Steve W

Keep these updates coming Jay, it's a bit quiet around here! We need Chick to build another B & B boat! BTW....I once traced a perfect headliner replacement for a vintage car I was helping someone restore and cut it out reversed, wasting the only piece we had. Besides, making your 5th should be much quicker than the previous ones so there is that.

Skeena is still in my garage, but I need to get it to the barn before the snow gets deep, so I buttoned it up good last night and hopefully move it soon. A couple of pics for you all. I wired in a couple of LED lights to light the abyss that are those two storage spots aft of the bunk. I wished I'd have thought to paint these areas before gluing down the bunk tops like Alan did, but at least we have light on both sides now so I can actually find stuff. The folding step with the recessed cup-holders for my Yeti mugs is a total win. The biggest reason is that I can stand with my head out the cabin roof and put my pants on or use the P bottle when it is folded up. I know if you put a battery there this isn't possible, but I have used a AGM battery under the front bunk hatches and capacity seems ample with my 50 Watt solar panel. I put a drawer under the companionway. I found I didn't have enough storage I could easily reach. The GPS, harmonica, horn, cabin lock, etc. After all the talk about non-righting and stuff stored to high I weighed my options and decided to build it light and put it there anyway. It's handy as heck from my garage sailing test. I also added a 12V port in the cockpit. I did find when running my Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet for navigation having the GPS on significantly draws on the battery and now I can plug it in.

I have no worries about through hulls. But what my issue here is running wire to the stern to mount a transducer and it's vulnerability in the kind of shallow water sailing and trailering I intend to do. Same with a through hull one. In the transducer instructions they mention using petroleum jelly for a test and I'm going to hold off to gluing it until I get a chance to test it. first. We had a warm spell but it didn't correspond with any free time so it might be late April until we know. I'm about to put the boat down in my barn for hibernation. My next project is to fire up my late mom's (Suzy J) sewing machine and learn how to sew. She was an amazing seamstress and the machine I inherited is a beast made by Bernina. She made drapes and upholstered furniture and she occasionally made me various cushions and other stuff. I wish she was here to help, but in some ways she is.......

Everyone have a very Happy Thanksgiving. I'm trying to add a transducer to shoot through the hull and it won't work through plywood so here is what I did:. Armed with Graham's answer, I set my little trim router to 6mm and free hand routed a hole a bit bigger than my depth sounders transducer through the hull aft of the starboard bunk . I figured this is a place where disturbance of water flow is at a minimum. I t was amazing that my router didn't hit the glass and the hull sheathing was left intact. I beveled the hole with a 45 degree bit to give more bonding area and then cut a large number of glass patches and filled the hole with resin followed by glass layer by layer. I must mention that I jacked the boat up first and got the hole "level" so the resin was captive. Once full I put a patch over the whole mess and when in the green stage trimmed it. I let the boat off the jack. I had a mizzen tube I hadn't used after I added the tabernacle so I cut it t an angle and glued it in. Not shown is me filling the tube with a bit of clear epoxy to get a level surface to glue the transducer to. I'll show you the finished project soon. I hope to heck this works! We'll know next spring unless we get a few warm days with less wind than today's 50 mph! Take Care, Steve

That's a great accomplishment. Congratulations. Please tell us about your center line rollers. I need to put some on my trailer.

Thanks Graham!

I can't find my plans and I can't remember how thick the hull panels are. My mind thinks 9mm, but I'd like an official answer. You will see why soon enough

Any optimism of getting another sail is officially over. So I'm working on a few details. I had just laid my bunk storage lids under the cushions, but that has proven unacceptable. They mostly stayed in place, but not always. I was looking for an alternative to using piano hinge, but I couldn't figure anything else, so last night I cut piano hinge into suitable lengths and ground the sharp corners with a pedestal grinder. I bought some 1/4" long SS screws off Amazon because out local hardware store only carried 3/8 and even though I've spent a fortune weren't too keen on special ordering for me. Ever since they became and ACE hardware store it's been straight downhill. Oh well. Tonight I'll screw them all down. I got the depth sounder to install and I need to show you all the nice little drawer I put in under the companionway that holds my GPS and assorted stuff I need easy access too. Now, if Jay is reading this, I need more info on your two-way pump. You texted me pics of the install about 4 years ago which I somehow lost. I am sort of a Luddite, but I've conceded a pump would be nice for filling/un-filling the ballast tank.

