Al Stead

Wow, thanks! I hadn't thought about the cockpit drain. I guess that would be a must have on a wet highway. I figured to carpet the cabin, just haven't given it too much critical thought. I wonder if outdoor carpet might be a good choice. I don't expect that I will have to take the sails off just to haul her to the local lakes, but should I take them off and stow them for a longer trip? I've been thinking about maybe a sock laced over the mast and boom with the sail still attached. On another note, I have a lumber rack filled with straight grain and clear white ash and oak left over from my sled building days. It has been sitting on a rack in my pole barn for 25 years, and I was wondering if it was suitable for spars and other bright work. If I can use it, my costs for the boat should be significantly lowered. I have started making some blocks with it, with mixed results. It is 5/4 rough cut varying from 6 to 9 feet. Al

Hello all, I ordered my weekender plans last August. I used Paypal and got them in eight days. I didn't order the DVD though. Maybe that is the answer to waiting for a reply. Use the Paypal option. Al

Thanks for the quick replies, I was thinking about wear and tear on the hull bottom from road vibration, but maybe that isn't too bad. The other thing I was thinking about was should I make a cover for her, or just let her get wet on a rainy day behind the truck? I race sled dogs, so I have a dog box on my pickup that I made out of MDO which seems to be holding up pretty well, but the road grime and wet are a problem. I used good quality topside paint, but I don't think it was made for the kind of gunk that gets thrown up from a wet highway. Stephan, I used to work loading 1,000 footers on the ore docks. The harbor is a great place to mess around. I expect to spend my earliest days there until I get some skills. Al

Hello all, My name is Al and I am in the process of lining up everything to start building a weekender. I have done a fair amount of self taught woodworking (mostly because I'm too cheap to pay someone) from building dog sleds to the house I live in. I live in Duluth Mn. right at the tip of Lake Superior. Sailing ships have been a particular interest of mine since I was a little kid. Now I want to build one, even if it is pretty small. Because I live in the land of 10,000 lakes, I expect to be able to use it quite a bit when the water isn't solid. I would like to take my little ship everywhere I go and plop her in any interesting body of water I come across. So, my question is if I haul her all over the place, what kind of problems am I likely to encounter and what should I do to prevent them? Also, I intend to sleep in her on the road so I don't have to pay for a motel. Some of my trips may be lengthy. For example, I have a hankering to see the Great Slave lake in particular. After reading this list for most of the winter, I am delighted with the level of expertise available and the feeling of community. This list feels right. Al Stead