Kennneee

Josh from Duckworks contacted me a few months back and asked to do an article on my shop. Here it is if you are interested. https://mailchi.mp/04908c724596/boat-shop-tours

Hi Dave- Thanks for the thoughtful response. I am relatively new to power boats as well. I spent 7 years living and travelling on a steel sailboat that I built. At that time 6 knots was screaming along. FAST forward and I am building a powerboat and like you think speeds in the teens is flying. My intention to hang a 90hp off ROSIE's transom is based on the design recommendation. The OB26 has a bit higher displacement than the Bluejacket 25.5 and not far from the Bluejacket 28. Since ROSIE is the first of this design I don't have sister ships to compare her to in terms of performance. I would rather err on the high side and not kick myself later if I go with a motor that is undersized for this boat. I have been led to believe that fuel consumption would not be radically different going with a larger motor and not pushing it as hard. As far as weight goes Graham has given the thumbs up on the weight of a 90 hp. I guess we will find out when I get her wet. I have always been pretty bare bones when cruising. Never had refrigeration, hot water heaters, etc. I will likely join the modern age and get some decent electronics for navigation but don't expect to have a huge current demand. As a matter of fact I just happened upon my old Tamaya sextant and plan to sell it. Not sure if it has any value these days for anything more than a paperweight:) I am not planning to head over the horizon and sail the ends of the earth at this point. Rosie will likely be used for shorter trips with a longer trip occasionally. I have to keep reminding myself as I build the interior that I don't need liveaboard and bluewater storage. I think ROSIE has more storage then my 32' sailboat had. Ahhh, the luxury of a powerboat... I also have to start shopping for a trailer. I don't expect to use a trailer for much more than storage and a few miles a year to launch here on Salt Spring. That is a whole other bit of "research" to figure out what to get. She will likely hang on a mooring during the Summer and shoulder seasons. Again, thanks for the feedback and keep us all posted on your march towards launch. Cheers, Ken

Hi Guys- Thanks for the kudos. I am starting to see the finish line in sight but it is still a ways off. I love seeing the details coming together. I started installing the cuddy cabin top this week and am ready to install a lot of the "furniture" that was spayed with finish in the last few days. I would never admit to standing at the helm and imagining ROSIE cruising along on the way to Alaska. Nope wouldn't ever admit to that! Funny that you mentioned your motor Dave. I have been shopping for a motor as well but still haven't pulled the trigger yet. I will likely go with a 90hp. Any advice or comments on motors would be greatly appreciated. The local dealer would prefer that I install it myself if I buy it from him. As Graham mentioned he would give it a final check before the first start up. I think he would rather have fussy builders drilling holes in their work. I recently went to a boat show in Vancouver and was offered a great deal on an ETECH 90 with a 10 year warranty. There is no dealer that sells and services Evinrude locally so I am reluctant to go with that option. That leaves Suzuki and Yamaha. I am sure either would be a good choice. Yamaha has come out with a new 90 and a SHO or SUPER HIGH OUTPUT version which sounds pretty good. Again, I don't have much knowledge on these motors so any thoughts would be helpful. Dave, get that beauty launched. It is a piece of art that needs to get wet! Cheers, Ken

Thanks guys.

GREAT!

Hi All-Finally got off my butt to take some pics of ROSIE. I have most of the cockpit seating and storage complete. The interior cabinetry is mostly complete. I am waiting for some material to arrive so I can spray the cabinet and drawer faces. Hope to have them complete this week. The interior painting has begun. I cut the window and port openings in the pilot house sides a couple of days ago. I love the new open look and how it makes the lovely profile stand out. It is the small details that add up to a pleasing look. Graham’s artistry really shines with little things like small changes in the oval port size in the forward cabin. They get slightly larger as you look aft. Something that might not be obvious but makes a subtle difference. The galley is coming along nicely. I bit the bullet and splurged for a WALLAS diesel/kerosene stove that doubles as a cabin heater. The countertop is plywood that has been coated with a very cool product from DAICH COATINGS. It has stone imbeded in the 3 part system and makes a really nice counter. Thanks to Henry Hassel, one of the BLUEJACKET builders for that recommendation. I plan to build the cuddy cabin roof soon and begin final exterior paint and deck coating. Unfortunately the pilot house sides and aft bulkhead will have to be removed to extricate ROSIE from the shop. Now only 9,090 details left! Ken

Sore ribs and chest was one of the worst parts of my experience. What kind of wife breaks her husbands ribs. Spousal abuse?

Meester, That is pretty amazing. Whats in a name? Ken

Thanks Oyster!

Hi Guys- I am getting close to getting a motor for Rosie and need to think about mounting it. That beautifully curved transom on the Outerbanks needs a flat area for the the engine mount. I could guess by looking at the standard BIA bolt pattern but thought some input from the forum might save some hassle. Thanks. Ken

Hi All, As some of you know I had a Coronary Arrest 3 months ago. I have been beyond lucky to have survived with some of the docs calling it a miracle. I know this is a bit off topic for this forum but I know a lot of us are "mature" and the possibility of a heart event increases with age. My wife Luanne performed CPR on me for 19 minutes and was instrumental in me being around to write this post. Since I am forever grateful to be alive and able to go back to kayak racing and building my Outer Banks 26, I am encouraging my friends to consider taking a CPR course. If I had a choice I certainly would have skipped this event but since I have been so fortunate, I feel like I owe to others in my life to encourage you to learn this skill and perhaps save a life. My survival has kicked up a lot of dust here in British Columbia with newspaper and radio stories. Luanne was given "THE VITAL LINK" award. Lots of unwanted attention but I am getting lots of hugs from pretty girls, better discounts at the lumber yard, calls and visits from friends, etc. Got to skim the cream off of these otherwise unfortunate obstacles life can throw at you! Here are a couple of links if you have any interest in knowing more. One is a radio interview with Luanne and the other a text story. Again, please accept my apologies if this seems inappropriate use of this forum. http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/all-points-west http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cpr-saves-husbands-life-1.4516166 Carpe Diem, Ken P.S. Rosie is coming along nicely. I will try to get some progress photos up soon.

