Louisiana Ketch / Randy's Ketch

Sailing Sardis Lake

2011-09-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

September 3, 2011 over the Labor Day Weekend carried the boat to North Mississippi. Hurricane Irene sent good winds ahead of her that made Saturday a good day. The rest of the weekend Irene was too much to handle. Pictured here are my sister and daughter and son-in-law. Good winds, beautiful day, beautiful lake. I have been grounded all summer due to an injury that took surgery on my arm. This was the first time I was able to go back to the lake. We sailed about 3 hours.

6th Sailing, 9/25/10

2010-09-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Miracles happen! Margaret actually asked me if I wanted to go sailing? Needless to say I jumped at the offer and we took out to Lake Claiborne for a couple hours. We put in around noon and left the lake after 2 p.m. The winds were moderate for a awhile then died altogether. The winds were constant for about an hour so we were able to sail pretty far. We put in at the public landing and made it all the way to the dam area close to the state park. According to my GPS we averaged 2.5 mph with a high of 9 mph. It still gets hot during the afternoon but we are being promised a major cooling off in the weather this week. Margaret actually got into sailing holding the sheets and using the tiller. I keep telling her we are going to add the tent and go boat camping for the weekend to Lake Quichita... she keeps giving be the "read my lips" rouitine saying something like if our trip doesn't come with indoor plumbing, AC, and maid service, forget it!

Sailing Cross lake (5th Sailing) 9/17/2010

2010-09-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

The motor was up for about 20 minutes,
the rest of the time we needed it.

Behind Larry you can see some of the beautiful
sites of Cross Lake.

We put the boat in at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Bossier (9/17/2010) for a couple of hours today. Larry Jernigan was brave enough to go with me again, his second sailing trip with me. Very little wind for most of the time, got in about 20 minutes of actual sailing, the rest was motoring around the lake. I am so thankful for my little 6 hp Yamaha. It really pushes the boat along nicely. The wind did come up for a few minutes and we were able to work on sail power alone. The winds weren't strong but the Wind Ketcher caught the wind and did well.
The heat was unbearable! These 100 plus temp days at the beginning of Fall is horrible. It takes the fun out of sailing in a hurry.
Every time I go out, I learn something new about sailing, rigging the boat, etc. I guess these low wind days are good training for me before we get some of the October gusts.

September 4th, 2010, Sardis Lake, Mississippi

2010-09-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

My great niece

Showing off my boat to my nephew

Well, Wind Ketcher has been out 4 times since she took to the water. The best sailing experience was over Labor Day Weekend. I'm finally getting a feel for sailing. My daughter and her husband and my sister went out with us on Sardis Lake in North Mississippi. We sailed over 2 hours. The wind started very slow but finally started blowing. The boat handled really well in the stronger winds. We were able to plane out and she really moved over the water. Bethany and Brenda got out of the boat to swim. I had to make about four passes before we got them picked up. With the stronger winds the boat was very maneuverable. I surprised myself with the ease it took to come back to the same place in the water several times with nothing but sail for power. Now I'm looking for stronger winds. It definitely becomes fun when I can "ketch" a strong wind.

August 20, 2010, Second Sailing...

2010-08-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Downs

Larry Jernigan

O.K. I'm learning to sail. My first time out I totally rigged the boat wrong, main and mizzen masts were interchanged, but she still sailed. My little motor quit. The center mast step, mizzen, cracked from a strong gust of wind. But it wasn't a complete break so we didn't have any trouble. I'm going to beef up the mast step to keep that from happening again. And, I didn't check the centerboard as I should have, it wasn't all the way down so we couldn't cut into the wind. But, it didn't take long to figure all that out and we ended up sailing for a couple of hours. The boat handled well and really moved when the wind blew. I've got a lot to learn, but the sailing trip was fun.

