BYYB Forums

I have just finished clicking the "submit" button on my order for video set and plans, and I must say that it feels great!!!

This has been a tough decision and I have spent a great deal of time reading through old posts to help me finalize the choice. Originally I was focused on building the Vacationer. I really like the large footprint of this boat - especially since I have a wife and 5 kids. But last night I read some posts about how the Vacationer is basically twice the cost and build time of the Weekender.

Then I read the story of Anna and Wes Kisting's Pocket Cruiser that they spent their honeymoon on. This got me thinking about cabin space, since I would like to do some camping on the boat. But even though this looks like a fine boat, I am just not a big fan of the somewhat stubby-looking bow, though I could probably get used to it.

In the end I decided on the Weekender, for a number of reasons:

1. There seems to be a greater number of people who have built this boat, and there are a lot more pictures of Weekenders than any other design on the Stevenson Projects site for ideas.

2. I just like the look of this boat better than the PC

3. Even though I like the size of the Vacationer I don't like the whole "twice the cost and time to build" thing.

4. There seems to be a consensus that the Vacationer might be a handful for someone by themselves to launch.

5. Someone said in the posts that the plans for the Weekender are more complete and put together a bit better than the Vacationer. Maybe this is true, maybe it isn't, but this is my first experience at building a boat - ANY boat. I need all the advantages (real or imagined) that I can get.

So there you go. I truly hope that this doesn't turn into a multiple year project for me, as many of these builds seem to be. I have been going back and forth on this idea since a friend first showed me the picture of a Weekender back in 2003. It's time I put some real wood with the pictures in my mind. I'm probably going to have tons of questions as this goes along. I would like to take pictures of the progress and even maybe start a web site, but I have no idea how to go about this. Maybe someone out there could educate my ignorance.

By the way, I live in southeastern Indiana - about 3 miles from the Ohio river and 45 min. down river from Cincinnati. It doesn't appear that there are many builders in this neck of the woods but if there are any out there lurking about please make yourselves known. I would love to be able to see one of these boats in person.

Now I guess I just wait for the plans to arrive :

David

Congratulations and welcome to the club of builders. I know the feeling when you move from being a dreamer to a builder having started six months ago.

Congratulations, David and welcome aboard!  Don't hesitate to ask questions as you proceed.  Everyone here is great!  Good luck.

Dave

Good choice.  I made a blog while building my Weekender, if it helps, see my sig line below.

My wife and I camp cruise with ours and we have rigged a screen with a tarp cover for the cockpit to give good sitting and standing headroom in there.  We only use the cabin to sleep really, all cooking etc is under the bug netting (when needed).

Welcome to the Brotherhood David. Don't hesitate to ask any questions even if it sound like a foolish one..  Sometimes your toughest challenges have been conquered by other builders at one point or another..

(04-06-2010, 01:39 PM)Ryerson Clark link Wrote: [ -> ]...My wife and I camp cruise with ours and we have rigged a screen with a tarp cover for the cockpit to give good sitting and standing headroom in there.  We only use the cabin to sleep really, all cooking etc is under the bug netting (when needed).

Yes, I read your story and this was one of the things that convinced me to go with the Weekender. How much space do you really have in the cabin? I mean, are you all over each other when sleeping or is there enough space to keep a little distance in hot muggy weather?

Greetings! I think, personally, that you made a good choice. The Weekender remains our family favorite. They're all great, as long as they fit what you want to do and you're having fun! The aspect of camping out in any of the boats is still an improvement over a tent, I think. It'd be interesting to compare how everyone sets their boats up for camping in different climates. In the desert-y Southwest, we didn't have to worry much about bugs or rain, but now that Peter's in Texas, both are much more important considerations. Ryerson: Do you drape the netting or have you rigged a tent-like deal with spreader poles? In the pics I saw, it looked like the net was draped over the boom.

David: Have fun, and we look forward to hearing how your project progresses!

Mike

The bug netting is drapped over the boom, but we have also (on other boats) hung it from below the boom as well.  Here we are mostly a desert climate, but thunderstorms do roll through so the tarp is only rigged now and again.  The net tent makes a nice light, airy space with the boom rigged in a crutch at the stern and raised to give head room at the mast.

The cabin is roomy enough, what's wrong with sprawling all over each other ?    really though, we sleep with head to cockpit so the open hatch is over our head giving more appearance of head room and also when you sit up, you are right there to exit.  It is larger then a two man tent I think and very comfortable.  You can also carry a tent and camp ashore, but we prefer staying on the boat.

David, if you have any questions, we have been camp cruising for over 25 years and learned from the worlds best, Frank Dye.  See here: http://www.uswayfarer.org/index.php?opti...Itemid=39 
Frank has been a good friend over the years and I had the honour of actually crewing with him once.

I went home for lunch today and guess what I found sitting on the front porch? My weekender plans package arrived ;D

I ordred these plans on Tuesday and got them today - that's 3 days. Man, how's that for service.

I must say that I'm really happy with what came in that wonderful US Post priority box. I ordered the plans and video (2 DVD's actually). Of course I had to pop the DVD in the laptop and have a quick look. The short clip of the weekender sailing at the very beginning is enough to get anyone's blood pumping. A quick flip through the plans book looks like even a knucklehead like me can build this thing.

My boys and I were all set to build a smalll skiff first to get our feet wet, but keeping that resolution is going to be pretty difficult now that I have this treasure burning a hole in the top of the work bench.

I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. If this is what a mid-life crisis feels like then count me in.

Thanks Stevensons'