Bill Paxton

Check out Harold Payson's website. He sells plans for Black Skimmer. http://www.instantboats.com/bskim.html

White Bear Lake was terrific. The water level is normal, and the ramps at Matoska park are the best in the area. The water level at Nokomis is very low. I don't think I'll do much sailing there. I'll probably use Crystal Lake instead.

Over the course of the looong winter, I forgot just how nice the Weekender is. I took Surprise for the first sail of the season today. The sun was warm, the winds light to breezy. I don't know about you, but each year I have to practically learn to sail again. It was a great day to get back into practice. I had to smile at how nicely the boat handles. She's quick and nimble; tacking without effort. I was amazed again this year by the sensation of sailing a bigger, heavier boat. I guess that's a function of the jib going all the way to the end of the bowsprit. She looks so stately, too, on the water. Everyone at the ramp wanted to know all about her. As I sheeted in the main, and felt her heel to around 15 degrees. I just grinned. Here I was, sailing a boat that I built, on a perfect sunny day. Man, that's just about as good as it gets. None of this experience, or the past four sailing seasons, would have been a reality if the Stevensons hadn't designed such a great boat - a boat that a novice could build and be proud of. Thanks, Peter! Thanks, Mike! Your work has enriched my life. Bill Paxton

Dave, you might want to contact Jeff Tam. At one of our messabouts I noticed that he has a trolling motor that turns with the rudder using a rig very similar to your drawing. I think he has already invented this wheel. Write me offline if you need his email address.

It's only a month away! I've heard from several builders who are working feverishly to complete their boats by June 3. We should see several brand spankin' new boats at the Minnesota Messabout at Lake Pepin. The messabout got some nice publicity from both Messing About In Boats and WoodenBoat magazines which created additional interest. By the way, if you're a reader of MAIB this is your chance to meet one of the magazine's most prolific writers - Mississippi Bob. There are still some campsites available, so contact me soon if you want one. Any last minute notices will be posted on the event website at http://www.paxtonconsulting.com/gpage3.html Your host, Bill Paxton

That's an amazing finish on that boat. A real gold-plater.

I first decided where I wanted the strip to terminate on the bow. We held the strip to that spot and pressed the strip to the keelson along its full length. That gave us the aft starting point. The nice part was that I could be an inch off, and it really wouldn't matter.

I had grown tired of patching the keelson on my Weekender. Beaching the boat on gravelly shores, and the damages done during loading the boat after sailing had taken their toll. You can see the results of patching the with epoxy over the last four years. So being one who likes to spend beautiful summer days on the water, not on my back patching the boat, I decided to armor plate the keelson. Actually, I used a strip of aluminum from Menards. It came 8

Good to hear from you, John. Do you think that you and your beautiful boat will be relocated in time for the Minnesota Messabout the first weekend in June?

The ice is out of Lake Pepin, and the nearby hills are starting to turn green. It won't be long before white sails dot the lake again. The messabout is shaping up nicely, and I've heard from a lot of people who intend to come. There should be quite a variety of boats. Watch for this event to be mentioned in upcoming issues of both "Messing About in Boats" and "WoodenBoat" magazines. For the latest info checkout the event website at http://www.paxtonconsulting.com/gpage3.html . Let me know if you want a campsite, and as always, tell your friends who love boats. Bill Paxton

Oh, man, I can't wait to get out on the water!!! The ice-out date for Lake Minnetonka is traditionally April 15. Last year we got on the water before April ended. I sure hope we can this year, too.

I Googled "Ulta Sail" and found it is still referenced on a number of websites. Here's how one of them described the sail material: Cross laminated polyethylene film.

John, we're lookin' forward to seeing you again, don't ya know. Keep us updated as you migrate back to Minnesooota. I'm looking forward to seeing your beautiful boat, too. Ole and Lena said to say HI.

One things for sure: we'll have enough water to do some serious sailing. That's why Konrad should come join us. The last couple of years he hasn't seen enough rainwater to float a dinghy. I've already heard from two other fellas in Omaha and a friend in South Dakota who are tired of the drought, and want to go sailing.

Never mind that we're getting 6" of snow today. It can't keep it up forever! By June 3-5, it'll be warm, sunny and the sailing will be awesome. If you live within driving distance of Southern Minnesota, I want to personally invite you to the Minnesota Messabout at Lake Pepin. So far I've heard from people in six states who are coming, and this event is shaping up to be one of the largest gatherings of homebuilt boats in the upper Midwest. For complete details, check out the event website at http://www.paxtonconsulting.com/gpage3.html

Does anyone know if it's OK to stretch the hull to fit my tall frame? Will that mess up the sailing geometry? I don't know if a land-based sailing vessel has the same concerns about CE as floating boats.

I've been looking at the Vector land sailer on the Stevenson's website. Sure looks like fun. Does anyone know if you can steer the thing? From the photos on the site it's not obvious, but there must be some way to turn the front wheel. http://www.stevproj.com/SpecPurp.html

The groundhog saw his shadow today, and immediately headed back to his garage to finish his boat in time for the MN Messabout. It's only four months away. And while Lake Pepin is covered by a solid sheet of ice now, it can't last forever. By June 3 the hills and cliffs around the lake will be an emerald green, and the lake will sparkle under a deep blue sky. What could be better? If you're interested in camping, let me know. I've reserved a group camp site which can support 10 tents. I just need to keep track of how many people want to stay at the campsite. Full messabout details can be found at http://www.paxtonconsulting.com/gpage3.html Bill Paxton

It would be great to see you again, John. I look forward to taking a ride in your beautiful new boat.

It

If you fancy the idea of rubbing elbows with other amateur builders versus a beauty contest, consider some of the local messabouts, like the Minnesota Messabout at Lake Pepin. http://paxtonconsulting.com/gpage3.html

Merry Christmas, everybody! Warmest wishes to all. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

I used Rust-O-Leum paint on my Weekender, and I think it's terrific stuff. I used two coats of primer, and two coats of paint. all applied with foam rollers or foam brushes in the tight areas. Three coats would really be best. When I was building the boat, I was in a hurry to get her done for a messabout, and she didn't get her third coat of paint. She weathered three seasons, and still looked very good. Just for fun I applied her third coat last Spring, and she looked better than new. I'm no paint scientist, but I find the paint to be very durable, and would use it again in a heartbeat. It's available everywhere, and priced well. Bill Paxton Apple Valley, MN (where it's lightly snowing)

I used mahogany for the upper and lower rubrails on my Weekender. At the time, I chose the wood for its looks. After four sailing seasons, I admire it for it's toughness. Those rubrails are as hard as iron, and show very little wear for all the docks they've bumped up against. The wood was really hard to bend into place, but the effort was worth it. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Konrad, I too have sent you a private message. Bill Apple Valley, MN