Charlie Jones

A link to the instructions. This is a Ken Simpson design-- http://www.portableboatplans.com/cpb-1.php

Yep, have helped build a few

Here on the Texas coast, with our sun, there are only two varnishes I'll even consider Z-Spar Captains (2015) and Epiphane's The rest are pretty much a waste of time Tried Bristol Finish and it was beautiful-til it failed and had to ALL be removed- UGH!!

Just to show you how changeable the weather has been, here's a vid shot in the same place a week earlier. We did get some wind later on

Hey Greg and Oyster. Same comments from me. Haven't seen either of you in awhile. Me? still alive and kicking. Spent three months sailing to Florida and back this spring. Been sailing sort of weekly Here's a vid of one day-reefed jib and single reefed main

Sailing in Lavaca Bay right where it joins Matagorda Bay a few weeks ago. The wind came up after this so we did actually sail

Soime where on the ICW betweeen Texas and Florida

Wow. Mine was the last entry? Last sunday I returned from a 3 month trip to Florida (For the BEER Cruise) and return aboard Tehani - 1560 miles this trip, which brings Tehani's CRUISING miles,not counting sails around Matagorda Bay, to 11,500 miles since her rebuild and relaunch. Photo at Sailboat Cove, Big Lagoon, Florida

On the one I built, in 1999, SailRite provided kits for the sails. Can't say if they still would.

"Princess, New York" has been on my bookshelf for many many years . My copy has a publishing date of 1973 and has thew additional book "Key Biscayne" in it, but my first copy was just the "Princess" story and was from 1956. It was loaned to someone and never made it home, ,so I got the later edition. IT is NOT for loan. That's the book that got me interested in cruising these many years ago

Just spent 950 bucks on my Jeep because mice had chewed into the wiring harness. Biggest problem was that I was then in Florida, 800 miles away from home. Took them 5 days to find another harness, and repair the car, so add rental car and motels to that bill. Nasty little buggers :(

Well, again. Been a while. Did the Texas 200 again last year. Planning to skip it this year and sail Tehani over to Florida for the BEER cruise. Hoping to stay out 3 -4 months or so. Had another birthday on Sat- turned 74!!!! I can't believe it, until I look in a mirror. Did another interior rebuild on a Vanguard 32. Owners were extremely pleased. Other wise, just plugging along.

When they were doing the excavation of La Belle we would go out to the coffer dam, tie up to the dock they had provided, and sit in seats on top to watch the progress. Afterward, they had a setup in Victoria, just a mile or so away from my shop where you could go watch, and speak with, the curators as they cleaned artifacts. Quite a fascinating time. At the site of Ft St Louis, they found buried cannon from the La Salle expedition and located the foundations of the buildings there. A part of the artifacts, and a small scale working replica of the ship is located in Palacios, where all of the artifacts, and ship pieces were brought ashore. Also a scale model of the ship,, and some of the artifacts are on display in the Maritime Museum in Rockport. There is a statue of LaSalle on the shore of the bay just about 2 miles from my house, since this is the area he was in during that time. The recovery was a very interesting time here on the Texas coast

On the subject of blush. I've been using various epoxies since abourt 1976. I've used WEST, RAKA, MAS, SYS 3, and lately just the epoxy from B and B. I ALWAYS assume there is blush present and deal with it before I paint, or recoat over cured epoxy. It's water soluble and takes mere minutes to wash and dry the surface- why on earth skip that and take a chance of problems??

CONGRATS!! Beautiful. And a FAR cry from when I saw her after Irene in 2011.

Man- One day I'll make a messabout. My boat, Tehani has been there once, but I wasn't aboard. Maybe next year. Graham and Carla are SUPER folks.

again - wish I could attend, but not enough time.Saiil Oklahoma was last weekend, and the 1st Port Aransas Plywoodenboat Festival just wraapped up. 92 boats showed up, including two Graham will recognize- The two in the rear are "origami boats' built from corrugated plastic, by 7th graders. They build a boat apiece, and get to keep them. Oh- the concrete blocks were there to keep them fromm blowing away! Hope everyone has a blast there at Graham and Carla's.

10 to 21 business days for delivery?? Being shipped fropm China?? Carla usually gets stuff to you in a few days.Ditto for Duckworks. Not a chance I'd buy it.

Those strips up in the bow go in well. Don't be overly concerned with edgess lifting. But I used what Par suggested- stapled through a plastic strip, then pulled them And if you fid you are having trouble, just use slightly narrower strips Went really well.

One of my ALL TIME favorites. Thanks Here's another for the list- Christopher Cross- "Sailing" 1980's ??

LOL- Understand the age thing. I'm 73 now and moving a bit slower than I did 10 years ago. The Texas 200 last month tired me more than it has before, that's for sure

Fair enough Ambler. I gave you my own personal thoughts. Curious- what were you trying to accomplish by changing from a centerboard to a leeboard? Both have definite advantages, and lord I do wish my Sharpie/tri had a center board, instead of a dagger. Often. I sail in SHALLOW water and it's a pain. Broke it off once too. Many many of the boats sailing in events like the Texas 200 ( I've done 4 now) use boats with leeboards. What was your particular reasoning? And yes, Graham and Carla are great folks- I consider them my good friends. Spent a week there after Hurricane Irene helping Graham get the shop back together.

Over my boat building career, I've built maybe 20 or so boats, both for myself, and for customers. Ranging from a 35 foot ketch rigged trimaran, to a 6'6" Minipaw dinghy. Eight of those have been B and B designs. On the hulls, rig, and foils I don't change ANYTHING, without clearing it with the designer. That is, after all, why you bought his plans- to use HIS expertise. Mine is in building, his in design.. Now I HAVE made some changes. I converted (with the design help of B and B ) a CLC John's Sharpie to a trimaran. Made zero changes to the original boat, just added amas. The last B and B MiniPaw dinghy I built, I modified the floatation system by adding sealed tanks, with access openings, which now get used for stowage. On the B and B Princess 22 I built (Pilgrim) I raised the cabin top,, and also the berth tops, since the owner has two knee replacements and the mods gave him easier access. I would not even think of changing foils, hull shape, lengths, etc,etc- would make it a totally different boat, and no longer the designers idea. Here's the biggest, and the latest, which is also the smallest

Great to hear. I know you are all relieved

Please, please- It's ventilating, NOT cavitating. The plate on the motor is correctly an Anti VENTILATION plate. Stops the prop from sucking air down the outboard leg "Cavitation" occurs when props move fast enough to vaporize air from the water, and usually explosively, leaving little pits in the prop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavitation VERY high performance race boats have the problem Answer? Lower the engine more into the water.