Knut

I could not resist the temptation to pitch in here. Yes, Bondo is cheaper by a substantial difference and in my experience it is very easy to work with. Since it is polyester, you can add more or less hardener according to temperature and the time you expect to need to place a mixed batch of material and this variation is not influencing the quality of the product. Minutes after placing you can get rid of ridges and high points by cutting them off while the Bondo is rubbery. Later on it is very easy to sand to perfect smoothness. (Epoxy MUST be mixed in the right proportions to get to the strength foreseen). Difficult points can be treated with several steps within short time, if necessary. I have used a lot of Bondo and even though I swamped the boat on the first day on the water I cannot see any problems anywhere so far with spalling, cracking or anything else caused by or involving Bondo. My feeling is that it boils down to whether the Bondo is good enough (= it works without problems at a low cost) or not. If 'yes' then the fact that epoxy may be better in some ways and for some applications is not really bringing much in our case? I have built my boat with the strategy that I wanted to build once; it cost more to re-do and to repair than doing it right in the first place and I have chosen materials like rigging parts and paint etc. to reduce maintenance as much as possible. I still went with Bondo (and no epoxy at all) based on the Stevenson advice and experience and I have not been disappointed so far :roll: As always: Your choice in the end.

The way you describe the problem I am sure I would inject epoxy to fill the gaps, without trying any forced clamping or more or less hopeless work on single screw removal. Even if you remove screws, chances are that there are local glue-bridges preventing a closure of the gaps even with a lot of pressure. When injecting epoxy, make sure to close in the bottom (setting the keel upright) using bondo or similar, inject the epoxy by some sort of pump and start at the lowest point. The start can be through a pipe embedded in the bondo or through a borehole. Also drill some control holes at gradually higher levels that will evacuate air and indicate how much you have filled by epoxy oozing out of the hole. When a control hole yields epoxy, plug it with a prepared wood dowel and continue the process. Filling gaps of 1-3 mm is just perfect for this kind of technique and it is not so much that the heat development will cause any quality problems. Just plan it properly, make sure you have some sort of suitable pumping device and the epoxy must be pretty fluid. Figure out a good way of attaching the pump to the injection point so it will not leak and cause a loss of pressure. A small bicycle pump should work fine, but you probably have to throw it away afterwards. Don't despair - GOOD LUCK :!: :!:

As mentioned before, I also chose the "Nelson" design for my Weekender and the actual installation was done after the sides were on. However, I did install extra wood backings where needed for the Harken blocks and to fix the end of line solidly as well as installing the turnbuckle for adjusting tension. Even the rope was fixxed in place with a bit of extra length, temporarily coiled up ready for threading through the blocks etc. The advantage with this is that sanding and painting can be done on the rudderbox dismantled as well as on the hull (transom), the opening for the short tiller etc., without having all sorts of obstructions in place. Threading the rope was not so difficult after sides were on and the end of the rope I took through a hole in the transom into a cockpit locker, where there is good access to anchor it. In my case I did not need to tighten the rope at all, there is no slip (rope through a hole in the tiller) and it runs very smoothly.

I hope Isabel knows that she is better off staying over the ocean! [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

My mast had a tight fit when fully inserted, without being in full contact along the edges at deck level. I therefore did not need any wedging to keep it from moving too much. With this starting point I simply used a good string of 3M5200 that was also squeezed a bit down into the gap to avoid just riding on the deck. Probably, I would have cut a little groove if there were none, to get the 5200 to seal also a little down into the mast box. I have seen no tendency of water in the mast box and the paint is intact over the fillet between deck and mast. In your case may be the biggest concern would be how to ensure that the wedges are staying in place permanently? Solution presented without guarantee :!:

Scott, I installed the so-called Jiffy-reefing on my Vacationer (and I like it a lot) and the procedure is as folllows (to set the reef after you are out sailing with full sail): Head up in the wind so the main is flapping with the boom generally not too far from boat centerline. Release the main sheet. Lower the sail so you can hook the tack grommet to the gooseneck reefing hook (or use a long shackle to the eyebolt). Tension the luff by tightening the main halyard. Trim the reef clew line (fixed on one side of the boom close to the end, up to the clew grommet and through it, down to he boom on the other side of the sail, through a shieve(?) block and forward to the forward end of the boom where the line can be cleated) so the clew grommet gets pulled down on top of the boom (or rather the boom lifted up to the grommet). The fix-point and the shieve-block should be a little closer to the boom end than where the clew grommet meets the boom, so that the reef-line pulls down and to the rear by about 45 degrees to allow for stretching the new sail foot. If you want to tie in the reef points along the boom, I prefer to tie the sail-roll only (not around the boom). Go sailing again and enjoy a relaxed and pleasant journey even if the wind is hard and gusty and the waves are picking up. You are not loosing anything in boat speed!! Try this link for further details: http://www.pineapplesails.com/articles/reefing.htm

