Murray

@Don Silsbe Interesting pic Don - your side hatches seem wide? We're looking after grandchild #4 while grandchild #6 is being delivered so I don't have access to plans nor me boat. Does that one hatch allow access to the two side compartments? I think the only pic I've seen of your boat. Forgot to add, we live in New Zealand.

Hey Don - only once sailed a CoreSound 15 that my brother in law built some time back. We went out in a stiff 20+ knots, puffing towards 25. Upwind was hard work, and yes I agree the main is sufficiently larger than the mizzen so that was the one you played, but I found holding both sheets in one hand and the tiller in t'other allowed tidy progress. I used his tiller extension so that hand was semi available to assist with major sheeting movements. BiL was best employed hanging on. (really hope he is not reading this...!) Downwind was however a great surprise. I was showing BiL how to balance a boat downwind by sailing on the leech of the main, with the mizzen out the other side and largely ignored. The tiller went light as a really solid puff hit - guessing close to 30 knots. BiL is not so experienced so I was thinking this could get interesting - but to my delight, the boat flattened out to a balanced plane and we had a fantastic ride. In that much wind, the waves were getting up - nothing serious but you needed to steer through them, and the core sound was totally manageable. So, no while I don't have much experience of a cat ketch, I got a taste of the potential, sufficient to attempt to build one.

Morocco! A few years since I was there - just loved the markets. What takes you there Dave? @Hirilonde It's not OCD, it's CDO - IT HAS TO BE ALPHABETICAL... from one who knows...

Sail a Laser for longer than you care remember, they ain't got a lot of storage - but you make do - even with three back to back races well offshore...! But I guess one hatch under the rear to go with one up forward will be useful. Easier to do now than later too.

Sharp eyes! Yes they are a fabulous tool.

Hey Ken - nice work. I love seeing shots of the boat sailing - many thanks for posting. Some are easy to 'off-fend' - but we all know what's right. Sails are indeed a wonderful colour and the mizzen looks easily managed. The main looks pretty full, especially at the head of the sail - right where it is a handful to manage. Your heeling angles suggest that if you don't want to hike on the side deck at all, then maybe a good pull on the snotter line could help flatten the main making it easier to mange in the puffs. A a stiffer top batten might help too. Although the Lapwing is quite a powerful shape (wide) she also carries quite a lot of sail area so the sails can be set reasonably flat and still give plenty of drive. And then the extra area can allow some fun downwind in a breeze. On the matter of controls I'm a total fittings Nazi - I need controls to fall naturally to hand - whereas it appears you are looking around a bit to find sheet cleats - especially the mizzen. I know some have led the mizzen sheet forward to a block near the mast base - I'll be doing that - after over 40 years of racing Lasers I'm too old to adapt. Just a thought. Meantime I'm still taking my orbital sander to bed with me 'cos my hand won't open properly after a day in the shed....

Quite a lot of pressure on the the mast blocks, probably unnecessary but I put tenon pins through from the bulkheads and cross bracing to prevent movement. A sheet of ply across the top is probably more than sufficient to tie it all together, but belt and braces...

Well the Stem is now looking good, so I ready do a little on the insides. I started with the stringers to support the seats attaching to the planking. I worried myself when trying to get the positioning right, but in the end found an easy solution; use the two fore and aft bulkheads and bridge across them with some battens which allow me to both put pressure against the stringer, and set the height. By screwing a small packer on the underside of each batten, and short of the batten length, I got a reasonable result. All the bulkheads have now been filleted and glass tape applied. Next the mizzen mast support, then I'll do three hot coats of resin before starting on the seats / thwarts. I've decided not to put the rather natty B&B designed hatches in - it will only ever be a day sailing boat, i think there will be plenty of storage for a day sail under the foredeck.

Well we have a centre case in now, very pleased that the pre-drilled hole for the centreboard is perfectly aligned on the two sides. But even more pleased that after far too long looking at the stem, I went out and got a $100 laser level. It showed the issue - and thus the solution immediately. So I'll work on that and post the result shortly...

Dave - I'm just embarking on installing the trunk - yes, I've started again. Not quite sure from your description, but did you have the truck projecting through the hull, then trim to fit (so the bottom of the trunk is flush with the bottom of the garboard plank, or is the trunk still fully inside the boat as shown in the plans? Your photos have been a source of much help to me - thanks!

Festool Tape????

I bought a new Ford Ranger Raptor to tow my boat. A little overkill perhaps, but as they say, you can take the boy out of the west, but you can't take the west out of the boy. And now they have launched a new one. So yes, I ordered one. Just in case. my wife just shook her head...

Ken you've done a great job - most impressive. I'm still making excuses, but I will re-start tomorrow with the centreboard case. I've found that I have much less spare time now I'm retired - seem to be busy doing things for other people. But that's OK too. I know that when I was young, I had plenty of time, but no money. Now I'm old, (or getting there) I find I no longer have plenty of time... Look forward to seeing some on-the-water pics...

That's outstanding. I've looked long and hard at these pics and I just can't fault the result.

20 coats. OK, Dave it's official, you are prepared to go the extra mile...

So true - those masts are a work of art. Quite inspiring really...

How about the other way around? Carbon tube (I have some prototype Laser/ILCA carbon tubes that I am considering covering in a veneer of Alaskan Cedar)

Tracksaws are the best thing. Ever.

Haven't even looked at the project for the last 3 months Peter. - well that's not quite true, I keep looking at the stem and I see it's not quite plumb. I should have glued up the lamination on a flat table rather than in situ. So I'm trying to decide how offended I am by the issue and if it's bad enough, what I'm going to do to correct it. Probably time I reached a decision, and got on with it...

I like the way you think @Don Silsbe....!

I was kinda interested to see the detail of the planking so I haven't done that yet. I probably will since my handiwork leaves a bit to be desired.... I haven't varnished the transom yet, just 3 coats of resin...

I recently made a couple of new workbenches with Valchromat tops. I had a bit of spare resin at one point so I rolled it on. The valchromat soaked it right up so I put a second coat on - then just for fun a third. By then it was a bit lumpy so I got my sander loaded with 240 grit, smoothed it out quite well. If something is good, more is better, so I raked through the sandpaper drawer and went to 320/500, then for even more fun 800/1200 and finally 1500 grit. it really does feel amazing. So then a mate popped over and suggested i try that on the hull. I did, and yes it's quite interesting; no sheen at all, but super smooth. Downside is it's no-where near as hard, so probably not practical.

So time to get her the right way up. Still another coat yet to go on the bottom, but time to add wood. I recall @Hirilonde's quote "now all I got to do is a whole lot more....".