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  1. Don, The missing hatch sides and back were in the original drawings. You definitely have a builder modification. The good news is that what is built looks like it is to plan and shouldn't require any alteration to bring it up to spec. I would add some sides and modify the back to clear all of those nuts. Then put a straight edge on the deck across the hatch to measure the gap above the coamings for the gasket and adjust if necessary. I think that you would be better off with a mizzen staysail. It will give you the most bang for the buck. It is mostly in the cockpit and easier to take down if conditions suddenly get ugly.
    5 points
  2. Amos, which takes longer, with or without help?
    4 points
  3. Just in case anyone needs another opinion on silicone; it is pure EVIL!
    4 points
  4. I have had good luck with the 36 brush boxes of brushes from Harbor Freight. After I unwrap the brush I fold the bristles over my shop vac (hose with vacuum on!) and vacuum the loose bristles out. Not for varnish but good for slocking epoxy.
    4 points
  5. We now have a website for Graham's Trip! www.sailingforparkinsons.org
    4 points
  6. Heading to have the motor installed. It’s been an adventure, looking forward to see if it floats. Have enjoyed the comments, everyone has been so supportive. Thank you
    4 points
  7. A quick update for anyone interested. The paint job is done! Most hardware and wiring is finished. I'll take her for an outboard motor this weekend and then a test float will follow. This has been a much longer project than originally anticipated but also very fun and rewarding.
    3 points
  8. Since I made the last post, I went to the MASCF and then I trailered Skeena to Amos's place near the start of the Dismal Swamp Canal. We went in tandem to the Messabout and it was so much fun I'm hoping to repeat it this year with maybe a modification of the route. I had promised a few people I'd write up the 2023 experience, but I've had some things going on at work that have taken all my time. I will get to it. I have moved into a house with really no place for a workshop while my wife and I are working with an architect to design another house that will be built over the next year suitable to our retirement. I feel like I have another boat in me. But this means my ability to modify Skeena has been limited. This morning, while it was snowing, I attached cleats to the cabin top like I saw on Amos's Larissa. I also added a table below which is really going to be a nice addition. I'm getting close to retirement, but for now there are times when it will be necessary to work and laptops aren't that great in your lap. The table top uses this mechanism: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H7J9KQL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I need to build a tabletop at a friends who has a shop, but I installed the mechanism and made a thick carboard temporary top and I think this is going to be a nice addition for day I'm stuck below. The neat part is it can be easily removed and stowed. One other thing I'm doing is adding a bigger outboard with reverse. The 2.5 Suzuki I have has plenty of power, but reverse would be so nice. Unfortunately my custom motor mount which works perfect with my 2.5 doesn't work with the Suzuki 6 I purchased. FTR, the 4 was the same weight/size so I went bigger. I'll be adding an extension to the current mount. If anyone with a setup like this posts a picture for R & D purposes, I'd be much obliged. Take Care, Steve
    3 points
  9. This from the guy that cut a great big hole in someone else's boat last winter?
    3 points
  10. Finished my oars and heading south to San Diego tomorrow. After lot’s of overthinking, I made them 9.5’ assembled. When the time came to cut them in “half” I decided to not make the cut in the middle of the length and cut closer to the handle end instead. This allowed me to make a nicer taper from the ferrule towards the blade. My brain wanted symmetry but I remembered an architect friend of mine telling me to break free from the “tyranny of symmetry” when I was designing a kitchen. Sometimes there is something to that concept. They have been epoxy coated and I will wait until I get to the warmer weather in San Diego to varnish them. Thanks for all of the input.
    3 points
  11. Nick- I built this one for rough use and was not super fussy about weight. It came out around 50lbs. My other race skis which are singles are around 32lbs. Some of the high end commercial skis are coming out at 18lbs! Don- I expected to roll and then tip but this product seemed to look better with just the foam roller. Your results may be different. Got a nice Fall paddle in yesterday.
    3 points
  12. That was me, Don. The boat is a Thistle design by Harry Bryan (https://www.harrybryan.com/collections/plans/products/thistle-12). It was in WoodenBoat Small Boats magazine in 2014 and I decided to try to build it. I stretched it to 14' and had a real learning experience (never built a glued lapstrake boat before). Photos below are Harry in his 12' boat and me in mine (I did not make the sail rig). It works -- not fast but easy to make it go. I tell folks it moves at mosey speed. Too windy to mess with it at Messabout.
