I installed on a good-sized rubber tire up by Dead Ahead's trailer tongue. Like many good ideas, it came from some one else, and it simplifies launching and retrieving quite a bit, particularly the latter.

I got in a good amount of sailing this year, all of it local. I was able to work on sail trim, tacks and jibes, all the basics, plus the asym. My new Speed Puck gave good feedback on what was "better".

Once "Dead Ahead" went in the lake, she didn't come out until today, when I retrieved her and brought her back home; end of the 2013 season for us both.

It's hard to see from this distance, but I got a solid rubber wheel, roughly the size of a wheelbarrow tire (about 10 inches in diameter), and installed it on an "axle" between the side rails at the front of this trailer. This arrangement allows the front of the trailer, which is always going to be higher on the ramp, to sit lower in the water, and getting the boat onto the trailer was very easy.

International 110 #496, on the mooring, and at rest between excursions. Nice day, but not much wind. It's pretty much been raining since I took this picture, so I've been looking at the hourly forecasts, to find a "window" in which to sail.

BTW, take a look at the "110 Singlehanded Clip" link, that's from the California fleet. Pretty brave, a real challenge.

Finally! Here goes International 110 #496, off to get launched and hung on her mooring. It rained hard most of the day, but no matter, I was in the water anyway.

I launched by myself, into an onshore breeze of about 10-20 mph. The launching went ok, it just took a little longer.

The saying goes something like "if anyone ever saw how they make sausage, no one would ever eat sausage". With that in mind, here's a pic of the elbow plug for the spin launcher, down the line far enough so it has some character, but still wicked ugly. Wicked.

#496's keel is done, done, done; it got paint yesterday. When I can get the spinnaker launch system into her, and a little more water in the lake, into the water she goes.

International 110 #11 shows the first coat of her new paint; not black, true, but not white, either!

Horizontal space is getting scarce, lots of projects going on. Here is a start for the plugs to make the spin launcher elbow molds, amidst a bunch of other stuff. I have wanted to make molds for this for quite a while, and for some unknown reason, today I started. It needs to get cut down some more, rounded some, then some cheap microballoons and polyester, and then cut into halves. Also, I should probably mark it with something like "this end up", 'cause it's already sitting in the wrong orientation. Hate that.

So, finally, International 110 #11 gets primed; now, two topcoats, and then reassembly.

I am wanting another color, besides white, for the topcoats. Time will tell.

International 110 #11 is off her trailer, and supported by cross beams on blocks, so that I can flip it over if I need to. It took a bit of crisscrossing of the yard with the snowblower to rediscover where it was that I put these beams last fall; I was glad I had a snowblower!

I picked up a set of construction lights, which can really throw a lot of light where it's needed, and I put the bandsaw on lockable wheels. Space is at a premium, it's just better not to have to dedicate a particular spot to anything. On the far right is the retouched bow of #496, and to the left of that is the mobile job cart which holds the tools and materials I take to a particular job location. Set up, do the work, take down, put away, next job.

Today is "practice using the router day", step .001 in putting the Super Suck bailers into International 110 #11. I'm practicing with one of the Elvstroms I had hanging around in the spares box, and "installed" it into a piece of scrap ply. It came out ok, height-wise, it fits the hole pretty well, but the corners are crappy. Gotta try a smaller OD router bit for the corners, I guess, but the rest of it looks ok. Tomorrow morning, in she goes.

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I swapped some boats around, drove the ForeRunner down into the back yard, and pulled out International 110 #11, to come into the painting/grinding booth for a paint job. Well, a little sanding, and a paint job. No, a bit of goop, some sanding, a couple of Super Suck Bailers... Oh, geez... Yeah, that's it, some goop, some sanding, then the paint, but better put in the bailers before the paint, I guess.

This is probably my favorite boat, it will be nice to have it back in the water. Yay!

I snapped this on the way out to work this morning (it was, like, real early). Behind the snow blower is the overflow of International 110's, supporting the concept that no matter how much interior space you have, the volume of boats on site will exceed it by some amount over time.

In looking at this pic, I guess you'll have to take my word that that's a 110 on a trailer behind a snowblower, but the boat overflow concept, well, that's pretty basic.

I have the new trailing edge of the keel in place here, attached on each side by 2 layers of carbon tape at 90 degrees to each other. It will take one more layer, and then fairing with thickened epoxy afterwards, but the piece is properly aligned and meets legal dimensions. It's looking good so far!

There is some more work to do on the keel bulb, the front has some gouges and dings (not my doing, this time), and then it'll all need some new paint below the waterline. Probably going to use antifoul, because 496 will likely spend some time in the ocean this year.

The cast iron keel on 496 needs repair. The trailing edge of its web, which had lost some material to rust, had already been repaired once, using a filler which didn't stand up to the good knocking it got when I tried to trailer-launch with the trailer's removable crosspiece still in place. Hmmm...

Here, I am mapping and cleaning out the area which needs attention, prior to cutting and fitting a metal piece to restore the damaged/missing area.

