John Stevens

I'm pretty sure the sides are the same. I put a lot of time into planing and sanding to make them right. There is one more issue. I added a wing to the rudder because I took off the bottom section to clear the keel. Can this have an effect on the vibration? And we are getting a little more weather helm. TIA, John

Do you mean that I should round the trailing edge to a "V" shape? It currently looks like the pink foil, squared off. Should it be more rounded like the black one? TIA, John Rudderedge.bmp

What causes a rudder to vibrate only at high speeds? Is there a fix? TIA, John

I've been looking for the DAP Weldwood Plastic Urea Resin glue but can't seem to find it. Can I use something like Tightbond 111 waterproof glue? I'll be putting epoxy over the rudder. TIA, John

Thanks again all! John

Will there be a problem with using the ss screws? Why did I need to use the bronze when I made the pram? TIA, John

Thanks all! John

Why do I need to clamp it if I'm going to use screws? I had planned on drilling holds and setting the boards up before I'm ready to glue. When I have the fir pieces cut and ready I'll glue and screw in place. Does that sound right? John

I'm going to make a rudder from 1" x 3" fir. I will be laminating the fir face to face. Can I use a good waterproof glue? If so, which glue do you advise? I will epoxy the outside when I'm finished. Also, can I use ss screws to hold it together or do I have to use bronze? TIA, John

I asked a question about using non marine plywood for building a 15' minuet and got some good answers. My next question is: Can I build a boat out of luan if I cover it with a few layers of glass? I think the boat calls for 3/8 on the bottom. Just trying to look at ways to save some money. Thanks. John

Thanks, John

When I fill these spots in the future do I need to sand it down to the bare glass or can I just rough up the paint with some 120 grit and fill the dimples? TIA, John Stevens

Thanks all! Yes it is showing the weave and also some screw holes (dimples). Good to know it just "happens", I thought maybe I did something wrong when building the boat. I can live with the marks for now, I'll resurface next spring when I paint. Thanks to all. John Stevens

I built an 8 foot pram almost 2 years ago with a lot of help from this board. It's glass over fir. I've noticed as time goes on that the small imperfections seem to come out more. The places where there are screws and nails in the bottom of the hull are becoming more visible. When I first painted the boat it looked perfect. The boat sits outside all year but not in the water. Is there a reason for this? Is this normal? TIA, John

Barry, I live in Florida and was thinking about Minuet 15. John

Thanks Charlie. John

Thanks, those are some nice looking boats. Still thinking about what design to go with. John

Thanks for the advice! John

I've read stories about a guy building a boat out of popsicle sticks. Why do I need to use fir, mahogany or teak on a boat that will not sit in the water for more than a 24 hour period? TIA, John

I'm thinking of building a 15 footer with a cabin for overnighting. I got a lot of great info here when I built my 8 foot pram a few years ago. Any thoughts on either boat design? How they sail? Or... would another 15 footer be better? TIA, John

If I'm using the right term. When I was building my pram last year I got a lot of great advice. Someone posted how to wrap rope around the oar. Anyone know that site? I can't find it. There were some great pictures and easy to follow steps. Thanks, John

Thanks Barry. I have ordered from that site, that's where I bought my pintles and oarlocks last year when I built this pram. They seem to have the best prices around for those items. Thanks, John Stevens

I'm making some oars for my 8' sailing pram. Is there a "right" length the oars should be? Is there a benefit for them being longer or shorter? TIA, John

I've been working on making a new rudder for my Precision 18. My boat draws 18 inches but the rudder draws about 28. So... I really can't sail in 18 inches but something over 2 feet. I've been working on this wing rudder and it seems to be working well. I made it 8 inches shorter than the P-18 rudder and added a wing to make up the 8" cut and 1.5 inches in the chord (front-aft). I used NACA 0012 foil measurements. It works great in test. Very smooth and effortless to control. Has anyone every tried this? If so, I'd like to see some pictures of your "wing". The wing is the only part I've had a hard time finding correct designs on. Thanks, John

I've been working on making a new rudder for my Precision 18. My boat draws 18 inches but the rudder draws about 28. So... I really can't sail in 18 inches but something over 2 feet. I've been working on this wing rudder and it seems to be working well. I made it 8 inches shorter than the P-18 rudder and added a wing to make up the 8" cut and 1.5 inches in the chord (front-aft). I used NACA 0012 foil measurements. It works great in test. Very smooth and effortless to control. Has anyone every tried this? If so, I'd like to see some pictures of your "wing". The wing is the only part I've had a hard time finding correct designs on. Thanks, John