Cape Henry 21 & Kits in Australia

The most recent Cape Henry 21 launch was in Adelaide, Australia. "Sealion" is beautiful, built by Ron Jesche, and painted a very pretty blue. Ron is a professional boatbuilder with other boatbuilding projects behind him but most boats to this design are built by amateurs. With more than 100 afloat or in build around the world, this is our most popular plywood traditional sailboat design.

Ron Jesche exhibiting "Sealion" at the Geelong Wooden Boat Festival.

 Ron made a lovely job of the build, both inside and out, with quality joinery. The bright-finished details against white surfaces are traditional finishes for classic boats and create a bright and airy interior.

Pretty detailing, nice finishes. The slatted liners are comfortable backrests for the settees.

The raised sheer and flush deck give a comfortable and spacious interior.

Afloat and waiting for her sails.

Ron made some custom changes to his boat. One of them was to add a small diesel motor under the front of the cockpit to replace the standard outboard motor in an outboard well. It fits in neatly, with access through hatches in the cockpit sole and bulkhead. Although the diesel motor is a bit heavier than the outboard that it replaces, it is closer to the centre of gravity of the boat, so has little effect on flotation.

Cockpit hatches to access engine and shaft seal.

Access openings in bulkheads around the engine.

Ron launched on Christmas eve and had the first sail as a Christmas present. Since then he has sailed her in a wide variety of conditions on all points of sail and tested her for heaving to. He had previously sailed the smaller sister, Cape Cutter 19, and declared them both to be fast, capable and without vices.

"Sealion" romping in a friendly summer breeze, sailing as a cutter with Yankee and staysail.

A few days ago he sent this photo, taken while sailing in light breeze. It was his first outing with Genoa and main, sailing as a sloop. He discovered just how fast these little boats are in light winds.

Reaching at 6.1 knots boat speed in 7.8 knots apparent breeze.

While building his Cape Henry 21, Ron Jesche agreed to work as our agent in Australia and since then we have expanded it to include CNC kits for our plywood designs. He is well placed to represent us at boat shows and in the plans and kit markets. To contact Ron Jesche, go to his Stainless Boatworks website at https://stainlessboatworks.com.au/.

To see more of this design or others in our wide range, go to our main website or our mobile website.

New Cape Henry 21 Launch in Australia

Ron Jesche in Adelaide, South Australia, has launched the newest build to our Cape Henry 21 design. Ron is a professional boatbuilder and owner of Stainless Boatworks. He produces high quality custom metal hardware for both power and sailing boats.

Ron bought the plans to build for his own use and has made a beautiful job of the build. He has enjoyed working with our well-detailed drawings so, part-way through the project, he took on the agency to sell our designs and plywood kits in Australia. He exhibited his nearly-complete boat at a local boat festival where it attracted considerable attention.

"Sealion" is finished in a very pretty blue, with cream decks. She was launched on Christmas Eve and went for her first sail on Christmas Day. Ron is delighted with the performance and good manners of his Christmas present to himself. His wife also enjoyed sailing on "Sealion" and feels safe on her, an important element of family boat enjoyment.

Ron's photos show what a great job he did of the build.

Nicely-detailed joinery for a pretty interior.

The work of a craftsman who is jusifiably proud of what he has produced.

Ron Jesche exhibiting "Sealion" at the boat festival.

Jon installed a small inboard diesel motor, tucked under the front of the cockpit.

Launch day, nearly ready to go sailing.

First sailing photos. Ron reported that she topped out at 5.8 knots in a 10 knot breeze.

Romping along under full cutter rig.

Ron's comments after sailing "Sealion"? What a great boat. Under 10 knots as we left and she sailed beautifully with jib and main, great steerage and control downwind in very light wind. As the wind picked up she accelerated beautifully. I am absolutely thrilled with this little boat, and can't wait to get out again tomorrow. I can't get over how well she sails. She heaves to very nicely also,and nicely mannered on all points of sail. 

Ron Jesche is well-qualified to represent us in Australia. He has general boatbuilding experience and also personal experience of building one of our most popular small cruisers, good qualities for advising potential builders about the build process and the quality of the designs that he represents. He can also supply kits for most of our plywood designs. Contact Ron via his website at Stainless Boatworks.

