Don Silsbe

She’s flipped!

A table saw top also works, but it is too small.

Today, she is together enough that I got to climb aboard for the first time. Still lots to do, but she’s coming together.

Here is a photo of the bungee retainer loop. My friend uses the tail of the bungee as a handle. Eye straps are nice, but they require more hardware. They also require the sprit to be longer. Depending on how much extra length you have, your sprits might not be up to the job. Plus, if the end of the sprit extends too far aft of the mainsail, the tip of the sprit may strike the mizzen while tacking. This can happen on my Bay River Skiff. Not sure about the Core Sounds. Here is an eyestrap on the end of a sprit. There is one on either side of the sprit. The sheet clips to the bottom one (shown), and the clew of the sail clips to one on the other side (not shown). Please send your email address to donsilsbe@gmail.com. I have something to send you.

The subject mentions keeping rain out. You will not keep rain out of the boat with the masts so low to the boat. Been there, done that. You need to devise a way to prop those masts up high enough to keep the water from puddling. For me, that means at least 12”, and more like 18”. Everybody has their own special way of doing this.

Richard— When you assemble the c/b trunk, we all know that it is “inadvisable” for it to contain any twist. The best surface for doing this is a granite countertop. They are super flat. You’ll need to clear that with the War Department, but I’m telling you that it works like a champ.

This is what I do.

If you’re just looking for a little protection underneath that carport, all you need is a poly tarp and some parachute cord to tie it off to the trailer.

A friend of mine uses a hole like that for a small loop of shock cord. This gets stretched around the clew of the sail, once it is threaded onto the point of the sprit. The loop of bungee cord ensures that the clew remains attached to the sprit. The points on my sprits are a little longer than this, and I’ve never needed the bungee retainer loop.

I doubt it. I suspect that the block attached there originally, but they moved it forward a foot or so. The mizzen sheet starts by being tied off to the becket on the end of this block, which I circled in green. From there, it goes through the block that is attached to the transom. After that, it goes through the main portion of the block with the becket in it (in this photo), and forward to the block at the forward end of the sprit. From there, it goes down to the center jam cleat.

The decks and akas have been glued up now. Dry fit: Glue-up:

What I love about these boats, and wooden ones in general, is that you can try stuff. If you don’t like it, change it. Just fill the screw holes, sand it, and give it a swipe of paint.

If you look at the second video I sent you, at the 38 minute mark, you will see how this all connects. The difference being that your hook remains on the sprit instead of the mast. I prefer to keep my snotters attached to the masts, instead of on the sprits. It really is a matter of personal preference. With the way it is on your boat, the only drawback is that you must reeve the snotter through the blocks every time you rig for sailing. When they are on the mast, you simply clip the snotter to the sprit. I suggest going with what you have for now, and consider changing it after you’ve sailed her for a while. Both work perfectly fine. It’s simply a matter of convenience.

I use 16 mil poly tarps to cover my boats. I weigh them down with gallon water jugs filled with water, and attached with S-hooks. The 16 mil tarps are heavy, but last longer than the thinner models. Even these are only good for about three years, before they start leaking. This is why I recommended Top Notch.

Here’s a basic snap kit from Seachoice, available through Amazon. https://a.co/d/frhgz7m In the long run, though, these snaps will be the most troublesome. twist-lock fasteners are easier to remove. https://a.co/d/cBhbkQe Sailrite’s products are more expensive, but may be of higher quality than stuff ordered off Amazon. Just my gut feel.

You’re right. The hook attaches to the mast, and the line goes down the mast. On my 15, there’s a cleat at the base of the mast. Most boats these days run the line all the way back to the skipper, along the side deck. I’ve been saving the best fact for last. We call this line the snotter. I’m not joking. This is the traditional name for it. On my boat, I use green line, for obvious reasons. Also, I noticed some short lines with hooks on the end. These are probably the downhauls. This is another line that is run back to the skipper on modern boats.

The two white sticks in your latest photos are called sprits. The shorter one is for the rear sail, which we call the mizzen. The longer sprit is for the front sail, which is called a mainsail. The sails are trimmed (or pulled in and out) by the blue lines we call sheets. On your boat, the main sheet (highlighted in yellow) passes through the block (pulley) on the seat circled in yellow, goes up to the block (pulley) on the sprit for the mainsail, and down to the block on the other side of the seat. The ends are then passed through those cam cleats that are directly behind the blocks. Be sure to tie a figure eight stopper knot in the bitter ends of the line! The mizzen sheeting system is a little trickier. This is different than the drawing. Fortunately, I tried this way on my yellow boat, before going a more conventional route. I’ve highlighted those lines in yellow, and included a photo of the line (not rope) routing on my boat. I hope this helps. All of this is frustrating to me, as I offered to visit you last February 2023. In fact, I spent 10 days in Bokelia, and was semi-bored. Had I known you were so close, I could have looked you up. But you never responded to my offer, so I had no way of knowing. Water over the dam. I hope this helps.

I found this in an old set of plans I have for a Core Sound 15. Your 17 will be pretty much the same. Do keep in mind that every boat owner rigs their boats differently. But the basics are shown here on these photos. If you want, you could request a pdf from B&B of the rigging plan for the 17. The cost wouldn’t be too much.

The akas are roughed out now. These are the support structure for the hatches.

There are no ropes on boats.

Sailrite (https://www.sailrite.com/search?keywords=Snaps) offers many snap options. The Lift-a-Dot and Twist Lock fasteners are the most popular. I like the most expensive ones, of course. The Loxx Pull It Up fasteners are cool. Haven’t tried them yet. A friend of mine made a tent for his Core Sound 17. He used Twist Lock fasteners.

Sailrite (https://www.sailrite.com/search?keywords=Snaps) offers many snap options. The Lift-a-Dot and Twist Lock fasteners are the most popular. I like the most expensive ones, of course. The Loxx Pull It Up fasteners are cool. Haven’t tried them yet. A friend of mine made a tent for his Core Sound 17. He used Twist Lock fasteners.

Most of the daysailers are set up like Paul356 has done, which is what I showed you in the photos above. But tje Core Sound Mark 3’s have a weighted centerboard, and no downhaul. Since I wanted the forward part of the cockpit clear for my first mate, I put a weighted c/b to my Bay River Skiff. I added about 15# of lead to the tip of the board. My uphaul line is located under the center seat, just to the left of the centerboard trunk. It works fine, and keeps The Boss happy. Let’s hope there is enough lead in your centerboard to do the trick.

This boat just got LARGE!

David Heckman is one example of a WCTSS member who could help you. He owns a Core Sound 17, and cruises with that group. I believe he lives in Sarasota or the Tampa Bay area. Dale Young is another. He just sold his Core Sound 17. He’s wintering in Avon Park, but just attended the cruising event on Cayo Costa very near you. There are others in that group who are owners of cat ketches, but these two comes to mind.