Crewing on Cairu II

This is the lovely Cairu II, the Class Brasil 40, which gave us crew formidable sailing, and provided gracefull   competition on the field. On the second day, when we had sorted some problems out, Cairu II was flying on the beam reach.

I find it particulary pleasurable to sail on such a yacht. I'd say there is a parallel to the saying that one eats with the eye. On also "sails with the eye".

Owner Eduardo Hammond Regua, was having great fun on the tiller. Eduardo's sailing career started on the regular tonner classes of the 70'ies and 80'ies regattas. Eduardo later pioneered the racing, cruising an building of multihulls. He still owns a fast catamaran. As patrner in a boatyard, he produced a few of the most advanced trimarans in Brazil. His calm command makes for happy sailing, even in stressfull situations.

Classic Boat Regatta in Búzios

The weather last weekend was rainy, windy and wet. This came in very conveniently for me, because I didn't need to feel guilty for skipping boatbuilding in favor of sailing. And also for sailing the weather was fine. With winds gusting up to 25 knots, crews had their hands full. And breakages spoiled the fun of several participants. Also on Cairu II.

During the second regatta, on Sunday, while Cairu II was sailing fast on a beam reach, and in excellent position compared to the oposition, we discovered a bad crack along the hull, right under the short bulwark, under the shroud attachments. We immediately tacked, to release the pressure from the shrouds, fearing that the mast could come down, and ripp off the deck in the process. The boat will have to go to the yard to be examined and repaired. The cause for the failure failure is not yet quite clear.

Coincidently I was just filming moments before we discovered the failure. You can see it in the video below...

The crew was obviously disappointed. We were beautifully positioned against a strong competition, and we were eager to show a nice figure. But this was not our day, so we headed back to port.

Spero - A 10 Metre by William Fife

I had the chance to go back to the Polo Náutico, and take another look at the beautiful classic, which I saw there back in August. I also got more information about it. It is a classic 10 Metre Yacht, designed by William Fife. It was built in 1909, on a yard in Scotland.

At first I thought it might have been built, maybe, at Alexander Robertson & Son's yard, just as the Cisne Branco, ex Tritonia. But that would have been too much of a coincidence. After a little research at the good Wikipedia site, showed that this was not the case. Eventhough, they are boats of the same golden yacht era, built in the same region.

The good thing is that the yacht is being worked on. The layer of glassfiber, which had puzzled me during my first visit, was applied to protect the wooden hull, to help it maintain its shape, while it waits for restauration. It will later be removed.

Unfortunately, I'm not aware whether the current name is the original one. I'd sure like to know. It is good to see such a boat slowly comming back to life. It even has a well preserved wooden mast. Not the original one. But one which was built in 1930. A hollow pine mast.

News from Cisne Branco

During my search for Cisne Branco, I have contacted many unknown, but very helpful people. These folks have really kept their eyes open, and have involved their own contacts to help in this quest.

And some of them have come up with important leads. First one was my friend Joel, who has asked a another friend, who eventually did find Cisne Branco sailing in Salvador da Bahia. They even produced a photographic evidence, which can be seen above. Sadly, the yacht seems to have suffered significant modification, and its elegant 15Meter class lines are barely recognizeable.

Then came Bruno, who identified the elegant 15 Meter class lines in a yacht located in Paraty. He also produced an image. Thank God for ever present digital cameras! However, the yacht, again, seems to have suffered in time. It shrunk dramatically! And no wonder we couldn't find the yacht. It is carefully stored behind glas.

Still inside

It is amazing how long it is taking me to finish certain things. Sometimes it seems to me, that I'm almost done. But when I sit down, and think I can paint it all over, and call it finished, then I start seeing many other details which need to be done before painting. Usually it is a matter of filleting and glassing on really difficult places, and takes up much time.

Today, I had to fillet and glass the rear side of the rear bulkhead, seen on the picture below. A task quite similar to the one done in the rathole, a short while ago.

And I also gave the built-in "sink" a cover of glass, and a top board, to increase its "freebord". The "sink" can be seen on the picture above, in the lower half of the image. Beware of believing, that I will be washing dishes in this sink. It is rather thought as the preferred space to leave an empty cup, or a used knife, or spoon, until it is washed in a bucket, outside. Or to temporarily dump wet swimming gear, after changing into something dry. The sink will drain outside, via a simple opening, above the waterline. Conveniently this will also drain any water which might ingress through the beam opening.

Above it, is a small cupboard, which is allways a good thing to have. If it weren't for the crossbeam, which will stick into this space, it would actually be quite usable.

Abstract

People often ask, what I am producing in terms of art. And I usually reply, that I'm not producing much at all. No drawings, paintings, nor mobiles, nor any other objects... But wait! No objects?! Yes, there are objects. A big one at that. It's got 30 ft. in lenght! You just can't hang it on the wall.

As a matter of fact, I do see boatbuilding as a creative form of expression. Artistic expression, the urge to create,... just anything; Ideas, thoughts, objects, whatever it is, is something I can't think out of my life.

But I do also produce digital images, like the one on this post. Be that either based on photographic images or not. Once it is on the screen, I find ways to bring it to paper, or any other medium. I have great fun, from developing these, and also from looking at them afterwards.

Alignment test

This weekend I tested the alignment of the structural parts. The main question was whether the beams would fit into their slots on the ama, once they were positioned correctly in the main hull. Gladly all distances fitted.

I'm also trying to get in touch with the naval engineer who specified the plans for the construction, to check on the fixation methods However he seems to be busy otherwise.

