2015 Belle Ile, Refit (Adele)

33' Steel M.B.C.C (Modern British Channel Cutter); built in Switzerland, owned by a German, and based in the Canaries.

I know, a steel boat is not the first choice for many owners, but when you want something solid, strong, and in this case, with character, this small boat is hard to ignore. The above video depicts a recent refit after 20 years. First with the exterior, then moving into the interior.

Junk Rig to ELIA.

What is it?

- JR stands for junk rig. Elia is my attempt to adopt a modern approach to this most ancient system of sails.

- But first, a little side story.
                                                

Hot Rum Series 2015

     San Diego Yacht Club.
The Hot Rum series consists of 3 races in November and December.   

140 boats entered the racing.

Good results for the Tanton 73.'

Sail number 22208. Name Velos. Owner Kjeld Hestehave. Class 1. Rating 1.049.

Race 1. Fleet 2/ Overall 20. Race 2. Fleet 4/ Overall 9. Race 3. Fleet 6/ Overall 44. Place 13 Overall.

Vendredi 13. Souvenir, souvenirs.

Vendredi 13.

- A visionary boat by Jean-Yves Terlain, financed by Claude Lelouch of "A Man and a Woman" fame, designed by Carter Offshore and built by Tecimar at St. Nazaire, France.

- At 128', V13 was at the time the longest single-handed boat in the world. She is, in her original configuration, the lightest fiberglass, at 30T. (66000lbs.) Pleasure boat ever built. One of the first large resin-infused vessels in the world. Also, the most bang for the buck in the history of sailing. Budget $360,000.00 on a turnkey contract, and 6 months to design and build this one-of-a-kind vessel.

On the Drawing Board 2015

- A cruising shoal draft aluminum boat with a "twist", as for the sail configuration. The "Elia System" for mast, rigging, and sail plan. The renderings show an earlier version of the boat, before modifications were made to the deck, including the addition of a pilothouse, to provide more headroom for the tall owner.

Delivery.

An interesting word in English to describe the travel of a boat from one place to another. Usually with an absentee owner who has not the time, since he has to work to afford other people and his own boat. "Convoyage", is the word in French meaning the same thing.
I like deliveries, for it describes for me deliverance of a certain discipline routine where there is very little leeway for error, mistakes and  tolerance in my day to day life.
This time, a trip from Newport to Fort Lauderdale. This is the period, like last year where on the same boat I took on the journey.
The passage is regulated by the rise of the sun and the length of the day to sunset, to start all over again after a few hours.  So there it is.

Out of the water.

Study of bows and sterns.

Who can say boats look alike. There is nothing like it in shapes and forms. Maybe, the only comparison could be made about dogs. Big, tall, small. hairy, shaved etc. to have so many different presentations for a purpose.
I am not talking about insects and other species.
A few weeks ago I am in Canada, on the Saint Laurent river. To be exact at Pointe Au Pic to visit family on my mother side. Originally from Belgium, they moved to the US after WW11 and spent many Summer seasons at the Malbaie before setting permanently in retirement.
A little further South, there is a small Museum dedicated to boats running the river in the past and where I took the photos.