John Stevens

I think the 1000 is just the deposit. 3700 is the starting bid. John

Yes we made it through the hurricane! The house had some damage and we were without power for a few days but we are ok. Thanks for asking. It's amazing what FL summer days are like without air conditioning;-) Greg, concerning the CD, please send me an email with your mailing address. John Stevens johnstevens@mindspring.com

Dave, I couldn't access your site, so I can't see the picture. Could you send it to me at johnstevens_at_mindspring.com Frank- The princess picture is the type I was thinking about but not the same boat I saw the picture of earlier. John

A while back I saw a picture of a sailboat ( I think it was a weekender) with a mast tabernacle that stood about 1.5-2 feet off the cabin top. The mast had a bolt going through it like a hinge. I believe it made the mast easier to raise. Does anyone know the boat or have a picture of it? And... any feedback on raising the mast with that kind of a tabernacle? Lastly, where do you buy a one? TIA, John

Maybe it wasn't the paint but the Florda heat. I realy don't have anything to compare it to, it's my first boat. I finished the last coat on the outside today. I plan to sail her tomorrow! John

Thanks all! Capt Jake- I used Rustoleum topside boat paint. I was debating on a good porch paint or expensive boat paint at West Marine. I settled on something in between. I'm not sure if it was the Florida heat or the paint but it was drying as I put it on. I thinned it and used a roller to get a better finish, but it was still drying fast. Steve- I just saw pictures of your boat last night and was thinking that might be my next project. I really like the way yours came out and the lines of the boat in general. I'll wait until the fall or winter for my next project. It will give me some time to sail this one and the temps to cool. John

Thanks to all the advice I've received here I'm almost done with the pram. I'm painting the outside now and hope to have it in the water this week! Thanks John [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Frank, I took lessons from this lady, Carol. She was an instructor at the Clearwater Sailing Center a few years ago and has since started her own school. She's very good and a real nice lady. Along with teaching and sailing she also races her boats. She's in Dunedin, just about 20 miles north of St. Pete. Here's the link http://smoothsailingschool.com/ John I usually perform a few nights a week at Buffett's Margaritaville in Orlando, send me an email when you come to town.

Thanks, I tried making one today and it didn't come out too bad. I traced a cleat of my Precision 18. John

I've got it now, thanks! John

Why does the epoxy last longer in a wide open dish? I would think more air hitting it would make it cure faster. John

Thanks, those look beautiful. Did you make your own cleats of wood also? John

I put on the epoxy with the roller. I cooled it and used a big flat dish, much better. However, I got some air bubbles from the roller. Is there a trick to roll it on without the air? John

I'd like to try to make some wooden blocks for the pram I'm building. Is there a site that would be helpful or could someone explain it? TIA, John

Thanks all! John

I've been putting a coat of epoxy on the seats, rudder and dagger board- I plan to varnish them. I'm using slow cure hardener but I still don't have enough time to coat everything because the brush gets thick even if I make small amounts of epoxy for each application. So... is there a way of thinning the epoxy with Acetone? Will that keep it from drying to quickly, I could use more time? Will it have an adverse effect on the end result? I'm in FL and it's already in the 90's. Another question- some of the areas of the wood soaked up more epoxy than others. Do I need a second coat of epoxy before varnish? TIA, John

The fence post clamps might be a good route to take. I'll look into that more. I had thought of putting a dowel up there with the bolt also. Thanks to all. John

The sail is a sock type, slips over the 2" mast and is loose footed on the boom. I've thought of both the bolt through the mast and horn type boom. Still not sure which way to go. John

A friend gave me a hollow carbon fiber mast, 2 inch diameter for my pram. I'm going to be attaching a wooden boom to it and would like to know the best method to attach it? I'm worried that screwing a gooseneck into the mast will rip out or damage the mast. TIA, John

Bruce, I just got home from Sky Craft and they had a pipe that fit perfect. John

After talking to the designer, he suggested nylon rings for bearings. I'm headed out to a plastic mfg this morning and will check out the UHMW. I'm also headed to Skycraft Bruce. I was hoping someone had build Sabotina and could supply a picture of their setup. Thanks all, John

I'll try the picture again. John [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

I'm getting ready to put together the mast support for the dinghy and I'm not sure about a few things. Where do I get bearing rings and pivot bearing? What do I use to attach them to the mast? Here is a rough picture of the setup. The mast is made to turn. Anyone ever come across anything like this? TIA, John

That boat is beautiful. Makes me want to move on to my next project, a bigger boat. Thanks for the pictures. John

Thanks all! Bruce- I check the CFYC site but don't do a lot of posting. And... my night gigs keep me away from most of the meetings. BTW now that you sold the 25 are you going to start building the next boat? John