Jknight611

About time to give a brief update on the Flinders project. It is back upright and the 1800 poundish lead keel shoe is attached. The last few months I have been a sanding dervish, not much exciting to see there, those who have built boats know, and if you haven’t not wanting to dissuade anyone of the glamor! The interior and 71.2% of the wiring is completed or at least on the floor. After multiple mind changes I settled on a Kildwick composting head. But this was after installing all the required stuff for a traditional marine head. I gained an extra anchor locker in the space from the holding tank. Attached is a picture of the “roll team”. You may recognize some of the actors! So many thanks for their help.

Congratulations Alan! Very nice video!

Just leaving the B&B Headquarters, a great time was had, Saturday had some good sailing with lots of boats. Everyone learned something from Graham’s talk on how to get the best from his designs. Thanks to Graham, Alan, Tom, Nate, Bobby and Randy for making it a great Messabout.

Our Core Sound will be at the Messabout, take a look at our keel strip. It is unidirectional glass fibers set in epoxy (with some graphite powder). 5 years and holding up ok. Abrasion isn’t a problem but as I mentioned earlier point loading might be not as good. I think you will like your keel strip Don.

Another vote for the “pull type saw”. I can cut a bit of wood as fast and accurate as my miter saw. The rasp is nice, VERY aggressive, and I suggest a small block plane, I have a Fox brand and it has served me well. I am blessed with a large air compressor so a pneumatic nailer with tiny plastic nails (Talon brand) as been a big help. And I absolutely defy anyone to have enough clamps!

Lou Sauzedde (tips from a shipwright) did a YouTube video a while back on the difference in red/white oak using rubbing alcohol. That being said I trimmed my boat’s cabin with red oak, has enough epoxy to protect it from a nuclear blast. I find white oak is ridiculously expensive in our area, and the quality is suspect.

I think I did my keel strip totally different from anyone else on my CS20.3. I clamped a packing tape covered 1X4 to each side of the keel, the filled the gap with unidirectional glass with epoxy and graphite in the epoxy slurry. I wanted to experiment with a keel strip with no screws. So far it seems to be working, although I suspect it would/may crack it point loaded, but sand an shells seem to have no problems. All a compromise, I suppose.

Great to have that continuity with your boat. We have owned a 27ft cutter for 18 years, and I hope my Matthew Flinders build (and me) has as much longevity!

Looks really good! Guess you are too far to make the Messabout? Hopefully there will be a bunch of the MK 3’s

And a review of your Torqeedo motor would be appreciated! You will love the way the boat sails!

Hi Pete, I suppose it is dependent on the weight of the glass, this carpet I am glueing to the Flinders it won’t take many wraps at all!

I recently had a unusual problem with some acetone, I was cleaning PEG mold release agent from recently unmolded epoxy with acetone and noticed when it dried it left a thin sheen of oily substance. Read the label closely when messing with some acetone, I bought this pint can from my local Ace Hardware and In tiny print it said it was recycled acetone. It looks like some sort of petroleum sheen.

Hi Steve, yea, everything is heat soaked so my pot life of “slow” is just a few minutes. Patiently waiting for cooler weather!

Some of the glamour of boatbuilding has escaped me today....

I bought my Torqeedo pod from B&B, they are now a dealer. I haven’t gotten it wet yet but it looks like a quality piece. The motor is a fixed mount with a folding prop probably weighs 25-30 lbs.

Don, that is really nice! Beautiful lines and with your perfect finish you will have a show piece. (Which will give an excuse not to go rowing very often.)

The trim is cypress, long story but I met a young man that was selling pecan lumber, it was beautiful. I bought some (But not enough) noticed a lump on his ankle under jeans. He has since become a guest of the state for a 3-5 years. I did get enough to trim the head area and galley area, it looks pretty nice. Alan calculated the CG of the hull and I just put 2 1/2 eyebolts where he said. He got it perfectly! The forward end was supported by a engine hoist and the aft by a big cable hoist (cable come-a-long), which was supported by a Harbor Freight scaffolds. 2 hours setting up, 22 seconds to roll. We build 2 ultra sawhorses that keep the tabernacles 1 inch above the floor. If I would have thought a little harder I would have waited to install the tabernacles and the bumpkin till it is upright. I might call it boomkin when it is launched.

Thank you, Covid has kept me home more.....

Looks like a few months since a update on the Flinders project , true to form, some photos are sideways..... but the hull is inverted in real life. Electrical system, plumbing, interior are mostly complete, hull is glassed and 82% filled, this 17 oz glass was invented by the epoxy association. It guzzles the stuff! The stub keel is my current project, it is incredibly strong by design, with lots of glass. I will be taping it to the bottom panels with several layers of 24 oz unidirectional glass, then a overlay of 17 oz biaxial. That should hold it!

Hi Mark , when I was building my CS20.3 I fell from the bridge deck into the cabin floor and my left knee made a remarkably similar “defect”. I fixed it about like you did and it is totally invisible and maybe ev n stronger ( not that I want to do it again)

Very pretty! Bet it paddles nice.

Hi all, late to the discussion, been “social distancing “ while sanding/filling the glass on the Flinders. We have our CS20.3 set up to reef from the cockpit quickly. I have woven some colored thread through the main halyard to indicate where the halyard ends up at the cleat when reefed, so, Up into wind, tighten the mizzen sheet (kinda hove too). So I tighten the topping lift, loosen the snottter, release the main halyard to the colored thread on the cleat then pull the forward reefing line, clew reef line, then tighten snotter release the topping lift, then back under way, never leave the cockpit, and it takes 30 seconds. Hope everyone is well and planning to go to the Messabout, we wanted the Flinders to be completed but.......likely ain’t happin! So Southern Express will be there!

On a recent trip with our CS20.3 we stopped at a interstate rest area, walked the dogs, etc,, I then walked around the boat checking everything over, all fine. I have quite restricted view to the rear with the truck camper loaded so I am double vigilant on the walk around. In the time I completed my walk around and got belted in a young man in a spiffy RED jeep pulled in as close as reasonable. I had to reverse a foot or two to turn into the rest area exit lane, well my rudder blade went between the plastic fender and the metal body of the Jeep. It unzipped about 15 of those plastic rivet looking things! Almost removed his left front fender. I was soooo embarrassed, fortunately he was a nice guy and admitted partial fault which helped my bruised ego... $20 bucks to the Jeeper and a good inspection of Southern Express and back on the road. Think I will go look it over again.....

As you know, there are some excellent examples of CS20.3 along the Upper Atlantic coast should you want to see a boat up close.

We have raised/lowered masts on our boat In calm water with no problems. Might not be something you want to do in much of a seaway. The masts are light, set at a slight angle so they will lower into the small cradle on other tabernacle. Our main lowers to the port side of the mizzen tabernacle and we support it with a light line “harness “. We has originally a small cradle on the mizzen tabernacle but it was a great head/shoulder bumper so it was removed in favor of the line harness and a loop nut on the mizzenmast pivot bolt. The boat isn’t at our home now so I can’t get any pictures.