Steve Day

I suppose I ought to explain the quote at the end of my notes. My father-in-law was John Bulkeley. He was rather famous around the Pentagon for that quote. When he was President of the US Navy Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), he would include that quote on his letters to the "brass" telling them just how their ships fared in the latest INSURV inspection. He did not gloss anything over, and he was instrumental in improving the condition and design of the Navy's modern ships. That quote honors his memory. BTW, if you hang around Norfolk, you might see DDG-84, the USS Bulkeley, which was named in his honor. Steve

I cropped the photos to cut down on the size. These give you two quick looks at the boat as she sat last night when I left the shop. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Well, I couldn't put it off any more. I managed to get the boat 3D tonight. It's quite a process, but I now have the hang of the it. It's really quite easy compared to other boatbuilding methods. I got the bottom stitched together and the sides are stitched almost back to the nesting bulkheads. We'll try to get the remainder of the stitching done tomorrow evening. I tried to attach a couple of pictures, but they are too big for this site. I'll try to get them out there tomorrow. :cry:

Scott, The Hartly was a great boat! I'll have to dig around in the old photos to see if I can find some pictures of it. I'm sure I have some. After my experience with it and how the Belhaven appears to me, I would say you have the better deal as far as construction goes. The Hartly was a standard sloop design and sailed quite well. One of the things I enjoyed most in the Stuart, Florida area was the ability to pull the centerboard and rudder up and sail out on the sand flats near the inlet. I could sail quite well in 8 to 10 inches of water with just a little board out. It was a great way to get to the good clams! A fair amount of leeway, but managable. With the board down, she pointed quite well and was well balanced. I am being converted to the cat ketch concept and think you will have the better sailing boat when it is complete. Much easier set up at the boat ramp, too. Alas, I had to move 50 miles away from the good sailing water to a job that took too much of my time and ended up donating the boat to the Chapman School of Sailing in Stuart. I don't know what its ultimate fate was. I am getting the final shapes on the bottom and side pieces for the Spindrift and am preparing to cut out the bulkheads and doublers this weekend. I am hoping to be ready to "go 3D" either this weeekend or next. Pictures will be forthcoming when I have something worthwhile to show.

Scott, I have to ask, since I am relatively new to the site. Is this the first Belhaven, or just the first one documented so well? It appears you are doing a very nice job, and I enjoy seeing your progress. I built a Hartley "Trailer Sailor" about 26 years ago which is constructed using a jig, frames and planking. I think I would have been better off if I had this type of construction available to me (or had known about it). My spindrift is coming along as I am cutting side and bottom panels in preparation to "going 3D." Steve

This is the first time I have seen the cat ketch in such a large boat, and that certainly piqued my interest a bit. The other thing is to see a boat that large with free standing masts. I'm sure I've never heard of that. I am relatively new to the concept of the cat ketch, so these boats caught my eye. Right now, I'm just happy working on my Spindrift 10N. 8) Steve

Anybody see the 65' Cat Ketch rig in the October "Sailing" magazine? Seems Tom Wylie has built a rather large testimonial to the simplicity of the cat ketch rig. The article is on page 21. Grahame, I would be interested in your comments on that. Steve

That might even be better. You threw me off when you wrote about building the centerboard. I thought you were further along. We can now work our way through our projects at about the same time. I look forward to corresponding more as we get into our projects. Steve 8)

This is for Frank Hagen. I wasn't aware that you were building a Spindrift. It appears you are far enough along to answer questions when I get stumped on something. I now have plywood and epoxy in the workshop, so I'm pretty close to starting the boat. I'm looking forward to a lot of fun in the next few months. Steve

Brent, You have a fine looking boat there. You will enjoy the fall sailing "shaking her down." Wish I was able to do that, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. Just found out my wood is at the freight terminal. Steve

Rob, Great job! It appears you have done a fine job with the boat. I am at the very beginning of mine and, of course, wish that I was as close to the finish as you are. I know you will enjoy her in the coming warm season down there. Steve

Well, as the subject implies. I am now awaiting the delivery of the Okume plywood and the epoxy for my Spindrift. I decided to go with the more expensive plywood because of the weight and "workability." All of the stuff should be here by the end of the week. Thanks for the opinions. Steve

I hear you all. Thanks for helping me make the choice. I had a correspondence with Noah's today and the difference in price is only about $65. That might be a rather small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. The weight is an issue, since the dinghy will be hoisted onto the deck of our 40 footer from time-to-time. The "workability" of the material is a bigger issue for me. I thank all of you for responding so quickly. 8)

Well, I have spent the last few hours trying to get some sort of definitive answer to my question on previous posts. What I have found is a lot of discussion of the merits of Okume BS1088 vs. marine grade fir and exterior grade plywood and even blue foam, but I don't recall any discussion about Meranti. What I have gotten off Noah's site, and others, is that there doesn't seem to be any clear (to me) distinction between the two. Am I missing something :?: I have decided to use BS1088 plywood and am working on pricing and delivery to York with a couple of vendors. You should see the reaction around these parts when I talk to the locals about marine grade plywood. I don't think a person could get any further from the ocean in the continental US. I am just to the point of ordering, so now is the time to change, if it is necessary. :? Thanks, Steve