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Finished planking, this is the part that you mess around 20 minutes and it look like huge progress, I’ll start filling and sanding tomorrow. That’ll slow thing a bit!

Hey, wait. I built a nifty little storage box for that compass. I think I’m done!

We are on a little cruise in the San Juan Islands. A friend just sent us this picture and video of Rosie passing by her waterfront home. We were quite a way off sure so she must of had a long lens. Mount Baker in the background. I have said this many times on the forum, but need to say it again. This is a wonderful design. We enjoy every trip on her! https://photos.app.goo.gl/UTTy5ofDXk1rz86y6 https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZiM3757zih2JF1SP7 Ken

Don, that's the paint scheme I would choose if I was starting from scratch, absent leaving a few portions bright. That will look good! Also, you can't take the boy out of Detroit :)--"Hey, just call my buddy in Macomb County and he'll fix you up with something good".

When I started flying in the Gulf ‘O Mexico, the compass, chart and windshield was the primary and only source of navigation. When LORAN came about and we had to type each set of “numbers “ into the box we thought our navigation days we were over! NOT! Get a good compass, good charts and learn how to use them, they will never fail you. The stuff with wire hooked to them…..

We just got home from “The Skunkworks “ of boat design……. Sure is a LOT of parts. Some little, some not! Our entire game room is covered with 18 inches of boat! So far each and every part has fit perfectly, hope to keep that trend going! Plan is, one more trip to pick up engine and deckhouse. I have been messing about with boats for nearly 60 years, my first with a “power boat”, both Carol an I are excited!

Tell me about it! I was in Austria last month, and visiting with a friend. I had forgotten my hat, which protects my dome from the sun. He loaned me this hat: I had to turn it around, but at least I didn’t get sunburned.

We had an unexpectedly great sail yesterday, one of those moments that feel like a true blessing from God! Winds were forecasted from the southeast, an unusual direction from here, and supposed to be very light, 4 to 5 knots throughout the day. We set out from our usual launch on the east arm of Grand Traverse Bay. Because of the unusual wind direction we were able to head Southwest, not a direction we normally go. To our delight, when we got away from the shore there was a much stronger breeze than forecasted. It was incredibly consistent, and the waters were flat. The late Summer sunshine was perfect. What a great day sailing and connecting with my older two boys! When we got back, a friend texted me with a picture and asked “is that your boat out there?“. He had been on shore at a friends house and took a photo of us while sailing. We ended the day eating with the rest of the family on a Lakeside deck. EDIT: Sorry for the bad grammar the first time around, my phone autocorrect is horrendous!

Thanks, Don, glad to provide inspiration! I really, really, appreciate all the technical building questions and posts here (and goodness knows I have a lots of questions and will continue to have them!), but we need the "look at these boats sailing" posts, too! I can also report that these boats come with a "make Dad swim" feature. Simply go to the foredeck, hang your towel on the overhang of the sprit, and then jump in the water. Next, after your swim, begin to enter the boat via the aft ladder. This will make your Dad hustle to the front sprit to get your towel to reduce the amount of water you are bringing into the boat. At this point, your old, clumsy Dad will grab the sprit for balance as he reaches to get the towel, bringing the sail abeam to the wind, causing the boat to heel and the sprit to start pushing Dad off the deck. You can help by leaning to the side while on the ladder. At this point Dad will have no choice but to jump in the water!

@Murray— Those are floorboards that can be relocated up to fill in the forward area. I still haven’t sailed her yet, but I think my First Mate will appreciate them. The attached photo shows her favorite sailing posture. To me, they’re a little heavy and clunky. (The floorboards, that is.) I might replace them with prettier ones, but that will come after the messabout. (Still talking about the floorboards.)

A little sandpaper or emory paper along the under edge of the track, I think. Doesn't take much.

