struggle–I prefer not to feather the blades in order to reduce wrist strain, until conditions get so rough that I have to.
April 8: the rowboat is on the hold-short line and ready for tomorrow’s departure, as are gear, oars, and cat.
April 9, 2022: Off to the Port Angeles Boat Haven hand-launch ramp!
(well, once I throw in the rowing frame, oars, and safety gear.)
The first kiss of the sea!
Ready to roll, including wheels so I can beach elsewhere and walk home if desired.
The boat feels great out in the open–a bit resistant to having a quartering tailwind, but otherwise handles everything ably and glides really fast and nice. Happy to catch the Coho ferry departing for Victoria in the background of my selfie.
April 9: finished the day at Canoe beach near downtown Port Angeles, and walked/rolled back home from there. I was DELIGHTED with how easily I could pull the boat up the beach out of the water–sooooo much lighter than my last boat (a Little River 18 double).

May 26-27: Accessorizing!

With Dave’s help, I’m installing/securing all the accessories of my rowing yacht:

  • Two independent solar panels with independent batteries and a selector switch (meant to run off the larger panel/battery, and keep the second panel/battery in reserve in case of malfunction or high load use, such as the boat taking on water such that the electric bilge pump drains the main battery.
  • Fuse block because I’m fancy like that.
  • Electric bilge pump.
  • Manual bilge pump secured to allow one-handed use.
  • Charging outlets for my regular phone, plotter-podcast-music phone, VHF, spot light, head lamp, and bluetooth head phones.
  • 5 foot tall mast, for the navigation light, radar reflector, and mirror (for steering)
  • Modifying the seat to make it lighter weight, more padded, and not as tall
  • Making securements for things that have been loose in my handy bin or loose in the boat: spotlight, VHF, coffee cup, snack bag, anchor.
  • Straps to hold the handy bin in place when it’s rough out.
  • Getting the anchor rode ready, including a pulley system for beach luxury.
  • Indexing marks on the rowing rigging, for a visual cue if anything is slipping or fasteners have loosened.
Feeling chaotic.
Dave got me a high viz gaitor to keep my hair out of my face. Turned out it was long enough to cut into two and now I match George!