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Hirilonde

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Posts posted by Hirilonde

  1. 2 and 3 color combinations can look great.  Or maybe white with 2 accent colors.  I would not use brown. As a purist I would use varnish or just not have a wood look.  My Spindrift is white with seafoam green interior, dark green boot top and grey sole and bottom.  I did varnish the seats and boom, but they never stay outside even when I kept it at the dinghy dock.

     

  2. 6 hours ago, Jonathan M. Cohn said:

    After about a month and seriously cold weather and snow I checked on the boat February 25. Both banks read 12.5. At this point, I think the experiment is a success and I'd winter store with the batteries charged full again.

    Yup, just make sure to remove the leads to avoid any discharge.

  3. On 2/14/2025 at 8:47 AM, Andy B said:

      Brand new, $5,000.  It's interesting that it's priced around where a lot of CS-17 boats are.

    That is what a professional would have to get to justify a business and it's expenses. People pay more than that for a Fatty Knees.  I wish we could get what are boats are worth. Few of us ever will.

  4. As to whether the sailing characteristics are much different, I wouldn't think so, but I don't really know. As for building, they require the same attention. Maybe the 15 requires a little less sanding, but not significantly less. My decision about size was based on storage space and launching as even a 15 would be big enough for my use. I knew I was moving to Florida for retirement, and garages in Florida are often 20' deep.  My Lapwing on a trailer is 19' 8" long. The CS 15 on a trailer would be a tad shorter, and a 17 on a trailer is probably over 20'. Based on all of the build threads I have read over the years I think I can say that anyone with some patience, a little skill and willing to ask questions who find the idea of building a boat fun can succeed. I like to stress the fun part. If you are building just to try and save money you will find building a boat tedious and used sailboats in good condition are often cheap. I think the 2 best reasons to build a boat are: it is fun, and you can customize the details to your specs. I never recommend changing design details as you will likely sacrifice sailing characteristics as Graham and Alan have done a great job already. Even with the Mach 3s, which were designed to add siginificant comfort to a pocket cruiser, the boat had to sail well first, or they wouldn't desing it.

    • Like 1
  5. The 50% thing is very important.  By the way, your batteries should be fused within 12" of the battery itself on the positive side. The size fuse is based on the gauge of wire you run from the battery to the panel. On my Renegade I used a 30 amp fuse and 8 gauge wire. Fuses protect the wiring, not the stuff you are powering. Any electronics that requires fusing usually has it in the unit itself.

  6. Just now, PadrePoint said:

    I put a second pair of oarlocks into my CS15 such that I can sit on the forward thwart to row. I haven’t done that much, just enough to let me know it was a reasonable thing to do. 

    I toyed with that idea.  I think the main 2 issues are that rowing with the sails up is desirable in no wind, which is the only time I row anyway.  And the rowlocks need to be out of the way for sitting on the side deck and/or hiking when needed.

  7. The fact that the bedding yellowed tells me it is likely a polysullfide like Lifecaulk or 3M 101. That you can peal it off hints at the same conclusion. There is no easy solution. You have to remove it all if looking good is the goal. I am always suspicious when I see goo in quantity on the outside, exposed. If something is bedded well at installation all ooze out can be cleaned before cure. It serves no purpose if the bedding is done well.  It is often an after something failed application.

    I suggest removing the toe rail. Removing all old bedding, physically, there are no real solvents that will help. If you are doing any painting, do this next. Then last, re-install the toe rail with new bedding. So what to use?  My bedding of choice is the one that yellowed on your boat. But the white just does not look good a ways down the line. Polyurethanes will stay white, but can be a bit tenacious.  And some are "obscenely tenacious" , which I am told is a cool name for a boat. I use Sikaflex 291.  It is a little more tenacious than I wish, but the least of the polyurethanes, and it stays white.

  8. 21 hours ago, Andy B said:

    Don, the builder of my CS20, which obviously has more room, installed a removable bench just aft of the mizzen thwart.  It rests on some brackets blued in to the sides of the seats.  It gives you a foot or so to sit on, and of course doesn't have the hardware that is on the mizzen thwart.  He also installed some adjustable footbraces.  I can send you some pictures later.

    I made a removable seat that fits a bit aft of the mizzen.  It was located such that the rowlocks are not in the way of sitting on the side deck while at the helm. The seat fits in a side seat locker. The oars come apart and fit under the side decks when sailing.

    • Like 1
  9. 21 hours ago, Don Silsbe said:

      If they get a little glue on them, I just heat ‘em up with a soldering gun.  That melts the epoxy, and they slide right out.

    I used wire both boats.  I did my filets and tape right over them, no tack welds. I heated the wires with a torch and pulled them out with pliers. I find the sanding and cleaning that is saved more than worth a little hassle getting the wires out. I sanded/trimmed the edges of the tape. And then I went so far as to do all 3 coats of epoxy as hot recoats and didn't do any sanding till the end. I hate sanding and will go to great lengths to avoid it except when absolutely necessary. I don't skimp on sanding, but I want to be damn sure it is necessary first.  If fairing is needed, it will come after epoxy coating. 

    • Like 1
  10. @Andy B My deck triple fair leads are made of Teak and all I did was varnish.  I considered making sleeves out of copper tubing, but haven't really had the need.  I did this for the halyard on my Spindrift instead of a block.  As I have a luff sleeve. the only real use for the halyard is reefing, and as it is a small mast/sail combo, it works fine raising and lowering for reef and full sail.

    Oooh, bronze, I am jealous!

    • Like 1
  11. 4 hours ago, Paul356 said:

      I did this also on one of my big boats and had the same result:  looked good and held up better than just varnish.

    No it didn't. Your varnish protected the epoxy.  And if you had let the varnish go, you would have had damaged epoxy.  The epoxy would be far more work to repair than varnish.

  12. 44 minutes ago, Andy B said:

    so if I'm understanding, if you did it again, you wouldn't epoxy the decks even if they are plywood?  Because either way you have to keep the varnish up, and the epoxy isn't helping with that?

     

    I don't think I would epoxy.  I have a small yellowed spot on my transom of epoxy.  I am afraid to try and sand it off as I might go through the outer veneer and totally ruin my transom.

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