Re: a couple of chebacco questions
I used Richard's variation of the Michalak "Boat Baloney" theory to
calculate the weight of mine.
1) Home built boats cost $2 a pound.
2) I spent about $3500 on Schroedinger.
3) Hence, she weighs about 1750lb.
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Howard Stephenson"
<stephensonhw@a...> wrote:
calculate the weight of mine.
1) Home built boats cost $2 a pound.
2) I spent about $3500 on Schroedinger.
3) Hence, she weighs about 1750lb.
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Howard Stephenson"
<stephensonhw@a...> wrote:
>of
> So my guesstimate for towing weight is 1340 lb., plus the trailer
> course.resin
>
> Once you've got the plans, the other way to find the weight (hull,
> empty, towing, total or whatever) is by estimation.
>
> Start by estimating the volume of ply required, then calculate its
> weight from that number and the density of the kind of ply you are
> going to use. Add about 25% for paint, filler, fasteners, glue,
> and 'glass. Or estimate these values separately and add them. Fors.g.
> example, a complete paint system is at least 5 mil thick, with a
> of about 2. Maybe estimate it at 10 mil to include filler. If youare
> going to sheathe it, you can estimate the weight of glass easilythe
> enough, then about double it to allow for the weight of resin. You
> can make similar estimates for the volume and weight of fillets.
>
> Then just keep on adding estimated weights. I mentioned some of
> items before. Others include windows, hardware, navigation gear,catalogs
> wiring, battery, nav. lights, pumps and so on. Some marine
> show shipping weights of the items they are selling.not
>
> It's just tedious work with a calculator or spreadsheet, but a lot
> quicker than the actual building.
>
> Howard
>
> --- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "phlmynrd" <phil@p...> wrote:
> >
> > I was curious about actual empty hull weight and towing weight,
> > the displacement.
P.S. I was thinking there was practically no framing timber, but I
suppose there are items like the sheer clamp, stem and maybe framing
for seats etc. So estimate and add these too,
Howard
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Howard Stephenson"
<stephensonhw@a...> wrote:
suppose there are items like the sheer clamp, stem and maybe framing
for seats etc. So estimate and add these too,
Howard
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Howard Stephenson"
<stephensonhw@a...> wrote:
>of course.
> So my guesstimate for towing weight is 1340 lb., plus the trailer
So my guesstimate for towing weight is 1340 lb., plus the trailer of
course.
Once you've got the plans, the other way to find the weight (hull,
empty, towing, total or whatever) is by estimation.
Start by estimating the volume of ply required, then calculate its
weight from that number and the density of the kind of ply you are
going to use. Add about 25% for paint, filler, fasteners, glue, resin
and 'glass. Or estimate these values separately and add them. For
example, a complete paint system is at least 5 mil thick, with a s.g.
of about 2. Maybe estimate it at 10 mil to include filler. If you are
going to sheathe it, you can estimate the weight of glass easily
enough, then about double it to allow for the weight of resin. You
can make similar estimates for the volume and weight of fillets.
Then just keep on adding estimated weights. I mentioned some of the
items before. Others include windows, hardware, navigation gear,
wiring, battery, nav. lights, pumps and so on. Some marine catalogs
show shipping weights of the items they are selling.
It's just tedious work with a calculator or spreadsheet, but a lot
quicker than the actual building.
Howard
course.
Once you've got the plans, the other way to find the weight (hull,
empty, towing, total or whatever) is by estimation.
Start by estimating the volume of ply required, then calculate its
weight from that number and the density of the kind of ply you are
going to use. Add about 25% for paint, filler, fasteners, glue, resin
and 'glass. Or estimate these values separately and add them. For
example, a complete paint system is at least 5 mil thick, with a s.g.
of about 2. Maybe estimate it at 10 mil to include filler. If you are
going to sheathe it, you can estimate the weight of glass easily
enough, then about double it to allow for the weight of resin. You
can make similar estimates for the volume and weight of fillets.
Then just keep on adding estimated weights. I mentioned some of the
items before. Others include windows, hardware, navigation gear,
wiring, battery, nav. lights, pumps and so on. Some marine catalogs
show shipping weights of the items they are selling.
It's just tedious work with a calculator or spreadsheet, but a lot
quicker than the actual building.
Howard
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "phlmynrd" <phil@p...> wrote:
>
> I was curious about actual empty hull weight and towing weight, not
> the displacement.
I was curious about actual empty hull weight and towing weight, not
the displacement.
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Howard Stephenson" <stephensonhw@a...>
wrote:
the displacement.
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Howard Stephenson" <stephensonhw@a...>
wrote:
>
> Design displacement of the 20' version is 1740 lb. From that, I
> suppose you could subtract the weight of, say, 2 people plus their
> personal gear at maybe 200 lb each. This would be pretty close to the
> towing weight. Then, depending on what you meant by "empty", you
> could subtract stores, water, cooking utensils, boat gear, ground
> tackle, outboard motor, spars, sails, centreboard and so on. Maybe
> 500 lb is something like the weight of the finished hull.
>
> Howard
>
>
> > --- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "phlmynrd" <phil@p...> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi, My name is Phil Maynard, I'm a new member, I have built 3
> boats
> > by
> > > now and I've been looking at the chebacco for a while and I just
> > > ordered the plans from Payson. I still need a place to build it,
> the
> > > boat shed , err, garage is kind of full, but in the meantime...
> > >
> > > I noticed in Bolger's boats with an open mind he describes the 25'
> > > clinker version as planning cleanly on low revs with a 15 hp
> motor.
> > I
> > > assume the 20' boat will not plane? I noticed Johanna did not go
> > > faster than 8 kts with a 20 hp honda at full throttle. I did not
> > > notice it at first but the 25' boat has a full width cuddy roof
> with
> > > no side decks to get more inside room, has anyone done any minor
> > cuddy
> > > changes aside from Johanna? I'm curious to maybe enlarge the
> cuddy
> > but
> > > am wary to change it to much so as not to increase windage. What
> are
> > > builders getting for empty weights? Bolger mentions a 500 lb
> > figure. I
> > > do not recall any other mention in the newsletters of empty
> weight.
hmmm, it seems to chop my email address.
phil@...
phil@...
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "phlmynrd" <phil@p...> wrote:
>
> Hi Paul,
>
> Thanks so much for reply. I find your story very interesting as did
> others and would also love to hear the rest of it. I found the photo
> in Roymayne section. I was surprised you were able to enlarge the
> cabin as much as you did to make it possible to live on. I would much
> appreciate the interior shot's, my email is phil@p...
> I did not think the 20 foot would plane, I was surprised the 25 would
> plane and I was just trying to see what others experience was. I would
> probably go with a 5hp to keep the weight down.
>
> Phil
>
> --- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "paulthober" <paulthober@y...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Phil,
> >
> > I attempted to reply to you directly, but for some reason was unable
> > to do so I will post my reply here, asking for forgiveness and
> > forbearance from the group for the excessive length of this post.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > "Hi Phil,
> >
> > A couple of years ago I built a Chebacco from plans purchased from Mr.
> > Payson. I also wanted a larger cabin as I planned to live aboard.
> > (which I did for about a year) Below is an article I wrote for
> > Chebacco.com which I was unable to locate in the archives of that
> > site. Reading this with a bit of consultation to the plans should make
> > what I did clear - if not, email me and I will attempt to elucidate
> > further.
