HankD
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Everything posted by HankD
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Thanks for all the generous offers. The thing I love most about being a part of this sailing sub-culture is how helpful everyone always is towards each other. My friend and I travel light and I think we could cram our gear in a few dry bags and manage. I'm going to have a lot going on around that time but if at all possible I do intend to come. I'm a self taught sailor, learned through reading and trial and error, it would do me a lot of good to soak up some knowledge from you old(er) salts = P. When it gets a little closer I should know something more concrete and I will sign up. Also where can I learn more about the BEER cruise? Is it in driving range for me? (Mobile, AL). The NC challenge and OBX 130 also look like a lot of fun. The FL 120 will be a good start for me to dip my toes in with these challenges. My biggest concern is the age and condition of my boat. I spent the winter repairing soft spots so the hulls are solid at least but I'm pretty sure the standing rigging is original (no signs of fray or oxidation though) and the sails are starting to look like something out of a Popeye cartoon.....all they are missing is some of my underwear sewed into them. On a side note my Senior Demo project is also sail boat related, feel free to have a look if anyone is interested. http://hankdaniels.wordpress.com
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O.o I'd really like to join you guys on this. My new list of accomplishments is to do the FL 120 right here in my back yard, then the TX 200, then the Everglades challenge. The only problem is that I finally graduate with my undergrad in Information Technology like 1 week before this cruise starts. My life is in chaos with graduating, job hunting, house hunting, and starting graduate school. If I am able to come I really won't know until last minute. My boat is older and I'm fairly inexperienced so I want to work my way into these challenges slowly starting with the FL 120. My next question. My weekender is still not ready and probably won't be for some time. If I'm not busy with class/work/family I'm sailing my 18' Hobie Cat.....so I'm wondering will I be totally out of place coming with you guys on a catamaran? Thanks, Hank
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Yeah, I work in downtown Mobile and I don't think I'd want to be on the bay today. The wind is howling down here.
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Just my two cents, but personally I would not skimp on the fiberglass or the epoxy. My weekender hasn't hit the water yet but it's been an unfinished project drifting around for some time now getting rained on occasionally and even getting rained IN a few times. I have a mini cup that is only a little older than the weekender and looking at how the unprotected mini cup has aged compared to the weekender with it's 6 oz cloth and Raka epoxy there is no question in my mind that it was worth every penny. As fun as the mini cup was to build and sail I wouldn't do it again simply because the glass and epoxy makes it too expensive (used sunfish's are cheap) and without it you either have to take VERY good care of it or consider it disposable. I love building boats but I love sailing them more. They are all a pain in the butt to keep up so my advice is to do everything you can during the building process to lessen the amount of maintenance you'll do on days you wish you were sailing. Give RAKA a call. I think I ended up with $96 in glass and $130ish in epoxy to do the whole boat.
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I had a snark sunchaser II until recently when I sold it and bought the Hobie 18. I never once capsized the little boat but I actually "submarined" it once. Went out with 4 adults in the 12' boat including myself. It actually performed very well until I was heading in after about 6 hours of sailing around the islands. We were on a run and sailing wing on wing. The crew was a bit pushed forward in the boat due to the tiller taking up so much room. The combination of weight too far forward and the force of the sails pushing the bow under caused the bow to dig in and I'm pretty sure the boat was completely underwater. A quick jerk of the tiller changed my course and brought the boat bobbing back up. My wife bailed it out underway and we all made it in safe and with a good laugh. I miss the Sunchaser but Hobie has introduced a whole new world of sailing to me (and delayed the launch of my weekender).
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Almost time to leave, so I'm taking time to sorta say so long
HankD replied to Charlie Jones's topic in Main Forum
I would like to wish you guys a safe journey, and if you find yourselves in the Mobile bay / Dauphin island area on a weekend I'd love to sail out just to say hi and see your beautiful boat in person. -
Hahahaha @ PAR. When I was 17 I suddenly took an interest in sailing...I honestly can't remember why. I grew up on the water in various types of boats but no one in my family sailed and I had never so much as stepped foot into a sailboat. My interest in sailing lead me to the journal of one man that worked for NASA during the Apollo missions until they shut them down. He then wrote a word processor for his mac that Apple bought from him. After that he bought a 30ish foot sailboat and took off all around the world keeping a journal as he went. I wish I could find this journal again if anyone has any idea what I'm talking about let me know. Ever since then I've been hooked on building boats, sailing, and generally driving my wife crazy talking about it all. I can't remember what exactly drew me in but I will say that after 100 million viewings of "The Endless Summer" and "The Endless Summer 2" I think I decided since the waves on the gulf coast are too crappy to surf most of the year I better find something else to do. I started building boats when I was 19 and I just can't seem to stop (much to my wife's dismay).
