jan nicolaisen

The clamps? Pretty simple deep reach lap clamps. They don't need to be strong if glued lapstrake is all you're going to use them for. The big one is vastly overbuilt for the purpose, sawn out of oak and fitted with a 3/8" bolt and stout welded handle. The smaller is 1x pine, dainty and light, 1/4" bolt with wing nut. Can't exert a lot of pressure with that one, but work as well or better. But the former can double for many other tasks, like clamping rails, seat risers, knees etc. I have a dozen of each, about right for up to 16' boats. The hole in the arm that has the nut needs to be slightly elongated for smooth operation. On the hardwood clamps i have glued pine pads on the jaws to protect the soft planking stock. The hinge is tubular climbing webbing held by copper tacks. Off course if you subscribe to the ideas and techniques of the smart & thourough John Brooks then no clamps are needed at all. But his book came out after I learned this stuff, and my ways works for me.

Thanks Dave, yes, a dagger board. Did take out at Mineral Bottom, but with my truck in Green River I relied on hitch-hiking to get back. This was in the winter and I encountered no prospects at the beach. So after hiding my stuff in the tamaracks I started walking. And walking. I did the entire 20 miles to the pavement before a friend happen to pass and pick me up! Come to think about it, that photo must be from another trip since I wouldn't have brought a motor for the Green. Probably Lake Powell below Cataract Canyon, in the vicinity of Dark.

Hi all, after the Core Sound 17 went to happier owners, I lofted a little skiff that I always have thought to be quite good looking and also a solid performer (I built it before, in 1995). This time I spent a little extra time fairing the lines and really trying to get the plank lines right..we'll see! It is the 10' Chaisson dory tender presented by John Gardner in his indispensable Dory Book, page 250. No sail plan is shown, but I will try to come up with something workable, cause it's going to be a sailboat, narrow bottom and all. I glassed the bottom and garboards before planking the rest of the hull. Planking completed on Spring Equinox. The first 'Skiff Hayduke', as I call it, on the Green River, Utah. Jan

I wrote some little story about the process of building a CS17 for Small Craft Advisor Magazine. If you don't have access to that publication, here's the unedited material on my website: http://www.fivenineclimber.com/boats_sailing/articles/cs17_sca_part_one.htm It's a bit long, but it covers many aspects of the stitch-and-glue method. Be forewarned though, like you all I'm just an amateur builder and there's more than one way to play this game of ours. Good luck, Jan

Don't post here much after I sold my Core Sound. Last weekend the new owner was out on Lake Washington in Seattle with some wind and reasonable temps. He sent me this pic. It looks like he figured out the reefing issues that I left unresolved:

i finally got organized and uploaded most of the decent pics I had from building the CS17: http://www.fivenineclimber.com/boats_sailing/coresound17_older.htm also available is the full (and unedited) text from the 4 articles I wrote for small craft advisor: http://www.fivenineclimber.com/boats_sailing/articles/cs17_sca_part_one.htm jan

hi guys, thanks again for the kind words. the seats were a lot of work, but so was the whole boat project, off course. i did them following a procedure outlined somewhere in the gougeon bros old book on epoxy work. thin strips of a suitable wood is epoxied onto the plywood substrate, with 1/8 or so space between them and in a pattern that is pleasing. figuring the latter out might be the hardest aspect of the job. i used a computer drawing program with great success. to make the black 'caulked look' between the strips you mix the usual peanut butter like sludge, but add some graphite powder. with a big syringe you lay it into the grooves, and overfilling a bit because the graphite makes the epoxy shrink some. then sand the whole thing, and, with a really good vacuum try to remove all the absolutely obnoxious black dust that seem to absorb deep into the raw wood. my 18 year old shop vac couldn't do it, so i had to invest in a $250 fein. finally oil or varnish or even just leave them bare, with teak and its varieties. i built the seat tops right on the work bench, on pre spiled pieces of 1/4" ply. nice and convenient, like a furniture project. hope this helps!! jan

hemlock is considered slightly or nonresistant to decay, together with ash, poplar, pine and such. it has no place in traditional boatbuilding, but with modern epoxy encapsulation and a pile already sitting in the shop, well, there could be an argument for using it... jan

that's cool. i think i remember you peter. only one or two i met had plans to build a similar boat. so joe, have you decided to buy the plans yet? thanks for the kind words re my boat, jan

hi all, i signed up as an exhibitor in the recent WB festival in port townsend, WA. it was a blast. have never talked so much boat as in those 3 days. lots of good feedback, even met a few folks who had built a CS themselves. too busy to take pictures, or simply ignored that chore, sadly. regret it now off course. found this one on the web of my boat: cheers, jan

hi joe, i finished mine in july, the one that is linked to in the previous post. email me with any questions you might have, i'll be glad to help: jan@fivenineclimber.com edit: i just saw your question over in the classifieds forum about why i am selling the boat. i build boats as my hobby, and when they are done we sail them until we have a buyer, after which i start another one. so far i have not become overly attached to anything i have built. i like the creative process as much or better than sailing them. it is certainly not because the CS 17 a poor performer or otherwise lack desirable qualities.