    3 points
  13. I was at Farley Boat Works as a volunteer boatbuilder when this Core Sound 17 was built. The skill, attention to detail, and commitment to a high quality build were evident every day. The lead builder, Travis's father, has a background as a professional woodworker. This boat is a flagship example of a CS17.
    3 points
  14. Thanks all for the feedback and tips! I made some good progress this long weekend! I glasses all the hull seams, installed the forward bulkhead, and keel batten (with loads of squeeze out.)
    3 points
  15. You can go either way with glass taping the inside keel seam. I think that it is strong enough without and that was the way that I designed it. There are a couple of points to consider. First, the boat is rather fragile at this point which means that you cannot hog down on the keel batten too hard to force it into place. It would be a lot stronger if the seam was taped. If the keel was fitted nicely and you don't go crazy with props wedges and a hammer, you should be good. there have been a lot built without tape. The second point is not be too frugal with thickened epoxy under the batten. I have seen a couple of older boats get some rot in the keel over time. There was insufficient squeeze-out and the boats were put away with water in the bilge and those voids being at the lowest point in the boat just stayed wet. I would plane or use a round over bit in a router on the top of the keel batten, at least 1/4" radius except where the trunk touches it and at the mizzen mast step. I would use that squeezed out epoxy to lay in the biggest fillet I could in that corner at the keel batten/ bottom junction so that it could be made smooth. The sealer coats of epoxy resin that you will coat the boat with will give you an excellent protective coating. Not to mention that it will look great, be easy to clean and hopefully have a long happy life.
    3 points
  16. 3 points
  17. Monday never happenned and a week passed by. Yesterday morning I finally got up early before work and closed up the trunk. To keep pressure on the tape I took a piece of foam mat and spray glued it to some plywood. I wrapped the foam with a piece of duck tape. I then made a stick I jammed up the trunk behind it that forced the foam against the joint. I don't have very good pics, but I glued it in and I think Skeena could float right now. Tonight I'll tape the seams. I did decide that I'd open up the uphaul pully inspection port to make it easier to replace the pendant in the future before I glue in the cover. Things looking up.
    3 points
  18. In a few days time it will be two years since we moved on to our yacht full time and began using our S11N as our daily driver. I thought it might be useful to report back on real world experience with the boat. We've cruised from Scotland down to the Med, across the Atlantic, and now we're in the Caribbean. In those two years, we've only had around 100 nights in marinas, so the dinghy has had a lot of use. We do carry a spare dinghy, a tiny round-tail Avon inflatable, but have only used that a handful of times, e.g. in Cape Verde where it didn't seem worth assembling the Spindrift. Overall, it's been a really positive experience and we're delighted with the Spindrift. I must admit I was a little sceptical, thinking that everybody else would have a big RIB with a 15hp. Which they mostly do. But in practice it doesn't make much difference. They may get to shore five minutes faster than me, but then they're stuck with a dinghy that's too heavy to carry up the beach. Compared to a RIB, our carrying capacity is enormous. We can easily take six people plus cargo and still have loads of room to spare. The downsides are things I can live with. There is a bit of ongoing maintenance covering the inevitable scrapes and chips with epoxy and two pack paint. I generally use a stern anchor at the dinghy dock, a complication which inflatables rarely need. We are definitely slower than the RIBs, but faster than those with comparable sized engines. Average about 5.5kt loaded, with a 3hp, and another knot with just one person aboard. The ability to actually row is amazing. I would go as far as to say it makes the Spindrift safer than RIBs. Some of the centre console boats cannot physically be rowed at all, so if your single engine cuts out, you'd better hope there's somebody around to offer a tow. In hindsight I think the 10 would have suited us a little better. Still plenty big enough but a little easier to get on and off the deck. I've made a few modifications which I thought might be of interest: I used split PVC hose to fender the gunwales, then added 4" thick pool noodles below that. It looks scrappy but it does wonders for protection, and adds useful buoyancy and stability. I used eye, rather than wing, nuts and bolts at the nesting bulkhead. This gives plenty of places to tie things to, e.g. a midships line when lying across the stern of the yacht. I added bilge runners on the aft half of the hull, which stiffen the floor, provide protection when beaching, and gave me a good strong location for davit eyes. These are made from folding pad eyes with coach bolts fitted from underneath, through stainless backing plates. Much better to have the smooth domed head showing, rather than a nut. The forward davit eye I made differently. This is made using a u-bolt, and the exposed nuts on the underside of the keel were then buried in thickened epoxy, forming a protective bumper built up on top of the keel. The idea is that this will take groundings without exposing any wood. Finally, I added a lock for the oars. This can be used with a small padlock, or just to stow the oars when sailing to keep them out of the way and safe in case of capsize. It's an aluminium double hook design, and goes through a hole in the rowing seat, then through an aluminium angle bracket on the forward side of the nesting bulkhead. A bungee holds it down, allowing one-handed instant unlocking of the oars. Anyway I hope some of that is useful for anybody contemplating using a Spindrift as a daily tender.
