JTam

Get a "drill guide" attachment for your drill. I used mine to drill all the through hole on my boat. The link below shows an example of what a drill guide looks like: [www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=47393] Should be able to get one where ever drills are sold. [/img][/url]

I used System 3's water reducible LPU; cleaned up with water and fast drying. Using the roller/ tipping technique and it worked to my satisfaction. The price is a bit high, I paid $32 a quart and one quart of primer and 2 1/2 quarts of topcoat. Woodenboat did a review of it not long ago and rated it a good choice.

Bill, You can add my Weekender to your fleet.

Yes, use microballons and silca. Microballons by themselves won't act as a thickner and it'll run on vertical surfaces. Also, I used a cabinet scraper, available from woodworker stores, between coats to remove the high points. Whether you use a scaper or sand, do it as soon as the epoxy has set up - not tacky, and sandable (doesn't form gummy clumps on sandpaper). If you wait too long, especially with silac in your epoxy, it will take more effort to sand it smooth. One last note, you need to finish with a coat of epoxy without microballons to proper seal the finish.

I think the only thing you're missing is the sun. I've seen some racers use the lines you've mentioned for standing rigging to reduce weight, but they have to replace them every second or third season because of "sun" rot. Not a big problem if you're storing your boat under a tarp, but something keep in mind if you go this route; don't want that standing rig to fail. I did think about using a high-tech line for my standing rigging too, but the cost, and the extra maintenance associated with using it convinced me to go with stainless steel cable.

Jake, Ditto on my rubrail scarf joints. But mine didn't last 6 months. Only 6 weeks in the summer sun. The fault was mine. I positioned the scarf joint where the bend, and the stress, was the greatest. And, since epoxy will soften when heated, the summer sun in combination with the stress on the joint cause the scarf to begin to separate. Luckily I was inject more expoxy into the joint, push the ends back into position. Then I drilled and pegged the joint ... it's held so far.

Barry's right. Build a channel for the keel to sit in. I did that for my Weekender. So now instead of all the pushing and shoving I use to have to do with my old dagger board boat to center it on the trailer, all I have to do is get the keel in the channel and she centers herself on the trailer. It works great...especially with a cross wind.