Ha, Don, yes, in part because I was darn through putting fairleads on the deck, saw that big hole and thought, why not? But, right, only one of those is tight at at time. And, Jeff, my main sail track ends a few (couple?) inches above the deck, which allows room for the sail stop as well. There is a length measurement shown on the plans, from black line at top of mast to black line at the bottom, the bottom black line being the extent to which the down haul can be used to pull the sail tight under the "rules," as if anyone is watching. But the black line gives a nice taught luff. The bottom black line marking on the main mast gives you room above the deck. I leave the main slides on the track when furling as shown in the pictures above. Also leave the excess in the track when reefing.

Sorry about the hatches. The plastic lids on mine are not attractive, but now that I have them water sealed (I'm pretty sure, they were dry after trailering in the rain) they are useful. They would be more expensive but faster and easier to insert. I can tell from some evidence on mine that it initially had the planned hatches (more or less) but then switched to the plastic lids.

I If you bring all the lines back, you shouldn't need to go forward while sailing. Or, bring them all back on one side and go forward, if needed, on the other. But it's not as much an impediment as you might think. Below, first, is a picture of my cleat bank for the forward lines at the cockpit edge. From left to right they are downhaul (red speckle), first reef (blue), second reef (red), halyard (blue speckle) and snotter (blue w/ white). Below that is a picture of the (dusty, messy) foredeck with the same lines led forward to the mast step. So, it's not much clutter and it's a big improvement.

A different approach: I had a 3.5 inch pedestal compass on the big boat that couldn't be read from where I sat while steering, so I replaced it. I took that old compass and made a box for it and that's what I use on the CS 17 now. I just put the box on the floor and lay it next to the keel. It works fine, and in this boat I can see it well. When I don't need it, I put the cover on and the box goes back in the locker. Like others, I had trouble finding a permanent mounting spot that I liked. Photo below. I also put the GPS on a mobile mount, which is a 6-or-so-inch diameter circle of 1.5" wood with non-skid drawer liner on the bottom and the GPS cradle on the top. I move it around so I can see it from wherever I sit and wherever the sun isn't shining. This replaced the thwart-mounted cradle, which provided visible GPS only about 50% of the time. This is for the small Garmin 78sc handheld. That said, sometimes I just keep the Garmin in the pocket on my vest and pull it out as needed.

She moved along nicely. Pretty boat, pretty location. I’m sure you’ll be enjoying those waters in the years to come.

I do what Don has shown in the pics. I usually put sail ties around the sail and sprit together. If you undo the downhaul, you can pull the whole bundle up the sail track. With a topping lift (I use my mizzen staysail halyard) you can get the whole rig up and out of your way. This is probably the best pic I have although the topping lift is normally pulled higher.

Thanks Alan, 1. I spent a lot of time in Maine in light wind, Adjusting the snotter constantly on various point of sail was tiring. I couldn't see any reason not to change, but I'd rather have your endorsement. 2. That's exactly what I meant. Thanks for the pic. Sharp edge it will be. Video close to done! Also, FWIW, I think it's time to finish your boat and join the fun. Finally, thanks for the great boat. You and Graham and the whole B & B team provided a boat that has brought me a lots of joy.

Steve, Can't wait to hear about your trip. 1. Yes the mizzen snotter should now also be on a bridle if the mizzen mast is held fixed in a tabernacle like the main. I should updated the rigging plans to show that since the mizzen tabernacle is now standard on all mk3 boats which it wasn't originally. 2. We did this to Graham's boat before the 2024 EC. We glued in a solid piece of blue insulation foam (Extruded polystyrene XPS). And then covered it with a single layer of 10oz cloth. Inside the trunk we glassed it as well as we could knowing it didn't have to be perfect. The front edge was just square. Is that what you mean?

Messabout fotos look great.

Two winters ago, I was privileged to be loaned PadrePoint’s Avocet for some winter cruising in Florida. This is how he and I set the boat up and furled the sails for the evening.

Here are some photos from the weekend.

One suggestion…use sail ties to furl the sail around the sprit then attach the halyard to the end of the sprit as a topping lift to raise the foot of the furled bundle out of the way. In other words it will look like a mainsail furled on the boom of a traditional rig. i would be interested to see a list of your modifications.

