Building a partner boat (Joe) for the Norma T (CS15)

[PadrePoint]

This is a video of my son’s first time driving my completed boat:

 

 

 

Start of my Build Blog:  Yesterday, I ordered a new Honda outboard for the ski-type boat that I haven’t begun building.  This is the prototype build:

 

 

I bought the plans for this boat about 40 years ago, right after I finished grad school... but raising four kids and helping them through college was always a higher priority than indulging in my interest to build boats. 
 

I retired in the start of 2020, somehow discovered and bought a Core Sound 15 full-kit, picked it up from B&B to start the build at the end of April, and launched the Norma T in just under three months.  I got the sails about 6 weeks later.  I documented the build on this forum under Core Sound 15 #162 — Building the “Norma T”.  

I named the boat after my mother. It gave her great delight in her final month or so of living with us. The boat received it’s name lettering and was “christened” by my family at my mother’s burial service. She wanted to pay for a good portion of the boat’s costs as a “little family legacy.”  The picture below is our younger son solo-sailing the Norma T for the first time in some gentle air:

Kinda funny how this boat-building thing has worked for me.  I was really getting tired of the messiness of the later processes: epoxying, sanding, painting, varnishing, etc. and didn’t think I’d want to build another boat... I’m satisfied with the build, but I’m done.  
 

After enjoying sailing the boat for a month and then putting it into winter storage... well... the BUG started nibbling at me. “Remember the plans you bought way back?  You gave them to your older son in 2013 ‘cuz, heck, YOU’RE not gonna build it so let him have ‘em... now, go get the plans back... you KNOW you want to...”

So, I got them... and decided after a while that I indeed would and COULD build another boat. Building the Core Sound 15 gave me the experience, confidence and interest I needed to rekindle my high school desire to build this mid-sized speed boat... a 16 foot ski-type boat with an at least 100 hp motor.  I suppose I could say that if I had a “bucket-list”, building and using this boat would be the primary thing on the list.
 

Last winter, my older son and I almost bought a used 100 hp motor he spotted on Craigslist... but the guy decided to keep it.  The larger motor’s expense has always a stumbling block to my hope of this boat-build.  Well, I’m older and don’t have the speed interests I did when I was a young guy. And, I found that motorcycle riding in the last seven years fulfills that interest.

 

So, maybe a little less horsepower... and maybe build this boat a bit shorter than the plan’s 16 feet (the length can be altered by 10% without a concern.)  Maybe 60 hp on a 15 foot boat is sufficient for cruising around and pulling a water skier.  My sons concurred with me on this. 
 

SO, yesterday, I went to the nearby Honda marina and ordered a new 60 hp motor.  It’ll be some months before it comes.

Now, all I need is a boat for it. 
 

I know this isn’t a B&B Yachts boat plan, but I’d like to purchase the materials from B&B... and write about the build in this forum... just because I’ve so appreciated the CS15 kit that brought a new sailboat into my family’s life... and I’ve appreciated contributors to this forum and the people I’ve met at the 2020 Messabout.  I also appreciate the quality of the materials I’ve received from B&B and the support from Alan and Graham. 
 

My new boat-build will be same length as the Norma T  (about 15’), will have the same trailer, will have the “same” silver Honda motor (different hp, of course), will have the same color/finishing scheme, and will thus be like a partner to the Norma T.

 

So, what should I name it?

 

I had fun with this, thinking about the boat-build details and the naming while on an e-bike ride with my wife on our town’s 28 mile hike/bike trail. I was so distracted thinking about this that I used up most of my battery (I didn’t exert much of my own pedal power.)  I find that I’m missing that preoccupation that is part of building something. Here are a few pictures of my favorite parts of this trail. 

 

 

 

The “T” of Norma T  is from my mom’s maiden name (Torp), which, of course, was her last name when she met my dad. She kept it as her middle name when she married. 
 

They met when mom got an office job at a little research and development lab (Archer Daniels Midland) in St. Paul, Minnesota where my dad was a chemist. He was known by everyone then and throughout his career as “Joe” (first syllable of his last name.)  

 

So, I guess the quirky side of me, thinking of this new boat as a “partner” for the Norma T, has made me decide to name it Joe.

 

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Besides, I’m using money left to me from what my dad earned in his working career to pay for this new boat... it seems like a right thing to do. 
 

And, just for a little more fun in this post, since my wife hadn’t ridden her scooter for a LONG time and we finally took a little ride together this afternoon... a couple parting pictures. She has a very cute seafoam green 50cc Buddy Scooter (I’m riding my Honda CRF250L dual sport.)

 

Here they are, snuggled up in the garage. Note the floor drill press (on the right) that my brother-in-law gave me on Friday... very useful with a sanding drum for making boat frames and parts.  I need to move it into my basement workshop.  (He also gifted me last month with a floor band saw... also a crucial tool for my project.)

