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If YOU Had It To Do Over Again-What Would YOU Do Different??


Ken_StJohn

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Guest Oyster

Now Adla, you done gone and done it now. 8)

Me offended?LOL! A clarification and followup post, of statements of fact, from my own perspective, is miles away from being offended by anything that is posted on the net anymore. I will defend anyone's desire to take the plunge on the water with anything that floats, especially stuff that comes from the big box stores. :wink:

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I am afforded a history lesson about boats, with real evidence, that in a lot of ways were built for a particular need, with off the street materials, which lasted several decades, one being since 1958 and in the case of the weekender somewhere around 20 years ago, but not sure of the actuall year. These boats came to me after many memories, one in particular spreading across two generations, and now will live on for several other generations of family and friends. I do not have the new shot of the weekender, which in both cases, patterns were used, and replaced with better materials, in the new models to once again share a lot of happiness for the future generations. Both boat leftovers met the same fate after sharing, but not before coming alive as a new one to live again.

My point is that its not out of the question to evolve into other models of boats, overtime from beginning models, which are also chosen by the looks, from many novice newcomers, which also takes place in many other designs.

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Adla,

I have to agree, my friend. Clearly, not seaworthy....Where's the beer cooler?!?!?! :lol:

I love the way he has the back legs of the lawn chair strapped down to the ONE round piece of stringer. I see a fully reclined position preeeety quick on that rig. Must be a Bama engineering graduate. :twisted:

Let the flaming begin!!!!

--John M

Alaskan-in-Exile

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I KNOW what I'd do differently ;) I'd meet Laura FIRST!!! While I had my big cruising boat. Then you could have colored us GONE several years ago

:lol::lol::lol:

Interesting thread. Some of the things mentioned I did on the one I built. And they CAN be quite nice boats. Hey the one I built won first prize in a classic boat show in Sturgeon Bay Wisc and JT has sailed his (in some pretty stinky conditions) in TWO BEER cruises now, with little or no problems.

EVERY boat is a compromise - ain't ANY of them perfect, nor will any ever BE totally perfect.

Ray and Oyster both will tell you that.

Of course had I met my customer BEFORE I built the Weekender for him I would not have built it- I'd have suggested the Vacationer instead- he's a BIG guy -

:lol::lol:

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I love the way he has the back legs of the lawn chair strapped down to the ONE round piece of stringer

John,

Those are stringers, eh? :lol: i saw that pic and though "natural selection".... :lol:

EVERY boat is a compromise - ain't ANY of them perfect, nor will any ever BE totally perfect.

That is why it is important to have more than one boat...no matter what people say about you. :P

Charlie makes a good point about size...much of my perspective comes from a small person point of view...the cockpit is just right (do i sound like goldilocks - i am not a blonde) and i scramble up to the front without making the boat tippy unless beached (beached - it is always tippy) -

of course Phil and his wife are normal sized people and they seemed very comfortable in his weekender

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Doc Frog is right about the tiller allowing you to sit further forward -- in this shot i am up where i can make adjustments to the cam cleats for the peak and the throat if i want....soon, i will run the two jib sheets to the same side of the boat (i like to sit on the port side)and have them on cam cleats for adjusting the shape of the jib. i am also glad i used a spreader on the shrouds at the top - it gives just that much more room to the gaff jaws. And lastly - i put reef points in my sails

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Thanks for the dimensions Tim - it worked out great (AND BTW - i have been reading about your new adventures! What a TRIP!)

AND FOR BALLAST --- i use 168 lbs of CUTE:

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she loves the boat.

a.

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Those are some cool images miss.

So.....both sheets to the strbd side eh? And you prefer to sit on the Port side.

I am thinking you don't get much wind in your neighbourhood then? :cry:

Last night I had my 180 lb son with me and my own rather Portly 190 lbs hanging off the rail...and was thinking that maybe it was time to reef one. :D

Plenty of regular (but wickedly gusty) wind on this new lake of ours.

I finally moddified this wonderful Thistle spinnaker I acquired earlier this spring. I set it up like a reacher or asymetric but really it is still symetrical. I just removed the bottom most panel, and re-located the 'clews' Works like the blue blazes. Tacks over like a big old genny. You gotta get one. Such fun! With your lighter winds it would be fabulous.

....and used with the main I can point within a coupla degrees of a proper headsail.

....back to regular programming.

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Guest Oyster
EVERY boat is a compromise - ain't ANY of them perfect, nor will any ever BE totally perfect.

Now CJ, you must be kidding. Each and everyone of my five boats are perfect. I am working to fill the two days of the week vacancies, though, but working hard to do so. I just wait for those perfect situations, shuffling them from day to to day, for a variety, unlike most folks that have not reached their creative yard art statis. :wink: 8)

Tim I did not divulge your fun and games from your latest adventures of your "reefing" in the main sail. :twisted: I will leave that to you to narrate.

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John,

Those are stringers, eh? :lol: i saw that pic and though "natural selection".... :lol:

Adla, I forgot to add the quotes for stringer. :) Definitely used the term liberally. His creation was clearly a Darwinian experiment, right up there with the weather balloons & lawn chair guy. 8)

--John M.

Alaskan-in-Exile

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Adla; have you (or anyone else) got a picture that shows your spreaders? I'm thrashing with that now. I ginned up a very small thing, but I'm still having some conflict between jaws and shrouds.

