Core Sound 20 Hull #85

[Doug Cameron]

It's nearing completion.  Sails arrived today (Thanks Graham and Carla).  Spars finished (in background).  Rigging underway.

[Doug Cameron]

More Pix

[JeffM]

Just in time for a good shake-down before you go racing?

[Ken_Potts]

Oh, you're getting so close.  Looking great!

You're doing the EC aren't you?  I'm rooting for you (and lots of others).

[Doug Cameron]

Yep, I'm going to the Everglades Challenge again after a year off to have a shoulder operated on and to let it heal.  The last time I went, we raced a schooner-rigged Kruger canoe.  We cut five hours off our record-breaking time, and Graham beat us by four hours in the Green Heron.  It was clear that I had to build a Core Sound, though Graham has come up with the EC 22 in the meantime.

The odds are that nobody will break the EC 22's record.  They had excellent winds and tides until they got to Florida Bay.  The wind can blow the water out of the Bay as it did last year, and several of us have crossed from Flamingo to Key Largo faster than Graham did last year.  Conditions have varied from frightening winds (35 kts on the nose for the start in 2001, gusts over 40 in 2002) to a 30 hour calm with dense sea fog in 2004.

There are many fast boats and fast sailors in the race this year, including two Core Sound 20s and the EC 22.  There are also many proven fast paddlers who could surprise us if the wind lies down (Carter Johnson, second to Graham last year in about 3 days in a solo kayak will not be there).  Graham is the most experienced sailor of the B&B sailors, and he is beginning to know that coast as well as I do, so my money is on him.  All the B&B boats are tandem, solo boats will have to stop and rest, while we can keep moving.

It should be great fun in any case, and a great adventure.  If you are in the St. Pete area, it's worth a visit to the Fort DeSoto beach Friday afternoon, Feb. 29 or very early Saturday morning, March 1, to see the boats and the start.  Keep up with the race at watertribe.com.

[Alan Stewart]

Boat looks GREAT Doug, thanks for the pictures. Were hoping to make more major progress this weekend. Are you planning to carve your own oars? will the same oar be used in the yulogh brackets? Any plans to try to weigh her? Last question, does she have a name?

I hope we have some good wind for all these fine sailboats that have entered the race. Start the countdown 29 days left!

-Alan

[Doug Cameron]

Hi Alan

I'm just amazed at your progress.  I have been working, albeit alone, since August of 2006 with a short break for shoulder repair.

I farmed out the oars to Shaw and Tenney.  The rowing oars are in, but I'm still waiting on the yuloh.  It's difficult to find anything but pine 2 X 4s and 2 X 6s around here.

I will use those oar locks on the stern for sculling and the yuloh.  I'll put her in the water tomorrow and try that out.

I haven't thought of weighing her, but that would be interesting.  I used about two gallons more epoxy than I expected (I only figured out that I could use rollers for epoxy late in the game, so it is laid on thick and rough -- not nearly as smooth as yours).

I was thinking of Dillen Leigh as a name (after the second granddaughter).  The first boat I built in 1996 is named after the first granddaughter, but that would tie me into building at least two more to be fair to the remaining ones (and my daughter is talking about one more).  We'll see.  The Kruger was named Light Chaser, but my poetic license seems to have expired.  This naming business is worse than choosing an appellation for a kid or a dog!

Good luck with the progress this weekend.  Graham says that there are two races: the first is just to complete the boat and get to the beach.

[Terry Dunn]

Hi Doug,

Love the boat.

I hope to see you and your boat at the Texas 200.

My boat is not named. The only name I could think of for my boat was "Opps!". That was the most common word out of my mouth during the building process. My wife did not think "Opps!" was appropriate so there is no name.

Hmmn. I do have enough boats to name after my grand kids ... but with another on the way I will be one short. Have to think about that.

Good luck in the EC. I enjoy following the Watertribe advetures.

[Doug Cameron]

Almost there.  All rigging done.  The centerboard problem fixed.  Masts built.  All I have to do is to make the front hatch top and add forward oar locks.  More pix.

[Doug Cameron]

Full gallery of boat construction pictures posted at http://gallery.mac.com/doug1216#100016

[Terry Dunn]

Enjoyed the pictures. Brings back fond memories of building my boat.

[Terry Dunn]

Doug,

I am considering replacing the hatch covers I made, which are not water tight, with some commercial hatch covers.

How do you like your hatch covers? What size and brand are they?

