Making a Living in the Wake of the Pelican Disaster

David Ryan

David Ryan is a boat builder and USCG licensed master captain. He is the owner of Sailing Montauk and skipper of Montauk''s charter sailing catamaran MON TIKI You can follow him on Twitter @CaptDavidRyan

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13 Responses

  1. Stillwater says:

    Awesome post David. It has everything – history, engineering, production design, some sex thrown in. Nicely done. And the writing is good too!

    When I was a commercial raft guide I remember how the best trips started – even before the put-in – with my feeling that people were in my care and that I was inviting them aboard my vessel. (There were less good trips too, but I’ve blocked out most of those.) There’s something very rewarding about taking people into situations where they aren’t necessarily comfortable all on their own but where they can – and will! – have a good time if you do it right.

    (Also, what’s the name of the marine plywood you used?)Report

    • David Ryan in reply to Stillwater says:

      That’s nice of you to say. Thanks!

      I worked on the Rogue, Klamath, Umqua, Scott and Cal Salmon. What I say is “Most people wouldn’t want to live my life. But, it’s a very nice place to visit for a few hours with me as your guide.”  😉Report

    • BlaiseP in reply to Stillwater says:

      I think it was Meranti plywood.   I’m looking at it myself, for building a houseboat.Report

      • David Ryan in reply to BlaiseP says:

        Yes! Meranti. And in fact, Homested Hardwood was our supplier as seen here.Report

      • Stillwater in reply to BlaiseP says:

        Houseboats are Awesome! BP, this sounds like a really fun project. Let me (us!) know how things proceed.Report

        • BlaiseP in reply to Stillwater says:

          Here’s some images of a boat vaguely like it, in principle, to be moored within spitting distance of Snafu.   Bigger galley though.

          I might do a pontoon structure though, with a big dagger keel, a folding mainmast and outriggers on big gate hinges to each side.   I could run a lateen sail on such a rig.  Pluses and minuses to both approaches.Report

          • David Ryan in reply to BlaiseP says:

            Phil Bolger has some really nice riverine and shantiboat designs.

            The Wyoming is a 51′ power-sharpie. Would be a great boat for the ICW, or doing the Great Circle Route of the Eastern US.

            A step up in side is the Illinois; 450 sheets of plywood for her vs. 75 for the Wyo.

            The Bolger Group has a bounty on the first build of a SuperBrick, lateen rigged too. I think I’m on the hook for $100 if anyone every floats one.Report

  2. Patrick Cahalan says:

    In the case of our plywood, we used a less well-known species that our testing showed to be stiffer and stronger (as well as more rot resistant, and less costly) than the more common alternatives. But there are no published materials behavior data for the plywood we selected, so we were obliged to send a sample out to an ASTM-certified materials testing laboratory to have our result confirmed. (They were.)

    Does this generalize?  I mean, is the wood in the “legit” database now?

    If someone wants to use the same wood, do they piggyback on your certification, or do they have to do the same materials testing?Report

  3. Shelley says:

    That’s a heartbreaking photograph.

    Thank God for friends in a tragic world.Report

  4. Tod Kelly says:

    Wow.  The work on your site is really quite powerful.

    Just wanted to say.Report

  5. Kim says:

    gotta say, reading about your design would make me a LOT more excited to get on the end product, vis an ordinary boat. 😉Report