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Update on an Olga 28 in Germany

Friedbert Hennemuth, who has built a beautiful Olga 28 in Germany, has launched his boat, and posted updated photos on his website. More information and study plans ($10 via email)
are available here.

Quite a nice interior for a trailerable 28' boat!

 The cockpit cover provides a wonderful enclosed living space aft. 

This version has an inboard diesel, under the curved enclosure (below).

A view of the ample tankage.

More on the Olga 28

Olga 28 Tardis         Photo: John Kessinger

Thanks to Paul Kessinger, builder of Tardis (the first Olga 28 to be launched), I can share some performance figures. The information below is from Paul's excellent blog that details building and cruising on Tardis.


This graph shows fuel flow (FF) in gallons per hour, efficiency in nautical miles per gallon (NMG), and speed in knots (Kts). The x axis is engine RPM. Tardis is fitted with a 90 HP ETEC outboard.

The gray line (speed in knots Kts) shows a gradual increase to around 9 knots, and then a sharper increase with increasing RPM. The fuel burn increases steadily with RPM, while nautical miles per gallon declines very slowly after the initial drop in the 2000-3000 RPM range.

The steady increase in speed (Kts) vs RPM and fuel flow (FF) reflects the very smooth transition from displacement to planing speed. Its really not noticeable when you are aboard, and this graph gives the figures to support that.   

Olga 28 Tardis  slipping along in the East River (CT)
Photo: John Kessinger

Olga 28 Update

Paul and Molly Kessinger aboard Tardis at the show

The first Olga 28 to be completed (Tardis) was launched in Connecticut by Paul Kessinger in the spring of 2017. Paul entered Tardis in the WoodenBoat show at Mystic Seaport, and my partner Christine and I went back to meet Paul, and his wife Molly, enjoy their wonderful  hospitality, and see the boat. There was lots of interest from attendees, who were eager to hear about Paul's experience building Tardis. After the show we took Tardis for a spin down the coast. More details on that in my next post. For now some of Christine's photos:

Builder Paul Kessinger (on the left) and me (on the right) chatting aboard Tardis

The interior of Tardis, showing the raised sole
at the settee on the right, with storage below

Another view of the interior of Tardis. Paul opted for a separate helm seat,
which is very comfortable in use

Olga 28 Tardis going into the water after the end of the
Mystic Seaport  WoodenBoat Magazine show in 2017

The wake of the Olga 28 Tardis while running at about 14 knots. 

Beautiful Boats (continued). 

Beckon, a North Sea 29 built by Richard and Jane Beck, was launched in 2015 in Port Townsend. She is beautifully built and finished.

Beckon on a first sail in late 2015. Trimming a bit down by the bow (engine was not yet installed at that point).

And a few views from the deck on a sail in 2016, still working out a few details such as sheet leads.

Richard and Jane Beck (above, well bundled against the October chill, and below, in the beautifully finished cabin).

 Forward head/lockers

Beckon is a North Sea 29, built with a long cabin trunk

Beautiful boats!

I'm restarting this occasional blog with some posts of the beautiful work being done by the folks building my designs. 

We'll start with a Kahuna 32 that was launched this summer in North Carolina by Scott and Susan MacCready. I have not yet seen the boat, but Scott and Susan have done a beautiful job of building. Scott is now busy building the mast.

She has a midships galley, with main salon aft, a "pullman" style double berth with a chart table opposite, and head forward, as shown in the drawing below. As the photos show, the result is remarkably spacious for a 32' boat. 

Galley starboard  side

Galley starboard

Galley port side

 Main settee

Skylight above galley

 Chart table/desk

Chart table/desk

Double berth looks forward

Double berth looks aft, hatch above

All photos are courtesy of Scott and Susan, you can see more here, and here.

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

The Port Townsend Festival (this year from 5-7 September) is always fun  -- a great place to get ideas, inspiration, and (usually) a lot of sun. If you'd like to talk over boats and boat designs I'll be there all weekend -- look for the 40' sloop Haida, my current restoration project (Haida is an S&S design, built in Japan in 1965 of double-planked mahogany). Here's a shot of her during a 7-week haulout earlier this summer.  

Olga 28 Construction Photos

Two OLGA 28s are now under construction  -- 

One by Friedbert and Monika Hennemuth in Germany 

and the other by Paul Kessinger in the US. 

The first six photos show the Hennemuth's setup and progress to date 

(they have the hull bottom now planked).

The following are photos of Paul's build, showing the first frames and stem lamination

.