Recent content by Boatman53

Very sharp looking. I would use just the main on the maiden voyage, one less line to have to manage. Looking forward to hearing about the first sail. Jim

You could add diagonal lines to loops bonded to the hull, the mast step is the weakest link in the whole system. In my big boat work I’ve seen more than a couple rig failures due to the step giving way somehow. Jim

Yes all manner of purpose made lights are still available and much better than the old days. Search ‘dingy running lights’ and you can find what suits you. Jim

Yes Nick I’ve kerf cut many tight bends but I broke the ones I was working on before I thought of using that method. Fortunately I live in a boatbuilding area and finding Sitka Spruce is not that difficult. I actually have some on hand but it isn’t long enough. One of the boats that need them is...

Good luck, I’ll be following along, you have the right plan it sounds like. Jim

I’ve tried Sitka spruce for inwales on an Old Town OTCA and even with steam could not get them to take the bend at the ends, they broke on me. Have you had luck with that wood before? Its stiffness is what it is known for hence musical instrument bracing and masts and spars. Jim

Thanks Robin. Jim

I wonder if he has any spruce rails. I need two pairs of inwales. Jim

Use it! I have a seat I did an emergency repair with tubular nylon webbing more than twenty years ago. It’s a little faded now but otherwise fine. The cane had torn and I needed the boat in the water working in the afternoon, I had the webbing so I wrapped it up and went to work. Even this past...

Beautiful boat. Jim

Interesting setup with the dagger board. The advantage with a pivoting board is it it starts to get shallow it will just get pushed up out of the way. Even you you have found the best location a pivoting board can fine tune the lateral resistance to best location for that point of sail. How did...

A sail rig with a jib, nice. Just an observation, you might want to move those stays aft of the mast a bit. They are fine side to side but they do nothing to keep the mast falling forward. What is the mast step and how secure is it? You are in for some fun. Jim

Thanks for that report. You hit a lot of your goals. Jim

Hate to admit it but it’s coming for all of us eventually. Keep doing what you can and keep your spirits up. Jim

Trying to distract from the fires ravaging my favorite canoe country I was thinking about a couple of other posts dealing with weighted anchors and rudders, and got me thinking about sea anchors and drogues. Any boat going in the ocean should have them and I had a sea anchor on my 32’ boat. A...