Doing It All on The Beach in California

There is a fine old tradition in the fishing communities of the world, in which fishermen use their shore time to build their own boat. With the increased technology of modern fisheries there are few left who will undertake this challenge and even fewer who can do it well. At Fields Landing on the shores of Northern California's Humbolt Bay, Judy Silvers and John Claypool are following the tradition in a grand style. For the past five years this husband and wife team have spent several months longlining halibut and black cod in Alaska on their 48-foot Cummins-powered boat, Hecate, and the rest of the year building their new 75 X 22.8-foot steel boat. The 3/8-inch hull plating forms a molded depth of 10.8 feet. Where the oldtime boat builders prided themselves on adze work, this boat exhibits clean lines and clean welds from the 3-inch steel plate running along the bottom of the keel to the 5/16 deck plating and the 3/16 plating on the roomy pilot house that sits above the main cabin in the raised foc's'le.

One of the special aspects of a fisherman-built boat is the attention to details that will make life at sea safer and a bit more comfortable. Judy and John have added a big walk in freezer aft of the main house and they plan other creature comforts for the cabin interior to be finished this winter. Another tradition of boat design is to take a proven hull form and modify it to the owner's preferences. Again, they have followed this tradition with this hull's form originates in a boat that John's dad, Hank Claypool, had built to a design of the famous Seattle naval architect Edwin Monk Sr. That explains the double chine, unusual in modern cost-conscious construction, "But I added the rolling chocks because I can still get sea sick," says John with a smile.

He has also designed and added a bulbous bow, a 16-inch bow thruster and an efficient keel cooler. This latter is formed in the spaces of the 18X8-inch I-beam that forms the boat's keel. Forward on the keel he has welded up three 16-foot 3X5-inch runs on either side for the auxiliary. Just aft of that similar runs extend a full 38 feet for cooling the six-cylinder Cummins KTA-19 main engine. More than absolutely required for this current version of this popular fisherman's engine, experienced mariners often say that "You can't have too much cooling."

"This is the new M3 series of the KTA-19," explains Cummins West's marine sales manager Tom O'Conner from his San Leonardo office, "it is putting out 600 hp for the continuous rating at 1800 RPM."

John adds, "I'd rather get this much horsepower from six cylinders than eight as there is just that much less to go wrong."

This much horsepower is important to Judy and John as they want to keep fishing options, including trawling, open with their new boat. To ensure this flexibility they have coupled the new engine to a new generation Twin Disc MG5202 gear with a deep ratio of 6.10:1. This will turn a four-blade 65.5X70-inch prop in a Rice Speed Nozzle for lots of towing power. But this thoughtful fishing couple expect to fill their 15,000-gallon fuel tank and gear up for tuna as their initial fishery with the new boat to be named Sea Snail.

Of course the great advantage of building your own boat is the cost savings. John and Judy report that they expect to get this boat on the grounds for about $500,000 which is around half the cost of a similar boat of this quality built in a commercial yard.

(Photos available from Alan Haig-Brown, phone: 604 520-6748, fax 604 521-5428 or e-mail: haigbrow@istar.ca)

1. The new boat sits high against the California sky.
2. A handsome bulbous bow has been added to the hull.
3. John Claypool and Judy Silvers, fishermen boat builders.

For further information:

Judy Silvers and John Claypool
phone: 707 443-5263

Tom O'Conner
Marine Sales
Cummins West, Inc.
San Leandro, California 94577
Phone: 510 351-6101 Fax: 510 614-9159

Alan Haig-Brown
Cummins Media Consultant
1513 Sixth Ave.
New Westminster, B.C. V3M 2C5
Phone: 604 520-6748 Fax: 604 521-5428
e-mail: haigbrow@istar.ca

500-476, 475-451, 450-426, 425-401, 400-376
375-351, 350-326, 325-301, 300-276, 275-251, 250-226, 225-201
200-176, 175-151, 150-126, 125-101, 100-76, 75-51, 50-26, 25-0