Looking great Mark!

Dave, I haven't seen any data of transducers shooting through wood. Can you elaborate. I'm all about simple. Thanks, Steve

Thank you, that sounds promising. The only spot I have to do this is in the compartments under the bunks. The easiest would be in the ones forward. They would not be flat on the boat bottom, but I could cut PVC pipe angled so the transducer would be facing straight down.

I use a Samsung galaxy Tablet for navigation using Navionics and a Garmin hand held GPS so I pretty much know exactly where I am. But I ran aground in the Chesapeake when I was supposed to be in 8' of water. I suspect that a sandbar (mudbar) had shifted and my centerboard kissed the bottom. I want to add a depth sounder to Skeena. They make models that draw .1 amp so powering one off my solar system is no issue. I hate the idea of a transom mount transducer. In fiberglass boats I've bedded the transducer in a liquid and shot through the hull successful. I have a few questions the brain-trust may have experience with. Has anyone ever added a transducer inside one of our plywood/glass boats with success? If not, did you figure anything out that worked to allow shooting through the hull? Thanks, Steve

Pete, based on my limited experience I'd say down-haul. Super bummed I missed this and especially the opportunity to sail Skeena next to Chessie! Love all these pics.

Besides missing the event, I'm getting close to the last sail of the season. The days are getting short and the nights in the low 40's. It looks like you are going to have great weather. Take lot's of pictures. Here is another of Skeena winging it.

I'm totally bummed, but yesterday I had my lead technician turn in his two week notice and proceeded to claim his vacation so he could start a new job immediately. I've treated him very fairly so I'm personally hurt more than anything. Suffice to say I went from being almost all packed ready to leave after work Wednesday to not attending. I am bummed so many ways. I was looking forward to showing off "Skeena", looking at some options you have all done to customize her, racing, sailing with all the other boats that inspired her and sharing stories. I've spent countless hours since MASCF going through a checklist of mods I made to be ready. Errrrrrrh! We are crazy busy and I was already driving straight and making it a quick turnaround. Now I'll just be working.

For me, a lot of building is thinking to avoid mistakes and then thinking about how to fix the ones you made anyway. Looking great.

I had a punch list of small things to do so I decided to tow her home. Thanks for asking.

So I spent a week on the Chesapeake. One part of the trip was the MASCF trip to Wye Island. Here is a video of the adventure. If you don't have patience, at least head to the 2:30 mark. Lot's of fun! What a boat. I couldn't be happier. https://youtu.be/KOrlYOOprYw

I have spent a few days on the Chesapeake and I'm getting the reefing technique down. More to follow, but there was a lot of this:

One reef in the main. https://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=03qfa72e5eKq5ov4BBrrRCHDLY9NeqmEO

Looking good. I tried the pigment experiment and gave up. It just required more mixing, and measuring and in the end paint covered it about the same as the unpigmented. I had to give both two coats.

Pete, I don't have my plan together for the Messabout, but I will probably drive half way Thursday (maybe stop near you), leave early and drive the rest of the way Friday. I have to start back later Sunday and won't be part of any extended cruise. I might leave later and get halfway home and finish up Monday morning. I have been trying to talk my wife into going, but it's not probable. She doesn't have the water gene. If she doesn't go I'd be happy for the company. I'll know in the next week or two.

Pete, I am sorry to hear this, but it always needs to be health first. On the off chance you feel well enough to just be a passenger, you are welcome at either event to sail with me. I'd be happy to have you aboard. Take Care, Steve

This build is truly astounding.

I didn't get my hull as fair as I thought in the dim light of my basement. Below the water line is awesome, but below the rubrail and the waterline is sketchy. I will redo at some point, but it would have been better to do it right the first time like you. Looks amazing.