thanks randy, no i did not check into the weight difference solid vs hollow spars. just didn't need to learn a new technique late in a project that already had taken too long. solid spars are no-brainers, simple honest woodworking with lots of drawknife/spokeshave type of work, with an almost guaranteed decent outcome. sure they are heavier, but with such a radical taper (down to 1 1/4" at the top) a lot of the heft is low down. best, jan

thanks, jim!! you're right, i will take your words to heart. jan

thanks everbody for the praise and enthusiasm. i most say that low-res internet pics are wonderfully adept at hiding the legion of mistakes and blemishes that, in reality, adorns this boat. i'm still learning. jim: the benchtops have 1/8" strips epoxy glued to the plywood base, held in place with screws until dry. the screw pattern was carefully designed so when they were removed and the holes filled it would look decent. also the pattern of the strips took some mock-up trial and error style attention before committing. i di it all on the bench before gluing the whole thing into the boat. the grooves are filled with an epoxy/graphite mix. the floorboards are resawn 3/4" stock, so whatever is left after that whole operation is the thickness. 1/4" maybe? the support cleats are 3/4" x 3/4" and spaced a foot apart, i think. the forward bench boards are a little thicker, since for that job i resawed 2x stock into 3 pieces. it is all fir. see previous post for attachment and hatc integrity. sukie: the blocks, cleats, cheek blocks and other hardware are all shopmade. even the sheaves. the stropped blocks are made with rope grommets, a loop of cord seemingly without an end or beginning. real cool stuff to tinker with at night instead of surfing. the wood used is regrettably an unknown species, salvaged from a scrap pile. it is very hard, with an orange like smell when cutting. super oily too.

Paul: The tiller swings up out of the way. The floorboards are screwed down in a semi permanent fashion, but with a generous spacing so dropped items are readily retrieved and cleaning is facilitated. I used oil/pine tar/turpentine on all wood and some shellac on the blocks and various other places. The hatches are sealed with foam rubber gaskets and have latches that engage positively. They don't leak. Yet. wwbaginski: The sails don't reef easily under demanding conditions. Haven't figured that one out yet. But on the beach, while rigging, it is comparatively easy to choose a reefed set-up if needed. Here's a sales pitch I've been posting in various places. Some of it might be of interest to you all: Core Sound 17 for sale in the Pacific Northwest. Hi all, here's a brand new Core Sound 17, sailed just once (so far). Our location is near Lake Chelan, about 4 hours northeast of Seattle in Washington state. I'm asking $11000 ready to sail as pictured. This does not include trailer or oars, but both are available. The price is somewhat lower than various East Coast boats, but given my far and distant location from those builders I hardly feel like I'm undermining the market. Plus my patience with painting is rather low, so maybe this Core Sound is a little rougher around the edges. I'm an amateur building boats in my spare time. This one was put together over the last 2 years as the subject of a series of articles for Small Craft Advisor, but I never intended to keep it, and will most likely not build another one. The plans were followed to the teeth where it mattered, while lots of free form ideas crept in during the later stages, some elaborate enough to add weeks to the project! The good old stitch and glue hull is comprised of the usual materials: Okoume 1088 marine plywood and System 3 epoxy products. All hull ply joints are scarphed. Most of the structural members, trim and other visible wood are Douglas fir, including the masts. The latter are of solid construction, glued up with 5 laminations of 3/4" stock. The side benches are topped with laid strips of solid wood, caulked with a graphite/epoxy mix. This provides good friction for slippery feet and butts, besides the esthetic gains of less painted surfaces. The coaming is laminated Doug fir. Inside the transom on the port side are reinforcements for an outboard bracket. All hatches are secured with positive latches and foam rubber seals. The floorboards are screwed down in a semi permanent fashion, but with a generous spacing so dropped items are readily retrieved and cleaning is facilitated. An Andersen bailer is installed for better or worse. The tiller swings up out of the way if needed. The rig of this CS17 is far more traditional than normally seen on other boats, with almost entirely shop made components. This can be a drawback for some, if performance is the number one concern, but the simplicity and durability of these tried and tested methods are well documented. Everything can be field maintained with common tools. Rope stropped blocks are silent and tough. 3 strand ropes feel good and splices easily. And it is all so much fun to make. I also sewed the sails here in the shop, using 4 oz dacron and a professional machine. They have double stitched panel seams and classic cut tablings. All the hardware is brass. There's a leech cord and hefty corner patches and reef points. They came out good, judging from the one test sail we've had. Finishes include painted hull, deck and cockpit with System 3 water borne epoxy coatings, and oil/pine tar/turpentine saturation of bare wood. No varnish is used anywhere, a fact that should make the sale right there! I used oil based house paint inside the bulkheads and waterproof compartments. So what worked out and what didn't? The hull is fair and smooth, better than anything I've done before. The scarphs are just barely visible in low angle lighting but can't be felt. The chines are straight and consistent. On the decks, on the other hand, are a few unsightly dips that missed the fairing compound. Also the epoxy coating and some of the fillets inside the cockpit are a bit rough, likewise with the overall appearance of the paint job. Most of the woodworking is of high standard. The centerboard case have nicely fitted bedlogs, instead of tape, and the laid bench tops look splendid. The rig worked out real well, with nicely proportioned cleats and blocks and cool ropework. The mast are relatively straight, but a little bumpy due to difficult flat grain in places. Please contact me with any questions or comments or requests for more detailed photos. jan"at"coyotecottage.com or 509 429 2196

