1blueheron

I would second the Georgetown area. Been there once and put it on my bucket list to get back there with a boat.

Steve and Chick, Let me know if you find any good deals at scroungers and yes it is in asheville. It's a bit of a drive for me but, if they have some good stuff cheap, I might make the trip. tHEY ARE LISTING 3/16" Okume on their website right now which would make some great cabin skins for me. Doesn't say if it is marine or not. Wife is itching to visit Biltmore anyway. I'm about 1.5 hr north of Gibsonville. Hardwoods of NC has some cool stuff if you like exotic wood. I could drop some serious coin in that place if I had it.

Steve, Which of thier Marine ply are you looking at? Okume, Meranti. Birch... I bought some 6mm Meranti their a little over a year ago. Had no issues and was decent stuff. I will check tonite if I can remember to see what brand it was. I remember it had a dragon symbol stamp on it. I think I read good stuff about the Mourkis stuff back awhile. If you are in western NC, give the guy at scroungers paradise a call. At times he has some marine ply there for a good price. He had some Okume back a couple years ago that was ridiculously cheap. He also has some other exotic woods like teak, mahoghany, sapele, Ipe, that you might find useful for your build.

Have you looked at the Tolman Skiff Standard? Basically a planing warped hull skiff with dory sides. Decent ride quality, efficient, easy to build, very seaworthy. The plans are made for S&G and plywood panels but no real reason one couldn't be done in lapstrake. It is 18' in it's standard version but could be scaled down to 17 to suit your needs and a 25HP outboard should push it nicely.to about 20 MPH with 3 persons aboard Another starting point for ideas might be the Long Point which checks off most your boxes. http://www.thomasjhillboatdesigns.com/the_long_point.html

Conventional wisdom on boats is that you must either cut through the waves or go over them. To go through them you need a sharp, fine entry to knife through. A flat stern keeps you on plane and gives you fuel efficiency. The drawback to sharp entry and flat stern is she will want to bow steer or broach in a following sea. So the opposite approach is to go over them with less bow angle and more deadrise. This allows you to mave along the tops of the waves without pounding but it sacrifices efficiency in the process requiring more hP and fuel burn. In order to do a fair comparison, you need to establish the conditions you will be running in most and what speed and efficiency you wish to obtain. Slow cruising the Inner passage is much different than running offshore 100mi. for tuna or halibut and back. Both of these can be done in the PNW. I see both as fine designs but I would guess the OB has more deadrise at the transom and will take larger seas a bit better I suppose but it will also sacrifice a little interior space and efficiency, both areas for which the Bluejacket is optimized while being designed for somewhat more protected waters. I looked long and hard at both of these designs as well. I wanted a little more beam and interior space than the B&B but better offshore capability than what the Bluejacket was designed for.

I am presently working on a Great Alaskan Skiff build (a Tolman spinoff designed by Brian Dixon) with a few of my own tweeks and mods. Brians plans call for Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) to use for stringers. The reason for this is that they can be obtained in long lengths, a variety of widths, are structurally tested and rated and usually made from D.Fir or SYP which both have pretty good strength/weight ratios and both are relatively rot resistant species as opposed to some of the other stuff that usually makes its way into the SPF category. They will resist cupping, warping, twisting and all the other problems you might encounter using solid sawn timbers. They are a little bit heavier because of glue content and I would recommend planing of the wax coat they usually ship with before applying epoxy and cloth. Pricing varies by supplier but just about any contractor lumber supply house can get them in whatever length you need, sold by the linear foot. You can rip wide ones to whatever dimensions you need if desired. Sometimes 2x10 or 2X12 dimensional lumber will have internal stresses that when ripped into smaller peices can bow or twist. BTW, these are also stronger than typical built up plywood stringers as all of the grain runs longitudinally along the strength access yeliding a stringer roughly 2X stronger than a plywood version of the same specie in longitudinal stiffness. Might be worth consideration.

1blueheron, I got your PM. The boat is in the barn with the T Top folded down. When I get it out the next time and I remember, I'll get the measurements for you. I could have given my console a better finish, but I don't care and neither does anyone else. The boat is actually freaking awesome. Here is a pic of my latest build. I have been busy, but finished this little boat in 9 weeks. I didn't have to purchase any lumber to build it, I used all the left over paint, lumber, etc. from my last 3 boat builds. IMG_9740.JPGIMG_9675.JPG Thanks for your help Miyot. I think you answered all the questions I had in your responses to Oyster. Nice Glen L build. Looks like fun.

Miyot, Just thought I would ask how your season went and what your impressions are at this point. I'm sure your still a pretty proud poppa. If there was anything you could have done different what would it have been? Seriously considering this build myself and tweeking my wish list. Interested in your experience. I have PM'd you.

