Finally!

[Eric]

Hi Everyone

Finally, after a year of messing around, I got my CS 17 into the water on New Year's Day. Four of us went for a sail down the canal behind my house, into the bay, and out into the Gulf of Thailand for about a 30k "sea trial". No major problems, except for the weak evening winds and the tide ripping out in the evening, therefore couldn't get back in the bay at the opening due to currents, so I had to get a tow from a fisherman. With four of us and a decent breeze, we hit 5.5 knots at times, accourding to my GPS.

A bit about my boat: It's made from 7 and 10 mm keuring (apitong) ply, which is very stiff, but exceptionally strong. Also heavy, but I like that added strength, as I feel I might bang into a few things (already have, haha). I left some in some water for two months, and no deterioration at all. Actually, the whole boat is made from kuering, except the masts, which are a laminated light Malaysian plantation pine. They work great, and I can just step them by myself. I couldn't be bothered to find the proper aluminum. I probably could find the right aluminum in Bangkok, but I never like going there and I don't own a car anyway. The sails I made myself from some kind of canvas cloth I found here, sewing them on a treadle sewing machine. So far they work fine until I get around to finding a some real sailcloth. The paint is a high quality Japanese outdoor enamel. Paint is cheap here, so I sprayed twelve coats on it. So far its holding up well, but white seems like a mistake, showing every ding and mark, like fishermen's junky, diesel-soaked boats banging into me. Plus I can't get the canal scum stains off the sides..

I used a French made epoxy mixed 1:1, pretty happy with that, but thick, but gives you plenty of working time in this heat. The boatbuilder in Pattaya who sold me the epoxy also sold me yard-wide fiberglass for about two bucks a meter, which I then cut into strips for tape, as you can't find fiberglass tape in Thailand he said. I highly recommend not doing that, as the fiberglass unravels and becomes a big mess. Next time I will order some from the States. I also fiberglassed the bottom.

Other things I made myself, such as my gudgeons and pintles. I am an okay welder, so I just bought some high grade stainless bar and tubing and welding them up using a small arc welder. Easy and final cost of three dollars. I also welded up a fancy-pants mount for my new outboard, as I made the transom one inch too wide for the outboard. Dummy..

Total boat cost was 820 US dollars. The sheet wood was of course the most, about 25 dollars sheet, which seems outrageous for this country! Funny prices here, I just bought a 3hp Yamaha two stroke, and it cost more than the boat, about 900 bucks, High import luxury tax. But no more begging tows from fishermen.

Will post more later.

[Charlie Jones]

Where there is a will, there IS a way

Congrats- she looks to be quite nicely done.

[Hirilonde]

I sometimes found the cut ends of my fiberglass tape frustrating, and my boat is half the length. You certainly are persistent, and she looks great. Congratulations on your launching!

[Guest Oyster]

What a nice story. Please post some of the water related scenery aong with shots of your town,, too, as you make some more trips. Congratulations are truely in order. 8) Question, how do you launch it with no auto? Or do you just keep it in the water?

[Greg Luckett]

Thanks for the boat building and sea tale. It is much appreciated reading this morning!

Where in Thailand are you?

[Kidd]

Wonderful story. Did you also make your rigging hardware? That looks like a beautiful place to sail.

[Eric]

Thanks much for the nice replies!

Answering the question about launching since I don't own a car is that I keep the boat in the canal about a hundred meters behind my house. Its a 3 K twisty trip down the the bay, and the first trip I had to take a machete to clean things out since my boat is much bigger than the local's. Since there is absolutely no crime in this village I just keep everything such as masts and sails in the boat, except the outboard of course. Its docked in a little communal area next to small Thai longtail boats that crab fishermen use. No charge since its government land. I am also high entertainment value for those guys, as no one sails around here except me.. The rowing stuff was a good laugh for them too.. And no one paints their boat white, always dark blue for those guys. I wish I could keep the boat out of the water, but I will figure that out later.

I'm near Chanthaburi (world center for trading and cutting colored gemstones), which is 250 ks east of Bangkok. We are close to the Cambodian border, near Koh Chang Island and its 52 smaller islands that I will be exploring. There is some awesome reef diving around those islands. Chang is full of European tourists now baking and drinking themselves silly on the beaches and will wait for them to clear out a bit.. I also plan on doing some serious fishing too for pompano, snapper, and finny guys like that.

Yes, I also made some of my rigging such as oarlocks and bulleyes using my welder and torch for heating and bending. I am also using cheapy saltwater resistant blocks and cleats made in Malaysia but they are fine as it was all I could find that was decent. There is a yacht club and sailing scene in sleazy Pattaya, three hours up the coast, but I don't go there much. There you can find most anything you need, but often at a very high price since its imported. I'll probably go someday to look around for modern sail cloth. Living in the States I used to think I need the latest and fanciest for things to work, but over here I have had to be more resourceful and simplify, such as my canvas sails which are working great. Here you can still buy big spools of hemp rope if you want at the fisherman's store!

[Scott Dunsworth]

Looks great Eric!! Its great to see someone suceed and be resourceful with what they can find locally. I sometimes get lazy and just throw money at my project unstead of being resourceful.

Congratulations

Scott