Larry and Jimmy joined me on this trip. They have absolutely no experience either, so at times we were rather comical. Oh, I never made it back to where we put in, I had to hitch a ride back from a nice older couple. We traveled so far down wind that by the time we decided to head back it would have taken too long to sail so we put in at the Claiborne State Park and I caught my ride back to the public landing. Also complicating the return was my little motor. I've decided a different motor is needed. The little 2 hp couldn't do much against the wind, and the gusts were coming directly from where we had put in and I just couldn't figure a way around due to the narrow channel. The motor just quit on me so I'm going to get it checked out, but I've got a lead on a good 6hp that may be better.

I'm learning... tips and advice appreciated!

August 13, 2010, 215.5 hours, 62 Days

2010-08-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Official LA ID Number for the Wind Ketcher

Well, she is official. Two Louisiana Fish and Wild Life agents came by Friday to inspect the boat. They gave me the official ID number.
Before they arrived I installed the Boston Bailer. A little bit of water leaked into the boat on her maiden voyage, so I needed a way to get the water out! The good news, the boat's sealed compartments did not leak at all. The only leaks seem to be coming from the rudder area, an easy fix. I will be putting the letters and name on the boat this next week. She will be called the Wind Ketcher. Hope to catch a lot of wind with my little ketch. I'm still looking for volunteers ready to go out and learn to sail with me...

August 12, 2010, Maiden Voyage!

2010-08-13T07:53:00.001-07:00

The maiden voyage was a success. The sky stayed above and the water below. Light wind, so we had to use the motor when it was time to come in. The little 2.5 horsepower motor worked ok. It pushed us along about 4 mph, not going to win a race, but it will get you in. The wind was about 3-5 miles an hour so we didn't race about, but everything worked. She handles well and all in all I'm very excited about my new toy.

Loy and Deborah joined us for the outing. We ended up at Port-Au-Prince Fish house on the lake. Enjoyable dinner to celebrate. I can say one thing, Loy is an excellent boat builder and I enjoyed learning about boat building form him. Now, if I can just learn to sail...

213.5 Hours, 61 Days, August 9, 2010

2010-08-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Mount for carrying masts during transport.

I have the tiller in hand, ready to sail.

Sprits are in place, sails are flying, the boat actually was trying to move in the wind.

Notice the hull number from the designer on the sail. This is design number 240 from B&B Designs.

August 6 and August 9 we got together after work to complete rigging the boat. We installed the hardware and actually rigged out the boat. I also finished the mounts used to carry the masts during transport. We had to trim the centerboard and tweak it just a little so it would fall freely. Thursday Loy and I plan on taking a vacation day to put the boat in the water at lake Claiborne. We've been at it for a little over a year and are excited about testing it out.

202.5 hours, 59 Days, July 30, 2010

2010-08-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today we completed the floor boards and mounted them, assembled and mounted the rudder, and made a couple trips to the hardware store for present and future supplies. As you can see, the boat is nearly finished. WE still need to attach hardware for the sails, the Boston Bailer, a few more items, but we are definitely close. The only problems, we are now hitting 106 degree days! We are working outside a lot of the time. Early morning is the only comfortable time. It's nearly too hot to even go on the water. Hope it cools off soon so we can make the maiden voyage without having a heat stroke.

198 Hours, 58 Days, July 23

2010-07-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Rudder and floor boards ...

Jimmy Downs above, Larry Jernigan and
Dennis Higgenbotham below...

Today my three friends who helped earlier in the year returned to help us pick up the boat and place it on the trailer. After these guys left, Loy and worked another 5 hours working on mast holes (they were too small and had to be enlarged), masts, sprits, fabricated the floor boards from cedar, and painted and worked on the rudder assembly. We are nearly there!

July 17, 2010, 192 hours, 57 days, (now 1 year and counting )

2010-07-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

We are now entering into our second year... we really thought we would have been done before now, but just being able to get together 3 hours or so a week, you can only get so much done. Today we worked on masts, sprits, rudder, front hatch, and the center board cover. Same old stuff... varnishing, sanding, painting. This stage is going slow due to the several coats of varnish that has to be applied, sanded, and applied again. We are making progress.

