Winter 2001 Vol. 6, No. 4 The Flicka is “Out of Production” Flicka Friends - Winter 2001 Contents From The Editor s/v KITTIWAKE & The Gulf 1 Hal DeVaney By Tom Davison newsletter can put in the web page. Another advantage of Publisher is the Contents 2 In my spare time this summer, I ability to create postscript files that converted the Flicka Home Page from can be “distilled” into Acrobat PDF From The Editor 2 Adobe Pagemill to Microsoft files. Besides reducing the Publisher Tom Davison Publisher and the “new” Flicka Home files down from 15-20 MB to 100-300 Page is approaching 250 individual KB, Flicka Friends PDF files can be Flicka “Out of Production” 2 pages. While the Adobe software placed on internet for all to download. Pacific Seacraft would work well for the web, I Since they are in full color and are converted Rod Bruckdorfer’s web originals, anyone with a color printer All Aboard? 3 pages to Microsoft Publisher. While ends up with the best results. Tom Davison some may view this as going backwards, Publisher offers a number I’d like to thank Bruce P. Bingham About Flicka Friends 3 of features most web publishing again for allowing me to reprint the programs do not. FLICKA—A Happy Little Ship Distant Horizons 4 article. Since most new Flicka owners Rod Bruckdorfer Since I am the Editor for this may not have access to the 1980 issue newsletter and the WebCaptain for of Small Boat Journal, this should be a YAHOO Flicka20 Group 5 the Flicka Home Page, software was welcome addition to their Flicka files. Tom Davison needed that would work for both. Since Publisher was already being Turning to a sad bit of news, a lack of Self-Steering for a Flicka 6 used for the newsletter, and a newer sales has returned the Flicka to an Jobst Vandrey version offered the ability to create “Out of Production” Status. See the web pages, it was an easy decision to story below for more information from Ten Things Every Flicka Own 7 make. Anything that appears in the Pacific Seacraft. Should Know Ray Rippel s/v KITTIWAKE & The Gulf 8 Hal DeVaney Flicka “Out of Production” The following information was copied parts and technical information. Many from the Pacific Seacraft web page: of the Flicka components are no longer Next Issue... available and some of the suppliers are Flicka 20 no longer operating. • s/v MOTU sails from San Francisco Bay to Ventura Pacific Seacraft's Web Based Service Pacific Seacraft's support for the Flicka & Support Policy—October 2001 is exclusively web based. • Installing a furling system on s/v SHILOH Pacific Seacraft offered new Flicka's PSC will continue to accumulate a for sale in Spring of 2001 following a Flicka knowledgebase at couple of years of the Flicka being out Cover Photo of production. No orders were received pacificseacraft.com. so the Flicka is being returned to "Out s/v SOLOMA of Production" status. PSC will do its best to respond to email requests for information that is not in Galveston Bay, Texas. Pacific Seacraft (PSC) will make its available on (Captain—Vickie Parrish) best effort to provide replacement parts Photo by Hal DeVaney and technical advice for the Flicka. pacificseacraft.com. However, minimal historical documen- If you have a high quality photo of tation, inconsistent tolerances, kit boats Regrettably, PSC can not promise a your Flicka and would like to see it on and the age of the Flicka limit Pacific prompt reply nor will PSC provide tele- the cover, please let me know. Seacraft's capability to provide accurate phone support. Page 2 Vol. 6, No. 4 All Aboard? About Flicka Friends Flicka Friends is a newsletter written for the people who own, crew aboard or are interested in the Flicka, a 20 foot sailing vessel designed by Bruce P. Bingham. Based on the Newport boats of Block Island Sound, this little ship has been built from various materials from the 1970’s until 2001. This includes Flickas constructed from plans obtained directly from Bruce’s California office. About 400 sets of plans were sold. According to Bruce Bingham, many Flickas can be found in New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. A number of hulls were built by Nor’star and some were completed by Westerly Marine. The manufacturer of the bulk of the class is Pacific Seacraft Corporation who built more than 430 hulls in While not the record, having fifteen people aboard California. your Flicka is certainly uncommon. The record goes to Flicka Friends is published on a the crew of s/v CORSAIR with twenty-four people aboard. quarterly basis, with issues being mailed in March, June, September and but this one