 

Carioca style

The Carioca Class followed the proposal presented by the Jollenkreuzer, a German design, developed in the 40-ies or 30-ies. Being light, and equiped with a daggerboard, which allowed easy beaching, it adapted perfectly to the generally light conditions of the Guanabara Bay and surroundings. Is fractional rig and fully battened main was a radical development, in its time.

The sails you see in these pictures, were abandoned in front of my box, when I first moved into it. You might remember seeing the red spinnaker covering my boat. In never thought someone would use it still. I actually had in mid to use the carioca sails somehow, for art develpment. But now they are going back to their owner. He will hopefully use it on a Carioca. He said he received an old Carioca as a gift, which is kept in the neighbouring club - Clube Carioca.

With or without you

Outstanding basejump

I Believe I can Fly ( flight of the frenchies ). Free segment from sebastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.

VOR going on

The VOR is going on again. It is allways good for suprising records, and stunning images.

Leads to Albatroz - aka Cisne Branco

The search for the yacht built as Tritonia, and which later became the first Brazilian school ship called "Cisne Branco" is ongoing. She is proving to be an elusive animal.

I have contacted a great number of people. I have found ex-crew members. I've talked to the Naval School, who kept the yacht after the Navy, and who named it "Albatroz". I have asked experienced big-boat skippers. I wrote e-mails to yacht clubs to find regatta records. I have posted in social networks... But haven't found much.

The only lead I have yet, is from an ex-crew member who states that he sailed a regatta circuit in Florianópolis in the year 1983, on the yacht which was still called Albatroz. And famous sailor Lars Grael says he saw the boat in the same circuit, but in year 1985. I'm not sure whether the missmatched dates are due to a confusion from one of both, or whether the boat attended on both years. I hope that regatta records from the organizing club gives us some clues, and leads to the fate of the yacht.

What bugs me the most, is that the Naval School doesn't know what happend to their asset. They don't even seem to know until when the yacht was under their guard. At least that is the information I have now.

Painting the inside

Despite a rather short day in the boatshed, I managed to get some things done. The painting of the internal roof-rim, fileting of some corner areas, some glassing of the mini "sink", and a cupboard. Which besides stiffening a structural area, will also be handy for the miniature "galley". See this in the bottom picture. After completing these tasks I hurried away for a later feijoada lunch, with friends.

One could actually hardly call it a galley. Only the space to gather a gas-burner for hot water, place to store provisions, and prepare a sandwich, and the above mentioned mini-sink. The whole space will, however, compete with the rear beam, which will be attatched with bolts to the rear frame.

There goes Gary on his Va'a Motu

Gary Dierking has launched his Va'a Motu a short while ago. And now we are starting to see what the canoe really can. In lovely conditions Gary has achieved 9.8 knots, whithout much effort it seems. Gary thinks there is much more in her, and says he is aiming at 12 knots. And I'm sure this is a fair aim.

Va'a Motu looks really nice. She moves very gracefully through the water. And the scenery is, again, stunning. What a lovely place to sail!

The Mistery of the first Cisne Branco

What is it, that certain boats have, which makes them stick out of the ordinary? What is it that makes them special?

During their lifetime, due to their very purpose of being, some boats acquire stories, they go through adventures, actually share adventures them with real people. And that seems to give them a soul, which gets nobler once their shell acquires a patina which dignifies their existance. They might even become part of history.

Not all boats go through that path, but wooden boats are allways special candidates. Wood is such a magic material, in the sense that it is so vulnerable, yet so enduring and strong. Some wooden boats get to sail sucessfully in their hundredst year. A long lifespan, which is often not achieved by boats built of supposedly tougher material, such as steel.

This post brings you such a piece of maritime history. It is the story of the boat built as "Tritonia". It was designed by the famous Scottisch designer Alfred Mylne, according to the 15 Meter Rule, and built in 1910 by Alexander Robertson & Sons Ltd.

Tritonia had a successful racing record in its early years. Through a series of owners, the boat then changed its name from the original Tritonia to Jeano, then Gerd II, Rinola and Fortuna II, while in German posession. Then its course took an interesting turn, when it was donated to the Brazilian Navy, in 1979, through a deal, which involved the holders of the boat owner's company.

By that time, Fortuna II, how it was then called, was carying a yawl rig. As seen in one of the pictures in this post.

The boat underwent a thorough refit, and was comissioned as the first naval school ship of the Brazilian Navy, called "Cisne Branco". Its mission was to bring a message of friendship to other nations. And so, in 1980, it did an extensive voyage across the Atlantic, to Europe and back.

After being decomissioned from its mission for the navy, some time after 1981, the boat was renamed "Albatros", by the then keepers, the "Gremio de Vela da Escola Naval". It is then, that the trace of the boat disappears.

Tritonia became to be the first Cisne Branco in a series of three - up to now. The boat is therefore also called "O Primeiro Cisne Branco", the First. The second Cisne Branco came from the United States, where it was sailed under the name "Ondine". It was a regatta oriented boat, built in aluminum. The third and current one, is a three masted tallship, which was purpose built in the Netherlands.

I would very much like to know what happened to the First Cisne Branco. Was it dismantled? Was it sold? Or maybe is it forgotten in some back-yard? Can anyone help to shed light into this mistery?

All pictures and content were supplied by Mr. Dave Hutchison , the grandson of the Alexander Robertson, who built Tritonia. Mr. Hutchison is keen to document the fate of about 500 wooden boats built at his ancestors boatyard. He has records for about 480 of them. See a Wiki page here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Robertson_and_Sons_Ltd_%28Yachtbuilders%29