    3 points
  19. Repairability is certainly a big advantage- and I'm hugely grateful to you for your help and advice at a time when most people were telling me to walk away. Incidentally, I've just been helping another cruiser attempt to repair his RIB. It's a Highfield, which are a top brand, made of Hypalon, which is the best available material, and has always been protected from UV by canvas chaps. It's only eight years old. Despite all of this, it is simply disintegrating at the seams. The repair did not work and I think the RIB is destined for scrap. My Spindrift cost about a fifth the price of that RIB and I expect it to last much, much longer...
    3 points
  20. Its finally Spring in Utah and time to move this boat out of the shop and onto a trailer. It has been on a building jig with casters, so moving it about is easy and I have chain hoists in the shop. Unfortunately, hoisting it high enough to get it on a trailer makes it too tall for the overhead door. We pulled it out of the shop on planks and then tackled the problem of hoisting it outside. To make a long story a little shorter, I considered and rejected all kinds of ideas before settling on a contraption I thought I had invented. After sketching it up, I recognized my creation and realized someone had already invented the Gantry crane. We've all seen them in industrial settings. I built one for each end of the boat out of wood. They only had to be high and wide enough to get the trailer under the boat. The boat isn't nearly finished yet, but once on the trailer, I couldn't resist taking her on a field trip. We spent quite a bit of time working on the waterline painting and I have been anxious to see how she will sit on her lines. I suppose its cheating, but I read that Sam Devlin does a private "Builder's Launch" before delivering boats to clients. I called my sneaky little trip to the water a "Float Test". It turns out she floats just fine. Now, back to work...some electrical, trimwork, rubrails, etc..
    3 points
  21. My fitness is definitely improved getting in and out of Skeena. We are making progress. Taping starts tonight.
    3 points
  22. Progress this weekend. I had to get a new plan of attack. Skeena proved to be built tougher than I thought and it was a combination of drill/fostner bit, multi-tool, chisel and hammer, knife, and trim router that let me progress this far. I'm obviously committed now. Not shown is that I'm almost past the demo phase and building the trunk extension. I'd kind of gotten out of the building phase for awhile, so my epoxy crystalized, my sandpaper selection was low, etc. The CB pin is more forward than the 17's, so I had to figure out a stiffening technique. I plan to stand on the centerboard when I'm done with Skeena laying on her side. If something breaks we'll start over. That's a lot of leverage on the trunk, but I think I have a plan that should make things solid. Stay tuned. I also decided to just make a new centerboard. I think it will be faster for me than to piece the old one. I make the original out of some nice Douglas fir posts I got at Lowes and yesterday I found an 8' tight grained beauty for 15 bucks that is more than enough to make the entire board.
    3 points
  23. @Murray this is my drawer............. It uses a simple U channel on each side, into which a square slide attached to either side of the drawer fits. I used teak for both piece and just oiled it to slide easily. The drawer has a small hole in each corner of the bottom to drain rain water when left outside. I added a toggle to hold it closed. In a capsize, it will stay above water, so good for cell phones, electronic car keys etc..
