Knut

Bob, I don't often get the chance to comment any more (being without my Weekender after selling it). I still feel like supporting your search for a good system for a wheel steering and I (among many others) installed the T. Nelson modification that has already been referenced in other emails. In my case this solution worked flawlessly and I never had to adjust the tension of the rope. Actually, I used it without any real tension and the steering was still very accurate and direct without any slack in the system. Good luck!

I wrote earlier in this thread about FreeAtLast and FreeAgain (the FreeAgain meant for my Balboa 20). I ended up changing my mind (a sailor must be able to take a different tack). Along the Norwegian coast there are of course some millions of different species seagulls, but I like the smaller and more pleasing "terne". This bird is a fantastic flyer, can hower in the air like a collibri and it is dancing the waves in all sorts of weather. In Norwegian we do not use any article like 'the' placed in front of the word. This is taken care of by changing the ending of the word, so a specific "terne" becomes "Terna" So, the name now placed in writing on the boat is : TERNA Launch day is tomorrow Sunday 16 May. I will sleep with crossed fingers the whole night.

Hi, Signature Finish has an excellent synthetic varnish called HoneyTeak. It is very easy to work with and you will find external tes reports proving its excellent durability on their website: www.fabulainc.com In my experience, you also get the best customer support per phone that I have found so far. (Their 2-component paint is also fantastic to work with. I have just finished restoring the deck on my 1972 Balboa and I am very pleased with the result, non-skid and smooth). Good Luck

Hi (I did threaten to come back on the forum once and a while!). As you may remember my Weekender got the name FreeAtLast. The story is that when I came to Miami in Jan 2000 I did so partly because I needed new surroundings and challenges to occupy my mind. I walked out of 26 years of marriage for reasons that don't belong here. One element of the boat name plays on this background. It also so happened around the time of my wrestling with the boat's name, that I got my divorce papers in the mail and I told my Brasilian partner that I was Free At Last. Another important element was that I always feel a freedom being on the water in a sailboat that can only be compared with mountain climbing or fishing trout far away from urban life. So the logical boat name suddenly landed in my head and stuck! Now lately I have been struggling with a name for my 20' Balboa (I am finally ready for launch and therefore I also need a name). A new spin of all the wheels to find something pleasant and with meaning. This time I got good help from my Partner, who suggested FreeAgain A perfect fit and some double meanings embedded again so the choice has been made. (I am kind of stuck with this forum after my Weekender building and because of all the interesting postings that can be found. I hope nobody minds an "associated" plastic-skipper sneeking in a posting at intervals. I am now ready to go messing-about in the Florida Keyes, so it may take some time until the next posting) Good building and boating to everybody!!

I just want to add to the scuppers issue mentioned in several posts already. My rubrail was about 1 1/2 inch higher than the deck from bow to stern. I did NOT add any scuppers in the haste of getting finished and get on the water. The first tarp I had was not of a real watertight quality and at one stage I was travelling for more than 4 weeks and in this period it rained hard in Miami. When I finally got back and checked the boat there was standing water on the deck low points and it had been there for weeks. After a couple of more weeks and partly under direct sunshine it became evident that humidity had gotten behind the coat and glassing. About a hand-size area was delaminated on each side. STRONG RECOMMENDATION (if you have a toe-rail): Add scuppers :!: :?

Some mistakes are private and therefore much easier to handle. Not so many around to add weight to the mistake by pointing a finger or using other more subtle ways of indicating how stupid you are. The public mistakes can therefoe be harder to deal with and may hurt badly. However, we are all human and that means making mistakes. If you don't make mistakes, it is because you do absolutely nothing. Taken the right way, everybody will learn much more from mistakes than from a smooth ride without problems. So be active, take the f.. ups in stride and don't worry, be happy :!: (Very good approach to boat building. Should be rule number one in my opinion)

Of course, at some distance it is not possible to evaluate the finer details, but the impression from your pictures is still of a top class job done. She is really a beauty!! It looks like you have a 2.5 HP Mercury on her (like I had myself)?? What is your impression of the motor. Sufficient? Good luck with rig and sails. The real fun and the pleasant water life starts when you go sailing. With your closed compartments you may even be able to bail her in the water if you ever get swamped by a knock-down. Those features should really be part of the stock design in my opinion. Congratulations

