Joe Nelson CS#35

The pouring and forms look very simular to concrete...I can handle that! What kind of burner are you using?

Charlie, Glad that you posted the casting process. I figure that I will have to learn as I go on the princess 26. Your pic's and narrative help a lot. The 26 has a 700# casting. I don't imagine that the additional weight will make much of a difference in overall complexity. I have not seen the 22' plans...but the 26 is a bit cryptic in some areas for amateur builders. I figure that Graham will help in areas where I have trouble. I hope that you will post some information about attaching the casting to the deadwood. Joe

You should only shoot delicious and dangerous animals.

Tom, Sounds like a great idea...thanks. I will try it later, but I am committed to the process I currently have started. I will file it, "in my bag of tricks".

Yeah, thats what I thought...I am trying to avoid any extra steps. 2 coats looks OK, with the three coats of encapsulation with pigment I will be satisfied. Not quite the finish of your locker...but they are ok for flotaion tanks and fore/aft compartments. I used about twice the recommended amount of pigment. I am going to build a Princess 26 later and there are a lot of hidden spaces that I will probably pigment. Wanted to see how it worked on a smaller project. Your boat pictured is beautiful! Nice job!

Are you suggesting that the bilges be painted with epoxy paint in addition to the 3 coats of epoxy encapsulation or is the paint substituting the epoxy coating? My objective was to brighten up the compartments without adding additional processes.

I am probably using the pigment at a higher rate than specified. You might try that for your lockers.

I am using white pigment from S3 on all epoxy coating of my compartments. The pigment does not offer UV protection...but you dont need it in the compartments. My thoughts were to brighten up the typically dark areas without the need for painting. The first coat goes on looking a bit like "white wash". But after 3 coats it looks great. It is still not finish quality but will make locating items in the compartments easier. The final analysis is; Adding pigment takes a little trial and error to get the proper coverage...a 4 ounce jar colors a gallon. Who and the heck mixes a gallon at at time? So I use a stir stick and the about "that much" approach. For no added painting to get a reasonable finish...I think it is well worth trying. I am glad I did it.

Has anyone here used the mizzen stays'l much? I have no experience with such an animal. Seems like jibing or tacking would be difficult? Any input would be appreciated.

Graham said previously that some have used aluminum flag poles. I could not find one that met the specifications. I too would prefer a one piece mast...even without a sailtrack. Sailtracks have been used on the 3 piece spar...so it is not out of the question.

It works great for your application. It does not offer UV protection. For a centerboard its great...left unpainted (if you can deal with it being black). I dont know if there is any real advantage using it on surfaces that will be painted? It does provide a real nice/hard finish.

Try Online Metals http://www.onlinemetals.com/index.cfm They have 8' sections of 2.5" .065 for around $41 and can be shipped UPS.

I periodically read the Wooden Boat Forum but try not to post. There is a lot of good information available, but you need to know when to filter it. The fact is that epoxy has been responsible for so many hobbyists to enter the world of boat building. The learning curve and tools necessary to build traditional laminated frame/planked hulls that most of us would never even start. We get the same satisfaction from building it ourselves as with any method of construction. Oyster, I see you do post frequently on the WBF. I think you must be one of the more open minded people there. You should be the epoxy ambassador. LOL.

For the most part, any construction method other than traditional on the wooden boat forum is sub-standard. I would not debate the issue there...I have in the past and the threads got deleted. They are a bunch of dinosaurs. Listen to Graham and other designers of wood/epoxy boats.

Who has the best prices on sanding discs, online? I bought a new 6" ramdom/orbital and can't seem to find any larger boxes (50). Buying in those little 5 packs is going to break me. Joe

I used a short piece of dowel and wrapped some wire around it...fed the wire up through the gap in the bottom panels on either side of the bulkhead. The dowel pulls up on the panels while you twist or lever on the wire on top of the bulkhead.

Charlie, Nice work! Can't wait to see the finished product. I got the plans for the 26. I will have to learn some new skills...casting the lead shoe for instance. I am glad that I started with the CS20. Very simular in design and construction. The P26 plans are not as ameteur friendly, but I know Graham will fill in the gaps for me. The scantlings are light for a boat of this size. Should be a great boat for trailoring to the San Juan's, etc..

This is an amazing testimate to the boat...gust that would break the mizzen rather than tip over the boat. Maybe this should be considered by those who pose questions as to the stability of the boat. If the 2 masts have equal leverage, are we attributing the mizzen failure to the fact that the mizzen support is lower than the main? Also consider that the main is in a tube. I wonder if the mizzen was in a tube if it would help to spread out the load more?

Both your other choices are plywood lapstrake (clinker) construction. Not that much more difficult but they are more difficult. I have heard of first time builders giving up on such projects. One reason to build a Core Sound boat is the support you will get from the designer. I cant say anything but good things about John Welsford. I too had a couple of his boats on my list of possible projects. I am impressed enough with Graham's support that I am going to build a Princess 26. I have plan set #6. Joe

I dont know the process you used...I like to pre-cut my tape and roll it up. Then use a small roller to wet out the surface and roll on the tape. Use a variety of implaments to get the good contact...large spoons work well. You can also wet out the tape in a glassing box and simply apply it wet. However you do it...it takes time. I usually do a section at a time and give myself a break. There is nothing but experience that will make you good at it. You can read all you want...but you must make it through the learning curve.

Hey neighbor, I think that stitch and glue boatbuilding is great, but in the quest to make it seem simple enough for first time builders the designers tend to over-simplify the process. Using 3 stations fore/mid/aft assures you that your boat will be true. One other way to make sure you have the proper amount of rocker to the hull is to make sure that your stringers that are pre-glued to the inside of the hull prior to stitching are straight (after stitiching). If they have a sag, your hull has that corresponding sag...jack up the middle until the stringers are flat between the fore and aft bulkheads. If you need any help or would like to do a cultural exchange tour, let me know. My number is 503-...on second thought, contact me with a private message and I will give you my number. Joe

You can tack the hull together with spots of epoxy and wood flour...then remove the stitches and bulkheads. Just make the tacks smaller in thickness so that when you fillet over them they will be covered.

Nice job! I am impressed with the cradle. I am building the CS20 and the lack of a center support caused me a great deal of frustration. You will know that your hull has just the right amount of rocker to it. Now, you do know that your enthusiasm for immediate gratification will have to be slowed? Now the woodworking starts.

Bolger has designed a few yawls that have their mizzen offset to accomodate an outboard. But these designs have proportionately a much smaller mizzen. Graham has gotten around this problem by locating the cabin hatch off-center. The biggest disadvantage of this is the proximity of the open hatch to the offset side in the case of a knockdown. All designs have their compromises. You must deside which ones are worth the trouble they cause in relation to the problems they solve.

Glad to hear all the fine comments on the princess'. It will be a while before I can begin construction. My wife built me a shop this past spring. It is 24x36 with 12' walls. I am in the final stages of getting it ready for occupancy...work benchs, shelves, floor, etc. Then I am moving my core sound 20 into it for finishing. Before I begin another big project my wife has asked that I build us a canoe or two. I ordered the plans for planning the interior layout, etc.. I hope to begin construction later this winter. I will give you all progress pictures as she comes to life. Joe