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Back Yard
Yacht Builders show their stuff at annual event
By Pete Wachsberger
 Back
Yard Yacht Builders (BYYB) from as far away as Maryland gathered at
Hart State Park on Saturday, June 21, for their third annual
Sailstice, a combination of convention and public festival held on
the weekend of the summer solstice.
When not showing off their boats
to members of the public, or conducting workshops for youngsters,
members took the opportunity to compare notes, or to just take a
sail on Lake Hartwell in their did-it-themselves craft.
According to Fleet Commodore Ed
Jones, the focus of the group is to show those interested in having
a “rich man’s boat” at an affordable price how they can make their
own, saving up to tens of thousands of dollars off the normal cost.
Jones says that BYYB is open to all of those who want to build a
yacht, using whatever design they choose, but that the organization
“encourages the Stevenson design.”
Stevenson Projects, based in San
Francisco, sells building plans for their line of “Pocket Yachts”
ranging in size from the 16’ Weekender to the 24’ Vacationer models.
A set of plans with instructional DVD sells for $90. After that, the
investment is in materials and, of course, time.
Keith McLean, who holds the post
of Rear Commodore in BYYB, had his Weekender named Whippoorwill tied
to a dock. He said that it had taken him about five years to
complete construction of the boat, and that over that time he had
probably invested “about $5,000, and two years of actual work.” Like
all Stevenson boats, Whippoorwill is a gaff-rig with a four-sided
mainsail not nearly as common on today’s sailboats as the newer
triangular sheet.
Activities at Sailstice also
included a treasure hunt and pirate battle. It was during the latter
event that members utilized the one thing they seem to enjoy
building as much as, if not more than, their boats: their homemade
cannons. Using calcium carbide, these pseudo weapons give off
nothing more harmful than loud bangs, but seem to be a great source
of delight.
 Delight
in all things sailing, yet keeping it within a family budget appears
to be the driving force behind Back Yard Yacht Builders. Jones
emphasizes that everything the organization does, from the building
of the boats to the family oriented outings such as Sailstice, are
geared toward family fun, and nothing more. Few, if any, members
belong to yacht clubs or such.
Although it’s possible to build
a boat that, if produced by a large corporate entity, would probably
market in the high five-figure to low six-figure range, these
four-figure boats with their four-sided sails are built not to
impress, but to enjoy.
More information on Back Yard
Yacht Builders can be found at
http://byyb.org.
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