The sail-sprits are made of spruce lumber. We had to rip a 10 foot board, and then shape it into somewhat of a rounder form. The spruce is really light and pretty wood. We re-sanded the mast joints, and reapplied fiberglass. I painted the rudder assembly, but this will have to be re-sanded and repainted. The paint didn't apply properly. The centerboard cover will need several more coats of varnish. Our plans are to start working on the bunk-floor boards, and to continue rudder assembly and other hardware assembly. The front hatch is complete with hardware and looks good.

186 Hours, 56 Days, July 10, 2011

2010-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

We have spent several days off and on varnishing center board cover, centerboard-mast bench, rub-rails, hatch, mast spars. We have finished the front hatch, mast-bench, center-board cover, rub-rails, and rudder. We now need to assemble the rudder, center-board cover. We have installed the rub-rails.

176.5 Hours, 53 Days, June 25, 26, 29, 2010

2010-06-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Today , June 25, we worked on the rudder. We have begun shaping it using sanders. We also fashioned molding for the front hatch. We did a little more sanding and gluing of the rub-rails. We also put on the 7th and final coat of varnish on the decking.

Today June 25 and also on June 29th, we smoothed out the rub-rails, applied varnish to rub-rails, front hatch, and also cut out a slot for the motor. We also varnished and worked on the spars, mast center bench, and studied our plans for the rudder assembly. We will put on about 7 coats of varnish, so this will take a few days or putting on, sanding, and putting on another coat of varnish.

168 Hours, 50 Days, June 11, 2010

2010-06-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple weeks since we've been able to get together to work on the boat. Today we put in a long day, started at 9am finished around 5pm. We shaped the spars, painted interior with the final coat, varnished the deck, built the front hatch, installed 4 hatches in the bench area, scarfed the rub-rails and glued together.
The spars took a lot of time. We basically took a couple flat boards that we had previously glued together and then had to round them out so that they looked like a big baseball bat. We did this in the sun, very hot. The spars will be inserted into the top of the masts.
The four hatches installed easily. The paint and varnish went quickly. The first coat of varnish really made the boat look good. We will need several more coats of varnish. We did finish the painting... one thing done!
The front hatch is partially finished. We glued on the cover, clamped together, and then had to use bronze nails to keep the cover together with the frame. We will need to place molding around the hatch and varnish it next time we get together.

160.5 Hours, 49 Days, May 18,21,22 2010

2010-05-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

We got together May 18, 2010 for a couple hours after work. We bought Mahagony boards for the rub-rails. We sanded the hull where epoxy had dripped on the hull. We got back together on the 21st to complete the sanding and then primed the interior. We put another coat of paint on the hull. On May 22 I painted the interior with the first coat of paint, it will need one more. We fiberglassed the back seat area, and Loy continued working on the front hatch. Loy also put together a scarfing board to guide the cuts for the rub-rail splices we will need to make later. We will have to take off a couple of weeks. I have 120 volunteers going to OK to help build a church that was destroyed last year by a tornado. I talked with B&B supplies, sails are in and they received my hardware order, We should have everything we need to complete the work when we get back together the second week of June.

152.5 Hours, 46 Days, Glassed decking, May 13

2010-05-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today we got together after work to put in a couple of hours. We cut out the cloth, lined the deck with it, and applied epoxy. Additional coats will be needed. We will try to get together Tuesday afternoon to apply additional coats of epoxy.

150.5 Hours, 45 Days, May 10, 2010

2010-05-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

I had a meeting in Ruston tonight so I was able to drop by Loy's after work to put on a second coat of stain. We mainly had to even out the covering of stain to make the wood more consistent. We were able to stain the coning as well. I also dabbed on a little primer in the inside preparing for a final painting in the future. Thursday afternoon we should finally get around to glassing the deck and coning.

