Australian Fleet? NZ?

[MikeStevenson]

It sounds like there's critical mass for a group of builders in Australia. You face the same problems we do here in the West of the US: Everybody's spread over hundreds and thousands of miles. There are probably around seventy or eighty sets of the Pocket Yacht plans since 1995 (when we started keeping a d-base.)

New Zealand has about 25 to 30 plans out it looks like.

I'll email people to see if they'd be willing to have their e-mails shared.

You'd need to start thinking about who wants to coordinate things; Andrew from Canberra has already volunteered at one point but I don't know if that still stands.

Mike

[buck]

This is a great idea, I'm in touch with a few builders here, Wayne and I e-mail each other quite regularly (superb job on the boat Wayne!) and Malcolm Sinclair from Australia came and had a sail in my boat! So we may have large distances to cover but it does happen, in fact its been a great summer with Johannah's John enforcing the Chesapeake connection by sailing my boat as well. I also beleive we have another builder here in Dunedin who I will check up on again.

A downunder association would be a great thing. Our woods are a bit different ,but in most other respects we get the same standards of ply and same products usaully slightly different to American ones. Plus in my experience of car clubs, People are quite willing to cross the tasman either way. Often its cheaper to fly to Sydney than it is to Auckland. So I'd support fully any moves in this area and do what I could to help it.

[waynemunro]

Yeah, I would second Buck on this one, sounds like a good idea to me. More plans in NZ than I would have thought. People might be more likely to actually get around to building them if they thought there was someone within reach who could tell them to "don't worry about it... just do it and see what happens" whenever they get to a hard bit. Bucks encouragement was invaluable to getting my momentum up initially.

[Simon]

I'm not adverse to people contacting me at all, but I only know of one builder in Perth (apart from someone on this board whose never posted). I wouldn't be trying to oganise any activities or anything, but I'm happy enough to share my experiences re sourcing materials etc. Even the one guy I know lives in Fremantle (Perth's sister city, joined at the hip-pocket) which is about 45 min drive from me, but we still haven't seen each other's boats, so the distances are as much in the mind as anything --- its a big country in more ways than one. :?

Sorry for the philosophy lesson!

[Andrew]

Sounds great

I'm still interested in 'doing stuff' from here (even though I'm rooly new to this), and sea eagle lives 2 suburbs away - whats the chance of that in a land this big!

It would be unreal to see a flotilla (2, 3, 5) of WEs sailing in the same area and to be able to share some sailing stories with the others

Lets do it!

[SeaEagle]

Andrew,

Somehow managed to miss this post last week! Sounds like a great idea.

I spent the weekend fixing my keel and cutting out the deck, transom, bulkheads etc.

I've managed to salvage the keel and plan to but the stringers on the bottom this coming weekend - shouldn't be too long before I'm 3D.

[Andrew]

There must be an echo in here (there must be an echo in here), Sounds like you've got a head of steam up - good to hear. I've just finished ordering the Keel lumber (the cheap Ash fell through [it had to didn't it]) So I'm getting Oregon. It should be here Friday, then I'm off to wollongong for the ply.

Just yell if you need a hand with anything (an extra pair of hands, encouragement, criticism etc.) - it will give me a chance to 'see before I do'

I'll drop you more of my details in another private post.

Andrew

[Andrew]

Hey - seaman recruit

I'm starting to feel like I'm learning something.... :?

Well there's only one way to go from here, and Friday will be the day!