I am going to buy a gallon of the stuff and use it on the cast iron keel of my Balboa 20. The keel is partly a little rusted, so I will first brush away loose rust and then paint over with a rust-binder, also covering the rest of the keel for even color. The intention is to finally coat the whole thing with the Plasticoat for added protection. If this looks good after a while, I may even try the coat as a bottom "paint" (under the water-line), since growth seems to have trouble biting on the stuff. I will also report on experience. It could have some interesting properties and the cost is quite reasonable as far as I can see.

Hi Wayne, if you imagine that the shrouds are perfectly stiff along with the boat hull and the chainplates and the spreader, only the mast is flexible, then the mast will bend because of the mainsail being laced to it from the gooseneck to the throat, with a resultant force somewhere below the midpoint of the luff. This will have the effect that the mast will flex into a low arch and the top of the mast will rotate around the SINGLE bolt through the spreader. In this system, nothing else will move and if the rotation of the mast around the bolt is not restricted, there will be no splitting force. If you imagine that the spreader has TWO bolts, one above the other at close distance, the mast will still flex and it will TRY to rotate around the two bolts. However, the bolts are not moving at all (in this stiff system)and it is like releasing the bottom end of the mast and rotating it sideways. The midpoint between the two spreader bolts will be the center of rotation and even a small rotation can of course easily split the mast. I know that in reality it is a bit more complicated because none of the elements are perfectly stiff and the mast is even a cantilever out of the mast box. The important thing is that with a single bolt the spreader itself will only rotate marginally, as much as the shrouds on the other side will allow, without setting up splitting forces. The system is self-stabilizing as long as nothing is breaking. See sketch, if it appears as planned. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Wayne, I feel like repeating myself. Your spreader is OK even as it is, but should of course only be as wide as actually needed. However, the crux is to allow the spreader to rotate slightly off the 90 degrees to the mast longitudinal axis (which is the correct angle with no wind load in the sails). If the spreader is fixed to the mast by a single bolt and one washer on each side, with limited tightening of the bolt, the rotation will self-adjust and give only axial load to the mast and no bending/splitting force which is what should be avoided. By the way, I guess you were not tempted to sail during your 60 knots day?

I had a slightly longer mast, so I did not use a spreader your size, but still needed some extra space to separate all the connections in the top of the mast. Having 4 wires connected to the same drilled hole in the metal strap as in the plans, did not look nice at all. I figured that even a small spreader with a similar layour as yours would run the risk of splitting the mast, so I decided to use only ONE BOLT, regardless of other details. By using one bolt the spreader can rotate slightly as needed, without causing a local rotation moment in the top of the mast. I simply used two separate SS straps from the sam bolt (in my case this was sufficient to solve the spreading of shackles), but I am sure your spreader will work just fine with one single bolt (may be a slightly larger one?) and a washer on each side of the spreader to allow the necessary rotation. The steel strap around the mast will also work, but that is a way of attacking the symptoms, not the cause. Good Luck!

Hi, I am still around, with the option of throwing in a posting once and a while. In my opinion there is only one valid argument for double shrouds on a Weekender: Back-up! If one fails for any reason, the other will prevent loosing the rig. For single shrouds to work safely, the chain-plate anchoring must be looked into and I would use real SS wire and not the plastic covered Home Depot stuff. The arguments about a large mainsail and resulting large forces on the rig (being an argument for double shrouds) I tend to disagree with. The reality of sailing a Weekender is that the maximum forces will be limited by what the boat can take before flipping. In hard wind you have to reef and/or you must spill part of the wind by letting out on the sheet. The force it takes to knock the boat over (and the resulting tension in the shroud) is peanuts compared to what a single wire can sustain with good margin.