> >
> > I don't think this boat will plane without a lot of excess power. I
> > had a 6 hp Tohatsu on mine and around 5 knots was the practical limit.
> > This was about half throttle - more power just made more noise.
> >
> > Here is a link to a picture of her:
> >
> >
>
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/vwp?.dir=/Romayne&.src=gr&.dnm=Cruising+Chebacco.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/lst%3f%26.dir=/Romayne%26.src=gr%26.view=t
> >
> > If it this doesn't work, go to the Bolger group, look under "Photos"
> > for the "Romayne" folder. I also have several other photos showing the
> > interior that I could send to you if you reply with your email
address.
> >
> > This boat is quite easy to build and a true pleasure to sail - I wish
> > you the best of luck with her.
> >
> > Paul Thober
> >
> >
> >
> > Samantha
> >
> > In January of 2002 I moved to Portland, ME where I anticipated
> > starting a new chapter in my life. A new job opportunity turned sour
> > just weeks after I arrived. The same day I was fired I was offered
> > another job that I accepted with a starting date in about ten days. I
> > went skiing, relaxed and regrouped; thanking my lucky stars that fate
> > had smiled on me once again. A couple of days later I came home and
> > found a message on my phone from my new employer saying that he had
> > decided not to hire me after all - lucky stars, my ass.
> >
> > So there I was: unemployed, more than a little bit in shock and not in
> > any state of mind to go out looking for another job. What to do?
> > Driving north up the coast one day with my friend Susan, I talked
> > about my long-held dream of building a boat, the Gypsy plans that I
> > had bought many years earlier and had always found some excuse not to
> > build. Now is the time, Susan suggested, I had the time and a bit of
> > money that cried to be spent. It was like a revelation. The decision
> > was made.
> >
> > Within a few days I had rented some "indoor" space at a local boatyard
> > and had started building myself a Gypsy. Little more than a month
> > later I was out sailing on Casco Bay. Then I started thinking about
> > another boat something a bit larger that I could actually cruise in
> > with a modicum of comfort.
> >
> > I wanted a boat that was small, handy, affordable, and reasonably
> > easy to build, A catboat was what seemed best to me - the most room
> > for a short boat, shallow draft, simple rig and seaworthy. I bought
> > plans for one of Witholtz's catboats from Woodenboat, but was
> > intimidated by the complexity of the construction and returned them.
> > My next choice was Bolger's Chebacco which I felt confident I could
> > build, as it is the same type of construction as the Gypsy. I ordered
> > the plans and sails from H. H. Payson.
> >
> > The Chebacco did not exactly fit my concept of what I needed -
> > particularly I thought the cabin far too small for cruising comfort.
> > In my opinion the standard Chebacco is really a day sailor that can be
> > used for camp cruising. My solution was to lengthen and widen the
> > cabin and to raise the cabin roof. I also raised the sheer by 4". I
> > eliminated the centerboard in favor of the keel shown on the cruising
> > version of the Chebacco in "Boats With an Open Mind".
> >
> > Samantha is built entirely of common building materials: ACX plywood,
> > spruce and fir. All of the wood and plywood were selected after much
> > shuffling through the stacks - I would estimate that I rejected over
> > 90% of what I looked at. For the plywood I looked for a good C side
> > and for the least amount and smallest voids. For the solid wood I
> > looked for good straight grain and minimum knots. I mostly bought 2
> > X12's and 2 X 10's and then ripped them to the desired dimension. This
> > is quite easily done with a circular saw with a ripping guide. The
> > result can be clear, quarter sawn lumber.
> >
> > Where fasteners are used, they are sheet rock screws and ring-shank
> > nails. The fasteners were almost entirely used to hold things in place
> > until the epoxy cured. I used MAS epoxy for all gluing, filleting,
> > fiberglassing and fairing.
> >
> > All the outside surfaces of the hull, cabin and cockpit are sheathed
> > in at least one layer of 6 oz.cloth. All joints have at least two
> > layers of cloth on the outside and a layer of cloth or a 1 x 2
> > stringer on the inside. The stem and keel have four layers of cloth on
> > the outside.
> >
> > I left all the frames/molds/bulkheads in the hull and they are all
> > filleted and glassed in place. There is a 2 x 4 floor screwed and
> > epoxied to each frame and to the bottom panel.
> >
> > The keel is solid and is made from 2 x 12 stock with ½" plywood
> > cheeks. There is 150 lbs. of lead in the keel. The keel is epoxied in
> > place, has 3" screws down through the bottom panel on 3" centers, is
> > generously filleted to the bottom and the fillets are glassed with
> > three layers of 6 oz. cloth.
> >
> > I used Harken blocks, fairleads and cam cleats throughout. All the
> > running rigging is ½" Dacron 3-strand. All cleats, pad eyes, etc. are
> > stainless. Auxiliary power is provided by a 6 hp Tohatsu 4-stroke
> > outboard that also charges the 80-amp hour lead-acid deep cycle
battery.
> >
> > Electrical equipment includes a VHF radio, navigation lights, a cabin
> > light, a Garmin Etrex GPS, a Ritchie Navigator compass, a Sony Walkman
> > CD player, and a cell phone.
> >
> > The first construction I did was to build a strongback. I used two 20'
> > 2 x 6's spaced 3' apart with the ladder "steps" at the frame
> > positions. I temporarily set this up on legs to use as a surface to
> > build the spars and to scarf the hull panels.
> >
> > The main mast I made of three layers of 1½" scarfed spruce with the
> > scarfs staggered along its length. The mizzenmast, gaff and main boom
> > I made of two layers of spruce. I shaped them with a circular saw,
> > power plane and a belt sander.
> >
> > I cut the scarfs for the plywood with the power plane and belt sander.
> > I glued the scarfs in the following way: first a 4' 2 x 6, then a
> > piece of plastic sheeting, then the plywood sheets, another sheet of
> > plastic, then a 4' x 6" piece of ½" plywood. I then clamped this all
> > together with two rows of sheetrock screws on four inch centers. The
> > scarfs are reinforced on both sides with a 1' wide piece of 6 oz.
> > Fiberglass.
> >
> > I laminated the stem pieces of ½" plywood and shaped them with the
> > power plane and belt sander. I cut out the frames making numbers 1, 2,
> > 3, 4, and 5 taller than they needed to be because I was still not
> > quite sure how high to make the cabin roof - I wanted to get the hull
> > turned over, mock up the seats and actually see where the top of my
> > head would be. I set up the frames and inner stem on the ladder, cut
> > the hull panels and assembled the hull - all quite straightforward
> > except the forward section of the bilge panels. These I laminated of
> > two layers of ¼" plywood as is recommended. This is good advice as its
> > still a formidable challenge to coax these into the correct shape.
> > This was the most difficult part of the construction of the boat. I
> > glued the two layers together with epoxy thickened with wood flour and
> > pulled the panels together with sheetrock screws on 3" centers. After
> > the glue cured, I removed the screws and filled the holes. I backed
> > the joint where the laminated section meets the ½" bilge panel with a
> > 6" wide piece of ½" plywood.
> >
> > I faired the hull, struck the waterline using a T-square, and applied
> > the bottom paint. Ten friends helped me turn it over which made the
> > job quick and simple.
> >
> > I framed in the settees between frames 4 and 5. They are 14" high and
> > there is a 28" wide foot well between them. Forward of and level with
> > the seats is a V-berth. All the volume beneath the seats and berth is
> > storage bins accessible through hatches cut from the top surfaces.
