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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. This is the way Peter McCrary did the top of his mast. As he points out it makes nesting the mast sections doable. I copied his idea and it works well. Here are a couple of photos. This pulley arrangement is an alternative to a cheek block at the head of the smallest mast section — which would prevent “nesting” of that section into the middle section of the mast assembly.
    2 points
  25. This morning a 39kt wind was pushing all of the ice in the bay into our marina and making a lot of noise. Since it was raining, we started the day inside by planing the gunwales. Luckily the rain ended, and we were able to move the boat outside for sanding. First time this was possible, as the boat wouldn't fit out through the door in one piece. We rounded the gunwales and shaped the bow curvature. While we had the router out, we also opened the hole for the daggerboard. Back inside we added fiberglass tape to the outer seams of the nesting bulkheads. The boat is looking so much more together now with the gunwales in correct shape! I'll try to secure us a mast tonight. Fingers crossed.
    2 points
  26. Here's what I have now. (Instead of the full mizzen mast, I just had a piece of mast tubing stuck in for the canvas crew to work with.) In use, I'll run the mizzen sail up above this unit and tie the sail and sprit up with the halyard. Same for the main. This rear "tent" ties into the dodger I already have. The back end hangs down to the bottom and lands on the seats with no tie downs, enough to run rain down and off. It's stiff enough that I don't foresee any wind problems. The sides are snapped in. There are screens in the back, with canvas covers over, and the back flaps also roll up nicely for an open rear if desired. As I mentioned earlier, I gave up trying to keep the full cockpit dry. This gives me enough room to sleep and cook (if needed) on the platform made of the boards I put across the front footwells. Yes, there will be rainwater on the boat bottom below, but I will bail and pump it out when the time comes. Works for me, I guess. Harken Canvas did the work.
    2 points
  27. Thanks for including the photos! I think I made the same face when I started sawing too. It's been a little while since I've updated. I lost a week to COVID, work has been busy, and I've also been using my time work on Christmas gifts, and with such a small workshop, it's a huge hassle to re-arrange everything for other wood working projects, and back to boat work. In any case, I did manage to get a few things done. I've started glueing up the rudder pieces, filling holes with epoxy, making repairs from my clumsy sawing, and I glassed over the nesting bulkhead faces just to provide surface protection. I also started using a fast curing epoxy (TotalBoat), the slow curing one I was using is just not suitable for the cooler climate I am in. I still have some glass I laid up a month ago that is not fully cured (if I start sanding it it gums up the sand paper). Which doesn't surprise me since the garage is rarely above 60F this time of year. Here's the face that require the most significant repair: Glassed and peel-plyed: Tight working conditions: I also created a 3D CAD model of the dinghy to go along with the 3D model I created of our Westsail. Should be roughly to scale, and the main purpose was to let us experiment with where we want to stow the dinghy on the boat. I'm leaning towards under the boom, behind the mast.
    2 points
  28. I have had a EPropulsion Spirt 1.0 Plus for a few seasons. Mostly very pleased with it. The electrical plug caps are flimsy and don’t stay on (a very minor complaint). Occasional error message at start up but always ok after a second try. Other than that I love this motor. Super quiet. Really fun to cruise through an anchorage nearly silent. Tons of battery life. I have been using it on my Spindrift and Lapwing. Be sure to get a long enough shaft. It is the correct length for the Spindrift and too short for my Lapwing if there is any chop. The storage bags are worth getting.
    2 points
  29. 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
  30. Harbor Freight boxes of 36 worked well for me (good brushes were used for paint and varnish.) Once in a while I taped two brushes together by the handles for a “heftier” brush when working with epoxy. They cleaned up well in acetone for reuse. (I usually had three 4” covered jars; the first jar was discarded when the acetone got too “thick” and I’d start a new third jar with fresh acetone.) I could use the “disposable” brushes for some repeated use before discarding. Good ideas on using a vacuum and trimming the bristles. Yes, I have some bristles permanently in the epoxy of my boat.
    2 points
  31. If you have specific questions, take photos, and post them. There is no such thing as a stupid question on this forum. This rig is very familiar to most of us on this forum. Your biggest problem will be which person’s advice to choose!
    2 points
  32. The coaming support that I showed proudly in the post above failed a few weeks later. The epoxy didn't fail but it pulled off the surface layer of the wood of the gunwale and the coaming. Perhaps a message about hubris from the kayak gods. The 1st pic below shows the areas where the support pulled off. The 2nd pic shows the failed brace (left) and the new one designed to be lashed to the frame (right). The last pic shows the new brace lashed in place. I'll put the boat out on the lawn, see how the modification works, and report back.
    2 points
  33. 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
  34. @paul_stewart— Agreed! But some were shot at the equator. LOL
    2 points
  35. The resin on the transom yielded to the gentle persuasion of 80 grit, but it was astonishingly hard. Still it sanded off and now with some stain in place it will probably look OK when varnished. I guess also with the white paint going over onto the edge of the planks, a rudder and other things going on to distract the eye from small blemishes, it will look fine. Suddenly I am at the point where the list of tasks is becoming manageable; Carlin supports tomorrow, then carlins can go in, hatch covers, decks, then sanding for a few weeks... Then tipped over for final coats of hull paint, gunwales, rubbing strips, a rebuild of the rudder stock, oh then.... actually still quite a list...
