Dave R1 Posted August 24, 2003 Posted August 24, 2003 Another Weekender has been launched. Julie K made it into the water yesterday in front of a great crowd of friends. The lake stayed on the outside as it should and even I could see past all her flaws once she was afloat. We did suffer a small failure which ended the sailing for the day but was quickly repaired once we got home. One of the blocks in the steering system broke at the swivel. This was a hardware store type block and not a piece of marine specific hardware. Close inspection by a metallurgist (my father) revealed that there was a defect in the block that likely contributed to its failure. Both blocks have since been repace with Harkin 082 blocks and the system works more smoothly and quietly than it did before. There's always a bright side, insn't there? We had a great turn out for the Minnesota Messabout, too. Hopefully Bill Paxton will file a report. There were at least 4 Weekenders (I have a cold and my memory is a bit hazy) including mine and two Skipjacks, several wooden kayaks and canoes. The wind was blowing at gale force though and directly into the boat landing area which made things a bit too exciting. Still, I think a great time was had by all. Pics of Julie K will be posted tomorrow. thanks to all for the help throughout the last couple of years. A special thank you to Frank for getting me hooked into this. [/img] Quote
Bill Paxton Posted August 24, 2003 Posted August 24, 2003 It was a treat to see the Julie K sail away from the dock in the company of family, friends and well-wishers. The wind was blowing harder than I would have wanted for a launching, but Dave is a good sailor, and he sped away from the dock at a speed that could have pulled a skier. This boat is a work of art. It's as much fine furniture as it is boat. As such, it will make the perfect dream machine for Dave and Kari for years to come. Nice, nice job, Dave. Fair Winds Quote
Dave R1 Posted August 25, 2003 Author Posted August 25, 2003 Thank you Bill. I hope we can get together again this year and try the sailing thing. I added some pictures from Saturday. Quote
P Doug (WA) Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Great pictures, Dave. You must be very proud of her. Very nice looking little ship. Looks like a great time was had. Tell me, when you finish and launch, do you feel kind of empty, like are you going to miss the sawdust and glue smell? It just seems to me like a person would. That is why I put off starting, I'm afraid of the finishing. Ya, right :wink: Quote
Dave R1 Posted August 25, 2003 Author Posted August 25, 2003 Thanks, Doug. To answer your question, yes. It does seem almost like I have nothing to do. Even so, I still have a lot of things to do many of which include sawdust and glue. Maybe another boat one of these days, too. Quote
tdrown Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Congratulations! I like all the modifications you did, it looks great. Quote
Barry Pyeatt Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Congratulations, a proud moment in a builders life. Looks great and you had a good outing. I know that in the midwest the lakes can turn nasty in a hurry. Shallow water and high winds make for difficult sailing conditions. Stll it looks like you had a great sail. I'm kinda partial to windy days with some chop when I am out. But we don't have the sudden weather changes that occur in the midwest. Quote
High C Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 WOW!!! What a beauty. Superb, marvelous, spectacular. (That's a really pretty Weekender :wink: ) Quote
Jim Termanas Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 Dave The Julie K looks like she is a Queen who is finally on her throne. Fantastic job well woth the effort by You and the better half. Lots of good weekends left for many more sails enjoy them Jim T Quote
TexasPhil Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 Dave, Looks like you have done a great job on your boat. Congratulations on your success. Have fun! Quote
capt jake Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 that is a fine looking boat Dave!!! Looks like you all had a good time as well. I notice a roller reefing system on your boat. Can you tell us what the set-up is????? Quote
Dave R1 Posted August 26, 2003 Author Posted August 26, 2003 Thanks guys. It was fun indeed. Jake, do you know something I don't? Roller reefing? Where do you see it? I've never noticed. Hey, who snuck in and stuck that on my boat? I'll bet you're looking at my jib in the first shot. Actually, I think it's an optical illusion. The jib isn't sheeted in tightly enough. The jib probably looks smaller too since the fore triangle is actually larger than in the plans. The mast is 18'1" and the bowsprit is roughly 6' overall. We were getting ready to drop sails because we had lost the steering. I'm reaching over the stern holding onto the rudder box to steer. That doesn't work too badly although it's hard to do anything else. Quote
capt jake Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 Well, it certainly looks like a roller reefing system! Nice shape to the sail, thus the question. Oh well, looks great in any case! Quote
Fintan Murphy Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 Congratulations Dave, Great looking boat and brightwork. Quote
Mark Hughes Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 Well done, Dave! You are the envy of all of us who have yet to get ours in the water! Put the other sawdust and glue projects on hold for awhile and enjoy sailing her. Quote
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