I launched my Northeaster dory following a record-breakingly long build (lots of life got in the way). I ordered the basic kit and built everything else, including the sailing components and oars, from scratch. The sail is from Gambell and Hunter. This was my first build but certainly not my last! Launched at Lake Natoma, near Sacramento, CA and will be found mostly on northern CA waters. Thanks to many forum members whose ideas I shamelessly incorporated along the way, particularly for sliding side seats and a breakdown folding rudder assembly. The boat was christened “Petrichor” and has been comandeered by my 6 year old as a pirate ship.
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Wow! Absolutely gorgeous, especially for a first build! How was the sailing and rowing?
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Nicely done. I don’t know if I should be inspired, or start looking for a new hobby…
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Thanks! She rows beautifully. There wasn’t enough wind on launch day to really test the sailing, but I was able to move in almost no breeze under sail. A few required adjustments to the rig made themselves known but I’ll need some more testing to really figure it out. The good news was that the push-pull tiller was not as odd as I expected and requires very little input.
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Superb craftsmanship
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Thank you! I’m proud of the result and looking forward to using the boat.
Gorgeous boat! Your craftsmanship is wonderful. I love all the attention to detail you incorporated into your build. If I may ask a couple questions, I just ordered my kit and looking for ideas.
- Where did you source all your brass hardware? Really all of the hardware.
- Do you remember where you got the side seat ideas from, love this and hope to copy.
- It looks like you have sealed under seat compartments instead of foam. Would love better pics or ideas on this. I’m planning on using my NED in the Everglades Challenge and this would be a great piece of mind upgrade.
- It looks like you have little wood eyelets along the floor, what do you attact to those?
- I purchased a larger RSS for mine but would need a source for maybe a new smaller sail for this and another build I’m also working on. The contact info would be great if you had a good experience.
Thanks again and your boat is amazing, I hope mine is half as pretty.
Ed
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Ed- Thanks for the feedback. Here are some answers to your questions:
- Where did you source all your brass hardware? Really all of the hardware. The hardware I used is a combination of bits I inherited, purchased, and made. Some silicon bronze fasteners (and, I think, the bow eye bolt) were from Fair Winds Fasteners. I made all the blocks and other pieces from raw material from McMaster Carr.
- Do you remember where you got the side seat ideas from, love this and hope to copy. - I think I first saw “Silver Salt” on this forum do something similar with his NED. I didn’t build mine the same way as he did, but the function is similar. Mine slide in an aluminum Z-channel under the aft thwart (which is still removable with two bolts, but from underneath instead of star knobs on top where you would sit on them). You should also consult John Harris’s article on “Modifying a NED for Camp Cruising”. He discusses the disadvantages of bench seats for center of gravity. I made mine removable in case I want to sit on the floor and, in light wind, that’s often the case (or I sit between the side seats).
- It looks like you have sealed under seat compartments instead of foam. Would love better pics or ideas on this. I’m planning on using my NED in the Everglades Challenge and this would be a great piece of mind upgrade. In the photos of my boat, there is no foam, nor sealed compartments. I use inflatable rollers from Aere Marine, which can be strapped low in the boat and also used to pull the boat up the shore if they’re fully inflated. There is still foam under the stern seat. Beach rollers would be good for something like the Everglades challenge and they can virtually fill the compartments in the NED up to seat level, so provide lots of bouyancy (assuming they are well-attached).
- It looks like you have little wood eyelets along the floor, what do you attact to those? I made those to accept 1" nylon webbing. They are epoxied to the hull but fairly low profile. They can be used to strap in the inflatable rollers, dry bags, or just to secure loose things in case of capsize. John Harris’s article (mentioned above) suggests good locations for these and I followed that advice and they’re working well. If I did it again, I’d make them oval instead of rectangular just to be slightly kinder when you accidentally kneel on one.
- I purchased a larger RSS for mine but would need a source for maybe a new smaller sail for this and another build I’m also working on. The contact info would be great if you had a good experience. I got my sail from Gambell and Hunter in Rockport, ME. They did a fantastic job on it. Its made to the dimensions in the NED manual.
Small Boats Monthly did a feature on my boat last year and it has some additional photos that might be helpful or provide some more clarity ( PETRICHOR Northeaster Dory – Small Boats Nation ) Good luck with your build and future adventures with your boat! Dylan