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Lefty

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About Lefty

  • Birthday 01/01/1

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    Apple Valley, MN

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  1. Here are a few pics of the basically finished minicup "Murphy's Law". Still a little touch up stuff, but otherwise it's good to go. Have had it out twice and is very fun to sail. Pictures are obviously taken minus rigging, rudder and daggerboard. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]
  2. After seeing your thoughts on it, I'm not sure I should admit it, but the Vagabond has the lead in my book as a next project. Not sure about the 80s look you referred to, but I am guessing you mean by the lack of a pronounced cabin....kind of a "cigarette" boat look. However, I think that is why I DO like it. Still ample headroom for sitting, and it is something you don't see everyday. I guess that's why there is more than one design out there for us to choose from. Different strokes for different folks.... As a side note- my next real project might end up being another minicup. I have looked at the website for the 2.4m boats and think it would be cool to build a mincup along those lines: comfortable custom cockpit, a little more sail, foot pedal sterring for the rudder and maybe a little (but not a lot of) ballast. My minicup is fiberglass and plywood already so it would be nice to try it again and go for a nicer look.
  3. Lefty

    Mini Cup

    Wow! I just checked out both of the sites listed for the Harken 2.4m. Despite the differences (lead ballast and draft, specifically) I think that is what minicup builders envision for their crafts, at least I know I do. Sleek, fast, loads of fun to learn to sail...these are the adjectives I like to use with my minicup! After a couple of times out, I notice my 'cup is easiest to sail when sitting on the deck. However, when the wind has died down and I am relaxing, I do sit down in the cockpit. Being only 5'7" tall, it is comfortable for me to sit in. However in order to steer, I must face backward and use my feet while looking over my shoulder to see where I am. Since this is done in low or basically no wind conditions, it isn't a problem. All that being said, the ability to design a cockpit where I could comfortably face forward and sail in a variety of conditions as they do in the 2.4s would be optimum. I am sure if I sat down and drew it out I could come up with a configuration for rudder pedals and blocks to easily handle the lines, but does anyone have a picture or diagram of how the Harken cockpit is laid out?
  4. I'll second Tania Aebi's "Maiden Voyage". Read it on a trip to Jamaica last spring and couldn't wait to get out on the water! Very inspiring book.
  5. Lefty

