Bill Paxton

I've got a kick up rudder on my Weekender, but alas, no pictures of it. I used Jim Michalak's article to help me think it through. http://marina.fortunecity.com/breakwater/274/2000/0701/ All I did was add lead to the lower end of the rudder, and take off the downhaul. I kept the uphaul so I can raise the rudder.

Congratulations, John. Your boat looks terrific on the water. It's the only boat I know of with yellow sails. BTW, can you teach me to sail up hill, as shown in the picture above? :wink:

You are soooo close to going sailing! Pretty soon all the trials of building will fade into the distant past as you pull in the main sheet and sail away for the first time. There's nothing like sailing a boat you've built.

You can find my building and sailing photos at http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/paxton_consulting/ Our boat is in its fourth season already, and we thoroughly enjoy her. We've sailed her in all kinds of conditions, and she has never let us down. The 10' cockpit make it comfortable for a crew of four to sail for a day.

Hey, Bob. Do you still have that beautiful cabinless Weekender? It was the inspiration for my own open boat.

Frank, I'm using Mozilla 1.6, and I'm getting the blue bar, and not the nice graphics you intended.

Capt. Jake's got the right idea. Get down to the hardware store and buy a couple of eye bolts. Then take them home and try them on for size. If they aren't the right size, your friendly hardware guy will order them for you. Before you know it, you'll be wiping the foam from your face as you put the rail under and scream across your favorite bay. Here's the secret: just do something. Anything. Promise yourself you'll take one step. Then promise yourself to take the next step. Nobody builds a boat. You build a piece here, and a piece there, and pretty soon you've got a boat.

Try foam rollers. I've had good results with them.

That's a nice looking boat, and one that you can be proud of. It'll bring you years of cruising fun.

You might be better off to laminate together some 2 x 4's. Lot's of builders have done that. The most interesting laminated mast I ever saw was on the beautiful Vactioner Sultana built by Bob Taylor. Bob laminated pieces of luan together until they were the length and thickness required. What he got was a mast that was straight and true. I thought it might be too heavy, but Bob can raise the mast without difficulty, and it functions just fine. The edges of the luan (the "striped" sides of the mast) face fore and aft. The mast bends a little above the point where the stays attach to the mast, but nothing serious.

The Minnesota Messabout is coming up the weekend after this one. We'll gather at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis on Saturday, May 29th. We're expecting Weekenders, a Skipjack and various homebuilt canoes and kayaks. If you're in the area, please drop in. Everyone who loves wooden boats is welcome.

Congratualtions to you and Kari, Dave. I knew you were an excellent boat builder, but making a cute kid tops it all!

One thing to remember about polyester or vinylester is that the shipping fees are extra high because it is considered hazardous material.

You're definitely welcome to sail my Weekender. It would be great fun to meet you and hear about your boat. Lake Nokomis is off of the north west corner of the airport. If you send me an email, I'll reply with my phone number and other helpful info. bill@paxtonconsulting.com

All are welcome to join us at the Minnesota Messabout on Saturday, May 29, at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. We'll have Skipjacks, Weekenders, canoes, kayaks and whatever else the region's boat builders bring. Kick off is around 10am, and the picnic is whenever we get hungry. Bring whatever food & beverages you'd like, and a little to share. There is no camping nearby, but there are reasonable motels within 15 minutes of the lake. We had a blast at both messabouts last summer. Hope you can make it.

Yes, Surprise is on the Builders Page on Stevenson's site. If you want more pics you can find them at http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/paxton_consulting/my_photos I greatly admire the Core Sound boats and the cat ketch rig. If I had found it first, I probably would have built the CS 17. But then there's always the NEXT boat. :wink:

That's basically the very same solution I used on my open-boat version of the Weekender. It has worked well for three seasons now, even with me using the seats as steps. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

That is way too cool, Dave! You've created an heirloom that will be handed down for generations. Nice work.

The only thing that ever failed in three seasons with my Weekender was the rudder box, and that was my fault. I simply didn't use enough screws. I corrected that mistake, added a couple of thru-bolts, and it has worked fine ever since. This Spring I'm touching up the paint. We use the boat a lot, and it's starting to show. By this time next month she'll look good as new, and be ready for year 4.

Outstanding, Dave! You'll have to bring it to the messabout this summer. Will Kari let you hang it from davits off the stern of "Julie K"? BTW, when's the baby due?

Lefty, You've got to stop by and give me an excuse to take the cover off my Weekender! Any excuse will do, but to be able to share a real Weekender with someone considering building one is extra special. Give me a call (I'm in the book), and we'll set up a time to get together. Heck, you already know where I live! Bill PS: my PC is dead, and the new one is on order. I'm checking email and feeding my boat addiction at a local coffee shop. So if you send me an email, it may take awhile before I get back to you.

Thanks for posting the pictures, Mike. It's always fascinating to see how people modify their Weekenders.

Mike, there aren't many cabinless Weekenders around. Are there any pictures on the web? Who was the original builder? Inquiring minds want to know.

There's really only one way to be sure if a single stay will work: try it. If it breaks and the mast falls down, then you'll know. Of course that will happen when you are least able to deal with it - in high winds and severe chop. Why put yourself through it? Go with the two stays and enjoy sailing your beautiful Weekender, confident in the fact that she will hold together and protect you and your loved ones.

Viking boats - Now we're getting somewhere... There is evidence to support the notion that Vikings may have visited as far inland as central Minnesota. Check it out at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/6726/kensington/kensington.htm Minnesotan Bob Asp built a 76' Viking ship that sailed from Duluth, MN to Bergen, Norway. http://www.hjemkomst-center.com/ship/main.htm Just after I had completed the keelson for my Weekender, a friend wandered into my garage. He looked at the stem which rose up and pointed foreward, and asked, "Are you building a Viking boat?" I just smiled.