Fintan Murphy

Hi all, it's been a while, a long while, a very long while. As you probably remember, I got a promotion in work, and have been up the walls since. That was busy enough, but since we were also house hunting, I had no time for boats. , or browsing the net. :roll: We've been looking all over the county for the last two years, but have finally found a house 1.5 miles away. It's on a 1/4 acre of beautiful gardens, with .....wait for it....... a mooring at the end of the back garden. It backs onto a tidal estuary, that goes out to the harbour via Crosshaven and Drake's Pool (where Drake hid from the Spanish). It's a drying mooring, but who's complaining. I've posted pictures. I have finally bitten the bullet and bought an outboard (Honda 4Stroke 2.3HP) and motor mount. Now all I have to do is make and fit the tiller and we're back in the water. I'll have to figure out if I need bottom antifouling for a drying mooring. Today was a good day, we've a purchaser for our house, at

I'll chime in with my congratulations as well. It's a great moment to have, when you sit back and realise "Jeez - I made that!" You've now joined the small illustrious band of people who've buillt their own boats (or built anything for that matter )

I'll chime in with my congratulations as well. It's a great moment to have, when you sit back and realise "Jeez - I made that!" You've now joined the small illustrious band of people who've buillt their own boats (or built anything for that matter )

Welcome, methinks that boat may have an interesting name when finished

The same goes for me Frank. When I met yourself and Jan (and your daughters & son in law), Jan immediately struck me as a good soul. She has that way of making strangers feel at ease as only a good person can. Hope it's good news - she deserves it.

Jan, congratulations as well from this side of the water. Regarding letting out the main. This is probably the easiest way of getting you out of touble if a gust hits you. Think about it, the sails, particularly the main sail, are being pushed by the wind. they will pivot around the base of the mast, and thus the boat heels. This is the same force as a weathervane, except on the horizontal plane instead of the vertical. The keel is what stops the sails going right over in that it acts in the oppose direction to the push on the sails. Water, being far denser than air, means that a keel can be much smaller in area than the sails. Now, if a gust hits you, the sails get pushed over further, leaning the boat, (or turning it in a horizontal plane). So the way to counteract this is to let our the mainsheet, which lets out the mainsail so that it does not grab as much wind. The other method to effect the same thing is to turn the boat up into the wind. But the problem with this method is that you may head into the wind too much and then have to "fall off" the wind again to gain momentum. The other problem is that you may, being close hauled, turn to much and accidentally tack. Unlikely but possible. At least when you let out the main, the boat leans less, and when the gust is gone, you can bring in the main again and go on your merry way. Might I also suggest that it would be a good idea to go out with your brother and/or girlfriend a few times and have them explain what they are doing and why. This is a great way of picking up the art of sailing. Congratulations again

I'll chime in as well with the congratulations. It seems that a lot of these boats get built. All kudos to the Stevensons. (and of course to the builders)

I'll second Franks advice on the scratch test. That saved me one paint job. The Primer turned out to be OK, but the top coat came away from the primer. I changed topcoats. When I was clothing the hull I made up a sheeted epoxy piece on a spare piece of plywood. I then divided this in sections and applied various combinations of primer, undercoat, and topcoat and tested them all. Sure saved my ass!

Doug, I glued the whole boat together with epoxy, thickened with glue powder and fine sawdust. (from the sander collection bag) I didn't have a problem (yet ), and I think the mixture is thick enough that it doesn't run fully out of the joint. The bit that does run out can be used to cover the screwholes as you go.

I go a chance to reduce the image sizes etc. and wanted to show you this. There is a barrier across the launch site, to stop caravans etc. from setting up home there. When I arrived for the first time, we crawled under it with about 1mm to spare. I couldn't have built it any closer if I had tried. It was a pure fluke, I didn't know it was there before launching :shock: Another pound of air in the tyres and I would not have made it. http://www.messing-about.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=588&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500 Mark, I decided that the wooden trailer was too much hassle. I was having trouble finding the parts, springs axels etc. so I shelve the idea.

I go a chance to reduce the image sizes etc. and wanted to show you this. There is a barrier across the launch site, to stop caravans etc. from setting up home there. When I arrived for the first time, we crawled under it with about 1mm to spare. I couldn't have built it any closer if I had tried. It was a pure fluke, I didn't know it was there before launching :shock: Another pound of air in the tyres and I would not have made it. Mark, I decided that the wooden trailer was too much hassle. I was having trouble finding the parts, springs axels etc. so I shelved the idea.

