mattp

When I was searching for a trailer, I wanted to make sure I had larger wheels => greater circumference => lower rpm => longer bearing life and less heat. That said, I have pulled 8" wheeled trailers all over the east coast with no issue...even one of the cheap Harbour Freight trailers.

Nice Lennie! Things are coming together now.

Exciting times ahead!

I saw this setup in pics of the Texas 200 and am fascinated. Was that your boat? How does it sail?

Option overload!

My masts are powder coated and I avoided epoxy for the reason PAR states. I can't remember the numbers, but the it seemed certain that the epoxy wouldn't stand up to the oven temps, so we welded instead.

I like watching these videos. It's like a fast forward review of my previous year's spare time.

Man, I have been such a slacker lately. I guess I should mention that this happened: More details to follow...

Looks like your on a roll, Lennie. Keep it up!

Here is what I did (not necessarily the best way): 1.) I put a 45 degree bevel with a plane, then nicked the two resulting corners then hand sanded round. 2.) I think I ended up with 3/4" to 1" radius 3.) My side panels butted into the bottom panels and I had a bit of bottom panel to plane flush before rounding. 4.) I did one layer of tape and 6 oz. cloth over that. I wish I had of went ahead with two layers of tape for more abrasion resistance but that's just an afterthought, it may be ok.

I agree with PeterP. If this cost includes labor at $1 an hour I'd be surprised. Materials add up quickly...I know all too well.

I had to dig deep in the thread list to find mine. It's been busy around here! We are close...real close....deck is epoxy coated and that's probably as far is it will get before the first sail. We have a dozen or so rigging loose ends to tie up but we are hoping to splash this coming Sunday even if I have to hold lines in my teeth!

I can't help but wonder, as we finish a standard CS17, what would be involved in making an MK3 conversion. I know the hulls are a dimensionally a little different but what I would be after is the slot topped cabin. No, I am not ready to cut the deck off my nearly complete boat...but 5 years down the road...hmm...

That is a screaming deal and it looks like quality work. I don't think you'll have any issue selling.

I have a good feeling that this boat will be a classic.

Plugging screw holes with toothpicks. I kind of jab them in there a few times and spin them around to try and get the goo all the way down in the hole. This time I started with a few drops of unthickened to have a better change of saturating the very bottom of the hole. I probably do this a little different each time. Good question. Stealth builds? I wonder how many of the 370 have actually been started and then how many have been completed.

Exciting times in boat building. We had a recently set optimistic splash date of Memorial Day (5/26) and I think we could do it with many loose ends left, but I don't know. Might be smarter to slow down and get these steps done right.

Deck dry fit yesterday. Glued and screwed all but the aft panels today. These steps always seem to take longer than expected.

Wow! That's like a whole new world to explore!

And in case you were wondering, the pictures are upside down for the benefit of our Australian forum members.

Tonight: First coat of varnish on the sprits and thwart. I am not really a fine finish kind of guy but I must admit that I enjoy watching the transformation of the varnishing process. The first coat doesn't present much shine but the tung and linseed oils in the Le Tonkinois add a nice rich color. Tomorrow: Taking a vacation day to get the decks installed. Monday night, we worked late roughing out the pieces. We are reaching the limits of our epoxy and filler supply. The drama...

To dig up this old thread, has anyone here ever started with a varnished deck and then down the road (after a few seasons of use) decided to switch to paint for whatever reason? Any more prep involved than just sanding?

I just realized this is your first photo since February. Glad to see you're back at it Len and I bet you are too!

Yesterday, my 5 year old and I drove all the way out to the boat for no other real reason than to just put the masts up...because we could. The mizzen step and thwart partner need a little sanding adjustment to make the fit better and correct for a slight out of plumb. Other than that, it looks good.

We used one layer of tape and then 6 oz. fiberglass cloth. The boat hasn't been of the build cradle yet so I don't know for sure, but I think if I could back up, I would go ahead with two layers of tape and then the cloth. Those chines are sharp and vulnerable.