Steve W

I don't have a build log, because when I built the Suzy J I didn't think of having one and just asked occasional questions. But here are a few videos to keep you focused: Sailing and Motoring. Sailing with my kids Sunfish And my favorite sailing video of all time: Also, there is a link in my signature to a lot of build pics. Hard to believe the kids are all away now.......

So here's the thing. On your new boat, you solve a lot of problems, but being able to find where all your stuff is isn't one of them.......lots of places to lose things on a Mark 3.

That's a heck of a deal.....

Joe mentioned on the messabout thread a tip Graham mentioned about better upwind performance by getting the sail flatter. I mentioned I felt I embarrassed the B & B legacy with my lousy windward performance at the MASCF. I had a great race going until the upwind finish. The problem/solution was twofold: My water ballast tank had leaked overnight and was 3/4 full on a light wind day and I had no idea. While you were all having fun at the mess-about I wired up a three-way valve and a second bilgepum to pump water out so that never happens again. My sprits were a little short, so sail shape was really not very powerful upwind. I made a new Main Sprit and moved the original main, cut down a bit to the Mizzen. FTR, I think the snap hooks add about two inches of needs to the sprit lengths, and if I had to do the race at the MASCF over again I would have tied the snotter lines and the sail direct as a work-around. No need anymore. Finally, a tip for all who wonder what to do with the reef line excess when reefed or when transporting the sprits (I've made it a rule to always rig both reefs!). The little elastic bands girls and some boys used to tie their ponytails up that are sold in the drugstore are perfect for installing on your sprit. Tip:The black ones are the most UV resistant. Coil the excess and stuff under one of these. It also works for transport and I never bothered installing the fairleads on the sprits as afew spaced along the sprit wit hte reef line run under works fine. Get extra as the sun will weaken them over a season, but they sure work good.

I'm not entirely sure I shouldn't have gone with a bigger motor than my Suzuki 2.5 and I sized my well for it. Todd, when you read this let me know how the Tohatsu is working for you. I like the FNR.

Todd, congratulations on your launch. Saw a few pics. Love the hull color and 6 ports. More pics please! Steve lov

Even a Spindrift is a big commitment, and I agree that the advice of getting on the water now with a cheap boat ready to go boat is good advice. There's a short window where kids have your attention and you can miss it. As for "bigger is better" I'm not sure I agree. Build an 11 or 12 and it's heavier and harder to handle, and in some cases the beam on the mother ship might not let it be on davits. I think sizing for your average group (you and your grandson) is the way to go and will give you a better boat, easier to handle and rig, that you can use in the future. I built an 11N and wish I just built a 10 for all the reasons others stated. There is a picture of a Spindrift in the back of a van squeezed between the fender wells. I can assure you it wasn't an 11! I had to get a trailer for fine as cartopping isn't practical.

I bought a canoe 30 years ago and when I asked how much it weighs the elderly salesman said 52 pounds but it got 5 pounds heavier every 10 years. It took me a minute to get it. I Sail with a lot of different friends with difference types of boats and I watch the challenges of raising masts. That I can raise both tabernackled masts on my CS20.3 with one hand is a joy.

This guy walks up and tells me him and his wife have the Cat anchored and they have a Youtube channel and would I answer a few questions......they cut out the B & B promotion......

"I have cut enough plywood in my life and don’t feel short changed when the CNC parts fit together so beautifully" I struggled with the concept of having the parts cut out, but it sure sped up the process. I am over my issue and proudly proclaim that I built my boat. I sometimes think the B & B advertising that focuses on the kits should be changed to focus on their wonderful boats, but they aren't wrong that it's pretty nice building from them. Also, you are lucky your wife supports your building. I'm on sabbatical of not my choosing right now!. I look forward to watching your build.

IS that a modified CS20 like Dawn Patrol?

