The Launch

Despite the fact that I have applied the utmost care, attention and accuracy throughout the build so therefore confident that every joint was perfectly fitted, glued and sealed, I was nonetheless slightly anxious about the transportation to nearby Lake Windermere and of course the launch itself. A cold damp Saturday morning 2^nd November 2019 was chosen as judgement day with the family in attendance as helpers and spectators.

The first test was to confirm that my calculations were correct (or otherwise) in that I was actually able to negotiate the tight restricted access from our property to the public carriageway which, in the event passed without a hitch. A setting up period of two hours at the lakeside was longer than I had anticipated, although I expect that with practice I can improve on this and have already identified some areas where improvements can be made to speed things up. The actual launch and recovery on the concrete slipway was a lot easier than I had expected, once reversed into the lake she virtually floated off the trailer and I eased her off single handed. Any concerns that I had previously harboured about the whole process simply evaporated once she floated free, she sat in the water perfectly on her designed lines and looked a pretty picture. 

It was a dead calm autumn day with not a breath of wind so we were restricted to only using the motor, I rigged the sails but they were not hoisted being surplus to requirements. Nonetheless we cruised around the lake for a couple of hours with my granddaughters taking turns on the tiller. Everything worked and seemed spot on with no leaks or apparent faults. The recovery back onto the trailer was dead easy too. Following this day of testing I will lay her up for the winter and carry out a full public launch next spring with the benefit of longer daylight hours and the prospect of better weather.

The only issues I experienced were with the transportation. The aft mast support that I had designed and constructed did not perform as I had expected. Once mobile the trailer can generate some bounce which was particularly prevalent on the rough roads around the area in which I live, this in turn generated some movement of the support. I have since rectified this by discarding the prop and have constructed another to a completely new design.

Family members running behind as the journey down 

from the build site gets under way.

The negotiation of the first of several tight bends which in the event was quite easy. 

Further down it becomes more difficult culminating in the final bend where the 

track joins the public carriageway. I wanted to build a bigger boat but from this 

photograph you can see why I had to settle on this design!

Reversing down to the slipway was easy.

 Note the customised prop on the port side holding 

the trailer tail lights power plug clear of the water.

So to conclude this blog detailing the construction of Beniguet, there are a few things that I wished I had done differently.

·       In the event of having the opportunity to re-visit the build, I would have chosen not to have the plywood parts CNC cut, instead I would have preferred the option of purchasing the Architects patterns for the component parts and cut them for myself as and when required.

·        As I have previously mentioned, I regret using a modern sail cloth material, deviating from the Architects sail plan specification of using polyester of “clipper canvass”. This regret may or may not be unfounded or perhaps seem less important with the passage of time, only time will tell.

·       I am not happy with the scroll design I carved into the rubbing strips at the bow. I have decided to live with it for a while but may cut it out and change it in the future.

Other than that the project has been immensely engaging and enjoyable. The actual construction work consumed 2,717 hours plus many more hours of research and study. From the outset I have made it my business to fully understand every aspect of the design and build, in doing so the subsequent research has taught me so much.

An important note worth consideration; prior to leaving the build site before the launch, I tried to obtain insurance but to no avail. I was informed that because the boat is self-built, insurance companies would not offer terms. One company has suggested that I obtain a full out of water survey and valuation by a suitably qualified marine surveyor, an option I shall investigate further before taking her to sea.

Finally I have to convey my thanks and admiration to Francois Vivier. His plans are superb and extremely accurate, nearly all my queries were answered by simply studying the drawings, on the rare occasions that I needed additional advice, he always replied answering my enquiry fully and without hesitation. 

I plan to continue this blog as the voyages and adventures of Bunty B as they unfold over the forthcoming years.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and hope that you have found it both informative and entertaining.