Joe Nelson CS#35

Tim, Try using shock cord under tension hooked to the underside of the hatch. If you install an eye strap to the underside of the hatch and a hook on the shock cord...attach the other end anywere you can get downward tnesion...you can lift the hatch and unhook the cord to fully open the hatch. Then no exterior latching hardware is necessary.

Figuring that the boat was designed for an average sized person, I have added some stregnth to potentially under-engineered components...to meet the demands of my heavier weight and remove the worry of having to be delicate with the boat. Added an additional partial bulkhead (9mm ply) to give vertical support to the foredeck beam. This will be filleted and taped to the seat tops after their final installations. The additional bulkhead will provide support in the center of the beam and also take some stress off of the attachment point of the beam to the hull sides. All held into place with C-clamps at this time. I like to appearance and it will also help to keep some gear from sliding into the cockpit when the going gets rough. Also got the corner blocks dry fitted that determine the shape of the cockpit combings. The main mast fiberglass sleeve has been glassed into place on the mast step. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Charlie, Very nice interior finish details. I like the accent of natural wood, but a large percentage of paint. Much brighter inside than with more or mostly bright finish. Has a very clean and organized appearance. Looks like I busted in during your picture posting session...sorry.

Richard, I notice a cut-out for the outboard. Did you isolate the area so that water cannot get into the aft compartment? I have been thinking of this for my CS20. Installing a self bailing splash well too.

I used to have a bright finished drift boat...all bright. I can tell you from experience that the storage has a bigger impact on longevity of brightwork than anything else. The purists say that bright finished driftboats must be stored in a dry, dark place. I have one for over 10 years stored such and only taken outside to use. Never had to do any finish work except for mechanical damage. I have also seen 30 year old driftboats that had their original finish. Sun is the enemy.

Great pictures of a great trip! Question...do you have any trouble with catching any of the running rigging on the motor when tacking or jibing? I am decking the aft but am thinking about making a motor cut-out with a self draining splash well. Wondering if a horse would be helpful to keep things out of the motor.

Charlie, Hope you've recovered from the finish details marathon. Looking forward to some more pictures. Have you another project to begin?

There must be a million little details to attend to on the home stretch. Hope you make your deadline. I have yet to see a picture of a Princess that is being driven hard. I hope you have some wind for the maiden voyage!

Nice to see you chime in. I really like your NIS!

Have you read this thread? http://www.messing-about.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2717 You might contract Rob and see how he likes his latest solution to the mast. The centerboard probably has too much slop between the board and case. You should be able to add some thinkness to the case at the bottom edge with epoxy and glass. Has the board been wet very long? It might swell a bit and quit rattling. There is a fine line between too loose and too tight. Since that part of the boat doesnt need much protection from the sun..you could add coats of epoxy until you reach the right tollerance. If memory serves me the plans call for a 3/16" target tollerance.

Congratulations! Nice looking boat. What are you going to build next? It is not that often that building a boat is the means to the end.

Here are a couple shots of finished boats with a simple and complex rig. Differing opinions are what bring us together...as builders tend to not accept what is offered to the masses. I have raced on Santana and Ultimate 20's. I was considering a complex rig with sail tracks, uphauls, downhauls, cunninghams, etc., all leading to the helmsman for single handing. But for me the complexity is a contradiction to the simple design...self tending sails, no standing rigging, etc.. Stuff a couple masts in the holes and get sailing. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

The traditional working sharpie's used two masts in the summer and one in spring, fall and winter. It boils down to the weather patterns in your area and personal preference. A sail track significantly adds to the complexity of the boat...if you set it up to take advantage of the feature. I have been thinking about a roller furling that rolls the fore mast...but then the issue is the attachment of the sprit/snotter. Anyone have any ideas for attaching the snotter after rolling the sail on the mast?

Although I have not used mine yet, I opted for the sleeve. My thought was that the rig is so simple (self tending, etc.) that I didnt want to complicate the sail handling. When reefing is necessary, I plan on stepping a mast in the 3rd hole and using just one. I know it will be a little difficult when underway.

Reading various author's books is a great way to learn the techniques...but when faced with conflict between the author and designer...follow the designers specifications. There is a lot of engineering and calculations that go into specifying glass types/weights, etc..

Charlie, Thank you for posting the attachment process. Nice fit!

I see what you mean about the height of the garage...at least it should be easy to heat. Your workmanship looks good! A lot of extra work goes into a boat with a cabin. As I understand, your boat is a little more difficult/time consuming to build that a princess. Looking like a great pocket cruiser!

Devlin's Boatbuilding book would be a good investment. It will provide you with basic knowledge of materials and tools, as well as the building process.

Rob, Yeah, I was figuring on a 4-5 foot combing... :shock: Really, thanks for the information...it will help me with decision making. I may beef up the fore-deck a little more yet. It is good to hear that the skipper stays drier than the mates in front. Joe

Brent, Good to hear from you. I am making the side decks per plans. I have taped the gussets with fiberglass to help spread the load out. I keep going back and forth on the side deck issue...I weigh 275# so I have concerns about getting out on the decks. I figure that my weight on the seats will be as effective as someone that weighs 175# on the rail. I am considering making the combings higher to the point that nobody would want to sit on the rail. This would keep the cockpit drier. I am glad that indecision is not holding me back at this point. I am beefing up a lot of the structure to accomodate my size. Seat tops are 1/2", I plan on using 3/8" on the decking. Made the framing for the centerboard about double size. Also double framed the aft deck beam. Doesn't add much weight. All plywood so far is Aquatek, which is heavier. I will use 9mm Okoume for the decking to compensate for added thickness. Should help stiffen up the boat. Joe

The shop is complete and I have heat too! We are having unseasonably cool/wet weather. Got the woodstove installed, shop warm and working on my CS20. It is 45 degrees outside and a toasty 65 in the shop. I am working on epoxy coating the compartments and tanks. Carlin have also been installed for the deck. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

I would mark an accurate centerline...make sure you get your centerboard case in square with the centerline. Once you get the case and thwart installed, its going to be hard to tell. I would venture to guess that most of us have annomolies in our boats...that we may be the only ones who ever notice. Live and learn...move forward.

Using screws doesn't come without a price...must fill every hole that a screw makes. I have come to the conclusion that some permanent fasteners in a stitch and glue boat are a good thing. When I made my first S&G boat I prided myself in using NO FASTENERS. I have learned through experience that sometimes the avoidance of fasteners lengthens the construction time. Using cleats is another good way of avoiding the fillet and taping process. So clamps are a good investment...as are weights.

Is there any chance of rigging an asemetric spinnaker with a retracting Spi Pole on any of the Cat ketch designs? I have raced on a boat with one and love them! Specifically wondering about the Princess 26. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Thanks Charlie, It will be quite some time before I am ready to make my ballast, but it is one of the subjects that I know I need to be educating myself on. I am currently building a CS20. I know how great Graham and Carla are to work with...that is one of the reasons I chose the design as my next project. I just hope he doesn't retire before I finish. :roll: I appreciate your participation on this forum. It is nice to have a professional builder here that doesn't snub his nose at us. On the moisture issue...anyone who has deep fried foods knows how much moisture effects the oil @400 degrees. I dont know what the melting temp is for lead...but I assume it is a lot higher than for Crisco.