Here’s Eric Lindahl’s write up of Joel and Patty’s Marples 35 trimaran open house of Oct 27, 2019. — They have been working on it for 2 years at a friends property in Woodinville.
The build began on Vashon Island several decades ago by David Vinson. David was a long time NWMA club member and good friend and coworker of Wayne E. He’d built a couple boats, including getting Wayne interested in multihulls by building 3 Meters with him. Sadly David got sick and passed away way too soon, before he could put the hulls together. A few years back the project was offered for sale and Steve M, a rescuer of multihulls, bought them & trailered it all down to Reno.
Joel and Patty had started coming to our NWMA meetings about that time in search of a cruising multihull. Wayne was a good friend of David and knew the boat would be a perfect fit for them. He urged a serious look at the project. Joel went to Reno and found that nearly all the rigging and material, including 5 new sails, winches, rigged mast and boom, the works, was already accumulated by David and it was of the highest quality. The deal was made and Joel trailered it back to Washington. He and Patty got the main hull livable sold their house and have been living aboard on the hard since May in a concentrated effort to get it finished. They are now ready for assembly of the 3 hulls and they will do that in drier and warmer Napa California beginning in Mid November.
I’ll add one more tidbit of club connection in that Wayne had been talking to long time club member Harry A. recently. Harry had cruised the South Pacific a lot but had sold his boat some time ago. Just recently he’d found a spinnaker in his attic. He happened to tell Wayne about it and Wayne knew the perfect recipient. So another bit of club history will sail with Joel and Patty as they head off into the Pacific sunset sometime in 2020. Its nice to see so many people will have lasting connections to this wonderful vessel.
The open house was a chance to see the wonderful craftsmanship of David, Joel and Patty before it left the area for who knows how long. The interior is essentially finished and it is beautiful. Patty is an artist and has an amazing eye for design and decoration. Interesting painted designs and figures under varnish on various clear wood surfaces abound inside. Her choice of colors, curtains, fabrics, bath fixtures really set off the natural wood of the interior. She did a great job to preserve the natural clear epoxy finish. The result is you can see the beautiful laminated woodworking that David did to build the hulls. A nice, enduring testament to Davids vision and dream.
Joel’s craftsmanship is outstanding as seen in his construction of the ama’s and other structures needed to put it all together. (I did a newbie mistake and labeled the amas in the pictures below as akas. Maybe thats why Ian Farrier preferred the terms; main hull, floats and beams rather then get all confused with amas, akas and vakas). Joel’s buildout of the furniture and mechanical systems is excellent. It doesn’t hurt that his shop landlord, friend and former employee, Steve, works at a laser metal cutting company and is a tool junkie, (his huge shop was full of large machine and woodworking tools, including a handy 20’ scissor hoist). Steve has cut beautiful stainless steel bits and pieces for the boat. I want to be Steve’s new best friend when Joel moves to California. (Steve is also a 1950’s Nash Metropolitan junkie and I was smitten by the 5 or 6 restored and parts cars around his property).
It was a beautiful sunny day with the fall colors to set the mood, and it made even the drive out to the rural site most enjoyable. When I arrived 12 or 15 club members were in the shop where the main hull and one ama had just been dry fitted. It was cool to see the 2 pieces together and imagine the sleek hulls slicing through far off seas. Tours of the cabin were given by Patty but it was all boat shop talk among those inspecting the fine workmanship around the outside of the hulls. Joel even had the full set of plans out for us to pour over. Mounds of boat parts and gear and large wood and metal shop tools around and under the boat added to the boat shop talk ambience. Joel and Patty had a nice spread of munchies for all to share to top it off. Marilyn and I spent a couple hours munching, chatting and oogleing the vessel with the others. I saw Jeff, Todd, Dan, Martyn, Linda, Wayne, Anne, Vince, Kristin, Mark, Elke, and heard Bill and Clive had been there earlier. Joel and Patty had some non boat acquaintances there as well. I probably missed a few attendees and I apologize for my aged brain.
Below are some pictures that I took a few days later when I went back to see Joel. I didn’t think to bring my camera at the time to show all the celebrants, dang. They have a site that shows a lot of build pictures as well: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QujfUKzUJagFB3Qx5
If that doesn’t work try this: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPewiEkFNB37qGU3-9ibQ9rr43JpQDHScJvcT4a9_2owH7MzFhvOjPBz5nkC6XAtA?key=YWhuSHZ2TlRtY3BlWnA5Smw1UHkxNTdYeHZfWFp3
If you’d still like to see the project Joel did say that he would be happy to show others around if you didn’t make it Sunday. Hurry though, they’re planning to be gone to Napa by mid Nov. Here’s his contact; joelnsmith@me.com or 206-372-0559
