MikeStevenson
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Posts posted by MikeStevenson
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OK: The Super Skipjack plans are finally finished! They're going to the printers next week and as soon as we have them, I'll post an ordering link. I will be driving home and my ETA is around the 10th of Nov. I expect to post the ordering link that week, and some sailing video clips as well. We had a chance to take the prototype out last Saturday and it was quite fun.
Mike
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OK: It's up-and-running. Orders are being processed and shipped and we're working on the Super Skipjack plans at full-speed. Peter is about 30% of the way through the final layout and he and I are hoping to do the final proofing for printing next week. We're trying to make sure that Super Skipjack plans can be ordered in time for Christmas.
That's the news from Stevenson Projects!
Mike
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Frank: Thank you very much for your kind note! It has never been demanding to support our builders, even before the WWW; the only issues recently have been a general scatterin of our family which has made processing orders hard. Now that most of the moving of stuff has settled and people are in better spots, we've come to realise we've dropped the ball rather badly with StevProj. It's not hard to handle once the process is understood, but Peter has never been the one to handle this aspect of the business so now he's getting up-to-speed on the administrative side of things. All this will get sorted when I get to Texas next, which should be a in a couple weeks.
Bdann: I think there are some good spots to explore in Texas, although I have yet to get to the Gulf Coast. We're within a couple day's drive of Florida as well, which could be quite interesting. With all the driving I've been doing, anything less than 1000 miles seems close!
Mike
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And now we're back down again. Sorry, as always.
This time I share your frustration. I thought things were all ready to go; apparently not.
September 20th I'll flip the switch, one way or the other! It's time to get this back rolling...
I'm afraid all of the Stevenson Projects stuff is in Texas now, and I don't know of any current builders in the area. There was a guy in Monterey who had been very keen to start, but I never heard much beyond his initial planning. There are a lot of nice areas to explore around the Bay Area and within a hundred miles or so. I'm surprised there aren't more builders in that area.
Mike
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ARGGHH!
Sorry...I was told the phones are up. They are NOT. And now I think we'll just wait until we're all back in Texas to get them working.
SO: the PayPal is working, the telephones will not be until the second half of September.
Sorry, but at least something is up-and-running.
As to Duckworks, I'll mention it to Peter. I've only sailed a very short bit on the Guadelupe River, but Peter's using the little lake in Boerne to test the SSkip. It's just large enough to get a feel and the wind's pretty clear. Lake Buchanan looks like it'd be fun (bigger and no wind obstructions that I could see.) Not too far away; an hour-and-a-half, maybe?
Mike
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They'll be along in a bit...
Sorry,
Mike
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(sort of)
Hello All,
Yes, we've been bad and I KNOW everyone is ticked and yes, IT'S RUDE and unmannerly to run things as we have and...Etc. We know, and all we can say is sorry, but there've been a lot of things going on...(Zanniwhoop-like, if anyone gets that.)
The plans and pretty much everything Stevenson-Projects-related has been moved to Texas and is now in Peter Stevenson's care. He's ready to start taking orders, answering emails, etc. There may be some issues with the email, but it'll get sorted soon enough. He's working on two new projects and spends a lot of his time out in the barn and not at the computer. I mention this to let people know he's not the type to sit in chat rooms and shoot emails back-and-forth. The two projects are the long-awaited Super Skipjack (which plans are still here in Carmel but I'll be taking them back in a couple weeks to be finished, as well as trying to get a bit of sailing video to post, if the weather cooperates) and a new Electric Mini-Indy-type machine. Surprise, surprise; the old Mini-Indy resurfaces perhaps!
SO: the ordering page is back ON, with reservations. I'm not entirely convinced the process has been explained to Peter, so there may be hiccups as we work out the new system he's learning.
Mike
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We skipped the glass between the rubrails on our boats, but it's probably not a bad idea to do if you really want to keep the finish in good shape. Oddly, the ply seems to stand up pretty well in between there. Maybe I just have never looked too hard at it...
Mike
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Very much in favor of dry fitting the glass. We work it into shape as closely as we can get it. One doesn't want to have to work on fiddling the glass around any more than necc.
The layup for our big cat was three layers of biaxial knit, 24oz each with a small amount of mat on each (8oz of mat, but mat is measured in oz/sq.Yd, not sq. ft., so it worked out to 78oz of material all together!) We did this layup in one shot, through all three layers at once, stat at the bow and work our way aft. the resin was kicking fast as the day was HOT (of course) and was hard about six feet behind our layup line. So on a 36' hull, it got a bit hairy and pretty nerve-wracking. My point is that we spent a day prepping the glass and shaping it all as much as possible prior to any catalyst hitting the resin.
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Yep, I agree with Ken. Do what makes you feel comfortable.
