I know everyone says that when using plywood aboard a boat that one should always use the best marine plywood you can get. So here’s where that advice does not quite add up. Some time back I built a hard dodger with marine ply, saturated it with epoxy and glassed then painted it. I was …
In my RSS inbox today there was another “is the cruising life for you” themed podcast. Which apparently answers all your needful questions like “What’s it all going to cost?”. The thing is, I don’t feel the need to check out the podcast in question because it will just be a regurgitation of the same …
What it costs and empowerment from a surprising source…. Read More »
Over the last five years or so I’ve regularly watched a YouTube channel of a guy who’s bought a boat and embarked in a restoration. On one hand it’s been very entertaining as the guy in question makes good shows and does a better than most exposition of how to do stuff. While on the …
This is about the time of year I perk up and pay attention to the various and sundry pre-boatshow press releases as there are usually some interesting bits of information on where boat design is going. Take this new boat from Dufour… It’s the smallest boat in the Dufour line which in itself is interesting …
So, yeah, about that new self-steering gear… Right now I’m in the process of getting all the bits together to assemble a kit to build the it and the various pieces not readily available on a tropical island paradise are, mostly, currently winging their way to my PO box. Putting together a “kit” before starting …
Getting ready to build a new self-steering gear… Read More »
So you’ve done your research, sorted out that an Ericson 26 would be an appropriate small cruising boat you could live with, and within your budget. Hell, you even built a dinghy to prove to yourself you were not a tyro, had the mindset and needful skills to fix up the Ericson, and you’re ready …
and in the “Are we ready to look at that Ericson yet?” department… Read More »
As it happens, I really enjoy building boats.I find the whole process of boat construction both a creative outlet and deeply satisfying on an emotional level. That being the case, I often recommend to a lot of folks that they might want to think twice before building a cruising boat because there’s a steep learning …
Multihulls are HIP and as a result multihulls demand a higher price and this includes used boats. Which, I suppose, is good news if you happen to be selling a catamaran but bad news if you want to buy one. In my opinion, multihull prices are mostly inflated and don’t quite reflect their actual value. …
So, the other day, a reader of this blog dropped me a line asking… “What do you think the best VolksCruiser design to build is?” Which, sorta/kinda, stopped me in my tracks. First of all, I don’t really truck all that well with the concept of “best” where boats are concerned. It’s a fool’s game …
So here’s a sketch from Michael (you know the Proa guy) to give you an idea what the first few projects entail… The first order of business is to downsize the companion way and reduce some of the cockpit’s floodable volume. As you can see, we’re talking super simple as it’s just filling up a …
