yoyoecho

Will do my camera can record up to 1 min video but I think 30 sec's should be all that it will need. No one wants to see a grown man cry. Okay this group might Put off fitting it today had to cut grass and get the flotation to put behind the seat and wood for rafters (stalling) but tomorrow is boat day, got all of the "honey do list" done even new stairs for the deck (house deck not boat deck)

Thanks to everyone. I have the part cut and pre bent I think the problem was the ply but will be fitting this weekend (bad weather and work at the end of the week and did not get to work on the boat). Tim let me just say that you make me sick. "gluelam veneers in my vaccum bag" just do me a favor next time that you are going out sailing let me know, and where you keep your keys. I will stop by to use your tools. Your stuff always looks so good. Will post some pic's if it does not snap and if it does my wife might post some of me rolling around in the grass kicking and screaming.

I find that the more that it looks like a boat that the more comments that you get (and funny looks). But you have to remember that people have been making boats for 1000's of years but when you tell someone that you are doing it most people look at you and say thats cool, but think are you crazy you can not make something like a boat it will sink. The best thing to remember is that they are the ones that can not or would not try to build it and it you could not do it, you would know a long time ago. Would love to see some pic's my wife has been telling me that the weekender that I'm building for my dad is to small for my family (3 kids).

I was wondering if there is a good way to bend the front cabin trunk? Have just tried to push the 1/4" ply up in to place and after about 30 sec there was a crack followed by a snap and I have two bit of ply. Made a second one but this time I put it in water for and hour but this time it snapped before even making the curve. I think that the center lamination might have had a defect. Have lots on wood so I can keep going making them until I get one that works but just wanted to know if there is a better way to do this.

Thanks for the link Frank. Tim did you have to do anything to beef up your transom for the 6hp. I have seen the pic of the type motor mount that you use. And all your other pic too. I think I might see if I can get this guy to come down a little it is a yard sale. Maybe $300 cash can make use both happy (or at lest me)

Sorry a merc 60 is a 6hp motor NOT 60.

Coming home at lunch today I pasted a yard sale and sitting right out front was a Mercury 1964-66 Model Merc 60 http://www.oldmercs.com/196466Merc60.htm Starts first pull and looks to be in great shape the guy wants $375 for it. It is also a short shaft ( will this work on a weekender) have not been able to find pricing on the net and was wondering if this is a good deal or a good deal for someone else?

Got some help this weekend and was able to get the sides on. Okay forgot about the small triangles that needed to be cut on the bow until my buddy said "whats wrong with the front". Looked and looked and then looked again too long. Then said "Oh! thats is in the plans you have to cut those to fit after". He looked at me all day. Cut and fitted them yesterday will have to have him back to see that it fit fine. Tonight was working on the upper rub rail and it is looking very nice. Still a clamp forest and just dry fitting. Did not get much done my daughter's 7th b-day and had to replace the alternator on my wifes truck. Was on the way to a party at church with the kids and it went out but it was nice that the party came to us. Will post some pictures of the sides when it is cleaned up but will at least post one with the b-day girl and little sister from this weekend. I say crew but they say captain and admiral. At this point they think that my job will be to scrape the barnicals off the bottom.

Mike that is beautiful. What are you using on the joint on the deck it looks like it will sand down and give you an invisible seam. I am doing my front hatch out of oak from my 120 year old farm house and a 1894 stinewey piano mahogany ( major bright work). So any info on how ti make it look good would be great.

You can pick them up anywhere I think that they even have them at Wal-Mart ( will fall apart in an hour). I do most shaping with planes and find that with a nice sharp blade that you basically do not have to sand.

Got some work done this weekend after completing the honey do list. It it so cool that it is starting to look like a boat. Still need to attach the upper deck. Only a week back from my time line. Funny how you think this will only take 2 days and it take a week when you find a problem. NO there are no clear pictures if the stem it is looking good but still needs to be cleaned up. I have to tell you about the problem so I am not going to post a picture until is is looking nice.

I got the stem rebuilt and put the stringers on the upper deck. Let everything dry ( it was killing me). and just 10 min ago went out and pulled the upper deck back to the transom and it went clunk and fell right in to place with the exception of the port side companion way. Need to made the gap for the stringer 1/8 wider. It was a goodnight and goodnight. Will post pic's of repair after it looks pretty. Jay

Looking back at this I guess the short of it. I'm doing this to give something back to two people who have given me so much.

Other than the fact that I run my business from home and would go nuts if I did not have a project to work on. I am building this boat for my mother and father. (Flash back) My parents grew up in MA on the coast and both sailed all the time and even raced against each other before they ever met. My father still have more trophies filling up boxs in the basement then he knows what to do with. We grew up always having boats everything from cabin cruisers to hobie cats but my father always said that sailing was the only true way to go. I have also sail most of my life when I was 16 I work as a live in nanny during the week I would watch the kids but on the weekends they had a 32 foot dory that we sail out of RI. They would watch the kids and I would put on my walkman turn up some U2 and head to block island or where ever struck my fancy, it was up to me. During High school if I was not in school I could be found on a 16' bright yellow hobie with sunburst sail running up and down the beachs of fairfield county CT. Now I'm older living in VA and have 3 kids of my own. About 10 year ago my parents came out for thanksgiving and my mother died (was down for over 20 minutes once we got her to the hospital) before they were able to get her back. She spent the past 10 years in and out of the hospital having more operations than I can even count. My father quit his job and got an RV and spent the next few years living in hospital parking lots as he took allover the country to the doctors how could do the required operations, when he was not taking care of her full time at home. He started doing some software design and before we knew it I quit my job as a network engineer and we were in business together. Lots of bills no income. But my father reminded himself everyday day why he was doing it by taking a picture of his retirement property on a lake in TX and making it the splash screen when our software opens. My parents are the type people that would give you the shirt of their backs and not ask for a thing in return. They have always said that when they die not to look for any money because they were going to use all of it to give us every opportunity while they are alive. And they have. Well to cut a long story short. Around X-mas I found out that at one point when we were still getting the company off the ground that he sold his boat to cover pay roll. This meant that he no-longer had any way to get to his lake property. About this time my brother, sister, and I were planing a week on cape cod with all 9 grandkids for my parents 60th birthdays. That is when it hit me I want to build a weekender for myself but I really wanted to build one for my parents and what better place to give it them then on their own home waters. That is when I developed the plan. My sister the wood carver http://www.customcarvedhorses.com would make the figure head (seahorse head) my brother would be the money man and I get to do the rest. Ever since we were born every boat we have had has been named the Tradaj ( Tracy, David, and Jay) Every one wants to name it Tradaj V for the fact that growing up we were a family of 5 and each of us have had 3 kids making all of us familys of 5. But this is not their boat for kids it is for them so I am going to name it after my mother Maureen. Well that is it sorry get a little long winded. The trip is the last week in July and I have told everyone that there is no way that I will have it done by then, and that I will bring the wheel and some pictures, but I think I can if I work hard and don't run in to to many problems. Then I can just show up with it.

Okay Have my new wood and my cut has be cleaned and squared. Test fitted everything with adding 16" (NO I only need to add 8.5" but wanted to be able to test fit and then cut down the bits when I had the correct numbers) Still have no idea how I could have been so far off. Even if I installed the stem parts upside down the high would have been wrong but so would the angle and my angle is fine. Maybe I cut the lower angle wrong and then install the parts wrong and I got the wrong height but the correct angle. Don't know and not going to worry about it anymore. Thanks again to everyone and I just want to say that it was wonderful that I posted the problem and within 20 min I have 6 - 8 replies. It let me get right to work on fixing the problem and not walking around and around the boat grumbling under my breath. I will post some pictures when it is complete.

Okay test fitting but if any one knows the measurement of the stem from the deadwood to the upper deck. Cut everything long this time have found that it is much easier to cut it off than add to it.

Thanks Frank and everyone. I know that when I was putting the keel together that my wife and I went round and round about how the stem was meant to be cut and assembled. I must have put it together the way the she said to. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Thankyou everyone. With the fact that I'm more than 10" short (how in the world did I do that (slap hand to forehead many times)) I cut the head off the beast. Good thing was that I was the only one home at time so that the kids did not get to hear dad talk like a real sailor. Cutting out the lamination is not an option or let me say an easy one for the fact that I screwed it together and would have to try to cut them because the hole have been filled and the epoxy is stronger that the screws so the heads brake off. I cut hardwood strips and will screw and then epoxy them to the inside lamination. Then can build up the new section. See Pics below. Now I have to go get more wood but the pictures show the mockup. Frank the bulkhead is set at the 93 angle with the mast box but not secured until I can check it with the upper deck. I have also written on the deck in that whole area "check angle for mast" so I can not get ahead of myself. It looks off in the pictures for the fact that my carport/boat shop is not level so the stern on the boat is raised about a foot and a half where the front is only about 2" of the ground.

I am back to the problem with my stem. Had posted sometime back about that I might have the wrong angle on the stem (something just did not look right). Have checked the angle 1001 times and it is only 1 degree off. Having now made the bulkheads and upper deck the problem is that some how I made the stem to short. I went ahead and made the mast box and other fittings so I could make sure that my fit was correct and to my horror it is short. The upper deck has all the room to accommodate the length that adding to the stem would create. Okay now that I got that out. My question is what is the best way to correct this besides doing it right the first time. The three options that I have been thinking about are: 1. Cut off and rebuild the stem not my first choice. 2. Cut stem and laminate in an extension worried about strength but hull sides would help. 3. Add dead wood to top of stem sounds like to much of a quick fix. Any other ideas or opinions would be great. Also does anyone know the height of the stem above the forward bulk head?

I just want to say that the pic's of the mast are looking great and also that I knew it had to be Ray with the ballast. Having been reading the forum for almost a year (searching back until the pictures can not be displayed). That if someone is going to respond to a question on ballast or just look and see something higher that standard ( or just have good info to add) it would be Ray. I have also learn that he will post the most information backing up what he is saying to make sure that people stay safe and have fun. I think this is the best thing about this forum is that you get so much input that you can take or leave. I have found that leave is not such much a good thing. Okay PLEASE do not black list me for specking out as a newbe but I have been working on the boat (Maureen ( My mothers name)) since 10 am and it is now 12:00 am and have been working on the boat until 2:00 for the past couple weeks. Launch July 29th. :shocked!: Well going to bed and thanks for all the info. (going to read in the AM and :oops: )

Too cool. I can not wait to see picture of the finished product. The only problem is that my kids caught me looking at the pictures (As my wife would say what are you doing looking at naked boats again) and now want me to build one like that daddy. Maybe a playset someday if they are not 18 by that point. Once again great boat get us updated.

Okay The transom has been remade and fits like a glove now. :oops: Did not get as much done over the weekend as I had wanted first it snowed and then my wife wanted to repaint the kitchen. But the upper deck is all fit and the bulkheads just need a little tweak to fit the stringers for the upper deck so its all ahead full again. Might slip out at lunch and try to get the upper deck in place so then tonight I might be able to start faring the sides. The nice thing about working at home. I just need to keep telling myself mast angle, mast angle, mast angle.

Okay got the wind taken out of my sail. Just checked on my incredible self fitting transom and the bend fit perfect BUT was then very easy to see that when I cut it one side is 16 3/8" but the port side is 15 3/8". Well at lease I have lots of wood and it will not take long to rebuild. I guess it is better that I found it before it was covered in glue and I was trying to push up the deck.

Thanks Dave. I will leave it the way it is and then use my router to cut it flush later.

Boat is really moving along will update with some pictures when I can get some time. Hoping to be ready to put side on by the end if the weekend if all go right. Might be longer but it is something to shoot for. Been all but sleeping in the shop. My question is that the plans say that if using a taffrail with the transom mark top curve 1-7/8" down. Just want to make sure if this is 1-7/8" over the entire top section or just reduce the curve at the center line. Also the most amazing thing happened last night (besides finding the boats name). I was out working late and a small rain storm moved through no more that a minute or two but after the fog moved in off the river. I was dry fitting the bulkheads and the stringers for the upper deck when I walk to the transom and to my shock the humidity in the air was bending the wood. At any other time in my life this would not make me very happy but it was cupping in from the stern and pulling tight on the string. basically fitting itself. At that point I braced it and when to bed. Looks good this morning and should make the attachment of it much easier. It is nice when the boat wants to work with you.