Flicka Friends Fall - 2000 Volume 5, Number3 One Way to Get A Flicka By Dave Kenyon My dad built a small plywood sailboat when I was a toddler and I grew up on ever larger sailboats since then. At about the age of 17, I decided to build one too. In late 1974, Rudder Boat Plan was selling a neat little Bruce Bingham 20 footer and my dad suggested that design. I paid $110.00 for a complete set of lofting sheets and drawings for a ferro- cement Flicka. When I started, I naively thought I could build this boat in a few years for a thousand dollars. Hey, I was only 17. I figured that I could build a nice boat for about half the price of buying one and it be that hard, right? Thirteen years later, I launched the QED and it cost about half of what it would cost to buy one, sort of. See, when Pacific Seacraft purchased the Flicka plans and started production, the boat cost about $15,000 (back in the late Attaching the lathe to the mold frames - the QED 70’s). By the time I finished, in 1987, begins to take shape, but there is still a long way to the Flicka was selling for about $30,000 go to complete the mold (let alone the boat). and guess what, I built mine for about out, transferred the lines onto 13 or 14 $15,000 in materials. add through-hulls, or easily repair it. I had heard horror stories about homebuilt mold ribs cut out of plywood. These ribs were then set up in the side yard at about So in a way, I was right, I built the boat ferro-cement hulls that didn’t turn out well and it was recommended that 18” intervals to form the frame of the for about half what it would cost, never add through-hulls, or easily repair it. I professionals lay up the cement after mold. mind that I could have taken out a loan had heard horror stories about homebuilt completion of the wire mesh. I hung up the full-size lofting sheets on in the late 70’s, bought a Flicka and ferro-cement hulls that didn’t turn out Ithe bet dining my parentsroom wall were (my secretly parents werevery sailed it for 13 years for about the same well and it was recommended that I decided to avoid all that by building happyvery understanding) when I finally and,moved after out tracing of the cost. But then I wouldn’t know every professionals lay up the cement after mine in fiberglass and went out and housethese onto in Rochester, wax paper Newand cutting York (afterthem inch of that boat and I also wouldn’t have completion of the wire mesh. college)out, transferred to Connecticut the lines (and onto my 13 first or full 14 as much to write about. bought a 55-gallon drum of resin, rolls of woven roving, and tons of sanding timemold job)ribs cutand out they of gotplywood. rid of Thesethe messy ribs I decided to avoid all that by building discs for my grinder. Actually, I didn’t boatwere buildingthen set up project. in the side yard at about I saw a homebuilt Flicka about the time mine in fiberglass and went out and need any of that for a while, while I built 18” intervals to form the frame of the I started (I think it was in Annapolis) and bought a 55-gallon drum of resin, rolls the mold. Anyway,mold. the frames were then covered decided to build the hull out of fiberglass, of woven roving, and tons of sanding with lath to form the shape of the hull. rather than ferro-cement. Ferro-cement discs for my grinder. Actually, I didn’t I hung up the full-size lofting sheets on I wasn’tbet my sure parents what wereto do secretly next and very my is obviously very strong, however, you need any of that for a while, while I built the dining room wall (my parents were dadhappy suggested when I finally screen moved covered out of with the have to lay up the cement in one day the mold. cementhouse in (I Rochester,guess I just Newcouldn’t York avoid (after and then you can’t make any changes, very understanding) and, after tracing these onto wax paper and cutting them Continued on Page 4 Part One, Start With The Hull Flicka Friends - Fall 2000 Contents From the Editor One Way to Get a Flicka 1 By Tom Davison In Michigan, several feet of snow Dave Kenyon blanket much of the state. The water is Dennis has been very busy this summer. beginning to freeze along the shore of Contents 2 After retiring last spring, he traveled to Lake Michigan with temperatures falling A New Flicka 3 Puget Sound to help with his son’s below zero and summer seems distant. Bruce P. Bingham charter business. While