Reports

Timely reports of interesting goings on from around the boat building world.  If you have pictures of anything of interest please send them in for posting.  Don't be shy.  Send to: chuck.leinweber@gmail.com

 

July, 2001

From: Richard Spelling richard@spellingbusiness.com 

Hi Chuck,

New issue of Chebacco in online at:
https://www.chebacco.com 

July, 2001

From Scott Widmier

Hi Chuck,

We are having a regatta of Stevenson designed boats at Long Point State Park, 1000 Islands in New York August 4th-5th. The regatta is open to anyone with a Stevenson boat, interested in seeing a Stevenson boat, or interested in sailing their boat with some Stevenson boats. As you can tell, everyone is welcome to come. You can get more details about the regatta at 

https://gozips.uakron.edu/~widmier/Regatta/2001regatta.html

Anyone who is coming should notify me by email at widmier@uakron.edu. BTW, the Reserve America website is being a bit quirky so it is best to call in for a reservation. There still might be some lake front campgrounds available.

Thanks.

July, 2001

From: Garryck Osborne garryck2000@optushome.com.au 

Hi Chuck,

Just a brief announcement which you may wish to mention in Duckworks Mag.....

A couple of months ago, I formed a Yahoo Group for people who own, are building or are interested in Jay Benford's dory designs, with particular emphasis on the "Badger" design...

In the short period we have been running, we have grown to 67 members, and a large body of material on methods, materials, and problem-solving has accumulated, along with many photos of construction details supplied by the four members we have who are currently building.

We are particularly interested in trying to obtain members who have completed a Benford design, so if you could pass this information (and my personal invitation to join) along to Dusty, it would be most appreciated.

The contact details for the group are:
Post message: BadgerOwnerBuilders@yahoogroups.com  
Subscribe: BadgerOwnerBuilders-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  
Unsubscribe: BadgerOwnerBuilders-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com  
List owner: BadgerOwnerBuilders-owner@yahoogroups.com  

The URL for the group is: https://groups.yahoo.com/group/BadgerOwnerBuilders 

Keep up the good work,
Sincerely,

Garryck D. Osborne

July, 2001

From Glen Maxwell:

Bottom Painting

It has been my experience that when attempting to put anti fouling paint on an epoxy covered surface a degrading of the bond develops over time and large sections of the paint will flake off the substrate. 

While working at Gold Coast Yachts, whose product was primarily large (53’) charter catamarans built from wood and epoxy, we had to replace the antifouling under warranty on more then a couple of our boats. This was a pretty expensive problem and we endeavored to correct it as best we could. After trying several sealers and following all manufactures recommendations to no avail we hit upon a solution thru trial and error. We found that if we put the first coat of bottom paint on just as the last layer of epoxy clear coat was tacking off a chemical bond of some sort formed between the epoxy and anti fouling and it was near impossible to remove all the bottom paint without cutting into the epoxy. Afterwards the bottom paint would adhere well to itself and our problems went away (only to be replaced by others, of course). 

During the curing process of the epoxy, which takes place more slowly then the paint, some alligatoring of the paint may take place and leave small cracks in the paint surface but this never seemed to make any difference to the following paint bond. And the cracks were not detectable if a thin first coat was applied. The best time to apply the bottom paint seems to be just as the epoxy becomes tack free to a light touch. The best results follow the application of the paint with a close nap foam roller (like the WEST yellow ones) using light pressure. This will keep the alligatoring to a minimum. Finally, do not apply subsequent coats of bottom paint until the epoxy has had time to cure, usually over night.

I have been using this process with success now for about 10 years and as I was applying the bottom paint to my Paradox I thought I would pass it on.

Tailwinds Glen

July, 2001

From: David Ryan david@crumblingempire.com 

FBBB --

Lately I've been having second thoughts about my decision the Light Scooner instead of the Singlehanded Schooner. The very conditions that spoil surfing render the scooner unmanageable for one, and more than enough for the odd crewman or two I've been able to scare up. The boat spents so much time on its ear, I've started to think I should have built a Birdwatcher instead.

Well yesterday I got a chance to find out how she sails with a full compliment aboard.

I was rigging up the fore getting ready to go out solo when I Hobie 14 put on the beach. I asked the fellow sailing if he'd like to help me take the scooner out.

He said, "Sure, can my friends come?"

"The more the merrier," and I walked back up the beach to fetch the main and jib.

The next thing I new I had six people waiting to go out; 2 men and 4 women. We walked her out till we could get the rudder in, then piled aboard. The sails filled and we were threading our way out through the sloops anchored up just off the beach.

Seven people is not too many for the scooner. There was room for everyone, the boat moved along smartly, yet even with all of us on the weather rail (some sitting with legs outboard IRC style) the boat was still healing sharply on the puffs. I cautioned my foresailman that we were all in his hands, and more than once barked out from the 
stern "slack the fore!" as we heeled down precariously.

We pressed on, close-hauled on port tack. I was nearly ready to call "ready on the about" when it hit us. A zephyr came off the oyster spit, lifting the seven of us high into the air. I threw the till to lee, and scrambled over the rail, but it was too late. We were over. The only question now was where or not she was going to flood before we could get her upright.

When I decked the Margret Ellen, I widened the deck; partly to accommodate my jumbo sized backside, but also in the hope that she'd float dry when put on her ear. My calculations were nearly correct. Under *ideal* condition the boat floats as dry healed past ninety degrees as she does upright. But seven hapless sailors climbing and clinging to her was not ideal conditions. The cockpits began to flood and she kept going do until water started to pour into the still unhatched after locker.

We got her upright with little trouble, but someone had gone right through the mainsail which was now in tatters. Both cockpits and the aft locker were completely flooded; recovery looked unlikely. One of the other daysailors came by and took the 4 women off, leaving the men to try and get the scooner back underway. But it was no use, there was too much chop on the lake and too much water in the boat. We took down the rig and tied it up. I told my remaining crew they could swim to the weather shore, but they gallantly offered to ride the swamped hull to the leeshore ("You need someone to help bail her out.")

I won't tell you about the part where the Marine Patrol showed up; or about the argument they got in with the Coast Guard about who would or wouldn't tow us in; or the part where I swam over and asked them if they weren't going to give us a tow, could they please leave so I could be alone with my crew in our humiliation because that part of the day was, well, humiliating.

I made a hatch cover today, and it looks like it came out pretty nicely. I've still got to figure out a nifty way to dog it down. When I get that figured out, I'll make a couple more for the midships and forward lockers. Maybe even some foam under the deck (just like in the plans.) Oh yeah, I need a new mainsail too. Anyone got a sail with a 12' + foot they want to get rid of? Then it's back into the lake for more testing, but this time I'm putting eight body on the rail. Maybe that will be enough to keep her flat.

YIBB,

David

 

 

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