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After doing some additional modifications including whipping up a better rudder assembly and daggerboard I took Little Gem out to the lake for a perfect day of sailing. Despite moving the mast 16" forward and switching from a sloop lug rig to a cat gaff rig, the balance ended up being perfect! I can sail close to the wind and release the tiller and the boat keeps tracking straight! The speed of the boat hasn't changed. Before the modifications I sailed even with a sunfish despite the sunfish being 2' longer than Little Gem. After the modification, yesterday, I kept up with another sunfish. Only way the sunfish pulled ahead was by using its higher initial accelleration when a gust hit. A beamy hull takes a little longer to get going fast and doesn't coast as long.

I still have a list of work to do however. The biggest item is building a new thicker mast since I noticed significant bending of my current mast in the 5-8mph wind. I am going shroudless since the beam of the hull isn't wide enough where the mast is located and shrouds add complication. I am thining about building a birdsmouth mast and eliminating the tabernacle for greater strength. The other major mod whill be building a two bow dodger to convert the front part of the cockpit into a cloth cabin complete with laced in canvass berth. I am having fun with this little boat! Can't wait until the next SouthEast fleet even to show her off. To see more pictures and descriptions go to my 4 page gallery at bateau.com: http://forums.bateau2.com/gallery/thumbn...419&page=3

that is a fine looking boat scott, who are the plans by?

also im or email me your new address so i can get the CD with all the pictures from the BEER to you.

thanks, Bill

The original plans were for the C12 from bateau.com ( http://www.bateau.com/studyplans/C12_stu...2?prod=C12 ). Of course, I have modified the boat so much that the only resemblance it has to the plan is the shape of the hull. It is a good shape that gets up on plane fairly easy. The V shaped hull is like having a shock absorber in motorboat chop and waves. It also helps the boat track with a much smaller skeg than is needed on a flat-bottomed boat. The downside is less initial stability though I can still easily stand up and walk around which is good for a 12' boat.

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You're gonna have to change the name of that little boat of yours now, it looks like you've changed everything else! She looks great. I love the gaff and the combing. Ed and I were thinking about getting out on lake hartwell again soon, maybe a week or 2. See if you can make it up there with us. There's an island nearby that you can camp on if you cant get a site at the park. We should someday take it over with a large group instead regular site camping. The ranger tells me folks camp there often and head back to shore very quickly leaving all their stuff when a storm blows up. He cleans up after them and rakes in the loot. We really like it up there because they treat us very well whenever we're around. Let me know if you can get there with us and we'll make plans to go

Keith

Next weekend I will be at a conference in Orlando. Gotta pack my mickey ears! Weekend after next is a possiblity. If I can lace in my canvas berth by then I can put a boomtent in place and sleep on the boat. Before October I want to have my dodger in place which will create a nice cabin area for overnighting. Here are some sketches I came up with along with the dimensions. I will only have 28" above the berth but that is enough not to feel clastrophobic. I also plan on having the aft part of the berth laced to a framework so I can raise it like an outdoor loungechair for comfort.

The first sketch shows dimensions of the framework and cloth cover. The other two shows what it would look like on the boat. The ovals are closable windows with bug screen. I might also put some plastic in the flaps so I can see out if it is raining. The aft portion of the dodger would have a large flap to cover it again with a bug-screen window for ventilation. Finally, with a support leg under the forward support I could fold the cover and still have a sizable sprayshield if I needed it. Let me know what you think.

Scott Diamond in the rough looks great. Did you ever check any more on the Glen-L messabout at Gunterville lake? Please post there forum web site again. There Messabout is going to be Oct. 27-28 as I understand and I would like to attend. Bud.

That is beginning to look pretty good Scott. Bud you need to hitch up for the SW Fleet messabout this fall. DOn't know where it is yet but Bill says he has ordered me a hat already.

Here's the link to the glen l site Bud http://www.glen-l.com/gathering/the-gathering.html

I'm planning to attend and I was in the chat room with Karl and he was thinking of coming down for it as well. It' looks like it will be a great event.

Scott your boat is looking great and I think that canvas will give you the smallest yacht on the water. I look forward to seeing it up close again. All you need now is a topmast and a 15' bowsprit and you'll be running circles around Craig once again.

Keith

Arr, and thats what he's up to, the lubber. :lol:

Posted the link for the Glen-L meeting on the main BYYB page to see if we can drum up some more interest. I definitely plan on crashing the event and am determined to sleep on the boat though I may come to regret it. Gives me motivation to get all the canvass work done.

Thanks for all of the compliments on Little Gem. I have had a lot of fun beautifying her and am looking forward to tomorrow when I plan on picking up some sitka spruce for a new mainmast.