Lance, Great job on the boat. I am exploring the possibilities of building a 24 in the express style. I sent you a PM

Tee tops can be nice for providing a place to mount things overhead like electronics, VHF, rod holders etc. and to provide a bit of shade. Downside on a boat the size of Marissa is that they can make the back cast when fishing difficult. Not a problem for trolling, drifting or bottom fishing. I don't know how the additional wind drag of a t-top would effect performance etc.

Lake Hartwell is a bit of a haul for me but I would like to see some other folks projects and meet up with some. MattP, I would love to see what you've got and any other local builders/projects you know of. SML/ Moneta is only about an hour from my place on Leesville. A cousin of mine lives in Moneta.

Thanks to both of you. This is exactly the info I was looking for and it will give me food for thought.

Haven't been on either Cherokee or Douglas. I have fished South Holsten Lake. Nice little lake but has a pretty big level fluctuation as well. That and Wautauga shouldn't be a bad drive.

I am not trying to take anything away from the Spindrift. The reason I ask this question is I currently have an old Alcort Sailfish. It is the boat I had as a kid and learned to sail on. My son is now 12 and I would like to teach him to sail but the sailfish is not good for 2 people and I have put on several pounds since I last sailed her. I think she would look more like a sail powered submarine than boat if I got on her. So I am wondering if I could use the sail, mast, spar, and some of the rudder hardware and adapt it to the spindrift which would make a great all purpose boat for him to learn boating and sailing. The sail is roughly the same sq.ft. (75) but is a lateen rig. I could build a sunfish but the sunfish would not accept an outboard motor unlike the spindrift so it would not be as versatile. Any ideas or suggestions? Would this work with some compromise or minor modification or am I foolish to think about it?

mattp, Yes, we are almost neighbors. My late uncle, who loved to sail, had a place on SML off S.Hickory Hill Dr. Perhaps you know the area. My cousin still has the place. I agree SML is certainly beautiful in fall and spring and less busy than in the summer months. Winds are more predictable. It can blow pretty steady in the main channel down towards the dam in fall and spring. Winter it can almost be brutal. Its been a few years since I was up there. I used to bass and Striper fish SML a bit. We moved to Leesville because it was so much quieter, cheaper and less boat traffic. We just have to contend with level fluctuations and some trash but that has gotten better recently. I'm lucky to see 5 boats on a nice summer sat. or sunday and even fewer few jet skis. Not to take anything away from SML it definitly has its redeeming virtures. I think Kerr is the ideal VA/NC sailing lake due to the items you mentioned, its sheer size and being in flatter area.

I live on Leesville Lake, VA. It is small and very under utilized. It is tucked in the Staunton River Valley so the wind is never terribly strong and there is never much wave action or boat traffic. Lake is about 17 mi long, dam to dam. About 10 mi is easily navigable deep water. Great if you want solace and meditation. We are about 3 hours North of Charlotte, 2.5 hours north of Winston/Salem It is part of the Roanoke River chain of lakes which upstream includes Smith Mt. Lake, (Large lake but traffic and constant maneuvering can make it a sailing challenge, lots of little coves to overnight in though) Downstream from Leesville takes you to Kerr Reservoir which would also make a nice sailing experience. Then down to Gaston. All have reasonable launch ramps if you choose carefully, many are state owned and free or very reasonable. Outboards are permitted on all of them. Philpott might also be a possibility?

Will be praying.

That's good. Sorry to hear the hurricane messed you up. What inlet were you running out of? Will wait for the final numbers and once again congrats on completing your build. I hope to start a build one day soon, not sure what the first will be.

Not to take anything away from the previous recommendations but you might also want to check out Bluejacket boats. I think they meet all of your specs with the exception of being designed for outboard power vs. inboard. The designer, Tom Lathrop is an acquaintance of Graham Byrnes. Another one to check out is Cheseapeake Marine Designs Launch Cruiser 24. Designed for a 9HP Yanmar 1GM10 diesel with a cruise speed of 6Kts. A little slower than you stated but less power too. A few minor modifications could probably get you up to speed. Layout is almost precisely what you describe. Modest cabin acoomodations forward and ample deck aft for deckchairs with shade. The Redwing 26 is a little more boat with a 8-10kt cruise with a 20-30 HP inboard or outboard. It is a Piltohouse style cruiser. A canopy aft would be an easy fit. If I were to do a small diesel inboard I would consider Beta engines. They are stock Kubota block engines that are marinized to fairly high standards. Parts are a lot easier to source and reportedly much cheaper than many of the other small marine diesels. These are all available in stock plans. Of course having something designed specifically for you is the best way to go but will cost you a little extra for design work. Good luck and Godspeed.

Miyot, Can you tell us on your test run what was the minimum RPM/speed to mantain plane before falling back off. Did she go bow high before planing or was coming on plane a smooth transition? You have a beautiful boat there! you have done yourself proud!

One of my favorite nautical songs and another: and my favorite as a child. Row Row Row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily merrily merrily merrily Life is but a dream.... Good thread!

