Stuart Benbow

I'm nearing completion of a Weekender, and am located in Livonia, MI (about 20-30 minutes from the ambassador bridge). There's another weekender builder in Rochester Hills, MI, a completed Weekender (just launched), Pocket Cruiser and Vacationer in Ohio about 3 hours +/- from here, and at least one finished weekender on the west side of Michigan. There's also a few builders in southern ontario, mostly weekenders, but a few other boats as well. Heck one builder has at least four boats he's finished. Some of the builders closer to New York state are gathering this weekend in Little Sodus Bay, Fair Haven, NY for a camping/sailing weekend, but I had to pass. We're gathering again on August 22-24th in Jamestown, PA on Pyamatuning Reservoir (sp?) There should be at least three Stevenson boats there, each of the pocket yachts, and possibly more. If the budget permitted, I'd probably have my boat there for this one, but I've got to hold off on my fiberglass and epoxy purchase for a bit while other priorities get taken care of first. Where abouts are you located, anyway? If you're interested, I'll probably be throwing one more boatshed this summer, (mainly as I'll need a hand getting the cabin roof on from what I saw of the proceedure in the video), and you'd be more than welcome to come down and take a look at the boat and lend a hand. I suppose I'd even grant permission to take a peak if you just wanted to stop by some time when our schedules matched up.

If you can weld, why not go for it, and perhaps save some money. If you can't weld, this probably isn't the best place try your talents for the first time. As to your budgeting, you don't really need a trailer until you're close to completing the boat. I did most of the construction on a dolly built out of 2x4's and plywood, and only moved the boat to a trailer when I found a good deal, after the majority of the major construction was complete. Of course, building the boat in a trailer would work just as well. The only reason I'm able to build a weekender at all is that I only buy the materials a bit at a time.

32' Mystic Sharpie This 32' double-ended sharpie ketch will provide the amateur builder with a shoal-draft cruising boat of simple construction. LOA - 32' 1" LWL - 29' 4" Beam - 8' Draft (cb up) - 1' 3" (cb down) - 4' 3" Displ. - 5,570 lbs. Sail Area - 470 sq. ft. Lofting is required Skill level: Intermediate Plans include 4 sheets. Study plans are show in Forty Wooden Boats. Granted, it's a much bigger project, which means more expensive, and a longer build. The plans are $195.00, and can be purchased through woodenboat.com

Tom, That's a very good point, it basically was the conversion of a weekender to the vacationer on a catboat. If that design was something he wanted, and a scale-up didn't quite give the required cockpit area, then following in the footsteps of Scott Widmier and converting the aft section of the cabin to a bridge deck. Scott had both his family and mine aboard a little while back, and although his boat is not scaled up, it fit his family of four, and my family of four in the cockpit and we could sail comfortably (granted a bit more comfortably when the kids headed into the cabin to play).

First off, as the designers of the boat, I'd seriously consider what they say can and can't be done with their designs. Secondly, if you scale up the Vacationer, you're outta luck on trailer sailing as the Vacationer is already as wide as you can get on the open road, so keeping the boat suddenly becomes a much more expensive, and ongoing proposition. Your best bet would be to keep looking for a more suitable design. As far as I know, nobody has scaled the Vacationer due to the designer saying it's really not a good idea. Now, were I to consider doing the scale up, I'd probably find a boat closer to the size requirements I needed, rather than exceed designer specs as a first alternative. Failing that, and really having my heart set on this design, I'd spend a ton of time doing my homework on structural requirements and get a bit of a grounding in boat design. Although this method of construction doesn't really fit any of the build methods outlined at the following link, I would seriously consider checking out the various scantling books: Macnaughton Group Following gaining a good understanding of that, and still thinking it's a good idea, I'd build a model at 1:12th scale or similar. Also, be aware that when the Stevensons went from the Weekender to the Vacationer, they noted that the boat shapes aren't exactly a one for one scale up of the measurements, meaning that you'll have to do some educated guesswork (thus the design study suggestion). You'd be in the ballpark of a 30' loa boat with a 10' beam. That's quite a big boat for being a shoal draft, flat bottomed design. With the effort involved and the lack of certainty in its success, I probably wouldn't be willing to go that route, but if you do, I'd love to hear about your progress (actually, regardless of which design you settle on, I'd still love to hear about your progress) and will be more than happy to offer suggestions or advice if I can help. All that being said, I'm not exactly famous for following plans myself, and more than one boatbuilder has thought I was a little more off my rocker than the hobby warrants. Good luck to ya, as a 30' boat is a big project and will keep you hopping regardless of the construction method or design.