    3 points
  24. I am now in the phase of the build that really seems to be the slowest. I haven't had a lot of time to work on the dinghy, in the last few weeks, but when I have, a lot of my time has been spent sanding and fairing. I think I'm letting perfect be the enemy of progress now though, and honestly, this will be a working utility dinghy for us, it's not going to be a show boat. In any case, here's where things are as of today. I've added the bow-eye reinforcement, and drilled the hole for the painter. It is very slightly off-center, but that's ok. I used a block of cherry cut to fit the bow, epoxied it in place, and added 6 layers of glass tape tapering outward. I'll need to come back here later and add some thickened epoxy to clean up the tape lines/etc. For the rest of the interior, I spent a few days sanding everything thoroughly, and went around inspecting for defects. After a lot of consideration, I decided to use fairing compound to correct some of these. Again -- they wouldn't have been noticeable at any reasonable distance, but I couldn't help myself. Afterward I added one last coat of epoxy over everything. I think this is 3-4 coats in total, depending on the location, but I sanded pretty aggressively in the fairing process. I'm hoping this finish coat will only require an amount of sanding purely necessary to provide the mechanical adhesion for the paint. I also got most of the rigging hardware. This week I plan to paint if time/conditions allow. I should at least be able to get the primer on. Once the interior is painted, I'll separate the two halves and flip the boat over. I need to do a quick repair on one of the nesting bulkheads, and apply some epoxy to the strakes and keel, but otherwise the hull is ready for paint too.
    2 points
  25. When doing epoxy work in the summer (in RI), I would some times place the jugs of both parts in an ice water bath. I might have to wait a few minutes trying to mix them, till they thinned back out, but it would buy me a little time in the pot life.
    2 points
  26. I built a few small sailboats with a one piece rudder in a kick-up affair. It was very awkward to steer when kicked back part way.
    2 points
  27. One can't over state the importance of a dry fit. I will even try a dry clamping if I have any doubt about the actual procedure to see if it works before I slobber everything with epoxy and find out my idea doesn't go together well.
    2 points
  28. I ended up with 4 coats of graphite epoxy on the bottom of the Duckworks Scout I built last summer. (Sorry all, non-B&B product.) I was impressed with the way it held up to Door County Rocks and miscellaneous driveway scuffs. It certainly is better than scuffing through enamel and revealing primer or glass. I did some sanding with 320 between coats to get it smooth and glossy the way I wanted. I recommend it. But no studies.
    2 points
  29. While leaving things bright would be pretty, this is going to be a working dinghy. So the easier maintenance, the better. We also replaced the (old, leaky) teak deck on our boat with paint, so I guess we're just savages. Here's the first coat of Perfection. Second will go on soon:
    2 points
  30. I built birdsmouth masts for my Lapwing. They certainly add to the show boat effect, and it was very satisfying to complete them, but I would never use the word fun. Making the tapered staves and gluing all 8 of them together at the same time can only be described as tedious. Making them round was extremely satisfying. I find the word "fun" does not apply here.
    2 points
  31. So, I have measured my caledonia yawl and I would definitively have space for an 11-foot boat between the two mast steps. So far so good. However, I am still hesitating whether to go for an S-10 or an S-11. The S-10 would be lighter by about 20-25 lbs, but the S-11 would have about 4 1/2" more beam, which I would hope would be mostly in the cockpit width. Both are important to me. I can't make up my mind right now. Graham, I'll be in touch via the B&B contact site about the practical side of this. Cheers, Viktor
    2 points
  32. Don, You bring up one of the advantages of creating your own boat, you can fit it out to make it work the way you use it. I have a tricolor masthead navigation light on the main mast which works very well. To remove the mast from the boat I have to have a "weatherproof" plug near the base of the mast. These plugs become troublesome over time due the corrosive environment we operate in. I find that if I smother the terminals in dielectric grease and mount the plug under the foredeck out of the weather I get trouble free service so far. The plug has to be polarized which means that it can only go together one way. With the screen removed I can reach through the port and view the plug so that I can plug it in the right way. It is very awkward trying to plug it in reaching in blind kneeling on the foredeck.
