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Hi Jo, Whens John coming back? or when are you coming? Actually Waynes weekender is very neat and looks professionally built! whereas mine is well... Seamanlike (though someone with a sense of humour said it looked like it had been made with a chainsaw) (to talk about misusing tools). I must get a beltsander. We've appointed Frank "Rear Commodore" by the way. Honestly Wayne it looks just as good upside down, now the work begins! Who helped you turn it?

Gosh Wayne! you never showed me the bottom I take it all back!

My two cents worth?: I came from a comparitively stable racing dinghy an Olyimpic class Finn to the Weekender. The finn wasa good cruiser I could even stand on the foredeck. To me the Weekender is like a keeler. I can easilymove around on the foredeck with my 6' 189 lb frame to haul up the sails and get the anchor up. Normally I scamper back over the roof with little trouble. AS for sailing I find my unweighted weekender a trifle heavy to push off sandbars etc but inherantly stable. One quick gust I got sent me over 30 degrees until I let the mainsheet go but the rest of the time its been great. Most days under 7knots I have to sit on the leeside to make it heel. With my sons aboard (3 of, another 300lbs) it is also very stable and have to have several peole on the lee side to get anywhere near a 15 degree angle. For 16' its a very stable boat.

Barry, that is an interesting chart, according to which the couple on the front of the weekender video are barrelling along at 23 to 30 degrees. I was was always to "trained" to sail racing dinghys flat to get maximum sail power, I sail my Weekender at 15 degrees, but will it point better and go faster into the wind if I heel it further? I have been able to get pretty close to the wind heeled over in strong winds with the sail flapping (and spilling wind) but this was right on the limit of single handed sailing in about 20knots (unreefed) Unfortunately its Winter here (Southern hemisphere) so having boasted about my summer sailing exploits, they are alas, just a memory and we're expecting our first snow today. Do you think the Video is speeded up? Videos often are slightly.

I watched the Stevenson's video for the first time at Wayne's place (see other post) which was good, but what struck me most was how hard out they sailed them. Now I'm no timid sailor as you guys know, but the couple at the start of the video have that boat barrelling along heeled right over, water brushing the top rubrail, happily balanced like theres no tomorrow! Am I sailing it too flat? Would I get better windward performance heeled right over (this seems more than 15 degrees) and what the risk of capsize at this point? This is the limit I take mine when I'm all stacked out on the windward side, not what I have it at for cruising. What do other people do? People have commented how fast my boat was in certain points of the wind but one things for sure the couple at the front of video would leave me for dead and have it screaming along, in away I have yet to attain. is the video fast or have I something to learn here?

I've just had a very pleasurable meeting with New Zealand Weekender builders Wayne and Robbo. It was fantastic to meet two other builders and talk endlessly about Weekenders. I also had the pleasure of seeing Wayne's boat, which is a true masterpiece with a very professional standard of workmanship. It is gorgeous, made from the best of materials and finished to a very high standard indeed. I have in the past felt quite lonely building a Weekender in NZ's southern island, so it was a great tonic to meet like minded members, both great guys with wonderful attitudes. We've got the beginings of a great movement for these boats in New Zealand. and it was wonderful to see another Weekender in the flesh. So it all bodes well, for our Messabout next summer. I picked up some very useful tips, we compared favourite tools (mine's an electric planer Wayne's is a belt sander, they seem to do the same job) Wayne lives in a larger city so had better access to better plywood, and had been able to get all marine ply for little more than my pine. Robbo's idea was to build as cheaply as possible and go with the instant boat theme, and idea I'm fond of too, although I tend to use better materials on bigger boats. I only had limited time as I had to get home that evening, but it was a great first meeting, the three of us could have talked for a lot longer, given the opportunity, So thanks Wayne for your hospitality and thanks to Frank Hagen for running such an excellent forum, so as we can get together with people on this side of the world, hope we can see you down here some day.

Thats a fabulous boat Florin. I think I need to build a Vacationer. You've done a terrific job!

And who could go past the "The perfect storm" High tales of the dangers of fishing on the grand banks over the years and gripping to the last word!

My favourites are: 'The shipping news' by Annie Proulx 'The stolen years' by Hugh Faulkus 'The cape cod caper' by Philip Carey and a kid's book but never the less a classic 'We didn't mean to go to sea' by Arthur Ransome All superb!

I would agree with Frank, using a reasonable wood helps. It needs to breathe a bit and solid wood does tend to move (shrink, contract, expand etc.) as well (ply tends to be quite stable). Even where the paint gets chipped water doesn't penetrate much. Thats why they don't fibreglass clinker boats.

It had to happen, we're a country of DIY fanatics. Luckily you won't find this on this on the Stevensons project site. I hope no one sees as as terrorists in the meantime.http://www.interestingprojects.com/cruisemissile/ I have one quesion ? Why?

Excellent to hear from you. Wayne is in Christchurch too, Great to see another South Island builder. I took 11 months to build mine working 5 hours a week, Wayne seems to have done his very fast. (see his web site for the superb job hes done). They are lovely boats, great fun to sail and remarkably seaworthy. I am in Dunedin.

Would anyone be interested in coming to a New Zealand Messabout next year? Probaly around Feb /March. NZ is probaly the safest country in the world to visit, (baring getting hoplessly lost in our beautiful natural environment) and for every US dollar you get 2 NZ ones, which makes a very cheap holiday for you guys. Any takers?

What do you think?

I monuted a block through the cabin bulkhead immediately below the hatch (with a suitable peice of backing wood) Its worked well. This is me sailing http://www.messing-about.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=57&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500 You can see the mainsheet going to the stern block.