> >
> > To provide clearance for my head while sitting I made the cabin roof
> > 39" above the aft end of the settees. (I'm 6' 5" tall.) The forward
> > end of the cabin roof is 4" above the deck.
> >
> > The cabin roof has the designed curvature and is ½" plywood. Frames 2,
> > 3, and 4 are left in place with a depth of 3 inches at the sides and
> > roof. These frames are solid beneath the seats and berth. The
> > companionway hatch is 36" wide and extends from frame 4 to frame 5 -
> > the sides of the opening are above the 90-degree waterline. I also put
> > a small hatch, 1' foot square, in the cabin roof between frames 1 and
> > 2 for ventilation. Both hatches have double coamings.
> > The interior showing frames 3 and 4
> >
> > The cockpit seats are deck level and the foot well of the cockpit is
> > 14" deep. The cockpit coaming is 9" high.
> >
> > I made the cabin windows from ¼" polycarbonate - two 6" x 12"
> > elliptical windows between frames 2 and 3 and two 10" x 30"
> > rectangular windows between frames 4 and 5, behind the seats. These
> > are bedded in silicone on the outside surface of the cabin sides and
> > screwed on 4-inch centers.
> >
> > I installed the rudder, glassed and painted the boat and then it was
> > time to launch - and none to soon as it was two days before I had to
> > out of my apartment. So down the ramp and into the water she went. And
> > as one of the men at the yard said, "She floats like a duck."
> >
> > It was the end of August, I was planning to sail south and I still had
> > much to do - I worked feverishly wiring the boat, stepping the masts,
> > rigging the boat, bending on sails, going on trial sails, fixing
> > things that didn't work right, building a dinghy (a Nymph) and then
> > finally on the morning of September 10, 2002 I set sail and reached
> > out of Portland harbor and onto the swells of the Atlantic. It was a
> > fine sunny day with a moderate breeze."
Hi Jamie,
I have looked at the archives maybe 2 years ago and I'm starting to
look again. I live just south of Philadelphia, PA. I did see Ed Hein's
new chebacco at St Michael's but didn't spend much time looking at it
and spoke with I would guess Ed very briefly, but seeing it rekindled
my interest in the design. It was much larger in real life than I
expected.
Phil
I have looked at the archives maybe 2 years ago and I'm starting to
look again. I live just south of Philadelphia, PA. I did see Ed Hein's
new chebacco at St Michael's but didn't spend much time looking at it
and spoke with I would guess Ed very briefly, but seeing it rekindled
my interest in the design. It was much larger in real life than I
expected.
Phil
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Jamie Orr" <jas_orr@y...> wrote:
>
> Hi Phil
>
> No,the 20 footer doesn't plane, I don't know of anyone who has
> managed to make it do this.
>
> I know two builders (Randy Wheating and Chuck Gottfried) who have
> enlarged the cabin. If I remember rightly, both made the cabin sides
> a continuation of the coamings, making the cabin about a foot wider
> and leaving narrow side decks. Both also raised the cabin roof an
> inch or two.
>
> I don't have it in front of me, but I think Bolger estimated the
> weight, with motor, at 1200 lbs, quite a bit more than 500. I
> haven't weighed mine, but I would guess its a lot closer to the 1200
> figure.
>
> Have you looked at www.chebacco.com? There's a wealth of information
> there that might help you. Where do you live? You might find
> there's a Chebacco close enough to go and see.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Jamie Orr
>
> --- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "phlmynrd" <phil@p...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi, My name is Phil Maynard, I'm a new member, I have built 3 boats
> by
> > now and I've been looking at the chebacco for a while and I just
> > ordered the plans from Payson. I still need a place to build it, the
> > boat shed , err, garage is kind of full, but in the meantime...
> >
> > I noticed in Bolger's boats with an open mind he describes the 25'
> > clinker version as planning cleanly on low revs with a 15 hp motor.
> I
> > assume the 20' boat will not plane? I noticed Johanna did not go
> > faster than 8 kts with a 20 hp honda at full throttle. I did not
> > notice it at first but the 25' boat has a full width cuddy roof with
> > no side decks to get more inside room, has anyone done any minor
> cuddy
> > changes aside from Johanna? I'm curious to maybe enlarge the cuddy
> but
> > am wary to change it to much so as not to increase windage. What are
> > builders getting for empty weights? Bolger mentions a 500 lb
> figure. I
> > do not recall any other mention in the newsletters of empty weight.
> >
> > Phil
Hi Paul,
Thanks so much for reply. I find your story very interesting as did
others and would also love to hear the rest of it. I found the photo
in Roymayne section. I was surprised you were able to enlarge the
cabin as much as you did to make it possible to live on. I would much
appreciate the interior shot's, my email isphil@...
I did not think the 20 foot would plane, I was surprised the 25 would
plane and I was just trying to see what others experience was. I would
probably go with a 5hp to keep the weight down.
Phil
Thanks so much for reply. I find your story very interesting as did
others and would also love to hear the rest of it. I found the photo
in Roymayne section. I was surprised you were able to enlarge the
cabin as much as you did to make it possible to live on. I would much
appreciate the interior shot's, my email isphil@...
I did not think the 20 foot would plane, I was surprised the 25 would
plane and I was just trying to see what others experience was. I would
probably go with a 5hp to keep the weight down.
Phil
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "paulthober" <paulthober@y...> wrote:
>
> Hi Phil,
>
> I attempted to reply to you directly, but for some reason was unable
> to do so I will post my reply here, asking for forgiveness and
> forbearance from the group for the excessive length of this post.
>
> Paul
>
> "Hi Phil,
>
> A couple of years ago I built a Chebacco from plans purchased from Mr.
> Payson. I also wanted a larger cabin as I planned to live aboard.
> (which I did for about a year) Below is an article I wrote for
> Chebacco.com which I was unable to locate in the archives of that
> site. Reading this with a bit of consultation to the plans should make
> what I did clear - if not, email me and I will attempt to elucidate
> further.
>
> I don't think this boat will plane without a lot of excess power. I
> had a 6 hp Tohatsu on mine and around 5 knots was the practical limit.
> This was about half throttle - more power just made more noise.
>
> Here is a link to a picture of her:
>
>
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/vwp?.dir=/Romayne&.src=gr&.dnm=Cruising+Chebacco.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/lst%3f%26.dir=/Romayne%26.src=gr%26.view=t
>
> If it this doesn't work, go to the Bolger group, look under "Photos"
> for the "Romayne" folder. I also have several other photos showing the
> interior that I could send to you if you reply with your email address.
>
> This boat is quite easy to build and a true pleasure to sail - I wish
> you the best of luck with her.
>
> Paul Thober
>
>
>
> Samantha
>
> In January of 2002 I moved to Portland, ME where I anticipated
> starting a new chapter in my life. A new job opportunity turned sour
> just weeks after I arrived. The same day I was fired I was offered
> another job that I accepted with a starting date in about ten days. I
> went skiing, relaxed and regrouped; thanking my lucky stars that fate
> had smiled on me once again. A couple of days later I came home and
> found a message on my phone from my new employer saying that he had
> decided not to hire me after all - lucky stars, my ass.
>
> So there I was: unemployed, more than a little bit in shock and not in
> any state of mind to go out looking for another job. What to do?
> Driving north up the coast one day with my friend Susan, I talked
> about my long-held dream of building a boat, the Gypsy plans that I
> had bought many years earlier and had always found some excuse not to
> build. Now is the time, Susan suggested, I had the time and a bit of
> money that cried to be spent. It was like a revelation. The decision
> was made.
