Winter 2000

After completing the mold, the hull, college and a move to Connecticut, it was time to start on the next section of my project - the deck.. Since it took much longer to complete the hull than planned, I decided to see what alternatives I might have for building the deck. I thought a wooden deck would be very difficult to make strong, functional AND attractive. At this time, around 1978, Pacific Seacraft was building the Flicka and I called their California office (I think it was Fullerton then) and spoke with Mike Raphoon, among others. We decided that the molded fiberglass deck made by PS could be used on my hull, which was built to the Bruce Bingham ferro-cement plans. All I needed to do was bring the hull together near the bow and otherwise adjust the sheer line by applying the appropriate pressure at the correct spots. The empty fiberglass shell was relatively flexible so this was not too difficult. Partly in hopes of speeding up the project I opted for the molded deck. For $3,000 (including delivery) I ordered the deck. It arrived in Connecticut on Halloween 1979. Now all I needed to figure out was how to put together the hull and deck to make a boat. At about this time I bought the book From a Bare Hull by Ferenc Mate. This was the best $20 on materials I spent on the whole project. Everything you needed to know was either in there or

Here is the molded fiberglass deck after being shipped from California to Connecticut. I was glad to let Pacific Seacraft help speed up my project!

in one of the other half dozen boatbuilding books I had purchased. I suppose I would have learned most of the stuff in those books eventually, but with them I made a lot fewer mistakes along the way. Anyway, I went and got the straightest grain Douglas Fir I could find for use as a sheer shelf. This 2 and a half inch square lumber was clamped, glued and screwed onto the sheer. With a few modifications, the molded lip on the edge of the deck fit onto this sheer shelf and was bonded and screwed

into place. I had read about a lot of boats (not just homebuilt ones either) that leaked around the hull to deck joint. I decided that would not happen to me and I went around the entire edge of the deck with two layers of fiberglass cloth, both inside and out. The outside then required a lot of sanding, but I have never had a drop of water get inside through there. (A few other spots did leak, but that’s later on).

About Flicka Friends Flicka Friends is a subscription newsletter written specifically for the people who own, crew aboard or are interested in the Flicka, a Bruce P. Bingham design. Based on the Newport Boats of Block Island Sound, this little ship has been built from various materials since the 1970’s and remained in production today. Hulls have been completed by home builders using plans supplied by Bruce Bingham. More than 400 plans were sold and many Flickas can be found in New Zealand, Australia and Sweden.

This is a image downloaded from the N.O.A.A. web page. While not suitable for navigation, it does provide enough information to insure that a chart purchase does cover the area of interest. By Tom Davison Locating a chart for your next trip just got a whole lot easier. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has web pages that display a wide variety of charts and maps. Not only are they listed, you can view a image of each chart online. For those of you planning extended trips, being able to review the charts before you make a

purchase will save time, money, and the trouble of exchanging a chart that didn’t fit your needs. The image above is a downloaded graphic showing my local harbor. While not suitable for navigation, it does provide enough information to insure that the chart is for the area of interest. You can find this web page, go to:

Commercial builders for the Flicka include Nor’Star, Westerly Marine and Pacific Seacraft (Fullerton, California) has built more than 430 Flickas. Flicka Friends is published quarterly. Please note the date next to your name on the mailing label. It indicated when your subscription needs to be renewed. The cost of an annual subscription to Flicka Friends is $1.00 US and can be mailed directly to the editor.

http://mfproducts.nos.noaa.gov/ © Copyright 2001 - Flicka Friends

By Tom Davison The Flicka sail selection issue is nearing completion. The only limitation are the images needed to illustrate the issue. If you have a photo of your Flicka under sail (a tall order, I know), please consider sending a copy to me. The issue will include fourteen different sail

combinations and how they compare with each other and the Flicka at various displacements. It would be great to have photograph to fill the issue. Without them, I’ll reduce the number of pages and create an issue that is primarily text and tables. Since that would be relatively dry, my hope is to add images that show various sails combinations.

Dennis Pratt - Publisher 8537 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2-West Niles, IL 60714-1909 (847) 736-0066 dennis1492@aol.com Tom Davison - Editor P.O. Box 922 Sutton’s Bay, MI 49682-0922 (231) 271-5111 flickafriends@traverse.net One Way to Get A Flicka... Continued from Page 1

In early 1981 I moved to another house in nearby West Redding, Ct. In the year that I lived there I spent most of my available time, that also coincided with good weather, in sanding, preparing, priming and finally painting the hull a nice dark sea green. The next few years are rather blurred together as I moved myself and the boat three times, met my wife and got married and then started a family with the birth of my first son, Matt in 1985. During this time, progress on the boat was limited to occasional weekends and even less occasional free time as I gathered supplies and did mainly exterior woodwork. I was lucky to live near the ML Condon lumber company in Westchester, NY. This place was a boat builder’s dream. They had all shapes and sizes of teak, fir, mahogany, oak, spruce, and several more varieties of exotic woods.

