Brent

I am just putting the final coats of epoxy on a Spindrift with taped seams. Used tape with no problems, it went just as Ray suggested; some scraping, and filled with microballs. End result is very fair, and the taped seams will not be visible. I built a CS20 with a glassed hull, and am glad I did. I skipped taping the seams entirely and laid 6 oz glass over the entire hull. I wanted the extra protection for the wood underneath. The glassing was easy to do and aded maybe 10 lbs to the hull. End result is strong, fast and built to last. Bottom line is personal preference.

Got a pair of these on my trailer. This trailer rides much quieter than sprung trailers I have owned, less bouncing and weaving.

Nice Project! A good workbench is a pleasure to work with. Hope it gives you years of service

I checked on the one bowl that got turned. It is doing fine drying with no cracks. It is sitting on an open shelf in the house coated with canola oil.

A cherry tree I cut down last summer has laid resting as a 10 foot long bark coated log. Just recently I finally got the old wood lathe back together and decided to try some of the cherry on it. I cut a foot long section from the log, from which I was able to turn a small bowl. This bowl used only three inches of the foot long log. The rest I had rough turned into three blanks to use for future bowls. I went back to the blanks this weekend to find they had all developed a single large crack from the perimeter to the center making them useless for turning. Ok so my wood is not dry...that is obvious enough. What collective wisdom can we put together to dry this wood to make it useful for turning.

Meeting up would be great, however my plans are to be there later in the month, probably during the full moon. This time of year the total plan is contingent on weather. It may boil down to choosing a weather window and going.

Jeff, do a www search on the word 'yuloh" and see if this inspires. The prototype I made pushes the boat with a very sustainable amount of human effort. However, the yuloh ends up being problematic to store on board due to ite length.

Thanks, this is just the information I am looking for.

A plan is brewing for a week long thin water sailing expedition out of Pensacola, probably in March. Thinking about visiting Dauphin Is, Ship Is, and any other locations that provide a good anchorage, an interesting place to explore, or a good meal. The agenda will include some local historical sites as well. So with that in mind, could anyone recommend a place to launch that provides a relatively secure place to leave a car for the duration. AND What suggestions are there for must see/do destinations/anchorages.

I am not far from where you are. If the situation needs another boat to put in on the lake send a note.

Glen, I was hoping one of the xxN builders would chime in here. Lacking that... You are right on to get the boat straight before welding the joints with epoxy. I let my boats settle in for a few days during the stitching process, allowing the wood to slowly move into the final location. In the forward third of that boat there probably some severe bending of ply going on. Several on this forum have reported cracked ply in the bow area of the Spindrifts...so go slow and careful. The twist is no doubt the result of some type of forces, and my first guess would be to look in the forward third area of the boat. I bevel the ply edges to get better alignment of the pieces. If you are seeing gaps between the sections, that is a place to start analyzing the reasons.

That anchor locker aft of the forward bulkhead is a great idea. Good way to use that space, and keep the weight of the anchor and rode more centrally located.

Wow Tim, can I ever relate to what you are saying. As I have matured I have learned to savor the time that I have to spend on myself, and so I have become somewhat more particular in how that time gets used. I can understand that boat plans might need to ferment for a time before they reach full maturity. Surely it is worth the time to make sure the end product will delight. Your comments about wood shop burnout require me to respond that those guitars are truly beautiful and show a level of craftsmanship I greatly admire. I hope that some time away from the shop will indeed help your motivation, as I am sure the boat that results will be magnificent.

I am considering adding oar locks forward of the thwart on my CS. Allowing the solo sailor to row the boat without moving the mizzen mast. Anybody tried this? Does the boat track straight with the weight forward?

Ok Then. Tim looks like its time to start building. 8)

Scott, I would aim to sink the trolling motor deep enough so that there is at least 6 inches of water over the propellor. This will minimize cavitation and hence help to get full thrust from the motor. Keep in mind heeling angle. You will probably find situations where you will want to use the motor while the sails are up, like when you are trying to round the bend to get into the breeze, or approaching the dock. If the boat is off centerline to windward the motor will get shallower when that little breath of a breeze catches the sails. Makes we want to consider making that motor a little deeper.

Tim, May I suggest a look at the Bolger Light Schooner. This is a two masted gaff rigged schooner that from all I have heard is quite fast. This boat may be an example of what you were refering to in terms of the gaff rig keeping the center of effort low, resulting in a high speed to sail area ratio. From what I have read this boat is a hand full to crew, so it probably doesn't fit into that easy cruise boat genre. However, given your preference for the gaff rig this might be place to start designing from. If it were my project I would be looking for something other than a flat bottom boat, something with at least a few degress of dead rise. In my mind this gives a more stable and forgiving hull, and I like the asthetics. This is where the B&B boats might come into play, but keep in ming that the CS boats are optimized for the cat ketch rig. I might consider some of the double ended round bilge dory type hulls, or maybe talk to Oyster about those coastal cruiser type planked hulls. I am thinking I have seen gaff rigged cutters or something close in pictures at the NC maritime museum. Might be fun to tap into history for this project By my way of thinking, if I went with a fairly large water line length (17 is probably around the lower limit) and at least a 6-7 foot beam, then adding a cabin roof big enough for a couple of bunks could be done without compromising boat performance. I would use my eye as a guide, in the end I would want a boat that had lines appealing to my eye. I would be happy participate if you choose to continue using this forum to process your boat search/design concepts.

Welcome to the forum and the family of B&B sailors. We would indeed like very much to see some pictures, and perhaps some occassional descriptions of your sailing adventures.

It is easy to imagine putting a coach roof on the forward section of the CS17, and fitting out with a bunk and other accomodations to support a one person cruiser. With some care for insuring structural integrity and keeping the windage minimal I would think a fine boat could be had. It would closely resemble...a Belhaven. You will no quarter here for modifying a sweet sailing cat ketch into a gaff cutter. Perhaps all of us went through some consternation over the unfamiliar cat ketch arrangement, but I for one have found it to be a wonderful way to put more joy into my sailing. As someone who enjoys a good turn of speed and frequently sail solo, I am very pleased with what the cat ketch offers.

Craig, Being in Arizona in January and February sound like a good thing. Here is a wish that your wifes medical issues can be resolved without complication. The B.E.E.R run is a great idea. I would enjoy exploring these areas in the company of people who have been there before. I am evaluating the dates to determine if I can work that out. My CS20 is an open boat, so this may get me going on that bimini/tent option I have been contemplating. May also inspire me to get a motor so I can stay in the game if the wind is contrary.

Howard, laminating together alternating strips of walnut and ash will make a strong and very beautiful rudder.

The gunwales on my Spindrift 10 (not N) are pine 1 x 2s. Starting at the bow I clamped these into place overnight before epoxying into place. This gave some time for the shape to settle in. Got a smooth fair curve. I plan to screw on a 3/8 mahogony or oak rub strip after the boat is painted.

Ken, Thinking about motor mounts, I considered cutting away a section of transom to allow a motor to be mounted off center and forward of the transom in a recessed and covered area under the stern deck. Accessed through a hatch in the stern deck. I dont like the look of those motors hanging off the back, but probably more significantly I didn't have a motor. Still dont. So far, the more I use the boat the less I feel I need a motor. I've got a big powerful yuloh, but even that doesn't get used so much.

Yesterday the high was in the teens, I took the afternoon off to go skiing. Today this high is near 50, I am thinking about launching the boat. Tommorrow looks like another good ski day. What a life.

Consider installing PVC conduit to run the wires in before sealing up the decks. Make a very nice installation that is easy to maintain over time.