Bill Hartis, Georgetown, SC

2016 Wooden Boat Show – Bill exhibited his 19′ Lightning “In Progress” and received a Special Award

My project began over 10 years ago after I attended the Georgetown Wooden Show…

Corky Gray brought a wooden “Lightning” sailboat that Ted Turner used to sail to the show.  I loved it and asked him about the process of building one because I had always had it on my “Bucket List” to build a boat.

I went home and looked up the International Lightning Association and ordered a set of plans for the “Lightning”.

After I received the plans, I proceeded to Loft the boat up and make full size patterns.  From that, I cut out all of the pieces for the frames and glued them up.  I attached them to a strongback and then came the plywood skin over them.

Up to this point I was working on it in my garage and the build was progressing quickly.  Well, then we sold that home and our new home has no garage. So the Lightning went into storage and my work load intensified to the point that, with the inconvenience of location, it sat for about six years with next to no activity.

When Covid-19 came around, I was about to go crazy so I started back to work on the Lightning.  I have been working on it pretty consistently since the end of March and am closing in on installing the decks now.

I had originally nicknamed it “Insanity” but I probably need to change it’s name now!

Click on the Gallery photos below to enlarge them.