My next project?

[capt jake]

I am thinking about building Little Breton found on the link below. It is a free design and I like the lines and I don't think it will be too costly. this also gives me a chance to play with S&G before I tackle the BJ24. It also may serve well as a tender for teh BJ24 as well.

Though the plans a complete enough, I like to have a picture or two to look at. It helps me see some of the joints, etc. A couple area of the text are rather vague to me.

http://home.clara.net/gmatkin/freedes.htm

Sorry I couldn't link it direct, but the link lauches into a zip download.

BTW, I won my first e-bay bidding today. I got 2 8" portlights for the BJ24. My wonderful cable provider decided to work on the lines 25 minutes prior to closing. I called the fellow and I was able to bid over the phone. Of course nobody else bid on them.

[Frank Hagan]

I'm trying to download the file now ... my dial up connection here at the house has dropped to 21.6 now... its slow enough that my typing is faster than the screen redraws and I have to pause every now and then and let the computer catch up. AAAARGGGH! Why won't Verizon put DSL here?

Sorry.

Congrats on your eBay winning bid. Usually what happens is that you bid on an item, and no one bids on it until the final 2 minutes when they try to take it from you!

The main thing with a dink is to build it light enough, especially if you're planning to put it on the top of the BJ24. Tom said he got tired of moving a dink on and off, so weight is probably more of an issue than anything else.

[Dave R1]

Jake, I based the cradle pram I built on Gavin's Little Breton. It's a nice little boat and I think a good project for stitch and glue. I did it as a lapstrake boat which I don't think I'd do again.

Good luck.

Oh, and congratulations on the eBay find.

Dave

[capt jake]

I don't think I could ever go back to dial up. I am spoiled with cable (as long as they don't decide to work on it! ;( ). My computer is starting to act up; I suppose it is time to look for a suitable back-up/replacement. I buillt this one several years ago and I am happier with it than any pre-fab unit. Still faster than my wifes brand new Xp @1400 gig; mine is only 750Mhz.

I am aware of Tom's comments on the dink and BJ24, though it is tough to find a suitable 'small' boat for this purpose. I nearly started on a 1 sheet skiff yesterday, but they are really a toy rather than truely usable. I may build one anyway, just for fun.

Dave, I thought your cradle looked familiar! I have had these plans for several years now. I really admire teh work you did on the cradle! our tastes must be similar.

The E-bay win, I suppose this is no big deal, though I have never bought anything there before. I have been told not to bid until the final moments, thus I was holding off when teh cable company cut the service. I was really amazed that I was able to call the seller and get it via phone.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/build.htm The one sheet skiff.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=26448&item=4503698944&rd=1 The portlights. I wouldl have prefered bronze, but theh wallet likes these much better.

Edit ed to add; I should probably buy the Mini-Paw plans as this small boat is probably moresuitable to what it's intended purpose would be.

[Brent]

Where could a tender be stored on a BJ24? I was thinking a cradle on the foredeck, but then forward field of view would be zilch. Top of the wheel house...seems like a hassle. Towed along behind...that works.

[capt jake]

I am toying with the idea of some sort of davit system on the transom. If I keep the tender light weight, the stresses shouldn't be too much (I hope). Other than that, probably on the cabin top.

[capt jake]

Well I got the plans for a Mini-Paw today. Wonderful detail as usual! :)

Thanks Graham and Carla.

[Barry Pyeatt]

Now that looks like fun! I presume to just use it as a rowing tender for the BJ?

[capt jake]

I presume to just use it as a rowing tender for the BJ?

that's my hope anyway.

[capt jake]

I got to look at a BJ24 under construction yesterday. I guess I had better clear out the shop so that I can start on mine. I am lookiing forward to seeing it again as progress continues. At this point it was stitched together and awaiting fillets.

[Frank Hagan]

We should make sure the builder takes lots of pictures! We should get him to start an album here to chronicle his building progress.