Mike
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KEEL
in Main Forum
Neat! You had a chance to really feel out how you liked the improvements. Peter and I just are chatting about this (he's out here in Carmel for a couple days visiting) and he was restating how much he would vary the weight carried depending on the day's conditions. This works great in SoCal, where the day is almost always going to be a certain way all day: no surprises in weather most of the time. Having spent a bit of time in Texas this Spring and seen just how fast conditions could change (and I assume it's similar across the central states), I'd be more inclined to have what I needed on hand. It'd be a shame to have the batteries in the car when it suddenly got blustery.
A good thread, I think.
Mike
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I'd just do them both at once. Why not just use one layer? I don't think you'd be too light. That would be what I would do on my boat if I were in your position.
I was thinking of even lighter weight on the new boat, but am now skipping it altogether.
Mike
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KEEL
in Main Forum
We used G24 gels, so a bit over 50lbs each. A bit less weight, but still a noticeable help in driving through waves, trim, and overall feel. Sometimes an anchor set-up up in the forepeak too, so a bit extra.
Mike
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There are some cheapo windsurfer type masts I've seen online for less than $100. Not sure if these are in the size range you need...We used them for the new boat and they're pretty cool tubes.
Mike
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Well Hank, it's not anywhere near as bad as some of the spots we've built! And I think the Noodles are a clever idea, if a bit small.
Mike
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KEEL
in Main Forum
So am I anywhere near correct in inferring that the two most studious of our ballast thinkers are pretty much in agreement that sailing methods and experience (helm-time, rather than stick-time, I guess?) are preferable to worrying about ballast too early in one's Weekender or Vacationer building process? The addition of ballast (which, by the way, we actually do ourselves in the form of internal ballast batteries for the motor) is something best understood through a bit of familiarity?
It'd be nice to come to a bit of an amicable mellowness about the whole issue. It certainly flared up in the past, and I'm glad it seems to have sorted out to a broad consensus (kind of.?.?.)
Mike
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Hey! Whatbout that Charlie?!? (of course I had sort of let that slip my mind too...It's nice when another person remembers before you do...)
Seriously: We would LOVE to have pics of old boats of anyone's from our plans! I'll post them!
Mr. Weigandt's Mini-Cup sounds like the '80's Queen of the group, certainly (down vest, feathered hair, tight embroidered jeans...Did I just date myself??), but I must say that even I can't remember which one the Cocky Cat was! Now I really would like to see a scan...
Still: Mr. Jones REALLY has it with the Caliban. We don't even have a set of those plans any longer! (Too many of the old designs have been lost, but perhaps it's not really that big a loss to the boating world...time to make new ones!)
I was surprised to see some of our old prototypes still sort of exist at my uncle's place in SoCal. The PC is still there, as are two Mini-Indys, and I think the Sport Sailor (a Mini-Cup clone, but not as good.) I think the Mini-Cat hulls might still be around too...and the old lateen rigs never die (at least the aluminum tubes!)
I'm really glad a few of your boats are still giving service after all these years. (And that the Mini-Cup is Mr. Weigandt's daughter's favorite; it was mine too as I had it near the same age.)
Mike
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Oh Jeeze...Is poor Station 13 going to haunt us forever? (I suppose it shall...And i guess that's why we changed the new plans!)
8)
Mike
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KEEL
in Main Forum
Well, Ray seems to have made his point quite well. If it helps, and it's done right and seems to be standing up to use, why not? I do know these boats are helped by a bit of weight, and we used to keep our batteries forward for that very reason, but a part of me can't let go of the No Ballast concept.
I think these are really good evolutionary steps in the development of these boats. Cool work!
Mike
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"...a very safe boat." And as with anything, it seems, the caveat: If used correctly. In my personal universe, that pretty much goes without saying, but it seems to require repetition nowadays.
Self-righting would be a great thing. When we designed these, the main target (and truly the scope of small, homebuilt boating for the most part) was the bay sailor (or protected waters.) Things have grown over the years in the scope of homebuilts (boats and planes
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It sounds like you're not too far away from good areas to explore. Mission Bay is nice and mellow, and perhaps more relaxed than Newport to learn in. Newport is prettier though. Don't change your plans for us yet; I still have to finish the second and third Super Skipjacks before there's anything to look at/play with. Sorry I implied we were further along in the process than we are...I wish I DID have one of the little SSkips to play with! The weather was ideal in San Diego Bay yesterday...
Mike
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I agree with the Don't Capsize rule, but I'm not so sure about the "safest 16-footer's in the world" idea. They're safe boats when handled properly, but ANY boat without ballast is going to be risky if you don't watch the conditions and act accordingly. Even then there's no guarantee, but then that's true of life altogether.
Mike
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KEEL
in Main Forum
My opinion would be reef points, not ballast.
Mike
Stevenson Projects Website News
in Main Forum
Posted
Thanks Konrad, I missed this post until just now (an hour after we just burned discs of the finished plans...)
We may well take you up on that for the Vacationer re-do next year, seeing as how you're more familiar with it than we are at this point!
Mike