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Princess Sharpie 26 boat building


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I am thinking seriously of the necessary steps and time to complete construction of my PS26. I would like to make as many of the details as I can before I need to find and pay for an assembly building.  Winter weather here keeps me from doing much for about 6 months out of the year if gluing, fiber glassing, or painting/varnishing is required...unless in a heated building. These can be found but they are not cheap. I think that minimizing the length of time needed for construction will require making as many of the pieces as I can prior to hull assembly. I am going to start spending time with the plan set to see what might be done. In the mean time, any advice and guidance concerning this, is welcome.

Thanks gang!

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Gordy, not anytime soon. I must play the hand that was dealt to me for now and the next few years.

I am thinking that the PS26 build will take me 3 to 5 years, which is about the time I expect to really retire. It will be a good time to have that boat to play with. :)

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Given the scenerio that played out during your last shed build, and given the length of time that it will take, I think you should just hollow out the back side of your house and reinstall a new wall and tell your wife that you will be adding another room. You will afterall be spending your time in the comfort of your own home with your man space to boot while she gets the run of the rest of the house to herself. :lol:

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Good idea, Mike. Now if I can just keep my busy body neighbors from tipping off the city. :lol:

I had thought of extending the garage out the back side a bit or a temporary extension at the roll up door, but the garage/shop is simply too small for a PS26.  A Core Sound would work though. I may just switch to that design instead. The trade off is that we would really like to be able to get out of the weather and do some night sailing out on the big lake.

The Spindrift build really sped up once I erected the assembly tent and quit trying to work by tarping and untarping. On the PS26, it looks like I could spend a season accumulating materials, cutting out details, and scarfing. I do not need a bigger/heated space until assembly starts. From the Spindrift build, I know that if I have a heated space big enough, I can build boats a lot faster. There must be room to roll it over too since I cannot count on moving outside to do the roll over, then back in.

One option we are considering is to build a temporary tent with enough slope to shed the snow fall. It has its problems too with space to fit it in and keeping the city off of my back for a couple of years. As it is, some ass hole neighbor calls them about us at least once every few months. The last time was because they did not like the boys' Dragon boat in the side yard. Once the two youngest are out of school we hope to move out of this snooty place. :mad:

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Yikes, what a mess with the neighbors. Have you considered a used 22 or even considered a rough in hull to finish  :wink:which really eliminates the worse part of the mess and can be finished and outfitted in what amounts to a garage?

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Greg, I worked up there at the Cook power plant several years ago. So I understand about the cold weather. But south Florida is not much better. Here I work on my CS 20 in the late fall, winter and early spring. The five months of summer are way to hot to work in the garage with temperatures hitting 105 heat index. Building is suppose to be fun and that is NOT fun.

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Noklin,

I lived in Texas for many years and while there, found an old swamp cooler in a garage sale, refurbished it, and then used it to cool the garage/shop.  I had to be careful of humidity, so when it rained (read hot and steamy) it was not much help. Florida may be dry enough for you to cool the garage down about 15 degrees that way, even with high humidity.

Greg, I worked up there at the Cook power plant several years ago. So I understand about the cold weather. But south Florida is not much better. Here I work on my CS 20 in the late fall, winter and early spring. The five months of summer are way to hot to work in the garage with temperatures hitting 105 heat index. Building is suppose to be fun and that is NOT fun.

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A Core Sound would work though. I may just switch to that design instead.

Greg!  No,no,no,no,!!  Look man.  I've already built a CS17.  I've got the plans for the PS26.  You have to build and document the PS26 about a year ahead of me so you can spend all the extra time and materials learning, and I can benifit from your misfortunes.  What good does it do me for you to build a Core Sound?  Think of it as a philanthropic endeavor.  Take one for the team.

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  • 1 year later...

I keep talking myself out of this project, and spent the last year looking at other boats. If I cannot have my PS26 then I would only settle for two other boats, first and foremost, a Cape Dory 30, second an Island Packet 28 or bigger. Both have other shortcomings. The PS26 would be trailerable and storage much easier to deal with. In the long run, I would get a lot more bang for the buck with the PS26. I was discussing this with my wife, Edith, a few evenings ago when she told me, urged me actually, to build the PS26. It surprised me. She does want the rest of the furniture she requested done by this winter too.

