Goat Island Skiff in Victoria – Dete Hasse and his boys (and the value of reefing

Dete Hasse and his boys finished building their Goat Island Skiff and have a sailing review and found that a sailboat that can reef is a revelation.

Hi Michael,

Its  years ago since I spoke to you (via Email). I may be repeating some info but we (my boys and I) completed the GIS early in 2010 and intended to take it to the Geelong wooden boat festival but when I enquired they seemed only interested in Historic boats. We attended anyway without the boat but it was a bit disappointing.

Since then we have only sailed occasionally on Port Phillip Bay ($16/day Launch fees and poor access otherwise) but after the heavy winter spring rain here (floods) Lake Eppalock and and others are full, so our local water is back!

The pictures show a calm day in January at lake Eppalock, where I took 2 of my boys (Andy and Scott) and a friend (Ben) out for some sailing lessons. In fair weather they are quite self sufficient now and having a ball. Now they can’t get enough sailing.
I’ve just come back from the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival, where we had a great time. The crowds of people there must have stunned the Hobartians, as my wife (Judy) and I were somewhat overwhelmed also. So many beautiful wooden boats. What to build next?  Such a lovely place to sail and live?

Dete Hasse, his boys and his Goat Island skiff - Review

Last weekend  I took Judy and  Derek’s (1st son and boat builder) family out sailing. The wind was about 20 Knots and gusty with well developed white caps.

Derek (100kg +) and I (70kg) were both up on the gunnel using the toe straps to lean out. It was fun for me and a little hairy for him, especially when we shipped a bucket or two of water over the rail on a couple of occasions.

We came in to shore bailed out the boat and decided to try the sail reefed to the first row of eyelets.

What a pleasant change that made. I have never had the ability to reef a sail before. Obviously there was less power in the sail and it was easily managed, perhaps still to lively for single handed sailing but more pleasant. I don’t think the boat speed suffered much at all, with the reefed sail, and this was a pleasant surprise. Even the wives came out for a sail and no more water came over the side. In conclusion everyone had a great day.

This is a pic from the calm day on the lake

Dete Hasse and his family with the Goat Island Skiff

Many thanks for a great design. The more I sail her the more I appreciate what she is capable of.
I added a Ratchet Block on the main sheet which helps alot to negate the hand strain. I still need a jam cleat near the main for single handed sailing.

The toe straps are almost essential as they add to security and confidence (of not going out backwards)
I’m considering a non slip finish on the floor. High gloss varnish here was a mistake! I’ve got the bruise to prove it.
Cheers Dete

PS I have many construction pics but very few sailing pics. I can send some more if are interested.

(a pic of how simple a trailer can be for a flat bottomed boat.

2 thoughts on “Goat Island Skiff in Victoria – Dete Hasse and his boys (and the value of reefing”

  1. Hi Mik

    Noticed a few recent posts on GIS launching and conversations about drainage, especially after capsize.
    Sailing an NS14 many years ago, we had a couple of these at the lowest point in the hull, either side of the heel: http://bit.ly/yENn4U
    After righting the boat from capsize, on a number of occasions we’d sail off, full of water, me baling and when we had steerage way, Dad would open up the ‘venturis’, as he called them; after a while you could hear the loudest sucking noise from the bottom of the boat as it drained.
    “All day suckers”, Dad called them.
    He was horrified to find out that they now sell for almost $100.00, when they can be such an essential part of small boat safety.

    All the best

    Richard

    Reply
    • Hi Richard,

      I’m a veteran of NS14s as well, so know what you mean.

      In general I have had a pretty dismal view of self bailers as much as they often allow you to “sail the water out” they usually are a place for leaks particularly as they become a season or so older.

      It is hard to balance I think. I would love to recommend them in an unfettered way. But leakage as well as the initial cost make them unattractive too.

      I think my thinking is modifying a bit on this. That people are using Goats for much more than they were intended … originally a couple of people launching the boat and going sailing for an afternoon with the possibility of also carrying some camping gear on a long weekend.

      That’s pretty much how I used my NS14s. And looking at the Goat layout you can see a lot of NS14 in the layout and hullshape – it profoundly influenced me as did Moths and when the Skiffs started moving to smaller, less draggy hulls in the early ’80s.

      But the alternative sailing world really has developed in a different way from what I thought when I drew up the Goat 15 or more years ago.

      RAID events or company cruising like the TEXAS200 and the tendency of people to seek adventure. It is all great. Also another change is the tendency for older people to be involved in the alternate sailing scene.

      These are all great developments, but they do throw an additional responsibility on the owner to think about how they will equip the boat and get out of difficulties as they ask the boat to do more and more.

      Happily the online community for the Goat – the storer boat plans forum, the facebook goat island skiff group are great ways for people to share information to stretch the envelope.

      Reply

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