Loved the boat build series mate, even felt emotional for you because I know after building the boat it’s a very special day getting to launch the boat you worked so hard on , the name was very lovely and Molly has some very special memories with her dad building this boat , your wife was awesome getting involved and helping with the project , great family man , what a lovely little sailor Bonnie is , love it. 👍
Hey, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. We're days away from heading out on our next trip and that dinghy will see plenty of use. Looking forward to getting her back out in the Bahamas. Love that little boat! Yeah, working on it with Molly was a lot of fun. Good times for sure!
Bonnie is such a inspiration! Watching Molly learning the lines and she's gonna sail into the sunset with the best memories ever. One last thing, you're thinking of redoing the tiller? What could possibly be Revision C? That's the perfectest tiller I've ever seen even with the almost matching straps!!
No, not the tiller - the rudder... again. I'd like to make it so the entire thing pivots out of the water by pulling the tiller forward. The pivot bolt for the rudder would also be the same bolt the tiller goes through. I could use the same tiller.
Ah, I get ya! You like to challenge yourself right? Smiling, I bet you'll figure this out but still, the rudder and tiller is still Perfectest! :)) Can't wait to see what you will do next! Amazing work!!
Dude you are just a big kid. Sailing dinghies are the bicycles in the anchorage. Loads of fun and really lets you become one with the wind and the boat. Molly is going to love it and you will too. Awesome job by the way and your videos are above par in relation to all that I watch. Very entertaining and Original. I bought a long sleeve Sailboat Story shirt in green and wore it proudly on St. Patrick’s Day. Thanks for your commitment to perfection. I can really tell that you care about quality in everything. Everything!
A big kid, I am. Always will be - I hope. Really looking forward to cruising around the anchorages, and doing some exploring with it. I even discovered I can paddle it like a paddleboard - standing up with a single oar. Just kinda fun. Might be useful. Glad you like your shirt I too wore my green SBS hoodie on St Pattys Day. Happy to hear that you've enjoyed the series. :)
Holy Work of Art, Batman! That thing is great! You should be very proud. I could never build something like that. My wife calls me the great "Unfinished Artist". I start a project then A.D.D. kicks in and I move on to something else. My hat is off to you, sir.
That kicking rudder is an excellent idea ! I remember in the early days when I learnt how to sail on an optimist you'd have to rush and lift the dagger board and the rudder up ^^
Very impressed. Mostly because you finished it. And to a very high standard, in my opinion. I’m still working on building a dingy for my son that I started more than a year ago. Maybe you will inspire me to get ours done!
It took a long time but I'm amazed at how like, simple the whole process was. A lot of stuff to do but none of it really seems like fancy complicated stuff. It's just like 40 4th grade woodworking projects glued together, yknow? I expected it to involved things I didn't know or use tools I didn't have but it really doesn't. I think I might try and make my own, seeing you stumble your way through is a great inspiration.
Do it. I’ve found that even seemingly complicated things in life are just a series of generally simple steps. Tricky part is knowing the steps, beyond that it just comes down to having enough tenacity to carry on through mistakes & setbacks. Thanks for watching.
Hey Ben, you and your beautiful crew did a fantabulos job building the dinghy!! I'll bet they couldn't slap the smile off your face for a week after the maiden voyage. Can't wait to see Bonnie being solo sailed by the Swabbie in the blue Caribbean waters this summer.
My first boat, a thousand years ago, was an 8' US Sabot. Very popular sailing class out in Southern CA. I bought her in January and just like you, needed to get her on the water as quickly as I could. A cold, overcast, sort of windy day on Alamitos Bay in Long Beach. Didn't know what the heck I was doing but knew I just had to go out and try. A success in that I didn't sink her and was able to get back to the dock. The first of many, many hours of happy sailing on all kinds of sailboats. Great fun watching you build Bonnie as well as all the rest of the family sailing adventure.
That's a nice story. :) Great memory. Our first day out wasn't quite that exciting, but it will be no less memorable, I'm sure. Really good to hear that you enjoyed this little mini-series. It's been a lot of fun building Bonnie. Looking forward to putting her to use on our next adventure.