[capt jake]

I have invited him here, I will remind him again. It would be good to see a build of this type, wouldn't it?

[Barry Pyeatt]

I think most everyone would be interested. I plan on watching Capt. Jake build his in person though.

[capt jake]

I am having a bit of a time working up the 'commitment' factor with a project of this manatude. :shock: I will start with the Mini-Paw and work up to that. I am also planning a one-sheet skif for the grandson; just for fun.

I reminded the Seattle builder about keeping us informed.

[Tom Lathrop]

Frank, Brent, John,

I built the 8' Catspaw but I did the new extended beam version which was probably a mistake because of the extra bulk. I used 4mm occume and the final weight came out to 52 lbs. That is very light for such a big boat. The weight is not the real issue although I'm not getting younger. It is just too awkward to manually lift up to the pilothouse top for me. I don't think I want the bother of a mast and boom system for lifting either.

Truth is, up to now I have felt no real need for a tender. Only thing that I would have used it for is rowing around at an anchorage or visiting other boats. Those are nice things but we have managed to do them with "Liz" instead. I can tow the dinghy which my birder wife named "Chirp" at 14mph in good weather.

A tender can be a hassle with any size boat and on one as small as Bluejacket, it may just not be worth the trouble. This is one of those problems without a good solution.

I have spent a couple hours fashioning a model of a folding dinghy that I may build. It would be both lighter and much easier to handle. If I were only to tow a dinghy, I would build another of Graham's Spindrift 10's which I consider to be the best boat of that size ever. Wonderful little sailboat for an adult.

[capt jake]

Thanks for you input Tom; what you have said is the main reason I chose the Mini-paw; besides, it should be fun to build.

I guess I better get started! I have several item on the way; portlights, stove, latches. Already have a sink and drain. I see the webpage now, 'the story of two portlights" and how I had to build a boat to fit them. :)

I did buy an old nuatical chart of BC (off of Vancouver Isalnd) the other day. Tea stained it and framed it. Does that count?? ;)

[Brent]

Jake,

Your having two portlights, a sink, a map, and the plans puts you way ahead of me on this Blue Jacket project. So for the present you can consider yourself "out in front", whatever that means.

The BJ24 is a very nice boat, and just may have a place in my future. But for now I have a Spindrift 10 to finish ( how about that; I built the tender first too ) and too many house things to do.

---Brent

[capt jake]

Well now I might have a line on a Chris Craft, about 24' and I am told it 'may' be available for little to nothing. Needs and engine and in the dark it looked possible (meaning it didn't have any major problems in the dark).

I haven't been looking for a restoration project, but this may work out well if it is fairly sound and the price is right; though I would still like to build.

Anybody know the approximate weight of something like this?

[capt jake]

Haven't found out the year or model yet, but it is a Chris Craft. All i know is teh boat filled with rain water and the weight apparantly broke the trailer. Owner says the trailer can be repaired well enough to get it home for about $150. He only wants $100 for the boat and trailer.

My gut tells me I can't go wrong for a $250 investment; what are your thoughts?

[Barry Pyeatt]

How old is it?

Cabin or open cockpit runabout?

Wood hull or glass?

Inboard?

Classic?

My concern would be, just how sound is it once it gets dried out. :shock:

I've picked up a couple old restoration projects in the past. One was free if I just got it out of the barn it was stored in. Trailer too! $1,200 later it was on the road to my shop. After really going thru it it was decided that a complete restoration would mean I kept the new axle and wheels, the new hitch, wiring and lights for the trailer, a couple of chrome handles, a windshield frame and the receipts for the gravel driveway we had to put in to get it out of the barn. Would have been a nice Classic Owens though. Most everything had to be rebuilt, replaced and refitted, nothing was intact although it looked like it when we picked it up. Estimated cost to rebuild and refit, $23,000. Plus labor. We could find several of them in near bristal condition for $16,000.