The sheer shelf was glued, screwed and clamped in place. The molded fiberglass lip on the deck fit right over this shelf.

A teak trimmed forward hatch matches the teak hatch, turtle hatch and the cockpit hatch Covers over the sail locker.

I bought about $600 worth of teak for use in the rub rail, handrails, hatches and the bowsprit platform. I also hand picked a beautiful piece of Sitka Spruce for the bowsprit. To cover the hull to deck joint I decided on a cap rail and rub rail. Each piece was ½ inch thick, which I got by resawing a 5/4 inch piece of lumber on the table saw. The sheer line was transferred onto this ½ inch stock and the shape cut with a saber saw. I was still learning about carpentry and the joints are just basic butt joints, however, it has all held up fairly well over the last 20 years. I have occasionally replaced a piece that was broken or damaged, but most of it is

This teak hatch covers the sail locker in the cockpit. This locker also contains the manual bilge pump. Volume 5, Number 4

Next, You Add the Deck still original. At the time, I thought it would be nice to have a lot of wood on the boat so it would look traditional. Since then, I’ve learned that wood means maintenance, and a lot of repair and refinishing. At first, I left the teak natural but I tired of the constant cleaning to replace the dull gray with the shiny wood luster.

The teak hatch slides into a teak turtle hatch. Both are made of teak planking with black caulking.

The Sitka Spruce bowsprit has a teak platform, which holds the bow pulpit and anchor roller (not shown). Part of the teak cap rail can also be seen.

Later, while living aboard in California, I decided to varnish all of the teak. It looks great when it is freshly done, however, I keep hearing my neighbor saying “you’ll regret it” as I put coat after coat of varnish on. Well he was right, I forgot how relatively easy it is to scrub the bare teak compared to sanding and varnishing. Anyway, it occasionally looks great. By the time I finished the main hatch with turtle cover, the cockpit locker hatch, the forward hatch, the companionway, the bowsprit and the sheer rail I must have drilled, screwed and plugged over 750 screws into my pile of teak. Well, it’s now 1985 and I have 9 years and about $8000 invested in this project and I have a complete hull, deck and teak wood trim and 3 hatches to show for it. Along the way, I had also collected a bunch of related sailing gear as well as a wife and child.

Finished Hull - This is the finished (but still empty) hull and deck after hours and hours of sanding, priming and painting.

Actually, before I moved again, this time to Pennsylvania, I also had begun some of the rough interior work including installation of the mahogany marine plywood main bulkheads and the pine floor boards. I didn’t know it at the time but I was about two thirds of the way to my goal. Next, Part 3, Finishing the Interior.

Davison When approaching Dick Shepherd’s Flicka, one of the first things you notice is the dodger, bimini and side/aft curtain enclosure. It completely surrounds the cockpit of s/v BEN MAIN, JR., adding another room to the Flicka. DODGER The first piece of the system is the dodger, which extends from mid-point of the hatch cover back past the companionway and to the winches located along the coamings. There are five windows in the dodger, allowing good visibility. The various sheets and control lines are fed through the base of the dodger to cleats and camlocks located on the cabin roof. The center of the dodger can be opened to allow ventilation. Richard had one suggestion about the purchase of a dodger. Leaving the cockpit and going forward requires passing the corner at the aft edge of the bimini. He felt that this was the most dangerous aspect of the trip to the bow. He recommended the addition of stainless steel handles along the aft edge and side supports of the dodger.

BEN MAIN, JR’s. dodger / bimini / side curtain enclosure adds a considerable amount of living space. The grey sunbrella matches the hull of this classic little yacht.

BIMINI The second piece of this enclosure connects to the dodger’s after edge with a zipper and a flap eliminates water flow. There are three rectangular windows on the bimini, allowing sail trim to be checked without opening a side curtain. The aft end of the bimini is located over the stern rail. Since this is a gaff rig, there are no complications with the aft rigging stay since the running backstays are placed just forward of the coamings. For marconi rigged Flickas, the aft stay will present a problem for the aft bimini cross-bar. Either the wire must pass through the bimini, or the bimini must be angled forward along the back stay.

The wooden mast, gaff, and boom rest in the lazy jacks and clear the top of the bimini. The sails are already stored for the end of the season and the boat is being readied for indoor winter storage. Volume 5, Number 4

s/v BEN MAIN Jr. SIDE CURTAINS The port and starboard side of the Flicka are enclosed using two large curtains with large areas of clear vinyl. There are snaps along the edge which allow closing the curtain without using the zippers. Another set of snaps allow you to fold the curtain aft to leave the door open. One nice touch is the small cutouts next to the cleats that allow the docklines to be used without damaging the fabric over time. There are two small flaps that close the small opening

The side curtains provide a door into the cockpit and can be snapped back to leave the door open. The velcro flap that covers the small round opening to the cleat and keeps the wind out.

