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ScottWidmier

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Everything posted by ScottWidmier

  1. Ken, thanks to you and your darn thread I am now $300 poorer :-[ with an annoyed wife ;D ! We had one good but nonwaterproof camera for the family and I had bought a real cheap one for boating. However, the family camera wasn't available much for my boating and I stressed out about getting it wet so didn't get many good pics. The cheap one took horrible pictures and had a shutter speed of 3 minutes (or so it seemed). So, your thread pushed me over the edge into buying my own camera...for work use during the study abroad trip I am directing of course ;D . I looked at the Pentax Optio and the Olympus Stylus cameras. The reviews on the Olympus were better and one of the cameras even goes down to 30 foot depth. I also like the size and feature. However, I ended up going with the Pentax for one reason alone: they use SD cards including the new high-speed ones. The olypus uses it own (non-high-speed) storage cards and one of the negative comments was it took awhile for the picture to write to storage. Besides, SD cards are everywhere and most new computers have built in readers. So now I am eagerly awaiting my new camera hoping that it is a good (nonleaking) one that will capture many happy memories on and in the water.
  2. Charlie, I REALLY wanted to go on the Texas 200 but won't happen this year. I hope to make it next year but it all depends on the date and if the family wants to go on the BEER cruise again. Craig, you need to head out to the BEER cruise for some stress relief. Get together with those other southwest fleet people and figure out a way!
  3. So far the Kentucky Lake 200 is a name, place, and date (October 11-13). (see: http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/tsbbcomp/trailersailor/index.cgi/noframes/read/606250 ). From the name I am guessing it will follow the pattern of the Texas 200 with the exception of being on a Lake instead of the Gulf which might have some implications for the type of boat that can go and the miles covered (winds?). I expect there to be more small boats at the Texas 200 due to shallow water but a mix of trailersailors and dingies at the KL200. This is all supposition and I have posted a new thread at trailersailor.com to get the dicussion flowing again.
  4. I have decided to go to BEER and take my big plastic boat. I can take the family with me and break them into cruising. Besides, there is the Kentucky Lake 200 in October ;D
  5. One year I decided to enter the PD world championship that was being held at Magnolia Beach, TX. Only two problems with this plan 1) I didn't have a PD racer and 2) it would be a very long drive. So, I decided to fly out to my parents house in Houston, Tx, build a PD racer, strap it to the top of their van, sail the world championship, and then give it away. Truly a vacation boat! I ended up suceeding despite choosing the more complex side airbox design (a jpeg showing panel layout is at the yahoo site) and I placed third in the world championships. I was rather skeptical of the puddle-duck design and still have a few reservation but boy could she scoot! Also, the beamy hull and side airboxes made her a very comfortable boat to sail seeming much larger than her 8' length. The hull shape lends itself to the goals of the PD racer organization allowing endless variations from a camp/cruiser to a lean racing sled so I think Shorty designed well. I would hate to be out in her with choppy seas with that big bow transom. Also, she sucked up a lot of sheet of plywood (three) for her size and those broad flat surfaces (including the bottom) require more bracing than other types of boats. Every boat is about compromises though and I did use up extra ply building those side airboxes. If I were to build a disposable vacation boat again I would probably build a flat-bottomed skiff like David Beede's Summer Breeze. A flat bottomed pointy bowed skiff goes together easier than a PD racer requiring less framing/supports IMHO. The 12' Summer Breeze also only requires two sheets of plywood. Most complex cut is the stem with its triangular cross section though I would do that piece before leaving home and stick it in my suitcase. You then cut out two sides, midship frame, and a transom. Attach the two sides splayed out to the stem, bend them around and attach them to the transom, then shove the midship frame in and move it around until the boat looks good. Once all is fastened, flip it over, flop the other sheet of plywood down, scribe around the hull, then cut out what you scribed for the bottom. The leftover scraps provide material to cover the forward 4' of bottom. Other key ingredient is the skeg and you are done.