Thank you for your efforts overseas. Your boat looks fantastic. I like the color scheme, and I must say that sinking 650 hours into a years time with the boat is very impressive. I'm half way through my second year, and haven't found a third of that time to invest. Enjoy the fruits of your labors. By the way, which other boat(s) have you built?

I've seen the bead mast hoops in pictures, but was wondering, what gauge of wire should be used, and how do you fasten the wire to ensure that it doesn't open up under load?

Ask a simple yes or now question, and end up with a dozen different answers from half a dozen sources. I've been waivering too, but at this point, I'm resigned to getting every last scrap of wood working done this year, as well as all of my varnishing and interior painting, and rigging so that I only have to fiberglass and paint come spring. I miss out on sailing her this year, but it ensures that next year is a good long sailing season, and that the boat won't (or at least shouldn't) rot out from under me in a few years. Of course, I'm using exterior grade fir, so if I didn't glass her, I'd be pulling splinters outta my @ after each sail once the checking got through the paint. The way I see it though, if you're already decided on glassing the chines, the cockpit, and a few other areas, you may as well just do the whole thing, as there's likely to be only a marginal difference in time investment. Just my 2 cents worth, and probably not worth that.

The poor weekender! Definitely on the list of mental notes I've taken since starting constuction. Great pictures, and after seeing where we'll be camping in about a month, I'm more eager than ever. By the way, did you ever get the trailer sorted out to ease launching and retrieval of your Vacationer? It sure looks like you're not too worried about it with your feet up, motoring around the lake.

Buck, There's a second opportunity coming towards the end of August for the three classes of Stevenson boats to be together, though this time in PA. Even if everybody at the NorthEast fleet regatta forget their cameras (a feat I doubt, based on the number of boats attending), I'll be bringing mine to the Sandusky fleet regatta. I just wish I could justify the miles, money, and time it would take to head to both of the gatherings. Ah well, I'll spend the weekend working on building my boat instead.

Hi Pat, You sure do go to extremes of sailing. Maiden voyage, you didn't even have enough wind to get back to the docks under sail and now this. Ah well, at least you now know that the boat will get you back home when you get a nasty surprise from mother nature. I think I'd prefer to get a bit more experience with the boat before I requested weather like that though, if it was me ... not that I'd likely be asked for my opinion before the wind kicked up.

Chris, I just noticed the little brown handle sticking out from the port seat front. That doesn't happen to be for the electric motor you've hidden in your keel, does it?

Craig, Glad to hear that you made your trip there and back safely. Hope all's well with the family. I'm sorry you missed us as well, but no harm done. My boat's not as done as I was hoping anyway, so perhaps your next run up this way we can try again. Anyway, I'll try to get to the tall ships, but I've been kinda busy lately and might miss it. I certainly won't get the boat's eye view that Pat's hoping for, so his photos are definitely welcome. Take care,

According to their website, it's still for sale, asking $18,000.

I dont' care how many cuts, blisters, and hours spent in a moaning chair I've done since I first contemplated the project, I'd be more than happy to sell it for that kind of money. After all, I could then afford to buy another set of plans and use really good materials, and past experience to do a better job on a second one.

Granted, I'm not done building yet, but the sleeping aboard thing is something I've put quite a bit of thought into as I'm 6'1. The rest of the family could fit in a shoebox and be happy (wife 4'8, and kids are around 3 and 2' so far, though growing fast). Along with the rig change, I took a page out of a fellow builder's book and built (ok, the pieces are cut, but not permanently installed until I add another coat of paint to the cabin) a bridgedeck. That way, I've got sleeping room in the cockpit and the cabin for my length. In the cabin, there is about 15" of height at just above my knee level when I lie down, and I raised the cabin sides by 4", and increased the arc of the roof so I've got sitting headroom. The boom tent is something I'm definitely going to have to work on once I've built the aft mast and mounted the boom(s) (still deciding on whether to use a boom or a boomless gaff on the foresail) so that the whole family can sleep aboard on the very rare occasions when it's necessary. An accidental benefit/inconvenience depending upon how you look at it is the mast location, and a 4x4 stump that supports the bridgedeck at the center at the new location for the cabin bulkhead. They should be at about the right spot to keep my wife from rolling onto my side of the bed and accidentally capsizing us while we sleep. Note: I'm going to have a few pannels that fit across the footwell of the cockpit to make it a big bed at night.

Well, I can see my varnishing skills don't hold a candle to yours! Are you sure you didn't coat your rudder in glass (not meaning fiberglass) or something? The brightwork is absolutely beautiful. The tiller is going to be a joy to use as well. I'm in the process of laminating one from clear fir as I type (glue's drying). What did you use to make the rudderbox?