>
> Within a few days I had rented some "indoor" space at a local boatyard
> and had started building myself a Gypsy. Little more than a month
> later I was out sailing on Casco Bay. Then I started thinking about
> another boat something a bit larger that I could actually cruise in
> with a modicum of comfort.
>
> I wanted a boat that was small, handy, affordable, and reasonably
> easy to build, A catboat was what seemed best to me - the most room
> for a short boat, shallow draft, simple rig and seaworthy. I bought
> plans for one of Witholtz's catboats from Woodenboat, but was
> intimidated by the complexity of the construction and returned them.
> My next choice was Bolger's Chebacco which I felt confident I could
> build, as it is the same type of construction as the Gypsy. I ordered
> the plans and sails from H. H. Payson.
>
> The Chebacco did not exactly fit my concept of what I needed -
> particularly I thought the cabin far too small for cruising comfort.
> In my opinion the standard Chebacco is really a day sailor that can be
> used for camp cruising. My solution was to lengthen and widen the
> cabin and to raise the cabin roof. I also raised the sheer by 4". I
> eliminated the centerboard in favor of the keel shown on the cruising
> version of the Chebacco in "Boats With an Open Mind".
>
> Samantha is built entirely of common building materials: ACX plywood,
> spruce and fir. All of the wood and plywood were selected after much
> shuffling through the stacks - I would estimate that I rejected over
> 90% of what I looked at. For the plywood I looked for a good C side
> and for the least amount and smallest voids. For the solid wood I
> looked for good straight grain and minimum knots. I mostly bought 2
> X12's and 2 X 10's and then ripped them to the desired dimension. This
> is quite easily done with a circular saw with a ripping guide. The
> result can be clear, quarter sawn lumber.
>
> Where fasteners are used, they are sheet rock screws and ring-shank
> nails. The fasteners were almost entirely used to hold things in place
> until the epoxy cured. I used MAS epoxy for all gluing, filleting,
> fiberglassing and fairing.
>
> All the outside surfaces of the hull, cabin and cockpit are sheathed
> in at least one layer of 6 oz.cloth. All joints have at least two
> layers of cloth on the outside and a layer of cloth or a 1 x 2
> stringer on the inside. The stem and keel have four layers of cloth on
> the outside.
>
> I left all the frames/molds/bulkheads in the hull and they are all
> filleted and glassed in place. There is a 2 x 4 floor screwed and
> epoxied to each frame and to the bottom panel.
>
> The keel is solid and is made from 2 x 12 stock with ½" plywood
> cheeks. There is 150 lbs. of lead in the keel. The keel is epoxied in
> place, has 3" screws down through the bottom panel on 3" centers, is
> generously filleted to the bottom and the fillets are glassed with
> three layers of 6 oz. cloth.
>
> I used Harken blocks, fairleads and cam cleats throughout. All the
> running rigging is ½" Dacron 3-strand. All cleats, pad eyes, etc. are
> stainless. Auxiliary power is provided by a 6 hp Tohatsu 4-stroke
> outboard that also charges the 80-amp hour lead-acid deep cycle battery.
>
> Electrical equipment includes a VHF radio, navigation lights, a cabin
> light, a Garmin Etrex GPS, a Ritchie Navigator compass, a Sony Walkman
> CD player, and a cell phone.
>
> The first construction I did was to build a strongback. I used two 20'
> 2 x 6's spaced 3' apart with the ladder "steps" at the frame
> positions. I temporarily set this up on legs to use as a surface to
> build the spars and to scarf the hull panels.
>
> The main mast I made of three layers of 1½" scarfed spruce with the
> scarfs staggered along its length. The mizzenmast, gaff and main boom
> I made of two layers of spruce. I shaped them with a circular saw,
> power plane and a belt sander.
>
> I cut the scarfs for the plywood with the power plane and belt sander.
> I glued the scarfs in the following way: first a 4' 2 x 6, then a
> piece of plastic sheeting, then the plywood sheets, another sheet of
> plastic, then a 4' x 6" piece of ½" plywood. I then clamped this all
> together with two rows of sheetrock screws on four inch centers. The
> scarfs are reinforced on both sides with a 1' wide piece of 6 oz.
> Fiberglass.
>
> I laminated the stem pieces of ½" plywood and shaped them with the
> power plane and belt sander. I cut out the frames making numbers 1, 2,
> 3, 4, and 5 taller than they needed to be because I was still not
> quite sure how high to make the cabin roof - I wanted to get the hull
> turned over, mock up the seats and actually see where the top of my
> head would be. I set up the frames and inner stem on the ladder, cut
> the hull panels and assembled the hull - all quite straightforward
> except the forward section of the bilge panels. These I laminated of
> two layers of ¼" plywood as is recommended. This is good advice as its
> still a formidable challenge to coax these into the correct shape.
> This was the most difficult part of the construction of the boat. I
> glued the two layers together with epoxy thickened with wood flour and
> pulled the panels together with sheetrock screws on 3" centers. After
> the glue cured, I removed the screws and filled the holes. I backed
> the joint where the laminated section meets the ½" bilge panel with a
> 6" wide piece of ½" plywood.
>
> I faired the hull, struck the waterline using a T-square, and applied
> the bottom paint. Ten friends helped me turn it over which made the
> job quick and simple.
>
> I framed in the settees between frames 4 and 5. They are 14" high and
> there is a 28" wide foot well between them. Forward of and level with
> the seats is a V-berth. All the volume beneath the seats and berth is
> storage bins accessible through hatches cut from the top surfaces.
>
> To provide clearance for my head while sitting I made the cabin roof
> 39" above the aft end of the settees. (I'm 6' 5" tall.) The forward
> end of the cabin roof is 4" above the deck.
>
> The cabin roof has the designed curvature and is ½" plywood. Frames 2,
> 3, and 4 are left in place with a depth of 3 inches at the sides and
> roof. These frames are solid beneath the seats and berth. The
> companionway hatch is 36" wide and extends from frame 4 to frame 5 -
> the sides of the opening are above the 90-degree waterline. I also put
> a small hatch, 1' foot square, in the cabin roof between frames 1 and
> 2 for ventilation. Both hatches have double coamings.
> The interior showing frames 3 and 4
>
> The cockpit seats are deck level and the foot well of the cockpit is
> 14" deep. The cockpit coaming is 9" high.
>
> I made the cabin windows from ¼" polycarbonate - two 6" x 12"
> elliptical windows between frames 2 and 3 and two 10" x 30"
> rectangular windows between frames 4 and 5, behind the seats. These
> are bedded in silicone on the outside surface of the cabin sides and
> screwed on 4-inch centers.
>
> I installed the rudder, glassed and painted the boat and then it was
> time to launch - and none to soon as it was two days before I had to
> out of my apartment. So down the ramp and into the water she went. And
> as one of the men at the yard said, "She floats like a duck."
>
> It was the end of August, I was planning to sail south and I still had
> much to do - I worked feverishly wiring the boat, stepping the masts,
> rigging the boat, bending on sails, going on trial sails, fixing
> things that didn't work right, building a dinghy (a Nymph) and then
> finally on the morning of September 10, 2002 I set sail and reached
> out of Portland harbor and onto the swells of the Atlantic. It was a
> fine sunny day with a moderate breeze."
Well worth the read, Paul, both in form and content.
After all you the extra stuff you have built into the boat, I was
surprised to see that she seems to float about as deep as her
designer intended.
