Classic Moth design, Le dessein Moth Classique
I've retired Tweezer, my beautiful Gen2 Classic Moth. She's gone back to Bill Boyle, one of her original build team. It's tough to let go of a boat you designed, built and then raced since 2004...... but it's time.
I designed Tweezer with flatter rocker and a potential higher speed without realizing that most Classic Moth racing on the East Coast is shorter course, with lighter air, large shifts and variations in wind speed. Tweezer did fine in a breeze, winning a regatta now and then but always struggled when the wind was down. Part of it was wetted surface, part of it was some of the extra volume up front that seemed to plow when going offwind. Tweezer was also slightly heavy which I could have attacked by redecking her, but she was too beautiful for that.
Tweezer hull lines;
And my!...my!...my!... was she a beautiful little sailing craft. Strip planked out of Atlantic Cedar, both hull and side decks. I'm not known as Mr. Maintenance, but with Tweezer I kept the varnish up. Every time I went on a road trip, I would get someone wandering over at a gas station, rest stop, supermarket to admire and talk boats. They may have just finished some wood kayaks, own some oddball catamaran, or crew on a tall ship, but Tweezer attracted boat nuts of all persuasions to come over and chat.
I'm proud of the design. Tweezer was remarkably vice free, would tack like a dream and kept the bow up reasonably well when going downwind in breeze and waves. As a narrow waterline design she had her quirks and could dump you for inattention, but thats what a Gen 2 Classic Moth is all about.
No regrets at all about the Tweezer project. All great memories in the designing building and sailing of the Tweezer. Again, I would like to offer up my thanks to Bill Boyle and George Albaugh who ensured that Tweezer got built.
Andy Slavinskas did some beautiful 3D CAD rendering of the Tweezer lines. His perspectives are shown below.
Here is the YouTube video of her build;
Beautiful. Thankfully, not really 'gone', just under new management.
ReplyDeleteWill miss all of the admiring boat nuts when we go on road trips Rod. What comes after Tweezer, Weezer?
ReplyDeletePanda, thanks for the kind comments.
ReplyDeleteJohn, your turn next to build a pretty Classic Moth. No paint on the next one.