Mark Gudschinsky

Now there's a post to put a smile on our faces. Green trees, sandy beaches, and a fun sound track. Lots of fun, good job.

Wow John, good picture, wet water and the sun more than one degree over the horizon. It looks pretty inviting after two plus weeks of this cold. The low this morning was a balmy minus fifty one below :shock: Well it can't last forever. I think I'll go out and rub Laura's boat for a bit and hope for wind and waves instead frost and cold.

Well things are looking up. We're having a warm spell in our cold snap. It made it all the way up to twenty three below. Now for most of you that may still be cold beyond reason, but twenty three below can seam down right balmy after forty below and colder. Laura and I did manage to make it out to the boat shed and do some filling of screw holes on her Skipjack. She has an assembled hull now so as soon as we get the filling and filleting done it will be glassing time.

Some of you out there are not doing your duty. Those of us in the dark northern regions click on our computers nightly looking for some reports of warmth somewhere. We

Hey Alexander, I'll have you know that we just finished her sides. :vamp:

I had the same problem with my lazarette. I assumed I had some form of alignment problem. I had already glued up all of the other bulkheads and transom, so I was stuck with what I had. I build using Okumee and wasn't inclined to buy another full sheet to recut the part. To solve mine, I built the lower lazarette stringer out of a good 2 x 4. Instead of kerfing and bending the stringer I cut it to shape, making it an inch taller than normal. I fastened it to the bottom, then fastened the lazerette panel the the top stringer. Then I forced down the deck until It scared me. Then I screwed the lazarette panel off to the bottom stringer. When it was done, there was about a half inch gap between the bottom of the lazarette panel and the hull bottom. I filled that with thickened epoxy. All worked well with no apparent affect to the steering. Others here I'm sure, will have a correct fix.

Coincidence, I am 11 too. For X-mas I got a brand new Gameboy Advance SP, a connecter cable, and an Atari Flashback 2! :shocked!: By the way, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Swimmer and Flier are in deep hibernation :sleeping: , and Skipper still hasn't gotten on both sides! Is Dragon going to race the magnificent Swimmer this year? :evilbat:

Well for initial carving learning and practice we're going with basswood per the videos recommendation. We bought a basswood 2" x 6" 8' long to begin the process. For Laura's boat I'm leaning toward using some mahogany that we already have about, but I'm not set on that yet. I do think we'll lay hands on a few samples of the other woods suggested and give them a try before any final decision. Superior Hardwoods that John Metzner mentioned is a great resource in our area. They have or will get most any species of wood a person might want. Whats more when Laura and I went up there to purchase the basswood, a sales lady told Laura all about a kids carving contest they hold. Then she showed Laura works by other kids and a variety of tools they stock. And thanks all for the input so far, more is welcome as always.

In our boat shed there is a Skipjack on the ways. Her builder is Laura (9 years old) who has recently become interested in woodcarving. Santa brought her a full set of carving tools, and Dad got her the first Nora Hall video on European wood carving. Laura watched the video and started right in. Like most of us, she has visions of hand carved trailer boards, a crafted transom with the boats name, and a mermaid for a figurehead. Unlike most of us she is determined. She's a bit away from managing a mermaid for a figurehead, but often kids often surprise us adults with their abilities, so I figure I better be ready with some knowledge for her to build upon. That's where you guys come in. There is good info out there on selecting woods for carving, but little on selecting woods that will live on a boat. General wood choices for the boats them selves have been well covered, but how about wood for carving that will live on boats. The woods need to be carveable, but not necessarily structural. These boats that the kids captain are used often and hard, so the wood should probably be tough. Opinions? Experience? Suggestions?