Hi, I am back again. You don't get rid of me so easily! My Swedish friend Anders Eriksson is married to the sister of my girlfriend and fiance from Brasil. We met in Bahia, Brasil (Itaparica Island by Salvador) during Christmas time and Anders had just returned from an expedition to the Antarctic skippering a following of the Shackleton expedition where Shackleton sailed in a lifeboat to South Georgia and crossed the island on foot to get help for his stranded crew. Anders had a stack of photos from his adventure, sailing in a 59' steel sailboat. May be the most funny photo is where an albatross is picking his cap off of his head. What the picture is not showing, is the albatross then pushing the woollen cap under its body to sit on it (hatching it?). See the size of the bird? When these guys are flying the wing span can be more than 10 feet! Other pictures are showing the crew hammering ice off the rail and rigging to reduce weight. certainly, they did not have Florida conditions down there! [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

First of all, thanks to Bill and his wife for their great hospitality. After about 800 miles covered on Saturday from around Jacksonville and an extra hour fooling around the countryside in pitch dark trying to find Bill's hiding place, I got a warm welcome, food in my stomac and a chance to quickly look at the boat by torch-light. I met the Rottweiler that I knw about from the Forum (sitting in Scraps ready to sail), but I also met two other dogs (Dobbermans) that I did not know about. After proper introduction, they turned out to be nice and friendly. Besides the Balboa and Scraps, Bill also has a Nordica and a Victoria 18 + almost 10 motorbikes and one with a side-carriage. The sidecarriage he uses for either the Rottweiler or his wife (I am not quite sure which). I think I can say also, he is a very interesting character and it was a real pleasure to meet him. After a good night's sleep, up before seven, a quick breakfast and a cup of black coffee it was time for readying the boat. At 25 degrees F and pitch dark apart from the lamp-light, the further boat inspection was cursory and the focus had to be on getting ready, since foul wheather was announced. Pictures taken, good wishes exchanged, good-byes said, the entourage left at about 9AM. A little snow in the air started already after 30 minutes driving (not supposed to happen until noon!) and when I got on the highway I75 it really started coming down. I soon passed the first car in the ditch and shortly after the pickup truck with a U-Haul hanger just in front of me started fish-tailing. The Gods were good to him and he regained control. The main problem the next hour or so were the hills (OK as long as I had traction, but it was on the limit) and secondly the traffic. There were too many driving as if there was no snow at all and my concern was to get involved in a pile-up when one of the super-optimists would spin out of control. Again, the Gods were good to us and it cleared up going South and the temperature went up to 32 and 33. I was through the woods, literally. Bill told me on the phone that he had to wait on the highway for about an hour later Saturday due to a multicar crash, but then I was gone South, fortunately. I got to Jacksonville on Saturday after 4 hours of heavy rain around Atlanta and then onwards today to arrive in Miami at 2 PM and 80 F. Well worne out, but no breakdowns and everything in good shape. Only 2 cups of water inside the cabin after having driven another 4 hours in heavy rain today. The boat and hanger fit my backyard as expected and it is now under tarp until I get the energy to start planning my next steps. Due to Christmas vacation and some work obligations this will be in January some time. 2200 miles in 2 days + an evening will be worth it when a little shape-up has been carried out. I am excited about the boat and eager to go and try it in the water. Sorry that I am bothering you guys with a "plastic" story this time, but it cannot be helped and I am sure you survive it.

Ken, I made handrails out of mahogany and got help from Bob Cox with his router to create nice and rounded edges. The handrails are probably the most spotless, glossy varnished parts I made for the whole boat. However, when taking lines back to the cockpit (and I have one more to lead back) I found that I was better off without the handrails causing routing problems. They therefore never got mounted on the cabin roof and they reside on top of a closet in my bedroom. With the rails that are guiding the main hatch I found that I have plenty hand-holds in that area without the dedicated grab-rails and if I had kept the boat, i still don't think I would have ended up installing them. They will go with the boat, but otherwise I could have offered some nice shiny low cost grab-rails.

It is with quite a load of sentimental feelings that I now seem to have sold my handicraft to, hopefully, a good new owner. May he see fair winds and enjoy her as much as I did. Should anything come in the way before the deal is closed I will be back with new information, but pick-up is scheduled before the end of November.

