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Sampson Boat Co

Sampson Boat Co

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Sampson Boat Co posts

Tally Ho meets the HMS Surprise!

Okay, I know this is a "replica" of a fictional vessel, but it was the boat they used in the movie and it's pretty cool! The Maritime Museum of San Diego is really worth a visit - they maintain and use so many amazing historic vessels. Thanks for having us!

@sdmaritime

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Quick update - current location - situation!

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Evening departure - San Simeon, CA.

High-res image - open and then right-click to save.

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Setting sail at dusk - an overnight passage down the California coast.

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Spaulding Marine Center

In the last video we visited the amazing Spaulding Marine Center, and they let us loose in their workshop!

I just wanted to share some more information about their mission, in their own words (below). I'm particularly enthusiastic about their paid apprenticeship - we really need more programs like this to help get young people into this highly rewarding trade.

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Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito is a nonprofit, living museum, boatyard and education hub dedicated to pre...

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EP228. Sailing into SF city to fix TALLY HO’s damaged mast

In this video we sail into San Francisco Bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge, and are hosted at the amazing Spaulding Marine Center. We use their machine-shop for some metalwork - to prepare brass strips which we then install on the mast to help prevent chafe.

Spaulding Marine Center - https://www.spauldingcenter.org/

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Music;

Wayward Jane - September

2025-09-20 16:32:17 +0000 UTC View Post

Gettin 'er done!

Will and I working aloft at Richmond YC - fastening the strips of brass that will prevent the mast from getting chafe-damage from the gaff saddle.

Fastening into spars like this is a common recipe for water-ingress and subsequent rot, but we've taken some measures that I really hope will protect the timber (you'll see in the next video).

I had many great suggestions about how to fix this issue, but after a lot of thought this seemed like the best compromise. Suggestions to lubric...

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Mast-chafe solution coming up

Working on the mast chafe solution at Spaulding Marine Centre in Sausalito. I do love a proper Bridgeport mill! More machining to come in the next video.

Big thanks to @spauldingmarinecenter (more about them soon too)

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New Tally Ho mini-tour! (preview)

I’ve been invited to take part in a pilot for a new Patreon feature called Quips - all my normal content is still in the same place, but this month there are a few special exclusive posts on the Patreon app, like this brand new mini-tour of Tally Ho!

Check the Quips tab in the Patreon mobile app for the full version of the mini-tour (make sure you have the latest app version).

I'm really interested to hear feedback on the additional new format, so let me know what you think. Bea...

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See Tally Ho in San Diego today!

Tally Ho will be visiting the Maritime Museum of San Diego this afternoon - if you'd like to see the boat, come on down. I anticipate that we will be there from around 2 - 6pm, although the museum closes at 5 so it's probably best to come before then if you want to see Tally Ho from close-up.

I really look forward to meeting some of you if possible, but please bear in mind that I won't necessarily be on-board or available for the whole afternoon as I have a lot of work to do today! View Post

Update!

We've had a wild few weeks, and it's been a challenge to keep things up-to-date!

But, as I start to work on the next video, which documents Tally Ho sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge and then working on the mast in the SF Bay area, I want to give a quick update as to where we are right now.

Here's a photo of us entering San Diego harbour a couple of nights ago, under a beautiful sunset! We've been very well looked after here, and plan to continue South shortly. I'll be postin...

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EP227. Sailing Tally Ho from Canada to San Francisco!

In this episode we sail Tally Ho south, on her longest offshore passage for several decades!

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Music;

Zachariah Hickman - The Colonel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCxXuycyfYH17CZ_1NtwX1g

Wayward Jane - Lyra’s Tune

https://www.waywardjane.com/

Brooks Williams - Johnny's Farewell View Post

Running downwind under headsails, near the end of our passage from Canada to San Francisco.

After several days of sailing we discovered some serious chafe-damage on the mast, and dropped the mainsail for the last part of the journey. More info in tomorrow's video!

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Night watch...

There's no way to describe the feeling of being alone on night-watch while your crew-mates sleep soundly below deck. The weather is fair; the moon is shining through the clouds and onto the sails, and the navigation lights cast a faint glow onto the white tips of the waves that overtake you. The sails are reefed, reducing their size and therefore your speed slightly, but also reducing the chance of needing to wake crew up for a sail-change. The rigging creaks and groans quietly, and the sea i...

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Ocean swell at the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca

The size of ocean swell is hard to estimate and even harder to capture on film. How big are these waves?

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SF MEETUP - TAKE 2!

I am SO pleased to be able to invite you to Richmond Yacht Club, in the East Bay, tomorrow (Fri 29th Aug), from 6pm until 9pm.

Tally Ho will be on the dock next to the clubhouse from 6pm, and the crew and I will be there to meet people and chat.

At around 7.30pm I'll be doing an informal talk / Q&A in the clubhouse. There will be a staffed bar and "galley" for food and drinks.

