Tom Hoffman Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Good Evening, I am new to the forum, I live in Iowa and was wondering if there are any other members from the midwest. I am in the precess of building a new garage and boat shop to build a Sailboat of as yet undetermined parentage. I have been looking at a Vacationer and was curious if there had been any built in the midwest or close by to Iowa, I would be very interested in going to see one. I have built a 20' Whitehall in 06'-08'. It was built using WRC and Epoxy. Any interested persons may see pictures of the build and oars that I made for it as well. www.webshots.com/user/slvrgost I look forward to participating in some of the activities. Regards, Tom... Quote
Frank Hagan Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Tom, your Whitehall is a work of art! Really looks great. I hope you don't mind me showing everyone one of your pics from your album you linked above: We do have some "landlocked sailors" around here, but I don't know of any real close to you. Konrad built a Vacationer; I think that's probably the closest one I know of (he lives in Nebraska). Is it intended for sailing on a local lake or are you planning on trailering it far from home? Quote
Kurt_Ayres Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Greetings! I live in Avon, Illinois, and frequently boat in the Burlington area, and have sailed out of Ft. Madison. I'm planning on beginning my Weekender (my fourth build) within the next couple of months. Kurt Ayres Quote
Hirilonde Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Welcome to the forum Tom. You're Whitehall is beautiful. I have nothing to offer on the Vacationer, but have questions about your Whitehall. How is it constructed? I see no frames. Who is the designer? Does he have a web page? I visited your picture site. If you take some in the water some time please feel free to link to them or post here. I'm sure others besides Frank and I will look at them. Quote
Tom Hoffman Posted May 28, 2009 Author Posted May 28, 2009 Thank you all for the kind responses. My goal is to get out of Iowa winters and move to Florida for at least 8-9 months of the year and either live on a boat I have built or buy an existing boat or house boat there. I am semi retired and my wife is a Nurse Manager and she wants to quit where she is and become a travling nurse. I am in the midst of constructing a 36'X36' pole garage/boat shop to build at least a boat or two before we make our move. I was thinking about the Vacationer for just sailing around here in Ia or on Lake Peppin or in the Miss. I am 90 miles west of Dubuque. We have a Cabin on the Wapsi-Pinicon River and have just been in it a year. Regarding the Whitehall, It is the Glen-L Whitehall modified by me to suit. I moved all the stations 3" further apart and changed the angle of the stern back further and changed the sweep of the bow to a more pleasing curve (to me) than the standard blunt bow. I originally built one of the WRC stripper canoes from HandyMan Magazine back in the 80's and then built another in the 90's. I have always wanted an easy rowing boat. In 64' I taught rowing and canoeing at Scout camp in Sioux City and learned that I really liked Rowing. I use to race the boys, me in a flat bottom Jon Boat rowing and them in Canoes. I just received a copy of George Buehler's Backyard Boat Building and all of a sudden am becoming obsessed with building at least something that we can sail around here for a while to get our sea legs about us. My wife and I both enjoy liveaboard scuba trips in the Caribbean. She has mild sea sickness on the first day, but after that she is great. She is a good hands on helper in what ever I decide to do and gets right in and get dirty with me too. She is helping when she can with the Garage right now. Thank you for linking that pic to the albums, one of these days, I'll learn how to do it too... Cheers, Tom... Quote
lewisboats Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 hello from the west coast of Iowa! I am in Sioux City. Bill Paxton has a Weekender (sans cabin) and is from the Minneapolis area. There is going to be a Messabout at Lake Pepin on the Saturday after next...if you can make it. Bill hosts it every 1st weekend in June. Info is here: http://lakepepinmessabout.com There are usually a bunch of people there from relatively near and a few from far. 1 who usually comes is from Cedar falls or Cedar rapids...forget which. Hope to see you there. Steve Lewis Quote
Tom Hoffman Posted May 28, 2009 Author Posted May 28, 2009 Hi Steve, I grew up in Sioux City and Graduated at East. I was wanting to come up to lake peppin next week, but family stuff got in the way several months back. (Wedding) will try and make it next year. I get to Minneapolis a few times a year, I will try and hook up with Bill next time I am going up that way. Thanks for letting me know that I am not ALONE!!! Tom... Quote
lbrewer Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Welcome aboard. Absolutely beautiful Whitehall! What species of wood did you use for the strips and seats? The grain in the wood on the rear seats is awesome. Larry Quote
Tom Hoffman Posted May 28, 2009 Author Posted May 28, 2009 Larry, Thanks for the kind words. WRC is western red cedar. That is what the hull is made of. The transom outside is midwest black walnut. The interior transom is Quilted Hard Maple. The bow is Cherry and the thwarts and deck boards are all White Oak. The gunwales inner and outer are Ash. It was a lot of fun to build. Quote
lbrewer Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 I figured out WRC after I asked. The oak on the thwarts and the stern quarter seats is nicely figured. It's an eye catcher for sure. I wouldn't have guessed it for white oak from the photos. Larry Quote
Tom Hoffman Posted May 28, 2009 Author Posted May 28, 2009 Yes, White Oak is probably my favorite wood to work with. What is in the boat is what was left over after i build my wife her Mission Style Bed. Promised it to her after we got married in 93' promise kept in 2007. what's a few years between friends. Here is her bed... http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/553556127SDygzD Quote
lbrewer Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 The picture in the link showing the bed's headboard and footboard on the boat trailer may be a freudian slip as to the REAL priority for that batch of wood Quote
Tom Hoffman Posted May 29, 2009 Author Posted May 29, 2009 Larry, Never thought about it like that, but I think you are right. She wouldn't let me finish the boat until the bed was done. On' well, she's happy and so am I. Cheers, Tom Quote
Ken_Potts Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 Maybe you should have promised her a boat instead of a bed ;D Nice bed, though. And if it was a good source of White Oak offcuts for the boat, so much the better. Quote
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