    Mini Cup

    I just finished my minicup. If you have any questions, I would be willing to help any way I can. My project took a year by the calendar, but actual build time was probably 4-6 mos. I had most everything built between last July and mid-September, then did a lot of Finishing and sanding this spring. Finally kicked it into high gear in the last 3 weeks to get the last details completed to meet my self-appointed deadline. I should also point out that I did make a few modifications. For instance I fiberglassed my hull bottom and sides, and I constructed my own rigging with a mainsail and jib setup. Although theoretically it is done and has been successfully out on the water, I still have a few things with which I want to tinker after having tried it out. Last thing: I was all set to start my weekender, had plans in hand and had cut pieces for the site when I came across the minicup plans. Making the choice to do this first was hard to do, but was well worth the experience. Frankly, I would have been disappointed if my weekender came out looking like my minicup...especially since they are completely different sailboats!....but because the investment was so much less, and because it hasn't sunk yet, I think it was an invaluable learning experience for my next project.
  6. Looks like it was a great day! When the winds kicked up, how was the comfort level in Julie K? I know when the wind blows up from the south against the current, the waves have a tendency to kind of "stack up", close together with steep faces. Just curious what your experience was like in the weekender.
  7. Just wanted to relay an incident with the new boat. As I might or might not have mentioned at some point, the minicup was part of a lighthearted joke/dare between one of my brother-in-laws and me over the fourth of July weekend one year ago. We thought it would be cool to have a little race over the same weekend this year with the boats we could build ourselves. I knew he was far too busy (but far more than capable, I might add) to actually go through with it, so I thought I would surprise him when I built mine. I started July 10th 2003 and finished July 9th 2004 (I know it's one week after the fourth, but there was a get together this weekend and its a ways to drive....) ...Anywhooo....he was very surprised and even a little impressed, especially when it actually sailed! But the real incident/story was with my wife. After reading all the posts about a weird guy building a boat, I thought it was fitting. My wife is the type, and I know many of you know the type, who humors me when I come up with an idea to build something (a putting green in the backyard, an ice fishing shack that wouldn't fit out through the garage door, etc, etc, etc.) Over the last year, she would peek into the garage, kinda roll her eyes or shake her head, and head back inside. Not exactly a vote of confidence, but with my track record who could blame her... As the successful sailing weekend was coming to a close she even agreed that our three year old daughter could come out with me. She paid me the biggest compliment however, when watching me from shore with another of her brother-in-laws. He remarked that instead of taking all that time to build something that looked like this looks, he would rather just spend the money to buy a boat. After all her skepticism, she said that she thought I did it more for the sense of accomplishment to see something like this through, not just to have a sparkling brand new sailboat. And she's exactly right.
  8. Frank, Thanks for the advice.....on both subjects. Although I may need to get 20' away!
  9. I can't believe everytime I post a new message, it posts twice! Really make me feel stupid. Hopefully I can learn how to use a computer in the near future.
  10. I am relatively proud to announce that the Minicup Murphy's Law finally saw water on the afternoon of July 9th. After an entire weekend of sailing in breezes ranging from very light to moderate, I would call the project a success. Considering modifications that were made and last minute headaches, all in all, I was happy to get out and not have it tip over on me! Although it is not much to look at, I am still happy to say I did it. I look forward to tinkering around with it, and making some improvements to it (such as a higher quality paint job and possibly a new and larger mainsail). I hope to throw a few pictures up later when I have more time, or maybe when I make it more appealing to the eye! And yes, despite the seemingly bad charma associated with it, I named it Murphy's Law for the reasons you can imagine.
  11. The replies are fantastic and encouraging. I can't believe how many questions I had in my head, didn't put in the post, but saw information regarding them. I was happy to see that the price wouldn't go up considerably to try this method. My reasoning for using stitch and glue on a weekender is because I know I am not going to be exposing it to very hard conditions, this would be an ideal way to eperiment for a later project, and it seems like it would be lighter. The Devlin book is on my list. I checked B & N and our library with no luck, but am happy to see Amazon has it. Another remark that struck me because I was considering it as well was to use screws in some areas where they would be more convenient, not just stitch and glue everywhere. One thing I am curious about: both sides of the joints/seams have epoxy and fiberglass tape, but are both sides of the hull and deck panels also glassed, or just the outside? It is something I have been confused about as I read and look at my plans. As I had stated in another post, the Weekender is still in the planning stages because the Minicup isn't even done yet! Thanks for all the info. --Phil, I did check your website....I really like the extra work you did on it especially the lighting and that great paint job. Has the paint held up well?
  12. Just wondering if anyone has ever constructed a Weekender using the stitch and glue method. I believe it would be more expensive, but am curious if it would be a successful method of building. If it is possible, I would think it could open up the plans to all sorts of cool little modifications because bulkhead positions could be altered slightly, and with a little weight in the keel, a chine could even be added for a few more inches of head room in the cabin. At least that was what I was imagining. Not being an engineer or naval architect, or even someone who was completed a Weekender yet, I realize I could also be way out in left field. Just a thought.......
  13. Just wondering if anyone has ever constructed a Weekender using the stitch and glue method. I believe it would be more expensive, but am curious if it would be a successful method of building. If it is possible, I would think it could open up the plans to all sorts of cool little modifications because bulkhead positions could be altered slightly, and with a little weight in the keel, a chine could even be added for a few more inches of head room in the cabin. At least that was what I was imagining. Not being an engineer or naval architect, or even someone who was completed a Weekender yet, I realize I could also be way out in left field. Just a thought.......
  14. It is a great website....top 3, in my opinion, for amateur boatbuilder sites. I've spent many, many evenings looking at the job he did on that sailboat. It's inspiring, to say the least. Thanks for the heads up though...I'm sure others would like to see the time and effort he put into the boat and the website.
  15. I wondered just how many Weekenders there were in the area. I knew there would be a few because when I stopped in to West Marine, they were familiar with the boat, and didn't seem surprised that I was building one. I am still a ways away from actually having a Weekender, but getting the Minicup done in the next 4-6 weeks will be good enough for right now. I'm just waiting for it to warm up a little more to get back out in the garage. Even though the plans don't call for it, I am going to glass the bottom and hull sides. Them I just have to paint and put together my mast and sail parts I have been picking up all winter. The prospect of having so many people around who are so enthusiastic about the Weekender is a very good reason to go with those plans (and the fact that I have them in hand already). I suspect however that home builders would appreciate almost any design, despite our personal preferences. My guess is that I will sail the minicup this summer and make a decision based on what I think of the whole minicup experience. I should point out that I am new to sailing (I have sailed a hobie cat), so patience and some practice on something small and easy to manage is probably the path to take. Once I take care of the basics, then the goal is to get my wife a little more enthusiastic about it. She isn't against it right now, she just isn't excited about getting out there like I am. .....A whole fleet of Weekenders on Calhoun some sunny Saturday afternoon would look pretty nice though, wouldn't it?......
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