  6. Probably should post the bilge question as its own thread. A bailing scoop made from a laundry detergent bottle with the bottom cut off and a sponge works fine for me. However, a drain plug is very nice if you get stuck driving home in the rain.
  7. Trying to decide between the BEER or Texas 200. BEER is closer and those cruising grounds are very beautiful. However, I am really intruiged by the Texas 200 loving the idea of a long distance cruise in a shallow water sailor. Just wish it was about 10 hours closer! The Texas 200 is helped out a bit by having already set a date while I am still waiting for the BEER date to be announced. How many folks are planing to go to either or both?
  8. If we ever get freeflowing water back in NE Georgia, maybe we should take your canoe and my dory and ride some of the rivers around here! Be a lot of fun to toss some camping gear in and float down the Toccoa near Blue Ridge. I think I will be building my wife a Toto btw.
  9. I slept onboard for 2 nights at the Glen-L Gathering on Lake Guntersvile. Pictures of her on the water are from that trip and she is fully loaded for a couple days camp-cruising. All the gear stored nicely under the sleeping platform which ment no shifting of gear for sleeping or sailing. All I had to do to sail was to stuff the sleeping bag, put it down below, roll up the sleeping mat, store it under the foredeck, and then fold the dodger down. Yes, my family is forcing me to build more boats. Pity me please!!!
  10. wife and kids have claimed the next three boats I build so your suggestion will be tabled for awhile...
  11. Cruise n carry is a little slower and a lot more beat up. Evinrude is probably the option I would use for a longer cruise.
  12. Thought I would share some more pictures. These show my tow setup, dodger cabin, sleeping platform (storage underneith), my towing setup, and some pictures from the Glen-L gathering at Lake Guntersville. Enjoy and feel free to ask questions:
  13. Lots of good advice here. Just wanted to put my 2 cents in realy. I have used both Latex and Oil based paints of all varieties from different stores in order to save money. I have slowly come to the realization that Innerlux marine paint is actually fairly close in price to these and much easier to apply. First, Innerlux requires much fewer coats (less paint) to get a good finish so a quart goes a lot longer than normal paint. To paint the same boat I used almost a gallon of oil based porch enamel and a quart and a half of innerlux. I had to repaint the boat because the Behr brand porch enamel started peeling off the boat. (before folks ask, this boat had been built 3 years prior and cleaned many times so no blush). Second, this paint is self-leveling which means it flows over minor flaws and brush strokes simply disappear. Translates into less prep time and easier painting since you don't have to take as much care to avoid brush strokes as with regular paints. Third, this paint is undeniably longer lasting and much tougher than regular paint which means much less maintence and less money spent repainting over the years. Finally, Innerlux has teflon in it and, while I don't normally put much faith in addititives, this paint does seem to release stains and smuges a lot easier. Now, I have only used Innerlux marine paint so maybe others can speak for other brands. As for the mast, gate hinges have been a successful and easy solution for tabernacle on Stevenson's boat. However, hinges have a lot of slop meaning your mast will flop around until you get the shrouds and stays tighened. I prefer a more traditional tabernacle setup which is a lot stiffer and sturdier even before you connect the stays and shrouds. It also looks more traditional and is about as easy to make. In the following pictures (boat painted with innerlux at this point) you can see my tabernacle setup using some heavy metal pieces I bought at Home Depot. Note the 45 degree angle cut at the tabernacle. You could take your existing mast, cut this angle in and then build this tabernacle.
  14. Way to go! Those seats look awesome! As you know, I am a big fan of open slat seats and loved them on my Pocket Cruiser. Here is a pictures of my latest boatseats on a little 12' catboat I am modifying.
  15. I would love a stern rail on my boat mainly to hang things from. I am very seriously considering making my own though. Last night, in about three hours of work, I built a pipe bending table out of scrap wood (ok, on piece purchased) and bent a frame for a dodger on my 12' catboat. I was very plesantly surprised with how well it came out. A friend of mine did make a stern, and another, a bow pulpit where the only skills you need are bending and a little bit of geometry or a lot of dry-fitting patience. Hardest thing is finding a good supplier of stainless tubing. I bought aluminum from west marine but it was expensive and aluminium, while fine for bimini's, is probably not sturdy enough for a stern rail.
