"FINCH" is getting close to her splash-down date......?

Although there are still many tasks still on the 'punch-list' to complete, she is starting to show her transformation.

Upon arrival in the boatyard (November 2023), she was worn & weary. Although I gave her a good power-wash on our way home, she still had quite a few mucky remains.
-She has now been painted from top to bottom (including the trailer).
-She's boasting a 'new-to-her' Galley and accessories.
-She will be wearing totally new cushions in the main salon & cockpit with comfy pillows & throws.
-She's flying a new Taylor-Made Anchor Shade to keep us cool in the summer sun & heat.
-Her engine's carburetor has been cleaned out & ready for cleaner fuel.
-Her bilge pump diaphragm has been replaced & flowing.
-All plumbing has been serviced.
-A gin-pole created for mast lifting.
-Trailer wobble roller has been replaced.
-Cabin sole flooring replaced.
-Safety gear installed. Throwable Life Ring personalized.
-Main companionway door has been replaced.
-Tool box supplied.
-Namesake and Registration Numbers installed.
-Teak trim finished.
Some of these are still in process and hoping to be checked-off in the coming weeks.

We're looking forward to posting her next entry 'under-sail' _/)
We have a new crew member to initiate~

In November, 2023, a sweet little catboat came to my attention up in Kittyhawk, OBX. Her one owner could no longer care for her and his children put her up for sale. When I caught wind of her, I knew instantly, this was the boat I had been waiting for. Trailerable, cabin with 2 berths, galley and 17 feet of sweetness.
I rented a 250 Ford diesel truck and headed up to the Outer Banks, knowing full & well, she would be coming home with me that day.
She was in pretty rough condition, having been unattended for some time, swamped and listing. They cleaned her up as best they could for my inspection. I didn't see anything that I couldn't fix. They fully intended to motor her down to the local ramp, but of course the engine wouldn't start. Thankfully it was only a year or so old and only the carburetor had gummed up. On the way down to the ramp, one of the wobble rollers on the trailer flew off, but I ran after it and retrieved it, but not fast enough to re-install it before they had her on the trailer. We dis-assembled her and I wired up some lights for the ride home in the dark.
By the time we rolled into Cedar Point, I stopped and gave her a power wash before I brought her into the boatyard.
Project:FINCH

YEAH! Twinkle and I traveled 2 states up the coast to be surrounded by other sweet small craft and other folks who love them too~
The festival took place on the campus of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum with access to hand-carry ramps, docks, camping and plenty of exhibition areas. We were treated to continental breakfasts each morning, an awards dinner Saturday night, live music, workshops and lectures on interesting topics about boatbuilding.
The highlight of the weekend was the racing taking place on Saturday afternoon after a massive cold-front moved through increasing the winds and lowering the temperatures. I had set up Twinkles sprits'l rig on the lawn in hopes the winds would calm and they didn't. So she was simply on display. When the heavy rains came in I retreated to the St. Michaels quaint downtown area for lunch and a special visit to their Christmas shop.
It was a wonderful experience to see so many small wooden craft so lovingly cared for and then under sail. I miss having that level of interest and involvement in sailing small craft~

TWINKLE has come a long way....to put it lightly! All the way from the Great Lakes in 1983 down through the canal system, Eastern seaboard, throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and on to the shores of the southern Outer Banks of North Carolina.
She was a yacht tender workhorse for her mothership, the ARIES, a Canadian built Bayfield cutter for over 35 years. She was passed down to me, the youngest offspring of Jim and Helen Wallace, upon their passing.
As Mom explained, she was named 'Little Star' because their sailing vessel, ARIES was named after the first star in celestial navigation, so her little tender would be named little star. As I helped Mom adhere the numbers and namesake, I told her that one day when she was mine, I would name her TWINKLE Little Star!! (and so she is)

The "Conny" yacht tender was built by E.D. Stokes Associates Inc in Cleveland, Ohio. Although the brochure has her rigged as a catboat, the rig I inherited was lateen, (like a Sunfish). And so the process began to give her a proper traditional rig~
I attempted to consign local sailmakers to sew her a traditional tanbark sprits'l rig sail. After a year or so of delays and pass offs I decided to start looking elsewhere. Being in the small craft restoration field, I didn't have to go too far to find some folks who sold wooden kit boats and stock sails. Since my other boat had a sail from Duckworks, I tried there. Low and Behold, they sold a stock Neil Pryde (pram) sprits'l tanbark sail for the right price!!
This past summer has been a restoration flurry to get her toe rail replaced, painting the hull and varnishing all her wooden spars that I now re-configured to hold a sprit. Only spar change was the addition of a snodder block I screwed into the mast. As for the sail, I decided to attach to the mast with sail rings...oh so pretty and traditional.
Her maiden voyage as a sprits'l was out into the White Oak River with my pup. She handled so well and wasn't near as tender as she normally is as a rowboat. As a sprits'l, she has no boom, so I don't have to worry about bumps in the head on such a small boat.

Her journey with me began as a tender for my catboat SPARROW, but she soon found her best purpose as my plein air studio boat. (Yes, like Claude Monet). But being restored as a little sailor, a breath of fresh air fills both of our sails. She is such a pretty old girl, I'm taking her up to the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival to let her sail amongst her brethren of small craft sailors this weekend. Now we will both be restored~

Due to the Covid19 pandemic we have not sailed much and all sailing community events have been cancelled.
BUT, we the IVORY BELLE crew were not going to allow the Summer Solstice go by without even a small voyage! So we set out from the Hammocks Beach State Park ramp early in the morning when there was not much wind and an outgoing tide. We sailed between the marsh creeks and spit island beaches.
Being that it was not only Father's Day weekend and Solstice, I decided it was a good day to introduce my crew to celestial navigation. By making sun sites throughout our trip, we were able to record the direction and inclination of the sun....our celestial body of observation. We recorded these data sets in an interesting log chart I had seen in a John Law Muir video on Nature Journaling. It was VERY COOL!!! Way to integrate our day!
I must also say the soundtrack to our day and dedication was a "Lovely Day" by Bill Whithers! It indeed was a lovely day, sketching, sailing, drinking and snacking here on the Souther Outer Banks~ _/)

Today I handed over the command of SPARROW to a new owner who absolutely fell in love with her and sealed the deal as we went out on a sea trial out of the harbor~
Her cockpit project was quite a challenge in woodworking skills and design enhancement. I explained the stern bench redesign to the new owner and he acknowledged the reasons for the design change with a high five!
SPARROW's connection, memories and stories will always be very special to me and I am a better sailor for having her command. What a salty sailor a catboat is!!!
Is has been difficult saying good-bye and letting her go~
On to the next restoration project!