included a few friends By Tom Davison December. Articles, letters, comments aboard. With fifteen people aboard, and photos relating to the Flicka are Since returning form the South Pacific, the waterline dropped nearly one foot welcomed and encouraged. Charlie and Margaret Dewell have bringing the deck even with the found considerable interest in their marina dock. but there seemed to be trip. Besides writing a book about their room for everyone. © Copyright 2001 trip (KAWABUNGA’s South Sea Dennis Pratt/Flicka Friends Adventure), they have appeared on Using the Coast Guard standard television, at marinas, colleges, sail average of 150 pounds per person, Dennis Pratt - Publisher gatherings and at the Flicka Fever this added 2,250 pounds to the 685 Spring Street, #191 Rendezvous at the Isthmus on Catalina displacement of their favorite little Friday Harbor, WA 98250 Island. ship. Certainly a few more than might (360) 370-5133 be legal, but it makes for a great [email protected] Recently, Charlie sent me an e-mail photo. with several photos of s/v Tom Davison - Editor KAWABUNGA!. The first was of While this is more people than most P.O. Box 922 their “BABY,” (Pacific Seacraft # Flicka owners have ever had aboard, Sutton’s Bay, MI 49682-0922 169) at their boat slip in Marina del the record goes to Jan Allen and John (231) 271-5111 Rey, California. Westerholme. Their Flicka, s/v [email protected] CORSAIR, had 22 other people The other photo (above) also showed aboard in the Sea of Cortez, bringing http:www.nmo.net/ s/v KAWABUNGA in their boat slip, the total to 24! ~flickafriends/index.html Page 3 Flicka Friends - Winter 2001 Distant Horizons By Rod Bruckdorfer When I first published the Flicka Website in April 1998, I was just hoping to meet sailors who had voyaged in this legendary pocket cruiser. I had no idea after three and a half years the web counter would exceed 185,000 visits. During the three and a half years, I have met and made friends via the Internet with many sailors and voyagers from all over the world. It has been a wonderful experience to share distance horizons, exchange information and help others masters these wonderful little craft. It is with sadness I relinquish command as the Flicka WebCaptain. Tom Davison, Editor of “Flicka Friends” has accepted the command. Rod Bruckdorfer’s Bristol Channel Cutter s/v IDUNA. I will lend my support as a technical editor. Tom has been very supportive of the Flicka Website. The format African Moon and started the wind. Day became night - we sailed has changed but the content remains rebuilding process and kindling the through that magic time called the same. The Website under Tom's dream. During the five years of twilight. The water and air were guidance has a strong future. The rebuilding, she taught us much and quiet, a chill slowly moved into the new WebCaptain will need your we gave her new life and a new autumn air - it was magic. Into the help. This site is only as good as the future. After we launched African night we sailed - a tack here, a tack material and photos Flicka owners Moon in 1994, she taught us respect there, always moving toward home provide. I ask that as you sail this for wind and sea, we learned her but hoping it would never end. summer and fall, take photos and spirit under sail and she kept us We tacked to sail away from the send them to Tom Davison. Keep a warm, dry and safe over several Craighill Channel to avoid a ship and log of your day sails and cruises and thousand sea miles. a barge as we sailed into the share the experience with others. The Patapsco River and eventually past Flicka is probably one of the finest ..... “All day and into the evening the White Rocks in Rock Creek. For pocket cruisers ever built but its African Moon sailed at ~2 1/2 us it was beautiful - a never ending following can only remain strong if knots under OTTO, our windvane memory of the joy of sharing the owners contribute to publications, steering system. She was gently cockpit of a "little ship" making her such as "Flicka Friends", the Flicka heeled at 10 degrees, moving with passage home after nine wonderful Website and sailing magazines. an easy motion on a flat bay, with days on the Chesapeake and only the wind dimpling the water. experiencing her many secrets and As many of you know, we sold our Lunch came and went, the wine was magic.” beloved Nor'star Flicka, African sipped and she was a happy ship. Moon and purchased a Canadian We moved toward our destination From the log of African Moon. built Bristol Channel Cutter named and were lifted toward the Patapsco IDUNA.