Steve- Looks fabulous! Keep up the fine work. I better get off this computer now and get to work. Thanks for the inspiration. Ken

Beautiful!

Looks great!!!

Hi Steve- Thanks for asking! So far, so good. According to the docs I am way ahead of their expectations. Up here in Canuckistan they take your driving “privileges” away for 6 months after a cardiac arrest. The docs decided I was ok to drive after 1 month which I took to be a good sign. I am back on the water kayaking but not training for any of the Winter or Spring races. The docs have me on some magic potions (pills) that are supposed help my recovery and keep me alive. They make me tired so my time in the shop has been cut back but I am still plugging away most days. Fewer hours for sure. The interior is coming together slowly. Luanne is always nice to me. More than I deserve. Since the “event” she is even nicer. Yep, watching her stack the firewood today made me feel a bit guilty. She didn’t know I was up in the shop resorting my lumber at the same time. Let’s hope she doesn’t loose her mind and decide to start reading this forum:). Anyway, given the choice I would avoid a heart attack but one great benefit is getting great calls, cards and visits from friends . Always knew I was a lucky guy but the past few months have really driven that home. I will try to get some pics together of progress on ROSIE in the near future. Cheers, Ken

Carter, There is nothing like a cloud of toxic dust and aching arms to make you feel sane ! Keep up the mental health work! It is only a non - boatbuilder that would call you crazy and what do they know? K

If you love this hobby after time behind a longboard, you are hooked! Are there mental health services in your part of the world?:)

Carter, I like to precoat and let it partially cure before applying the fabric. Depending on the epoxy you are using, you can let the seal coat get dry to the touch and still get a chemical bond without sanding. System Three, for instance, says you can wait up to 72 hours before you need to sand. As long as you can lay the glass down without it sticking in that time frame you are all set. I have not had great luck with peel ply on large surfaces. I have used it for smaller vacuum bagging projects but have had nothing but grief on large areas. That said, lots of people swear by it. Enjoy. Ken

Carter, Thanks for the encouragement!! I am far to stubborn to quit. Happy New Year. Ken (aka Lazarus)

PAR- Yep, don’t rub it in. Trying to find pants to fit is a real struggle! Don’t get me started on shoes!!

Hi Guys- Thanks for all of the input. Hereditary is a hard one to overcome. I have worked pretty hard most of my adult life to stay heathy and fit. Up until this event it seemed that it worked. I was not feeling great a few weeks before the event and had to drop out of a race which I never did before. I was given a stress test, ECG and the resuts were that I was healthier than most guys 20 years younger. We never know what life has cooked up for us until we look in the rear view mirror. The Docs and EMT’s said that my chances of survival were around 6%! My wife is a hero! She was nominated for a VITAL LINK award for saving a life in an unlikely circumstance. Good thing she doesn’t like diamonds! Being an American and moving to Canada some years back I can’t say enough about the care I received here. They sent a helicopter to take me to the best cardiac center (fog kept them from being able to transport me). They then held up the local ferry and had 2 different ambulances involved in getting me to the hospital. The state of the art care was off the charts good. Workd class and cutting edge. We pay around $100/month for our medical insurance which covers both of us. They actually LOWERED the permiums this year! Never filled out a piece of paper, no arguments with an insurance company and a total out of pocket cost of $10.00 for some aspirin. Here is a picture of me on my 64th birthday in July. Ken

I am very lucky. My wife did CPR for 19 minutes. The Docs told her I was probably a goner and if I survived I would be brain damaged. Some of my friends think I had a head start on that:). Anyway, a stent and I seem to be recovering at a surprisingly fast pace. Doc gave me the go ahead to go back to kayak racing again. Scary indeed.

Hi All, Making a bit of progress on ROSIE these days. Somehow managed to have a cardiac arrest a few weeks back which slowed me down a bit. Pretty close to normal these days and spending time in the shop. I have the cockpit seating and pilot house “furniture” roughed in. The fuel tank is installed and mostly plumbed. Love seeing the interior taking shape. Ken

Hi Henry, That is a good endorsement for the ping pong ball style of scupper. I have to continually remind myself that this is not going to be an offshore boat and getting swamped is pretty unlikely. Haven’t computed the volume difference between the 2 styles but the flapper scuppers clearly have the ability to dump more water in a hurry. I guess enough is enough.... As i continue my build I often look at pictures of your Bluejacket. Full of good ideas and beautiful craftsmanship. Thanks. cheers, Ken

Hi All, About to install scuppers and vacillating between larger rectangular style with a flapper door or the smaller volume ping pong ball style. Any input appreciated. Ken