02-02-2015, 08:58 PM
Greetings fellow BYYBers. New builder here. Just started my Skipjack build this weekend. First layer of keel is rough cut. I'll start a separate build thread for that though.
I got on to this site through Stevenson Projects, after coming to the conclusion (after much research and searching for a suitable sailboat to just buy) that any production sailboat in my budget would be 40 years old, worn out junk. Also, moorage in this area is obscenely expensive and hard to come by. Trailering a ballasted sailboat with a compact car is a non-starter, and even if I did have a suitable tow vehicle, most decent-quality trailerable sailboats, like a Cal 20 or Cape Dory Typhoon would require a hoist to launch and be a time-consuming hassle to rig and de-rig. Which of course means the boat would rarely leave its parking stall.
So I thought, why not just build a small, lightweight boat that can be ramp launched and quickly rigged. Then I'd have something brand new and that I can fit under cover in my own garage, rather than old junk left out in the rain.
I looked at Hartleys, and Glen-Ls and Clark Craft and several other plans sellers. But there's just something about the Stevenson designs that I find compelling. And cool-looking. And the fact that they sit low on a trailer without need of a dagger board or swing keel helps too.
But, you may ask, if I had been looking at small production cruisers with cabins, why choose the Skipjack, rather than the Weekender, Vacationer or Pocket Cruiser? Well, I'm glad you asked, so I'll tell you.
If you've ever tried to wedge yourself into the cabin of a Cal 20 or other similar small cruiser, you probably already have an inkling. I just figured that if a Cal 20 (or similar) felt cramped inside the cabin, that a Weekender or Vacationer would feel more so. Plus their cockpits are small as well, so the cramped feeling would probably be felt on deck as well. But the Skipjack has the largest cockpit of all the Stevenson designs. And since I'm primarily after a boat for learning to sail, I figured the Skipjack would suit the purpose just as well, and maybe better.
For one thing, all the rigging is accessible from the cockpit itself, except perhaps to remove the jib from the bowsprit. And if you have a complement of four adult crew, all four can sit in the windward bench, assisting with balance.
There are several other reasons but the last one I'll mention here is that I'd like to be sailing by June, and the Skipjack appears to be the fastest and maybe cheapest to build of the four micro yachts listed on the Stevenson site. So perhaps June may actually be an attainable launch date. We'll see.
I've never built a boat before but I do have some hobby project experience. I built a recumbent low racer bicycle and an electric assist tadpole tricycle. That of course is metal work, not woodworking. I also bought a school bus a few years ago with the intention of converting it to a motor home. But realizing the magnitude of that project put me off and I recently sold it. I've done some residential remodeling also. I figure this boat project is of a scale that I can deal with. At least it's not strip plank or cold molded construction!
Anyway, that's my introduction. See you in the funny papers, and over on my build thread.
Cheers.
I got on to this site through Stevenson Projects, after coming to the conclusion (after much research and searching for a suitable sailboat to just buy) that any production sailboat in my budget would be 40 years old, worn out junk. Also, moorage in this area is obscenely expensive and hard to come by. Trailering a ballasted sailboat with a compact car is a non-starter, and even if I did have a suitable tow vehicle, most decent-quality trailerable sailboats, like a Cal 20 or Cape Dory Typhoon would require a hoist to launch and be a time-consuming hassle to rig and de-rig. Which of course means the boat would rarely leave its parking stall.
So I thought, why not just build a small, lightweight boat that can be ramp launched and quickly rigged. Then I'd have something brand new and that I can fit under cover in my own garage, rather than old junk left out in the rain.
I looked at Hartleys, and Glen-Ls and Clark Craft and several other plans sellers. But there's just something about the Stevenson designs that I find compelling. And cool-looking. And the fact that they sit low on a trailer without need of a dagger board or swing keel helps too.
But, you may ask, if I had been looking at small production cruisers with cabins, why choose the Skipjack, rather than the Weekender, Vacationer or Pocket Cruiser? Well, I'm glad you asked, so I'll tell you.
If you've ever tried to wedge yourself into the cabin of a Cal 20 or other similar small cruiser, you probably already have an inkling. I just figured that if a Cal 20 (or similar) felt cramped inside the cabin, that a Weekender or Vacationer would feel more so. Plus their cockpits are small as well, so the cramped feeling would probably be felt on deck as well. But the Skipjack has the largest cockpit of all the Stevenson designs. And since I'm primarily after a boat for learning to sail, I figured the Skipjack would suit the purpose just as well, and maybe better.
For one thing, all the rigging is accessible from the cockpit itself, except perhaps to remove the jib from the bowsprit. And if you have a complement of four adult crew, all four can sit in the windward bench, assisting with balance.
There are several other reasons but the last one I'll mention here is that I'd like to be sailing by June, and the Skipjack appears to be the fastest and maybe cheapest to build of the four micro yachts listed on the Stevenson site. So perhaps June may actually be an attainable launch date. We'll see.
I've never built a boat before but I do have some hobby project experience. I built a recumbent low racer bicycle and an electric assist tadpole tricycle. That of course is metal work, not woodworking. I also bought a school bus a few years ago with the intention of converting it to a motor home. But realizing the magnitude of that project put me off and I recently sold it. I've done some residential remodeling also. I figure this boat project is of a scale that I can deal with. At least it's not strip plank or cold molded construction!
Anyway, that's my introduction. See you in the funny papers, and over on my build thread.
Cheers.