Thanks,

[Doug Cameron]

The large one in the back and the two small ones up front are Bowmar "Inspection Hatches."  The longer rectangular ones on the aft seats are Tempress "Access Hatches."  I have had good experience with the Bowmars.  I chose the Tempress because of the size.  Both are West Marine.

I did these rather than the homemade ones specified in the plans because I want the boat to be dry, even in a knockdown (meaning I am half asleep on the third day of the Everglades Challenge and have the main sheet cleated rather than in my hand).  I figure that I can stand on the centerboard and right her and have little water aboard.  Mat Layden's little dinghy Sand Flea has similar lateral storage tanks for the same reason.  I figure if a pro like Graham can turn over the EC 22, then a neophyte like me might just follow suit.

[Doug Cameron]

Back home in Tennessee.  Here is Gordy's Picture of us sailing out of Tampa Bay in 10 kt tailwinds on the first day of the Everglades Challenge:

The Core Sound was fast and tacked well.  She was wet to windward, so I am adding a dodger (we tacked 60 hours from Marco to Cape Sable, about half that time in Small Craft Advisories!).  She surfs like a pro downwind.  The full bow prevents pearling and deflects the water.  It took us a little time to gain faith in what she would do and that she could take the beating.  The only other thing I will do is to plane down the comings on the side (my butt is still recovering!). 

My hat is off to Alan and Paul -- they are great sailors.  We were 1 1/2 hours behind at checkpoint 2, but decided not to sail at night in the seas that night, and they galloped ahead.  Graham and Randy sailed very well, as expected, but got stuck in the mud in Florida Bay for a few hours (Graham actually brought snow shoes to avoid sinking to mid thigh in the pudding-like goo.).

Thanks for all your support.

Doug

[Ken_Potts]

  Great job on the EC (Oh - And the boat)!    I was following the updates enthusiastically.

  I hope to make it to the beach in 09.

[Dale Niemann]

Doug,

Congratulations on your EC sail. 

Don't be too anxious to plane down the combing.  You can add flat boards outside that have the same thickness as the height of the combing.  Leave a small crack between the boards and the combing for minor water to flow through.  Graham had them on his green CS 17 he sailed in the EC.

I have the same complaint you have.  I think I will eventually add the flat boards to my CS 17.

Dale

[paul_stewart]

Doug,

Well done! in both races with your CS20:  the race to build it in time, and the EC'08 race from Tampa Bay to Key Largo! 

You've been an inspiration to Alan (SOS) and me (DWSB) throughout both races.  Our EC'08 experience was unforgettable.  It was a tremendous pleasure to hear about the experiences of all the other challengers and to get to know you and your crew, Michael (GrayBeard). 

As usual for the EC, we saw some amazing new records set, were awed by boat building innovations, and shared some great new stories  --for example,  FrontalLobatomy's boat pulled over for speeding near Sanibel,  Roo and Tinker experimenting with snow shoes in Florida Bay,  Lumpy and Bumpy jetting to the finish in < 36 hours,  sea kayakers overcoming non-stop headwinds,  Trader and TroutHearts succeeding in an open canoe,  and 3 CoreSound boats among the first 5 finishers. 

Some of the old stories were a hoot to hear too  --hurling dead horseshoe crabs at a platoon of raccoons...  hahahahaha.   

With CS20s now finished, we're almost ready for the EC'09.

See you on the water,

--Paul 

    (CS20 #103)

[Doug Cameron]

Thanks, Paul.  I, too was inspired by you two: the quality of the build (and the speed) and your stamina and seamanship on the boat.  After Chokooskee, we judged that fatigue and sailing in the dark were not good seamanship.  We were stopped a full 12 hours anchored off Morman Key, and that put us into the several hour lull off Northwest Cape Sable the next day.  We got stuck in the mud (my 7th graders have mentioned this before!) for a couple of hours the next night about where Graham did, and the overcast moonless night made it difficult to find the channel.

I have already planed off the comings on the aft 2/3 for more comfortable seating, repaired the gash in the paint from the unloading, cut 2 1/2 inches off the beam in the front of the cockpit to make that space more useful, and done a couple of minor improvements in the rudder, the rigging and and the masts.  I have also ordered materials for the dodger.  Keeps me off the streets.

Again, it was great to spend time wih you and Alan and Dawn.  I hope to see you al next March and maybe at Graham's messabout this fall .

Doug