    2 points
  33. Hi Viktor, We have done most of the modifications you want on different boats over the years. Here is a link to the "Kendrift 9" build log. She is a Spindrift 9 that we modified for Ken to be a lightweight tender for his OB26. Ken said that she weighed in at 66#. If you want the S10 or S11 modified so that it has the dual rowing station and offset dagger-board I would be happy to modify the plans.
    2 points
  34. Well its been a while and I have neglected posting any finish work shots, since the work is fairly boring in color. And pictures from phones are way to large and I don't know how to transfer them to here, which also are huge. But i have reached the point that I think I am within a week of finally getting the final coat of topcoat in it. Life has a way of altering the best laid plans. Fairing was not as easy as it used to be. Its been a while since I used a gorilla board to sand and fair and had really forgot about how much fun it was and excersize I got when getting up close and personal with the real warmth that wood gives you. . But the summer was a bit humid and gummy on the surface, which slowed the process too. So anyway, upon finishing a bit more high build primer in areas and sanding, then topcoat, she will see sunshine and the inside will see sunlight too after the flip.
    2 points
  35. Just finished a new double strip surfski. Interestingly the Swedish designer calls it a Spindrift 2. I have built a version of his Spindrift single and of course Graham’s Spindrift dinghy. I am on quite a Spindrift roll. Which brings me to the other part of this topic. I have been using TotalBoat Halcyon Waterbourne varnish for a couple of years. Incredibly easy to apply and has proven to be durable. Not as much gloss as traditional varnish but for me the ease of application is worth the tradeoff. I have put 5 coats on Rosie’s rails in one day. I just completed the new surfski and decided to try rolling and tipping the Halcyon on the hull and deck. I used foam ‘hot dog’ rollers and soon realized the finish was better without tipping. The Roller left a faint orange peel but acceptable. I was able to do 4 coats in one day and am calling it done for now. I did take out for it’s first spin before varnish. If the weather is good Luanne and I will do a longer paddle in it tomorrow. Nothing quite as much fun as messing about in a boat you just built. Ken
    2 points
  36. Hi, I'm David Jones owner of this Seaclipper 16. I live right next to a lake in Dallas TX in a Senior Living Center. Daily, I look out my window and see sailors in their boats enjoying the winds. As a sailor myself, in years gone by, I itched to be on the lake too. I wanted a trimaran for it's stability and quickness on a puff of wind, but no commercial entity caught my eye. So, why not build one. Don Silsbe was one of the people who answered my ad for a builder. He showed me builds of several of the boats he has built....needless to say, I was impressed! We corresponded back and forth over hundreds of emails and settled on this design as something he could build over the winter. My son-in-law also lives in NC and will bring the finished boat to me in Dallas. We have a contract for this project and the decision making on construction details and how the money is spent is all laid out. I feel very fortunate to have found Don to build this dream of mine, and as this will satisfy his "need to build" it is a win for both of us.
    2 points
  37. Getting nice speed sailing wing on wing in the Ablemarle Sound.
    2 points
  38. Looking good and bringing back memories. I did my tape like yours. I did slide my tape just a bit to reinforce the bolt holes, FWIW. I think that first pic is at the stern. I knife can clean that joint up quickly. You aren't getting any strength out of that gap. After you add your fill coats you can fair it if you are going to paint it. "Don't let perfection be the enemy of good". In the end, after you've used her, none of this will matter as long as she's solid. Take Care, Steve
    2 points
  39. I thought I would like to assure Graham, Alan and all CS sailors that the masthead float works as intended. That is, with 'Moby Turtle' the streamlined turtle ball in place atop the mizzen mast of my CS17 yesterday, there was no turtling, just a capsize. The masts lay flat on the surface. This was not planned, unfortunately, but I'm not up to relating the details yet. Nothing injured but my ego.
    2 points
  40. Steve, It sounds like a great challenge. The big unknown quantity is the weather, at that time of the year it can be excellent or horrendous. Your boat is at least 10% faster than mine which will increase your cushion. I like the idea of trailing the boat south to give you more time but it would be nice to save unrigging, loading the boat and then reverse it when you are all ready to sail off. The fact that you have a get out jail card with your friend to come and get you if time runs out, I think that I would just go for it. I presume that the friend is going to drive down and bring you home. I can recommend Amos as having the best pit stop on the coast. The 6 hp motor will be nice. I hope that you have some solar power. I would also want to have an autopilot.