    2 points
  36. He finally got a chance to take it out. Finished a bit late last yr and was too cold for him. He really liked it. He is 4 so still a bit small for it. He was learning how to paddle. Calling each stroke, weft, wight, weft, wight.
    2 points
  37. It's not the same as a test sail, of course, but here is what one member said comparing the CS-20 mk3 to his Sea Pearl: Things I miss on my SP: Quick rigging. I'm still working to make launch faster but I don't think my CS can ever be as quick as the SP rig. Infinite reefing. The sail shape suffered, but I loved how you could dial in as much neutral or weather helm as you wanted by how many turns. The tenderness. People that grew up in canoes like me love Sea Pearls. Other didn't. Looks....it's subjective, but the SP was a pretty boat. Light wind ability. I sail with a lot of traditional boats. On light air days the SP would really shine. The rear Bimini. Hot days in the shade are superior. I haven't figured a solution for Skeena.... Things I don't miss. The Lee-boards. Tacking a Cat Ketch with a centerboard is just sort of a non-event.....nice! The tenderness. many of my passengers were not canoeists.... The center tent. Sleeping aboard was tight for one. I took each kid independently and suffered for it. Anchor rode storage. bringing the rode on deck and having the water run the length of the deck....ugh! Length. With the engine mount it's a pretty long package. Lack of pointing. The CS points much better, especially when reefed.
    2 points
  38. Things are going slow, but last night I fit the board in and this weekend I will be gluing things together. The end is in sight. I am in a middle of a move to a temporary place with a lousy shop, so I am motivated to get this done. Rotate your head to the right. This is the housing for the uphaul. Here is the acrylic cover. And here is a test fit of the big board. When I built Skeena originally, I made the housing a bit wider as I hate stuck boards. I think I have a nice amount of clearance for things. Tomorow I'll start taping and I think with the heat I'll be able to close it up Sunday night. Monday at the latest.
    2 points
  39. thanks all! Managed to get the bottom and sides folded up in the middle of all the 4th of July festivities. I left the keel wires a little too loose and will have to crawl under to tighten but feels good to have something in the garage that at least looks like a boat ️ !!
    2 points
  40. Checking the masts are plumb athwartship. I'd say that's as close as I am going to get. IMG_2848.MOV
    2 points
  41. Nope, never, impossible, this is sacrilege! The WRC looks great.
    2 points
  42. Final fairing and awlgrip primer outside, ready for topcoat. We just finished final fairing inside and primer will go on as soon as the weather is right. Im finally getting close to having a boat and look forward to rigging and the big splash.
    2 points
  43. Murray- Lot’s of room for angst and creativity. She will be beautiful. I went round and round on what I wanted to do with my transom. Found a scrap piece of WRC and resawed it into 1/4” book matched panels and glued it on the existing transom. I like the result.
    2 points
  44. Looks like a great route. I am looking forward to following your progress. What a worthy cause to raise funds for. It checks a lot of boxes, self empowerment, community support, education, and awareness. Fair winds and not too many bugs.
    2 points
  45. Steve, I did not bother to build a new centerboard for Carlita. I just took off the lead tip and put in a faired spacer and triple glassed the two joints and called it good. That was at least 5 years ago now. I tested it thoroughly back then and I have given it a lot of abuse since.
    2 points
  46. @Don Silsbe I appreciate the cost concern. I even sought out used hardware. I will never compromise on main sheet lay out. It is vital to me to relax and enjoy myself as well as a safety issue IMO.
    2 points
  47. I had a chance to talk with an abrasives manufacturing engineer about 3M cubitron. It is a ceramic grit. It goes onto the paper as tiny cubes. Each exposed edge is a cutting edge. As it is used the cube breaks along micro fracture lines and a particle breaks off. The newly exposed edges of the break form new sharp cutting edges. Cubitron is sometimes referred to as self-sharpening. The sandpaper will remain sharp as long as there is grit on the paper. In contrast, aluminum oxide, the most common grit, will wear smooth and lose its bite even while there is grit remaining. Cubitron requires pressure to fracture the ceramic grit and renew the edge. It is for power sanding only, not hand sanding. A random orbital sander works fine. I asked about non-clogging paper. Most sandpaper advertised as non-clogging is "open coat" sandpaper where as much as 50% of the paper is not covered with grit. The spaces between the particles shed the residue. Some non-clogging papers have two layers of grit. The base layer is closed coat, completely covered, and the second is open coat and designed to wear off as it becomes clogged. I asked about epoxy. The clogging problem, as we know, is from not letting it cure. If the paper clogs with epoxy it is actually buffing the surface, not abrading it. "If there is no dust you are not sanding." Finally I asked about which sandpaper to use. The answer was that for the home project just experiment and see what works best. Industrial users know how many board feet they are sanding per minute and how many total board feet they get per belt. The differences between grit, adhesive, backing and cost become apparent. The home woodworker isn't fine tuned like that.
    2 points

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