BrianM83

I'm getting close to finishing my Spindrift 10N and now trying to figure out how to sail. I've never sailed before but regardless I built this dinghy and picked up a laser sail for it. Now I just need to learn. I'm concerned what to do when I'm sailing along and want to stop. I figured with a halyard i could just drop the sail, but with the sail and rigging I am planning on, there is no halyard. Am I missing something here? How would I stop? Sorry for the stupid question.

I found that the build sheet from B&B was pretty poor and did not match the plans. I am in the finishing stages of an S10N.

Alex, which sail did you purchase from i-sails? They seem to have a few options. How is yours working out for you? I am getting close to finishing my Spindrift 10N and need to pick one up soon. Thanks

Thanks for the help. You are right, I am probably over thinking this. This is my first time and a lot of money so I want to be sure it is done right.

You say you left them in because you were painting. Did you fair over the screw heads? I figure I will just remove the keel screws but I am thinking ahead to the breasthook and transom knee screws. The plan calls for brass screws. Should I fair over them or leave the head exposed? I don't see a need to ever remove the screws in the future but I would think fairing over them with epoxy could cause cracking in the future. Any thoughts?

I am about to install the keel on my Spindrift 10N but a bit confused. The plans say to use screws from the inside of the hull to hold it in place. Are these permanent or temporary screws? If permanent can I screw directly into the keel or should I embed them in an epoxy plug? Thanks in advance.

I am at the point now where I have the hull and bulkheads wire tied together and about ready to install the gunwales. I have been thinking about this for a while now but I am not sure how to check the hull for straightness. I also want to make sure bulkheads are plum while I am still able to make adjustments. Any suggestions on the best way to do this?

I am in the process of building a Spindrift 10N and the plans have the rear seats/floatation compartments sealed closed. This seems like a waste of space to me since it could be used for storage. The front is probably too small, but the rear has plenty of space. Has anyone built their's different than the plans? Maybe add a hatch or a hinge to get access below the seats? Any other ideas? Thanks.

It seems I am missing that page. I guess that is why I couldn't figure it out. Thanks for your help.

I will be building the Spindrift 10N as my first boat and have gone over the plans many times, but I am still a bit confused about the gunwales. I don't see anywhere what the dimensions should be. I see that it is 3 layers laminated, but what height and thickness? I stopped by a marine wood store yesterday and the person there suggested mahogany for all the solid stock wood. This dinghy will get painted so the look of the wood is not important. Is mahogany the best choice or is there a better option? I am concerned about bending the mahogany to shape the gunwales so I was thinking I could use the okume 1/4 ply. Any suggestions? Thanks and I am looking forward to this build.