there, he put his Illinois house on the market and began This issue and the previous one are the From the Publisher 3 building another one. By fall, he was largest issues of Flicka Friends so far. It Tom Davison moving into an apartment, getting his is great to be able to print issues this big From the Editor 3 daughter off to college and sorting and I’d like to continue if at all possible. Tom Davison everything else for the move west. In Thanks again to all of the people who another year or so, the family will have taken the time to send an article or Small Craft Advisor Article 3 relocate to the Seattle area. photo to me. Joshua Colvin About Flicka Friends 3 Women’s Issue of Friends One Way to Get a Flicka cont. 4 Dave Kenyon By Tom Davison If you would like to help Jill with this effort, contact her at: Flicka Profile: BEN MAIN, Jr. 6 Some time ago, Jill Geary proposed Tom Davison putting together an issue of Flicka Jill Geary Adding Another Room... 8 Friends dedicated to the women who sail 10077 Riverhead Drive Tom Davison Flickas. This sounded like a great idea San Diego, CA 92129 and I offered one of the next issues for or Installing a Radar... 10 this project. There are roughly thirty [email protected] women on the mailing list and hopefully More About BEN MAIN, Jr. 12 there will be enough interest and support Tom Davison to fill an entire issue. Installing a Radar... 14 T Two Great Stories... Subcription Form 16 By Tom Davison The first is by Jack Harding (“Captain”) Mailing Address 16 and the second is by Don Marken There are two great stories about s/v (“crew”). Both are about the same trip RAPPORT’s Passage to Hawaii on the and provide great reading about an internet (see the Flicka Home Page). extended trip offshore aboard a Flicka. Small Craft Advisor By Joshua Colvin Sincerely, Our new magazine is featuring a review Joshua Colvin of the Flicka in the current issue. If you Managing Editor own or have owned this fine sailboat, Small Craft Advisor Next Issue we would love to send you our 907 Anchor questionnaire. We rely heavily on owner Morro Bay, CA 93442 One Way to Get a Flicka, feedback for our reviews. (805) 771-9393 Part 2 By Dave Kenyon If you are interested, please drop me an www.smallcraftadvisor.com e-mail and I’ll return the survey. [email protected] Page 2 Volume 5, Number 3 A New Flicka! About By Tom Davison interiors (open and enclosed head) types Flicka Friends will be blended together so that the head In August, Bruce P. Bingham contacted of the new Flicka does not infringe on Flicka Friends is a subscription Flicka Friends Publisher Dennis Pratt the salon area. newsletter written specifically for and Flicka Home Page WebCaptain Rod the people who own, crew aboard Bruckdorfer about his plan to build a One thing Bruce would like from current or are interested in the Flicka, a new Flicka. He also expressed an interest or former Flicka owners are comments Bruce P. Bingham design. in sending a number of unpublished about what is right about the Flicka. He Flicka articles to this newsletter for is also interested in hearing about what Based on the Newport Boats of publication. This is great news might be changed or added and of course Block Island Sound, this little ship any suggestions for improvements. has been built from various Bruce described the new Flicka as a materials since the 1970’s and You can forward your comments directly larger cruising boat that will sail very remained in production today. well. It will be larger than the current to Bruce via the e-mail address listed below. Look for more information in Flicka, allowing for improvements in Hulls have been completed by speed because of the longer waterline. future issues of Flicka Friends. home builders using plans supplied This change in length will also allow [email protected] by Bruce Bingham. More than 400 additional space below. The two Flicka plans were sold and many Flickas can be found in New Zealand, s/v KAWABUNGA! Australia and Sweden. Commercial builders for the Flicka By Tom Davison If you do not already own this fine book, contact Charlie for your copy at: include Nor’Star, Westerly Marine In the previous issue of Latitudes & and Pacific Seacraft (Fullerton, Attitudes, I noticed that their BoatBooks South Sea Publishing California) has built more than 430 review section included Charlie Dewell’s 14025 Panay Way Flickas.