Current Builders' Status

Welcome to PocketShip.net! This bulletin board is for builders of the Chesapeake Light Craft-John C. Harris "PocketShip" design, a 15-foot micro cruiser sailboat built from a kit or plans.

For more information on PocketShip, click here: http://www.clcboats.com/pocketship

This site gathers PocketShip builders in one place. Here you can share photos, tips, questions, and---eventually---your sailing adventures in PocketShip! CLC will also post design updates and tips here as they come up.

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Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby Creekboater on Wed May 03, 2023 8:26 am

So I've had a few frustrating months here lately. Back in January I had my spars epoxied and ready for varnish. I figure a couple of weeks and I'd have them out of the shop and then be able to begin the hull. But, no joy.

Varnish went on and would never cure, stayed tacky for a month. Using Schooner Gold, which I used on previous build in same shop, zero issues. Since then I've sanded ALL the spars back down to bare wood twice and done all kinds of tests on scraps as well as real pieces like rudder cheeks and centerboard trunk. Varying degrees of success. I'm not looking to get off on a varnish tangent but if anyone else has had similar experience with Schooner Gold feel free to send me a PM. If I ever feel I've figured out exactly what's been causing all this headache, I'll be sure to share.

So in the meantime I've been working on lots of little pieces. Getting my bulkheads cleated to the extent I can and finish ready. Getting my cradle mostly built. Gluing up all my hull panels and glassing where I can. Have beefed up my tabernacle sides and even carved out a pretty little tabernacle doubler piece for the inside of BH2.

Also been playing around with stains. I'm going to stain all the timber pieces inside the cabin and all my spars as well. I'm both nervous and excited about this. My wife and daughters laugh that I can't match my own clothes, so who knows what all this is going to look like. Of course I've been testing on scrap, but that only gets you so far.

This is one of those phases where, although you're busy doing plenty, not much seems to be happening!
http://sisterspocketship.com
* Jimmy Skiff II
* amateur for sure (builder/sailor)
* impossible to insult my intelligence
Creekboater
 
Posts: 109
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Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby SMHolmans on Wed May 03, 2023 2:27 pm

Don't be too discouraged!
I've had weeks and even months when nothing much seemed to go right. This is my fifth year of building my PocketShip, and although the end is in sight, I know there are challenges still to come.
But as my wife and son tell me, "Hey, it's a journey ... try to enjoy it!".
I've had no problems with varnish but had loads of issues with epoxy resin which never seemed to cure and paint which didn't want to set right. So I know how you feel. Sometimes it's just a bit too hard to relax and enjoy the journey ....
I'm using a not-too-expensive yacht varnish which seems to be popular here in the UK and it is looking really nice. If you can't get your chosen brand of varnish to work, maybe try another one? In my experience price doesn't always relate directly to quality.
My UK experience based on the previous five years is to cease building in January - it's simply too cold for anything to cure. I just started again this month. It's going OK so far.
Best of luck with your varnish challenges.
Steve in the UK.
SMHolmans
 
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:38 am
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom

Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby Creekboater on Wed May 03, 2023 4:56 pm

SMHolmans wrote:Don't be too discouraged!
I've had weeks and even months when nothing much seemed to go right. This is my fifth year of building my PocketShip, and although the end is in sight, I know there are challenges still to come.
But as my wife and son tell me, "Hey, it's a journey ... try to enjoy it!".
I've had no problems with varnish but had loads of issues with epoxy resin which never seemed to cure and paint which didn't want to set right. So I know how you feel. Sometimes it's just a bit too hard to relax and enjoy the journey ....
I'm using a not-too-expensive yacht varnish which seems to be popular here in the UK and it is looking really nice. If you can't get your chosen brand of varnish to work, maybe try another one? In my experience price doesn't always relate directly to quality.
My UK experience based on the previous five years is to cease building in January - it's simply too cold for anything to cure. I just started again this month. It's going OK so far.
Best of luck with your varnish challenges.
Steve in the UK.


I hear you Steve, thanks! Glad to see you starting back up. Have enjoyed your blog.
http://sisterspocketship.com
* Jimmy Skiff II
* amateur for sure (builder/sailor)
* impossible to insult my intelligence
Creekboater
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 6:58 pm

Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby Hooky on Sat May 13, 2023 6:21 am

This week I installed the cockpit seats, now I can sit in my boat. It all went quite smoothly with no issues. I painted the lazarette areas, cabin area beneath the seats and the underside of the cockpit floor before installation. I also installed speaker boxes in BH 8. Now I have commenced work on the flush timber hatches, check out my progress and pictures on the Blog.
Cheers
Terry from down under
https://hookypocketship.blogspot.com
Hooky
 
Posts: 73
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2016 5:49 am
Location: Australia

Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby Hooky on Thu May 18, 2023 6:02 am

Update from Down Under, The Flush Timber Hatches.

With the exception of painting the construction and installation of the flush timber hatches is complete. I am very pleased with the outcome; I have to admit this has been a very labor-intensive mod which required a lot of time planning and designing. It was important the design and construction allowed for water to drain back into the footwell and not the lazarette areas, I'm hoping my design does that.

I have also stitched in the rear cabin wall and seat back frames in place. I used a laser level to identify the positions for the seat back frames.
Check out the pics on my Blog
Cheers Terry
https://hookypocketship.blogspot.com
Hooky
 
Posts: 73
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2016 5:49 am
Location: Australia

Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby LemonShark on Thu May 18, 2023 8:11 pm

Howdy,

Scott
Began early April 2023
Plans build
Just finished centerboard trunk (I still think a daggerboard would've been a viable alternative). Hull panels glassed, keel sides cut out, centerboard finished, noseblock finished.

The mountain succumbs to a million steps. :)
LemonShark
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2023 8:42 pm

Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby dbeck on Wed May 24, 2023 3:35 pm

Update from Europe: Foredeck is almost ready to paint.
foredeck.JPG
foredeck.JPG (119.19 KiB) Viewed 12750 times
dbeck
 
Posts: 84
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Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby Dmitriy on Mon May 29, 2023 2:03 am

Deck is glued on. Transom skirt in place. Getting ready to glue the seat backs.
Dmitriy
 
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:19 am

Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby dbeck on Thu Jun 15, 2023 3:09 pm

Basically I can just quote the previous post. :-)

Cabin roof and transom skirt epoxied on. Installing the support blockings for hardware at the top of the seatback frames.

Dietrich
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Posts: 84
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2021 2:23 pm

Re: Current Builders' Status

Postby Creekboater on Mon Jun 26, 2023 2:50 pm

Finally! I'm done with my spars, they're out of the way, and I can begin actually stitching my hull. It's been just over a year since I started my build.

https://sisterspocketship.com/2023/06/completing-the-spars
http://sisterspocketship.com
* Jimmy Skiff II
* amateur for sure (builder/sailor)
* impossible to insult my intelligence
Creekboater
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 6:58 pm

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