  16. I forgot to mention, I love the colors of your Venture! Red is supposed to be unlucky but don't believe it since I had wonderful luck in my red Pocket Cruiser. I keep thinking about painting the hull of my plastic Mac to give it a bit more character but that is a lot of hull....
  17. Hey Frank, don't lump all MacGregor 26 into the same category! There are the Mac 26 classics and then the Mac 26 powersailers and they are two quite different animals. I have a Mac 26 classic from 1987 when they had the daggerboard and those are fast boats under sail as well. I am generally the first boat to cross the finish line though the portsmouth handicap of 92.9 allows sevaral boats to adjust over me unless I have a good lead...which I do a lot of times ;D . That rating, by the way, is a lower rating (meaning the Mac26D is faster) than all of MacGregor (including the Venture) other models with the exception of the catamaran. The newer motorsailor Macs are a compromise so slower sailing performance but do work with some people's needs.
  18. I have made four mast out of 2X material and only had problems with one warping. Of the four, one was out of douglas fir but the other three were out of spruce bought from Home Depot. Now, if I were to make some guesses... 1) this was the only mast for which I used 2X4. The others were at least out of a 2X6 which may mean better wood. 2) this wood seemed to have a much higher moisture content (more green) than the other wood I used. I do have to mention I always look at the endgrain and try to pick pieces with verticle rather than concave grain pattern.
  19. Thought I would share some pictures. I finally got around to taking off the solid mast and prepping the boat for the new birdsmouth mast. The birdsmouth is 3/8" larger in diameter and a lot stiffer but is the same weight (20 lbs) as the solid mast. It is stiff enough that I can go without the forstay removing a problem I had with clearance for gaff jaws. I did experiment with a gaff saddle but can't get that to work quite right and I prefer the simplicity of jaws. Here are two pictures of the old and new mast. The solid mast is on the right and shows the warp it developed just after being laminated. Here is my boat with the new mast in place. It is a thick mast for the length of the boat but this seems to be the tradition with catboats. Probably because shrouds and forestay really don't work well given how far forward the mast is postitioned.
  20. Wish I had seen this earlier its Brilliant!
  21. I just got "The Wharram Design Book" with all of his tri designs in it along with a lot of his philosophy. Being a publication from Europe, it also has some topless and naked women in it which took some fast talking with SWMBO . Anyway, he answered my question regarding hull shape. In addition to giving you lateral resistance which allows you to sail off the beach, the V hulls also prevent pounding in chop or waves. A flat bottom is ok for a sharpie which heels as it sails but a catamaran sails flat. His first catamaran that he designed and built to prove cats could be ocean cruising boats had a flat bottom with lots of flair forward and she pounded and pulled a huge pile of wake behind. He goes for V hulls with lots of flare which is supposed to help the cat ride up and over waves that hit from the side. He also advocates stiff crossbeams that are lashed on making for a flexible connection which takes grounding better and gives the boat more initial stability in rough water. I love the idea of a cat that is sailed flat with both hulls in the water but still has the fun of being suspended over the water between two hulls. Given the simplicity of these designs and the fun they could be as daysailers or even dingy cruisers, I have put three of his cats on my possible next build list. He has a 14' and a 17' with storage but no cabin space and a 21' with cabin space. The 17' has lots of built in storage in each hull and can accomodate a dome tent on the platform.
  22. I will look for your email. On the Stevenson Pocket Cruiser I used BC plywood and it was still going strong when I sold the boat 5 years after I built it. I have built a couple of small boats from 1/4 inch luan including the 12' dory it is inexpensive and a very lightweight plywood which fit my needs. For the C12 I bought some plywood labled marine which had more plys than normal and no voids. However, it had a fir facing so I glassed the interior and exterior to keep it from checking. I will probably continue to use luan for small boats but, for my next major project I will probably order some okume or other marine plywood. My time is worth it especially now that I am putting so much more effort on the finish of the boat. Incidentally, I just finished planing the birdsmouth mast round using a spokeshave and block plane. Good exercise, quiet, and surprisingly quick. I do have some gaps on the outside of the mast but none really large. Plan on filling them with thickened epoxy. I put the mast between two sawhorses and sat on it and was surprised by how much stiffer this mast is than the solid one. The solid one is 2 3/4" in diameter and the birdsmouth is 3".
