Amazing Mods!

[RSdaCat]

Ok. :D I am asking for the sake of all the newbies out there lurking & dreaming learning more about sandpaper than we ever wanted to know (for example; I could have gone my whole life without knowing that 600 grit paper grows legs and chases you about the room when it is mixed vigorously with this forum, lack of sleep and tequilla). And who like me would love to see all those outstanding, daring, and usefull trips down the rabbit hole of "straying a bit from the blueprints" all in one Technicolour place.

Mods like the practical Pop-Top on Angie Wilsons' "Fat Chance", the insanely beautiful rudder improv on Adla Earls' "Morgaine" and of course Mr. Dieberts extensive mods on well.... EVERYTHING! I know what I have seen so far is just scratching lightly at the surface.

Pictures & a thousand words: Brag-moan-detail-delineate to your hearts content. What worked? What didn't?

But please no Gedanken experiments; keep it real. If it isn't flesh and blood yet, real 3-D lets leave it at home. I know I for one would love to see, all in one place, the results of changes to this Weekender design; especially since it seems so open and forgiving to change.

Is this too forward a request? :oops: :roll: I promise to respond in kind with photos and details once RSdaCat is more than a moaning chair awaiting the company of wood shavings and de-headed-stripped screws.

:wink:

[kydocfrog]

The most valuable mod that I have made on Charlie Girl II is to open the hatchway all the way forward to the second cabin beam and use a soft cover instead of a hard hatch. It is a sort of semi-slot top arrangement.

This allows me to walk forward inside the cabin to a point where I can handle halyards, masthoop snarls, jib leads and halyards and, even mooring lines in some situations without having to climb on the cabin roof or the foredeck. I think this is a huge increase in comfort and safety. I stay waist deep inside the boat and the center of gravity stays lower.

My pictures are a bit weak, but you can see the design approach that I used on a boat called Stornoway at www.scuffie.com It's a New Zealand boat. Go to the website, click on "The Boats", go to Stornoway Weekender and then look at the picture gallery. There are some good shots there.

If I keep Charlie Girl (my wife thinks I need a bigger boat), I may actually chop the whole coach top off to that beam and then extend the cockpit seating and put on a tiller. I think that could both expand space and do a lot for trim and balance. And you are right about Adla's tiller. She does fine work.

DocA

[RSdaCat]

COOL! I can very much see how tucked into that pocket you would feel (and in reality be) so secure and confident. Always easier to think clearly in a "situation" if you are not concurrently worried about going overboard.

This is what I so wanted to see...I think it is so neat that you can experiment with these great little boats, customize them, make them yours. I know that some of the mods that may be posted might be outrageous...but that is what is so great about this venue.

Lots of awesome ideas...tremendous creativity...and the stunning uniqueness and variety of points-of view. Thanx in advance to all who contribute...

[ken connors]

Here's a change I made on my Vacationer, eliminating the mast boot. Even thru some severe storms at her mooring, Ive never seen a drop get down the mast box

[/img]

[Dave R1]

They don't show very well but I made seats that are open below. there is a handy drawer under the forward end of the port seat. Otherwise the space is entirely open. That gives me a good place for my feet either tucked under the seat I'm sitting on or stretched out across the boat. I throw my dock bumpers under there when they're wet, too.

For this mod I omitted the lower cutouts in the cabin bulkhead.

[Frank Hagan]

They don't show very well but I made seats that are open below. there is a handy drawer under the forward end of the port seat. Otherwise the space is entirely open. That gives me a good place for my feet either tucked under the seat I'm sitting on or stretched out across the boat. I throw my dock bumpers under there when they're wet' date=' too.

[/quote']

These are all great mods! I considered having seats like that, but I was concerned that the boat needed the "box" construction for rigidity ... but the Weekender looks like it does fine with open seats. That really does help open up the cockpit; when sitting aft at the tiller, you have to have your feet angled forward in the footwell due to lack of space in the stock configuration.

[ken connors]

Here's another small mod I did, eliminating the need to drill a hole thru the spars to tie off the end of the lines. I used stainless steel hose clamps, wrapped the line around and around and around, then tightened the clamp to the spars.

[Dave R1]

Thank you, Frank. I sure like the way they turned out, too.

Here's a little tiny mod I did a couple of years ago. I made this one but I imagine you could find something commercially that would work. This is a piece of stainless welding rod made into a fairlead. It is mounted midway between the mainsheet blocks on the boom. It prevents the mainsheet from hanging down and strangling me on those light air days.

My boat is so full of mods it might n ot be right to call it a Weekender. the mast is 3' taller than plan. the gooseneck is about 8" higher so I don't get smacked in the brain bucket quite so often (you know why they call it a boom, right? It's the sound it makes when it hits you in the forehead. ) The bowsprit is longer to maintain the fore triangle shape. The jib is on a roller furler inside the forestay. The steering mechanism is my invention using sprockets and No. 40 roller chain. The companion way is larger than plan, There's a hatch in the middle of the stern deck for access to the steering. This makes it possible to steer the boat by grabbing the stub tiller in case of a problem with the steering system. (which should be pretty much bullet proof now.)

There is no exposed hardware on any hatch. The stern hatch is held down with bungee cords on the inside. The forehatch latch is one of those magnetic childproof cabinet latches. The magnetic key is stored in the drawer under the port seat. Probably not good if one has a compass on board but where I get to sail, one is hardly out of earshot of the shore. There's really no need for a compass.