Hi everybody! One potential customer so far. The trailer is a bit wide for his garage (98" maximum against his allowed 90" maximum). However, the boat can do quite well on a trailer that is around 80" over the wheels, so we may find a solution via replacing the trailer. Anyone in the market for a good-as-new bassboat-trailer with good large wheels? The boat is also not sold yet, so you still have the chance :!:

Waye, first of all congratulations with a beautiful boat. I am sure you already noticed that the Weekender is a little bit like a racehorse: Sensitive, fast and fun but can also be unforgiving. May be we should start a small, extremely exclusive Weekender Group where you and I seem both to be perfectly qualified: WLDS Group!! Membership by photographic proof only. How many more candidates are there around? (Weekender Launch Day Swampers). Banter aside. I look forward to the detailed account for comparison to my own experience. What I dare claim is that after having done one swamping (especially on the launch day), the chances that it will happen on any other day after the launch day are reduced by 90%. Learning by doing has never been a bad method. Later on you will be surprised what conditions can be handled with full control in a Weekender.

Great account of a memorable day. Thanks for sharing your experience. I am surprised that I became the first to post a reply, since we have in my opinion far too few postings with the kind of content you gave us. I think you will get many chances to get impressed with the Weekender. The strength is clearly no question (if built reasonable close to description), but the way the boat handles waves is quite impressive. If it gets real bad, just close off the cabin completely and be ready for occasional bailing from the cockpit. Your note to "self" is quite important: When the wind starts getting real hard there is no alternative to reefing points in the main and a possibility to change or douse the jib (unless you are fancy having a roller furler). If the wind gets real bad I would prefer NOT to have the thick roll of sail on a furler and rather get the whole thing down on deck. The boat handles much better, by the way, on sail reefed to conditions, than on motor when it gets rough. Enjoy the planning of next season!

No, I cannot afford another round of building expenses (time more than money) and my shipyard was just barely sufficient for the Weekender. For the Vacationer: No chance! I will find a way and when things are sorted out I'll let you know.

Jake, thanks for the kind words. I guess you (and the others) deserve a reply to your question, and I am not at all happy about selling, to have said that. The Weekender has given all that I expected from it and then some. There is nothing wrong about the boat design or the way it behaves under varying conditions and it is extremely easy to trailer, rig and launch. It is also fun with all the attention, because it is definitely standing out of the crowd. So, what is then the reason, you may ask. The Weekender is perfect for two persons on a daysail and you may even stretch that to an overnight trip. However, the two of us have experienced that many of our friends and relatives also want to go sailing with us and we are then simply too limited in size. We have been 4 out sailing for some hours and that works quite OK, but a longer day trip becomes quite tight. Overnight is of course out of the question. I must admit that I am also hesitant to take 2 extra persons (new to sailing) on board to go on any longer day trip where it can become quite rough if the wind picks up. Not because the boat would not handle it, but I would have to run a very tight selection process on where to go with whom. Getting anyone scared or even uncomfortable is not my idea of enjoying the sea. I did have these issues in the far back of my head when building, but I still enjoyed the whole process too much to anytime feel restricted by it. It is more of a process that has taken some time to develop and mature and it was still not an easy decision to make. If I am lucky(?) may be nobody wants to buy :?: :? I still expect to be in the trailer-sailor group and I will be lurking around this Forum like before (unless I get disqualified :?: )

That "Guest" was me!! not logged in, even though I was shortly before??