149 Hours, 44 Days, Coning, May 8, 2010

2010-05-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today we cut out and installed the coning on the decking. We had to rip three inch wide strips of plywood. The pieces for the front curved area had to be soaked in boiling water so that we could bend them without breaking. We used copper nails and then mixed epoxy and mahogany saw dust to seal spaces.

144 Hours, 43 Days, Stained deck, cut out back bench cover

2010-05-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Downs joined us again today. He helped us cut out the back bench-storage door cover. He also helped us stain the decking. We used Minwax gel Mahogany stain. It really looks good.

141 Hours, 42 Days, May 1, 2010, Decking and Hatches

2010-05-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

42 days and 141 hours later we framed the front hatch and cut out and installed the side decking. We used a laminate saw to cut out the decking. We still need to fiberglass the decking area, that's on the docket for Friday. Looks like June may be the date for the maiden voyage.

136.5 hours, 41 days, April 23, 2010, decking...

2010-04-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today Jimmy Downs joined us to help in the decking. We cut out and nailed on the front decking using bronze nails. We also completed the framing for the side decking. We also began work on the back bench/storage area where the motor will be kept during transport (basic framing). The front decking looks good, we are considering finishing it with a natural look. We will come back Friday to lay on cloth and epoxy the front deck and continue working on the side decks and back storage area.

132.5 hours, 40 days of work,, framing deck, hatches

2010-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Today we got together from 2:30 til 7:30 to work on the interior of the boat. We had to sand the interior again, we had glassed the seats last week. We cut out the hatch openings. We also cut out framing for one of the side decks and installed the support and long framing piece. We will be back at it tomorrow to spend a few hours in the morning. I've got a couple of friends that will be joining us that are particularly good at finish work. We hope to do a lot of work on the decking tomorrow.

127.5 hours, 39 days of work, glassed interior, April 16, 2010

2010-04-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today we worked 3 hours. We took time to look over the plans to decide what hardware needs to be ordered. We then sanded and glassed the interior and painted on epoxy. We will need to come back next week to sand and paint on one more coat of epoxy. Here are a few pictures...

124.5 hours, 38 days, April 10, 2010, . . .

2010-04-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

Worked on the seats today. The front floor and seats were trimmed to fit, fitted, sealed with epoxy and glass taped. We also installed the center board, cut the center mast hole, fitted the mast step, and we even pounded a few more times on the mast, only lack about an inch before it is totally set. I am beginning to see an end in sight.

120.5 hours, 37 days of work, masts, paint, center board

2010-04-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today we spent 7 hours. We painted the interior, bored the holes for the centerboard, cut out and bought hardware for the centerboard hinge, and attached masts sections together. We ran into a problem, the mast sections are very tight, to the point that we spent a couple of hours pounding the two sections together with a sledge hammer, still have an hour or so to go. We got a little smarter on the second mast, we sanded down the inserted mast a little making it possible to slide it together must easier. We were able to stand it on end, pound it on a wood board, and it slid together o.k. Tomorrow we will work on the first mast sections again, hard grunt work, pounding them together with a sledge hammer. We also were able to put on the first coat of paint on the interior. I purchased latex outside paint, matched the color to my new hatches, and painted interior areas. Tomorrow we will complete the mast, install the bench tops, and hopefully install the hatches. I am awaiting my sails, still need to order hardware, but we are finally seeing an end. I believe we will be on target for a May sailing.

113.5 hours, 36 days, set mast, cut out benches, 3/26/10

2010-03-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

Loy finished framing out the front deck one afternoon. He spent a couple hours.
Today we set the front mast, (set angle, bored holes for front and middle mast area, epoxied into place). We also cut out benches and interior areas. I also painted one side of the center board. We were able to get a lot done today (about 5 hours work). Looks like things will go faster now.
My hatches came in today. I ordered these from Bass Pro Store. Loy will prime the interior this week. We will be able to install the hatches after Easter. We will complete the second mast step, then start on the third mast mount next time.

3/17/10, 106.5 hours of work, 34 days we've met to work...