Amos, The bay crossing was exciting, but in a really good way. Doug and I got a late start crossing as I had a Zoom meeting for work that morning. Doug got some ice from a marina while I worked, so by the time we poked out of the Rhodes river it was 11 and the wind was freshening. The first 1/3 of the crossing was just joyful with full sail and not much chop, and then the wind freshened to the point I decided to put the first reef in. Doug already had one in and radioed that he was getting wet with spray and decided to put in a second one in his Marsh Cat. Without a Mizzen, that is an adventure, so I just hung out until he was underway again. I did take an occasional little splash, but remained relatively dry and now Skeena was in her element. There are a few zigs in the map in my previous post where I had to go back to wait for Doug. These were purposely inefficient tacks with luffing. Here's the last pic of the sea conditions I took: That pic is low res, but the boat on the left is the Gaff rigged Marsh Cat. I think that is Poplar Island on the left and probably Kent Point on the right. I'd been flying at 7+ and this is the second blip where I went back to be a better wingman. For the record, my boat has 5 feet more of waterline and is much faster and water ballasted and decked. But those Marsh Cats are very capable and Doug is an excellent and cautious sailor. We tucked into Tilghman Creek and took a lunch break. By now the wind was shifting to south/southwest, so I stayed in the lee of the western shore of the Miles river. I got to St Michaels at around 6:30 and the wind had lightened and I just sailed around the harbor while Doug caught up. I didn't really want the day to end. I put up the tent and that thing is gold. It kept the heavy dew off the seats forward of the mizzen, let me leave the hatch open at night (too cold for bugs) and gave me great shade all week. I never disassembled it as it fits below just rolled up and rigs in two minutes. I keep a list of improvements and I came home with just three. The dreaded too short sprit. I made mine two inches longer than the plans and I had trouble de-powering by flattening. I'm going to move the main sprit to the mizzen and make a new main sprit. I'm going to add a bilge pump to empty the tank. I have one rigged to fill it and it's whisper quiet. Those two-way pumps are noisy and expensive, so I'm just going to add another cheap bilge pump and wire a two-way switch for in and out. There may need to be a second valve. Winter is time for this kind of thing. I feel bad about my poor race performance, but I know the full tank in those light breezes was partially responsible. The second is to figure a way to plug the cockpit drains. I had six people in the boat and the guys in the back got wet feet. Also, when I was in Annapolis I had to back out of a spot for quite a long time in reverse and a bit of water was pushed in. When I was building the boat I had considered just putting a PVC ball valve in tubes. Whatever I do, this is a low priority. I do want to sail with Alan and/or Graham to figure out how to get more out of my sails. But the messabout just isn't in the cards this year due to work. But next year, knock on wood, I'll take a bunch of time off. All in all, it was a great week. Best thing was that there wasn't any other boats I coveted. Skeena is just a fantastic boat.

I just got back from the MASCF Sunday. What a trip and what a boat! Skeena was amazing. I slept on her 8 nights in a row and wished I could have stayed longer. Here's the journey: Looking back at the bridge we went under: I was with my friend Doug and his Marsh Cat. We started at Sandy Point State Park and Gunkholed in Mill Creek. Sunday we went to Annapolis and had lunch and stopped at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. Video to come. On Monday we crossed over the Bay to Annapolis. Skeena was a rocket-ship. It was a thrill ride but I never felt uneasy. Entering St Michaels I saw a pair of Bald Eagles perching on a channel marker. Tuesday I helped my Friend Tom move some boats around in preparation of the MASCF. Wednesday we joined an excursion to a winery up in Cox Creek. It was light sailing, but I had my friend Joe sail with me which made it better. The CLC boats got a good head start, but we caught them and sailed to within 200 yards of the dock before the wind died. Thursday we headed to the Gunkhole at Wye Island. Lot's of singing and laughing and maybe a bit of Whiskey. Friday it was back to St Michaels, home to the filming of "Wedding Crashers" which I couldn't resist the maritime edition, tacking at the break-wall, much to everyone's amusement. The Festival was it's usual amazing time. So many friend, boats, music, workshops. The only sad part was I didn't do real well in the race. I got a great start, and was heading on a run in 4th place, thinking I should be catching the boats in front of me. On the 2nd leg I lost some ground, even though it as a reach. And on the final leg, upwind, I not only pinched, but picked the wrong side of the course. I got passed b a lot of boats and finished poorly. I felt bad as I was the only B & B boat at the festival. I was kicking myself, but in the morning when I went to pull the boat out, I found the tank was full of water. My bailer had leaked and I had a heck of a lot of extra weigh those other boats weren't carrying. Pretty stupid for me not to check. I do feel like I need some lessons from Graham and Alan to get better sail shape (my battens might be too tight and my sprits are too short), but I had a lot of fun, and that is what counts. I don't think I'll make the Messabout this year unless I fly. But next year I will be in "pre-retirement" and plan on making a week or more of it, living on the boat like last week. Take Care, Steve

I can't help with the attachment part, but I will give you some advice on material. It's tempting to use lightweight material, but when you lie awake all night as it snaps, you'll wish you used something heavier. And better yet, figure a way to keep it taught.

This probably deserves its own thread, but things that are obvious to those of us with lots of experience are not always obvious to new folks or even those not familiar with a new different rig. I still, after 2 years find things out that should seem obvious on skeena. I helped someone sail a boat he built for the first time and he had no idea he should mark the halyards for reefing. I myself found the obvious step of loosening the snotter before easing of to a run a new thing to me. I just showed a friend that has a boat with a mizzen the joy of sheeting it in hard, pulling up the rudder and centerboard with released sheets how even in the gnarliest conditions he could make a sandwich. All would have been easier to learn with a video or manual.

