Maybe that topic got your attention?
My name is David Oelker. I live in Southeast Indiana, about a billion miles from anywhere worth sailing. We have hay fields and farm ponds, not exactly prime blue water opportunities. I have always liked boats and spent a lot of time in old row boats that my dad would drag home from one dump or another.
Somewhere along the line somebody gave me a copy of Maiden Voyage by Tania Abei. I couldn't put it down. You see, I have always played it safe in my life; never take very big risks, seldom stray from convention, worry constantly about meeting committments. Heck, I have never even missed a loan payment or any monthly bill for that matter...and I am sick to death of this. What a waste of the short life we are given! So when I read about this young girl taking off with a plastic sextant and fresh water tanks full of fiberglass I thought: Wow, what freedom!
Sounds crazy, I know. Later I read Tinkerbell, Dove, and a half a dozen other books about crazy people in small boats with huge hearts. These stories changed my life. I went on to other things but sailing always occupied a warm spot inside me just waiting for the right time to jump out.
A couple of years ago I first came accross the web sites with Weekender and Vacationer builder stories and pictures. I was hooked. I really want to build one of these lovely little cruizers. Problem - a little close attention shows that the web site hasn't been updated since about 2004. What gives? Are they out of business or what? I see folks on this site who are building these boats. Did they buy their plans and then let them sit in a drawer until now? Is there some unofficial second hand market for these plans?
So now I am reading other books about simple boat designs that can be built at home. I must say that most of them don't do much for me. I really don't see the sense in going to the trouble of building something that looks like a big shoe box with a bed sheet hanging from a broom stick for power. (I hope I haven't offended anyone here, I just like more classic lines, that's all)
I have rambled, I know. I have tons of questions. I admit that I have a bit of emotion attached to this "dream" of mine. I am not always completely attached to reality on this issue. Hopefully I will find some answers, guidence, and inspiration in these pages. I look forward to what lies ahead.
Thanks in advance for entertaining my ignorance.
David O.
The Hoosier Hay Sailor
Hey there, Hoosier. Welcome aboard.
First a question - How far are you from Brookville Lake? That would seem like good sailing, and is one of the places I'm planning on. I'm in Cincinnati.
From what I've seen on this board, the decision is an emotional one for all of us, so don't feel too bad about that. Common sense seems to be in short supply when a dream gets involved! I don't know if I'll like sailing, but I like the look of these boats and I love the idea of building my own boat.
It seems that the Stevenson site will be back up in a couple of weeks, so fret not.
Welcome aboard David,
Those books you were reading can really get you hooked on taking a long cruise. Tania just got back from sailing with her kids halfway around the world and her ex is taking them the rest of the way. Dove was a great book and another one you will enjoy is My Old Man and the Sea. It's about a father and son who buy a hull, turn it into a boat and sail around Cape Horn together.
The Stevenson's are getting things cranked back up and will once again be selling the plans on their website. Try to be patient, these boats are great fun to sail and fairly easy to build, plus they look great, so it's worth waiting for the plans to become available.
There's a boating event next month in NE Alabama that would be great fun for you to come to to look at boats and even take a ride aboard my Vacationer so you can see for yourself what these boats can do and check out many others. Bud will be there probably with his Pocket Cruiser. Check out the link in the SE Fleet forum for more info and in the Messabouts forum.
Good luck and I hope to see you in AL
Keith
Hello Rob. Thanks for the welcome. I live about 45 min. from Brookville. I actually live in Dillsboro, which is just west of Lawrenceburg. I am in Cinci. every day. Our office is on North Bend road.
Sorry it took a while to respond. I was doing something wrong and couldn't log in. Anyway, it seems to be fixed now
Where abouts in Cincinnati do you live? Did you know there is a guy in Covington who has a Weekender? I havn't met him but a friend of mine talked to him on the phone once.
Keith,
Glad to "meet" you. I'm glad to hear that my quest for Weekender plans might still come to light. I'm sure someone around this forum will sound the bell when they get back up and running.
I will have to look for the book you mentioned. I love these books. Right now I am reading "Red Sky in the Morning" and just finished "Black Wave". No danger of me thinking sailing is all clear water and sunshine as long as I get a steady diet of this stuff.