Hey Sam and Ben, want to do another treasure race? If so I think we ought to make the rules for the next treasure race now. Here are some rules I think will work. Rules: Any boats in the family may help with recovering, The race will begin and end at an agreed date, None of last years items count, The artifact must be recovered and the amphora must be present, And a picture is required to confirm the artifact exists. If you want to race feel free to discuss the rules with me. Merry Chirstmas! :x-mas:

Despite everything had to be done last second, we are ready. Mom got a present with a bow as big as a basketball! Earlier this month my niece, Baby Aysia, opened on of my presents! I didn't see it though. Merry Chirstmas! :x-mas:

Hello my name is Laura too :shocked!:.Merry Christmas to all, from Fairbanks Alaska. :x-mas:

Hi Greg, Yes a few, but still in the camera. I intend to have her post a few right after the Christmas bustle subsides. And just to make sure see is lured back into the boat shed after Christmas, I'm pretty sure Santa is bringing her some special wood working tools she has been eyeing. But I can't say more until gifts are open, or Santa won't let me in on future secrets.

Hey Mike, good to hear from you. But now that you live way down south. You shouldn't even need an indoor boat shed. I hear it hardly ever gets colder than 20 or 30 below in your part of Alaska. You're not getting soft on us are you? Happy holidays MARK

Well I was hoping someone was going to tell me it was just for looks and save me some time. Oh well. On our Weekender there were a few spots were we had some minor problems that I attributed to using bondo as filler. And the thought of that much epoxy to form the radiuses made me pause. So I'm leaning toward the idea of forming a coved piece of wood as a basis for this joint and glassing over it for strength and finish.

We're finally back in the boat shed working on Laura's Skipjack. We're nearing the point of putting in the radiused fillet at the joint at the keel and the bottom. A few questions have arisen: 1) Why is it there? structural? / astatic? / Boat Speed? / Because the Plans Say? And if the conventional wisdom convince us that it should be there what are material options? bondo is out because of prior longevity experience. So? Epoxy putty? what kind or mix of formulas? Fillers?

Oyster, Good link, keep me up way past my bed time. Quite an adventure for a Vacationer sized boat.

I'm contemplating buying a new router. I expect only occasional use, and don't think I need a superior product. Then again the difference between adequate and superior only appears to be a hundred bucks. So Two routers I'm looking at both have interchangeable bases (Fixed and plunge) A) Skill 2-1/4 hp $119 Porter Cable 1-3/4 hp variable speed with 1/4" and 1/2" collets $219. Opinions?

I've also been thinking, planning, considering, wondering, wishing, about a smaller runabout. possibly an electric for a clean simple fast to jump in and go boat that the better half could use to go a visiting with. You know, a water taxi. We looked at one partially finished restoration project but passed on it. It was a 1955 14' Chris Craft kit boat. A cute small duel cockpit "speedster" rigged for an outboard. The guy figured he was 90% done. I figured he was 20% done. He wanted $1200 with a trailer, and I might have bit even though I new better. the only thing that saved me was a boatshed with a half finished sail boat in it. There must be plans for a classy little speedster boat out there.

The Amphora isn't the the only little kid project the Stevensons did, they also built a coster car, no gas necessary.

Its too late to prepare for winter, Its already got us. Already an inch of snow and 10 below. Swimmer is in storage for hibernation, Flier needs repairs, and Skipper hasn't even got her sides on.

Great! Now Dad has another excuse to stare at the computer and get his brains sucked out. Thats what Dad says when we play the gameboy too much.

I don't have them but are going to put them on as a winter project. My boat seams to be a sixteen foot funnel with all the water ending up in the cockpit. This happens mostly on the trailer, which is a bother if It doesn't get taken out for a month. Even covered, I have to be watchful so as not to find the boat with three inches of water laying in the bottom. Put then on, but use the idea of extending the seat backs up then it is a simple step as opposed to a special project. And I would counsel to make sure the cockpit, under seats, and lazarette areas are as well water proffed as the bottom.

Boating season is over and hunting season is starting next week so i'm going to play Rainbow Six all winter. Rainbow Six is a computer game established in 1999 were you are an anti-terrorist commader and have to play a member during a misson. It has muliplayer features, but I don't know anyone else who has the game. So let me know if anyone else has Rainbow Six.

So has anyone actually tried a larger main on a Weekender? I have in mind to add a foot or so to the lech (rear) of the main with the idea of increasing square footage. (I assume this will get me into modifying or building a new boom and Gaff.