the boatbuilding.community

"The only noble thing a man can do with money is to build a schooner."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Reuel Parker's Terrapin 42 is an exceptional design for any boatbuilder. I had dreamt of building my own wooden boat, and many are the plans that I had studied with care. I wanted a cruising boat for the Gulf Coast, Bahamas, and something capable of extended trips throughout the Caribbean. It had to be large enough for four adults, but manageable by two when one does not plan to sail round-the-clock. Moreover, since the intended cruising grounds showed that there are many appealing anchorages that can accommodate a draft of 32 in., but not 5 feet, a centerboard seemed appropriate.

THE YEARS JUST sailed by, explains Jean-Pierre Turcotte.

Fifteen years of planning, designing, logging, hammering, and perfecting have created Turcotte's ultimate treasure-- a 46 foot custom-built and designed sailboat And now the boat is finally ready to hit the water.

Some time in 1995, my son Bonham and decided that we would build a boat. I wanted to build a cruising sailboat, but he wanted a fishing boat. Tennessee was our compromise. I could cruise and he could fish. In the ensuing years, Bonham has discovered that he hates cruising, but my wife, Sandra, has discovered that she likes it. That is fine with me, she is a much better cook anyway.