AHAF Building a Pocketship part twenty five

Having worked on the boat build for the past three years (including pondering and dithering time) I decided that a test launch was in order to check how the trailer functioned, if the boat floated, let in water and to test other things that I had no idea about up to now such as how she handled in the water, coped with wind and waves etc. Though the launch/recovery was not straight forward I learned loads about my boat. Thanks to my son George for helping out and filming much of the content in this video as well as for sharing this most amazing day with me.

[@jeremyprice679]

The big grin says it all! Congratulations.

[@alan-hulme]

Haha thanks Jeremy !

[@robertpaterson7011]

Congratulations! I'm so happy you were able to launch your Pocketship. I added an Epropulsion outboard to my Pocketship over the winter and went out last week for the first time this season. I was very pleased with the motor, silent and powerful. It drove my boat at hull speed of 5 knots at about 2/3 throttle. PM me and I will send you some pictures if you are interested. Well done!

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks Robert. I agree that the Epropulsion is a great addition to the Pocketship and I was really impressed how it managed going into the wind and ebbing tide. I will PM you, interested to see your pictures.

[@nasseemmuttur778]

Oho, I have been waiting for this time. Very happy for you. Hard work pays. Greetings from sunny Mauritius.

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you Nasseem! I'm now very glad I put all those hours in to building a boat that I can't wait to sail again. Greetings to you also from showery Blackpool 😊

[@johnhornyak6839]

Fantastic news, well done Alan! As I listen to the pounding rain tonight I can't help wondering if you know something us mere mortals do not? You are a star. J

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks very much John. Yes I have often had similar thoughts on rainy days during my boat build!! All the best 😊

[@julienorman704]

It floats!!! I bet you are glad to finish it. Enjoy life on the pocketship

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks Julie, I learned so much from one brief outing on her and now I have plenty to do before she next takes to the water. Exciting times indeed!

[@alan-hulme]

A bit more work to finish off, then I'll miss my Saturday boat building ritual but am glad I'll be able to sail her instead!

[@jameseaton905]

Congratulations! Milestone passed!

[@alan-hulme]

Yes! Thank you!

[@ocean_capable_small_sailboat]

That's awesome, Congratulations! Looking forward to seeing her under sail too.

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks! The sails are nearly ready and I can't wait to put them on and take her out again. Lots to do before then though.

[@canad11an]

Awesome moment! Great work!

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@Higgon]

Congratulations on completing your project - it looks great. I'll look forward to some footage of it under sail.

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks David, some more finishing work to be done and adapting the trailer before the official launch. Then as you rightly guessed some sailing videos 😊

[@Higgon]

@@alan-hulme You've obviously fitted a depth gauge, but I wondered what the minimum depth you can sail in is? "Ellen" that I'm building has a centreboard, so when that's not down she should float in 6" of water!

[@joaoleitao3320]

Congratulations! Amazing boat!

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you

[@Mediocreatgames]

Congratulations. Can’t say how pleased I am for you. Well done on seeing it this far.

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you very much. I'm pleased that you're pleased that I'm pleased 😉👍

[@polderfischer8565]

That must be a great moment for you! Gratulations

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you!

[@maccloud2020]

Congratulations!

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you 😊

[@timerickson7056]

Congratulations

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you!

[@gentmartin]

Absolutely magical. I've learned so much from your videos and loved following your journey every step of he way. Congratulations, I'm really made up for you and she looks beautiful. Best wishes

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you Martin, it was an amazing moment to suddenly be afloat and feel how the boat handled for the first time, something I'd tried to imagine for such a long time. Got a busy few weeks now, adapting the trailer, rigging sails etc before the official launch! Thanks for your support 😊

[@user-qh8ir9oc2s]

Congrats mate! Just bought the plans and plywood myself.

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks! Good luck and smooth sailing with your own boatbuilding journey, I'm excited for you!

[@rickyvanswaal]

Finally, all that hard work paid off! It looks like you really enjoyed it, and hope you had a great time on the water with your son.

[@alan-hulme]

It was quite stressful during the launch then suddenly flipped to exhilarating with a huge feeling of relief and some pride mixed up in there too. What a feeling! We had a brilliant day which I will always remember 😊

[@patsycarr7824]

It floats 😂⛵️🙌 absolutely brilliant Alan 👏 super proud of you x

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks Patsy 😊🎉

[@ralph6115]

Congratulations with your achievement! Have lots of fun sailing your mighty pocketship.

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you. Yes lots of fun is the plan and we're setting sail again very soon!

[@maccloud2020]

Top das galaxias!!!

[@alan-hulme]

Gracias 👍

[@denisejames2007]

Excellent video series. Am getting ready to build a pocketship and, while the manual and plans are decent, these videos are invaluable. A few ideas I would appreciate any feedback on: 1. What about a lateen rig? I see West Wight Potter 15s converted to lateen and it seems to work pretty well. Maybe not as sporty as the gaff but simpler for the solo sailor. 2. What about a daggerboard instead of the pivoting centerboard. A dagger board would be simpler and less prone to problems.

[@alan-hulme]

Hi Denise and thanks for your supportive comment. Great to hear that you're preparing to build a Pocketship! In answer to your questions...the lateen rig I would think is possible and as you say simpler to handle especially single handed. One of the things I love about the Pocketship design is the fact that the centreboard is tucked away in the cabin space but accessable through the hatches in the casing. Obviously I haven't had much experience of it yet and was worried that when I launched it might be a bit stuck but it slid out perfectly after being in there for over a year on the trailer. The weight in the bottom of the centreboard plays a part in boat stability too. On balance I think I prefer the centreboard option but see no reason why you couldn't have a dagger board instead?! Let me know how you get on with your build and please ask if you have more questions. All the best, Alan

[@igorkalaba6389]

Well done you absolute legend! Congrats from the two of us!

[@alan-hulme]

Thank you both, great to hear from you and I hope you approve of the music choice?!

[@plusfastvn]

Hi Alan, first congratulations on getting your beautiful boat into the water for the first time. I'm sure many more times will follow. I just finished watching all your boatbuilding videos, enjoyed watching them, but I do have some questions. I have seen that you have all kinds of (electrical) woodworking equipment. What, in your opinion, is really necessary, and what is nice but you could do without if budget plays a role? Can you make an estimate of the total cost of the wood you used, and did you get all wood from the shop or did you also use wood from other sources? And I would really like to know if the fork you used on the gaff will work. A gaff needs to be able to turn around a mast. Your mast is mostly square, and the fork in your gaff is also mostly squared. Will it be able to have enough movement?

[@alan-hulme]

Hi Bert, thanks for your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. The power tools that I would say are essential are cordless drill and jigsaw, planer/thicknesser, belt sander, palm sander, tablesaw and hand held circular saw, bandsaw. I know that's quite a lot of tools but they all make the job much easier. I probably spent around £2.5K on timber altogether , sheets of marine ply from a boat kit supplier and planks if sapele and southern yellow pine from a timber yard. The gaff jaws are a bit square but are quite a bit larger diameter than the mast plus I intend to line them with leather and a retaining cord so they should work fine. I hope this helps, all the best, Alan.

[@arjen-de-vries]

Looks good Allan. Happiness on your face 😉 On the moment I am stripping my Pocketship drastically 🫣.

[@alan-hulme]

Thanks Arjen 😊 Are you re painting??