Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Saturday, 20 November 2010

finally at last.........

Angharad got her launch. This afternoon she was put onto the car rack and driven over to Oreston slip - a tiny little launch ramp on the side of the Plym. It's a lovely little place overlooking the old docks. Angharad slipped into the water for her first test float. Given I have no paddles yet I didn't get to canoe....but it was enough to see she floated level......and didn't sink. Here are the photographs.

Angharad strapped to the roof of old faithful


getting the painter ready


And she's launched - Angharad takes to the water for the first time


Lordy me....she floats horizontal she does!


Celtic Cross on foredeck


and now its back to the car and home again

Steve 

2 comments:

Pablo said...

Nice work! What design is she?

http://licensed2tinker.yolasite.com/

steve said...

hi pablo - she is an ian oughtred design - 'stickleback' canoe - 5 lapstrake plans and measures just over 10ft (3metres)
there are still things to finish on her - she needs a seat back rest to be made from laminated pieces of scrap plywood; and i want to make a better strip floor grating than the one in there but it will suffice. she's a bit of a rush job but i'm happy with the way she's turned out overall.

steve