I thought I should say hello and introduce myself. I just started building my first boat--the Pocket Cruiser--and look forward to getting to know everyone on the forum. I spent a great deal of time sailing on a small lake when I was a boy, but I've been away from the water for several decades. Building a boat and spending time on the Chesapeake Bay has been a long deferred dream. I wanted to start with a small and relatively simple project for my first boat--but I still wanted something that could take me and (I am hoping) my 15 year old son on a few short adventures.
Right now I'm waiting for warmer Pennsylvania weather so I can glue the keel and bottom boards, which I cut during a brief warm spell a few weeks ago. I'm hoping to make some significant progress this spring and (maybe) get to a local lake before autumn. I'm sure I'll hit some roadblocks along the way, but my goals are modest and I'm mostly looking to gain some new skills and enjoy my boat, for however long it lasts.
Paul Boyer
Welcome Paul Bayer. You will enjoy the P/C and it is a big little boat. Have fun on your build and keep us posted on your progress. If you have any questions on the P/C just ask. There are several P/C builders on the board. Bud
Welcome Aboard Paul, Yes Bud said it all, If you have any questions Just fire away, we have alot of folks who have built the Pocket Cruser. If I can help in any way just give me a shout.
Keep us up on your progress and please post pictures if you can as it does inspire the rest of us.
Again welcome, and enjoy mate.
Brian.
Thanks for the greetings! Don't worry, I will have many questions
. Like many people here, I have some woodworking experience, but I am quickly learning that boats aren't anything like bookcases, kitchen cabinets, or house additions--no straight lines; no right angles. And I worry about small things, like glue and screws. Also, I have very limited experience as a sailor, so I don't always know what I am building, or why I am building it. That's why I am trying to tamp down my expectations and treat this as a learning experience. I'm sure I'll have some opinions about boats and sailing as soon as it's finished and I'm on the water. I'm already thinking about the *next* boat I want to build...
If you want to see how clueless I really am about about all this, you can visit my boat building blog:
http://buildaboat.wordpress.com/
Are there other Pocket Cruisers in the mid Atlantic region? I'd like to hear about good places to sail. I'm about an hour northwest of Philadelphia.
Thanks again
Welcome to the site Paul, its nice to have another builder out there getting started. There are a few builders out on the around Annapolis who get together from time to time. You should check out the Chessie fleet to see what they are up to and join them for a sail sometime
Keith
Welcome to the madness, dust off your moaning chair and make some sawdust.
Greg
Paul I just read your blg I love it . I noticed one thing though. switch from plastic resin glue, to epoxy. You can get it at duckworks or at rakka. I am sure someone will tune in with some where else, but there has been problems with it. I layed my keel up with it then switched over to epoxy. I wish I had known about it before, I would have used it when I layed up my keel.
Brian.
IMHO, your reasoning on your choice of adhesive, as detailed in your blog, is right on; stick with what the designer recommends and what you feel comfortable with, and you can't go wrong. Indeed, epoxy is messy, expensive and unnecessary for those of us who build boats that live on their trailers. My first two boats were built using epoxy, but if it were the only adhesive available, I probably never would have started boat three which, coincidentally, is being assembled with Titebond III. You already have the desire, motivation and glue that you need! Keep going!
Brian, If you only knew how long I debated the epoxy versus plastic resin issue! I realize that epoxy is superior, but I'm hoping that plastic resin is good enough for my first boat. I know I'll make lots of mistakes, and this might be one of them. I have heard complaints about keels separating with plastic resin, so I can't say I wasn't warned
I'm curious about your experience with Titebond III, Kurt. Pete Stevenson said it was worth considering, but I chickened out.
Ok , If you are going to stick with Plastic resin let me make a recomendation as I did use it on my keel.
Clamp your keel very tight when you glue it up, even though you use screws or ring nails. You want to make sure you squeeze out as much airspace as possable between the layers. I also used very small fender washers on both sides of the keel, and bolts smaller than the thickness of the keel.
What I did was drill holes just about the same diameter of the bolts. Maybe just a little shy of the acctual bolt as to get the threaded effect, and I did use Stainless.then I used a forsner bit to make a counter sink the size of the washer, I then coated the hole with epoxy (very wet). then I installed the bolts, washers and nuts into the goo, tightened them, then let the glue set up a bit but not dry.
Then while it was still a bit wet used thickened epoxy to fill the holes, I figure it may help it, I know there will be movement but I hope to keep it at a minimum this way.
If you dont use epoxy I am not sure what you would use to coat the hole , or fill it up as well.
This is just a suggestion, as was the idea of switching to epoxy, Just my 2 cents worth ( and Ya know what they say about oppinions ;D ).
Good luck with your build, and if I can help you in any way let me know. And keep snapping those pics.
Brian.