Dnjost

I did just find 2X6 doug fir at my local yard! got plenty of West and glass. Funny you should mention the graphite. I have done several blades with a graphite coating. It works well on the racing circuit. I actually did the whole bottom of the hull and saw a statistically viable increase in speed, It also helps the hull slide on and off the trailer. This can be done later on if we get into wishbone rigs and carbon spars and laminate sails. (part of the reason I gave up racing the phrf circuit was the ongoing arms race). I like the diagonal cut, makes sense. and doesn't add a ton of time. just more glue used. Off to the lumber yard, then the table saw. and voila! just noticed the knot. will cut a replacement strip. doing strip building allows to toss the questionable pieces.

Phil - I am very impressed with both your boat building skills and your sailing skills. congratulations on a great sail! You represented us Northeast sailors well. Makes sense that once both boats settle into displacement speed, the 20 wins. Once this snow melts, I can get the snowblower out of the boatbuilding garage and get started!

What wood did you use for the strips?

Have decided on Meranti for the bottom (3 panels of 3/8) and Okoume for the remaining 9 sheets. Aluminum spars as per plan with tracks. The design of the centerboard has me puzzled as I fear that as soon as water infiltrates the glass, epoxy coatings, the laminated structure will start to come apart from internal expansion. Has anyone made a CB out of laminated plywood, or done a layup in glass to avoid this? Perhaps I am being a tad too obsessive compulsive here. What wood has everyone used for this? Finding suitable thicknesses of Mahogany or Fir may be the best bet, Construction grade spruce is very easy to find locally. I just don't want to spend hours shaping a blade and have it self-destruct. I am actually considering building a board out of foam, shaping it, and them making a mold to cast two fiberglass halves in. Might be more durable. David Jost

Tom - thanks for the update on why Phil and Allen decided to take the route they did. I am obviously not in a position to be doing an armchair sailor thing, and hope no offense was taken. I hope someday to do this event, and have a lot of respect for those that did it! I did read that the 20 busted a mast when a sheet got snagged on a navigation mark. They were still making excellent time.

Tom, I think the wishbone gives the advantage of not interfering with the sail shape on either tack. The draft should remain undisturbed by the sprit, not allowing for sprit compession. I know that Phil G. also had 3D laminated sails from North made for his boat, these sails keep their shape through a very broad range of winds and would not be worth the investment without the wishbone rigs. Combined with the carbon spars, his boat obviously flys. Looked like one tactical error at CP2 in the EC that put him behind. Bet he could have won it! that said. I have decided to go low tech on my CS17. the pockets are not that deep these days, and it will still result in a darned nice boat to sail! I could always upgrade later on... david

After combing over the plans, reading the forum, surfing the net, and viewing the photos on the cd over and over again, I am now ready to commence. I am planning on using Joubert Okoume panels and not glassing the hull to keep things as neat and light as possible. How many builders have glassed the hull or at least the bottom? I am really adverse to adding weight to what is a very light 18' hull. I recently glassed the bottom of a small skiff I built, and still question whether it was necessary. I like the okoume panels as they come in at 98" long thus saving at least an extr sheet of plywood (small price overall, but it's the principle that counts). by the time all materials are amassed, the weather will perhaps be cooperating.

check this out. http://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm#FIBERGLASS TENT POLE SET

Glad I asked! I am planning on mast tracks for my build. Now I have another decision to make, whether or not to add the mast step. Reefing seems to me to be a great safety feature. Dry gear is nice too! I might investigate a cap for the forward step, although the step might get little use if any.

I must be missing something here. Why leave the mizzen in the regular step? Won't it go in the forward step?

this makes sense. a mast boot on the mizzen just above the tent could deflect any water. I used a zipper cone of dacron held on by a hose clamp on my Marshall catboat. Put it on upside down, then flip it down after tightening the clamp. Garage is cleared, now I need some good weather to get going on the CS17.

interesting. I was planning on leaving the masts up and using the boomkins to suspend the tent. I plan on making a basic A frame and then adding a rain fly for when needed/

This last sentence says it all. I have all but given up this aspect of sailing. Most enjoyable for me were the pursuit races: these start with someone putting a cooler of soda on a beach and then everyone starting in reverse order of speed potential. We would all be headed towards the beach at the end, with the winner being the one to pull two sodas from the cooler (one for each crew member). Start times were adjusted based upon previous results. "A" fleets for experienced sailors and "B" fleets for hacks like me worked well for the Cape Cod Frosty. http://www.capecodfrosty.org/ these 6' luan boats were originally put together with fiberglass window screen set in bondo. masts were closet poles, and quite a few made their own sails. I admit I learned a lot when being schooled by Olympic sailors who used this event as a quick tune up on a Sunday. When I stopped racing due to family and job commitments, the boats were variations of oakume, epoxy, carbon, aluminum, laminated sails (suffering spectacular delamination on very cold days). Admittedly, sailmakers, and racing shops were using this cheap boat as a test platfrom for some of their ideas. Win, place, or show it was always fun to gather afterwards for hot clam chowder. this is why events such as EC, and other Watertribe events look so appealing to me. there are so many variables and obstacles to account for, that a good sailor in a good boat still needs to make excellent tactical decisions, and the event planning is critical. if no wind, the ability to row or paddle is essential. wow. I'm hopped up now. gonna make space for the building platform in the garage right now for the CS 17.

