the boys go for a sailing / camping trip on their tiny sailboats. We hike up towards Bernard peak and just enjoy life on the water in our micro cruisers.
Just watched this in the eary evening glow of the Sierra, just kinda' mellowing out, whishing I had been able to do that with my boys when they were growing up... thank you.... this is wonderful.
So nice to see the kids sailing. I started 54 years ago at 12 on the Great Lakes. Now I sail a beautiful mountain lake in summer and warm tropical waters in the winter. I will go as long as I can. My wife is “done” tho. I like anything that floats, including a float tube!
Yes it is a great joy sharing my new found passion of sailing with my boys. We have such a great time on the water and exploring the places we visit. Enjoy those tropical waters!!!!!
NICE Video Guys 😃👍 I wish somebody would have took me sailing at such a young age. There's something special about it for sure. Even when you're not on the water, it's still there, in the back of your mind. You know you'll be back out there soon.
Thank you!!! I hope my boys will cherish the sailing trips we shared for a long time. I know learning to sail 5 years ago sure changed my life in a good way.
Fan of the Potter and Newport if i had my choice I'd pick the Newport first haven't sailed since the late 80s but a wonderful experience. Great video..
Thank you. Both boats are a lot of fun but I am super happy with the Newport. For a small trailerable boat it checks all the boxes and takes us to amazing places.
Great video and I really enjoyed seeing your Newport 16. My first sailboat was a Newport 16 and I should have never sold it and wasted my time and money restoring a Chrysler 22. Thanks for sharing.
That’s good insight. I was thinking of also having a 20 - 22 footer that would have sitting room and a table for getting out of inclement weather but maybe it’s not necessary. It’s so nice to have a simple great sailing boat with very minimal maintenance!
I have a small lot on an island in Flathead Lake. I keep two lasers and my Cape Dory Typhoon at he island. I also have a couple wooden boats. You and the family should visit next summer. We love sharing our spot.
We would love to link up with some sailors on flathead next year!!! It looks like a beautiful lake with a great sailing community. Also I love the lines of the cape dory typhoon, such a beautiful boat.
Next summer which usually starts in late JUNE, you’ll have to visit. I would love to sail in Idaho’s beautiful lakes. I visited Bayview once and we motored about in our new AB dinghy we had just bought in Seattle. I loved the floating community! That’s the ramp you used with your boys. I took my kids out of school when they were 8 and 11 and we sailed our Baba 30 (four living on a 30 ft double ended) from Florida to Grenada and back over a couple years. They are 30 and 33 now. They are not sailors now but enjoy going with me when they visit.
I just love these tiny boats with cabins. The whole 14-16 foot market really seems underused. But at this size, for a single person or couple... You have things like the Minitrawler rosebud, 15' custom fiberglass, diesel inboard trawler, 4.5 kts... with wood stove, bed, kitchenette. little dinnette... the smallest houseboat i've seen is 18' but i think one could be done as a popup houseboat on a 14' triple pontoon hull using canvas walls and hard top... (little trickery you could keep the overhall hught around 6' allowing you to park it in a garage.
Absolutely the small cruising boats are a blast. I downsized because I was having more fun with a lot less maintenance, stress and cost. Also being able to haul it home and put it in the garage is a huge bonus. So a mini tug or trawler would be awesome and so much fun to build. If I wasn’t totally obsessed with sailing I would probably go that route. Can’t beat the reliability and efficiency of a small diesel engine. And a wood stove 👍👍
@@ruddyducksailing I know right. Though i wouldn't trust them on the lakes around here or the river, on the streams and ponds, small trawlers are great. For the lakes and rivers i wouldn't go less then a 23 footer, and really a nice 25-26 like a nordic or ranger, would work for even moderate weather on the lakes. in bad weather you want something 40+ foot... few years ago a 28' cat got flipped over in a storm on the like, ended up drifting right into the ferry channel. Same storm an ontario 32 got dumped on a sandbar ended up with its keel partly burried laying at a 60 degree list being battered by waves. and nothing anyone could do about it other then throw them lines and pull them away. took a big ole crane barge to pull it out of the sand after the storm had passed. people really underestimate our lakes.
Great video and adventure. I'm curious which trolling motor you use. I'm planning on a 2.5hp gas motor and maybe a trolling motor also. My new-to-me Gloucester 16 didn't come with a motor. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, that was the first trip of the year and a memorable one! We use a 30 lb thrust minkota. I’m pretty sure it’s their cheapest one. It works great and can get you quite a few miles when the wind dies. However if the wind gets heavy you will have to sail to safety cause it won’t go against it!
Hey I’m curious, do you know your mainsail foot length or the length of you’re boom? I’m wondering if I can shorten my boom and maintain good balance. I know the Neptune 16 boom is shorter by more than a foot. Not sure on the Gloucester
@@ruddyducksailing I haven't yet been able to set up all the rigging. Winter is here in Illinois, and I'm planning for a late April test of all the rigging in the driveway. That should give me time to get it all in ship shape before summer sailing. I can't wait! From what I've read, the G16 sails well with just the main. It's 106" from the tack to the clew on the boom. I'm not sure what the foot of the sail measures, but I'd bet it's a few inches shorter than that.
My N16 boom is 122” tack to clew. Seems ridiculously long . I’m definitely going to try a shorter boom / sail and see if it gives me better upwind performance. Thanks again!
It is a 30 lb thrust. Works fine but won’t make any headway in anything above like 20 knots. We usually just use it for launching or when there is no wind.
In light wind while sailing upwind it helps to fill the sails and we actually gain more speed in our boat. The ruddy Duck is fastest heeling at about 15 degrees.
Heeling increases the waterline length due to the shape of the hull. Longer waterline is “faster”, all other things being equal. Length matters for speed like long skis, long skates, long boats.