FreeAtLast was launched end of February this year. The building process can be studied using the link: http://groups.msn.com/WeekenderBoatbuilding/knutsweekenderfreeatlast.msnw There are only minor modifications to the stock plans. One important change is that the wheel steering is according to Nelson Surbrook design and it has worked without a glitsch from day one. No sign of wear on any part of the steering and it runs as smoothly as silk. No adjustment made so far and there is no sign that it will be needed either. The mast is about a foot higher than plans to avoid conflict between the shrouds and the gaf. This has worked out fine (the boom and sail has not been raised anything). Sails from Ultasail (main and standard jib from special quality reinforced, white tarp, the Lapper jib is dacron). The mainsail has slab reefing points and the Jiffy reef system has been installed. The jib club-foot has not been installed. There are two jib-sheets and tracks for the jib blocks to adjust for size of jib (standard or lapper). Jib-sheets are cleated in the cockpit. The main-sheet has a traveller across the transom to allow moving the sheeting point from side to side (helps keeping the boom down and avoid too much twist in the mainsail spilling the wind. All running rigging is marine grade rope. Shrouds and forestay are stainless steel with SS fittings and turnbuckles. The forestay has a SS lever to allow quick connection of the forestay and tensioning by closing the lever. Therefore, the 4 shroud-turnbuckles need not be moved at all and all adjustments are kept unchanged from sail-trip to sail-trip. Throat and peak halyards go back to the cockpit. The jib has a down-haul line from the cockpit. All blocks are Harken (or similar grade marine equipment). The hull, deck and cabin is marine grade plywood. Urea glue (according to plans) and stainless steel wood fasteneres throughout. Hull outside and topsides covered by 6 oz fiberglass and glued with vinyl esther marine grade. The glassing goes 1" down onto the keel sides. This same area coated 3 layers with epoxy primer and then with 3 coats of linear polyurethane paint. Inside hull and cabin is coated with outdoor quality enamel paint. Bowsprit, mast and boom are also painted with epoxy primer and PU-paint as the hull outside. The upper wooden rub-rail has got an extra protection via a plastic rubrail which completely protects against damage when mooring (can be difficult to hit the right spot with fenders). The splash coamings are full length (see pictures) and they work very well at keeping the cockpit dry when beating hard upwind. The hatch-box is slightly larger than plans to give a better seat and to allow more space for drinks and other goods. The hatches under the cockpit seats are sealed to the cabin (in case any water should come in through the tiller transom opening. (Has not happened yet). The keel has a sacrifical strip of oiled red-oak for protection when beaching the boat. This has worked perfectly and the oak-strip shows no signs of wear or damage from exposure to water. Easy to treat by brushing on some deck-oil at intervals. West Marine outboard motor mount allows dropping the motor vertically into the water when needed and to lift it out when sailing. It is NOT necessary to swing the motor up to get it out of the water and because of this it is not sticking out to the rear when sailing (would not look so nice and could easily hit something in close quarters). Mercury 2.5 hp outboard gives 4 knots. The motor has no gear and is used in a fixed position (using the boat rudder for steering). Two gasoline tanks, fire extinguisher, anchor, mooring lines and 4 fenders will follow the boat. The boat has been used during weekends between launch and end of June. Vacation and extensive work travelling after that has prevented the use of the boat. The trailer (Procraft single axle bass boat trailer) has been completely upgraded with a new hitch-lift, new fenders, new hitch coupling and a complete anti-corrosion treatment. Cables and lights are also new. The trailer alone is a value of close to 1000 USD. Asking price is USD 2000 for the whole package as described, ready to go in the water any time. The materials cost alone is substantially more than this. The boat can be inspected or picked up in Miami, Florida. Other arrangements may be discussed. 3 Nov. 03: FreeAtLast was agreed sold today for pick-up end of this month. If for any reason the deal does not go through, I will be back with news as necessary. Thanks for considering the offer.

Gaylen, congratulations :!: She looks great. Would you mind giving me some leads where to get more information about the "25 foot American"? A website fo example. Thanks in advance

To Ray and others, I realize that I probably went some way in the wrong direction compared to my own principle of paying for quality to avoid repairs and maintenance. At the time of building I was not aware of the kind of negative experiences some of you describe and now the BLUE Bondo is in place. I even used it along the bottom/keel joint, but as I said, fortunately no problems so far (touch a lot of wood :!: :!: ). If the risk-difference is as high as you guys describe, then it probably is a good insurance premium to pay for an epoxy solution rather than Bondo. If I get a bloody nose later on I will report the mishap for others to avoid doing the same :? I am still optimistic for my case, but I probably have to be very careful in avoiding paint damages letting water through to the Bondo :roll: