Kennneee

Carter- I didn’t know the article made it into the annual magazine. Thanks for letting me know. Thanks for the kind words on my obsessions. From what I saw in your last post on your OB20 build you are doing the design proud as well! Ken

Good input, thanks Andy. Ken

Don- it looks like you move your mizzen forward when you row. Does that work well for you?

Good info Dave and Don. Good point on the need for oars that would seem redundant. There will be times when I won’t want to bother bringing the outboard with me and would like to have oar back up. I think a simple pair of 2 piece oars might do the trick. I was going to make them close to 10’ but Dave’s advice is well taken to make them a bit shorter. On rare occasions that I will need to row it will likely be in very light or no wind conditions. I would then move the mizzen to the forward mast step and row from the center thwart. For close quarters I will either use a SUP paddle or a native storm paddle that I use for that purpose on my Spindrift. Ken

I am at the point Dave was with his Lapwing 6 years ago. I am grateful somebody paved the way for a good solution for back up propulsion. Now that some years have passed and more time in your boats, would you do anything differently? I have spent less than an hour in the water on Lula and used a SUP paddle for the 100 yards I needed to go with the sails down. The SUP paddle worked great for close quarters but I doubt it would do me much good against tide and wind. I will have an electric outboard but having oars still seems prudent. Any updated thinking would be appreciated.

She looks beautiful!!

Thanks Don. I will take you up on that offer.

Well, my goal was to get Lula splashed before I left for the Messabout. With the help of a friend we got her launched today. All went very well. I still have a few tweaks to take care of and a lot to learn about the Cat Ketch. Hoping to learn a lot at the Messabout this weekend from all of you. Heading out bright and early tomorrow and should be at the site on Friday morning. My friend Gil shot the video below of her first sail. Now it’s time to pack. https://photos.app.goo.gl/UWPUMto8vwKRKEsWA https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZSwwnfBeQfw3fy9T9 Ken

Jay- I thought you were going to pick me up:) See you on Friday. Ken. p.s. She looks beautiful!

Murray- looking good! I bought a laser level a few years ago and can’t imagine building without one now. Glad you found a solution to your building “challenge”. Keep the pics coming. Ken

Peter- Thanks for the advice. I played with batten tension, etc and they look better. So far she goes to weather nicely in the driveway. Dave- I hope to find out if she floats very soon. If she doesn’t, I will just sail her in the driveway.

Lula is rigged and ready to tack out of the driveway. A few minor details, but essentially done. I hoisted the sails with the battens in for the first time today. A bit of a pucker at the luff where the batten pockets are located. I am hoping a bit of wind will bend the battens enough for that to be a non issue. I would like to get her splashed before I take off on Thursday to head to the Messabout.

Beautiful boat Mark!

Don- If you want to totally geek out on anchors this guy has done tests on lots of the modern anchors. In years past I have used CQR, Bruce, Danforth and a 65LB. 3 piece Herreshoff for a storm anchor. Always with a minimum of 5:1 Scope. They were the best available back then. Fast forward to the newer designs. I currently use a Sarca Excel (galvanized steel) on Rosie and it is an amazing piece of gear. Sometimes in crowded anchorages I am lucky to get 3:1 scope and have enough swing room. This anchor sets very quickly and with the strong tidal flows we have in this part of the world it has reset every time with the tide change. I can’t say enough good about it. There are others out there that are probably as good but I switched to this one based on the tests that the owner of SV Panope has done. If you want to feel like a real nerd, spend some hours watching videos of anchors dragging and being reset. I can’t make fun of my wife for watching knitting videos anymore! Next we can watch a series on paint drying and grass growing. Fun stuff. Ken

Thanks for the compliment Don. Dave will you be at the Messabout? Looking forward to meeting all you guys that I have gotten to know a bit on this forum. Got my plane ticket and car rented and ready to go. Ken

Nice looking ski boat Ted!

I have given up on that stuff for some of the same reasons. I have sprayed way to much of that stuff without the best protective gear. May come back to bite me when I get old or maybe I should say older.

Varnish seems to be a subject that inspires a lot of passion. Maybe it is because we spend so much time and care to put the final touches on our hard earned creations. Varnishing is not my favorite thing to spend my time on. I have tried many different products with varying outcomes over many years searching for a silver bullet. When all is said and done, nothing looks better than 6-12 coats of a traditional varnish like Epiphanes of Captains etc. On Rosie, I have used 4 different products and “tested” the result. Actually I was mostly using up a bunch of different cans that I didn’t want to waste. The two-part Bristol that had served me well for years sprayed on my kayaks and surfskis was not as durable as I had hoped in this application (rub and toe rails). On my kayaks, it went over a very stable surface that had fiberglass and epoxy encapsulating the wood. This two-part product is tough as nails and has lasted many years in this application. Over wood that “moves”, Bristol seems a bit brittle. Speaking to the tech folks at Bristol, they thought I would have had better success if I had applied epoxy over Rosie’s rub and cap rails first. I eventually stripped them and applied 3 coats of Cetol Natural Teak over the bare wood and then 2 coats of Clear Gloss. After one season it looked great and this Spring I scuffed and applied 2 more coats of the clear. I always hated the look of Cetol but this combo looks excellent. It is on the soft side but very easy to maintain. Not as glossy as the traditional stuff. The Epiphanes that I used on the radar mount is hard to beat. It has maintained it’s depth and gloss over a couple of seasons. Like Cetol, traditional varnish is usually a one coat per day with 6 coats or more being standard. Lots of time with a brush in hand. Since I would rather be out on the water than applying finish I am always in search of a better way. Last year I decided to give Total Boat Halcyon waterborne varnish a try. I have use a lot of waterborne products over the years with mixed results. Most of them just don’t have the “pop”, depth, and color of a traditional product. Being able to apply a coat of this product every hour with no sanding between coats is very appealing to me. It is incredibly easy to apply, almost like a cross between varnish and oil. Of course local climate makes all of the difference in the outcome. Here in BC, I can find lots of days with moderate temperature for a good result. After a season it looked pretty good with a few spots needing touch ups. I applied 3 more coats in one day a few weeks back. It looks very good but again, it’s not quite as good as Epiphanes or other similar formulas. If you want maximum shine, this is not for you. I spoke with the tech folks at Total Boat a few months back and they recommended a coat or two of well-cured and scuffed epoxy on bare wood before applying the Halcyon. I decided to go this route on Lula, my Lapwing. On Sunday I had her all masked and the epoxy was scuffed and ready for varnish. I did all of the brightwork, masts, sprits, tiller, etc. On the transom I had previously applied one layer of 3.2 oz. Satin glass over the Western Red Cedar as I do on my kayaks and surfskis to stabilize and make this soft wood a bit more durable. I applied a coat of Halycyon around every 1.5 -2 hours and was pulling the masking tape off by the end of the day. How does it look? I am very pleased. Is it as glossy and rich as traditional varnish? Not quite but close enough for me. I got to go paddling the next day instead of varnishing. It comes in a soft squeezable container which makes getting the air out easy for longer term storage. One more bonus is that it dries quickly so that dust is much less of an issue that with a slow drying product. Hope this is helpful. Ken

Steve- That is an elegant solution. I came up with a mount to attach a float to my wooden mast on the Lapwing I am building. Alan’s solution seems like a better way to go. Ken

Could be used to attach fenders.

Here is a great book about the Vendee Globe race around the world. https://www.amazon.com/Godforsaken-Sea-Through-Worlds-Dangerous/dp/0385720009

These work well. You can tip with a foam brush if you want a smoother finish. I also use yellow foam rollers when I want a very smooth finish. https://www.fisheriessupply.com/wooster-epoxy-glide-roller-cover

Electric, nearly silent.

Luanne and I got a late start in life in terms of our marriage. It will be our 19th this year. Knowing we would never match you guys for the number of married years we began celebrating “Lunaversaries” shortly after we were married. So, I think we are heading for 228 next month! Marriage graded on a curve, eh. Ken

Jay- Will your new beauty be at the Messabout? If all goes as planned I hope to be there to meet you and see her. Ken