Hi all, here's a brand new Core Sound 17, sailed just once (so far). Our location is near Lake Chelan, about 4 hours northeast of Seattle in Washington state. I'm asking $11000 ready to sail as pictured. This does not include trailer or oars, but both are available. The price is somewhat lower than various East Coast boats, but given my far and distant location from those builders I hardly feel like I'm undermining the market. Plus my patience with painting is rather low, so maybe this Core Sound is a little rougher around the edges. I'm an amateur building boats in my spare time. This one was put together over the last 2 years as the subject of a series of articles for Small Craft Advisor, but I never intended to keep it, and will most likely not build another one. The plans were followed to the teeth where it mattered, while lots of free form ideas crept in during the later stages, some elaborate enough to add weeks to the project! The good old stitch and glue hull is comprised of the usual materials: Okoume 1088 marine plywood and System 3 epoxy products. All hull ply joints are scarphed. Most of the structural members, trim and other visible wood are Douglas fir, including the masts. The latter are of solid construction, glued up with 5 laminations of 3/4" stock. The side benches are topped with laid strips of solid wood, caulked with a graphite/epoxy mix. This provides good friction for slippery feet and butts, besides the esthetic gains of less painted surfaces. The coaming is laminated Doug fir. Inside the transom on the port side are reinforcements for an outboard bracket. All hatches are secured with positive latches and foam rubber seals. The floorboards are screwed down in a semi permanent fashion, but with a generous spacing so dropped items are readily retrieved and cleaning is facilitated. An Andersen bailer is installed for better or worse. The tiller swings up out of the way if needed. The rig of this CS17 is far more traditional than normally seen on other boats, with almost entirely shop made components. This can be a drawback for some, if performance is the number one concern, but the simplicity and durability of these tried and tested methods are well documented. Everything can be field maintained with common tools. Rope stropped blocks are silent and tough. 3 strand ropes feel good and splices easily. And it is all so much fun to make. I also sewed the sails here in the shop, using 4 oz dacron and a professional machine. They have double stitched panel seams and classic cut tablings. All the hardware is brass. There's a leech cord and hefty corner patches and reef points. They came out good, judging from the one test sail we've had. Finishes include painted hull, deck and cockpit with System 3 water borne epoxy coatings, and oil/pine tar/turpentine saturation of bare wood. No varnish is used anywhere, a fact that should make the sale right there! I used oil based house paint inside the bulkheads and waterproof compartments. So what worked out and what didn't? The hull is fair and smooth, better than anything I've done before. The scarphs are just barely visible in low angle lighting but can't be felt. The chines are straight and consistent. On the decks, on the other hand, are a few unsightly dips that missed the fairing compound. Also the epoxy coating and some of the fillets inside the cockpit are a bit rough, likewise with the overall appearance of the paint job. Most of the woodworking is of high standard. The centerboard case have nicely fitted bedlogs, instead of tape, and the laid bench tops look splendid. The rig worked out real well, with nicely proportioned cleats and blocks and cool ropework. The mast are relatively straight, but a little bumpy due to difficult flat grain in places. Please contact me with any questions or comments or requests for more detailed photos. jan"at"coyotecottage.com or 509 429 2196 http://www.fivenineclimber.com/images/boats/cs17/6.jpg[/img] http://www.fivenineclimber.com/images/boats/cs17/8.jpg[/img]