Howard, Thank you for the thoughtful replies. Your mind works similar to mine. If i am going to take the effort to buid something myself, i like to go the extra mile and get the details right. Using quartersawn flatsawn and even riftsawn in the apprpriate places should yeild greater strength and stability. Usibg the right parts of the log become a multiplier of that factor. I like the idea of bending some in a pre dry state and them allowing it to air dry to equilibrium. Perhaps i should consider a niche market opportunity in custom sawing for cold mold builders and hobbyists. Sourcing from a truss builders was a good idea. They do get some of the better stuff but it still isnt like picking out a tree and making prime cuts to specific to use. Ken, I might be wrong but i got the impression that graham tries to design around what the average home builder would have ready access to like dimensioned SPF type big box lumber. I would not try to replace the entire stem and keel with the white oak, just perhaps a 3/8" center core to give it more strength, and more important impact and crush resistance. I had the privilege of touring the uss constitution and was very impressed with the use of white oak and ots longevity in a marine environment. It is literally bullet proof in a multi- layr planked hull. Just a guess but i would venture my white oak piece would add less tha 12 lbs. To the build and that could likely be made back using eastern red cedar for battens or planking. Eastern red cedar is very lightweight and rot resistant. It is not a true cedar but is rather in the juniper family. I know juniper was used extensively in the core sound area back in the day. Yellow pine erc, and white oak are all rot resistant wheras white pine and many firs are not so much. Granted it is all epoxy coated but it makes.me feel better knowing there is a second line of defense. Btw. Most of the walnut on the east coast is black walnut which is different than the english walnut they grow in groves in CA. Pecan is probably the east coast equivalent of west coast walnut. Neither bring a premium like black walnut. Yellow poplar is very light and strong. There is some very high quality poplar being harvested here now and large clear defect free wood is the norm. Might make a good alternative as well.

Well said Peter.

I'm new here and still feeling my way around but I like to say what I think. One man's feast is another man's famine. It is nice to sell something and make some money or be reimbursed for the value of your time when you make something. Seems I was just reading on another thread about designers feeling they should be compensated adequately for their intellectual property and time in designing a boat. Likewise, craftsman feel they should be compensated for thier work. Unfortunately, the time has arrived where quality and workmanship are no longer desired or appreciated by the masses. There are a few of us who look beyond sticker price and option sheets and look for quality, craftsmanship, longevity and functionality. It is difficult if not impossible to put a price tag on these qualities. What it really comes down to is what the market will bear. (Fair market value) This is usually only had when time is not limited and you do well marketing your product to the right audience. IMHO there is nothing evil about selling at a loss, nor is their anything righteous about making a profit. The important thing is that the seller and buyer are both in agreement when they part ways. If I am in a hard spot and need to sell my precious boat, I would much rather sell it to friend who may not be financially plush but will give the craft the love and care it deserves than to sell it to a wealthy pompous jerk who is paying more than its fair value to impress his friends and then let's it sit in a boathouse rotting, never sailed and never maintained. This is the worst fate for the product of any man's hard labor. Unappreciated. We live in a society which appreciates immediate gratification and disposability. This is why craftsmanship and traditional skills are going the way of the dodo bird. It is a cycle though as is everything in nature. It will come back around and when it does it is usually at a much greater sacrifice and price. As craftsman, and artist one must understand that the masses are ignorant and be willing to work and produce based on principle and ethic. In the end this is what give value to your creation and it can only be apprecited by those who understand the sacrifice made to bring it into existance. This is why so many great lost masterpeices are purchased at yard sales. That's why so many beautiful boats are sold less than the some of their components or even given away.

Howard, I am located in Virginia. About an hour north of the NC state line. It probably would not be viable or cost effective to ship from here to missouri but you might be able to find a bandmill sawyer who could help you. Let me know what your needs are and what general region of your state you are in and I might be able to put you in touch with someone. Usually they are cheaper for a better quality product as they can cut out the middle man and the freight cost you absorb buying from the big boxes. They like markets where there is no grade stamp required to meet a "code". I talk with a lot of them on another forum. I only saw as a hobby at the present time. I bought the saw to build a timberframed house. Sawing is a lot of fun. Most of the truly beautiful wood never makes it to market. It is chipped up. Things like knees and crotches and burl. Gunstock posts and crucks made from natural butt flare etc. spalted, pecky and mineral stained. Neat stuff especially for furniture and trim. I will post some pictures when I can. I might consider sawing for others as time and logs allow or in trade for labor/expertise on a boat project. I'm rather dumb when it comes to glass/epoxy work. That's why I am here to learn. I do like to barter a bit. Most of our prime, dense, slow growth, tight grained southern yellow pine goes to telephone poles and treated lumber, Most of what you buy in the store as SYP is fast growth loblolly plantation grown and is very soft.