ecgossett

Make sure if it is exposed that you use close cell foam.. There are some new brands available that if you use a mesh on tops and bottoms, water will drain straight through. Most close cell make sure you use phifertex on bottom or another mesh for draining. Brytec or Relitec in Jax has foam, but there is another place that sells per foot for a good price (I have to call someone for that number). Medium density is ok for inside seats, and pretty comfortable to sleep on, still better then an inch of camping foam. Soft breaks down fast, especially once you sit on it. We had a customer that insisted on soft for the seats, it lasted a month.. The backrests make of it work just fine. Make sure you have mesh on bottom, consider two snaps in opposite corners to hold cushions in place, and make sure they use a marine grade zipper(s). If they are outside cushions pay the couple bucks more for high quality lifetime guarantee thread, will keep sun from rotting in three-four years. For outside cushions think twice about dark colors they get hot in the sun. We usually use sunbrella for interior seats but friends of ours recently had good luck with car upholstery fabric, and the pattern felt better on bare skin.

With the tubes I should be good with a longer oar. The problem is the currents in the St. Marys River.. Today with 1-3knot winds switching around it was not enough to move against current, or easily change position. The 2hp engine was nice but 3.5 is only a little heavier will provide same power with less fuel at half throttle, and give me good emergency power. With kids I don't want to fool around with safety or get stuck out for hours waiting for weather window or conditions to change.. The right paddles could help avoid engine use except in adverse conditions.

Duck-works sells some decent priced round hatches for the hard to reach storage areas that I've seen others using. The thing that scares me about sealing off storage is you don't realize how much you miss it until that one day that you need it (this might just be a submariner view on storage, we're pack-rats). I have no stringers in mine.. I have 10 ounce cloth on the bottom and 6 ounce on the inside bottom. This sandwich approach seems to have worked very well.

How long should oars be for a CS17, some people have told me 9' but is that long enough? Curved, straight blade, etc whats best? I don't have time to build my own, what is the best place to buy? My hardware will probably come from Duckworks. - Edward

Not a bad idea. I just hope very much that I didn't miss any important structural things, or screw anything up that could sink me. I have already noticed one suspicious crack in paint on the aft end of the centerboard 3 inches along where the plywood wall is attached to post. Everything was coated and inside walls are glasses in 6ounce cloth. Maybe I didn't seal one side well enough.

Oh I had a lot of compliments from the yacht club members out on the Clubhouse Boat for a barbeque on my excellent boat handling etc. Well it was my first time, but I have to thank Randy Jones for taking me out, and getting a feel for it, it sure helped. This design is so simple, yet sporty that our STMYC commodore had no problem, did not need any explanations/tutoring, and smartly took it around the harbor then flipped around and parked next to the houseboat. When it's all said it's a easy boat to handle. The 2hp Honda 4-stroke I tried was nice but for a little more weight am going to buy a 3.5hp not sure what brand.. With the very strong currents I fought today I would like a little more speed without having to go full throttle. The 2 did push the boat really really easy. Possible Names (looking for feedback): wayward traveler Green Eggs & Hamm Eat Peas Feeling Nauti Bite Me DON'T PANIC (Upside Down) 42 Oh and maybe some SOS instructions upside down on the side as well *grin* for all those naysayers. - Edward PS I will be building the ladder Duck-works website recommends on the back. After swimming in the river today, the CS17 is not the easiest to get back on.

Top thing on launching was asking a lot of questions the past couple weeks. I hit the point where if I didn't get the boat done before deployment it was going to be December to get in the water. Something I did realize was in my plans the forward seats came further aft, one of the issues on another CS17 was how short those seats where. A lot of older problems seem to have been solved in later plans. The curved coaming corners are the most comfortable things to lounge against. A potential issue is making sure I get the right life jacket that has padding further down my back so I can comfortably lounge on long distance races. I had to make a critical path list mentally and skip a lot of projects: I'm sure there's more not on this list. Skipped / future project: 1) Sealing Seat hatches, or installing tie downs. Sealing Forward Hatch 2) Installing Aft fold out hatch. 3) Making and installing wood bottoms/ends for masts. 4) Skipped proper installation on some hardware that wasn't close to water just for the weekend. Will come back and seal better later. 5) No cleats on boat for dock lines yet. Also need cleats or something on masts to hold spools of line to keep everything neat. 6) Used one part rustoleam boat paint semi-gloss for deck and gloss green for sides. To humid to use the white bright-side interlux paint I had bought. However, on the rudder and centerboard the interlux looks great, think I will use it for bottom paint for performance (slicker then the teflon paint according to Interlux). 7) A lot of lessons learned where put into the deck and it came out great, that said I need a better rotary sander to redo the sides at a future time. 8) Need to work on a better way to cover trunk or a noodle to put in when board is down. A lot of water splashing around in the trunk, not sure if that is normal. 9) No racks to hold masts yet, lashed them to decks. Have extra aluminum that should work great. 10) Realized even on invoice was short a couple of hooks, etc for downhauls. Used what I had for the snotter, and plan on ordering some more blocks for down-hauls and hooks to attach. 11) Self bailer isn't installed. 12) No electronics, radio, lights. 13) My flares are out of date, Walmart's go out in December so we need to make it to West to buy more. 14) Need a depth sounder/fish finder for river navigation. 15) No anchor or bow roller installed yet. Having second thoughts about bow roller because I am worried about docking and hitting something. 16) Need second 1/4" plywood one inch strip installed around top skirt. Compromises to save time: 1) Aluminum all the way up, no wooden section on top of mast. 2) Riveting hardware to mast instead of bolting (may change in future) 3) Used a post hole digger handle for tiller (cut out the middle in back section to fit over rudder post). Will either have to beef up attachment points and handle for future use, or built one out of fir the proper way. 4) Spruce seat for middle, had trouble finding a decent piece of wood that was big enough. I have a friend who is laminating mahogany for me with stainless threaded pieces through it to pull together and then leave in for strength. 5) Rudder cheeks are not a beautiful thing when looking closely. Pieces don't all match and it was hurried to put together. 6) Wiring on boat trailer is zippy tied to frame. Might pay someone while gone to do a proper job of it. 7) Inside of boat is only primer-ed (several coats), and ixc nterlux perfection under forward seats. It did wind up being good thing with a couple epoxy drips from other things or caulking in various hardware. Can paint later. Problems: 1) Tiller is weak at attachment point 2) Seats aren't water proofed, and fiberglass waterways need beefed up to take more weight on top. 3) On mizzen mast cars keep getting stuck on one of the tracks, have to wiggle halyard up and down to pull sail down. 4) Trailer isn't perfect, need more work on rollers to match boat bottom. 5) Need a new engine, 1957 Elgin isn't going to cut it. Borrowed a 2hp 4-stroke honda today and it was great to have a reliable engine when needed. Putting bow into wind or getting caught in current by dock and almost sucked into other boats, current was so strong couldn't get out of the irons to get wind in sails. 6) Tieons for boom to sail didn't work well.. Need to get some good line and but knots on both ends or something... The hole idea worked but need better way to keep on. Had booms come loose twice while sailing.