2010-03-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

We've been able to get together for a grand total of 34 days since July 09 for a total of 106.5 hours. It seems our schedule never allows us to get in a full day's work.
Today a friend, Jimmy Downs, joined us. He is a pretty good carpenter. With his help we were able to do some more front deck framing. We should be ready to work on the front hatch. We also cut a curved piece for the interior framing that goes behind the front buck head. We also re-epoxied the centerboard, we had to strip it a while back and sand it down slightly since it was fitting to snugly in the centerboard trunk.
We are still believing we will make the maiden voyage sometime in May.

103.5 hours over 33 days, 3/12/10, decking...

2010-03-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

103.5 hours divided by 33 days means we usually get about 3 hours work per work day. We've now been at it since July 09, about 8 months. Yesterday, Thursday 3/11/10 we took an hour to put on final paint coat over the hull. Today, Friday 3/12/10, we spent 3 hours work. We went over plans, got help to flip boat over so we could get to the interior again. We balanced and leveled the boat then began work on the front deck. We worked on the mast step and also ripped a couple of braces for the front deck. We epoxied these and left to dry. Hopefully Saturday week we can get back together to finish the front decking area. It looks like the interior work will be slow... a lot of precise cuts, shaping of joints, etc.

99.5 hours, 31 days, Painting, March 5 and 6

2010-03-07T12:34:00.000-08:00

Friday we spent 5 hours painting first coat, sanding, painting second coat, spars cut and epoxied together, and sheath for mast made with fibreglass, cranked and inspected new motor. Saturday we got back together and sanded and put on third coat. A very productive 2 days work. Saturday my wife Margaret came by and said, "it looks like a boat!" I think we've passed the first inspection. Next up... another coat of paint, flip the boat over, start on interior.

92.5 hours, 29 days, Priming Hull, February 19, 2010

2010-02-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

Today we primed the hull using Bullseye Latex Primer. We were expecting to do more, but Loy had to perform a funeral and we both have a Disaster Relief Meeting to attend later at Loy's Church.
Next week is the big wedding, my daughter is getting married in New Orleans, so we definitely won't be working next week. I did purchase the paint in New Orleans last week so we will be ready to put on the top coat once we return to work in a couple of weeks.
Once we paint, we will be ready to turn the boat back over and to finish the interior. Today we ordered sails and masts. We are told it may take 6 weeks or longer to get the sails. The mast material should be in next week. I am also ordering a small 2 hp outboard from a PCC Motors in California. The motor should be in within two weeks.
All in all, things are still going fairly smoothly. We've done a lot considering it has taken us 7 months time to produce the 29 days we've gotten together to do the 92.5 hours work.

90 hours, 28 days, Feb 5, 2010

2010-02-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

January 29, we worked on the centerboard, got a couple of college guys to help us flip the boat over, then worked to fair the boat using fairing compound. Loy is pictured here putting on fairing compound. Worked about 5 hours.
Today, Feb 5, a week later, Jimmy Downs, a motorcycle riding buddy joined us. We sanded and finished the hull getting it ready to be primed. We put in about 4 hours. Next Friday morning the plans are to prime the hull. I'm going to New Orleans next Friday afternoon. I will purchase marine paint there so we can finish painting.

Jan 23, 2010, 81 hours and 26 days into it...

2010-01-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

Today we spent a couple of hours finishing the installation of the center board trunk. We removed the braces and were pleased to see how firm and strong it was. Once the final braces are in place it will be substantial.
We found a good place for Loy... the forward buckhead area should be the perfect fit...

79 hours 25 actual days Jan 22, 2010

2010-01-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

Today we spent 4 hours cutting out the slot in the bottom of the boat and installing the center board trunk. We had to stabilize the trunk with braces, make sure all was plumb, then use epoxy and fibreglass tape to fix the center board truck to the bottom. We will need to come back tomorrow to finish up this project after the epoxy cures overnight.

75 hours and 24 days of actual work...