Howard
After all you the extra stuff you have built into the boat, I was
surprised to see that she seems to float about as deep as her
designer intended.
Howard
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "paulthober" <paulthober@y...> wrote:
>
> Hi Phil,
>
> I attempted to reply to you directly, but for some reason was unable
> to do so I will post my reply here, asking for forgiveness and
> forbearance from the group for the excessive length of this post.
sunny day with a moderate breeze."
It would be terrific, Paul, if you would have the time to write to us
all about the rest of your Chebacco cruise--from Maine to (was it?)
South Carolina. I'm unaware that anyone has taken a cruise in a
Chebacco of such length and duration. Perhaps you could post in on a
Chebacco Newsletter? I know plenty of folks would really enjoy
reading about it. -- Dick
all about the rest of your Chebacco cruise--from Maine to (was it?)
South Carolina. I'm unaware that anyone has taken a cruise in a
Chebacco of such length and duration. Perhaps you could post in on a
Chebacco Newsletter? I know plenty of folks would really enjoy
reading about it. -- Dick
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "paulthober" <paulthober@y...> wrote:
>
> Hi Phil,
>
> I attempted to reply to you directly, but for some reason was unable
> to do so I will post my reply here, asking for forgiveness and
> forbearance from the group for the excessive length of this post.
>
> Paul
>
> "Hi Phil,
>
> A couple of years ago I built a Chebacco from plans purchased from
Mr.
> Payson. I also wanted a larger cabin as I planned to live aboard.
> (which I did for about a year) Below is an article I wrote for
> Chebacco.com which I was unable to locate in the archives of that
> site. Reading this with a bit of consultation to the plans should
make
> what I did clear - if not, email me and I will attempt to elucidate
> further.
>
> I don't think this boat will plane without a lot of excess power. I
> had a 6 hp Tohatsu on mine and around 5 knots was the practical
limit.
> This was about half throttle - more power just made more noise.
>
> Here is a link to a picture of her:
>
>
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/vwp?.dir=/Romayne&.src=gr&
.dnm=Cruising+Chebacco.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%
3a//photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/lst%3f%26.dir=/Romayne%
26.src=gr%26.view=t
>
> If it this doesn't work, go to the Bolger group, look under "Photos"
> for the "Romayne" folder. I also have several other photos showing
the
> interior that I could send to you if you reply with your email
address.
>
> This boat is quite easy to build and a true pleasure to sail - I
wish
> you the best of luck with her.
>
> Paul Thober
>
>
>
> Samantha
>
> In January of 2002 I moved to Portland, ME where I anticipated
> starting a new chapter in my life. A new job opportunity turned sour
> just weeks after I arrived. The same day I was fired I was offered
> another job that I accepted with a starting date in about ten days.
I
> went skiing, relaxed and regrouped; thanking my lucky stars that
fate
> had smiled on me once again. A couple of days later I came home and
> found a message on my phone from my new employer saying that he had
> decided not to hire me after all - lucky stars, my ass.
>
> So there I was: unemployed, more than a little bit in shock and not
in
> any state of mind to go out looking for another job. What to do?
> Driving north up the coast one day with my friend Susan, I talked
> about my long-held dream of building a boat, the Gypsy plans that I
> had bought many years earlier and had always found some excuse not
to
> build. Now is the time, Susan suggested, I had the time and a bit of
> money that cried to be spent. It was like a revelation. The decision
> was made.
>
> Within a few days I had rented some "indoor" space at a local
boatyard
> and had started building myself a Gypsy. Little more than a month
> later I was out sailing on Casco Bay. Then I started thinking about
> another boat something a bit larger that I could actually cruise
in
> with a modicum of comfort.
>
> I wanted a boat that was small, handy, affordable, and reasonably
> easy to build, A catboat was what seemed best to me - the most room
> for a short boat, shallow draft, simple rig and seaworthy. I bought
> plans for one of Witholtz's catboats from Woodenboat, but was
> intimidated by the complexity of the construction and returned them.
> My next choice was Bolger's Chebacco which I felt confident I
could
> build, as it is the same type of construction as the Gypsy. I
ordered
> the plans and sails from H. H. Payson.
>
> The Chebacco did not exactly fit my concept of what I needed -
> particularly I thought the cabin far too small for cruising comfort.
> In my opinion the standard Chebacco is really a day sailor that can
be
> used for camp cruising. My solution was to lengthen and widen the
> cabin and to raise the cabin roof. I also raised the sheer by 4". I
> eliminated the centerboard in favor of the keel shown on the
cruising
> version of the Chebacco in "Boats With an Open Mind".
>
> Samantha is built entirely of common building materials: ACX
plywood,
> spruce and fir. All of the wood and plywood were selected after much
> shuffling through the stacks - I would estimate that I rejected over
> 90% of what I looked at. For the plywood I looked for a good C side
> and for the least amount and smallest voids. For the solid wood I
> looked for good straight grain and minimum knots. I mostly bought 2
> X12's and 2 X 10's and then ripped them to the desired dimension.
This
> is quite easily done with a circular saw with a ripping guide. The
> result can be clear, quarter sawn lumber.
>
> Where fasteners are used, they are sheet rock screws and ring-shank
> nails. The fasteners were almost entirely used to hold things in
place
> until the epoxy cured. I used MAS epoxy for all gluing, filleting,
> fiberglassing and fairing.
>
> All the outside surfaces of the hull, cabin and cockpit are sheathed
> in at least one layer of 6 oz.cloth. All joints have at least two
> layers of cloth on the outside and a layer of cloth or a 1 x 2
> stringer on the inside. The stem and keel have four layers of cloth
on
> the outside.
>
> I left all the frames/molds/bulkheads in the hull and they are all
> filleted and glassed in place. There is a 2 x 4 floor screwed and
> epoxied to each frame and to the bottom panel.
>
> The keel is solid and is made from 2 x 12 stock with ½" plywood
> cheeks. There is 150 lbs. of lead in the keel. The keel is epoxied
in
> place, has 3" screws down through the bottom panel on 3" centers, is
> generously filleted to the bottom and the fillets are glassed with
> three layers of 6 oz. cloth.
>
> I used Harken blocks, fairleads and cam cleats throughout. All the
> running rigging is ½" Dacron 3-strand. All cleats, pad eyes, etc.
are
> stainless. Auxiliary power is provided by a 6 hp Tohatsu 4-stroke
> outboard that also charges the 80-amp hour lead-acid deep cycle
battery.
>
> Electrical equipment includes a VHF radio, navigation lights, a
cabin
> light, a Garmin Etrex GPS, a Ritchie Navigator compass, a Sony
Walkman
> CD player, and a cell phone.
>
> The first construction I did was to build a strongback. I used two
20'
> 2 x 6's spaced 3' apart with the ladder "steps" at the frame
> positions. I temporarily set this up on legs to use as a surface to
> build the spars and to scarf the hull panels.
>
> The main mast I made of three layers of 1½" scarfed spruce with the
> scarfs staggered along its length. The mizzenmast, gaff and main
boom
> I made of two layers of spruce. I shaped them with a circular saw,
> power plane and a belt sander.
>
> I cut the scarfs for the plywood with the power plane and belt
sander.
> I glued the scarfs in the following way: first a 4' 2 x 6, then a
> piece of plastic sheeting, then the plywood sheets, another sheet of
> plastic, then a 4' x 6" piece of ½" plywood. I then clamped this all
> together with two rows of sheetrock screws on four inch centers. The
> scarfs are reinforced on both sides with a 1' wide piece of 6 oz.