Wow, just Wow !!! Ben you are very talented. I would have to drag that beautiful boat on a beach full of rocks. There sure is a peace of mind to have something that you dont give a rip about . It sure isnt this beautiful bonnie. I would save this for molly when she gets older.
Thanks! I’m very proud of it. Yes, it’ll be painful watching her get all scratched up. Ah well - that’s the purpose she was designed and built for. I don’t plan on ever getting rid of it. That’s for sure.
I read what I posted again and found a glaring error. I need to proof read my stuff. I meant to say I would "Not" want to drag it up on a beach full of rocks.
You know, I really am proud of that little boat. I don't think I've ever invested so much of my time into a single, focused effort quite like that before. Extremely rewarding.
Ben, Bonnie turned out beautifully! Thanks for letting us see her maiden voyage and Molly's first sail. I can't wait to see you guys in The Bahamas. Ed.
I'm so glad I stuck it out through this video series of the build. I wasn't quite sure where this was headed or if it would just be one of those incomplete projects that drags on forever but you followed through nicely Ben. I applaud you my friend and want to say congrats!!...I am enjoying living through your family..
Glad you got er done Ben, looks good and enjoyed your build. If you find you do need to go lower in hp, consider the Honda 2.3 four stroke . Very light, air cooled, cranks first pull every time. Fair winds.
I just today found your channel via the okeechobee cruise video, admired the dinghy, subscribed, and binged the entire dinghy series. Thanks for the great content! I shared your pride at the launch, and when that sail filled with breeze and Bonnie responded. I look forward to seeing more.
Oh man, that was a special moment for sure! You might like some of our videos that show us using the dinghy in the Bahamas as well. Nothing like seeing it's shadow sweeping across the bottom while slicing along.
*TWO THUMBS UP* ! You cant imagine how much information I'm learning about dinghys and of course Bonnies build. Planing on water, horsepower, weight ratios, swing rudders, dagger boards, instructive narrations, its all terrific fun that just pulls me like a magnet to watch whats gonna happen next....& its better than anything I see on cable, sat, and antenna TV. THIS CHANNEL ROCKS TO THE MAX ! - BRILLIANTLY PUT TOGETHER !
Ben, like all the other work I've seen you do about your boat this is superlative!! Congratulations on a job well done! Although I love the boat. I wonder if a RIB inflatable wouldn't be a better choice? It is more stable, doubles as a life raft in a heavy storm. The only difference is you have sailing ability and pride of making it yourself. Now that I'm thinking about it, that probably supersedes all of the above. I'm sure many people will ask while your out there on the big blue where you got it and I think of how proud you will be when you say....I made it!!! She's beautiful!
I've watched countless hours of boat building vids on RU-vid. This build... *Hands Down!* was the best, most entertaining and gratifying I have seen. Great job Ben, can't wait to see "Bonnie" plowing the gin-clear waters in Exumas.
Thanks very much. I always love when we get a nice comment on one of our older videos. Feels good to know people still find and enjoy those. We have been loving that dinghy on our cruising trips. We’ll be using it again soon once we finish refitting our newest boat.
Awesome job and loved watching the project unfold. One recommendation on your new 2nd generation rudder would be to put a wing nut on the starboard side so that you can adjust the resistance as the rudder swings up or down. Otherwise you'll be sailing along and the lower kick up part of the rudder will end up raising on its own. Great job again on Bonnie!
A great and detailed account of building a dinghy. It really shows just how much work is entailed and I've got to say, very impressed at the way you did everything so carefully. Great job and an entertaining video too. Happy sailing, fair winds and calm anchorages. :)
Well, I must confess that I only started watching your vlog after the Tambi exploitation episode but since then have become a ardent fan. Watching a craftsman truly enjoying building a project from start to finish is very satisfying. Bonnie looks great and looks like she sails just fine. Congratulations on a job well done.
Which episode of Tambi's exploitation are your referring to? There happen to be a multitude of them. ;) Yes, thanks very much for the compliment and glad to hear that you've enjoyed this little mini-series.
#7, Paint her bottom episode was the one I was referring to but now I see I'll have to look at all of them now... until it's time to get back to sailing in the land of ice & snow.
