Jknight611

I have some problems finding good wood in “da south “. I find if you buy 2X12 you can rip them into useable sizes. Keeping in my mind the 2X12 likely comes from larger trees and you can find some good stock either side of the center heart wood. Also small sawmills are a great resource for wood, I am willing to pay a premium, (still less expensive than big box stores) to chose the materials I need. I have a local saw mill that the owner has gotten interested in my current project and helps with choice wood, so some networking is a good thing.

Nice Don, I like the toggles you came up with. Fun messing with the Amsteel, I use it on several hammocks I have made or modified for motorcycle camping. Interested to see how it holds up.

Hi Don, did you see the requirements to now purchase the Garlock Ez In from Fisheries Supply? Note: Due to installation complexities EEZ-In II ladders can be sold only to OEMs and Authorized Installers So as builders can we be considered OEM in this instance?

Well, what is this quarantine you speak of.....I have been busy building Matthew Flinders and haven’t kept up with the news. Building a boat practically “garentees” your privacy! My help just returned from a mission trip in Saipan, she is in her own private quarantine......or is she avoiding sanding??!! Hope everyone stays safe in these rather trying times, I just lost a motorcycle friend to the virus.

Graham did a demonstration at the Messabout several years ago, I am actively looking for the notes I took. I used his technique on my CS20.3 and I like how it came out. Maybe Graham will join in.

I think I have found a novel way to self quarantine oneself.......mention to your friends that you are doing some sanding and getting ready to lay fiberglass. All the sidewalk engineers have disappeared?

How ‘bout a camping hammock tarp? Ridge line between the masts, and tie the edges to the gunwales.

Pete has designed the neatest boarding ladder on his CS20.3 Chessie. It is compact, doesn’t look like a jungle-gym and comparatively easy to build, most importantly easy to use. I R&Ded at the Messabout but with Mathew Flinders my CS20.3 is enjoying a vacation.

Hi Chick, if you had a simple loop over the main sheet that if pulled (falling overboard event) the mainsheet from the cleat, boat would roundup and wait for you. Something like that work? My lanyard setup I use not simply keeps you oriented to the center of the cockpit, can’t fall overboard from there but it does present some problems.

On our CS20.3 we have a mizzenmast tabernacle arrangement, we use 2 of the “loop” nuts, one for the mizzen mast pivot bolt and one to tighten the mizzenmast to the “holder up bolt”. At night or when we feel it is appropriate, a harness on the PFD with a lanyard to attached to the boat gives some security. Hard to imagine the frustration seeing the departing transom of your boat. A very tragic event. If the rotor wash caused capsize, could that be attributed to the sheets being cleated, and unattended.

Nice, did ya happen to weigh the boat when completed?

I am jealous.....I didn’t have an issue with security on a iPad. I did use the links at the bottom and they went though. But now it goes back the original page.

Nice job! Looks good!

Hi Mark, my CS20.3 has 2 gen 1 flexible solar panels and if memory serves they are 18 watts each, so on the deck with some shadows, I expect 20-24 watts total, so crew electrocution isn’t a problem. I have several led cabin lights, and a really cool NASA Supernova mast head light, also charge a small vhf handheld. I use a 24 series AGM battery and have never had any electric supply problems. As always, YMMV.

Well, I am sure it will gather some sargassum grass along the way, but there is a stub keel, and a electric motor pod ahead of the rudder which will help. We plan to use the boat in more open water and that should/maybe help. The actual foot plate doesn’t protrude ahead of the rudder leading edge, that will help too.

Hi Joe, dat green thing is the base plate on da foot of the rudder, trying to control the higher water pressure from slipping over the bottom of the rudder. Fixed rudder so it might make it more efficient. It may turn out to be just something to stand on when I do my walking on water act.

Didja see the “Big Pour” Alan posted on Facebook when we poured Mathew’s keel? I gathered every used wheel weight within a 50 mile radius of Tylertown! An 1800 lb keel is like moving an armadillo.