To date we have sold more than 100 sets of plans for the Cape Henry 21. To see our range of boat designs, go to our desktop website or our mobile website.

Cape May 25 Build in Russia

I am so often pleasantly surprised by the standard of work done by amateurs building our designs. They are dedicated to turning out boats of which they are justly very proud. I recently received photos of the gaff cutter Cape May 25 being built to a very high standard by Andrey Koslov in Voronezh, Russia.

Voronezh is a city of about a million people, in southwestern Russia, straddling the Voronezh River. The city was rebuilt after the Second World War, having been almost totally destroyed in a battle with German forces.The Voronezh River is a tributary of the Don River, flowing south into the Sea of Azov, which gives access south of Crimea to the Black Sea via Kerch Straight.

Very fair hull, nicely finished

Andrey Koslov with his hull, nearly ready to turn over.

Over she goes, with a pair of frames built around her.

Turning frames that double as her cradle. The fine hollow bow at waterline is one of the reasons why these boats are so quick in light breezes.

Ready for the interior and deck to start.

Thank you Andrey, for doing such nice work building your Cape May 25. Keep up the good work.

See more of this and our other designs on our main website or our mobile website.

Cape Cutter 19 Developments

Following on my post of a few weeks ago with Cape Cutter 19 News, I have some more developments to report.

First is the CNC plywood kit. Years ago two plywood kits were cut by CKD Boats in Cape Town before the moulds for the GRP boats were sold to Honnor Marine, who rescinded the rights to cut kits. Now, with the moulds and GRP production under new ownership of Cape Cutter Marine, we are once again able to sell CNC plywood kits. I completed the new files, with jigsaw joints to all components that are too large for one sheet of plywood. The kit comprises bulkheads, centreplate casing and skin panels for hull, deck and cockpit. We will be able to supply kits in USA and they will also be available from our normal kit suppliers in various countries. Email me for more info.

Cape Cutter 19 being built from one of the two kits cut years ago. The new kits will be similar quality but with jigsaw joints to larger panels.

The other development with the Cape Cutter 19 is under the water. We have had a bilge keel (twin keel) option for the Cape Henry 21 for a few years. The first was launched in Cape Town in 2012. Sailing reports have been of good speed and handling characteristics, with the owner very happy with his boat and other observers impressed with her speed. There is not a similar boat with centreplate nearby to allow comparative sailing to tell us the differences but that will happen sometime in the future, when the opportunity arises.

Cape Henry 21 with bilge keels, being launched in Cape Town, South Africa.

We have not had the bilge keel option for the Cape Cutter 19. A few people have asked when we will have this option and it has now happened. Today I have completed the drawings and will add it to our pricelist in the next few days. The first boat with this option will be built by an amateur builder in the Philippines. This version is able to dry out on shallow moorings, standing upright on the twin keels and skeg.

To see our full range of designs, go to our main website or our mobile website.

Upgrades to a Cape Henry 21

"Slough Coot" is a Cape Henry 21 that was built by an amateur builder in Michigan for his own use. He named her "Margo" and sailed her a few seasons then sold her. He trailed her to the new owner, Michael Baccellieri, in Oregon. Michael is a talented woodworker and boatbuilder, among a host of other worthy accomplishments. He had bought his new boat based on the great reputation of the design as a seaworthy little boat.

The builder made some changes from my design, including increasing headroom and fitting used sails that changed the gaff cutter rig to gaff sloop.

Cape Henry 21 "Margo" as built and rigged by her original builder.

Her new owner expected to make mostly cosmetic improvements to bring her finishes up to his personal high standard. Once he started work he found that there was more work needed than he had anticipated because the builder had made incorrect material and finishing choices at times that impacted on the durability of the boat. Michael has gone through the boat meticulously over the past few months to bring her up to standard and get her back toward the designed configuration, as much as was practical.

In that process he has replaced the out-of-character windows with round portholes, modified the rig to gaff cutter and replaced the clear-finished timber of dubious specie and their corroding fasteners with Douglas fir, properly fastened and finished. He has also replaced some framing that was rotting due to incorrect timber and finishing choices, as well as generally upgrading finishes throughout the boat.

