Andy B

That's funny--I'm two hours from Cheboygan, but drove all they way to near you to buy my Sea Pearl 21 from Steve.

Tim is completely right--that looks like a really quality boat, and the dodger/tent/sails are incredible. Unless you really want to build, you should be all over this one!

Hi Tim! I don't use Craigslist directly. I use a site called Search Tempest. In the "What" section (top left), I put "core sound" in quotations. I think choose boats for category, and put in any distance. You can then open the tabs for all 8 sections of the continental US. You can also search Facebook Marketplace on there, though there are a few more steps. When I was searching for various boats a few years ago I had running searches I would do each day (eg, "Core Sound", "Welsford", "Vivier" "Norseboat"). It helped me find my boat in CO at a very good deal! I think currently Facebook Marketplace has more boats than Craigslist. A fun daydream activity is to use the search term "wooden boat", set the price over $250 to filter out the stupid model boat decor, and then move the search area to new england, florida, and PNW to see all the really cool boats there. Also, Sailing Texas is a great site. I haven't seen many Core Sounds there recently, but you can check their Sold page to see what's been on there.

Good decision. I was about to chime in after you mentioned where you sail. As you know, the Great Lakes have smaller waves, but they are steeper and come faster--not swells. For a non-ballast boat, these waves can come slapping at you and steal all your momentum. Worse, the pauses make it hard to set sails consistently. I think the extra two feet will really smooth out your ride in these conditions.

If you do decide to build, take SteveW up on his offer. I bought a (production) boat from him--he's a thoughtful builder, wicked smart, and is a really nice guy!

I suspect that the 15 heels more in videos because people just don't think about reefing or spilling wind in a smaller boat. They sail it like a sunfish. That's been my personal experience, anyway. Be a man and build the CS-20! Just kidding. On that note, does anyone know why they chose 20, instead of 19? Did the extra foot help with design, or was it some other factor?

CS-17 MK3 in Seattle. Excellent condition and lots of extras. $14,000. https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/boa/d/seattle-core-sound-17-cat-ketch/7802275282.html

The CS-20 is a great boat--light and responsive but still stable and fast. Easy to rig. I did not build mine but I have some posts here about why I bought one. I can add that if you are thinking about buying a CS-20, they are rare. I looked for about 18 months, and found one in moderate condition (but paid very little for it). On the other hand, CS-17 boats seem to come up for sale every month or so, at various price points and conditions. Check to see if the 20 fits in your building location (meaning both where you are going to build it and store it).

Thanks @JJVir Tim sent me some plywood, which arrived today. And I do have some great winter storage just a bit north of you. I wish it was heated so I could do some work, but it is safe, dry, and free, so I’m doing well.

Thanks, Tim, check your messages here. I really appreciate it!

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone has some scrap plywood they could ship to me? I need a very small amount, just to fill two holes about the size of a silver dollar each. If anyone is willing to ship me a scrap, maybe in one of those one-size fits all envelopes, I'd be happy to send you the cost of shipping and a bit extra for your troubles. You can send me a message through this site.

I like that, Don. After an initial email, the foundry hasn't responded, so I will be looking at that product you bought.

@Don Silsbe Don, I'm curious why you intend to sand all the way to the primer. Assuming the current paint is still adhering, why not just smooth it out and go from there?

The earlier models had two mast steps up front--one for the usual position and one further aft. In those models the sails were sleeved, so couldn't be reefed easily, so the plan was to take down the mizzen sail and move the main to the middle hole (or the mizzen there, can't remember). My 2004 has that hole, though I've never used it because the sails can be reefed in a normal manner. Anyway, there is already a mast step/hole in the plans in that location if that's what you wanted to do.

Awesome, Alan. That sounds right in line with how others use substack, and I'm looking forward to more content from B&B, that would be awesome! Some day I'll make it to the Messabout.