Steve Day

I have been working with a rudder on the Diva 2 trying to get the pedals to work for my very long legs in a rather short cockpit. As originally installed, I could not get my feet on the pedals because I couldn't get my knees up through the deck. I have been working with pedal extensions to move the actual part that my foot rests on toward the forward bulkhead and center line of the cockpit. I finally have the configuration and now am working on strength to transmit the loads to the rudder system. With all that being said, the rudder has been working intermittently due to the current pedal configuration breaking sometime during each paddle. The Diva 2 tracks very well. She rides like she is on rails, but that makes her a little difficult to turn in narrow confines using paddles and no rudder. When the rudder is working and in the water, I am able to turn and point the boat very well with very few sweep paddles. When the rudder is not working or out of the water, I have to use a lot of sweep paddles to make turns. I like the rudder and am glad that I put it on the boat. Once I get the pedals configured correctly (my problem), I'm sure that I will paddle most of the time with the rudder out of the water and only put it in when I am turning and/or working across open water with a cross wind/current. Personally, I believe the rudder is preferable to the skeg. I don't think the Diva/Diva 2 design needs to have a skeg, if my Diva 2 is any indication. Having fun with the Diva 2, Steve

Mike, I well remember that little bay. I used to live in Jensen Beach and Stuart and have spent many afternoons in Herman's Bay in the canoe and other boats. Good job on the boat! The little problems that you had were not a lot different than others that started out not knowing how to sail and the forces involved in sailing. My advice is to get out and enjoy that boat. The more you do it, the better you'll get. Good luck with the boat. It was also interesting to see the australian pine trees that were blown down by the recent hurricanes. I was wondering what the old place looked like now. Thanks for the photos of the area. Steve

Frank, Just like everything else in the computer business, things are accelerating. I hope the interval between upgrades does not get shorter, but the possibility always exists. I have to echo what has already been said. You do a great job, Frank. We really appreciate it. I'm afraid we don't thank you enough. Steve

Glad to see that Ben and Sam are working with you on the Spindrift. I expect they are getting to be quite the young men now. I think it has been at least two seasons since you guys built "Dragon." Has it been that long? This boat will be quite different from that one in many ways. I think y'all will like this one a lot. Give us some photos when you get far enough along to take some. Steve

Tom, That's lookin' mighty sweet! Keep up the good work. Steve

My Diva 2 is the third one to be started and, I think, the second to be completed. Graham and I have been working together on this project to some extent and I like to think of it as a "production prototype" of sorts. My boat is a two-place with two separate and distinct cockpits. It is 18'-6" long. The plans actually call for something a bit shorter than that, but I took advantage of the longer sections of plywood available in the metric size and used the whole length, rather than cutting it off at the 8' length generally available in the US. It is somewhere around 6" longer than the plans call for. We've had the boat out three times now and keep getting very positive comments on how she looks and paddles. We seem to have no trouble staying with any of the production kayaks with what appears to be less effort on our part (love that long waterline! ;D). I'm sure that will come to an end when we kayak with more veteran paddlers, but it is nice while it lasts. I am thinking that Graham would be willing to sell plans to the Diva2, if asked. He may have plans to make the plans available through the web site soon, but he will be the best person to ask about that. Here are a couple of shots taken yesterday on a local river/bay. If you have any further questions, please drop a note. Steve

Charlie, That comment about the rear mounted air intake and filter was a jewell! ROFLMAO!! That one comment made it worth my while coming on the forum tonight. All kidding aside, any idea where a guy might get one of those?? I use a respirator all of the time, but is not a full-face type and my eyes don't need the exposure to the dust. Thanks, Steve

Doug, I used the Interlux Epoxy Barrier Coat for the primer and an Interlux two-part urethane paint. I don't specifically remember "perfection," it could have been a predecessor to that paint. The price is about the same. It was NOT Brightsides. I really didn't notice whether the West Marine Seagloss came in any other colors, because white was what I was looking for. We may take the kayak out again today. Weather is good and the wind is right. Steve

As I went into the transplant surgery in May, I decided to grow the beard again. I had one for 25 years and went clean shaven for about 5 years. Now that I am retired, I can look like a sea captain, so why not? I guess I'll have to update the Avitar to show what I look like now. Steve

OK guys, Here they are! We took her up to the local boat ramp and put her in the water. Gina got a couple of shots of me playing with the boat before she climbed aboard for the initial cruise. We went about a half-mile up the Apalachee River just to try the boat out and see how it works in close to 1' seas. The boat performs very well and the only water we took on board was drips from the paddles as we got used to them. The boat is really cool and she looks quite good on the water, if I do say so myself. 8) 8) More to come as we check her out in the next week or two. Steve

Well, I got the boat finished on Friday. Took her out on the lawn and sat in her for the first time. She feels pretty good. We are going to try to get her over to the water this afternoon when it cools off a bit to get her wet. We are really looking forward to this. Here are a couple of shots of her on the lawn and on the truck. Steve

Scott, That look like a lot of work, but it should prove to be fun. Those mahogany boats are just cool looking. That and a Spindrift 12 will keep you busy. Steve

That is a great looking boat! Hope she hits the water soon. Hey this is post # 500 for me! How about that! Steve

Tom, That is going to be a pretty little boat! I am anxious to see real laps on there instead of the strips. Keep on with it. There are a lot of guys that want to see her ultimate shape. Steve

Tom, Amazing how us old Scouters end up building boats. The boat is looking great! Now I understand about the paint questions. Ultimately, it is your decision regarding how much work and money you want to put into your boat, finish included. You have to make yourself happy with the results. So far, you are looking good. Keep up the good work. Steve

I have used an Interlux two-part urethane on the Spindrift and Rustoleum on the Garvey I built last year (talk about opposite ends of the spectrum). This time I decided to go with West Marine's "SeaGloss Pro Polyurethane Top Side Paint" and it's primer. The primer was rolled on with a 4" foam roller and it did not need any "tipping" with a brush. The color coat was rolled with the 4" roller and tipped with a 2 1/2" brush. Here are a couple of pictures taken this evening after the second coat of the finish paint. I tried to get some of the reflections in from the lights in the garage to show the gloss that was achieved with this paint. I have to say that this is a pretty good finish. The paint retails for right at $30 per quart. A lot more than the Rustoleum, but a lot less than the Interlux. It may be a bit early, but I am very happy with this paint. These shots were taken a few minutes ago. Steve

Thanks for the affirmation. I'm so close to the action, I lose my perspective sometimes. ??? Yes, Tom, I did. I used 3.25 ounce fiberglass cloth. That was the first time I had used such a light cloth and it was interesting. It was a lot easier to get this stuff to conform than the heavier cloth. ;D I did use heavier 9 oz tape on the forward and aft "keel" near the bow and stern to provide a little more protection for the hull when grounding the boat. I also used the light cloth on the inside of the cockpits for abrasion resistance. I'm not sure that was necessary, but I feel it will last a bit longer with the cloth in there. Here are three shots of the boat in primer this morning. I have one color coat (white) on her now. Looks pretty good, IMHO. Steve

Hello Everyone, Well, I've been working quietly on Diva2 lately and made a bit of progress. The cockpit interiors are painted and the seats are made and ready to install. The seat backs are ready to install. I have the kayak on its back almost ready to paint. I expect I will be painting primer either tomorrow or Saturday on the hull. The paddles are both complete and ready to use, so we're almost ready. Here are a couple of shots of the boat as it sits this evening. Steve

Hi Guys, I'm moving right along on the Diva 2. Got the mid-deck on yesterday and started the lay-up of the cockpit coamings today. I also worked on the final fit of the fore and aft hatches today. To fill in the time, I started to sand the deck for final finish between the other work. As you can see, she's beginning to look like a kayak! I amaze myself sometimes when my boats come together. Steve

Hello All, Another post to give you an idea of where I am in the Diva 2 build. I have the rudder pedals in place and the wire fairleads in place and will install the rudder when I turn the boat around in the garage in the next couple of days. The forward hatch is glued together and I will be trimming and fairing the hatch tomorrow. The forward and aft hatch coamings are complete and faired in. I just started the lay-up of the aft hatch today and will be continuing that assembly over the next day or so. While I was waiting for the hatch lay-ups to cure, I started the paddles. I was able to get them both assembled and am now working on applying the epoxy to get ready for varnish. In my quest for the right wood for the shafts, I was able to get Aspen for one of them. When I went back to get the wood for the second one, there was not any Aspen in the correct size, so I got Poplar. It is hard to tell which one of them is lighter. They both are lighter than the "production" aluminum and plastic paddles for sale at West Marine and other places. I'm very happy with these paddles and am impatiently awaiting my first opportunity to use them. Here are a few pictures of the boat taken this afternoon. Take note of my "high tech" clamp for the forward hatch final lay-up. I couldn't use the "hole" any more and had to think a moment or two to get this rig. Steve

Hey Guys! A little progress in the last couple of days. A lot of the work doesn't show in pictures, but it does when the fore deck is mounted. Here are a couple of shots of that and one of the rudder pedals in place. It's a lot easier to put them in before I put the intermediate deck on the boat. 8) It's still hot and I can only make about two hours in the shop without getting into the air conditioning. Went over to the USS Alabama to put the deposit down for the Scout Troop overnighter on Aug 31. That should be a hoot for an old Navy guy. Steve

I use just a tad less silica than Ray, then mix in the phenolic microspheres. However, it's like PAR says. Each different user and differing conditions will determine the amounts of silica and microspheres. Whatever works for you. ;D Steve

The heat hasn't been too much of a problem yet. If it gets troublesome, I'll just move the epoxy into the air conditioning in the house. That is the same thing I do in the winter here to keep the epoxy warm when the temperatures get into the 50's. Keep cool, Steve

It's warm enough here right now that the batch is one squirt of the Raka epoxy and one-half squirt of the SLOW hardener are all that I can use. If I am mixing it up as a filler, it is warm before I can get it mixed and hot by the time that I get it on the boat. Fortunately, the reaction slows down once I get it spread out a little so that I can get it smoothed out before it goes off. It has been close to 100 degrees here for the last several days and it is unbearable until the sea breeze starts in the late morning or early afternoon. Not too bad after that. Steve

Hey Gang, I was able to get a little done on the kayak since my last posting. We are suffering through a heat wave down here and I have been hanging in the garage when I can working on the boat. On thing, the epoxy cures rather quickly. The watch word around here now is SMALL BATCHES! ;D Here are a couple of shots of the kayak taken this evening. I have the backing plates for the rudder pedals in place and the forward cockpit finish filled and sanded. Also the aft deck is glued in place. I believe it's starting to look like a kayak. Steve