Hard work!! Congrats on the build, the boat looks just grrreate!! however the freeboard in very small, ok for lakes but for the sea!! be prepaired to be wet more often than not. Fer.
Thanks very much. Speaking of the freeboard - we’ve towed it 70 miles across the Bahama banks in 6ft seas and it only had about 1/2 cup of water inside. We find it to be much dryer than the 9ft inflatable it replaced.
Congrats Ben!! Awesome job. And to make it all worth it, all the support that came out to see Bonnie's first launch. Great hug from Tambi to make Ben feel important to his family!
Great job and beautiful results on the dinghy, sail, and oars. If you do plan modifying the rudder another approach is to move the rudder box (the two boards you added to pivot rudder) up to the top of the rudder. Attach the tiller to the top of the rudder so it pivots. Add a notch to under side of tiller to fit over a bolt in the rudder box to hold the tiller and rudder in place when sailing. It will kick up if hits something and when you beach it, allows you to reset it by pushing the tiller aft and down. No need to lean out of the boat and over transom.
I built a wood Laser class sailboat from plans bought from a Popular Mechanics ad in 1979 or 1980. It did work well. Boat is long gone and photos I have aren’t digital and don’t show much. I still have my catamaran which has kick up rudders. The tillers are fixed position and you raise/lower the rudder with lines. Works well but more complicated than the boat I made. I’ll look to see if I still have the plans. I’ll let you know whether I do or don’t by tomorrow.
Ok, if you find some plans or photos of the rudder you describe, please email them to me at sailboatstory@gmail.com. Thanks! I like the idea of the rudder being held down with a small amount of lead weight - which I will seal inside the rudder itself, and being able to lift it completely from the water by pulling the tiller forward - or the rudder being pushed back by the force of hitting something.
You can protect your spade keel by converting to a swing keel. My 1st boat saved me time after time because of a swing keel. It was an old 25' Erickson.
Really enjoyed watching your dinghy build series. Getting ready to build one myself and this was one of the better wideos I have seen. Also great music choice and very entertaining.
Nice dinghy! One little tip. Put a retainer clip on the rudder so it does not fall out when you capsize. You can buy them in a chandlery. Best five dollars you spend.
Beautifully Done! Bonnie is absolutely Gorgeous! It was amazing to see her sailing! I Loved this boat building series! Thank you so much for sharing! 🌼
That is SO freakin' cool! Seeing Molly's first sailing lesson made me get a little misty eyed, especially after watching her help with the build. I'm just a couple years behind you with my little buddy. Fair winds, my friend...
Instead of the bungee you may want to consider putting a weight on the bottom of the keel to pull it down and using a line when you want to pull it up manually. That way if the line breaks, the default position is down and ready to sail, and it's much easier to find/affix a string or rope to pull it up than a bungee when in remote areas.
That was my preference, but the geometry of the rudder doesn't seem to work well for that, since it's so vertical. I attached dive weights to it to test, and I wasn't happy with how much weight would be required to hold it down.
You’ve done an amazing job, I’d love to see you sail that dingy somewhere impressive. I want to build a 12ft sail boat from as little out sourced material as possible with my skills I’m hoping to be able to do it by chopping trees and making the boards myself (almost Viking style) but with a small cloth canopy that’s removable.
Simply superb, as ever! That dinghy is SWEET, and will be an awesome addition, in both fun and safety, to your sailing adventures. Well worth your considerable effort. Thanks for taking us along for ther {rockin'} ride.
Excellent!!! Beautiful little craft there, Ben. I built a sailing "kit" for my walker bay 8, and know the kind of hours needed for all the "accessories" alone. Well done!
Great job, wonderful energy...think about smaller diameter in the handle section of the oars... provides superior control for feathering return stroke and thrust.
I’ve been binge watching your channel and loving it. This dinghy build was a great idea for subject matter in your “off season.” I really enjoyed this segment, I didn’t know what to expect at first but now you’ve got me wanting to build a lil boat, I’m sure my husband will not appreciate this new bright idea, lol. He never knows what I’ll come up with next, this one is a doozie. Fantastic job, THANK YOU!!