Many thanks for the link to the video. We are nearing that point, and a video is worth 1000 words. I think we will glass the deck before tackling the hull, to get the glassing mojo warmed up. Currently finishing making drawers and some storage ideas for the laserett, and the ever glamorous rebuilding the head pump. Graham and I discussed an end plate for the rudder so I layed up a 1 inch thick fiberglass foot for the rudder with the intent controlling the hi an lo pressure water flow, like the current trend of winglets on airplanes. Cabin top is nearing complete, insulated deck and cabin “should “ help with condensation. I keep delaying applying primer in the cabin, want to make durn sure all my ducks are in order before I start that phase.

Pete, the owner’s manual is an excellent idea! A home built boat is a unique creation, and a document that will help another sailor will be a huge help to the uninitiated. Do you plan to “publish “ here? I am a huge believer on R&D (research & duplicate) .

I guess there is 2 schools of thought, I think it makes it easier to find things inside, easier to wipe it out (easier to see the grit an stuff). The other thought is you can easily see what is going on under the epoxy coating. I painted everything under deck on my CS20.3 with Sherwin Williams Tile Clad, 2 part epoxy. On the current build I am painting but using Total Boat BilgeCoat.

I bet I am not to first to have “problems “ holding light fiberglass cloth up while you fit and apply the epoxy, I was glassing the ice box today and it is kinda hard to reach (didn’t think to do this before I installed the foam box). It came to me to try basting tape, I have a heavy sewing machine and basting tape is something I use a lot of. Well, a little strip of 3/8 basting tape holds the dry glass in place perfectly while you fiddle around getting it “just right”. After you apply epoxy I couldn’t find evidence of the tape through the laminate. Sure made it easier messing with the light glass. I may try using this technique when we glass the hull.

Your boat is looking really nice, you are in the fun phase. The spring sticks are a good idea, I on the other hand, with a bit of Neanderthal technology, just shot sheetrock screws. When I was nearly finished I had a friend that is rabid on metal detecting sniff the boat looking for errant screws.

Looks great Mark, you will be sanding in mo time! It does slow down when the temperatures drop, but I find my ambitions diminished it 105F too! Epoxy sure cures quick tho

And a very happy New Year to all! Here is a picture of the cabin before the foam insulation. The inner skin is maybe 3/16 inch and it was easily formed over the fore/aft building jig, yea the one that knocks my head. Simply filet an tape to the equally thin side inner skins. The 3/4 inch SYP is just formed over the fore/aft building jig on the cnc drawn lines on the top side of the inner skins. I then installed a 3/4 inch blocking (thickness of the insulation) on the outboard sides of the overhead panel and sidewall intersection for a landing spot for the outer top and side skins. If you notice the blocking just aft of the top hatch that is where the forward cabin knees tie into the overhead. There is some 3/4 blocking on the side walls to carry the deck house top loads to the deck carlins. I plan to epoxy the foam to the inner skin when I install the top skin, kinda bond the entire skin and insulation assembly at one whack. The cabin top is at a stopping point till the foredeck is installed, and that is dependent on a bunch of seemingly minor stuff in the head and main tabernacle, because the cabin front sits on the foredeck. So chickens or eggs.... The location of the main sheet......errrrr probably not on the cabin top, might be a little far forward on the wishbone sprit weldment. I will be building the tabernacles soon, I want to extend the tabernacles so we have access to the cabin with the masts lowered, so with the mizzen tabernacle a little taller, possibly a block on the mizzenmast tabernacle up high with the sheet following down the tabernacle to a block/cleat arrangement at the base if the tabernacle and bridge deck. If I find I need to control mainsail twist I may make a twinger arrangement in place of a main sheet traveler. A taller tabernacle might make a good support for the aft tube support on the dodger too! Time will tell.

Well, the cabin is coming together, the insulation is in place an looking good. I am in a quandary on the hatch on the cabin top, originally I wanted a butterfly hatch simulated, I mean it would look like a butterfly hatch when closed and open similarly to a regular hatch, but after visualizing the cabin I am leaning towards a “store bought “ hatch. One of the funs in boat building is you have choices! My remedial hatch frame is completed, and the one I built backwards sure looks good, other than being...... well who hasn’t built 2 lefts an no rights. Glassed the rudders ( a big un an a little un). The core is Airex PXC is super strong, light, rigid, waterproof, chemical proof, nuclear weapon resistant and the absolute work of the devil! I sanded the mill marks and rounded some areas....... I will be scratching for a week! Never imagined it was that nasty to work with.