Ken_Potts
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Posts posted by Ken_Potts
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Back in 2000 I started (but unfortunately didn't finish) building a hull from a Parker design - The Cedar Key 22. While I was working on it I fired off an email to Parker asking a question (I don't remember what the question was but I offered to pay for the answer because it seemed like he'd have to burn some time on it). I never heard from him but since I only made one attempt to contact him I can't really fault him (maybe he didn't receive it).
Parker's boats sure are pretty, though.
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I love the stuff I'm learning from you guys about "leftovers" and shortages. Recently I was getting ready to cut a piece of wood for the thwart seat/mizzen partner for my CS17. I saw that I had no 1x12 lumber laying around so I built up a seat out of "leftover" ash and walnut (the walnut was originally supposed to be part of a built-up banjo neck). The resulting striped seat looks like I planned it to be striped - And I'll probably come up with some story about complementary stresses and color balance and design intent (blah, blah, blah) to impress bystanders.
Bob, I know everybody says this but I really enjoy reviewing your educational posts (and I enjoy the pretty boats that are the subject of them).
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Aw, Bob - That hurts. I hope the clean-up goes easily.
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Um... Isn't that the FRENCH flag?!?
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The aerial photo is great! Absolutely beautiful boat ya got there. I'm looking forward to hearing about (and seeing pics of?) the boat surrounded by water instead of grass. Great job.
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I'm not convinced that this is a creation (although I'm perfectly prepared to be wrong).
The cut out looking stuff might be the result of data compression - Regions of pixels that are almost the same color are converted to the same color but regions where the colors differ radically aren't changed as much. Look at the way the horizontal and vertical lines of the barge line up - It would be quite difficult to come aross a house picture taken fron the right angle to match the barge picture. The lighting of the house and the barge look good to me too. I would also think that a doctored photo would come with a good story.
Like I say, I'm prepared to be wrong about the picture being real but I'm going to choose to believe it is real because it's just too cool - And I don't even like the architecture.
I poked around the the web and found a bunch of houses being moved on barges but none that were built on barges.
One day that might be me...
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I ran across this photo and thought I'd share the joy. I wish I knew who built it. I want one too.
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McMaster-Carr sells UHMW. Go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ and search for "UHMW". They aren't usually the cheapest source for stuff but if you can't find it anywhere else...
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I guess I'll chime in too - I've had my share of those opaque bubbles and I either cut them out then fill them or re-tape them depending on the size of the void. I've thought about doing the syringe thing but I haven't tried it because:
1. I'm not sure I'd be able to get rid of all the air and
2. If I didn't get rid of the void I'd just end up cutting and filling anyway.
If the areas aren't big it's not too much of a hardship to cut the glass away and fill it - Just put on some good music and spend the afternoon in the shop 8)
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You can always tell her that the photos are doctored and the story is a lie...
Or you could say "Sure they built the boat fast, but it cost em $14,000 to do it and it sank right after they took the picture."
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Thanks for the thumbs-up, Oyster.
I should probably clarify that the 20 hours to build it was for two people - 40 man-hours. And I didn't include time spent painting because painting is such a pleasant pastime... :wink:
This weekend we tried the boat out under power. The weather was interesting - The weather folks said that the wind here yesterday was 30 MPH gusting to over 40. We were out in the largest waves I've seen on Jordan Lake (not very large) and we managed quite well.
I can't wait to get to Ocracoke next week!
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Do you have a photo of the oars stowed in the boat?
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How about a Flicka? They're heavy and small with standing headroom aren't they? I can't remember how shallow they get, though.
Or if you're looking for something cheaper and maybe homebuilt have you seen www.microcruising.com? There's good information on living aboard very small boats there. Look at the links too.
Are you looking to stay in protected waters with the occasional mad dash across open water? If you're only doing short hops you might be able to relax the "heavy" requirement to allow for shoal draft.
Bear in mind that I'm speaking from theory, not experience.
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Sometime this week we'll be finishing a boat that was started March 12.
My friend wanted a quick-to-build/cheap boat that would get us fishing by April. We have 20 hours invested in the project so far and we need to log about 15 minutes more on a belt sander before caulking/painting. We're hoping to get the boat wet this weekend.
How's that for a speed-build?
Down here in the Piedmont of North Carolina it's starting to look like spring. I have great respect for those boaters in high-latitudes. I don't know how you guys do it. Of course the skiing is probably better a bit North of here...
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My friend and I decided to go ahead with a quick-build of my design. It resembles the Elegant Punt a bit but the design started with a jon-boat shape and sort of evolved towards a doryish thing before we started to build.
Thanks for all the good suggestions. I'm going to post a pic or two in the main forum (the boat is nearly finished).
And Ray - I advocated marine ply but my friend (the boat's owner) didn't want to go to the extra expense/bother/time of buying it. we used cheap stuff and there is a photograph of the exact moment that Mike decided he would rather have used marine ply
(see the post in the main forum for the picture) -
Since this seems to be a thread for experimenters...
I think I'll admit now that I've been having good results with plastic sheet to keep a (relatively) smooth surface. I wet out the glass and then lay the plastic over it and roll out the bubbles (so many bubbles) with a very narrow roller (1 inch wide). It's somewhere between infuriating and hypnotic chasing the bubbles out but it can be done. My glassing skills are not very developed so the result I get with the plastic is better than the result I get without it.
