A clean, functional, attractive finish.
Obviously, Caitlin is a rather special boat, as several of you commented in response to Parts I & II. I put this to Bryan, and he laughed that they hadn’t necessarily intended it to be that way, rather as something that simply got out of hand. His view is that as they knew that the build process was going to take several years, they had the chance to test their own opinions of how all things – engine, installation, rig, etc. – should be done, against those of experienced friends and the best boatbuilders in the yard that he ran. And having asked for those opinions, well, ‘ you’d better follow their advice!’, even if it makes a rod for your own back.
Bryan and Dorothy both point out that they were in their thirties when they started to conceive the basic ideas for the boat, with the vision that they were looking for a boat that would suit them until they were well into their sixties. And as there were few designs around at that time for a two person passagemaker in GRP, steel and a one-off it had to be – there was little option. But as Dorothy remarks, there have been times when they’ve been very glad to be in a solid steel boat, mainly when the weather is at its worst.
Practical is good
They both are firm that there is nothing prissy about the boat – she is a practical and capable offshore cruiser that has had plenty of use. She has many custom features, but they had the time to incorporate these over a long build process. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the interior of the boat. She features a multitude of clever ideas, simple yet effective, that many of us (myself included) could have incorporated into our own boats to great benefit. The interior trim is all in white laminate faced ply, capped with varnished teak trim, which is light, strong, easy to keep clean and will never look dated. Apart from the forecabin (which is given over to stowage and a workshop), there are no solid doors, instead zipped canvas is used, as it is light and never bangs shut! Unlike so many steel boats, she is not overbuilt internally (and so overweight) where ultimate strength isn’t necessary.
Both agree that a modern boat of the same length might have more space inside, but that’s a minor detail when compared to all of the sterling features she has. Both agree that she has turned out better than they could ever have hoped, that she is irreplaceable and they are looking forward to many more adventures in her.
Steel can make a good choice
In my view, there are three things that I have taken away from Caitlin:
- It’s perfectly possible to build a good, strong, rust free steel boat, as long as you are prepared to do things by the book from the planning stage onwards.
- The time spent in modifying the boat to remove or improve the many features that cause or encourage rust to form is critical, and will prove to be time well spent at the build stage, rather than an endless game of catch-up later.
- It may be almost unaffordable to go to many of the lengths that Bryan and Dorothy have gone to if you buy a new boat off the shelf, but if you have the time and the skills, anything is possible.
Many of the same arguments apply equally to aluminium, where preparation and protection are also everything. Many of the ideas encapsulated here would be equally effective in that material. Caitlin certainly has changed my view of steel as a practical material to build a long distance boat in. Personally, my choice would still be aluminium, but I accept that it’s not without its faults either.
A wealth of good ideas
Most of us are magpies, wandering around boatyards and marinas, talking to owners and scrutinizing promising looking boats for good ideas, for further use on our own boats down the line. Caitlin has more good ideas per square foot than almost any other boat I’ve ever seen, and I’d like to offer my thanks to Bryan and Dorothy for their kindness and willingness to share their ideas with us here – and do let us know what you think of them. Please leave a comment.
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Further Reading
- Articles on Aluminum Boats
- Lots more on boat design and selection
marcus petraska March 15, 2012 at 2:30 am
like you said – irreplaceable and almost priceless. fantastic.
Colin Speedie March 16, 2012 at 10:12 am
Hi Marcus
She is indeed a great boat – glad you’ve enjoyed reading about her.
Best wishes
Colin
paul Mills March 15, 2012 at 8:51 am
Lovely, and thought provoking.
I am rapidly forming the opinion that doing clever, intelligent and well thought out design things on boats is both very rewarding and good fun. I especially like the fact that many of them are simple and cost effective.
i am sure that i could happily spend whole day simply exploring Caitlin.
More thought provoking pics please
Colin Speedie March 16, 2012 at 10:14 am
Hi Paul
It’s the same with whatever ‘machine’ you choose. Over the years I’ve built cars, motorcycles, boats and many smaller things, and it’s always been the intellectual challenge of trying to get it right that yields the rewards.
And I have more pics to come – when the right opportunity presents itself!
Best wishes
Colin
Jacques Landry March 15, 2012 at 11:35 pm
Very nice indeed!
I also have a steel boat, a french designed 38 footer which unfortunately was bought used and not anywhere near as rust-free as the boat shown here (well, what was shown of it) but is quite fine and can be handled. So the portion of the story about preventing rust when you build it is of little relevance to me. I don’t want to get this discussion to become about how owners of steel boats handle the inherent rust emergence problem, but would like to know if any rust has showed up in the years and how it was dealt with. I would also like to hear about others who did not have such a perfect beginning and how they coped with it.
As for the clever and ingenious designs presented here I have to say “fantastic”. I have to add that this does come out in boats that are not “off the mill” and boats that are owned by clever peoples, definitely the case here.
Nice looking boat, and definitely in better shape than mine!
Colin Speedie March 17, 2012 at 6:52 am
Hi Jacques
Before replying to your excellent question, I thought I’d go and ask how they deal with rust issues. The answer was that they have had virtually no rust to deal with internally, partly due to a rigorously enforced policy of keeping water out, but that there are periodic bouts where rust has appeared on deck.
Bryan and Dorothy ar about to tackle a small area around a hatch that has a rust problem at the moment, so I’m planning to go and watch as they sort it out, then write it up here – so watch this space!
Best wishes
Colin
Olena Boyko March 31, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Back in the 80′s, with welding lessons, little information and just 1 book on steel boat building, my deceased husband and I, the go-fer, built a 45′ steel cutter, ROUND HULL (yes, we rolled every piece) but with a wooden deck and cabin. We also designed every inch, from the off-center companionway to stairs we could remove to store a 50cc cycle under the cockpit seat.
SIMOON is such a beauty, think of Alden classic design, that she still turns heads in any harbor. A marine architect designed the hull but the cabin and interior was all ours based on our transoceanic experience living and sailing a 1929 wooden boat. We tried to forsee every problem and designed to avoid it, but with modern marinas now available everywhere, her systems are over-complicated.
After 20 years in the water, there is no external rust, no thru deck leakage but, even though we also were meticulous in our prep and painting, I now have to deal with internal rust, mostly around the sump pump area, due to a design miscalculation (the stringer and shaft are centered so pump is not at lowest point in the bilge). To be honest, if I had been able to tackle even the minimal maintenance, this would have been preventable but life got in the way and now, having to rely on boat yards, kind of eats up the funds.
There will always be internal condensation in any boat but the peace of mind the steel hull gave us in the Red Sea was priceless. The floor boards are up and this spring I will start the wire brushing and painting sequence. I worry more about the electrolysis in the marina; internal rust and all the minor stuff I can live with.
Colin April 1, 2012 at 8:24 am
Hi Olena
another vote for steel, then, and congratulations on taking on such a mammoth task. The fact that you still so happy with your boat, and the relatively few problems you have had once again reinforces my view that self-build in some ways may be the best way to go in the long-term.
But I’d confess that I have neither the time, energy, or patience to go down that route, despite my undying respect for those that do. Best wishes for many more happy years with ‘Simoon’.
Colin