report on our W.E.

[shellback]

Since we are well into our second season with our Weekender "Boom Boom" I felt I should report.
Firstly I would like to thank the forum for all the discussion, tips and advice. For me, it made building possible as the plans leave quite a bit to be desired. But I could always come back to the old blokes who had been down the track before me, thanks again.

I am critical of the Stevenson organisation for not, at least, correcting errors in plan measurements which they are still selling.

It was my second boat and took a bit over a year to build (weekends only -  which was appropriate.) It all went smoothly but I thank the man who invented epoxy and the other bloke who came up with the battery operated screw driving drill.

The boat has stunning good looks and is a credit to the Stevensons. It is light, economic and possible to build for your average citizen, shallow draft, comes about and handles well and even has a kennell and no room for bags of "hanger ons'
I wonder about major modifications. Perhaps people who need those should seek another design. I am talking about altering hull dimensions and that type of thing. I did some mods which I regard as minor diversions from the plan but I would definitely do again as they have proved to be of benefit to me, they are as follows.

Make the lazarette, compartments behind the seat backs, the forward compartment and the drink box at the cabin entry all water tight for flotation.
Extend the mast base by 8 inches. Saves the boom bashing your loaf. Hence our name "Boom Boom'
Have reef points put into the mainsail. Makes all the difference on the gusty days.
Use jib sheets instead of a clubfoot. Saves the 9inch eyebolt through the bowsprit and gives the forrard hand more to do.
Use a tiller instead of the wheel business. It is comfortably only a two person boat and there is room for a tiller and it enables the lazarette to be sealed. I put a small hatch in the lazarette deck for access.
I weighted the rudder so that it can ride up in shallows.
Three lead blocks were inserted into holes cut into the skeg up near the mast. They each weighed about 16 lbs so about 50 lbs in total. The lead was free from tyre services, who were happy to get rid of their used tyre balance weights.
I melted them down in batches with a couple of blow torches and poured into a mould I knocked up from scrap pine. The blocks were epoxied into position.
I poured the blocks in layers as I could not keep a lot a lot of metal molten at one time.
The layers stuck together well – I roughed up the surface of each layer with a stick before it hardened

Extend the top cabin hatch back to cover the top edge of the lower hatch to keep rain out.

For the keel - Hoop Pine planks and for the hull Meranti (Pacific Maple) marine ply. All the rest mast etc was recycled Oregon  (Douglas Fir) very cheap from demo yards..

For paint, off the shelf, exterior, oil based, house paint and no primers or undercoats.
(this boats sits in a shed for 99% of it's life.)

I glassed the external hull  before fixing the gunwales/rubrails.

Glue wood blocks to the interior of the hull sides so that the rub rail can be screwed on from the outside

I did not glass the keel. interior or deck .

A four horse (a three HP would have done easy) Mercury long shaft OB requires only a simple wooden bracket and performs well. (Borrow one until you learn that you are a sailor !!)

Stainless self tapping screws, eyebolts  and fittings were used as they were not so much more expensive than galvanised.

The hull complete with rigging cost $4250 Australian dollars
The sails dacron professional  $1100
Second hand Mercury OB $900 (little used by him or us)
Trailer home made $650

We (my wife and myself)  have had many pleasant sails but we did tip her over.
Conditions were gusty and we had commenced a gybe, a gust hit and the mainsheet caught in
the OB motor at the same time. It was all over in a second.
I tried to climb up onto the keel but it was too slippery so I pulled myself up at the bow hanging on to the bowsprit and made my way back to mid hull and leaning out she popped back up. Getting back on board
was not easy for my wife so I have made a rope ladder for use in future situations. Technically she should have rolled into the cockpit as the boat went up but I had not told her about that.
When on its side it sat quite high and had we been quicker getting back up I don't think we would have taken on much water at all. As it was there was only about two inches in the cockpit and some in the cabin.
Fortunately the motor was on the high side so it did not get wet. I believe though, it's weight was causing the boat to turn completely upside down had we been in deeper water. Conversely, it's weight no doubt helped to get the boat back up. As we have become more confident we no longer take the OB motor.
It is a sail boat after all !!.
I would like instead of the OB motor to be able to row the boat, mainly around crowded wharves and moorings, will have to work on that one. Am fitting a jib furler very soon.
Thanks to you all for your help.
Bill and Sue Doherty.
Australia.

[Tim Diebert]

Wow. Five posts in all and you are done. Cool.

Nice report too. I like the embedded ballast idea.
Too bad about the knockdown, sounds like it turned out OK in the end though. Do you think that perhaps raising the center of effort that 8" might have had something to do with it? My wife has all but pleaded with me to do the same thing, but I choose not to, take the chances and keep the CE a little lower. I have been smacked a few times. (Can you tell.... )

Great name BTW.

I had always wondered what the species you guys call Oregon was...so basically Douglas Fir...but the I guess the southern hemisphere version eh?

Good advice for the rub rails too. I wish the guy that originally built my boat did it that way. Any kind of exterior rail, in my mind, should be considered sacrificial or at least prone to damage, and measures should be taken to make them removable. Putting them over the glass is also very good advice.
I intend to remove all my rails and do a proper set some day. I envision splitting them off and away, then and grinding the screws off. I am really hoping he didn't glue them on......

Have you got any pix yet? Launch day or sailing?

[Tim Diebert]

too find that the motor really gets in the way of the sheets when gybing.

Perhaps a bridge deck with a recessed traveler system with mid boom sheeting, though that introduces a new measure of headaches when beating hard on the wind and someone wants to enter the cabin.

Boy Ray....now you got me thinking. It sure would be nice to get those aft main sheet lines out of the way...and I already use a bridgedeck system. I wonder how much mechanical advantage you would have to come up with to go mid boom?I too have had the sheets foul on the outboard...many times, though it has never caused an 'incident'.

[Tim Diebert]

Just looked in my Harken book and something around like what you are describing would be this for about $100


plus this
for about $40 plus line etc would be a pricey little sustem. But it might be something worth thinking about. Once I am back on the water, it is always easier to picture the use of a system like this.

Speaking of Harken stuff.....I used this cool little swivel cleat thing for my main and now have mounted two more for jib sheets. Havn't used them yet, but the reason I got them was because last season whilst sailing solo in big wind, I found I had to luff up to get across the cockpit to get enough purchase on the sheet and to draw it aft to harden up. Man, in little boats like ours...if you don't luff up a tad and move across the boat like that, things happen really fast! (Even with light sticks and ballast)...So I thought with these units I can stay hiking out on the weather rail and still trim headsail. Cool huh?



Oh and I would like to mention that this Mauri Pro Sailing outfit (where I swiped these images) in Texas has very good prices (best I have found) and great service.