Don Silsbe

Ted, I went sailing today, to check out my new sprit placement and modified downhaul system. I took this photo of my mizzen sheeting system. Thought you might find it helpful. The c/c slot job went perfectly, btw!

That high-build primer is there so you can sand 2/3 of it away. Its main purpose is to act as a sort of final step of fairing compound, more than to provide “grip” for the top coat. Yes. Sand away. That’s what it is for. It will be lovely.

@PadrePoint— I hung my sprits below the masts. The problem I got doing this was that at road speed, the wind scooted the brackets aft. That’s why you’ll see some white paracord in there. Also, I don’t support my masts in the middle for trailering. I used to. But since I furl (wrap) my sails around the mast for storage, they rubbed at that middle support. Had to replace the main because of that, since I got a series of holes in my sail. If you remove your sails every time, you don’t have to worry about this.

Y’all would be surprised at how well it works. I understand the theory. But I’m not racing. And I’m NOT getting a crick in my old neck from looking up at the masthead. TRY IT— IT WORKS!

This is how I did it on my Two Paw 8. 33F2AE03-8E8C-4ED1-8CA3-EF4265D34995.MOV

I have tried it on the mizzen, both high and low. The high position must be above the snotter rig. This spot is clear of the mainsail, but too high to be useful. The lower position is effective, but interferes with the mainsail. If I locate this rig on the main mast, rotation of the mast makes the wind indicator unusable much of the time. Since the vane is below the mast, it is less affected by sail. The main purpose for this wind vane is to give me a general idea of wind directional change. Here in the foothills, there is a lot of highly variable light air. When there’s a 40 to 90 degree shift, it’s nice to know what to do. When I have a good breeze, I can adjust the telltails attached to the sail.

@Aphers— This boat has sprits, way up high. And the sail clears it. I had it on the front of the mizzen, but the main kept whacking it. @Chick Ludwig— yeah, yeah. I also have tell tails on the sail. This is mInly for figuring out those famous Appalachian foothill wind shifts. Everyone— I’m still experimenting. Next, I might mount it to the forward bulkhead.

I’ve been trying various locations for windex placement. On top of the mast is out of the question, for guys like me over 70. A little lower, please! Today, I think I hit on a great solution. At least it will work for my solo outings, which are most of the time.

Oops! When I was out in Local Honey the last time I passed a SUP boarder. I asked him what happened to the sides of his boat. He wasn’t amused.

I told Jan in a text that the d/b is supported very well on this boat. That must be a big factor in never seeing a failure. I advised her to save the tapered, glassed joint for a repair procedure, if needed, in the future.

You guys and your stories... Please keep ‘em coming!

Darn! And you were so close to having a pony tail! (I keep mine short, too.)

I’ve touched up my fillets, to make ‘em pretty. I have a little mire sanding to do, before the next step. Q: What’s the next step? This seat will live in a garage for 99% of its life. I don’t think I need to apply numerous coats of epoxy. I want to apply about four or five coats of cheap Minwax polyurethane. That should do it. What do you think?

Nice work!

Well, boys and girls, it got very abrasive in the workshop today. I sanded down all my lumps and bumps from when I went crazy with dookie schmutz. (A Nick Schade term for thickened epoxy.) I relearned the importance of doing neat, clean work, since I had to sand off a lot of product. I discovered a couple of holidays, too. Guess I’m going back in with goo, to clean up a couple of spots, and make some corrections. But she looks pretty good. It is also a very comfortable design.

Fine work!

One part poly (specifically Britesides) has fallen from grace with me. It doesn’t wear as well as two-part poly. I suggest that you buck up, and just do it. This is what my interior looked like after four seasons. Last summer I even did some touch-up. I use my boat about the same way you will use yours. I just don’t think it is worth putting anything on our boats but the best.

Maybe some FISH harvesting!

Today, I sanded and tweaked, until it wanted to lay naturally on a flat surface. Then, I tack-glued it all together.

Between my self-containment due the the pandemic (I’m fine), and coaching my friend Jan on her S12 build, I got the itch to stitch up some Okoume. So, I bought some plans for a seat for my Flyfisher 13 yesterday. I downloaded them, printed them, and started cutting up scraps. It is going quickly! Here’s where I am, so far.

In your cost calculations, you need to factor in battery life. And with AGM batteries, which I prefer over lead-acid, there are limits to how deeply they can be discharged. If you go beyond those limits, the battery will not recover. I still like the idea of electric over diesel or gasoline. But there are no simple solutions for those windless days.

Darn! After reading that beautiful article, I want to build a S9N! My TP8 suits my needs perfectly, though. But it looks so fine in those pictures! Thanks, Graham, for sharing that story.

When I built my mast sleeve, I took great pains to install a little drain in the bottom, so it wouldn’t fill up with rain water. It just occurred to me that with a boat this small, you can just roll it over to empty any accumulation. Duh!

I’ve been all over the B&B website, and searched with various key words. Where is the masthead float?

I am interested in adding a strip of hollowback to my Bay River Skiff, when I repaint her next year. I have reservations about doing this. I’m concerned that the attachment screw holes will provide an entry point for water. How do I do this, without compromising my boat’s integrity?