Please carpool if possible, as the parking lot may fill up. I'm really looking forward to me...

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EP226. Old Friends, New Crew - Preparing Tally Ho for Her First Ocean Voyage!

In which we are joined by our new crew members (including some familiar faces), we leather the mast hoops and blocks, we upgrade the watermaker and fill the boat with provisions, we visit a beautiful wooden boat under construction, avoid a tsunami, and more - all in an effort to get Tally Ho ready for the upcoming ocean passage from Canada to San Francisco.

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Smokey's Lounge - TrackTribe

Smoke Jacket Blues - TrackTribe

Temptation - Chris Haugen

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Thanks SF!

Since we announced our arrival in San Francisco, I've been overwhelmed with kind messages, photos, opportunities, and inquiries. I love hearing from people, and I'm incredibly grateful for so much enthusiasm and kindness!

... AND I just want to explain to anyone who has sent me a message (on any platform, recently or ever) that it can be a bit of a struggle to keep up - I try to get back to as many people as I can, but it sometimes take weeks or even months, and I often find I can't re...

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SF MEETUP CANCELLATION

I'm really sorry but due to circumstances out of my control we have had to CANCEL the meet-up event today.

Unfortunately I have to ask that people do not come to see us in our current location - there is no public access or view of Tally Ho. Thank you for understanding.

Again, I'm so sorry to those people who were planning to visit. We would really love to meet you all and I am working on an alternative plan to make that possible at a different time and place in the bay area.

<...

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Under the bridge!

What an amazing end to this first passage of our big trip South!

Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge was spectacular, and thank you so much to all the people who escorted us in and took photos and videos (if you've sent me a message recently I'm afraid it's going to take me some time to get back to you)!

This awesome photo was taken by Sergey Morozov - check out his work @morozgrafix

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Landfall!

After our first big ocean passage, we made landfall yesterday at Drake's Bay, around 25 nm NW of San Francisco - we decided it would be good to get a full nights sleep before sailing into San Francisco Bay.

Now we are motoring South through fog, and are hoping to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge today at around 2.30 - 3pm this afternoon .

Any photographers / film-makers in the area - I would love to get some high quality footage of Tally Ho sailing under the bridge!

<...

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This view makes it all worth it!

Great conditions - ticking off the miles to SF.

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On passage!

Track Tally Ho; https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:8792627/mmsi:235093681/imo:0/vessel:TALLY_HO

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Underway!

Finally, we are on our way South!
Obviously there's a slight production-delay between reality and the videos that I release on youtube - but we actually left Canada a couple of nights ago and we are making good progress towards California. It feels utterly incredible to be at sea and to have finally begun this journey that has been so long in the making!
I'll be releasing more photos and video of the last preparations and of the trip itself soon, but just wanted to let you all know wher...

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Argonaut II and Tally Ho

Moored with Argonaut II in Victoria just a few days ago! So great to see our friend Nic and this beautiful boat again before we head offshore.

⁨@MV_Argonaut⁩

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EP225. Starlink VS Radar - how to void ALL the warranties.

In which I mount a Starlink dish on top of a radar (against everybody’s advice), we sail off the anchor and all the way to Gabriola, and Tally Ho gets new hatch covers made by our friend Simon.

Simon’s YouTube channel;

https://www.youtube.com/@findingsimon

Maya and Aldino’s YouTube channel;

https://www.yout...

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We picked up a hitch-hiker!

This female Belted Kingfisher must have a taste for wooden boats - she perched on the bowsprit for several miles as we motored through light-winds the other day. We will miss the beautiful wildlife of British Columbia, but are also so excited for all the new animals and landscapes we will see as we travel south towards Mexico this month!

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EP224. Repairing Tally Ho’s electric drive - was this hybrid system worth it?

In which I have to repair the hybrid-drive, Marit returns to the boat, and we sail (with topsails!) into the beauty of Desolation Sound.

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Music;

hjpierce - Written in Milk

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7fppyCFofCzquACuIpSCAS?si=zmB_oU6aRjy--jH__d7Dlg

Otis McDonald - Stuff

2025-08-02 18:52:01 +0000 UTC View Post

"Uh-oh... where does this wire go?!"

Repairing the hybrid diesel-electric system on Tally Ho and thinking about if I should have gone with simpler systems on board. What do you think?

I'll be addressing this question - and the repair - in this weekends video!

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Fastnet 2025 is underway!

Photo; Kurt Arrigo / ROLEX

Fastnet 2025 is underway! The fleet started from the Isle of Wight yesterday morning and some of the fastest multihulls have already rounded Fastnet Rock and are on their way back to the finish line, while the vast majority of the fleet are still beating their way out of the English Channel.

Although conditions may look calm at the beginning of the race, things are quite different out in the Irish Sea where these boats are now beating against ~25 knots o...

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