Those are solid spars, glued up from 3/4" stock. I rigged the boat like a more traditional craft, along the lines of what Oughtred suggests in his fine book. The Core Sound can, in my opinion, end up looking a little too modern with her hard chined hull, aluminum masts and SS components. Which is fine off course, if that's what you like, especially for those sailors aiming for speed and performance. And to Ray: I have plans and materials for a Gannet sitting in a corner of the shop. Anyway here's a bunch more pics: http://www.fivenineclimber.com/images/boats/cs17/8.jpg[/img]

launch day!! did I mention that this fine boat is for sale? jan@coyotecottage.com

thanks again. low res internet images are wonderfully adept at hiding the host of gnarly imperfections that i spend hours staring at every day. my reputation would shatter at the first live viewing by any of you guys, believe me. by the way, anybody got a link to those images of ray's cs that jim mentions? edit: holy smokes, i just looked at jim 'crickets' wood working website!! i'm going back to school.. jan

Thanks, all!! More pics coming when the boat makes it out of the shop. Paul: the trim, coaming, tiller, etc is mostly close grained douglas fir, and, yes there's a hatch cover for that opening. Jan

just need to finish the sails I started a mere 16 months ago...man, time flies! jan

Greg, I suggest tapering the gunwales in both planes. Example: midships the full gunwale might measure 5/8" x 1" for a few feet, then slowly and gradually taper to, say 3/8 x 5/8 at the ends. This will accomplish two things. First it will bend easier around the typically more pronounced curves toward the ends. Second, and possibly more important, the appearance is wonderfully balanced. The funny thing about an untapered gunwale is the risk of having them appear to GAIN in scantlings as they approach the ends of the boat. The trained eye will immediately spot this on certain hulls, just like an uneven lapstrake job, and it is not attractive, to say at least. It is not overly difficult to shave the stock down, whether the tool is a jack plane or electric power planer, just a bit time consuming laying out the lines considering both rails have 4 tapers. I wouldn't risk building a boat without doing this! Jan

looking swell! gosh, that stage has since been followed by what feels like 1000 hrs of tinkering with that boat. what is that yellow hull under the tarp? jan

ahh, the proverbial tool talk! must participate!! the list of tools, gadgets and machines in the average (boat)shop, whether it is for part time work or pro use, is off course ridiculously long. most folks collect such an immense inventory over long years of learning and experiencing what's essential, just nice to have or a complete waste of money. therefore, it would be risky to rush out and purchase everything recommended on this thread in an afternoon. boats, especially our stitch and glue specimens here, goes nicely together without the huge and expensive spread of stationary power tools required to make cabinets or other similarly boring, industrial projects. sukie, the pro's here on this forum, particularly the ray-charles duo, probably knows more about what's good and bad than most. interestingly too, their approaches appear to diverge somewhat, or maybe it is the veiled competition among them that often spurs a fun debate.. my personal take on boat building is a little different. i'm an amateur, meaning not in a rush. also i work off-the-grid, which in itself slows things down since the lack of reliable mega-amps makes me grab hand tools before machines. here's some self-indulgent images from this unproductive boat builder, wasting his time in front of the screen on an otherwise perfectly good sunday: classic copper rivets are not necessary on the cs17, but will look classy if applied here and there, like attaching the tiller cheeks to the tiller or whatnot. this spread of handtools is a familiar sight. nothing here is overly fancy or expensive. the one tool that sees most use in this collection is the lowly Shinto rasp in the foreground... clamps and saws. the many homemade wooden clamps are primarily for lapstrake boats, but works just fine for clamping down a 17' long gunwale in lieu of regular clamps, which always are in short supply. (someone, maybe Bud Macintosh once wrote that 'the principal difference between a pro and amateur boatbuilder is not the quality of her work, but the amount of clamps in the shop') the saws are all of the japanese variety. i started woodworking not too long ago, and the folks that taught me said i should use these. ergo, i've never made a cut with a regular push saw, which definitely makes me kinda yuppie-like. this mess of stuff is the layout, marking and drawing implements i use on a regular basis. power tools.finally! this one really shines in epoxy-fillet-cleanup work. highly recommended. ray mentioned long boards. here's my collection. i use beltsander belts cut open. they outlast all other sandpaper i've tried. coarse and medium seems adequate. the white crepe block shown in the previous image is an essential accessory to all sanding tools. it will clean up even the most epoxy clogged paper in no time, literally multiplying the life span. i like to make my own bolts in bronze. much cheaper, less waste and often better.

sorry about the obviously posed set-up. i'm writing a little thing for small craft advisor, and this is one of the images to go with the article. flipped over the boat right after this photo shoot. so much more rewarding to work on the shapely convex planes of the outside of a hull, as opposed to fussing over largely cosmetic details inside the cockpit. anyway, thanks for looking, jan