Doug Cameron

Graham is right. It all depends on weather. You have to launch from the beach and you have to take whatever gear you used to launch with you. You have to get under the bridge that Graham mentioned, which means that you have to strike masts and sails. You have to get through the shallows of Florida Bay. You have to navigate through shallows, wave-battered passes with contrary tides, and open water. You must have propulsion for when there is no wind. The race has been won by a Laser, a Paradox mini-cruiser, a Texas Water Safari canoe (in terrible weather with below freezing temperatures in the 'Glades and winds over 40 knots at times), a schooner rigged canoe, a NorseBoat, and the Core Sound 17. If you look at the top five or so, you will see an amazing assortment, including multi-hulls. Salty Frog, Riverslayer and Shar Chow are always near the top in off-the-shelf kayaks and kit stitch-and-glue kayaks, and they would have a tremendous advantaage in really bad weather. If there is little or no wind, XLXS with his Huki wave ski will only be handicapped by needing to rest, though my bet is always on a tandem boat that can keep going 24 hours. It's a lot of fun. Watch and see. Doug (aka Ridgerunner)

I have been kept out of the shop by a shoulder operation with the Core Sound 20 stitched up and ready for fillets. So I'm getting ahead of myself and reading and re-reading the plans and staring at the boat. I have a couple of questions: 1. How do you determine fore-aft level? 2. Develin writes that wood flour is the only proper thickener for fillets because the epoxy will fun out of a Cabosil mixture. Any input? Thanks, and happy new year. Doug

In the first 24 hours, you can get a primary (chemical) bond. After that, you have to sand and only have a mechanical bond. Also the Gugeon Bros. say that you should precoat before the thickened epoxy in the scarf or the dry wood will pull the epoxy away from the scarf and into it's spaces. Again, if you do the thickened coat soon after the pre-coat, there will be a strong chemical bond. I would want to wait on pre-coating just to avoid the sanding (wear a good respirator -- epoxy dust is not good for your lungs).

I may be a bit confused (I often am), but I thought that you did the whole fillet and then pulled the wires ( as opposed to filleting between the wires). You can make a mixture of epoxy and cabosil and use your putty knife to work it into the holes when you flip the boat. Do many of you do the two step fillet operation

I have bottom and sides scarfed and cut out for the Core Sound 20. The transom, bulkheads, and temporary station are cut out. I have some clear pine and some poplar (the fafavoritef the late Robb White). Will either or both work for stringers? For inwales? I hope to put the book together this weekend or early next week and open it soon after unless I have to go in search for other wood..

CS 20 hull #85 is on the way. With Graham's advice, the scarfing is going fine. But, a question arises: When scarfing the 3/8" plywood bottom on the CS 20 to fit with the 1/4" bow, do you fit the 1/4 on the 3/8 outside flush or do you match them in some other manner? Thanks. Doug

My Everglades Challenge racing partner, Michael Collins, and I just got back from a weekend at Graham and Carla's, picking up plywood for a Core Sound 20 (#85) and getting a few tips. There was a lot of talk about huhurricainesnd high water. With the storm coming through this week, I hope that Carla and Fred are OK (Graham escaped to Australia). Doug