SUKIE

Hello John, Are you still looking for a CS17? Mine may be for sale, let me know if you'd like photos. Sukie

So Scott, If you were sailing by yourself, we'd never see any photos??? Keep the good woman! :-D

YESSSSSSSSSSS!!! Thankyou all, you've released me and removed all guilt, and not only that, I didpractice Jeff's idea of the packing tape to pick up the dust. So, I did do some cleaning. AND, now I have a clear head and can face the coming week with new strength. I went sailing three days this week, and even took Pat one day (it was really breezy and he's good ballast). I've mounted an anchor on a small bow sprit which makes it so much easier to push off from the launching ramp, drop anchor to rig, then haul it up and fill the sails flawlessly. I actually had the whole fire dept watching me on Wednesday (they were doing training), and I'm sure they were disappointed that they didn't get a rescue out of the deal. But, they were sure anxious to help! :? So, to all of you in the "northern" part of the northern hemisphere, (thank you PAR for your insight), daylight's waning, get out there!

OK fellow boatbuilders/sailors. Lets say you have a wife who's an avid sailor and, let's say your house is, well, not up to specs for the Martha Stewart award. OK, now here comes a day which is absolutely a perfect sailing day, and there's nothing left to do but, well, clean the house, OR, GO SAILING!! In all honesty, which would be the most important activity to pursue? (Just throwin' it out there, because I know most of you have wives/partners who MUST be thinking the same thing??!!)

God Bless New Hampshire! (Of course our state motto is "Live Free or Die".) For a boat under 21 feet there's no need to display the registration numbers.

Peter, Congratulations! I hope you get lots of opportunities to sail with this youngster. Don't know if you can see her, but in my photo "Lily", who's three, was perched on the rail. When she got soaked with the first spray she shook her head and said "Do it again Gamma!" Unfortunately, they live in Oregon, and with me in NH I only see her a couple times a year. So, enjoy them while you can. And may The Mother bless him!! Fair Winds.

Thankyou Wes, and Ray, I bow to your superior technical analysis of the CB downhaul and will try the breakaway cam cleat. Wes, I remember your thread concerning such, but couldn't bring it up with a search. Would you mind posting your photo again showing the placement? Thanks. (I don't know what we'll all do when you go back to teaching!)

Well thanks Ray, that's a good reminder that I need to build the bunk board for the stb side of the CB trunk! And I've never had water spitting out the trunk either. Although, it would have been pretty fun to watch Pat's reaction to it. . . I do like your solution of thru bolting the brackets for uphaul/downhauls on opposite side of the CB trunk and will do that untill spring maintenance when I can lift the boat off the trailer and remove the CB to add lead. Can anyone give me feedback on doing this? Does it offer more stability in heavy gusts? ? Will I be able to keep up with Ray in light wind?

Bob, I've been thinking about adding ballast by eliminating the centerboard downhaul arrangement and adding the appropriate amount of lead to the end of the CB. I've busted the downhaul x2 by hitting rocks (unmarked, of course) and would like to try something different. Being 2 feet underwater should add quite a bit of stability. You know, the Sea Pearls have water tanks under the benches that are allowed to fill when the boat is launched, then drained when the boat's on the trailer. This is a pretty nifty solution. But of course if I add weight to the CB then Ray would probably outsail me . . .

So, OK I have a couple of confessions to make: I learned to sail from my grandfather, and father, who were/are the best sailers on the east coast. We never "raced", but you can be sure that if there was a boat in the vicinity we'd sure try to beat it. The phrases they used were: "make all you can"(point as high as you can without losing way), "watch the current around this point", "watch your head, commin' around!", "ready about, hard 'alee!", "let 'er go when we lose way" (dropping the anchor), and so forth. The other confession: luck is a very big part of sailing, especially in Frenchman's Bay and EastBay where we were sailing. I have NO idea what Ray is talkin about with the technical stuff, but he sure can make that boat sing. Me, I'll take the: "make all you can Sukie!" fair winds to all!

But wait, John, where are the lawn chairs, BBQ grill and hammock?? (all of which should be strapped to the foredeck). I can't believe you were out for a week without all the comforts!

