First launch.

[TomY]

IRIAN (photo by my boatyard), was launched yesterday, and has a few more inches of snow on her decks this morning.

63 years old, this boat is sailed from Maine to Newfoundland(last I knew). She'll be in the water until late October.

 

[Hydro Therapy]

Beutiful rig, not the snow.

 

[jon hansen]

good to see that marine travelift gear doing such a fine job in those trying conditions.

 

[Bob J.]

She sure is pretty.

 

[shemandr]

She looks better than me at 63 years.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Gorgeous!

 

[31seahorse]

I would say, "Hats off to all involved in the launch!", but the picture looks too cold for removing any clothing. Farther south in NY or PA or MD I don't think travel lift crews would consider launching a boat in snowy conditions. Must be a macho thing.

 

[TomY]

I would say, "Hats off to all involved in the launch!", but the picture looks too cold for removing any clothing. Farther south in NY or PA or MD I don't think travel lift crews would consider launching a boat in snowy conditions. Must be a macho thing.

More a scheduling thing. The hauler, an independent, needs to be scheduled in advance to move the boat out of a shed (miles away), to the travel lift.

That shed is probably a paint shed and scheduled for another boat to take it's place, and that move will be piggy backed by the hauler. You can imagine the scheduling nightmare they deal with. Spring launching, weather be damned.

What I found heroic, they stepped and rigged(2 sticks, yawl) that boat the same day! That takes fingers of steel.

 

[31seahorse]

Good Morning TomY, I'm glad all went well during the launch and setting the masts. That boat is beautiful and deserves all the TLC people can provide. When I first looked at the picture I did wonder why there were no masts on the boat. RE: fingers of steel......perhaps "nerves of steel" and fingers wrapped in Thinsulate or fur-lined gloves.

 

[Justin_NSA]

It looks cold up there !

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Actually, that boat looks like it might be pretty cozy in a snowstorm!

 

[Will Gilmore]

Just the general atmosphere is cozy around that boat.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[TomY]

Just the general atmosphere is cozy around that boat.

-Will (Dragonfly)

They are cozy below. Pretty narrow boats (about 10' or less, 40's design), the saloons I've been below in, have the same layout. Owners, near zealots, tend to keep the boats as designed.

Most obvious are the Concordia pipe berths that form the settee seat backs. They fold down over the narrow settee forming a comfortable and cradling seaberth (I'm told), that is adjustable to the angle of heel. One deployed:

The bulkheads were built of pine frames with panels, often finished bright. They tend to be a little dark below so most are fitted with butterfly skylights. This one looks to be customized forward with a double to port and dresser to starboard.

Basic amenities, they are complete sailboats with a seagoing galley, a few comfortable berths and seating, a good head and copious storage for a crew racing or cruising. Most have a source of heat like this solid fuel stove.

You wouldn't want to live aboard a Concordia yawl but who wouldn't want to sail on one?

 

[Gunni]

Take a long look at the sole on that bristol Concordia boys. Looks like they were dressed with a pumice stone. Maybe your teak & holly looks fine after all?

 

[jssailem]

The roses on the stove are a nice touch.

 

[jon hansen]

i'm a fan of using gloss varnish where you step on it and satin where you don't. never seen gloss on the bulkheads before.

 

[TomY]

The yard cares for near 20 Concordia 39 and 41'er, mostly yawls. Another one went in right behind. I find it ironic every spring, the newest looking boats to launch are often the oldest. Fresh paint and varnish looking as new at the day they were first launched, more than 60 years ago.

The beauty of this is these coatings are single maintenance coats without much prep work. I've adopted this philosophy with my old boat even though it is a fiberglass hull and deck.

It doesn't take a pro any longer to apply a perfect coat of varnish.

 

[jon hansen]

growing up with wood boats here on lake erie we would take our last sail the friday after thanksgiving. the sail would be from the club on the lake to up the river to a marina in town. we would then pull the rig and strip the boat. we would then leave the boat in the water while watching the weather. the day before the first freeze, mid to late dec, the yard would yank the boat for cold storage. then the hull, boot and bottom would be prepared so that during any quick warmup that would be given it's annual freshen up. then as soon as the ice cleared the marina in the boat went. it would be another month till the rig and the gear were installed. keeping the hull 'wet' saves allot of problems. allowing it to dry out too much by a late launch was avoided as much as possible. saved allot of issues with the calk and finishes.

 

[Afrakes]

On my edge glued, mahogany planked 1952, 25' Amphibette I would flood the bilge with three inches of water a couple of weeks prior to spring launch. That would swell things up plenty. Unfortunately the boat was lost via a divorce proceeding and was cut up a few years later. I still have the mahogany removable sole boards. The lawyer missed those. Oh well, such is life.

 

[shemandr]

I’m sorry for the loss of your boat in the divorce. I just sold my Marblehead skiff due to a change in my life. I built the boat thirty years ago and as rough as it was, it was my creation. I was so thankful that someone who wanted a project bought it - for a very good price for him. I don’t have to live with the vision of a fork lift crushing it at the dump. I did have a bad dream last night about the rudder. Separation isn’t easy. That was some foil I made for her