Hi Guys, Thought I'd chime in here, I've been a bit silent lately, its turning to winter here in the deep south. 2 months ago I went for a 3 day cruise down the Otago Harbour in the Weekender. It was great, a long time ambition to sleep in my boat, a wonderful wee cruise. I'm all for a downunder organisation. We've got big distances here but its sometimes cheaper to get to Sydney than it is to Auckland. I've already had Aussie visitors to sail my boat. So a messabout could be on the cards. What appealed to me about the Stevensons boats was that they built them out of ACX plywood and cheap materials. ie ones that cost virtually no money (I don't have much, having a growing familyetc) I too used the same Norski epoxy glue (and some Gorilla glue) For the keel I used Macrocarpa a Cypress that grows like weeds around here, in boat building circles its called the 'new kauri' because it looks and behaves like it.(Kauri is a legendary boatbuilding wood) for the rest I used Pinus Radiata pine and found it very good, its cheap, versatile and once it dries out becomes quite hard and takes screws well. You can buy it tanalised (treated). I also used Radiata plywood (untreated) I have found this quite exceptional. even untreated unsealed bits I have had occasionally immersed in seawater over the years have shown no signs of delaminating. Basically its manufacture follows our regulated society's strict standards (I think we're the same as Australia in this respect) The feer our markets get the more regulation we get. Still in this case it works well. I use CD C being a good face generally with no blemishes but sometimes filled ones and one D (to use Franks words) that has moon craters) I've even found some good DD sheets with only a row of knots in one edge (you gotta look through piles) All these use marine glues. Now I don't expect my boat to last forever (Wayne's will) But I do expect it to last 10 to 15 years or so, without too much pampering I leave it anchored for weeks at a time. and thats just what I want. Ply boats are easy to repair and that sheath of epoxy along the bottom works wonders. Its a budget approach. I wouldn't use it on a more expensive boat but its perfect for what I want. Since the January launch I would have had over 30 sails. The polytarp sails are still holding up. The cost was $1200 NZ in the water (about $1000Aus) and $700 US. I did use 3ply Meranti for the sides as I couln't find good thin CD for the same price. I used a marine primer and standard enamel house paint. I am pretty hard on boats, shy of rough water but I always end up in it. In my opinion the Weeknder is overcanvased in 15knots with one person in it! But its held up well and I wouldn't change the way I built it. In fact I'm going to build a Vacationer the same way. I scored a 21' mast for $20 secondhand which desrves a boat, so I reckon about $1500 should do it on the cheap. Merant, Jarra and Kauri are excellent materials, and I would use them given the chance, but in New Zealand and proberly Australia too there's alot of usable boatbuilding wood at your local Placemakers and Mitre10 stores.We are quite lucky really given some of the stories I' ve heard of people getting wood. Hope this helps Andrew.

I used sawdust, which works well on my boat.

This is a great idea, I'm in touch with a few builders here, Wayne and I e-mail each other quite regularly (superb job on the boat Wayne!) and Malcolm Sinclair from Australia came and had a sail in my boat! So we may have large distances to cover but it does happen, in fact its been a great summer with Johannah's John enforcing the Chesapeake connection by sailing my boat as well. I also beleive we have another builder here in Dunedin who I will check up on again. A downunder association would be a great thing. Our woods are a bit different ,but in most other respects we get the same standards of ply and same products usaully slightly different to American ones. Plus in my experience of car clubs, People are quite willing to cross the tasman either way. Often its cheaper to fly to Sydney than it is to Auckland. So I'd support fully any moves in this area and do what I could to help it.

You guys just love the smell of the stuff, I fibreglassed the bottom of the boat (the bit that goes in the water) On deck and the cockpit the best protection is good coat of enamel paint, which if done well lasts for years and keeps out everything. I certainly don't hold to the "If it moves fibreglass it" school of thinking, after all these are wooden boats, they live, they breathe, they don't last forever, boats don't. Spend your money on something else: stainless fitings or expoxy glue.

That sounds a much better sail Knut, it alarmed me someone capsizing a Weekender, it would be hard to recover from when out at sea, still you seem to have things well under control now. It always surprises me how fast these boats can be, other people who have watched me sail have commented too. They also handle the waves too. I have tried sailing without the jib (very natural to me I;ve nearly always had Cat boats) but it never seems to be able to sail very well and its near impossible to tack. I was thinking of perhaps making a storm jib for windier days. They're a bit over canvased for singlehanding.

Silly me! Photos are in the Album!

Well heres the proof! Sailing Weekenders on both sides of the world the now famous John (Jo's boy) on a misty day at Karitane (pronounced Carry-tar-neh) It was a great wee sail with such a distinguished guest! We had a lot of fun that weekend. Shelley, my partner and I found out alot of interesting things about the States from John and a good time was had by all. Note I've grown my hair long this summer (I look like a pirate) Also new is I went beachcoaming and found the main top hatch! Save a bit of work! I also intend to go on a 3-day cruise next week!

Thanks jake, I just wanted to dispell a few Weekender myths of weatherhelm, pounding and seaworthiness. I found the Weekender far more capable than what some of the discussions allow. In saying that I don't go far out to sea and then only on good days, nor would I on any 20' boat or maybe even on any 30' boat for that matter. As an inshore cruiser however (and for its size) the Weekender is a safe and excellent cruiser.

Mike I'd watch getting any heat near a gas tank, they can explode even after they have been empty for years. Epoxy might be better!

Best of luck Ed, I'm enjoying your progress on your PC, Good work, I hope you're soon back into it!