[Chick Ludwig]

Looking forward to following Joe. Contrary to popular beliefs, baggy wrinklers and stink potters CAN get along.

[PadrePoint]

Repairing an old motor

The last time I ran this 1956 Johnson 30 hp was around 25 years ago.  Since my son and I were unable to get it running this summer, I was going to replace it... but on Friday I found somebody who repairs old outboards.  It will be more fun to have this old motor back on the boat I built in high school than a new motor (shirt shaft used motors are impossible to find) so I’m going to bring it to the guy tomorrow. I picked up the motor today at my older son’s house.  

 

I’m really hoping the motor can be made to run again. My son intends to repaint it in the original colors.  I had painted it red when I was 16... ‘cause red Rustoleum was MUCH “cooler” looking.  

 

I took another look at the 11 foot boat he recently repainted and the deck he replaced. 

 

 

 

He also made a floorboard for the bottom. I was impressed how nicely it fit in... some tricky figuring and fitting, I think. I had merely thrown an old rug and a cushion on the bottom when I was a kid. (My son also has some seats for next spring.)

 

(I will see if I can dig out some old pictures of this boat; comparing this boat to the one I’ll be building soon Is a bit like comparing a Spindrift to a Core Sound.  )

My son replaced the tarp cover, maybe for the winter.  Hope his covering works more effectively than a couple years ago when heavy slush caved in the tarp and then the whole mess froze into a huge block of ice... yes, I had a good laugh on that... been there; done that.

 

In his shop I noticed the strong back building form and frames (center, on the wall) that he used a while ago to build his 17 foot cedar strip canoe.  He’s getting things ready to build another. 

With the motor in the back of my car we headed home, but on the way we met up with my younger son’s family for a brief hike.  70 degrees in November. Nice. 

 

He is also currently building a 17 foot plywood canoe for his family. This is a photo of both of my boys fiberglassing the bottom a while ago.  He’s done a lot more work on it since this photo. 

[Chick Ludwig]

I like the old boats and motors. Had several of those "John-rudes" over the years. Spent a lot of time twisting on high and low speed needle valves trying to get 'em running right. One suggestion. Make some way to ventilate the tarp. I leave the ends open. Condensation forms underneath and will make you very unhappy when you uncover it next spring.

[PadrePoint]

What??

 

I’ll bet this one doesn’t sail so well. 

[Don Silsbe]

Ted, 

Typically, these builds go on the main forum.  B&B boats go here.  I could be wrong, but that’s how Chick Ludwig and I manage it.  Thought you should know.

[PadrePoint]

Sure, I can do that. I guess I’ve only been reading through this B&B forum without paying attention to other areas of the site. Thanks for the word. 

(Irony: Thrillsbe, I was just now looking at your 2015 thread “Snotter Placement”... which brought me to a your blog with a bunch of your rigging  innovations “...(re-)does Ol’ Yeller proud...”  It was an interesting read and they seem like some good ideas.  (Really, these are the other two tabs open in my browser right now .)
Yup, I’ve read back to that point so far... I’ve really enjoyed this forum website. (I guess I should diversify my reading and posting in wider aspects of the forum-website. )

 

[PadrePoint]

Don’t You Think Another B&B Spindrift Will Make the World Just a Little Better?

 

On my third sail with Norma T I invited along a few of my neighbors who happened to walk by our house this spring... just when I pulled into the driveway with my new CS15 kit.  (The day before, I had picked  up my full kit from B&B and then turned around for the 1,200 mile return trip.)  When I explained what all the wood in the back of and on top of my van was for the young high school girl exclaimed, “Oh, I LOVE sailing!”  “Well then,” I responded, “You guys will be invited along as soon as I turn this pile of wood into a sailboat.”

My first sail occurred in September 2020 on my 67th birthday. Two days later, I invited the neighbor girl, her mom and brother to join my wife and me for a sail on a local lake.  Of course, guests on Norma T get to try their hand on the tiller.  She and I are in the stern wearing our PFD and COVID gear:

She goes by the nickname, “The Weezer.”  

This is The Weezer’s mom and brother on our little sailing adventure:

 

I mentioned to her parents and The Weezer that... maybe... well... do you guys think there is any interest in The Weezer building her OWN smaller sailboat?

 

We’ve been looking at some options and they decided to obtain a full Spindrift 10 kit. I’ll soon place the Spindrift order with B&B Yachts, along with my own order: all of the wood needed for building Joe (15 foot ski boat.)  

 

I’ve started a new Joe thread on the Main Forum to continue blogging about this boat-build.   I will also start a new thread for The Weezer’s Spindrift 10 build.  

Click here to continue reading the Joe thread.

[Hirilonde]

11 hours ago, PadrePoint said:

 She and I are in the stern wearing our PFD and COVID gear:

 

 

Sailing is a perfect social distancing activity.  You can wear a mask and the air circulation is very good.