Hi,
I am a new member here. Not even building anything yet, but dreaming of a weekender or a Super Skipjack. Need to sort out a lot of details before I can get started, from a building space (I live in a city apartment) to buying a lot of tools, to deciding which one to go for. I have a few years of sailing experience, on older wooden boats and even an old ship. But now I want something small for myself alone. Ideally just big enough to sleep one person, or to go day sailing alone, or with one friend.
Welcome to our virtual mess-a-bout Heikki. Build the Weekender, it's just a little more work and a lot more boat. Warren ;D
Thanks for the welcome.
I had almost decided on the weekender, but then I started to look at where to build it. I live in a city apartment, but we have a few garages on our backyard that people use for storage, or for making things. I might get one in a year if I sign up now. But it only measures 2.5 by 5.1 meters, (about 15' long), so there is no room to build a weekender there.
Besides, I figure that the smaller boat, the less work and cost to build, and to maintain. So, my current plan is to what together a Super Skipjack for now, and once I see how much I like the building and sailing, maybe do a weekender afterwards, taking my time to care for the details etc. That way I can build the Skipjack quickly without fuzzing about anything, and get to sail her sooner. And if/when I upgrade, I can reuse the sails, blocks, and many other parts. By that time I will no longer be a first-time builder, and might know what I am doing. I consider the Skipjack a kind of prototype.
Heikki,
I think that you will never upgrade from a Super Skipjack to a Weekender. The difference is just something more than the cabin, you will probably look for something bigger as the Vacationer.
I think also that the problem of space remains if you choose the SuperSkipjack, because your garage is too narrow.
The theory says that you need 1 meter all around. I had less, but I used also a a cellar as workshop and as storing place.
If you find this extra space the length is not a so big problem because without the bowsprit (that is removable and anyway can be attached later) the Weekender could match inside if the door doesn't steal futher space (as happened to me), in this case you probably miss 5-15 cm therefore:
1. If the bottom wall is done with brick, take a hammer and break one, in order to make a hole to let the stem tip move inside.
2. In alternative make a hole in the door.
3. Do you really need to close completely the garage door?
4. I let my weekender obliquely inside see:
http://byyb.org/gallery/displayimage.php...=99&pos=13
If you can work with the door opened, a good working dolly permits you to move outside your hull enough to work better.
Gianluigi
Hi Gianluigi, and thanks for your comments.
(05-03-2011, 11:48 AM)Gianluigi_Iafrate link Wrote: [ -> ]I think that you will never upgrade from a Super Skipjack to a Weekender. The difference is just something more than the cabin, you will probably look for something bigger as the Vacationer.
That is possible. I have sailed bigger boats before, now I want something small! The garage will probably be the limiting factor. I know that I will get much more done if the project is just across the backyard, so I can drop by and do a little thing here and there. If I have to get to a different location, I will only go when I have time to do something serious...
Quote:I think also that the problem of space remains if you choose the SuperSkipjack, because your garage is too narrow.
The theory says that you need 1 meter all around. I had less, but I used also a a cellar as workshop and as storing place.
If you find this extra space the length is not a so big problem because without the bowsprit (that is removable and anyway can be attached later) the Weekender could match inside if the door doesn't steal futher space (as happened to me), in this case  you probably miss  5-15 cm.
When Stevenson says LOD 16' or 13'10, where exactly are they measuring? The bowsprit is obviously not included, and not the rudder, but is the curved stem, or only the deck? That may make all the difference to me. I think I need to get the drawings for both, so I can see myself.
I will work with an open door in any case, so I can make use of the backyard in front of the garage. I plan to have wheels under the project as soon as possible, so I can move it around. I only need to close the door when I am not working, to keep the project and my tools safe. And then I don't need extra space to move around in.
I have even considered shortening the clipper bow while working on the boat, and gluing the missing piece in place when I am ready to move out. After all, the keel already has a joint in the bows, a heavily loaded place. A similar joint further up and forward should be fairly harmless...
 - Heikki
P.S. Thanks for sharing your photos!
(05-03-2011, 12:55 PM)Heikki Levanto link Wrote: [ -> ]When Stevenson says LOD 16' or 13'10, where exactly are they measuring? The bowsprit is obviously not included, and not the rudder, but is the curved stem, or only the deck? That may make all the difference to me. I think I need to get the drawings for both, so I can see myself.
LOD= length over deck. In the Weekender plans, the whole deck is 15'and 9 1/2" long, then there are 21 1/2" of stem tip, for a total length of 17' and 7" (if I don't fail calculations in non metric units), that are about 5.36 m without the bowsprit; but you have to consider that the deck panel is mounted with a curve and the stem tip points upward. I remember that the horizontal projection of all this was for me about 5.05-5.10.
Gianluigi
(05-04-2011, 03:36 AM)Gianluigi_Iafrate link Wrote: [ -> ]LOD= length over deck. In the Weekender plans, the whole deck is 15'and 9 1/2" long, then there are 21 1/2" of stem tip, for a total length of 17' and 7" (if I don't fail calculations in non metric units), that are about 5.36 m without the bowsprit; but you have to consider that the deck panel is mounted with a curve and the stem tip points upward. I remember that the horizontal projection of all this was for me about 5.05-5.10.
Oh, that is very close. I would love to go and see and measure a Weekender myself, but that may be hard to arrange. The next best I can do is probably to buy both sets of drawings, and measure from them.
I still think it might be possible to shorten the stem tip while building, and glue the missing piece in place afterwards. The stem tip seems to be over 0.5m long, so that ought to get me home free...
Hello Heikki!
Jo kolmas suomalainen täällä??!!
Timo
(05-11-2011, 08:29 AM)Timo Knuuttila link Wrote: [ -> ]Jo kolmas suomalainen täällä??!!
I think it is polite to keep this in English, as most of the readers don't understand much Finnish. But yes, I am also from Finland, although I have been living in Denmark for the past few decades.
Who is the third one?