Mark wrote: "some people just have way too much time on their hands!" Being Norwegian, what can I say? After all the thing comes from Sweden :!:

"I'll take a shot at one! Or, maybe I can get the person who drew that drawing to do a similar one of the weekender under sail. " I'll by one (or may be more) unseen :!:

Beautiful drawing :!: I have always admired people being able to sit down and do such a thing on a napkin or whatever he used at the restaurant? The artist must have some good knowledge about boats :?: It looks like a race, but even so, would it not pay off to do some reefing :?: :?:

Actually, I am also a regular user of MapQuest, but this tool is like any other tool in boat building and other activities, you need to know that you need to use it and you need to recognize that you have it. I short-circuited the whole process by just reading a map-name, seeing Florida and in my mind linking it to Miami (as Pinecrest!). That was a big blunder in terms of miles off the target. :oops: However, the worst thing is that I lost out on having a fellow Weekender-builder in the neighbourhood (so to say) and one with such a nice and well prepared infrastucture (moaning/visitor's chair etc!) at that. Don't get me wrong. Any new Weekender-builder and Forum participant is a big added value to us all. Potentially, we may even sail together some day :!: Bob has already very well covered your first questions regarding the keel so no need to elaborate. Only, don't get too much bear in the glue. It is negative for quality :wink:

Chuck, I got so excited seeing Crestview and Florida (believing that I read Pinecrest) that I jumped on the keyboard and wrote my posting. Of course, Crestview is not really the same as the South Miami area 'Pinecrest' so when your explanation came about where you are I came crashing down to reality. Let us put it this way: It would have been perfect having you in Pinecrest (with the fridge full of bear and a good visitor's chair), but I am sure you will do well anyway :!: :!: I will take a crash course in geography one of these days. Good luck with the keel and and all the small steps following.

Chuck, welcome to the crazy bunch. You will certainly fit in - the ceiling is as high as the sky here. I suddenly understood that you probably have your shipyard just a few miles away from my address :!: where my FreeAtLast (launched last February) sits on a trailer constantly pointing to Biscayne Bay. If you need to see something in full scale at any stage, or there is anything you think I can help you out with, please don't hesitate for a second contacting me. You will be welcome anytime. I'll send my phone numbers etc. to you on private mail. As you may know, we also have Bob Cox in the area. He is in the last stages with a Vacationer (basically rigging left) and he may even be located closer than I am. Great guy for all sorts of advise. I hope to hear from you soon :!:

Hey, there is nothing wrong about using fenders, but you are absolutely right that with the curve it is not quite easy to ensure that the fender(s) actually are in the right spot when you need them. Also, climbing around on deck to place them before docking is in itself and exercise involving heeling and careful planning. Actually, the boat is so light that I have stopped using fenders entirely for normal short time docking when leaving and arriving at the ramp. With the plastic rubrail that i mounted on the top rubrail, there is absolutely no need for fenders. Of course, if tying up for some time I have some flat fenders to put out, but I could not do without the plastic rubrail anyway. It does not feel right to get stressed every time coming in for fear of getting a scract in the wooden rubrail and the plastic cures that! The lower one and the hull sides will never touch anything unless somethings sticks out or the waves are really bad.

Fintan, look at it in a wider perspective. It is good to have more than enough to attend to, it keeps you young and agile much much longer (even though this is probably not in your mind right now). The boat is waiting and does not mind. If you cut some TV-time, just imagine the volume of bull... that you avoid in exchange for boat progress. Boat work in my experience is even better therapy than ironing (and yes, I have tried both) and ironing can be reduced by drying the shirts on good hangers, giving more boat time. Finally, with all the shit going on in the world enjoy fully having a positive "problem". Before you know it, you are out sailing!!

Great story and the picture could be used in any upscale tourist brochure for going somewhere to catch a sunburn on the beach. Only, this is an example of how one can have fantastic fun without paying through the nose. Thanks for sharing your day :!:

Given the last few comments and Frank's information that it is easy to switch from thumbnails back to the current solution, I would vote (which I already did) for trying the thumbnails. My point is: It is a general human tendency to avoid change, especially if it is not clear what the change will lead to. In this case we can run the thumbnail alternative for a couple of weeks and then have a vote after the test period. With this approach the vote can be based on experience rather than "we know what we have but not what we get".