> Fiberglass.
>
> I laminated the stem pieces of ½" plywood and shaped them with the
> power plane and belt sander. I cut out the frames making numbers 1,
2,
> 3, 4, and 5 taller than they needed to be because I was still not
> quite sure how high to make the cabin roof - I wanted to get the
hull
> turned over, mock up the seats and actually see where the top of my
> head would be. I set up the frames and inner stem on the ladder, cut
> the hull panels and assembled the hull - all quite straightforward
> except the forward section of the bilge panels. These I laminated of
> two layers of ¼" plywood as is recommended. This is good advice as
its
> still a formidable challenge to coax these into the correct shape.
> This was the most difficult part of the construction of the boat. I
> glued the two layers together with epoxy thickened with wood flour
and
> pulled the panels together with sheetrock screws on 3" centers.
After
> the glue cured, I removed the screws and filled the holes. I backed
> the joint where the laminated section meets the ½" bilge panel with
a
> 6" wide piece of ½" plywood.
>
> I faired the hull, struck the waterline using a T-square, and
applied
> the bottom paint. Ten friends helped me turn it over which made the
> job quick and simple.
>
> I framed in the settees between frames 4 and 5. They are 14" high
and
> there is a 28" wide foot well between them. Forward of and level
with
> the seats is a V-berth. All the volume beneath the seats and berth
is
> storage bins accessible through hatches cut from the top surfaces.
>
> To provide clearance for my head while sitting I made the cabin roof
> 39" above the aft end of the settees. (I'm 6' 5" tall.) The forward
> end of the cabin roof is 4" above the deck.
>
> The cabin roof has the designed curvature and is ½" plywood. Frames
2,
> 3, and 4 are left in place with a depth of 3 inches at the sides and
> roof. These frames are solid beneath the seats and berth. The
> companionway hatch is 36" wide and extends from frame 4 to frame 5 -
> the sides of the opening are above the 90-degree waterline. I also
put
> a small hatch, 1' foot square, in the cabin roof between frames 1
and
> 2 for ventilation. Both hatches have double coamings.
> The interior showing frames 3 and 4
>
> The cockpit seats are deck level and the foot well of the cockpit is
> 14" deep. The cockpit coaming is 9" high.
>
> I made the cabin windows from ¼" polycarbonate - two 6" x 12"
> elliptical windows between frames 2 and 3 and two 10" x 30"
> rectangular windows between frames 4 and 5, behind the seats. These
> are bedded in silicone on the outside surface of the cabin sides and
> screwed on 4-inch centers.
>
> I installed the rudder, glassed and painted the boat and then it was
> time to launch - and none to soon as it was two days before I had to
> out of my apartment. So down the ramp and into the water she went.
And
> as one of the men at the yard said, "She floats like a duck."
>
> It was the end of August, I was planning to sail south and I still
had
> much to do - I worked feverishly wiring the boat, stepping the
masts,
> rigging the boat, bending on sails, going on trial sails, fixing
> things that didn't work right, building a dinghy (a Nymph) and then
> finally on the morning of September 10, 2002 I set sail and reached
> out of Portland harbor and onto the swells of the Atlantic. It was a
> fine sunny day with a moderate breeze."
Hi Phil,
I attempted to reply to you directly, but for some reason was unable
to do so I will post my reply here, asking for forgiveness and
forbearance from the group for the excessive length of this post.
Paul
"Hi Phil,
A couple of years ago I built a Chebacco from plans purchased from Mr.
Payson. I also wanted a larger cabin as I planned to live aboard.
(which I did for about a year) Below is an article I wrote for
Chebacco.com which I was unable to locate in the archives of that
site. Reading this with a bit of consultation to the plans should make
what I did clear - if not, email me and I will attempt to elucidate
further.
I don't think this boat will plane without a lot of excess power. I
had a 6 hp Tohatsu on mine and around 5 knots was the practical limit.
This was about half throttle - more power just made more noise.
Here is a link to a picture of her:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/vwp?.dir=/Romayne&.src=gr&.dnm=Cruising+Chebacco.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/lst%3f%26.dir=/Romayne%26.src=gr%26.view=t
If it this doesn't work, go to the Bolger group, look under "Photos"
for the "Romayne" folder. I also have several other photos showing the
interior that I could send to you if you reply with your email address.
This boat is quite easy to build and a true pleasure to sail - I wish
you the best of luck with her.
Paul Thober
Samantha
In January of 2002 I moved to Portland, ME where I anticipated
starting a new chapter in my life. A new job opportunity turned sour
just weeks after I arrived. The same day I was fired I was offered
another job that I accepted with a starting date in about ten days. I
went skiing, relaxed and regrouped; thanking my lucky stars that fate
had smiled on me once again. A couple of days later I came home and
found a message on my phone from my new employer saying that he had
decided not to hire me after all - lucky stars, my ass.
So there I was: unemployed, more than a little bit in shock and not in
any state of mind to go out looking for another job. What to do?
Driving north up the coast one day with my friend Susan, I talked
about my long-held dream of building a boat, the Gypsy plans that I
had bought many years earlier and had always found some excuse not to
build. Now is the time, Susan suggested, I had the time and a bit of
money that cried to be spent. It was like a revelation. The decision
was made.
Within a few days I had rented some "indoor" space at a local boatyard
and had started building myself a Gypsy. Little more than a month
later I was out sailing on Casco Bay. Then I started thinking about
another boat something a bit larger that I could actually cruise in
with a modicum of comfort.
I wanted a boat that was small, handy, affordable, and reasonably
easy to build, A catboat was what seemed best to me - the most room
for a short boat, shallow draft, simple rig and seaworthy. I bought
plans for one of Witholtz's catboats from Woodenboat, but was
intimidated by the complexity of the construction and returned them.
My next choice was Bolger's Chebacco which I felt confident I could
build, as it is the same type of construction as the Gypsy. I ordered
the plans and sails from H. H. Payson.
The Chebacco did not exactly fit my concept of what I needed -
particularly I thought the cabin far too small for cruising comfort.
In my opinion the standard Chebacco is really a day sailor that can be
used for camp cruising. My solution was to lengthen and widen the
cabin and to raise the cabin roof. I also raised the sheer by 4". I
eliminated the centerboard in favor of the keel shown on the cruising
version of the Chebacco in "Boats With an Open Mind".
Samantha is built entirely of common building materials: ACX plywood,
spruce and fir. All of the wood and plywood were selected after much
shuffling through the stacks - I would estimate that I rejected over
90% of what I looked at. For the plywood I looked for a good C side
and for the least amount and smallest voids. For the solid wood I
looked for good straight grain and minimum knots. I mostly bought 2
X12's and 2 X 10's and then ripped them to the desired dimension. This
is quite easily done with a circular saw with a ripping guide. The
result can be clear, quarter sawn lumber.
Where fasteners are used, they are sheet rock screws and ring-shank
nails. The fasteners were almost entirely used to hold things in place
until the epoxy cured. I used MAS epoxy for all gluing, filleting,
fiberglassing and fairing.
All the outside surfaces of the hull, cabin and cockpit are sheathed
in at least one layer of 6 oz.cloth. All joints have at least two
layers of cloth on the outside and a layer of cloth or a 1 x 2
stringer on the inside. The stem and keel have four layers of cloth on
the outside.