I've noticed on production furling systems that the spool that holds the rope at the base of the furler generally has something to keep the rope from coming off. The homemade versions we're all working on seem to be lacking the vertical pieces that seem to keep the rope in place. I'd hazard a guess that the housing for the rope is stationary, or it would all tangle.

Hey Knut, I'd say you're lucky that you found out the hard way and were able to recover from it without any problems. Good to have a tow every now and then, huh? As to bailing ... a little bit of floatation and a wrap around cockpit coaming goes a long way towards keeping the water out while you bail ... I'd hope so anyway. I'm sure I'll find out later this summer, most likely also from personal experience.

Open water coastal cruising from the gulf to maine wouldn't be an easy task in a small boat. I recall rather vague memories of smaller catamarans doing that kind of thing in an event that had most of the cats flipping as they came towards shore each night as they made their way along the coast. Wish I could remember what the event was called. If I were going to make the attempt in a weekender, I would seriously consider putting the centerboard back in, and use the modification another builder is doing - through bolting your keel to your hull bottom. Lastly, I would add weight to the bottom of the centerboard so that it would give some stability. I would really think hard about laminating a second set of panels along the sides and bottom of the boat in case you were forced against the shore, rocks, or anything else. Floatation would be a must. For comfort, you'd probably want to extend the cabin, and raise the height of the roof a fair bit (porta potty's are 12" high, I don't know how tall you are, but for me to use one in the cabin, my head will need to stick through the sliding hatch). In all seriousness, were I to use a Stevenson designed boat for this, I would be going with the Vacationer for peace of mind. It's a much bigger boat for only being a few feet longer, and the stability would buy you a lot of peace of mind, not to mention having room to stretch out to help you remain sane if you have to anchor for days on end due to bad weather. It can still be trailered, and set up quickly for easy day sailing, but I'm told it is a little harder to beach and re-launch. It already comes with plans for a table, stove, a spot for an icebox, and room for the portapotty. The most I plan to do with my weekender is visit the great lakes on really good days, and stay within a few miles of shore. Far more often, I'll be sailing the inland lakes, and I may try a gunkhole adventure along a river system, after I get a better feel for the boat.

Here's how your pics look, tilted to about the right trim level, with a mocked-up water level.

I think I had to whack the bottom seal loose with a hammer as it wouldn't budge. I'd use disposable rubber gloves when smoothing it out, as it's a pain to get out of your fingernails and off the skin.

Hi again, I've been doing a fair job at keeping my website updated with my progress on boat construction, so there's a reasonable amount of progress photos already there. http://stuart.benbow.com is the url. I have a modification section, but the main modifications are only now starting to really take shape so there isn't much to see. I haven't started the spars or rigging yet (apart from the bowsprit, which I finished on Saturday, so other than mast stumps, you won't see much. As far as schooners go ... as I understand it, making a schooner this small is a fools erand, as the sails are too small to really be of use, and the rigging becomes too cluttered ... but what can I say, everybody lvoes a fool. I think the suggested minimum boat length is 40' but I could be wrong. It's been about a year since I did most of my digging for facts, figures, and formulas. To give you an idea of the dimensions I went with, my masts are 6' apart, with the foremast in the same spot as a typical weekender mast, including mast angle. I have extended my bowsprit by 12" to offset the shift of my center of effort to aft caused by the main. I used the formula for gaff sail dimensions found in the Gaff Rigg Handbook for the main, and used the old eyeball technique on the foresail, as it will be skinnier, and taller than the recommended gaff sail. To make things more crowded, I'm rigging her as a cutter, so there likely be no way to single-hand her when she's done. I have gone with a slightly higher mast, even though the sails themselves will have a lower height. I did this for two reasons ... first, I think it will give me better leverage for raising the gaff and adjusting the peak (pure speculation). Secondly, I wanted the option of topsails open to me ... which may or may not be the sane thing to do considering the fact that I've already increased the sail area by 40 square feet. I would post more sail dimensions, but they're all at home ... still in boxes from my move mostly, and these are the only ones that I can remember right now. If you're looking for a specific picture or series of pictures that isn't already on my website, I'll be happy to take them for you and post them. Also, you're only about three hours away. If you ever find yourself in the neighborhood, feel free to swing on by and take a look. I'm usually home and working on the boat most evenings and weekends.

I spent three years convincing my wife that plastic tubs are less fun than hand crafted sailboats, she finally let me build one and it's almost done ... then you go and do this! :shock: What am I supposed to tell her if she stumbles upon it? Ah well, I'm committed now (or should be). Enjoy the boat, looks like it should be fun.