Through the transom I drilled a slightly bigger hole than needed for the lag-screw and lined the hole with a bronze pipe glued in place using 3M 5200. The lag-screw has a large SS washer on both sides of the transom plywood sheet. I should mention that I am also using an extra glued and screwed backing plate on the inside of the transom, so the bronze pipe is probably about 1/2" long. This system runs very smoothly and there is no risk of wear on the transom hole and I have seen no tendency of the lag-screw rotating on its own (unscrewing from the shaft).

The thumbnail alternative sounds quite nice to me. You get to know from the quickly loading small picture if you are interested in seeing it in full scale, so you have a choice. I am not quite aware what are the limitations of this solution regarding the actual picture file. Will this one be limited to a certain size (WxH) and/or bytes? If not, then nobody should run into problems posting any picture that they have on their computer. If an active link is NOT allowed with this solution, then it will always be possible to give a link as a text string. Anyone interested can cut the string and paste it into the browser to have a look at the picture (if not possible to post as a thumbnail). I will not cry even if we stay with the current solution.

Mike, I guess it is asking too much and it would be unfair to the rest of the crowd, but it should be prohibited to show such pictures on the Forum. I AM GETTING VERY HOMESICK!!!! Beautiful lakes and they look like about perfect for our types of boates. Seriously, keep the pictures coming, but distribute them well (not too many in one load to avoid too hard symptoms).

Barry, I am sure you are right that rowing the way you describe is working fine. That was the way I had in mind in any case. However, if sculling works out well (will test it), then I need only one oar and in a tight spot close to the quay and other boats the sculling oar is not sticking out to the side and requiring a lot of space. Furthermore, one does not exclude the other, so I may make some adjustments on the boat to allow for both alternatives. Then experience will tell which works the best.

For comfort I would very much recommend to install splash coamings, even if they are certainly not really necessary. It also depends a bit on how often you get waves of some size (open waters or not) and the normal strength of wind. I installed coamings all the way back to the transom and I am very happy with the solution. Because of the decision to make them full length I also changed the method, using 1/2" plywood set on wooden plugs, kerfed for bending at the front end. Bondo came in handy for filling the kerfs and smoothening the whole thing. Have a look at the picture on the link below and walk forward 3-4 pictures to see the whole installation. http://groups.msn.com/WeekenderBoatbuilding/knutsweekenderfreeatlast.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1191

Barry, thanks for the reminder and link about sculling. I have tried it some 50 years ago and I am sure I can do it again. Point is, I have been thinking about oars for my Weekender but have ended up with one only (meant for paddling when needed). Normal rowing with two oars I find pretty ackward (splash coamings etc) and paddling is also not so efficient. Properly prepared sculling is certainly a very good alternative and it requires space for only one oar. I had completely forgotten about this as a serious alternative of propulsion. Since my outboard has no gear and I use it in a fixed position, it means no effect of the rudder before I have forward speed. I cannot idle the engine without some propulsion and I have no reverse. In tight positions in the marina this can cause tricky situations and a good way of controlling movement without speed and engine is really a help! I will prepare a sculling position on the transome ASAP!

Steve, congratulations for your first serious step ahead. It is like walking those 10 miles, they can only be made by taking the first step and keep going. The next steps may some be shorter and some longer, but you break it down in steps and you end up with a BOAT! Being Norwegian I have to ask about your "Svenska Flicka". There seems to be a relationship to Sweden? Such things need to be carefully explained :!: Good luck onwards. Only '9 miles' left!

Phil, as far as I am able to evaluate the situation I think that the rigging on a standard Weekender is widely over-designed. There is nothing wrong in that, but mast and stays are loaded very little as can be demonstrated by the behaviour under wind pressure. If you pre-tension the stays somewhat (far from fiddle string level) you will see that the leeward shrouds are not getting slack even under strong wind an full sail-area. However, the main reason for my claim is that the Weekender is a dinghy. The dimensioning factor is how much sideways sail- and rig pressure it takes to knock the boat over on the side. This is far far less than what the rigging can take, may be with a small reservation for a worne, weak or wrongly tensioned mainsail, which could rip in a sudden gust.

I glassed the bottom of the boat according to plans but pulled the fiberglass only about one inch down the side of the keel. For protection of the bottom of the keel against rubbing against the trailer and against sand and other possible abrasives when beaching, I installed a full length red oak strip that was attached with SS screws and every screw hole was filled with 3M 5200 to prevent water from getting under the paint and to the wood. The oak strip has been oiled only and it slides very easily on the trailer and shows no damage whatsoever so far. Also no tendency of paint cracking or wood swelling in the keel (touch wood!). A picture of the oak strip can be found via the link: http://groups.msn.com/WeekenderBoatbuilding/knutsweekenderfreeatlast.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1101 There are probably many good ways of doing these things and I have only tried this one. It seems to work fine, but you must decide for yourself and good luck in any case.