yoyoecho Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEM Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Looking good so far. Which design is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Matt, its a Stevensons Projects Weekender II, one of the grand-daddy's of easy to build boats for amature boat builders. It was first featured in Popular Science in the 1980's and has grown in popularity since then. Many of us here, including myself, built it as our first boat. Like your designs, it is intended for the amature who has basic hand tools. It is a bigger project than a lot of beginner boats out there; I ended up spending about $2,500 on materials and supplies to build mine. I love the way it sails; quick, responsive, and for me, easy to tack. Because it weighs only about 500 pounds, it can ghost along in very light air. We haven't quite figured out why some are not so easy to tack, though, as others have reported objectionable weatherhelm and getting into irons every time they try to come about. But I love the boat, even though I'm out more often in my production boat now (a Potter 19, an 18' fiberglass boat.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Diebert Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 I was very impressed with the Potter 19 on that video tape I mentioned Frank. I bet you are loving that rascal huh? Looks like about the perfect trailer sailer. I enjoyed hearing Mr. Tetlows story of his crossing as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEM Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 Well it looks great! Maybe you all can give me some input: I'm a canoe and kayak guy mostly. But on a camping field trip with my son's school at Camp Don Lee on the NC coast, my son and I got to go sailing. He's hooked! I don't plan on any ocean crossings. In fact, I'll probably only sail on the local lakes/resevoirs. I'd like the boat to double as a recreational power boat (just with a 5 hp or so. No need to get on plane. Displacement is just fine). It'll double as a simple fishing platform and my kids prefer stability over performance. I've never sailed besides playing around with down-wind umbrellas in kayaks. So something forgiving to a newbee sailor. I plan on taking a couple lessons at the local marina. From that program, it looks like http://www.boatplans-online.com/proddetail.php?prod=CV16 is the boat for me. Cheap to build, simple, and effective. But since I don't know much about sail boats, I don't have a way to compare. The Caravelle is said to max-out the use of the 9 sheets of plywood it requires. The designer is a little evasive about the best capacity it'll sail at. Most of the time, it'll be 2 adults and 2 young kids. I wouldn't mind just a little more capacity without it being a slug. 4 adults and 2 kids maximum. Maybe the extra capacity would be a bad idea if I'm a beginner sailor. I just don't know. I do know I'll be a wus and have a trolling motor and battery on board (lashed securly in a dry storage compartment) so if I get where I can't get it home, I'll drop the sails and go under power. So any thoughts on other designs to consider would be appreciated. Doubt I'll ever get into designing sail boats. Just not my thing. But I do want to build one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave R1 Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 Yoyo, it's coming along fine. Good work. Matt, That pram looks like it could be a fun boat. If you're looking for simplicity, that appears to be a good alternative. I can't speak to its carry capacity although it seems to have plenty of freeboard to carry what you want. Keep in mind that generally if a small boat is large enough to carry 1000lbs in folk and gear, it may seem a bit too light with only 500lbs on board. Since the people provide the ballast, you might find you want a reef in the main available. Still, a hard chined boat like that should have a fair amount of initial stability so you should be alright. Give it a go but keep us informed. That's one of the unwritten rules you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 I was very impressed with the Potter 19 on that video tape I mentioned Frank. I bet you are loving that rascal huh?Looks like about the perfect trailer sailer. I enjoyed hearing Mr. Tetlows story of his crossing as well. I love mine ... Ray has one that he is not so enamored of. There are definately some years where the quality was very spotty. The original HMS 18 was designed by Herb Stewart, a Hollywood producer, after he bought the rights to distribute the Potter 14 from an English fellow named Smith. Stewart sold the line and the new owner decided that the HMS 18 was really 19' long if you counted the outboard bracket, so he started marketing it as the Potter 19. Quality took a back seat to marketing in those years, but the new owner seems like a good guy. The later years, mid-90's and on, saw improving quality. Now you can get a completely outfitted Potter 19, with motor, trailer and sails, for about $18,000. I paid $6500 for my 1999, and the quality is fine on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 From that program' date=' it looks like http://www.boatplans-online.com/proddetail.php?prod=CV16 is the boat for me. Cheap to build, simple, and effective. But since I don't know much about sail boats, I don't have a way to compare. The Caravelle is said to max-out the use of the 9 sheets of plywood it requires. The designer is a little evasive about the best capacity it'll sail at. Most of the time, it'll be 2 adults and 2 young kids. I wouldn't mind just a little more capacity without it being a slug. 4 adults and 2 kids maximum. [/quote'] Just remember that "maximum capacity" is not "comfortable capacity". The Weekender is probably OK for 2 adults and two kids, but its crowded. There's not enough "knee room" for 4 adults in the Weekender cockpit. Some have made the boat an open plan, with no cabin, and I think that's a good mod for day sailing ... I never use the cabin on mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEM Posted May 4, 2005 Report Share Posted May 4, 2005 A good friend and partner of sorts is Morten Oleson of www.boatplans.dk shares my tech support forum and we help each other with design ideas. He's developing a weekend camper/sailor that I think will be just the ticket. Here's one preview picture: I'll go with this one but with a more open cockpit. I'll omit the cabin extend the bench seats into the area where the cabin will be. I'll still have the front deck for dry storage. It'll be perfect for the waters I wish to sail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 Looks like a great daysailer, Matt. I agree with the planned mods as well. One thing that I think the Weekender has as a disadvantage is the narrowing of the hull at the transom that makes sitting aft in the cockpit a one-person only affair. A similar-sized boat, the Potter 15, is wide at the transom and has one of the most usable cockpits I've seen in a boat that size. Two people can sit aft in the cockpit and face each other comfortably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEM Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 Links to the Potter 15? You got me curious! I like the 15' length because it'll fit in my work room and it should come in under 200 pounds. I can still then use my flat bed utility trailer to haul it around. The hull has a flat bottom so getting it on and off my trailer should be no problem. I may add some removeable bunks to the trailer or look around for a used boat trailer. I posted in another forum and made contact with a local yatch club member who has a Atkins Simple Simon. http://www.boat-links.com/Atkinco/Sail/SimpleSimon.html That's actually close to what I want as far as the part of the hull that's in the water. I'm going to meet up with him and try it out. I figure that will give me a good idea how Morten's will handle (Morten's should be more stable though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 It looks like they have taken the lines page off their site ... the first Potter 15s were built in plywood, and were called Potter 14 (a better description, because it actually fits the length of the boat at the sheet ... at the water line its 12'). The new site is more sales orientated than design, but you can take a look at pictures there ... http://www.westwrightpotter.com/ You can also Google Potter 15 and get a ton of sites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave R1 Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 http://www.westwightpotter.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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