Hello from new member - Indroduction

Hi All,

I just wanted to introduce myself to the boatdesign community. My name is Aaron and I have been woodworking since in could hold hammer. Some of my fondest memories are of my grandfather’s workshop and the smell of wood shavings and linseed oil, hmm that’s what my shop smells like now . He was a carpenter by trade and built many one off unique houses. The man was a genius with wood. I know woodworking is in my DNA (my DNA, aka blood is also in lots of my projects lol )

I started getting a little more serious about woodworking in the mid 90’s and took a woodworking course at our local Crafts Center at NCSU. I highly recommend taking a similar course to anyone who is just beginning or as in my case, just needing a refresher. This was primarily a course on how to use power shop tools like the planer, joiner, table saw etc. It’s also a point in my life that I was starting to learn the advantages of patience when doing woodworking projects. This took my woodworking career to the next level.

Sailing - I bought a an old 1975 Scorpion in the early 90's and had so much fun sailing that boat. It was simple and easy to handle. I sold it around 1995 and in 2000, I bought a Catalina 16.5 and I loved that boat. My wife and I sailed it for years. We had to sell it when we moved to our new home as we did not have a good place to keep it.

Then marriage and family came along and my woodworking and sailing took a back seat to my family responsibilities. This was particularly true during the kids younger years.

Now a few years after selling our boat, I got crazy idea to marry two of my loves, sailing and woodworking. I want to build a small sailboat in the 12-14 range. This is, I believe a good size for my wife and I and would not take years for me to build.

As with anything new, it's fun to research and learn about, but as a neewbie to this i would like to avoid needless newbie mistakes. I am specifically looking for resources for novices, like books or videos and websites for the beginner. Also, sites for boat designs similar to Gartside Boats - Home http://www.gartsideboats.com/ or Chesapeake Light Craft | Boat Plans, Boat Kits, Boatbuilding Supplies, Boat Kit, Kayak Kit, Canoe Kit, Sailboat Kit https://www.clcboats.com/ . I am looking at the 13 footer here Gartside Boats | 13 ft Centerboard Sailing Dinghy, Design #90 https://store.gartsideboats.com/collections/all/products/13-ft-centerboard-sailing-dinghy-design-90 as my first build. Maybe I'll consider classes after Covid-19 becomes history, but research materials are fine right now.

I'm not in a hurry and can learn before laying out cash for the materials of a full sized vessel. I plan to build a model before deciding on the model as well.

If you've read this far, thank you


Aaron

 

Welcome
Good plan

 

And following on from Blue's welcome, here is another from me.
All of Paul Gartside's designs are very nice, and his drawings are always a work of art.
His 13' dinghy would be a good starter project - should be easier in plywood than (eg) choosing a strip planked or lapstrake planked dinghy.

Have a good look around at all the other dinghy sites offering plans for sale (sail) - there are so many.
I like the look of this sharpie from CLC - he is 18', but the same hull weight as Paul's 13' dinghy.
John's Sharpie - A Lightweight, Fast-Sailing Sharpie from John Harris https://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/wooden-sailboat-kits/johns-sharpie-wooden-sail-boat-plans.html

Some more dinghy designs here -
GP Dinghies over 13' http://www.selway-fisher.com/GPDinghyover13.htm

A few other links from my Bookmarks for perusal -

Sailboats - B&B Yacht Designs https://bandbyachtdesigns.com/sailboats/

www.oughtredboats.com

Lots of other small craft plans at this link as well if you click on the 'boat selector' in the box at the top.
Alexa's Rocket 15 (AR15) - Study Plans https://bateau.com/studyplans/AR15_study.php?prod=AR15

 

Check out the Windmill. Designed originally as the next step in father/son boat building projects, after the Optimist pram. It is intended to be simple and economical to build and performs with the best in its class. Right in your size range.
There are several unusual featur http://windmillclass.com/static/overview.html

Here's a picture of mine:


I got her from a guy in NC. I live in NH., so pay no attention to the bow numbers.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

Welcome to the forum Aaron. Sounds like you've thought things through pretty well. I'm a power boater but did an extensive restoration on an older small Silverton sedan. Lot's of woodworking. I won't bore you with all the details you can find many posts on this forum if you're curious. I can tell you that I've had a little experience with Chesapeake Light Craft. Last summer I ordered and built one of their Eastport Nesting Prams to use as a tender for my small cruiser. I always cut my own parts but with the Eastport I decided to try the kit since it got good reviews. I can tell you that CLC produces a good product. If you decide to go with them you'll be pleased with the quality of the wood itself and the cutting and routing that they do to produce their parts.

I don't know how much experience you have working with Epoxy. System Three Resins produced "The Epoxy Book" which you can download/print online. West Systems has a similar publication. We had a forum member here that died in 2018 by the name of Paul Ricelli. His website is still maintained. Along with a lot of information on epoxy there is a lot of information on general boat building and plans as well. It would be worth a look. Paul was the most prolific poster on this site and shared a wealth of information. He was an important part of making my restoration a success. PARyachts http://paryachts.blogspot.com/

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Don't be afraid to ask questions. There is a lot of knowledge available here for the serious builder with an open mind.

Regards,

MIA

 

MIA,
Good advice. Paul would be happy to help anyone.. I miss him.