I left all the frames/molds/bulkheads in the hull and they are all
filleted and glassed in place. There is a 2 x 4 floor screwed and
epoxied to each frame and to the bottom panel.
The keel is solid and is made from 2 x 12 stock with ½" plywood
cheeks. There is 150 lbs. of lead in the keel. The keel is epoxied in
place, has 3" screws down through the bottom panel on 3" centers, is
generously filleted to the bottom and the fillets are glassed with
three layers of 6 oz. cloth.
I used Harken blocks, fairleads and cam cleats throughout. All the
running rigging is ½" Dacron 3-strand. All cleats, pad eyes, etc. are
stainless. Auxiliary power is provided by a 6 hp Tohatsu 4-stroke
outboard that also charges the 80-amp hour lead-acid deep cycle battery.
Electrical equipment includes a VHF radio, navigation lights, a cabin
light, a Garmin Etrex GPS, a Ritchie Navigator compass, a Sony Walkman
CD player, and a cell phone.
The first construction I did was to build a strongback. I used two 20'
2 x 6's spaced 3' apart with the ladder "steps" at the frame
positions. I temporarily set this up on legs to use as a surface to
build the spars and to scarf the hull panels.
The main mast I made of three layers of 1½" scarfed spruce with the
scarfs staggered along its length. The mizzenmast, gaff and main boom
I made of two layers of spruce. I shaped them with a circular saw,
power plane and a belt sander.
I cut the scarfs for the plywood with the power plane and belt sander.
I glued the scarfs in the following way: first a 4' 2 x 6, then a
piece of plastic sheeting, then the plywood sheets, another sheet of
plastic, then a 4' x 6" piece of ½" plywood. I then clamped this all
together with two rows of sheetrock screws on four inch centers. The
scarfs are reinforced on both sides with a 1' wide piece of 6 oz.
Fiberglass.
I laminated the stem pieces of ½" plywood and shaped them with the
power plane and belt sander. I cut out the frames making numbers 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5 taller than they needed to be because I was still not
quite sure how high to make the cabin roof - I wanted to get the hull
turned over, mock up the seats and actually see where the top of my
head would be. I set up the frames and inner stem on the ladder, cut
the hull panels and assembled the hull - all quite straightforward
except the forward section of the bilge panels. These I laminated of
two layers of ¼" plywood as is recommended. This is good advice as its
still a formidable challenge to coax these into the correct shape.
This was the most difficult part of the construction of the boat. I
glued the two layers together with epoxy thickened with wood flour and
pulled the panels together with sheetrock screws on 3" centers. After
the glue cured, I removed the screws and filled the holes. I backed
the joint where the laminated section meets the ½" bilge panel with a
6" wide piece of ½" plywood.
I faired the hull, struck the waterline using a T-square, and applied
the bottom paint. Ten friends helped me turn it over which made the
job quick and simple.
I framed in the settees between frames 4 and 5. They are 14" high and
there is a 28" wide foot well between them. Forward of and level with
the seats is a V-berth. All the volume beneath the seats and berth is
storage bins accessible through hatches cut from the top surfaces.
To provide clearance for my head while sitting I made the cabin roof
39" above the aft end of the settees. (I'm 6' 5" tall.) The forward
end of the cabin roof is 4" above the deck.
The cabin roof has the designed curvature and is ½" plywood. Frames 2,
3, and 4 are left in place with a depth of 3 inches at the sides and
roof. These frames are solid beneath the seats and berth. The
companionway hatch is 36" wide and extends from frame 4 to frame 5 -
the sides of the opening are above the 90-degree waterline. I also put
a small hatch, 1' foot square, in the cabin roof between frames 1 and
2 for ventilation. Both hatches have double coamings.
The interior showing frames 3 and 4
The cockpit seats are deck level and the foot well of the cockpit is
14" deep. The cockpit coaming is 9" high.
I made the cabin windows from ¼" polycarbonate - two 6" x 12"
elliptical windows between frames 2 and 3 and two 10" x 30"
rectangular windows between frames 4 and 5, behind the seats. These
are bedded in silicone on the outside surface of the cabin sides and
screwed on 4-inch centers.
I installed the rudder, glassed and painted the boat and then it was
time to launch - and none to soon as it was two days before I had to
out of my apartment. So down the ramp and into the water she went. And
as one of the men at the yard said, "She floats like a duck."
It was the end of August, I was planning to sail south and I still had
much to do - I worked feverishly wiring the boat, stepping the masts,
rigging the boat, bending on sails, going on trial sails, fixing
things that didn't work right, building a dinghy (a Nymph) and then
finally on the morning of September 10, 2002 I set sail and reached
out of Portland harbor and onto the swells of the Atlantic. It was a
fine sunny day with a moderate breeze."
I attempted to reply to you directly, but for some reason was unable
to do so I will post my reply here, asking for forgiveness and
forbearance from the group for the excessive length of this post.
Paul
"Hi Phil,
A couple of years ago I built a Chebacco from plans purchased from Mr.
Payson. I also wanted a larger cabin as I planned to live aboard.
(which I did for about a year) Below is an article I wrote for
Chebacco.com which I was unable to locate in the archives of that
site. Reading this with a bit of consultation to the plans should make
what I did clear - if not, email me and I will attempt to elucidate
further.
I don't think this boat will plane without a lot of excess power. I
had a 6 hp Tohatsu on mine and around 5 knots was the practical limit.
This was about half throttle - more power just made more noise.
Here is a link to a picture of her:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/vwp?.dir=/Romayne&.src=gr&.dnm=Cruising+Chebacco.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/lst%3f%26.dir=/Romayne%26.src=gr%26.view=t
If it this doesn't work, go to the Bolger group, look under "Photos"
for the "Romayne" folder. I also have several other photos showing the
interior that I could send to you if you reply with your email address.
This boat is quite easy to build and a true pleasure to sail - I wish
you the best of luck with her.
Paul Thober
Samantha
In January of 2002 I moved to Portland, ME where I anticipated
starting a new chapter in my life. A new job opportunity turned sour
just weeks after I arrived. The same day I was fired I was offered
another job that I accepted with a starting date in about ten days. I
went skiing, relaxed and regrouped; thanking my lucky stars that fate
had smiled on me once again. A couple of days later I came home and
found a message on my phone from my new employer saying that he had
decided not to hire me after all - lucky stars, my ass.
So there I was: unemployed, more than a little bit in shock and not in
any state of mind to go out looking for another job. What to do?
Driving north up the coast one day with my friend Susan, I talked
about my long-held dream of building a boat, the Gypsy plans that I
had bought many years earlier and had always found some excuse not to
build. Now is the time, Susan suggested, I had the time and a bit of
money that cried to be spent. It was like a revelation. The decision
was made.
Within a few days I had rented some "indoor" space at a local boatyard
and had started building myself a Gypsy. Little more than a month
later I was out sailing on Casco Bay. Then I started thinking about
another boat something a bit larger that I could actually cruise in
with a modicum of comfort.
I wanted a boat that was small, handy, affordable, and reasonably
easy to build, A catboat was what seemed best to me - the most room
for a short boat, shallow draft, simple rig and seaworthy. I bought
plans for one of Witholtz's catboats from Woodenboat, but was
intimidated by the complexity of the construction and returned them.
My next choice was Bolger's Chebacco which I felt confident I could
build, as it is the same type of construction as the Gypsy. I ordered
the plans and sails from H. H. Payson.