Along with a fully rounded mast, the spreaders are probably definitely a "what I'd do different" thing.

Doc(David)A

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This is an interesting thread, as Tim said.

One thing that I did not bother to do was the lower rub rail. You can tell that in the pictures of Charlie Girl.

As far as on the dock, that's what fenders are for and the way she sits, the rub rail wouldn't have been much help without fenders anyway.

I suspect I might have lost a bit of hull stiffness, but not so as I can notice yet. And after hearing all the horror stories of trying to bend them, plus the cost to match the mahogany toe rail the hull came with, just seemed like a lot of effort for ornament.

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i think this is the best pic i have:

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and it isn't very good --- all i did was use a piece of angle iron - it is through bolted to the mast and then there is a ubolt that goes around the mast and is bolted to the spreader....it is not exactly beautiful but hey - i value function over form.

many people have done nice things with aluminum - made triangle like pieces etc. and that works too --- the way i did it got me on the water fast. i check it for tightness before i raise the main and it so far has been great....but it won't win any awards for pretty.

btw - the mast has been considerably thinned since that pic - i planed the crud out of it and rounded the edges good this spring....it is light (i can lift it myself with one hand) and strong - it isn't perfectly round.

you can see the spreader in this pic giving me a little room:

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and in this pic

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Tim - i think i like to sit on the port side *laugh* like i know which is which...we have wicked wind here too --- and without warning. You might have ventured out and sailed around in the gale forces that sprung up at Yuba - Brit's rig broke under the stress of that wind. i was luck and dumped my main and had my jib tied - SECONDs before the gusts came out of nowhere. i am considering a real motor in the future but the better prop on the electric really made a difference. i was able to get back to the dock without any worries. i will say that i did not have my dog with me on my last sail at yuba - she may not have liked the chop. But two anchors and a battery in the forepeak and a cooler full of ice in the cabin kept the bow from slapping...she pushes through the waves nicely. There was a guy in a big expensive overnight cruiser that wasn't fairing as well nor did he have as much control as i did in all that wind. Eventually - i just yelled at him to get the h*$$ out of my way - i am so refined *not*.

i plan to sail on the 4th with my dad - he hasn't been on Morgaine yet or even seen her on the water...last wednesday was his 80th birthday - it should be fun for him.

a.

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But what we really want to know is the answer to the classic question Ray.

Do you still beat your wife?? :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

If you answer no.. then the press can say.. aahaaaa so you diiiidddd

If you answer yes.. then well you know.....

I have to say.. I'd build the weekender with the cabin roof just a couple of inches taller for true sitting headroom. Probably extend the mast and rigging a bit higher to avoid some of the gaff jaw/ shroud jam issues.

I have now logged a dozen or more days camping on mine over the years, and the head room is probably the most frustrating. I'm 8 years older now and not as flexible :roll:

I am with Ray also.. The weekender was and is a wonderful little boat for all it's positives... it does have some negatives.

I have sailed mine since '98 and been to places I never would have seen without her.

If it burned tomorrow... probably would not rebuild. but wouldn't part with her either without a heck of a fight..

My build now.. would lean toward the Princess sharpie.. I've seen Travis's boat sail and seen the interior volume. I also now have gotten my wife to go along for a multi day adventure.... and as we age that will get harder to do in the weekender.

Sailing to weather in nice 2 foot waves or substantial current is another place the boat does not excell... but then.. I have a 3.3 merc motor for that stuff..

I even pulled a catalina 22 with the weekender and a ski rope a few miles at BEER making about 4 mph (calm conditions and no wind) with that little motor.

So yes... I would still reccomend for a first time builder. No I would not gold plate it.. My hull and keel are still very sound.. workboat finish. I did have a little rudder box ... uh problem... at BEER.. but that was my fault for not inspecting closer.

happy building

John

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Guest Oyster

Part of the learning curve of life is doing something that you have not done before. In most all cases, rarely do people pass along information in the form of warnings, and thoughts to people concerning past experiences, unless this such issues are deamed to be unsafe, especially if the other guy is in the mist of doing it. I have no second thoughts on my comments, and still feel that none of us would do anything, untested or untried, if most of us listen to others and their opinions on everything in life. Three million opinions and never thr eright choice, indeed.

But to vector from this point now, there is enough evidence in this thread to show that a lot of fun has been had, and lessons and an increased learning curve has developed to further a person to do bigger and better things from building the weekender. Even in print, the excitment is indeed noted from several participants, which says a lot for me. In boat building, its a known fact that rarely does anyone build the same boat no matter what the fate may be of the original hull, or even in the production industry, buys something that is the same as the last boat that a person has owned.

If my comments were offensive to Ray or others, I will apologize, for what I am not sure. But just keep in mind that I am only one person and have also been up front in my thoughts , too, straight foward, and honest in my take as I saw it too. Carry on.......

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This post is in regard to spreaders. While sailing on Lake CouerD'Lane in Idaho about two years ago on a friends Weekender, a bolt, one of two, holding the spreader to the mast, broke with a loud bang. We had the rail in the water at the time so we were flying. There is a lot of pressure placed on the spreader when sailing with heavy winds.The main problem was that the shroud ended at the end of the spreader unstead of going on to the mast and ending there. I would suggest that you NOT end a shroud at anyplace BUT the mast. (For what it's worth) I am going to end my shrouds at the top of the mast with no spreader for my Vacationer, Wind Song.

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