Ray, just keep 'em from post holing your lovely boat! :smile:

OK - The 5200 cured in only 3 days so I had to give it a try yesterday. No leaks (thank you thankyou), but unfortunately there wasn't enough wind to get me up to speed to try it out. I've decided to tie a small line from the crankdown trailer strap to the bailer, meaning that the line must be untied in order to take off the strap, thereby making me pay attention to the bailer (as in, close it). I hope I'm not on this forum anytime soon to tell you my system didn't work! Sukie

Thanks Ken, it's always good to know that I'm not the only bonehead out there! Now, my new mantra: "don't forget to close the bailer, don't forget to close the bailer. . ." Sukie

uh oh - I read you post about 3 hours too late Dave. I just finished installing an Anderson bailer and guess what I used for bedding? You got it - 5200. Anyway, now that it's in, I need some advise. The instructions were very limited, only saying that the stuff will be tack free in 48 hours, totally cured in 5 days. Do you think that means I shouldn't get it wet for 5 days? Ouch. Sukie

Has anybody found a good spot for a compass on a CS where it's close enough to read, yet not underfoot? (I'm still using a handheld). Oh yeah, have to figure in the failing eyesight too. :shock:

Well Ken, you've painted me into a corner on the "time to build a kit" question. I've built several other boats, but my skills are still minimal and I spend more time thinking about and worrying about every step than I do actually doing it. But I do know that the issue of epoxy cure time is very real, and there are only so many other projects to do while waiting. (And, I haven't seen any mention of the "oh s---!" moments when one has to take a sawzall to a just completed step.) My kit was delivered in March, I worked on it untill spring then took a break till the next fall and took all winter to complete it. I did have brain surgery during that time, but other than that 2 months off I worked on it about 2-3 hours a day. And we shouldn't forget that the journey is half the fun, I wouldn't have wanted to rush through the whole process. I enjoyed each and every step (well, maybe not the sanding :?). So Mats, perhaps you should buy a used daysailer and use that as your fix until you can find the time to truly enjoy the building process. And I promise you, you will enjoy it if you take your time. Good luck and let us know what you decide. Sukie

Well Adam, for one thing, I'm a woman, and, not to be too political, but I never had "shop" classes, and while my brothers were learning the finer points of woodworking, I was playing field hockey and learning French. (Not that it doesn't help in northern Maine!) So, my skills are fairly limited. I have built several kayaks, both stitch and glue and strip built. But, the truth is, epoxy is a godsend for hiding bad woodworking skills. I have basic shop tools and use them all - a good table saw is handy but not essential, same with a band saw. Saber saw is invaluable, as are several types of sanders. And you'll need hand saws, clamps (lots), cordless drill, shop vac, and lights. But, you just take it one step at a time, figure it out, do it, and move on. None of the steps are difficult. And, wow, when you're done, it's truly amazing. It's not always about the destination, but also the journey. Go for it! and Enjoy. Sukie

Wes, Congrats to you and your wife! Ya know, 2 kids will even out your ballast . . . Enjoy! Sukie

Hello Adam, Yes, I have built (and completed!) a CS17 from Graham's kit. It was slick - everything went together well and produced a fine and fair hull. The drawings with instructions are a bit lacking in some detail, but a call to Graham or posting on this board will get you the answer. I highly recommend the kit. (Just don't have it shipped to a rural area in the north country in March! Our roads are closed to heavy trucks until the frost leaves the ground, we had to unload it in town and shuttle up to my house.) I'd much rather use my energy to sand and all that fun stuff. Good luck. :-D Sukie

OK guys, perhaps I'm the only woman partaking of this forum, but aren't any of you guys worried about John's spinning head after inhaling paint fumes in an enclosed space?? John, this really is serious stuff and you shouldn't be feeling that way if you're using proper precautions. Plus I think I remember reading that you're using a kerosene heater. Perhaps you should wait for a really warm day and open up your shed to get proper ventilation, in addition to wearing a mask. In the meantime you can turn the boat over and work on the topsides for awhile. Winter will pass! (I'm in New Hampshire, I feel your pain!)

Yes! It would be wonderful to have more B&B boats this year. I'll be there with CS17 #218, Lady Grace, and my husband Pat. It's being held in the vacinity of Bah Habah (or, Bar Harbour to those of you who don't speak Ray Frechette!), which is a terrific area for sailing small boats. Here's Graham whooping everyone's collective butts last year. (One of the chase boats called Graham by radio and said "Hey Graham, didn't you hear that motors aren't allowed?) Hope to see some of you there!

Wow John, the boat is looking terrific! I'm curious about your chalk lines. Is this how you find low spots while sanding? Good luck on your paint job, although I'm sure it will turn out perfectly.

Well Ray, you're flattering me, but don't forget what a wonderful filler epoxy is :grin:

Hello Bill, and welcome! I finished my CS17 this spring and have sailed on many of the lakes here in NH. You're going to just love that boat on Champlain - wow, and they have camping on some of those islands too. I'm in Tilton, NH, last name "Clark" - hi cousin! ANd don't worry about dumb questions, I've asked them all :?