Steve W
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Posts posted by Steve W
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Thank you for the report. I'm planning on modifying Skeena once the weather gets less snotty. I have to order some Okume as surprisingly I don't have enough laying around.
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5 hours ago, Andy B said:
I am assuming the CB was down because the wind on the beam was making leeway? Otherwise there would be no reason to have it down while motoring?
Andy, having the board down even just a little makes motoring much easier and predictable. The center of the boat becomes a pivot point which the thrust of the motor allows really quick control. On WildCat, I rarely motored without a leeboard down. The weight of them meant it wasn't super important which one, but given a choice it was the leeward one. WildCat had the windage of the two masts and at least the little bit of sail and since she was pretty light and long, I always found this necessary.
Skeena has even more windage. And she easily glides sideways. I've rarely motored 5 feet when I realize she's crabbing a bit sideways and a bit of board makes her behave.
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Don, I can't thank you enough for chronicling your work. I just finished watching the video Alan had made of Carlita's modification and your photos and I'm ready to start. Luckily, I hate jammed c-boards so mine is a bit sloppy to begin with which I think is good in this case. I didn't see in your post much about the downhaul, but one of the pictures makes it look as if it's there. Can you confirm? And what did you do for tackle? I think a release like is used for the kick up rudder is in order, but I don't see it on the plans.
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The Honda is 31 in the LS model, the Suzuki 2.5 is 30. The Suzuki has a superior F-N instead of that centrifigul clutch the Honda has. The only thing better about the Honda is there is no need to ever replace the impellar. Both motors have been very reliable.
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I've owned both. Suzuki hands down. The honda is great, but loud. Drive ya nuts
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Amos,
Our boats are the same configuration, and I agree, in light wind they are fantastic as is. My issue is reefing. I sailed up against a stiff breeze in Sodus Bay this fall, the strongest breeze I've sailed upwind in. Skeena has a very balanced helm with 2 reefs in the main and 1 in the mizzen under those conditions. It would have been better with weather helm. When I put the last reef in the mizzen, she had a good amount of lee helm at the time it is least desirable. I've got some good voyages planned this year and next, so I think this is worth doing.
I hate to have the centerboard case egress into where I sit most often down below, but I just went out into the barn to get a feel and it wasn't bad. I am going to start this project mid-March. I am grateful for the pictures. I mentally was having a hard time seeing myself cutting into Skeena. but I'm over it now.
As for the joint strength, having the case trapped between the berth should keep it pretty strong, and of course I'll be looking to tab it good. I'm the only one I know who turtled a mark 3 and it was easy to right other than getting the C-board out of the case. I'm stoked to have a downhaul to lock it and some weather helm which may have helped prevent it.
It's pretty easy to slide the boat off the trailer and roll her on her side to glass the bottom joints. Maybe I'll stand on the board and test it!
Steve
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Jay (Southern Express) made mention of moving his CB forward like the newer design. I've thought of this but I've been ignoring as it looked like major surgery. But wathching Don's work on Avocet has lead me to think I am going to do this. (Thanks Don) There are a couple of things I don't like about Skeena's sailing charactoristics:
- She has a very balanced helm. I think partly it's because I have a hard time getting the mizzen sheeted in as tight as I would like, and while I've been experimenting with ways to help that, moving the board forward should make this moot.
- The reefing schedule keeps the mizzen full until the main is fully reefed and then 1 reef in the mizzen gives me a balanced helm, while both reefs in both sails give me lee helm. That's not good.
- I've had luck creating bungy based sheet to tiller steering on my Sea Pearl, but it requires some weather helm.
- I'd like a way to cleat the C-board down.
I've asked Alan to create some drawings for me. Armed with my multitool I think I can knock this out fairly quickly. I'm not sure how much further the newer designs moved the board forward.
If / when I do this, I'll be sure to chronicle well.
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Jay, I remember during the building of Skeena getting on Southern Express at the Messabout. It kept me focused. Like you, I am thinking about moving my CB forward. I'll start there and then maybe later lenghten, although I don't think she slips sideways much. I'm going to write my thoughts on my thread.
Thanks,
Steve
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HD,
If you ever decide you just like building and actually using this boat isn't for you, LMK. She's a beaut that I covet!
Steve
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I did it this summer on my friends Cornish Shrimper. Puget sound is a beautiful place, but unfortunately the winds are very light that time of year. The Cornish Shrimper is very stout and under canvased. It would have been much more fun on Skeena, my CS20.3 due to her light air manners.
Good luck if you
get to go!
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When I made the C-board case for Skeena, my giant worry was keeping it abrasion resistant and waterproof. The instructions were to lay glass on the interior. My concern here is how to do that in a situation where you are building in place. Are you just going to but join the two halves of the trunk together?
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It doesn't look as scary seeing it this way. Thanks for sharing your pics. Please keep them coming!
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Having someone who is a "pro" is a nice asset. My son is a much better seamster than me, but design is on me. Experience is valuable and saves paralysis by analysis.
I think I'd take inspiration from the excellent tents available to figure a more boxy or hooped encloser. You have some advantages as the anchor points can be fixed and tension can be higher.
I love this awning. We made it with collapsible shock poles, but I found out it would slip into the cabin rolled up and lay along the hull on the bunks and I never take the poles out.
On my sun shade I use this to tension the ridgeline. It is easy to both setup and tension (like a piano wire!). Facing aft with my back to the cabin with a cold beer under that thing after a long hot sail, waking to no dew on the forward part of the cockpit or or standing up or sleeping in the cabin hatch while the rain sheds over the side is fantastic. I like the Dodger idea, but for now this works and is simple. I might also add it's good so far in 30 knot winds. I haven't had it deployed beyond that.-
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Nice work, but here's an opinion.........the high sprits help, but not making these tents more boxy really makes them tight inside. It's a bit more work to run a spreader or a hoop, but they are a game changer for comfort. If you are going to go through that much work, I'd drape a blanket over the sprits and imagine if I could live with that first. When I watch Roger Barnes videos, I get claustrophobic......