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Haha, you know it's funny because throughout the process of building this boat I spent whole afternoons just looking at it. Get out all my tools, make a few measurements, mark a board or two,....then just sit there and stare at it for the rest of the afternoon. Half finished boats are like a campfire, after a few drinks they just suck you in and mesmerize you.
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I'm not sure if this has been done before but I would be very interested in hearing everyone's stories as to how they got into sailing. My suspicion is that most people started sailing as kids with a parent/uncle/whatever. My story is honestly a bit of a mystery and I'll be happy to share it if anyone is interested.
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Oye.....after I took that picture of my weekender I left the mast laying on the ground out front exposed to the sun with only half a coat of spar varnish = /. Now it resembles a fish hook. Two steps forward.....one step back. I wasn't really happy with that mast anyway. I think I'll make a birdsmouth mast now and coat it in epoxy rather than spar varnish. I'm too young for a moaning chair so I think I'll head to my moaning bar stool.....which is probably why I'm in this position to begin with. Come nightfall when it's time to roll my tools up I might be a bit inebriated ;D
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Sure did, and it's all I can do to not call in sick and take it out for a whirl = P.
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Hello Larry, Good to meet some of my fellow gulf coasters = P. Wow, thanks Andrew I actually went to Metal Supermarkets website a few days ago but their store locator was taking to long by zip code so I searched by state and pulled up one way up in North, AL. It's good to know there is one in Pensacola. Honestly though this project is on hold until I find the time. I picked up the hobie 18 last night and it should be ready for water by this weekend = D. Thanks for all the help.
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Konrad and Barry both gave a lot of great advice but just to reiterate what they said I'll throw in my two cents as a completely novice sailor not really qualified to help anyone. In my very limited experience (I've never sailed a vacationer) a few important things I have learned on my boats is to (as Barry said) not go hard over on the tiller, and (As Konrad said) pull the jib over at the right time. If I neglect the jib I find it occasionally catching me in irons and dragging me back over. This only seems to happen in certain conditions which I am not yet experienced enough to identify. Another thing that I find myself doing is pulling in the sheet and letting the weather helm do as much work as possible without adding any resistance from my rudder. Once I feel that I am at the point that my boat is heading up into the wind and is only going to lose speed I tip the rudder a bit to get the bow to cross the wind. At this point my wife has already adjusted the jib (as soon as it loosens up and starts to luff she pulls it over so she doesn't have to fight it). At this point the jib fills and seems to bring my boat on around. Again, I'm still a novice and learn something new everyday. I've had no formal instruction and all that I've learned from sailing has come from a combination of reading and being too gutsy for my own good.
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While at lowes today I scoped out the conduit and I can see the 2" EMT working for the mast and the 1" for the spars using compression couplings with a dowel inside to stiffen up the joints if necessary. I might have to put this project on hold though since I'm still trying to finish my weekender and I'm almost certainly buying an 18' hobie cat tomorrow. If I don't get the hobie I might have to scramble to finish the mini cup just so I can get on the water this weekend, lol.
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Thanks for the help so far. I think I might try the EMT conduit. It's pretty heavy but it's pretty cheap and readily available. Any more suggestions are more than welcome. I seem to remember PAR suggesting someone use the gray PVC UV protected conduit and pour it full of expanding foam....that's an interesting alternative if I can find the two part foam at a decent price. Here is a picture of my weekender as it currently sits. There is still a lot of finish work to be done....I'm sick of sanding and I'm pretty sure my neighbors are too = P. I just sat the mast, grab rails, bowsprit, etc... up there for the photo. I'm still in the process of sanding, painting, and finishing.
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Hello, I doubt anyone remembers me, I lurk this forum daily but have only posted once or twice and that was years ago. My weekender is nearly finished, sitting in my driveway with a wet coat of paint as we speak. Anyway, on to the topic. I sold my Snark Sunchaser II yesterday leaving me without a boat that I can just throw in and take off with. So i'm looking to finally finish the mini cup I built back in 2005. All that's left is to find a good source for mast material. I was wondering if anyone had tried some alternative mast materials and how successful they may have been. Maybe EMT conduit or wood?. I know a few people here are in the Mobile, AL bay area so maybe you guys can point me to a metal salvage yard where I can find the aluminum? One thing that crossed my mind is flag poles. Where I work we have an aluminum flagpole that comes in 6 foot sections and seems to be just right in diameter and thickness. I'm having trouble finding a supplier though. Thanks for everything, everyone here has been a great resource throughout the building my weekender whether you knew it or not = P. Look for me and my weekender in the Mississippi Sound around Dauphin Island soon = D.......just don't look too close.....the closer my boat is to finished the more I rush and the rougher she looks.... = /.