This boat came from Scituate, some years ago, to the back yard of a fellow traveler, where it sat for a long while, until last Thursday. It really needed to go somewhere, so I did take it. Now, I've got to find a home for it, 'cause it just can't stay here!

Getting boats ready for the 2013 season, here is International 110 #496 getting ready to have her paint touched up.

I really was more careful than I needed to be, with the paper guards taped under the touchups, but I did end up with no drips, no runs, no errors!

My schedule is mine, again, and I am back to being able to do what I want. That puts me in the shop, but nothing to show as yet, so here's an oldie. This is 110 number 496, back last summer, getting some of its detailing applied.

This boat needed to be at the Nationals in a couple of days, so when it came time to put on the waterline, I was aiming for straight, simple, and quick. I got a decent laser, marked bow and stern targets, and used the chain falls to hang the boat in the proper plane. I tapped in some wedges at the chines to keep the boat from rocking during application, and used a roll of wide black auto pinstriping as the line itself.

I purposely put the waterline a little high of where the boat actually sits in the water, and it came out fine.

Got another boat last week. This time, it's a Turnabout; small, easy to launch and sail, lying there on the floor under the 110.

It's going to need a little fiberglass work, some paint and filletting, and probably could use a tip-up rudder if I plan on sailing it on our pond (which I do).

A September photo in Maine, taken with the cellphone: 496 on the mooring ball. She's back in the yard now.

This year, finally, I got back on the water, even if it was near the end of the season. I got two 110's, numbers 684 and 496, down to the Nationals for crews who joined us from California. Both boats are near-ready for next season, which is nice. I got to sail, again, this year, which was great, with the asym, which is really fun.

I took 2 boats down to Mass., for the International 110 Nationals (250 miles, x 4), and I was a little apprehensive about having some sort of trouble while on the road. I made it a point to be sure that there were spare tires and parts for the trailers, and here I am in process of replacing the bearings on 684's trailer, before the trip. As it ended up, I got both boats down and back with no damage or difficulty.

This is a photo from last August, and I am fiddling around with it this morning because it has been on my cellphone for a couple of months. I just finally did get the phone to link up with my laptop yesterday. There is some kind of lesson in this last, about how technology is speeding past, at some rate which probably varies with the individual. But, hooray!

I pulled 496 out of the lake yesterday, and put her back in line to get ready for next year. I'm working up the schedule, but it's a little bit of a sad day.

This photo was taken back at the Nationals in Gloucester, after Phil and Dave finished up the stuff I never got to. The 2012 Nationals was a great regatta, a little shy on wind, but full of good times and good people.

So, International 110 number 496, in its new home on the mooring at Sebec Lake. Phil and Dave did not crash, smash, scrape, or sink it, in the Nationals, so it lives to float again. Yea!

Really, the season's over, but I haven't sailed in a while, so out we go in the morning. I'm gonna fly the asym, for my first time.

Sam and Mike, on my number 684, sailing out for the Tuneup race of the 2012 International 110 Nationals, which were hosted by Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester, MA.

These guys flew out, with their own sails, from 110 Feet 56 in northern California. Nice guys, both, but we do not have this boat set up yet so it has any speed, and that has got to be frustrating for them. It is, however, great to have them here for the Nats, and nice to see 684 back on the water.

Dave and Phil, driving number 496 at the 2012 Nationals. They came out with their own sails, from Inverness's Fleet 56 in California, and did a lot of great work to get "Dead Ahead" to this point. Thanks, guys!

Here's a picture of International 110 #496, which I took before it gets all messed up. Before the crash into the dock. Before the bow-to-stern scrape. Even a little before it gets all, completely, totally put back together, and before whatever else awaits it.

Painted it white...

This is International 110 #11, back out into the sun and getting ready for paint, and all the rest. I washed it down this morning, and saw that there is more left to do than I remembered (boo). I'm thinking 11 doesn't make it to the Nationals this year.

Earlier, my "drop dead" date for #11 having a chance to go to this year's Nationals was that it needed to be in the water in June. That didn't happen, so at least one of the California teams will not have access to a boat. Too bad, but there was just too much to do this Spring, plus there is some cutting/splitting/stacking left to do before winter.

I was hoping to have 3+ boats ready for this year's Nationals, but it might be just these two - 714 (foreground) and 496, in the back. Number 714 is getting some new ribs and stringers, 496 is getting put back together after paint, etc, etc.

In looking at this photo, it looks as if the shop debris is starting to get organized, and may take over in the near future unless I deal "widitt". I'm done for the day, kinda, so I'll spend a little time on beating it back later on tonight. Or not.

International 110 number 496 hangs from the ceiling, sporting her final topcoat. This was my second attempt at achieving a decent finish - the first "final coat" was just crappy, a real disappointment. I had neglected to be systematic in the application - white-on-white makes it tough for me to see where I've been and where I haven't, and there were a lot of misses, where the lightly-scuffed "Topcoat 1" still showed. I let it cure, scuffed it up again, and went about the task in a more orderly fashion.