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Don, those look sweet!
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I may be biased, but I spent a lot of time getting the holes just right in the comings on Skeena. They look fantastic.
As for upwind performance, I have the early design with the c-board back. I felt I couldn't reef the mizzen to the second reef point or the boat would have way too much lee helm. Late this summer I realized I could never get the mizzen on the center, which is where it wants to be. To do so with the stock rig requires so much downforce it goofs up the sail shape. On a few occasions I rigged a line from the aft upwind corner to the sprit to haul the sail up to center and it changed the whole dynamic of the boat in the limited testing I did with it. My next plan is to make a triangular bridal that puts the center point up near the sprit centerline and then up through a block and then down. My challenge is where to go from there as the tiller is on centerline.
I'm trying to avoid moving the centerboard. That looks like a crazy big messy job.
Steve
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I am finally starting to feel better. While you were all having fun at the Messabout I was down in my basement with what I'm guessing was the flu. Here is a pic of all my stuff packed up and the boat waiting to be hitched. All is still sitting in the exact same spots. It was a tough sailing season as I didn't get sailing as often as I wanted and what would be my final sail adventure of the season I got robbed of.
I logged onto FB and saw some footage and it made it even worse. Next year I will be retired, making this much easier, but I've learned every day is a blessing and nothing is guaranteed. But damn, I'm especially sad not to have seen Jay's new boat and talk to Graham about his Delmarva adventure. I love the pics and vids and I'm sorry I wasn't there. Tomorrow I'll be packing Skeena into the barn for hibernation.-
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If you are just wanting to add a place to clamp a motor, I shared my process for I used to design this on my "Skeena" thread. Graham did something similar on Carlita. The main reason I did this was so I wouldn't need to ever remove my motor for traveling. I have a lock on it and just leave it. I never felt comfortable with any extended mounts, but this thing is rock solid.
I will mention that I thought I had it perfectly figured out until the launch and when I went forward the short shaft motor pulled out of the water. I now have a long shaft and it works perfectly.
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Well, it's official. A nasty cold is keeping me home. I've been all packed up since Sunday with plans to leave Wednesday evening, but got sick Tuesday. I decided I could even leave this morning at 4am and make diner, but I'm still feeling lousy. Super sad to not be coming. MASCF was lousy weather and it looks like you guys are in good shape. Here I'll be lucky to get out sailing again. Please take lots of pictures and video.
Steve
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So I got a chance to use my float. It was blowing hard Sunday when I tried sailing to windward on Sodus Bay (Lake Ontario) to get to a bar and watch my Buffalo Bills annihilate the Steelers. I put the float on the mizzen for the first time, and frankly forgot it was up there. It didn't seem to have much affect on sailing but as windy as it was it was the right thing to do. I only have it painted white right now while I think of a better scheme. The new mount worked great.
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I built the bigger mast head float for Skeena. In the process I realized my trailer prevented me from attaching the spindle on top of the mizzen permanently as it would hit my car or at least come very close.
Alan was machining up some alternative mounts which he sent me. These saddle mount as shown:
you can see the pic is rotated. The shaft fits in tightly and I'm sure wouldn't budge in any capsize, but I intend to make it fast someway to be sure.
The mount works great and is unobtrusive. This mount would work great on many other boats. I did have to adjust my mizzen staysail halyard mount t a slightly lower location as shown.
Take Care,
Steve
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I've pulled Skeena (CS20.3) off her trailer twice now. I used a hill on my yard and dragged the boat backwards on the trailer until there was no tongue weight. I then undid the hitch after blocking the wheels. I lowered the stern to the ground onto a moving blanket laid under the trailer. Using only gravity I dragged the boat into the soft grass. I then put up the mizzen up and with moving blankets protecting the hull pulled her over on her side with the mizzen halyard and a bit of lifting by my two adult boys. I think you could do this about anywhere. These boats aren't that heavy. If I had to do it in my garage I'd put the stern on a furniture dolly and roll it off.
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I saw some pics on FB of some forward shelves on the CS 17.3 that I'd like to put on Skeena. The challenge I have is that Okume around me is impossible to get locally. I'm thinking since it's interior use I could use 1/4 inch plywood and epoxy coat it. Here is a screenshot from the page.
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Jay, my software company has a "Nerd King" award we give out with pride. Just shared this with the team and you are this weeks honorary winner.
I can't wait to see you at the Messabout!
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Core Sound 20 Mark III #3 "Skeena"
in B & B Yachts Forum
Posted
Today I made a decision to replace my Suzuki 2.5 Long Shaft (31 Pounds) with a Suzuki 6 Long Shaft (54 Pounds, same weight as the 4HP, so 6 it is!). 23 extra pounds but I get reverse and the option to run an external 3 Gallon Gas tank. It shows up Friday and I'll make sure it tips up in the well I made for the 2.5 (I'm about 90% confident). I think the tank will sit nicely below the mizzen mast step. I'm pretty stoked for this, even though I really loved that 2.5. It works pretty good on my Spindrift 11N for fishing so I may repurpose, but who knows.
I had a pretty good scare last fall coming into a dock way to hot due to heavy winds pushing me towards it. I couldn't get the 2.5 turned backwards fast enough and if it wasn't for the heroics of my crew, Skeena might be sporting a hole. If I was by myself, for sure. I also have plans to traverse the length of the Rideau Canal from Kingston Ontario to Ottawa this summer which is a lot of sailing in lakes, combined with a fair bit of motoring.
I'll keep you all posted on how it works.