That is an easy fix. At the forward end of the sail I see that the sail slides below the reef have come out of the sail track. I cannot see a sail stop / gate in the picture. You need one on each mast to keep the slides contained on the track so that the sails are neat and tidy. At the aft end; before you roll up the foot of the sail, grab the clew and pull it forward so that the leech is paralell to the reef. The fold should be at about 45 degrees from vertical. You can now roll the up the foot of the sail and and tie off the reef points. It should look neat and tidy and be able take normal sailing stresses in strong winds. If you do not have sail stops, there is a drawing with dimensions. on the mast plans. You can make them out of a plastic cutting board. I know of a few kitchens that have a small corner missing and no one knows the difference, after the edges have been smoothed over and corners rounded to match the board. Or you can buy them from B&B. We should have a picture of the reefing procedure somewhere. If this is not clear I will try to get one.

Either place is good.

Hey Chick, can't Ken leave his post here and put a link over on the cruising page? I never think to check the cruising group page and would have missed this great video of Rosie. I am sure that I am not the only one.

Cool, the boat Graham is holding is the Looper design that I am currently building. 30 ft, 8.5 ft beam, 38 hp inboard diesel, projected fuel burn at hull speed is about 2.5 liters/hr. I actually have the model he is holding on our dining room table……

Hi Steve, not completely sure I know, I suspect it will be in the 6500 lb range. Still have tankage to work out and a few minor “boy that would be nice” things as happens in all boat builds. Will finish planking the hull next week, then glassing the inside of the hull panels. I want to add the cabinetry etc before the big “ally-opp”. Won’t make it much heavier and it will give the hull more support. All my friends have been making suggestions on the big roll over. May just supply bbq chicken and beer and have them call me when it’s inverted. And we definitely will take you up on dockage, that is the area we want to explore!

Paul, you will have to ask Alan. My boat didn't have a mizzen tabernacle as designed. During the build I was sailing a Sea Pearl, and while the masts weren't that heavy, they seemed to get heavier each year! Someone asked if there could be a tabernacle for the mizzen (Pete McCrary- "Chessie" maybe) and once I saw the design I added it to Skeena with the plans Alan & Graham supplied. It allows one handed mast raising. As for lowering it, remember that lowering the mast pivot point would make the horizontal masts interfere with the cabin hatch. I've motored down the Erie canal with the masts down and lived on the boat for a few nights before I got to open water to sail. I wouldn't want them any lower, and I'm planning on making an extension to raise the aft part of the masts higher to support my rain fly for those types of excursions. Hope this was helpful and I'm enjoying your build. I'm especially interested in you experience with the electric motor. Take Care, Steve

Jay Looks like a fun, comfortable boat. And fuel efficient! Yeah it will be fun to see how that dinghy gets into position.

I just got back from a week in Maine on Skeena. What a boat (full report to come). Anyway, I had made a mod that worked out really well. Here it is: It's a clamp on golf umbrella made for a push or pull golf cart. I added a handle to the front of the mizzen tabernacle to clamp it to. Unbelievable how a little shade can be like magic. We had a few stretches where we motored with no breeze and it was nothing short of amazing. It's tilted a bit here, but the umbrella is very adjustable and stood up to a decent manufactured breeze just fine. I was thinking how handy this would have been when Amos and I were getting scorched last fall heading to the messabout. Link to Umbrella Link to handle

You’re scaring me with that last comment, Andy! LOL When I repaint Windependent, after the Messabout, I will do something along these lines. Unfortunately, she currently had NO brightwork, which breaks my heart. Some brightwork is good to have. I had a lot on Local Honey. Since she was covered with an opaque tarp, I never had a problem with peeling varnish. Every year or three I’d give her two fresh coats. That was it. Nowadays I use only two-part polyurethane for my boats. One-part poly just isn’t as durable against abrasion & scratches. Norkan in Warren, MI carries it. Don’t believe the web site: https://www.norkan.com/Norkan_Store/search/results?search_in_description=1&zenid=9loa7b2a5q6sjq7kdhu9r7iuu5&keyword=Devoe+379 They are not sold out. Call George Spiteri, and he will mix you up what you need. George Spiteri Norkan by Jon-Don 25200 East Street Warren, MI 48089 586-350-2340 direct 313-720-8565 mobile

Obscenely Tenacious would be a good boat name.