AFT CURTAINS The stern is enclosed using two curtains which are divided along the centerline of the boat. Again, there are large vinyl windows allow for good vision and are contoured along the shape of the bimini. There is an open area along the base of both curtains, allowing room for the tiller. Again, there is a flap that encloses the area around the tiller and rudder to prevent airflow. Again, for the marconi Flickas out there, this is one area that would need to be modified. The shorter boom would create a problem for the traveler. While several windows have been replaced, the enclosure is still in service. It was built about ten years ago by Bill Buchbinder. He suggested that you seek out a good local canvas worker to build your dodger, bimini and enclosure. He said there isn’t anything better than one product built just for your particular Flicka. Despite the fact that many Flickas came from the same mold, the rigging and accessories make a big difference in dodger construction and fit. Mail order isn’t as good as a custom product built by someone with access to your sailboat. If you have any questions, he offered to help with the answers. Contact him at:

Since the gaff rig boom extends passed the stern of the Flicka, the traveler isn’t a problem. A marconi rig would present a number of problems, not only for the traveler and the backstay.

Blue Water Sail & Canvas 10531 East Carter Road Traverse City, MI 49684 (231) 941-5224

For ten years I have owned Pacific Seacraft Flicka # 163. For all except for the last three years, I have trailered SYNTHESIS II all over the east coast of the United States, sailing in as many locations as time permitted. They were wonderful trips, sometimes alone and some-times with my wife and/or sons. My Flicka was originally had a black hull, but we had her painted white a year ago. Another change made to was the addition of a bridge deck, which is something I’m more comfortable with at sea. It also provided a place to put the propane tank. Three years ago, Jane and I gave onehalf ownership to Diane Stevenson, a long time friend and sailing companion. In pre-Flicka days, she sailed with me in my Nor’Sea 27 from the Azores to Portugal after I sailed over solo.

Constructed with black gel-coat, s/v SYNTHESIS II now sports a fresh coat of white paint.

SYNTHESIS II was moved to the Chesapeake and we both sailed her from Hammock Island Marina (near Annapolis, MD) until late summer of 2000. Since we live 250+ miles apart, most of our sailing was alone. Last fall Diane and I both developed health problems and after much agonizing, we concluded that we should sell SYNTHESIS II. An ad was placed in on the internet and a number of buyers responded. A man from California with a vacation home in Mexico was looking for a Flicka. After lots of questions and the survey, he decided to purchase my Flicka. Diane and I prepared SYNTHESIS II for the road and waited. The driver arrived a day late, delivered a check and took my Flicka away. While I let her go with tears, there were many good memories, I’ll keep in touch with the Flicka community.

Here is a s/v SYNTHESIS II’s cockpit. Note the bridge deck and the gallows for the boom of the gaff-rig. Volume 5, Number 4

Flicka Friends should recall an article about an item named after the designer, a “Compton.” It is a clear plastic window that fits into the companionway of the Flicka. Richard Sheperd has a similar design aboard his Flicka. Built from the same sunbrella material as the enclosure and sheet pockets, this great little item allows closing the companionway without using the hatchboards. For Flicka owners using only a dodger, this item would protect the cabin interior from the weather while at anchor. Entry and exit from the cabin is much faster than removing three hatchboards. Other canvas items aboard s/v BEN MAIN, JR. include pockets for the each of the sheets and a matching sunbrella companionway curtain with a window.

Construction is sunbrella with a wood cross piece at the top that fits like a typical hatchboard. The fabric is cut to match the outline of the companionway. The bottom is held in place by a pocket containing a 1/2 inch stainless steel rod. There is a webbing strap with a snap to hold the heavy bar inside the pocket. There is a vinyl window sewn into the fabric, allowing light to enter and a view of the cockpit. The window is covered by a piece of sunbrella that is secured on the bottom. The other three sides have velcro to hold the window cover closed. When open, the sunbrella window cover hangs on the inside of the companionway.

The base of the curtain is weighted with a one-half inch stainless steel rod. Another nice feature are the pads on the bimini support frame. They make a great back rest.

One possible improvement might be to add another layer to the window by sewing insect netting in front of the vinyl window. Velcro would work here as well. This would allow opening the window to allow air flow through the cabin interior while keeping those little buzzing critters outside your comfortable cabin. Please add my name to the Flicka Friends and those who are interested in the Flicka, a Bruce P. Bingham design. Your name will not be given to any other publication at any time. This newsletter is not for profit. Any fees collected will be used to produce and distribute the newsletter. To start a subscription, make a $10.00 check payable to Flicka Friends or Dennis Pratt and send to the address on the bottom of this page. The date after your name on the label is the expiration date of your current subscription. Thank you all very much. NAME

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Do you own a Flicka? YES NO Year: _________ Bingham / Nor’Star / Pacific Seacraft Hull Number: _________ Boat Name __________________________ Home Port ______________________ Rig : ________________ Fractional / Marconi / Gaff / Cutter / Other Interior: ________________ Open / Enclosed Head / Custom Engine: ________________ Inboard Diesel / Outboard Hull Color: ________________ All Rights Reserved

Dennis Pratt Flicka Friends 8537 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2-West Niles, IL 60714-1909