The reason I mention it is that I've seen a few posts in this thread that mention the terrors of vertical surfaces. A layer of glass with plastic rolled on well seems to keep my runs to a minimum.
I've had success using thin 3-mil plastic drop "cloths" which creates little wrinkles which need to be faired and I've also had good results from 10-mil vinyl from Wal-Mart that leaves shallow waves that need to be sanded out. I hope you will notice that I don't get a perfect finish with either material - There is still fairing to be done. This technique is not my invention - Actually I read about it on this board a while back. I think the only reason I get what I consider to be good results from it is that when I don't use it the results range from bad to scary bad
It will not work well for a compound curve but any bend that plywood can make seems to be okay for the plastic.
It's worth trying on an experimental basis but don't go messing up your pet project just cause I said it worked for me (it might not work for you). Also, it didn't work well for me the first time - I had to do it over and over to get good results. Come to think of it if I had spent all that time working without the plastic I would probably be getting good results without plastic by now.
Forget I mentioned it
For anyone out there who works in hot weather: Does Raka stay workable longer than West Systems? I'm currently using West Systems (with the slow 5:1 not the tropical 3:1 hardener) and the application of epoxy always seems to be well planned panic trying to get things right before it kicks...
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Ray,
The more I look at that Elegant Punt the more useful it appears. Thanks for the recommendation - When I build one I'll use decent wood.
My friend and I have decided to take the foolish route, though, and build something to our design.
It's vaguely jon boat shaped but small enough for the back of my truck (or hopefully the roof of his car).The (cheap) wood has been purchased and weather permitting we're going to see how far we can get on the project this weekend.
I'll post an update with the progress next week.
Hmm... I wonder if I should post here or in the main forum?
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Oyster - I replied by private message.
Somehow I wasn't fully aware there was a private message feature - Pretty neat.
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Wow!
I'm not sure what to say about that kind of generosity. Thank you Oyster!
I have a hitch on my truck but no trailer. If you like I'd be happy to bring some lights and install them on your trailer in exchange for the low low rental fee, though.
One day I hope to have a "sacrificial" boat as nice as yours...
Where are you located? I'll be coming from Durham, NC.
Wow!
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Thanks for the advice, guys.
I like the Weekend Skiff and the Windsprint but I forgot to mention that I will be carrying the boat in the back of a small pickup.
The Elegant Punt does look like a very quick build. With the short waterline and all that rocker I can picture it riding right over steep chop as dry as you say it is.
The intended use is for puttering about on the sound, fishing, and tending a couple of crab pots. Nothing too serious. I like the suggestion of donating the boat. I can't imagine what it would be like to be 9 or 10 years old and suddenly have a FREE, REAL boat.
I'll show my friend the boats and see what he thinks. One of these days I need to buy that Payson book...
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A friend of mine has suggested putting together a quick, cheap boat for a season or two. The catch is we want to take it out to the coast for the second week in april so it has to be a really quick build.
We want to put it together with 3 sheets or less of cheap plywood and hopefully finish it in a weekend or two (but not three).
Suggestions?
Actually it's the perfect project for throwing something vaguely boat shaped together by eye and finding out through experience what's wrong with it...
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So I'm headed out to Ocracoke Island, NC for a week in April (10-16) and I find myself boatless! My wood/fabric kayak is on it's last legs (stringers) and I won't be finished with my CS17 by then.
Are there any coastal North Carolina folk out there who either have a beat-up boat they would rent to me for a week or know someone who does? I'm just looking for a knockabout boat to paddle, row, sail or motor on the sound. The house I'm staying at has a dock. I can provide my own outboard if necessary.
No pretty boats please! I don't want the responsibility
Alternatively a friend of mine has suggested building a quick-dirty 3 sheet boat but I'll post that question on the design forum...
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Jeff,
I believe the CS17 plans show masts that are in 3 sections. if I remember correctly the mast pieces come apart and can be nested inside one another for storage. The resulting package is short enough to be stored in the cockpit.
Some folks make them that way and some make one piece masts that can be set up on brackets for transport.
I'll be going with the 3 piece masts.
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If I remember correctly the mast tube directions were on one of the smaller (8.5"x11") pages...
Cruising Boat
in Design Forum
Posted
Howard,
The boat was being built in my back yard. I should have been selling my house instead of building the boat. During that period I was trying to reduce the crime in my neighborhood (there's only so much you can take) and I got on the wrong side of the gang that controls the area. There was an episode in 2001 that made me decide to move (immediately). Arguably I won that battle (gunfight) by surviving unscathed but I lost the war (I lost the house and they kept their territory). There were too many of them and not enough of me. I decided to retreat, lick my wounds and enjoy the rest of my life.
The boat was out in the back yard and uncovered when I evacuated and it still is today so it's probably in pretty bad condition. The good news is I was building it out of the cheapest (A/C Ply) materials available so I didn't lose much... Also in retrospect I think the boat would have been a bit topheavy because I modified the plans to include a cabin that was probably too high.
Anybody wanna buy a cozy little mill house? It's walking distance from the Historical District and it has a fixer-upper boat in the back yard...