Ed - Glad you asked this question. I have been itching to get back into this aspect of sailing here in Southern New England. there are a few list at the New England phrf (I used to do a lot of this) http://www.phrfne.org/uploaded_files/valtype11.pdf. Portsmouth numbers for comparisons are at http://offshore.ussailing.org/ a J22 is 180 = portsmouth 82.7 a J24 is 168 = portsmouth 80.8 Seapearl = (somewhere near 200 pending equipment) = Portsmouth 96.6 some math involved but I would think it would be around the SeaPearl or a little lower putting the CS 17 somewhere around 200 in PHRF land. I used to race on Cape Cod with my Herreshoff Goldeneye (an 18' keel boat ) and was given a rating of 265 which was about right in the races I was involved in (new rating has it at 280, which I suspect is too high). We will need to test and time it! will crew for beer. We will need to lower Phil's rating for his carbon spars! I hope to get going on mine once the tuition bills for my daughter are paid. I see a CS 17 class forming in our area within the next year! pretty exciting. I think the previous posters are right, find a comparable Portsmouth and then convert.

Neil - there is a good photo of the floorboards on the CD that came with my plans. Looks like you can customize these any way you would like.

I called them just after the B+B messabout and received my CS 17 plans in just a few days. I was also very impressed that Graham is availble to answer simple questions regarding the plans. Great service

That is awesome. Thanks for sharing the photo. I can see that once it's dialed in it's a no brainer.

I have a 22' box spar I made for a Bolger Birdwatcher in the rafters of my garage. Yup, it is pretty heavy. that is why it's still in the garage! trying to figure out a use for this other than a flagpole near the birdfeeders or a ridge pole for a tent. picking out a Dado blade this week for the 8" table saw to make the birdsmouth parts. Looks like fun. I like the idea I saw above of leaving the main mast tube a little long and then cutting the aft end flush, thus making a bearing surface to catch the heel of the mast when raising it. Should work if the spar is balanced bottom heavy.

I have used Kirby's for years and have found it easy to maintain and apply with low tech methods. However,, I admit to not needing to repaint as I seem to sell the boats before five years has gone by. I really like the Benjamin Moore traditional spar varnish and it has held up well in the New England weather. If you want a professional racing finish you should probably go with the two part linear polyurethane.

Does anyone know why there are wooden tops on the masts for the upper part? Would make sense to me just to make it all aluminum. Is it a cost or strength issue? I am planning on sailtrack on aluminum spars seems to be the most versatile Just wondering.

Plans arrived this week, wonderful service from B+B considering that they were just coming off the messabout! This really looks very straightforward. Garage and workshop have been cleaned and now to secure materials. During the winter will start with blades, and masts, plus building cradle/table. I guess it's time to start a new blog! The builders CD is a real help to visualize all the rigging questions, and see the various steps involved in the building.

I used to rig the Cape Cod Frosty with the sheet attached to the rudder, until the gradual escalation of arms in this one design class world forced me to rig a wire bridle / traveller arrangement to keep the "sail" shape. These 6' plywood boats were originally made with luan plywood, stitched with Bondo and fiberglass window screen. There was no noteable effect on the rudder other than the occasional rudder being lifted out of the gudgeons by careless sailors/builders not putting the pintle latch down (piece of 90 degree sheet metal hung on a screw) thus resulting in the inevitable dunking in the frigid waters of Cape Cod in winter.

This thread has been very helpful. I have a call in to B and B to order the plans for a cs17. Looks like a good fit for me. Masts should not be a problem due to the light weight and construction method. There are two other builders in the area as well.

Whoa! 9kg? That is considerably lighter than I imagined. Looks like the bottom also should weigh more than the top thus helping the balance for stepping as well. 17 seems to fit most of my criteria also considering shoppe space.

Wow Gordy, I had not even thought of that! A rotating tabernacle, very cool. I must be thinking that these masts weigh more than they actually do. The Marshall catboat was impossible to step, and the micro I owned had a substantial stick to raise as well. These masts must be more similar in weight to a Laser's. those were very light.