Next!!?

Next, 1 more topcoat, apply the "Dead" artwork, then reassemble. International 110 #496 is still in the shop, but it's getting there.

At some point, I'm gonna need a bigger shop. It always seems things need to be bigger than you thought, although it's getting to where it works ok. There are two chainfalls in the ceiling for hanging the boat, so painting the bottom is quicker and easier than it would be otherwise. A third chainfall hangs to allow for flipping the boat; more on that later, maybe.

Part of 'tooling up' has included a laser for marking the bootstripes. I tried this out for the first time this morning, and it looks like the combination of laser and chainfalls works well together.

Primer coat number 2

A photo from the committee boat, of the start of the second race at last September's Sebec Lake Labor Day Regatta. We're on the far right, with the starting line off-camera to the right. We managed a clear-air start, but chose to tack left halfway up the second leg looking for better wind. There wasn't any, and we finished this race 2nd to the cat.

Here's a shot of the warmest spot on this property. Outside, snowing and cold; inside, warm boats. Life is good.

I built a thickness gauge, finally. If you knew me, you'd know there was gonna' be some humor attached to this project of replacing some core on 110 number 714. The problem started out when I opened up the inside laminate above the rust mark, and I didn't see what I expected to see. I started to worry about there being more layers of laminate in there somewhere, above the keel, below the keel, etc. I decided to measure the thickness of the hull at the point of damage, by making some sort of thickness gauge which would give me some more information.

Anyway, the humor is/was the first iteration of said gauge, which zigged where it should have zagged, and did a few other things for which there are no words. 'What is the fewest number of cuts I can make to make this work?' was the question, and that turned out to be 2 cuts, and 2 flips. Could be worse. I chose not to save the image of version 1; what is shown is version 1.1 (major change, no new materials), and, btw, it is the one which actually did work.

Here's the functional version of the thickness gauge at work, measuring the hull thickness at the rust mark just aft of the keel on 714. I already had removed a sample of the laminate from inside the cockpit above the rust mark, so with the thickness measurement, I could devolve the laminate schedule needed for the repair, and be reasonably sure that I was seeing all there was.

One point I haven't mentioned is that a bunch of money was spent on this boat to have it faired and painted at Waterline Systems before I got it, and one idea was to do the repair from the inside, and not mar Waterline's work. That made it important that when I cut out laminate to get at and replace whatever rotten core there is, I don't punch through the bottom laminate, and that goal is still possible.

Hmmm. Hope the keel doesn't fall off at some inconvenient time.

This is the dirty bottom of International 110 #714, a balsa-cored boat used by Anthony & Oakley to walk away with the 2002 Nationals. There were several inches of water in this boat when I bought it, and that rusty crack behind the base of the keel was weeping. I took it anyway, knowing that at some point I would need to address the problem. That begins today.

It's a close battle between having a clean shop, and giving shelter to all the stuff which wants/needs to come in. It's not quite a year (7 months, actually) since I convinced the builders to leave, and I still find things easily. If I can't, I stop and clean/put stuff away. Rarely do I ever walk into or trip over something which is in the wrong place, or spend minutes searching for a tool. Allright, the 110 keel which came in for the winter is still in the midle of the floor, and slamming my shin into the bottom pointy end really H-U-R-T-S. Part of every day is working on a boat, and the rest is working on the shop. Fixtures, racks, cradles, spare tire mounts, it all takes time and money. In the photo above, well, some wins and losses. And oh yeah, ouch.

The boat from Hull is stripped of any stuff which would get in the way of sandpaper, microballoons, and paint. I attack the sanding task in 1~2 hour sessions (I'm old), with a variety of weapons. So far, the contest is about a tie, but I will outlast the bugger, hopefully. The target is for micoballoons after t-day, then sandsandsand.

Stepping back a bit, to last summer's Labor Day Regatta, here is the cat shot, taken during load-up, before we took the boat over to the lake. My cat truly believes he has some ability to keep the car from leaving with the 110, it's part of his plan to keep us from going away for a few days (he has to stay home by himself). When the black luggage comes out, that's his clue, and he does not care for it.

Just got back from a roadtrip, to get the keel for International 110 #3 (!!) back mated up with its hull and rig. The latter were/are down in NH, but I had left the keel in RI until I could get down there with the appropriate trailer in tow. That day was last Saturday, so, despite the weather forcast, Peg and I bundled into the Forerunner for a roadtrip.

It was fun to see the look on Peter's face when I got there, as we hadn't spoken since I left with said hull some months ago. I re-introduce myself, he lights up, I guess because there was going to be some closure to his part of the 110 #3 saga. And mine, too, as I left the keel next to its hull a day later, and drove away home.

As the story goes, 110 #3, which all these boatparts purport to be, was built by the 110's designer, and so has some value to people who care about that stuff. Like me. No pics, sorry, but it's done, and good luck to number 3, enjoy your rebuild.