hborger

I did the same with the countersink on a 9 inch bolt. by the way, a wheel barrow handle works very well as a bow spirit. just the right size.

I don't have any broad words of wisdom for this problem....but, I will tell you that when i use polyester resin instead of epoxy resin on plywood it really leveled out smooth. tried it when i was making my son a skimboard for the beach. It's pretty easy to work with and much less expensive the epoxy. May be just as good as epoxy for topsides.

Barry and Frank I just back in town and read your posts regarding my mast rake. Hate to bring that subject back from the dynamic slide rule fun. Yes, I own a slide rule (gift from my dad when I went off to engineering school). Wouldn't fit on my belt, so had to upgrade to a calculator to be the model nerd of the 70's. I would like to think we set the trend that led to the mobile phone belt clip. My mast rake must be off....I'm 5'4 and I have to duck to keep from getting nocked unconcious (although that might improve my personality). I'm off to the lake this weekend for some turnbuckling. thanks.

tdrown: I purchased a 12 x 12 solar panel from my local boater's world store $89.00) Not sure of the brand, but when i get back in town i'll check. It has a built in diode to prevent battery discharging when the sun is sleeping. it connects directly to my battery terminal with alligator clips. I did install a small fuse panel(29.00) that i use to connect my bilge and interior light (l.e.d. for low draw $14.00) and an auto over ride switch when i want to run the bilge. it works fine. Remember,when you put the thru hull hose in, you want it high enough to be over the water line,even when you are healing, but low enough for your pump to handle. I guess mine is about a foot higher than the waterline. I have an electric trolling motor directly attached to the battery via a quick connect on the transom. Seriously considering adding a second battery to hook up in parallel. i've got a long ride out of the marina to open lake and wind.

i totally agree with you. i have sailed production boats for a long time, but part of the fun of building your own is dealing with, and correcting the stuff we know could be better. I think in my case, light variable winds on a busy lake in Georgia doesn't make handling any easier. Oh, that gas outboard sure looks nice on your boat. I really don't want to undertake a keel shape change, but the daggerboard option seems practical and relatively staight forward. I haven't seen any specs on daggerboard design recommendations (location, size,etc). Any suggestions out there?

well all i read sounds familiar. i too am having problems with tacking and attributed it to a lack of forward momentum. my boom seems low, but when i compared pics of my boat with others, the mast rake seems ok. i think it is very difficult to measure the mast rake relative to the waterline. take a look at this pic of my rigged weekender on trailer and tell me what you think about the mast rake/ boom hight.

gluvit seen in boaters world catalog (boatersworld.com) 39 dollas for 2 lb kit 89 dollars for 8 lb kit

well, here's my official first post on this site. I also leave my recently launched (march05) weekender out in the weather and in the lake. I expect to keep it in the water until october or november. I cut a blue tarp to wrap around the mast and extend over the boom and cover the cockpit and part of the cabin roof. It keeps all the rain out because it forms a tent over the boom while protecting my mainsail. I attached the sides of the tarp with good ole spring clamps to the upper rub rail. works like a charm. additionally, i have an automatic bilge pump that picks up water from the cockpit floor and throws it overboard. runs off a battery topped off by solar panel on front hatch. the bilge pump will still leave 2 inches of water in the cockpit, but it's useful to me when i don't put on the tarp. I'll post a pic in couple of weeks when i'm back in town. sounds like your getting primo advise on wood repair, I too am not impressed with bondo, but will have to live with what's on my boat until repairs needed. You may look into a product called gluvit which is a flexible epoxy sealant to apply after wood repairs. I haven't tried it but it looks like a good product for cockpit and interior sealing.