I would love to go to the event you mentioned. I am going to be going to Florida in the next few weeks. Maybe something will work out. I just found out I am going to be spending some time in the sunshine state. It will be great to be so near the sea. We were down there in February/March of this year. It was the first time I had ever seen the ocean - I'm serious!
hock:
Anyway, thanks again. I'm really excited to have found this group.
I'm in the heart of town, Carthage. The eastern end of North Bend Rd terminates here at I-75. If you're driving to work from Indiana I'm guessing (hoping?) you work closer to the Cheviot end. Heck of a commute at nearly $4.00 a gallon.
I had seen the Covington contact on the Stevenson's website, but figured that the site was so out of date the guy might not be involved anymore. I've don't think he's registered here, either, but I could be wrong.
If you are like me, and several others, your first question is "Where do you get marine plywood?" Locally, (well, Madiera is technically local) there is Frank Paxton Lumber. Their website lists meranti marine, but I haven't had the courage to call for a price on it. The shipping costs on other websites are a big deterent for me, and some even make you pick it up at a freight depot if you order too much. If I'm going to pick it up anyway, I may as well save the shipping. I haven't found any place else that lists it, but not every lumber yard around here has a good website either and I haven't done the phone thing. I'm waiting until spring for that part because I have no garage or other shelter to work under and I don't want it sitting out all winter.
Anyway, there's lots of useful tips, cool ideas and interesting discussions on this board and I make frequent visits to lighten my workday. Let me know when you get started and maybe we can work out some "boatsheds" and get the local fleet going again.
Welcome and don't worry about your location. I live in Montana and we don't have many lakes unless we dam up a stream and make em. I am not a Weekender or Vacationer builder. I am building the Triad. It is 12 feet over all but has a roomy cockpit, a Greek work/fishing boat look and should trailer very easily as well as give me a good sail. Pick your boat, get some plans and as a member of this forum told me once "make some sawdust".
Actually, I hadn't yet gotten to the point of trying to locate materials. But I have to admit that I wondered about the marine plywood - not exactly something you see in Home Depot.
I only go to the office maybe once a month. Usually I work from home or out of my truck (I run an industrial electric company). You're right, it is on the Cheviot side.
Have you ever seen one of these boats (Weekender) in person? I would like to go look at one because it's hard to get a good idea of size through pictures. What would be even better is if I could find someone who would take me out on their boat...
I definately plan to build one. From the posts I have read tonight it sounds like the Stevenson site will be taking orders again soon. I have the space to work on one so I really don't have much of an excuse to put it off any longer. Heck, my wife even is in on the thing. That's part of the appeal here; "sorry kids there's only room for mom and me" Maybe I'll have to build a dinghy or two :wink:
Marine plywood was very hard for me to find. I tried 3 places locally and then gave up and ordered some from Allied Vanier. You can find them online. I bought some extra as the shipping was $209 for the 6 I needed and didn't change when I doubled the order. There are many places to cut costs while boat building but the plywood is one I would not consider. When I think that all I have between me and the lake is 1/4" I want to believe it to be a good solid 1/4".
I bought some stuff called hydrotech. If I had to do it over I would order the next higher quality. The hydrotech was strong enough, (the 1/4" and 3/8" thicknesses were 5 ply and I did not find any internal voids), but the surfaces, especially on the 1/4", had a number of small spots filled with a pink bondo that I had to clean out and refill with epoxy with fillers as the pink stuff popped out when I bent the side pieces to curve around. One of the side pieces had 19 of those spots. They were more a hassle then problem but would make me consider the extra dollars that the next higher grade might cost.
Welcome aboard David
Yes the stevensons will be up and running in a couple of weeks you will love these boats they are beautiful and sail quite well.
If you get a chance to get on keiths vacationer that would be fantastic.
if you have any questions just ask and I am sure you will get plenty of replys, If I can helpya in any way to make your dream a reality I am allways here for you just msg me.
As Terry said I had trouble with finding marine ply in my area and I used Allied vaneer as well. It was pretty good I got the hydrotec and yes it does have some fill spots in it, hydrotec is also called merenti, the priceier one is acctually occume and thats about the best you can get . I know because I had to get some at one point and it is lighter and has no filled spots hydro is good though just okkume is best.
Good luck on your build and Glad to meet you. Yes it is quite an emotional thing for all of us here and the same dream as well.
Cheers.
Brian.