2010-01-15T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today we spent 2.5 hours working on the center board. We sanded and placed another coat of epoxy on the center board. We also built the center board trunk, painted epoxy on the inside of the trunk, and set aside to dry. Too little time to work on the boat, between work, wedding plans, etc. we are only able to get together a few hours here and there to work. Hopefully we can put a little more time in the future.

72.5 hours and about 23 days December 11, 09

2009-12-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

Publish Post

Today we had only a couple hours to work. We cut out the parts for the center board, epoxied them to together, and set aside to dry. That's it! Now we will have about a three week break due to holidays unless we can squeeze in a few hours during the week.

71 hours and 22 days into the project Dec 4, 09

2009-12-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Today was a short day. I have our big ministers and wives Christmas dinner tonight... about 100 of us will get together at Harris Camp for fellowship and fun... a comedian from Dallas in coming in to help us laugh a little. Al Fike, a guy I went to seminary with back in the day, is doing the entertainment.
Today we placed hull bracing on the inside to strengthen the hull. We also braced the front buckhead. We placed the u-bolt on the front for the tie town to the trailer. We also sanded down some of the high spots on the seat braces. The inside work is slow, little difference can be seen in the pictures. The next few weeks will be filled with holiday events so we aren't sure how much we will get done.

68.5 hours 21 days ... Nov. 20, 2009

2009-11-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

Today was a long day. We cut out and installed the base to the seats. These are water tight boxes that work as flotation boxes if the boat turned over. We had to scribe the panels since the floor is uneven, then cut out the tape and epoxied the pieces together. It took us about 6.5 hours. You can begin to see how the interior will look. We will need to put on another coat of epoxy, paint the interior, build the seat tops, and build hull braces... still a lot to do. We will then cut out the center board and install it.

62 hours and 20 days into the project... Nov 13, 2009

2009-11-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

After a long break due to family activities (wedding for Loy's daughter and wedding planning for mine) and work activities such as conventions, festivals, etc, we finally were able to return to boat building. We were able to get a lot done. We cut and installed the keel on the bottom and then turned the boat over to work on the inside. On the inside we built and installed the mast step, cut and installed the stringers for the seats, and installed the aft buck-head. We could actually see progress which was a good feeling.

54.5 hours into the project

2009-10-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

More of the same, epoxy on epoxy off... We spent 2 hours sanding the hull. Areas where the epoxy was uneven had to be sanded smooth. The boat hull is looking good. We will need to do a little more sanding and then be ready to finish the hull surface with a fairing compound so everything is smooth and ready for paint. We are taking off a couple weeks... Loy's daughter is getting married and my own daughter is moving getting ready for marriage herself. The boat is good therapy for both of us.

51 hours into the project... Sep 25, 2009

2009-09-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

One more sanding was done this week on the outside bottom of the boat. Today, September 25, Dennis Higginbotham joined Loy and me to sheath the bottom of the boat. Took us a little over 2 hours. We laid out cloth over the bottom of the baot and painted it liberally with epoxy. Tomorrow we will paint on another layer of epoxy, takes about 1/2 hour. No pictures of today's work, the boat basically looks the same.

47.5 hours into the project...September 18, 2009

2009-09-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

We are now 47.5 hours scattered over 14 different days of work on the boat. Loy spent an hour Thursday night sanding our last fillers placed in misc. gaps, holes, and seams that we had epoxied. Today he and I spent two hours: sanded joints again, then taped outside joints with fiber-glass, painted epoxy over entire boat bottom... it won't leak, ever! Even though it is now water tight and could be finished as is we will come back next week to fiber-glass the entire bottom, overkill, but we both feel the extra protection will be worth it.
Here are pictures of today's work...

44.5 hours into the project, September 15, 2009

2009-09-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

44.5 hours scattered over 12 different days, now around September 15, 2009, seams are sealed, bracing pieces are installed, sanding and glassing has begun. This boat could float right now and probably not a single leak could be found. We turned the boat over and are now working on the bottom. A lot of sanding, glassing, and painting await us. But definitely we are building a boat. I believe she will be sailing by Spring.