I am still struggling with where and how but I think I have a solution if the city will allow me to put up a temporary shelter for 2 to 3 years. It looks like one of those Stimson Marine bow roof sheds would work with the snow and handle the winds. Snow loading is a worry. We can get 2 to 3 feet of wet snow in a matter of hours sometimes, along with gale force winds.

I need to check with Graham about any plan updates but then I should be ready to start working on the pieces and details that can be done in my shop prior to assembly. I turned 60 in August. The clock is started. I want to retire in 2 to 3 years from August, and I want my PS26 ready to launch by then. :rolleyes:

Scott, have you started yet? :D

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I just got off the phone with Graham; had a nice chat too. I will need to give Carla a call just before I start cutting wood to get any of the latest updates to the plan set. This depends somewhat on the city inspector's opinion of the shed plans, which I have yet to get too, so maybe by October this year, one way or the other.

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  • 5 years later...

I am still struggling with this issue, but I have gotten 99% of the wife's furniture list done. Now, she wants the bathroom, kitchen, and down stairs bath and utility rooms redone.  Sigh.

 

I have been inspired again by reading about the 80 year old man who single handed from Nova Scotia to California via the Canal. That was in the July/Aug WoodBoat. I had given up on boating and boat building as my wife gets sea sick at just the thought and the kids are all grown and gone, leaving just me to go sailing. I do not know if I want to tackle another boat build, especially as the PS26 but I would like a shallow draft sail boat that could go out on Lake Michigan, be trailerable, and be able to single hand safely. The Mystic Sharpie looks interesting.

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If you're talking about Ted Brewer's Mystic Sharpie, then as a boat builder you know that the 32 footer is nearly twice the boat (weight, material, labor, cost, etc.) compared to the Princess 26, not to mention standing rigging. There is also the shallow rudder issue that may not be best suited for the roller coaster waves on Lake Michigan.

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If you're talking about Ted Brewer's Mystic Sharpie, then as a boat builder you know that the 32 footer is nearly twice the boat (weight, material, labor, cost, etc.) compared to the Princess 26, not to mention standing rigging. There is also the shallow rudder issue that may not be best suited for the roller coaster waves on Lake Michigan.

Yes, you are correct. I do know these things. "Roller coaster waves", now that is a good description of that chop out there. I have noted while sailing a variety of different vessels on the Lake that longer is better, as is heavier is better.

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By better I assume you mean more comfortable for like conditions. No doubt the Edmund Fitzgerald was comfortable until it wasn't.

 

I'm not trying to talk you out of your dreams. But you mentioned trailering and singlehanding and the larger boat with stepped masts and standing rigging isn't as conducive to that.

 

Also, according to your own timetable, you are already behind schedule and you know the bigger boat is going to take more time to build. Then we have to add the honeydew projects into the mix. I am going to build a new house for my wife concurrent with building the PS26. Right now I am about halfway along with the new carport and shed where the boat will be built.

 

And I don't know about you, but I'm not getting any younger. I can only pray to still be sailing at 80.

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By better I assume you mean more comfortable for like conditions. No doubt the Edmund Fitzgerald was comfortable until it wasn't.

 

I'm not trying to talk you out of your dreams. But you mentioned trailering and singlehanding and the larger boat with stepped masts and standing rigging isn't as conducive to that.

 

Also, according to your own timetable, you are already behind schedule and you know the bigger boat is going to take more time to build. Then we have to add the honeydew projects into the mix. I am going to build a new house for my wife concurrent with building the PS26. Right now I am about halfway along with the new carport and shed where the boat will be built.

 

And I don't know about you, but I'm not getting any younger. I can only pray to still be sailing at 80.

I have no intention of being on the Great Lakes  when the Witch of November comes a calling.  By better, I mean in handling the choppy water, which I have seen change from flat to 10 ft and gale in less than an hour. Needless to say, I always managed to scoot into port almost ahead of it. Setting a sea anchor will only work for a short while as there is land in every direction, so riding it out is really tricky. A longer, thinner boat will move faster too.  I am still kicking around the PS26, but I have always wanted a gaff rigged two master to play with too. 

Have you started on your PS26 yet?

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I have not started on the boat yet...perhaps by the first of the new year. I need to finish a covered build space and secure material and tool shed that I am working on.

 

Yes, it's those high-pitched 8-10's on Lake Michigan where I would have concerns with the Mystic Sharpie rudder. And if you are single-handing that design I would assume you would utilize roller reefing for the headsail.

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