Paul Groom is making really good progress. It is only 8 months since he got started and he is all apologetic about the time it is taking him. Me? I think that he is doing just fine and there are many home boatbuilders who would be pleased with the speed at which he is getting the job done.

Here is a view from above to give you an idea just how much room there is in this big cruiser, Pauls lanky frame can stretch out comfortably both lying down in the forward section and sitting up at the helm. This shot shows clearly the motor well , the mast and deck layout and the openings for ventilation and the large amount of dry stowage.

The other shot is Craig Gordons boat, a really fine job!

Craig and Paul were the two of them neck and neck for a long time but business commitments have meant that Paul will be in the water a week or two earlier, that’s fine by me as it means that I will be able to get to both launchings. Something to really look forward to.

JW

Pathfinder is a big boat! A good sized project even for an experienced builder and it is a real credit to Paul Groome that he has made such rapid progress on his one.

It seems only a few months since he finished his Seagull and ordered the plans for the big open yawl. It has been a learning experience for him, new materials and new skills, the Seagull was his first boatbuilding effort and a good primer for the main event but I must say that he has done really well.

Launching is still a little way off but on his last phone call we were discussing the rig and how to set up the various blocks and lines, he sailed an R class ( a hot development planing dinghy with trapeze and lots of carbon fibre and expensivabilium) for a while so does have some feel for how things should go but I enjoy the weekly phone calls and Paul likes to talk things over so we go through the next step or two each week.

The boat has come out well, and the two shots below show her from an angle that shows the graceful shape, and from the inside showing a skippers eye view looking forward. Note the flat deck forward of the centre thwart has enough space for two adults on camping mattresses and is a great place to lounge or work the ship while sailing. Also worth mentioning is that all of those spaces you see behind the cutouts for the inspection ports are contributing to a considerable volume of air tank buoyancy so if the unthinkable happens she will float high and manageable.

We’re looking forward to photos of the boat in the water, and I am hoping to get a few shots of Craig Gordons similar Pathfinder in a day or two so we’ll have two of them to envy.

John Welsford,

Designer