    2 points
  41. Well I think you can do it easily. Dont listen to those guys. He said he had ppl who could get him if he comes up short so not really anything to lose trying. Also the 20 is faster than the 17. 30 miles is only 6hrs at 5kts. In any fresh breeze you'll be doing 6-7kts and could easily make the miles. You will have to cross your fingers for some northerly winds however. And plan on storms. There's always storm's in the bay. Shoot I'd do it.
    2 points
  42. I added coaming supports to my Ravenswood after I completed it and found that the plywood coaming flexed more than I liked when getting in and out of the boat. Since I couldn't lash them in, I glued them to the gunwales and lower layer of coaming with epoxy (see pic below). If I was building another boat, I would install lashable ones as shown in Vardo photo above.
    2 points
  43. On May 21, 2023, I will turn 80. I plan to do a celebratory cruise in my sailboat “Carlita” around the whole of the Pamlico Sound. A distance of 500 nautical miles (see my route). It has been just over 10 years since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I never expected to make it to 80, let alone still have the desire or feel fit enough to attempt this cruise. I believe that Rock Steady Boxing has played a big part in that. I thought it would be good to try to give something back. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause which means so much to me. Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact, beneficial fitness class for people with Parkinson’s Disease that helps with mobility, coordination, flexibility, and voice projection in an upbeat, positive atmosphere ...surrounded by energetic and fun coaches and volunteers. Check them out on youtube here. My idea is to use social media to promote my “Sailing for Parkinson’s” cruise to raise funds and pass it all on to the New Bern chapter of Rock Steady support group which is part of the Michael J Fox Parkinsons’ foundation. Parkinson’s has been around for a long time and the rate of new diagnoses is ever increasing. There is no cure and there have been no real breakthroughs in fifty years, just treating the symptoms. Specialized and regular hard exercise is about the best that we have right now to slow the progression. In 2021 I made a cruise circumnavigating the Delmarva Peninsula. Here is the link to the trip report from that cruise. I plan to do the same for this cruise. Here is the link!
    2 points
  44. Next step I'll resin the underside of the seats, fix them in and get out a flush trim bit to clean up the edges. Then - well to quote @hirlonde - a whole lot more; decks, mast steps, hatch covers, sanding, a wee bit more sanding, paint, but I think I can see a boat emerging...
    2 points
  45. Thanks for the update, I'm going to do this as well starting this summer (I can't have Skeena beating me upwind during the Messabout ).
    2 points
  46. Life and sometimes longevity is about mind over matter. For sure you have the ultimate attitude to manage your current issue. Making the most of what we have at each segment of our life should always be the goal of everyone too. You inspire that each and everyday. It was really nice to see you and catch up a bit over the weekend.
    2 points
  47. Murray- I wouldn’t worry about the hatch positions. I placed them according to plan and they have never been any kind of obstacle to being comfortable. I think you will find that the hinges are far enough away from the centerline of the boat that your butt will never notice them. I have had Lula out several times in the last 2 weeks and love the boat more every time I sail her. I would describe her performance as well behaved without being boring. I have not had her out in heavy winds, mostly 10-15 knots. She is responsive, well balanced and by no means overly tender. Took out my young friends (Excitement At The Launch Ramp) yesterday and had my best sail yet. I wanted them to have a better experience than our last trip together and I would say the mission was accomplished. Lovely beam reaches, a few controlled jibes and some some short tacking to weather. Pure fun. So, get those hatches done and get ready to enjoy the fruits of your labour! Sadly Lula will be stored away for the next 6 months as we are heading home to BC and leaving her in San Diego until we return next Winter. Can’t whine too much as Rosie is waiting for some fun trips in the Salish Sea. Oh, and starting “my last boat build”. A double surfski. Ken
    2 points
  48. I assume that you’ve both heard of the WCTSS? They cruise these waters regularly. I came down to FL this spring, just to hang out with them. They are a friendly and helpful bunch of sailors! Their website is wctss.net, plus they have a FB page. Here’s a calendar of events for this year. But they will also have some impromptu events as well.
    2 points

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