  23. Dale, just had another thought when on the way to work. The advantage of those first three boats is that they are easy to propel and can be cartopped or campertoped if necessary. An advantage if you want both your Mac and a more substantial dingy along than that beautiful one you already built. Problem is that most cartoppable boats only take two in a pinch with the notable exception of sailing canoes. They can take two because of the configuration of the passenger where both passengers sit in the bottom of the hull facing forward in actual seats using a push-pull tiller to steer. I had a mouseboat and now my 12' dory that I made to this configuration and they are perhaps even more comfortable, with the padded seat with back support, than my MacGregor. The 12' dory I built is probably only 36" wide but two people can sail very comfortably in her only having to lean their upper bodies a bit to adjust to wind conditions. Getting in and out is a bit more interesting though and having her configured for rowing makes for a bit of a challenge when you have to swap directions you are sitting. Anyway, there are several excellent two person sailing canoe designs out there including some great looking lapstrake boats. Besides, you can get the MacGregor plans from Oughtred and have two macgregors ;D http://www.woodenboatstore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=400-080 http://www.woodenboatstore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=400-020 http://books.google.com/books?id=cmQbSMxnH2oC&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=piccolo+sailing+canoe&source=web&ots=34EZFQjtZY&sig=rfzt3u4HT3AUTT1N9FJkjVjmO4g#PPA105,M1 (I have this book btw)
  24. All of those are beautiful boats and you need to pick one what you are excited about in order to keep your motivation up through all of the steps. Personally, I want to build a lapstrake design one of these days since it screams WOODENBOAT when on the water. Most of my mods on the C12 are designed to make it look more like a homebuilt rather than a clorox bottle. The Acorn is definitely a beautiful boat but I am not quite sure it satisfies all of the needs you stated in your earlier post. The beam to length ratio certainly would make her a dream to row but very tender. A boat like this is a great one-person boat but two people would have to be very coordinated and move often when sailing. I know one gentleman who built a beautiful pooduck skiff which is 12'10" long by 4'6" beam. The round shape to the hull made her tender requiring a lot of moving around when sailing and a very tiring boat to sail long-distance in. He would rarely sail two in the boat and you had to be ready to get wet. The Acorn, the Catspaw, and the Christmas Werry with the shape of their hull would probably all be too tender for your wife to enjoy sailing with you on. Pooduck (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=400%2D102). The final three boats on your list all have hulls with harder chines so not strictly round. Both the C12 and the Core Sound have a V bottom which has more initial stability than the first three boats on your list making them a lot more comfortable for two. I have had my whole family, 2 adults and 2 kids, on the c12 comfortably thanks to both the beam and hull shape combination. Of these two boats, I would probably go for the Core Sound 15 given that it is more boat (longer) and you can always add the trim I put on the C12 to the CS15. Besides, the extra 3' isn't any harder to handle on and of a trailer. Welsford's Navigator is a flat bottomed multi-chine hull so a lot more stable than a round-bottomed hull even though it has that beautiful lapstrake look. Of course, you get that look with a lot less strakes and no need for ribs like the first three boats on your list so much easier to build. My bias is for the Navigator because it has the look that screams WOODENBOAT but is simpler to build and has good stability for a comfortable sail. I would change the coaming to be a curve rather than a point and make a platform up front with storage underneith. Have fun in Florida in October. Any interest in going to the Glen-L gathering in Alabama the last weekend in October? Several folks like myself are going to crash the party...well, basically any homebuilt is welcome by the coordinators.
  25. Dale, you know you are going to build one of those Welsford beauties. What is holding you back from admitting it? They have the capacity, stability, and length you are looking for plus they just look so good!
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