Preview: Having a Boat Designed and Built – LA VIE EN ROSE
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September 6, 2017
Email this Video to a FriendHaving a boat designed and built is an experience in itself. As luck would have it, we caught up with David Lesser during the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival to hear the story of how his boat, LA VIE EN ROSE, came to be.
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Comments, Thoughts or Suggestions?You can leave a comment or question for OCH and members below. Here are the comments so far…
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27 Responses So Far to “Having a Boat Designed and Built – LA VIE EN ROSE”
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Paul Silverman says:
What is the design of the oar holders on the inside cabin top? Looks like some sort of wooden clamshell clasp. I have a small dinghy mast that I store similarly and use as a hand-hold, but the design depicted is much more elegant than mine.
Jeff Carter says:
I loved watching the tale of how this boat came together. I am new to the world of sailing but not making. The one question that has been on my mind is what brand of composting toilet did you install? After all of the beautiful work you must have felt confidant that composting was the way to go without spoiling the finished product.
David Lesser says:
Ours is a Nature’s Head. We have been very happy with it. Absolutely no odor. Avoids the need for through-hulls, holding tanks, and pump-outs. It would probably not keep up with four people on an extended cruise, but has worked well for intermittent use by a couple.
Bill Norrie says:
Dear David, Eric and Rosemary,
WOW !! Its an honor to know everyone and your vessel is of course wonderful. Your video is a masterpiece its self. Eric and David rock together! OCH ‘s videos looking at these beautiful vessels as works of art as they are , are bar none my favorite venue, thank you all so much .
Thank you all so sharing this beautiful creation, well done!!!!
Sincerely Yours,
Bill
Arthur Haberland says:
Lovely boat, as a lover of bronze (and a collector of old bronze on ebay) I find myself in the same position as far as pulpit and stern rail go. Who made yours?
David Lesser says:
They were fabricated by Strait Metal in Sidney, BC using red brass.
David Lesser says:
Thanks to all for the kind comments. Rosemary and I feel very fortunate to have been able to have this experience. We have been enriched by all of the wonderful people whom we have met because of La Vie en Rose.
To answer a couple of the posted questions:
The interior woodwork is cherry, finished with 2 coats of gloss varnish, followed by a topcoat of Interlux Goldspar Satin varnish.
The topsides color was achieved by mixing 6 parts of Marshall’s Cove Sky Blue with 10 parts of Kirby’s Green Gray.
Matt Howard says:
AHH-mazing!
Jason i Jablonski says:
Beautifully done boat! Nicely thought out. Finishes are a nice combination, relaxing to look at. Great job on the video, captured the boat and also its cruising grounds. Inspirational. Any idea of the finish used in the interior woodwork?
Allen Kennedy says:
Just amazing and yes envy-generating. Thanks so much for sharing and thanks to OCH for another great video.What color is the exterior? It’s perfect.
Alex Zimmerman says:
As one of the “sail and oar guys” who had to be ignominiously towed out of the Minstrel Island wind tunnel, who Dave so courteously avoided naming (and therefore shaming!), I want to thank Dave and Rosemary again publicly for that kindness. We very much appreciated the assistance, as without it we might still be there!. Dave and Rosemary are a delightful couple and every bit as gracious as they appear to be in the video.
Bruce Sinclair says:
Rats!
I came away from the P T Festival thinking I would talk to you about doing a piece on cold molded boats, using my Gary Mull designed Hank Easom built 1974 sailboat as an example. But you beat me to it, and with a dazzling case study. Well done!
Dave Dickmeyer says:
Thank you for building and showing us your most beautiful boat. All I can say is WOW!
Jason i Jablonski says:
What a beautiful boat! A very well finished interior and exterior, lots of things to draw the eye to. You can tell they put great thought into everything. The video was great in what you captured, a very inspiring piece. Curious as to the finish they used on the interior, the wood popped but had a softness to it.
Mike Anderson says:
I am so green with envy. A wonderful sailboat and a beautiful place to use it. Best wishes for a fascinating and long relationship with your new boat.
Mike Anderson, Brisbane, Australia
Craig Johnsen says:
Another fine bit of work from the OCH folks to highlight such a lovely, Jespersen-built boat. We wish that we had had the opportunity to sail MAGIC in company with LA VIE EN ROSE. Michael gave us a tour just before the launching and it was apparent to our eyes that you two developed a first-class cruising boat. We look forward to sharing an anchorage someday before too long. Craig and Vicky Johnsen
Robert Baird says:
I was able to follow the progress of this project under construction. So great to hear Dave tell about it! Congratulations to all on an amazing boat! Thanks OCH for sharing the story!
Michael Vaughan says:
The man, his demeanour, his boat and his dream – Eximious.
There are four things you need for a happy life:
Someone to love
Someone to love you
Something to do
A dream
Dave and Rosemary hav all the ingredients!
Stuart Asbjornsen says:
Wow!
Conbert Benneck says:
Your excellent video makes this old, anchored and land-locked sailor green with envy. Your pictures of areas of the Northwest Passage make me wish that I could be afloat again and explore this fantastic cruising area too. I wish you many happy years of sailing; fair winds, and always a hands-breadth of water under your keel.
Ed Altonji says:
Thoroughly enjoyed that. Wonderful job of mixing in design, build, and sail while also giving us east coasters more beautiful footage of those spectacular views. I especially loved the open design of the interior, Very inviting. Thank you!
Tim Leary says:
Very, very, very, impressed! Really enjoyed seeing the construction footage – There’s some clever people about! Great video as usual!
Burton Blais says:
Gorgeous boat! Methinks I spotted an Eun Na Mara yawl in the background, and a Bolger Chebacco in another shot – would love to see those featured, too.
David Tew says:
Bill Rothrock chimed in on this 2004 Woodenboat Forum thread about one of the schooners featured in his inspiring book mentioned above. His first comment, revealing what he’d been up to since the book’s publication is #12. His comments continue throughout- http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?12129-I-like-this-schooner&highlight=rothrock
David Tew says:
BTW, I have an extra copy of Rothrock’s book….
michael waters says:
You have really excelled your self with this stunning and thoughtful article on this wonderful design and how kind of David Lesser to share it with us …I find it so motivating to see such well thought out design detail.
Thank you.
David Tew says:
After a brief power outage I was able to watch the video. The addition of the cruise footage along with tracing out the route was excellent. Terrific video all the way around. I especially admired the music. It went well with the calm, muted colors that Dave and his partner chose throughout the boat.