Pain Pain Pain, about to go sailing but will post more later.

http://coresound17.blogspot.com/2011/08/boat-launch.html has other photos!

I launched the boat today!! Before I get asked: 1) Battens/reefs are being added by my sail-maker while I'm deployed. 2) Yes I do have a lot of incomplete projects to finish later, (i.e. anchor roller, seals for seats, self-bailer, finishing painting out the interior (waiting for winter and less humidity). I made the decision of not getting to take boat out until this winter and possibly more projects, or enjoying it this weekend before I leave. 3) Kids where great for bailing!! Problems: 1) Forgot to seal around seat, plenty of water from waves. 2) 1957 Elgin Outboard decided not to work, pulled on the pull and it didn't retract. 3) No cleats for dock lines yet (using masts, engine mount, tow eye). 4) Rub-rails not installed, didn't think would be a problem until low tide, and pulling boat up to trailer rubbed inadvertently against side of pier. Only scratched area where rub rails will go (rails are sitting in garage). Thankfully 10ounch fiberglass cloth protected sides, 5) Getting the privilege of seeing naked old-guy live-aboard jump out of cabin on moored sailboat to take photos (second pass had shorts on). 6) Wife is uncomfortable with no working engine.

where are the photos?

How do most people hook in the rounded end of the sprit into the sail?? My sprits are done, just not sure about attaching. I have plenty of strapping, and a nice big grommet in the clew calling the sprits name. - Edward

Is there anyway around the legal requirement of having a six-pack license to take out paying customers for day sails in a 18ft sailboat? Rafting guides, and canoeing guides take people all the time with out this. - Edward

Who do you guys go through for boat insurance for your homebuilt boats? Has anyone had success with online quotes for CS17's?

I have that sheet.. On number 4 it shows different cleats then the ones actually used. There a re a couple other differences as well.

<h3 class="row2"> <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn ___hover___member _hoversetup" href="user/340-pinoypiper/" id="anonymous_element_16" title="">PinoyPiper</a> is that the halyard for the main coming back?</span></h3>

That makes sense.. Mine shows them mounted on the deck using a different piece of hardware. Carla never sent me the new diagram. One cleat is for port and one stbd, are both for the main? Does anyone have a new diagram for rigging with the updated hardware?

Looking at the bolt holes it mounts side ways.. It just seems like on the deck in the mid section that's a lot of room to take up.

I don't understand how the CL206 works. There where two in the bag for the main halward. It's not the sort of cleat I would have expected for the main, especially two. Any ideas? - Edward

Still waiting on: 8 Harken Eyestraps - Har073 1 CL257 Quick Release Cam Cleat 1 Orbital Stand Up Block RF45140 2 Ronstan cleat, composite fiber medium RF5011 2 Cam Fairlead medium RF5015 1 Ronstan Orbit cheek block RF35151 2 Orbit single loop top becket block RF35111 Supposedly will be here Saturday.... I hope.. I'm about to jury rig some stuff and go sailing.. West Marine has one or two things like the Quick Release Cam Cleat and Harken Eye-straps but that's about it.

Thanks, I already have the sail, so I may as well get the rigging up since we have a lot of light summer winds. - Edward

What hardware is used and how do you guys rig the staysail? Do you put it up with the other two or buy its self? - Edward

Okoume, and 18 & 13" radius per the plans. Butt joined or scarfed?

I've been having trouble getting my wood not to crack on installing corners for the coaming. The best luck I've had on not cracking is wrapping 20inch piece of coaming in towel, pouring hotwater over and sticking in microwave for 6, 2 minute intervals with 2 minutes in between. Any suggestions to improve this? How are the coaming sections commonly attached? Scarfing, butting joining?, If it's scrafing it seems painfull to prescarf everything because if anything winds up being off somewhere a gap will happen. - Edward

What size chain?