Bluebie
(The Sailboat)
Note: The link to the Construction Log is at the bottom of the page.
She has launched!
June 6, 2005:
"That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is... is freedom."
--Captain Jack Sparrow in Walt Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"
January, 2004: I've decided (at nearly the last minute) that perhaps a winter project would be fun. In building Voyager, I'm really "stuck" by the West Central Illinois weather, since the main construction work from here on out has to be done outdoors. Instead of waiting until April or May to do any boatbuilding, I'm going to work on a small sailboat.
I've never even been on a sailboat (well, unless you count visiting the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston or the "Columbia" at Disneyland). So why build such a craft?:
1. Because I've never even been on a sailboat!--it's something new in both construction and operation.
2. Because I want to be "seaman" (as opposed to being a "boater.") I'm convinced that learning to sail will make me better in every area of my on-water activities. In our visit to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy last Summer, I noted that sailing is obviously a part of educating Coast Guard officers in seamanship (see photos below). That's good enough for me!
3. I understand that sailing is both fun and relaxing in a way different from power boating. I'd like to experience both!
4. My wife bought me a copy of "Sailing for Dummies" for Christmas. Let's go!