New paint, portholes and bright-finished timberwork and the
addition of an inner forestay to the stemhead.

Refinished interior. White for a bright and airy interior, with teal trim and fabric.

Comfortable and roomy interior in a 21 footer.

"Slough Coot" and a new friend, in comfy accommodations for the winter.

The most recent news from Michael about "Slough Coot" is that he has added a composting toilet to her inventory. This is an environmentally friendly solution for a small boat that is becoming popular in the Pacific Northwest. In a small boat this is essentially a big bucket, with a lid, in which waste is layered with sawdust and peat to cause it to decompose aerobically for later use as compost. "Slough Coot" has two buckets, one serving as the toilet and the other containing the material for layering.

Composting toilet stowed under the companionway step.

I wish Micheal happy cruising in his Cape Henry 21. He expects to have her at the 2017 Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, where she will keep company with a sister that is currently being built in Mill Creek, WA.

Visit Michael's boatyard website, Welcome Slough Boatworks.

See this and other designs on our desktop website or our mobile website.

Cape Cutter 19 Launch in Cape Town

Nick Kulenkampff, of Cape Town, bought plans from us in November 2013 for the Cape Cutter 19, to be built in lapstrake plywood. I only received one question from him and that was on choice of plywood for the build. A few days ago I received another email from him, with launch photos attached. He launched his boat, named "Mimi", at Royal Cape Yacht Club, in February.

In his email, Nick said "thank you for a beautiful design and also for a set of plans that were spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire process." From the photos it appears that he made a pretty good job of the build, which was also quicker than most at about 15 months.

This boat is available in GRP from Cape Cutter Yachts in UK. It is the smaller sister to our popular Cape Henry 21 design.

Here are some of Nick's build photos, with explanations

Making bulkheads. These are cut from full-size Mylar patterns, included in the plans.

Transom, laminated from multiple layers of plywood.

Bulkheads and transom set up on building stocks.

Bottom skin going on. Plenty of clamps needed.

Bilge panel gong on. Keel deadwood and wood bilge keels fitted. This bilge keel is to protect the hull when aground, serving purely as a support to keep the hull skin clear of pebbles.

Forward bottom panel. Fitting this panel is the most difficult part of the build, due to the amount of twist in the panel. The twist is what forms the fine bow for good performance.

Hull epoxy-coated, primed and ready for paint.

Building the cockpit. Nick's work is very neat.

Interior, looking forward, built  before fitting the deck.

Interior, looking aft. Painting in progress.

Deck stringers glued into pre-cut slots

Painted and brightwork being done. Almost ready to get wet.

This view shows why these little boats are so quick. That fine bow works vvery well.

Launch day. The yellow boat below the bow is "Black Cat", the Didi 38 that I built.

Afloat and waiting for her rig to be set up.

Thank you, Nick, for the set of photos. She looks good and I am sure you will have many good times sailing her.

To see more of this and out other designs, visit http://dixdesign.com/.

Cape Henry 21

I was surprised a few weeks ago to hear that a photo of a Cape Henry 21 is on the front cover of the June issue of Sailing magazine. It was another week before I had a copy in my hands to see for myself . It really is a beautiful Billy Black photo of "Mehala" in drifting conditions on Long Island Sound. It was taken while we were waiting for some breeze to do a sail test for Wooden Boat magazine in June 2009.

I contacted the staff of Sailing to thank them and have also sent them all that is needed for a design review. Watch for that in an upcoming issue.

"Mehala" was owner-built by South African Mike Smith, who lives in Darien, Connecticut. He berths her at Norwalk Yacht Club on Long Island Sound, where he is a past commodore.

Mike did a very nice job of building "Mehala". She is very pretty and sails well (not that I was able to experience her sailing ability, the breeze never did excede about 2 knots).

I was on "Mehala" with Dan Segal, who was commissioned by Wooden Boat to author their sail test. He gave her an excellent review, which covers 6 full pages of the July/August issue of Wooden Boat, currently on the shelves. My thanks go to Dan Segal and the staff at Wooden Boat for such a wonderful review and to Mike Smith for allowing us the use of "Mehala".