PocketShip.net

Just wondering if there are any active builders that are documenting their build using a blog? would like to follow your progress.

http://www.konfido.info - in German, automatic translation available.

Thanks Carlos. I will be monitoring your blog for progress.

Boat is virtually finished, but the blog goes back to the beginning and there is a navigation pane on the right:
http://danacolepocketshipbuild.blogspot.com/

I'm also getting ready to build a combination stool and steps for the companionway and will document that in the blog. This idea is not new to me--I think Pete McCrary was the first (of course ) and Charlie Huie also built a very nice one. When I get mine built I'll add a post about it.
Here's the preliminary construction drawing:
The companionway is a nice place to sit as a passenger, or some single-hand from there--the seat makes it much more comfortable and the steps make it easier to climb in and out. I had planned to put small slats in the seat to make it more pliable, but I want to stand on it while raising the mast so decided to make it solid. Can always throw a cushion on it.

Hey Dana, Thanks fro the stool plan! I have had building one on my "to do" list for a while now and this will make getting started much easier !

Here is a companionway bench from Capt. Charlie. I took this picture of his when he was at Port Aransas last year for the plyWooden boat festival.

Thanks John. Charlie is very good at woodworking--he's really put together some nice things for his boat. Like I said, I was going to do slats simllar to his, but decided to make the seat solid since I plan to stand on it when raising the mast. I decided to make it a good bit narrower too--hope that wasn't a mistake. There have been several updates to the drawing as the build proceeds. The dimensions on the latest drawing should be pretty accurate, but I will do a final correction when I finish the stool. At any rate, I published the drawing merely to give folks ideas they can improve on. For example, the seat could easily be made wider. And it has occured to me that the legs don't need to be splayed out because the seat rests on the companionway opening. There's no way it is going to tip over, and the legs would be stronger and easier to build if they went straight down. (Actually, it occurred to me that the front legs should be splayed because they include steps--the back legs could be vertical though.)

I am thinking when I build mine I will go without the back leg and do what Charlie did. That way it will not be in the way of seat padding.

Here is a photo Charlie sent me:

As you can see he definitely has rear legs installed on the seat. I don't think I would put all that weight on the plywood companionway edge--it can probably support the weight, but just in case, I think it needs the back legs too, especially if you ever stand on it to raise the mast the way I plan to. Charlie made his seat so the legs fold up, so did not add steps, but he also has a low step-stool down on the cabin floor. I am making mine rigid so I can add the steps. It will take up more room but I don't think that will be a problem (and I don't see any reason why you can't put a pad on my seat design--in fact I plan to at least put a floatation cushion on it).
Charlie also sent me this picture:

His folding design is quite a bit different from my rigid design. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to each.

My apologies to riverron for getting off-topic. I don't know why other bloggers have not responded, but here is a list of the blog sites I know of:
http://sunmonkeypocketship.blogspot.com/
http://pocketshipadventure.blogspot.com/
http://arniesark.blogspot.com/
http://petitbateaux-boat.blogspot.com/
http://pocketship.blogspot.com/
http://buildingpocketship.wordpress.com/
http://leeboatworkspocketship.blogspot.com/
These are mostly or all finished projects, but you can easily go back to the beginnings of the blogs.

I also know of two photo galleries that you can look through and aspire to.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35243545@N02/
http://gallery.me.com/jermcmanus
I wasn't able to look at the "jermcmanus" boat--couldn't remember my iCloud password. But I can tell you Jeff Hatch's boat on flickr.com is an especially fine build.
[ NOTE: I tried later with a new password, but didn't find the gallery, just my iCloud homepage. Actually I'm not sure why this link takes me to iCloud. I looked at the code and there's nothing in it about Apple. Gallery.me.com is part of the Reddit site, but I couldn't find "jermcmanus" there either, so this may be an expired link.]