I like unique and meaningful names. I went through a soul searching to come up with mine, it was fun. I chose Uinen. She is the protector of inland waterways in Middle Earth. Tolkien mythology. You're having fun getting the boat in shape. I say building or refitting a boat has to be fun or you need another hobby. Bet you can't wait to sail. Keep having fun, that is what it is all about.

Brass, bronze and stainless steel are all close on the galvanic scale. I used SS screws for my solid half oval bronze chafe strip along the keel of both of my boats. if you are going to use screws, I would not use 4200 or anything related. Screws and glue do not reinforce each other. I used polysulfide bedding and screws. I can take mine off if I need to. 4200 is obscenely tenacious.

Brass is normally bad word on a boat. This is one of the rare exceptions. Brass has been used to prevent chafe above water on boats for practically forever. Under no circumstance should us Brass screws, they will dezincify in no time. Use bonze screws. On a Sprindrift I always put a strip for about 2' 6" outboard under the chine where it bears on the bottom.

I put the HIN on my boat, drilling little holes toake the letter and number shapes in the transom rib. Didn't look all that great, actually. My daughter said, "What's that thing supposed to be?". Oh, well, I can always i.d. the boat if I have to, cuz it ain't coming out.

Nice job! Once the epoxy cures, you may remove the screws and fill the holes with epoxy. Their job is done. From now on, they only serve as a way for water to seep in and cause rot.

Not sure what went wrong, but here.

I have been neglecting this boat, to complete the trimaran build. But I did splurge, and ordered some lettering for her name. All this will change, when she gets painted navy and white. But for now…

You might enjoy being able to use another sail on your boat… or perhaps, make available both a jib and staysail??? It could turn a boring low-wind day into some interesting activity, trying to keep everything in order while singlehandedly sailing… and kids or guests that might be with you could be given some responsibility in managing extra sails. Thinking about your wondering prompted in me more stuff to ponder. And, yes, Don, I think adding a (removable?) bowsprit might be a fun addition for you. I needed to get some idea of what “code zero” means. With quick on-line research, I now have at least a rudimentary notion of what it is. I played around with my 3 freebie sails late last season… seeing how they might be used as a staysail. I had some success with my staysail experiments and thought it added some power. I will keep playing with the extra sails next season. While I packed up the extra sails for winter it occurred to me that the staysail situation might be improved if I ran a rope down the hem in the luff of the sail I’m using as a staysail, maybe a 3/8th or half inch line. That might stiffen the luff and help keep it from collapsing as the boat gets closer to the wind. The first thing I saw in my bit of code zero research above kinda supports my idea… maybe… I also tried using the small sail as a jib on my CS17.3. My idea was to use the anchor bow sprit (yours, Don ?) as a point to secure the tack, raising the jib with an extra halyard. In my first try, I got the jib to fill with air, but right away I experienced the issue of bringing the jib to the other side in a tacking maneuver… the sail would get hopelessly stuck on the main sprit that extends well beyond the main mast. While thinking about this, after reading your post about the bow “potato cannon” ?, an idea occurred to me. What if the “loose” jib sheet goes FORWARD of (and around) the jib luff? Might it then be able to curl the jib forward and around the luff past the main sprit to the other side when tacking? This would also pull the other “loose” jib sheet in a similar manner for the next tack. This wouldn’t be the normal way to run jib sheets, and the inactive jib sheet would go around the luff and down the back side of the jib sail… but, that approach might keep the jib from getting stuck by the main sprit. Hmmm… something to remember and try next year. My primary boat project this winter is to create a transom boarding platform (for the ski boat in my garage) on which I can mount a boarding ladder.

No, I ended up building a swivel ring to make stepping easier. I have yet to use it. I am 3 weeks out from total hip replacement surgery, so haven't sailed in a while. Hoping to try the new method out this fall or winter.