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Just wanted to say thanks for all the valuable info, that's why i love coming here. I haven't decided which route i'll take and since it looks like lotsa overtime at work this week and going out of town for a friends wedding this weekend, i have some time to mull it over. Oh, and thanks to Mr. Stevenson for making me feel a little better about my building space .
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Thanks for the advice, I like the idea of flotation under the deck in the cabin, I'm really just aiming for enough to keep the boat bailable in the event of a capsize. I've lived on the water all my life and spent alot of time in "stinkpots" but have never stepped foot in a sailboat . So I'm trying to prepare for what is likely an innevitable capsize somewhere along the learning experience. I also like the idea of floatation in the mast I'm still debating on my mast building method, it'll either be two 2x4's laminated together or possibly a birdsmouth mast. A straight 16 ft. 4x4 isn't an option, the only thing readily available around here is pressure treated pine and it's impossible to find one straight with no splits or twist. If i go with a birdsmouth mast i think i could easily shave down a noodle to stick in it, the hole through the noodle would still allow room for any wiring. I've seen a few post by Mr. Riccelli saying the first order of business in a capsize is to tie a PFD to the mast to keep her from turtleing so some permanant floatation in the mast might put my mind to ease a bit.
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Hehe, well i can't take credit for that, i read where several people here did it and decided to take that route myself. I also read about someone using the closed cell raft things to line the bottom of the cabin adding more comfort and flotation. I thought that was a really good idea but when i picked up the noodles the only ones i saw were 45 bucks a peice...so i'm looking for a cheaper solution. Sorry i don't remember who to give credit for either of those to but hopefully they'll come comment and recieve their well deserved credit. Here is a few pictures of my project as it sits right now, you'll probably get a good chuckle out of my building space...but i gotta work with what i got:P.
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How much flotation is enough to keep the weekenders gunwales above water? Currently i have 4 swimming pool noodles stuffed behind each seat back (8 total) but i can get a little more creative and add flotation to other parts of the boat if need be. I'm gonna try to take some pictures tomorrow so i can share my project with you fine people. I keep meaning to take more pictures of the progress but i tend to just blow and go and not think much about that kind of thing. I have a few shots of the boat with one side on and no cabin roof/cockpit seats from last week and that's it . I started on April 14th and it's really blown by. Currently she sits with a solid hull, complete cabin, and the cockpit only lacks the seat backs. I hope to wrap up all the small jobs tomorrow so i can call in some reinforcement to help me flip this beast over Sunday. I can get her on her side alone but my building space is so tight there's no room to completely roll her over and i don't think i could do it without doing some damage to her anyway. She'll be called the "Aurora Sing" and will hopefully be launched in June, at my current rate of progress it would be a little sooner but I blew all my epoxy/fiberglass money on a Nintendo Wii which has proved to be a major distraction. Sorry to ramble on, just wanted to share some details about my project and make an effort to contribute a little more to this community.
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Thanks for the replies, I had taken into account for the extended transom my problem turned out to be the 3\8 recess in the stem for the deck to sit in. My stem is about an inch longer than it should be so measuring for the recess from the front made the whole deck an inch too far forward. after a little readjusting the transom looks much better but im gonna double check a few more things before moving on.
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ug, sorry it's been a long day. The boat is the weekender. I was really just using the word bondo instead of saying "filler". I haven't really decided what type of filler i'll use. I'll probably use epoxy + wood flour since i have both on hand I'm really just curious if the weekender's transom is supposed to be curved from bottom to top as well as from port to starboard. If that makes any sense. I'm not sure if i need to scab in a peice of deck or adjust the angle of the sternblock. I'll be making some final checks on it tommorow and pushing forward.
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Hello everyone, I've been lurking here for a while and thought now would be a good time to introduce myself and ask a few questions since I've bumped into something that makes me keep tilting my head mumbling "that can't be right". I was trying to get the deck on my boat this afternoon and it seems like the deck is too short but double checking proved it was exactly as long as it should be. With the deck tacked at the stem and the transom tacked to the deck a gap has opened at the top of the sternblock that i think is large enough for concern, but not too large too bondo. Tommorow i plan to fasten the deck down permanantly but before i do i'm wondering if I may have gotten a measurement wrong and need to double back or if this is a fairly common issue.