If the weather holds I'll be heading to MASCF next Tuesday in St. Michaels, MD and participating in the Voyage to the Vineyard on Wednesday, a new event, and then continuing to the Wye Island Gunkhole trip on Thursday, and finally heading to the festival on Friday for a weekend of messing about. This has been a frustrating season of sailing, but I'm hoping to finish strong. I hope to see some of you there. The first MASCF I went to in 2011 I made friends I still hang with. The event was the inspiration to build my 2 B & B boats. Here's a video of me and my friend Joe on the gunkhole trip. You'll see a CS20 which was the first one I ever saw in the flesh. I think his name was Brent and you'll see him crabbing while sailing, something you couldn't really do on my Sea Pearl. I hope to see some of you there.

Nice article. I had the pleasure of talking with Tom for a good bit at the Messabout a few years ago. Thanks for sharing.

Alan, it's good to see you chime in. So this at first seemed like a good EC boat. Could the sides be cut down like Carlita? Also, I need to weight Skeena. Take Care, Steve

I'd guess those two hatches in the stern are to store oars. But putting a 5hp engine on her is a commitment to motoring and not an afterthought. I bet two rowing stations would work.....

Jay, she looks amazing. Does she have a name yet?

I like my Cabin, but wow. With a mice tent that could be quite the expedition machine! Fantastic! Take Care, Steve

I haven't sailed as much this summer as I wish. Work and weather have conspired against me. The few times I did get out I got a bit too much sun. And I had my son Andrew sleep on the aft seats one night on Conesus Lake and in the morning the dew was so heavy it looked like it rained on his sleeping bag. I had decided not to put in a dodger as others have. I just don't sail in weather that dictates one. But at anchor shade is desirable and protection from rain and dew more so. I played around with some awning ideas and here is what I came up with. My son Teddy sewed it up for me. He left for his second year of college at Clarkson University, all I had to do was string it up. It allows me to leave the companionway hatch open at night and also keeps the dew off the seats forward of the mizzen mast. There are three poles that give it shape. It pops up in a couple of minutes and the poles are just shock corded tent poles. It folds up to about the size of a shoe-box. It can be rolled up assembled with the tent poles in and shoved below or strapped to the cabin top. I'm pretty happy with it. It will be nice to have some shade later in the day at anchor. It can also be strung low in the front if the rain is driving. Negatives: It does shade the solar panel, but my 50 watt panel seems to give me more juice than I need and the sunny times of the day I'll be sailing. Also, it will be interesting to see how it affects hunting at anchor. The good news is yesterday we had 20 knot winds and I left it strung up in the yard and it didn't seem to mind. If the weather cooperates, I'm planning to take a week off and sail the Chesapeake the last week in September, sailing to the MASCF in St Michaels. Hope to see you there! Take Care, Steve

Hi Andy. A CS20 is much bigger than a Sea Pearl. 7 seems a lot on it though. But as your crew gets older the times you can get them all together will dwindle. It happens fast. Any CS is much more sable than a SP and people who went out with me once on WildCat and were uncomfortable with the tenderness have no problem on Skeena. Things I miss on my SP: Quick rigging. I'm still working to make launch faster but I don't think my CS can ever be as quick as the SP rig. Infinite reefing. The sail shape suffered, but I loved how you could dial in as much neutral or weather helm as you wanted by how many turns. The tenderness. People that grew up in canoes like me love Sea Pearls. Other didn't. Looks....it's subjective, but the SP was a pretty boat. Light wind ability. I sail with a lot of traditional boats. On light air days the SP would really shine. The rear Bimini. Hot days in the shade are superior. I haven't figured a solution for Skeena.... Things I don't miss. The Lee-boards. Tacking a Cat Ketch with a centerboard is just sort of a non-event.....nice! The tenderness. many of my passengers were not canoeists.... The center tent. Sleeping aboard was tight for one. I took each kid independently and suffered for it. Anchor rode storage. bringing the rode on deck and having the water run the length of the deck....ugh! Length. With the engine mount it's a pretty long package. Lack of pointing. The CS points much better, especially when reefed. A CS20 is a big project, but they do come up for sale once in awhile! Take Care, Steve

@Thrillsbethat is exactly what I have in mind. short spars, Sail stays on rig. Quick deploy. What length is your boat?

Pete, congratulations on the Peep hen. That rig is very easy to handle and is why so many of my friends up in years sail boats with similar rigs. I just got back from sailing my 11N in the 1000 Islands while on vacation. It's performance is fantastic, and probably why I picked it, but handy it isn't. I sailed out into Eel bay and the wind stiffened. I found reefing on the water was very difficult. I've been thinking about seeing if one of the rigs from the Catspaw rig might be more appropriate from my use.