Jake, it appears to me from reading between the lines that you have made up your mind and are just convincing yourself that it is the right decision. Nothing wrong with that, I do the same thing myself all the time. :roll: My 2c worth is that I would only take the other job if I was guaranteed my old job back after 6 months. And the only reason I would do it is if I felt I was going to go through a lot of "what ifs?" had I not taken it. It sounds like you are very happy in your present job, which is a rare enough thing, and that the other job contains the aspects that you personally regard as onerous (horrible commute and cut in pay). And as Stump said, 8 years is a long time....... And what does your lovely have to say?

Launched "Three Sheets to the Wind", a weekender on 7th August. Gotta run,

Whenever I see inventiveness like this,, I know there is hope for the world

Sorry Frank, it was actually Steve Downs's wife Jan that commented on the presence of palm trees on the south coast. When I commented about this to my brother (who knows about such things), he said that they were actually Cordylines. What you actually saw was probably a palm tree. It's not unusual to have some tropical plants around in various large gardens, due to the gulf stream.

Konradicallll :!: Would you believe it, I was just thinking (and singing) LRM (Little Red Monkey) coming into work in the car this morning. Good to hear from you brother. Hope all is well with the family, and sorry to hear that your boating adventures are curtailed. You're only using the drought as an excuse, it's old age isn't it! Go on, you can tell us :wink:

We have a tourist season over here, if that counts By the way, not to hyjack the thread, but Frank, Jan was amazed that we have palm trees here. I found out that they are in fact Cordylines and look very like palm trees. http://www.cordyline.org/cordy2.htm Honest, that's our story and we're sticking to it.

Cripes, just back from holidays and find this post It's good to know that there's a lot of work going on. I feel as if I'm a link in the chain of Stevensons boat builders, that's moving along a timeline from buying the lumber, to finished and sailing. I'ts a good feeling. I haven't sailed since the second time, as I was on holidays. Work is up the walls this week, but I will try and get a chance to go out for an afternoon next week. Since I am not allowed (yet - I'm working on it ) to sail on the weekends, this leaves me after work during the week. This can start at about 3pm, but the nights will start closing in soon. In November it starts getting dark about 5pm, so I'd better have a plan hatched for weekend sailing then.

I've had no problems tacking so far. The reason, as Mustangermatt explained, is that, whenever the wind is light, I backwind the jib. All this means is that, when you start the tack, leave the jib cleated untill just after the boat has passed through the wind. You will see the jib pushing the bow around. Once the bow passes through the wind, then uncleat the jib and sheet in on the new tack. Of course this only works if you have two jib sheets. One other trick I use, if I am caught in Irons, or have raised the main and need to move off, is to hold the main out in the direction I want to go. This will bring the boat off the wind like a weather vane. Once I am off the wind, I sheet in the main and away I go.

Beautiful Florin, and Barb looks much better in a bikini than any of thus three lads would.

Thanks Frank for that. I'll remember the heeling as I am still unsure of putting, and trailering, and launching, 20% extra weight on the boat. I'ts always an option for the future. I was thinking about getting photos for the rig. I was sorry I didn't have a camera with me on Tuesday, but I was slow to risk it yet. What I was going to do was ask Irene along on the text sail, and she can take a few pictures from the dock. This may not be for a few weeks as I am going on holidays today for two weeks, but I'll try to get back on the water as soon as I can.

Ok lads, I really have to get back to work now. But first..... We, myself and John, went for the second sail yesterday after work. Rule no 1. Do not rely on the weather forecast in Ireland. Forecast was for F4 rising to F6, with thunderstorms. Actual weather was F3 to F4, with clear blue skys. Abso-fecking-ly beautiful 8) We went down (the slip is 11 minutes from my doorstep ), put up the jib (furled) this time), and launched. As soon as we were off the slip, unfurled the jib, sailed out to clear the jetty, went head to wind, and raised the main. Then we were off! Absolutely perfect handling. Perfect sailing weather, and good company. We sailed past Cobh, originally Queenstown, where all the immigrant ships had departed, and then as things were going so well, decided to raise the staysail. Man that was a beautiful sight. I was afraid that it would induce lee helm, but it didn't. As I had not found the weather helm too bad to begin with, it didn't make a marked difference. But it did look great, and would probably make a difference in light airs. I also noticed the pounding in choppy seas (we had wind over tide). When John (moveable ballast) Walsh went forward to tighten up a halyard, it definitely lessened. I must investigate ballast in the forepeak further. We arrived back after about an hour, as the sun was going down. To come back to the slip, we came near it, furled the jib, went head to wind and doused the main. Then we went in under staysail only. This didn't produce enough forward momentum as we were crabbing towards the jetty. So we broke out a paddle and completed the last 25 feet under human power (it was easier than raising the main again). She is easy enough to paddle, and I am still convinced that I can forego the engine - in my circumstances! Up on the trailer, and home for fajitas and beer. We were out for an hour, but it had the effect of a days wind-down. :roll: I know people have said it before, but MAN was this all worth it :!: :!: