Dave Ruedel

May 4th in Kentucky, and we have had frost the last three mornings!! It is supposed to warm up, otherwise the horses will be running in snow shows for the Kentucky Derby.

Arrgh! The plan crutch for the weekender is in figure #25. The dimension for the chain plates is in figure #24. If you are going to do actual deadeyes and not turnbuckles, the plans are on the Stevenson website. Go to "other stevenson pages", then to "free plans", then "deadeyes" Hope that helps a bit. Don't have my old PC plans handy, so I can't help you there. Actually recommend making a bigger boom crutch. Did the original, and it had a habit of slipping at the wrong moment. This is what I am using now, made from the left over from cutting the cabin beam.

I remember reading this account in a Reader's Digest, believe it was in the "all in a day's work" section, probably 15 or 20 years ago, possibly longer. Can't comment if it is true or not, but considering some of the things I have seen go on at construction sites, it is certainly plausable.

There are always things that chnge plans. When I laid the keel of my vacationer in Nov of 2001, the plans were for a launch in early summer 2002. It finally hit the water in June 2003. The big thing is to just do something on it whenever you have the time. Eventually it gets done. Welcom aboard.

Actually, I'm a "damn" Yankee - originally from Connecticut, who moved to Dixie, be it the northern part, and decided I liked it here, and stayed. Down here they just don't get big snows often enough to deal with it. Across the river one town started with 28 snow removal vehicles, and are now down to 4 due to wrecking them, or getting them stuck. They just can't drive in this stuff. Usually it will warm up and melt in a day or two, but that doesn't happen when you have a foot or more, and the temp heads down below zero. We may finally see it go above freezing today. I can only imagine what Houston was like Christmas - they can't even drive on dry roads down there. Glad I don't have any jobs down there til next month. Anyhow, they are supposed to have the main roads finally open, so I am heading to a job west of here in Owensboro today to see if it is true. The flip side is, no place as pretty as Kentucky the rest of the year, except possibly NC, plus they have the ocean, too. 35 years away from the ocean now, and I still miss it. But I do enjoy our normally mild winters here, and the lakes and the Ohio make for good sailing. Lots of lakes, plus that long river. We actually have more shoreline here than any state but Alaska, so plenty of coves to explore and overnight in, and we probably won't see another snow this bad for 6 or 8 years.

Yes, we are. I was working down in Evansville, Ind yesterday, and we had a foot of snow there by noon, when I left. They were expecting another 12 to 18 inches last night. The 140 mile drive home took me 5 hrs, the last part in freezing rain and sleet coming into Louisville, which only had about 2 inches of actual snow on the ground. This morning woke up to about 6 or 7 inches of new white on the patio and drive. Streets here are iced with snow on top, 18 degrees, so salt doesn't work well. Expect to go below zero tonight, high tomorrow only supposed to be 12. Don't think this one got into Georgia - Indiana really took the hit. Just glad I left when I did, or I probably would have been spending Christmas in a motel. Anyhow, home safe and warm, with lots of coffee, cookies, and rum, if it really gets bad. (I know, what is someone in Bourban Land doing with rum - it makes better toddies ). Thanks for the white Christmas! And a very merry Christmas to all.

All good advice. Cut the keel, sole, and bulkheads as close to the plans as possible, also the deck. After that, you will find little deviations from the plans, probably not much, but enough you actually want to measure on the boat itself. You can always make a part smaller, but it is murder trying to stretch them bigger. good luck, and have fun building!

There was a server problem at BYYB. Happily, it is ironed out now, and back up.

Can't get down there Thursday, unfortunately. Will be going down to a craftshow there this weekend. That new trailer parts, Archery shop and boat storage on 61 near the park entrance are my inlaws.

Things are pretty quiet all over. Just covered the boat for the winter - only got to take it out 4 times this year. Never did get to hook up with you this past season. BTW, I was one of the ones actually lucky enough to actually get a set of sails from that ex-sailmaker. Not much happening over on the other forum, either. I know there is a completed weekender now out in Mt Washington, and another starting here in town, so maybe things will pick up again. Booger would look real cool in the side car if you could get one of those old WWI leather pilot's caps and googles on him, not that he doesn't look cool already.

I've burned up a few sanders and a craftsman drill along the way, but somehow my old (and much maligned) B&D circular saw has made it through a PC, a two car garage, a house addition, a vacationer, and numerous projects. My also much maligned B&D 14. volt drill has probably installed upwards of 10,000 screws, and drilled an equal number of holes, and is still going, though the batteries are finally starting to go dead faster now, and will have to be replaced. I know the Makita and Ryobi people make odd faces when I pull them out, but they have served me well.

