Gordy Hill

Looking good David! What kind of plywood are you using?

Matt, Why did you choose to rig your sprits like booms?

Pictures Joe! We want pictures!

John, Your boat is so pretty I think I'd consider a nice stainless pulpit and stanchions. The cost is only a tiny percentage of what you've already invested. Your boat is going to stop traffic wherever you go, I'll bet the kids will love it.

Looking good Howard! Nice job on the rudder and daggerboard.

I'd not be too concerned about UV affecting the centerboard as long as you keep the boat mostly right side up. The sun's rays might get in the cabin, but I think the centreboard trunk will block most of them.

Great website Tom! When I was shopping for a motor for my 16' CC I found that a Mercury 4-stroke is really a Yamaha inside. Also, the 50 horse and the 60 horse 4-strokes weigh the same. I've been told that the only difference is carburetion. So, if you would like 10 more horsepower, it may be available. It might be worth checking with someone who knows about such things.

I think you guys have missed something here. I've sailed a Sea Pearl and they're wonderful boats. They're long and thin and glide through the water nicely. They're also heavy compared to a Core Sound. As a general rule, heavy is bad. Adding weight to keep the sticks pointing up is kinda like carrying sandbags in your car to make it ride better. It may work, but there's a price to pay. I could get much more righting moment in my CS17 just by placing my ample self on the windward seat. Sitting on the rail would put me in another dimension. The most amazing thing about the Core Sounds is their incredible flexibility. They can sail well in very skinny water or off-shore swells. They can ghost along in a mere wisp of a breeze or power along in a gale. They can do this empty or with an impressive load. The Sea Pearl, fine boat that it is, just doesn't have the same range of performance. They're a handful going downwind in a heavy breeze and if conditions require filling part of the boat with water, maybe it'd be better just staying on shore. .Since the Core Sound has so much more beam, "talking balast" is far more effective than it would be in a narrower boat such as the Sea Pearl.

Beautiful Dale! I can't wait to see the compleated boat. Are you entering next year's EC?

Rob, I found tapered fiberglass poles at a surplus store. They'd been cut with a hack saw to about 9 feet and were just the right diameter to go into the lower aluminium mast sections. They weighed a fraction of the weight of the lower sections. I've been told they were antennas from cell towers.

Jeff, I wrapped my main tightly around the mast and moved the mizzen to the center mast step and the boat sailed wonderfully! There will always be a trade off between the sleeve and sail track luffs. I feel the sleeve luff is much quicker and easier to rig, and my personal opinion is that I got a much cleaner airfoil and could point a bit closer and go to windward a bit better. I've been in really heavy weather with just the mizzen and never considered spilling the sail. The boat was extreemly stable and was a delight when a number of reefed Sea Pearls wern't having a good time at all! Actually, I'd consider going out in just about any storm that's not named.....ok, maybe not quite that confident, but you should try it.

Jeff, I wrapped my main tightly around the mast and moved the mizzen to the center mast step and the boat sailed wonderfully! There will always be a trade off between the sleeve and sail track luffs. I feel the sleeve luff is much quicker and easier to rig, and my personal opinion is that I got a much cleaner airfoil and could point a bit closer and go to windward a bit better. I've been in really heavy weather with just the mizzen and never considered spilling the sail. The boat was extreemly stable and was a delight when a number of reefed Sea Pearls wern't having a good time at all! Actually, I'd consider going out in just about any storm that's not named.....ok, maybe not quite that confident, but you should try it.

You ARE going to be at Cedar Key aren't you? I plan to be there with my power boat and we can get some action shots of your boat. I'll be staying at the campgrounds. I just got a camper for my pickup. With it on the truck I can still pull the boat. I'm considering leaving the boat at the marina because the water at the campgrounds goes away twice a day. Are any other B&B boats going to be there this year?[/b]

It's coming Guys!!!! The first weekend in May Cedar Key will be overrun with small boats. The weather's usually somewhere between too cold or too hot and the sailing's usually great. Try the oyster omelet at the Red Lyon!

If this photo loads I'll try some more.

I have made it to Orlando on my way to the Everglades challenge and I am answering this from Gordy's computer. The problem with adding extra stuff to save you from going forward to tie up the skirt of the sail when reefing is that it takes you that much more time to rig the boat each time that you go sailing. The fun part of building your own boat is that you can rig it the way that you want. I would rig it as Travis has rigged his until you know the boat. As Travis has found, the boat heaves-to very well and is very stable, so for me it is not worth the clutter and extra rigging time to be able to totally reef from the cockpit. If you decide after a while that you would like reef from the cockpit, then you will have a better understanding of what is needed. Graham

Cedar Key Small Boat Get Together is coming up. It's always on the first weekend in May and that's about all the organization there is. It's a beautiful place to sail with numerous islands and empty beaches. Usually there are dozens of small sailboats and a great group of people.

Cedar Key Small Boat Get Together is coming up. It's always on the first weekend in May and that's about all the organization there is. It's a beautiful place to sail with numerous islands and empty beaches. Usually there are dozens of small sailboats and a great group of people.

Graham, I don't want one.

Howard, Try this link for some pictures of my rigging. http://groups.msn.com/smallboats/gordyscoresound17.msnw?Page=1

Nice report Tim! Glad to hear you had a nice sail. More pictures would be ok. You didn't say how you did after you found you were racing.

Nice job Jeff!! She looks great! That can't be all the pictures you took. Where's the rest of them?

If you go with the 2" PVC you can use a straight connecter to add on an extra two feet or so when your storing the boat. Then, with the masts raised, a plastic tarp will protect the boat from rain and sun and leave great ventilation at the ends.

Frank, It looks to me the line is going to the pointy end..........

I cut a 3" hole in the lower part of the centerboard and taped one side. Then I filled it with lead shot and epoxy. In light air it allows the board to ride with more exposure and it rides up easily when it contacts the bottom. I think the heavier board worked well for me. I sail in really shallow water. With more wind there's more lateral pressure on the board and it's resistance to movement becomes progressively stronger. I think your stick will work fine except when you really need it.