26 hours into the project...

2009-09-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Thank God for good friends! Larry Jernigan and Dennis Higginbotham helped us lift the boat on the cradle and unfold and complete the copper wire ties that holds the edges together.
Yes, it was finally beginning to look like a boat. In just 2 hours with these guys help the basic frame was together and ready for transom and support pieces and ready for glassing and tape to reinforce seams.
Before the friends arrived to help out, Loy had redone the basic seams and retied the broken copper wires.
Yes, a boat is in the making and my friends and family may have to rethink their position that I'm off my rocker!

24 hours into the project... around August 8th

2009-09-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

24 hours scattered over 6 different days and it was beginning to look a little like a boat. The seams were taped, copper wire tied the pieces together... things were looking good.

But when it came time to unfold the boat, Loy and I had more than we could handle. The boat is 17 feet long, seams are taped and glued to tie the various pieces together, copper wire holds the edges together... a lot of pressure was placed on all of these joints when we tried to unfold the boat and reposition it so we could do further work. Seams and wires broke and we realized we needed a couple more hands to manage unfolding and picking up the boat. Just a little bit discouraged at this point and was wondering if my family and friends were correct, maybe I am off my rocker.
We decided to build a cradle for the boat, and to ask a couple friends to add some support and lifting aid and scheduled another day to rewire, re-tape, and re-glue.

20 hours later... end of July 09

2009-09-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Loy and I got together 4 different days to lay out the materials, go over the plans, and to make the initial cuts. As you can see, Loy says here is what needs to be done, cut here, epoxy there, tape and epoxy that... and I do it. The plans are easy for Loy... not so easy for me. It took us 20 hours of work and planning to get the basic cuts and to tape the major joints and seams. Since both of us work... day offs and afternoons are the only times available. It does help that Loy's LSU decorated shop is plenty big, air conditioned, and at the back steps of his house where food, iced tea, and all the essentials are located.
Randy has the LSU cap on... Loy is in the sailer hat... he's got it in his blood.

Building a Core Sound 17

2009-09-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'm building a sail boat! This blog is for family and friends who feel I'm off my rocker and need visible proof of that fact.

Work began following the July 4th weekend on my Core Sound 17, with Loy Seal, the lead builder, pictured here, and myself, Randy Hales, helper's mate.
History: I've always loved the water. While out on the water enjoying motor boats, kayaks, scuba diving etc, I've always watched that guy in the sail boat and wondered what that would be like. For the past couple of years I've been looking on the internet at sail boat adds, looking for a sail boat I could purchase so I could experience sailing. During that time I found out Loy did boat building as a hobby and had built several small boats over the past several years. Over many conversations Loy suggested that he would help me build my boat so I could experience sailing from the ground up, so to speak.
THE BEGINNING: Picking out my boat design. Loy had several designs he had purchased, the guy gets bored, goes to his cabinet, and can pull out boat designs from anything from canoes to battleships, I did say he built boats for a hobby.
Loy showed me several designs, but the Core Sound 17 caught my eye. A few reasons why... It can be easily pulled on a trailer, good for someone like me living in the middle of town. The Core Sound 17 is fairly fast but also fairly stable, good for someone like me just learning. It is also fairly roomy, with a payload of 1000 lbs. All in all, it seems to fit what I want to do which is sail the big inland lakes of Arkansas and Louisiana. It can even be equipped as boat camper on the water... my wife says dream on!
The boat uses a stitch and glue system. B&B Builders is the designer. The boat will be rigged as a Cat Ketch, which to my understanding means you've got a couple masts in a specific configuration on the boat... I'm learning ... the basics are advanced to me right now!
The following pictures and blogs will give an overview of my journey in building my own sailboat. My family and friends think I'm nutty for trying this... one thing you need to know, I am not a carpenter, builder, or particular gifted in tools of any kind, and my family knows this. I am having trouble getting a crew together that wants to ship with me for this very reason.