I used a mildew resistant primer on the interior, then exterior semigloss latex. I glassed the cockpit, but only painted inside the storage areas. We do use the cabin area quite a bit, so we will probably repaint inside again in a few years. No extensive checking over 3 years now on the inside.

Don't hard cleat off the main. I have cam cleats I use on the sheet line, but still keep the line in hand for a quick release to spill air in case of a sudden gust. Tying the sheet off will result in swimming exercises sooner or later - usually sooner.

Hang in there, we are all pulling for you. I went through a bunch of them in Conn. back in the 50's and 60's, including 2 in a week one year, 16 days with no power, a big hickory tree on the house, and a two-man hand saw to remove it. (the "good" old days - give me a Husquvarna any time.) Left Lake Charles yesterday morning in heavy rain from Ivan, and be darned if what is still left is not up here in the Ohio valley today! Passed a lot of power company trucks from Indiana on their way home yesterday. Hope they don't have to turn around Monday and go back down there. My in-laws are down in Orlando for a wedding Sunday, and it looks like they are probably going to see Jeanne first hand.

Remember, just like with bears, you shouldn't eat the liver of a dog - too much vitamen A. Will cause janudice. Buffalo steaks and burgers now available at Tumbleweek restaurants and I believe, Texas roadhouse. Very tasty, and low in cholestoral. "If God had not intended us to eat animals, he would not have made them out of meat." Anoyn.

Can't say for the Weekender, But the Pocket Cruiser was in the Feb '83 issue of PS, page 88, and also says less than $800 to build. Yes, I still have the magazine, and it was what got me started in this madness, first with a PC back in 84, and now with the Vacationer sitting in the drive. (My wife said the next boat would have to be big enough to have bunks.)

Here in Kentucky we have 3 different segments of deer season - bow & arrow, muzzle loaders, and regular firearms. Also seasons for turkey, ducks, and doves. Elk is a short season, and you have to apply to hunt, and they draw names from a lottery - not too many elk, but increasing. Everyting else from squirrels, rabbits, etc to PWC's can be hunted year round. I'll put in a plug for my nephew who owns Crazy Horse Archery and Tackle down in Taylor County, Ky.

You're lucky! My daughter has already finished her first week.

Another thing I did on my vacationer was to put another block on the gaff for the gaff lift line, which makes it a lot easier hoisting. I also made a new set of jaws with a roller in them. The combination of the two has made it much easier to get the gaff up all the way and keep it tight.

Got caught last year in a thunderstorm that came up out of nowhere - sunny one minute with light wind, dark, lightning, strong winds, and buckets of rain the next. Wife and crew warm and dry in the cabin while the nut at the helm is fighting 30 knot gusts and trying to keep away from the cliffs on the side of the lake, not that I could have seen them in 100 ft visability, the way it was raining, and all the time having visions of the mast looking like a burned-out match in the cartoons, and me blackened. Happily, it was over as fast as it appeared, leaving about 3 inches of water in the cockpit, a very wet skipper, and a dry crew. Prefer not to be in the boat when it is lightening, but sometimes you don't have a choice. And no, the weather guy with all his satelites, radar, computers, etc hadn't predicted it, unless you consider the CYA just in case "10% chance of rain" a prediction.

Congratulations! That first sail is always fantastic. Switching from the pvc to shower curtain hooks is what I did on my old pocket cruiser for the jib years ago. thanks for bringing back the memories! Fiar winds and good sailing!!

I open the eyebolts by clamping them in a vise, then opening them by tapping with a cold chisel, gradually opening them just wide enough to get the block through. I then put the eye itself in the vise and slowly close it back up. I can honestly say I have never broken one (probably will the next time I do it, after having said that) this way. Having the pulley in the eyes will give you quite a bit more clearance. Also check that the luff of the jib is not too long. An inch or so shorter may give you the clearance you need. Glad the launch went successfully, sounds like only a few minor problems, and heck, that is what is all about. They don't call 'em shake-down cruises for nothing. Congratulations!

Way to gol Can't wait to hear how the maiden went.

Fantastic! Boat looks great, and so does crew. Always nice to see a new boat hit the water.

Yep, that's the one. Bought that 12 x 25 foot tarp, under 25 bucks including shipping, Covered the whole boat with no trouble. Bought a few things from them over the last couple of years, enjoy doing business with them. Wish they weren't a thousand miles away, but hey, I'm about a hundred and fifty from the nearest West Marine, too. There are no serious marine stores anywhere near here, and Hamilton seems to be a serious marine store, but real easy to do business with.