I did away with the self tending part of the jib. Never liked it and find the boat handles better with a traditional two-sheet jib. there's no hardware to attach the jib sheets to the sail so there's nothing hard to whack my bride when she lounges on the little foredeck. The jib sheet can also be attached to or removed from the sail with one hand. Pictures if you want 'em.

Bill P's Surprise sails extremely well with the self tending jib so I'm not talking you out of that setup.

Well, that ought to get you going.

[Frank Hagan]

Here's another small mod I did' date=' eliminating the need to drill a hole thru the spars to tie off the end of the lines. I used stainless steel hose clamps, wrapped the line around and around and around, then tightened the clamp to the spars.

[/quote']

Another great idea ... drilling holes in wood spars is an invitation to rot, yet there are not many alternatives out there.

[JeremyM]

More, More, DaveR1! Ken, your's is so nice. Shoot, all of them are fantastic.

But do you have a site for your's and your mods, Dave? I'd love to look at it.

Thanks,

JeremyM

[Dave R1]

Jeremy, welcome and thank you. Sorry, no website for my boat. I can see if I can find a few more pictures. Is there something specific you want to know?

[RSdaCat]

WOW! WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW! I knew I was just scratching the surface! But WOW!

I am in awe....keep them coming and add links to sites (if you have 'em) any anything else that Mr. Hagen allows.

This is perfect for us beginners.. tho I am getting the impression that even the old salts are impressed by some of these adaptations. It is humbling to see what you all have done, and inspiring, and mind-boggling, and intimidating, and hope giving, and ....enough waxing already...I leave the floor to my betters...

Y'all ROCK! }:+D

[ken connors]

Ok I think this the last mod I can think of that I have any pics of. Another mast change. I used two doug fir 2x4s. I was afraid if I just epoxied them together they might bend or twist over time. I also wanted to lighten the mast but wasnt ready to tackle a birdsmouth. So I put the router blade in the table saw and routed out as much of the innards of each 2x4 that I thought I could without weakening it. I left about 1-1/2' on each end solid, because thats where the hardware is bolted thru. Then I sandwiched a 1/2'" section of ply between the two and epoxied them all together. I was hoping the ply would stabilize the 2x4s from bending or twisting. Theyve stayed straight so far. I cant say the ply is keeping them straight or not, but it cant hurt. I didnt want the endgrain of the ply exposed because it it is so hard to keep it from sucking in moisture plus it doesnt look great so I left the ply about 3/16" short on each side and covered the endgrain with strips of meranti.

[Dave R1]

I found a picture of the seats in my boat. This is from launch day.

[ken connors]

That looks nice, Dave. I wish I'd gone that route. Are you using any support under the planks?

[Dave R1]

Thank you Ken. Yours looks very nice as well.

There is no support under the center of the seats. There is a batten running across under neath that ties the boards together, ala park bench. the supports at each end are screwed and epoxied to the boat. The seats are only screwed to the supports--4 screws each end--so the seats can be easily removed. In the first images I posted you can see the mahogany trim pieces that cover the screws. They are simply held in place with double-sided carpet tape. When I want to remove the seats, I pry off the trim pieces and remove the screws. The tape doesn't last forever but it is easy enough to renew. best of all, no exposed hardware.

[JeremyM]

Guys, fantastic looking boats.

I like your mod, Ken. Nice detail with the accent down the middle to hide your ply work. But that was a dado blade you put in the saw, right?

Dave, you seriously need to put together a website. That is one nice looking box you got floating on the drink.

Ok boys, the same old debate. Ken-tiller, Dave-wheel. You guys like yours? Which would you rather have?

JeremyM

[Dave R1]

Guys' date=' fantastic looking boats...

...Dave, you seriously need to put together a website. That is one nice looking box you got floating on the drink.

JeremyM[/quote']

Thanks Jeremy. Unfortunately a website is probably not in the picture in the near future. Too many other things going on. Last night I gotht enew spokes for my steering wheel. They look pretty good.

The tiller is much simpler but I like the wheel because it doesn't consume so much of the little cockpit.

[ken connors]

Guys' date=' fantastic looking boats.

I like your mod, Ken. Nice detail with the accent down the middle to hide your ply work. But that was a dado blade you put in the saw, right?

Dave, you seriously need to put together a website. That is one nice looking box you got floating on the drink.

Ok boys, the same old debate. Ken-tiller, Dave-wheel. You guys like yours? Which would you rather have?

JeremyM[/quote']

Youre right Jeremy, its a craftsman adjustable dado blade thats as old as dirt but still does the job.

I'll keep my tiller. There is less to go wrong or maintain. Plus you can move forward in the cockpit and still keep a hand on the steering, which is more important on a Vacationer. I have a pivot pin in mine so you can lift it out of the way and move freely in the 'pit

[RSdaCat]

Dear Everybody,

I was wondering if there are any "mods" you made after the fact. Is there anything major you changed after that first shakedown sail? Things unconsidered untill they became obvious out on the water. were they big or small? Did you remove or just improve? Also, Is there anything you changed (purposely) that in hindsight you regret doing?

finally...Have I said THANK YOU yet? Your generosity is so amazing and helpful to me in building the courage to cut into this (relatively) expensive piece of wood. Thank YOU ALL!