AmosSwogger

The curves you put in the aft end of the coamings look great; it really compliments the lines of the boat. I wouldn't be surprised if future builders duplicate them.

Todd, you asked just the right question to elicit some cool info from Alan; well-done!

Excellent video; enjoyed the discussion concerning the location of the neutral axis of the plywood.

More mods: Installed a GPS holder using RAM mounts (highly recommend RAM mounts, the swivel balls aren't just plastic; they have an aluminum core, and the GPS mount has little roller bearings that ease insertion/removal of the unit). My awesome wife sewed up an organizer for the cabin bulkhead. It was so useful last time we went sailing we are going to install one on the starboard side as well. As you are sitting in the cockpit with your back against the bulkhead, you can reach in and grab what you need without having to get up and go in the cabin.

Nice work Pete. Do you plan on towing Catnip behind Chessie?

I didn't cut out the opening ahead of time; I probably should have, it would have been easier (I used a keyhole saw after the bulkhead was fiberglassed in place). If you cut out the opening prior to installing the bulkhead; you may want to temporary reinforce the opening. When you install the bulkhead after unfolding the boat, there is significant pressure on the lower portion of the bulkhead as you conform the panels to the shape of the bulkhead. Consider temporarily clamping a board across the hole to keep the plywood from bending during installation (since I didn't go this route, I can't say for sure that this is necessary).

Thank you. I was just joking around about boat design/cup holders; maybe I should have put in some more smiley faces!

Decided to install shelves in the forward end of the cabin. Almost made straight sides; but at the last minute decided to curve the sides, and I'm glad I did as it didn't end up being that much more work. Instead of sanding, I removed most the paint here by scraping with an old chisel (side benefit of less dust generation). A little bit of sanding to remove the last bit of paint was necessary however. Temporary props holding the shelves in place while the epoxy dries. As good as Graham and Alan are at designing boats, I think both of them skipped the "How to Integrate Cup Holders into Boat Designs" class when they went to school 😉, as there is an appalling lack of cup holders in B&B plans (knowing them, they probably skipped class that day to go sailing). In order to remedy this design deficiency 😁, I have taken the following steps:

The only dogs associated with my kit were Lee Valley Bench Dogs; I'm jealous of the new addition to the kit!

If you are happy with the shape of your hull; then I would recommend not removing the bulkheads. Prior to filleting, if you wet the area with unthickened epoxy, it will wick into those plywood edges that you are concerned about anyway. Even if epoxy doesn't wick completely into those edges, it still isn't an issue since (as Steve pointed out), those edges will be effectively isolated from moisture.

Nice solution Pete; thanks for the pictures. My boat still rolls off it's five rollers (I haven't had to put the trailer lights in the water yet), but it isn't rolling as well as it did at first. The Stoltz rollers are holding up well though; there are no flat spots and they still roll. I think the cause is that the board supporting one of the rollers has sagged. I'm thinking of adding another trailer cross member and roller. If people are going to go the roller route, I do think it is worth spending the additional money for Stoltz rollers. I do think your solution is best in the long run Pete. It was a lot of work to get the rollers to work right as roller brackets have such a limited range of adjustment I had to modify them to get the rollers high enough to support the boat weight. Stock trailer cross members aren't always in the best spot and there aren't enough of them. Nice work Pete, as usual I'm jealous of your drawing ability. That is a skill that many of us that grew up in the computer age lack.

Qestion #1: Yes, you should install an inspection port to allow access to the sealed compartment under the anchor well. I used an 8" Armstrong hatch Link . A lower cost option would be screw in type ports; that is what the other 20.3 builders used. I used the same Armstrong hatch for all my hatches, that way if one breaks, or the gasket get damaged, I can use the one under the anchor well as a replacement. The other sealed area that should get a inspection hatch is the area aft of the ballast tank. Question #2: I don't think any of the CS20.3 builders notched any paths for water. The boat has been dry for me. IMHO they are not necessary.

I'm using the two Anderson bailers method. I don't think it is necessary superior to any other method; just different (Jay's system works very well; I saw it in person at one of the Messabouts and it is very quick to fill and empty). Yes, you do have to remove the flapper in the reverse-mounted bailer (hereafter referred to as the scoop). It is very easy to remove; pliars and 10 seconds are all you need. Filling While sailing: filling with the scoop does not take long at all, even at 1 knot While motoring: very quick and effecient Not moving: slow (I open both bailers to speed it up, but it takes awhile). It will only fill the tank up to the waterline of the boat, so you will have to top it off after closing the bailers. I use a folding bucket. Any water spilled goes right out of the self-draining cockpit. Emptying While sailing: need to be moving above 3 knots. I haven't timed it, but it isn't quick. It won't empty the last inch or so of water, but I don't think that is a big deal. One disadvantage is situations when the wind dies down, you are moving slow, and you want to empty the tank. It can take a while. I need to buy a kayaker's hand pump for these cases; I think that would work well. While motoring: empties quickly and effeciently Not moving: only the portion of the tank above the waterline will empty (maybe 25% of the tank?). I need to get a handpump for these cases. I wouldn't change anything if I had to do it again. Yes, you need a handpump and bucket, but those are good items to have regardless of the ballast tank. I think the ballast tank is one the best features of the boat (love the low trailering weight), and whichever empty/fill technique you use you will be happy you have one. I hit some steep chop close-hauled in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, put the water ballast in, and it smoothed out the motion of the boat. I was amazed at how well it handled the waves.

It must have been a dead calm for them to do that much rowing. As I found out in the informal Messabout "race", the EC22 doesn't need much wind to move well. Congratulations to Alan and Paul; after some sleep I have a feeling they will enjoy attacking their calorie deficit.

Looks like SOS is doing pretty good; as of Monday morning they are in second place (class 4). Given the light winds yesterday, I wonder how much rowing they had to do?