Clung

High Altitude, there are two valid sides to this discussion. If your dream is to build a boat, choose a plan that will challenge you, with lines and complexity that appeals to you and yet still fit within your ability and resources. If your dream is to get out on the water, build something that will get you there within your time frame. Any discussion with sailors will bring up a myriad of features that you need for safety and/or necessity - but take the advice of Lin and Larry Pardey, well known for their mantra, "Go small, go simple, go now." A boat project can easily become overwhelming, and many take longer than originally planned, delaying the departure date indefinitely. Many, many people have done extended voyages in boats a lot smaller than a CS17 - in the fall of 2004 we were in Bell Harbor, downtown Seattle when we met a gentleman one evening tie up to the floats in an overburdened canoe. He was passing through heading north, and his smile left us with no doubt that he was one of the happiest individuals in the harbor. We are currently in Alaska house sitting for friends met on the water that have rowed extensively up the west coast - Seattle to Skagway, the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Nome, the Mackenzie from Hay River to Kotzebue, as well as the coast of Labrador, Norway, Svalbard and parts of Greenland (Rowing to Latitude, Jill Fredston). If your intent is to spend two months on the water in one of the prettiest areas of the world, any vessel will do and will provide you with an unbelievable experience you will cherish. If the CS17 is the one that catches your eye and it fits your ability and time frame, then believe in yourself and I'll be cheering you on. Good luck!

As they say in the helicopter industry, the weakest part of the machine is the nut holding the cyclic. To put it into sailing terms, it would be the nut holding the tiller... :smile: In other words, the limitations of the skipper usually exceed the limitations of the boat. There are some fast tidal currents there, but timing to transit passes at slack is simple with adequate planning and tables. Some areas like Juan de Fuca have current all the time, and a solid understanding of the effects of wind over current is critical. 20 knots over a 2 knot current can produce pretty stacked seas which would be unpleasant for any vessel. Fishing vessels have floundered at the mouth of the Fraser River on Georgia Strait with 25 knots of onshore wind. That all said, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands and the Gulf Islands are a beautiful sailing area that could easily keep someone occupied for months. There are excellent publications for each area, chart packages, and sailing guides that can keep even the most inexperienced out of trouble. Pick up a copy of Wagoners Cruising Guide to the Pacific Northwest for some excellent armchair sailing and let your dreams begin!

Hi Chuck - and welcome. I stacked and stitched the keel as mentioned, then drilled and stitched the chine after the fold and as I worked my way back from the butterfly. There was a lot of stress at that point, and I drilled and wired the butterfly and bow on 3" centers and still needed blocks screwed together at the butterfly to keep it from cracking. But it's not as difficult as it sounds. It's amazing to see a 3D shape with nice curves appear before your eyes. Good luck on your build!

Cut mine in half today. It worked! Amazing.

Hi Craig - congratulations on a beautiful boat. I like your finishing - it looks like you varnished your seats, but how did you finish the rails/knees/breasthook? Also did you do anything special with the ply edge next to the rail? Again, it's a great looking boat.

Hi Bill - I should introduce myself. We are a Canadian family of four, currently in Alaska, been cruising here since 2005 aboard Gentle Wind, an Endurance 35. I'm new to the forum, but am building a 10N to replace an old, heavy Sorensen dinghy that has served us well but the idea of taking "your late afternoon/evening sailing cruise about the harbor in your Spindrift" with my kids who have just turned 9 is something that has appealed to me for many years. This winter we have fallen into the good fortune of house sitting for friends we met on the water that are now heading for Mexico and have their house in Anchorage vacant. His woodshop/garage has given me the opportunity to take on this project, and though I'm only at the filleting/taping stage so far it has been a lot of fun. I think you will find your build extremely satisfying, and the plans so far have been awesome. I'm very thrilled with the design, and I'm sure you will be too. All the best! Clarence

Howard - not sure if anyone has replied to your question. I just used Edensaw to ship Okoume to Alaska for my Spindrift build, they were great to deal with and shipping was $113.