The Chebacco did not exactly fit my concept of what I needed -
particularly I thought the cabin far too small for cruising comfort.
In my opinion the standard Chebacco is really a day sailor that can be
used for camp cruising. My solution was to lengthen and widen the
cabin and to raise the cabin roof. I also raised the sheer by 4". I
eliminated the centerboard in favor of the keel shown on the cruising
version of the Chebacco in "Boats With an Open Mind".
Samantha is built entirely of common building materials: ACX plywood,
spruce and fir. All of the wood and plywood were selected after much
shuffling through the stacks - I would estimate that I rejected over
90% of what I looked at. For the plywood I looked for a good C side
and for the least amount and smallest voids. For the solid wood I
looked for good straight grain and minimum knots. I mostly bought 2
X12's and 2 X 10's and then ripped them to the desired dimension. This
is quite easily done with a circular saw with a ripping guide. The
result can be clear, quarter sawn lumber.
Where fasteners are used, they are sheet rock screws and ring-shank
nails. The fasteners were almost entirely used to hold things in place
until the epoxy cured. I used MAS epoxy for all gluing, filleting,
fiberglassing and fairing.
All the outside surfaces of the hull, cabin and cockpit are sheathed
in at least one layer of 6 oz.cloth. All joints have at least two
layers of cloth on the outside and a layer of cloth or a 1 x 2
stringer on the inside. The stem and keel have four layers of cloth on
the outside.
I left all the frames/molds/bulkheads in the hull and they are all
filleted and glassed in place. There is a 2 x 4 floor screwed and
epoxied to each frame and to the bottom panel.
The keel is solid and is made from 2 x 12 stock with ½" plywood
cheeks. There is 150 lbs. of lead in the keel. The keel is epoxied in
place, has 3" screws down through the bottom panel on 3" centers, is
generously filleted to the bottom and the fillets are glassed with
three layers of 6 oz. cloth.
I used Harken blocks, fairleads and cam cleats throughout. All the
running rigging is ½" Dacron 3-strand. All cleats, pad eyes, etc. are
stainless. Auxiliary power is provided by a 6 hp Tohatsu 4-stroke
outboard that also charges the 80-amp hour lead-acid deep cycle battery.
Electrical equipment includes a VHF radio, navigation lights, a cabin
light, a Garmin Etrex GPS, a Ritchie Navigator compass, a Sony Walkman
CD player, and a cell phone.
The first construction I did was to build a strongback. I used two 20'
2 x 6's spaced 3' apart with the ladder "steps" at the frame
positions. I temporarily set this up on legs to use as a surface to
build the spars and to scarf the hull panels.
The main mast I made of three layers of 1½" scarfed spruce with the
scarfs staggered along its length. The mizzenmast, gaff and main boom
I made of two layers of spruce. I shaped them with a circular saw,
power plane and a belt sander.
I cut the scarfs for the plywood with the power plane and belt sander.
I glued the scarfs in the following way: first a 4' 2 x 6, then a
piece of plastic sheeting, then the plywood sheets, another sheet of
plastic, then a 4' x 6" piece of ½" plywood. I then clamped this all
together with two rows of sheetrock screws on four inch centers. The
scarfs are reinforced on both sides with a 1' wide piece of 6 oz.
Fiberglass.
I laminated the stem pieces of ½" plywood and shaped them with the
power plane and belt sander. I cut out the frames making numbers 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5 taller than they needed to be because I was still not
quite sure how high to make the cabin roof - I wanted to get the hull
turned over, mock up the seats and actually see where the top of my
head would be. I set up the frames and inner stem on the ladder, cut
the hull panels and assembled the hull - all quite straightforward
except the forward section of the bilge panels. These I laminated of
two layers of ¼" plywood as is recommended. This is good advice as its
still a formidable challenge to coax these into the correct shape.
This was the most difficult part of the construction of the boat. I
glued the two layers together with epoxy thickened with wood flour and
pulled the panels together with sheetrock screws on 3" centers. After
the glue cured, I removed the screws and filled the holes. I backed
the joint where the laminated section meets the ½" bilge panel with a
6" wide piece of ½" plywood.
I faired the hull, struck the waterline using a T-square, and applied
the bottom paint. Ten friends helped me turn it over which made the
job quick and simple.
I framed in the settees between frames 4 and 5. They are 14" high and
there is a 28" wide foot well between them. Forward of and level with
the seats is a V-berth. All the volume beneath the seats and berth is
storage bins accessible through hatches cut from the top surfaces.
To provide clearance for my head while sitting I made the cabin roof
39" above the aft end of the settees. (I'm 6' 5" tall.) The forward
end of the cabin roof is 4" above the deck.
The cabin roof has the designed curvature and is ½" plywood. Frames 2,
3, and 4 are left in place with a depth of 3 inches at the sides and
roof. These frames are solid beneath the seats and berth. The
companionway hatch is 36" wide and extends from frame 4 to frame 5 -
the sides of the opening are above the 90-degree waterline. I also put
a small hatch, 1' foot square, in the cabin roof between frames 1 and
2 for ventilation. Both hatches have double coamings.
The interior showing frames 3 and 4
The cockpit seats are deck level and the foot well of the cockpit is
14" deep. The cockpit coaming is 9" high.
I made the cabin windows from ¼" polycarbonate - two 6" x 12"
elliptical windows between frames 2 and 3 and two 10" x 30"
rectangular windows between frames 4 and 5, behind the seats. These
are bedded in silicone on the outside surface of the cabin sides and
screwed on 4-inch centers.
I installed the rudder, glassed and painted the boat and then it was
time to launch - and none to soon as it was two days before I had to
out of my apartment. So down the ramp and into the water she went. And
as one of the men at the yard said, "She floats like a duck."
It was the end of August, I was planning to sail south and I still had
much to do - I worked feverishly wiring the boat, stepping the masts,
rigging the boat, bending on sails, going on trial sails, fixing
things that didn't work right, building a dinghy (a Nymph) and then
finally on the morning of September 10, 2002 I set sail and reached
out of Portland harbor and onto the swells of the Atlantic. It was a
fine sunny day with a moderate breeze."
Design displacement of the 20' version is 1740 lb. From that, I
suppose you could subtract the weight of, say, 2 people plus their
personal gear at maybe 200 lb each. This would be pretty close to the
towing weight. Then, depending on what you meant by "empty", you
could subtract stores, water, cooking utensils, boat gear, ground
tackle, outboard motor, spars, sails, centreboard and so on. Maybe
500 lb is something like the weight of the finished hull.
Howard
suppose you could subtract the weight of, say, 2 people plus their
personal gear at maybe 200 lb each. This would be pretty close to the
towing weight. Then, depending on what you meant by "empty", you
could subtract stores, water, cooking utensils, boat gear, ground
tackle, outboard motor, spars, sails, centreboard and so on. Maybe
500 lb is something like the weight of the finished hull.
Howard
> --- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "phlmynrd" <phil@p...> wrote:boats
> >
> > Hi, My name is Phil Maynard, I'm a new member, I have built 3
> bythe
> > now and I've been looking at the chebacco for a while and I just
> > ordered the plans from Payson. I still need a place to build it,
> > boat shed , err, garage is kind of full, but in the meantime...motor.
> >
> > I noticed in Bolger's boats with an open mind he describes the 25'
> > clinker version as planning cleanly on low revs with a 15 hp
> Iwith
> > assume the 20' boat will not plane? I noticed Johanna did not go
> > faster than 8 kts with a 20 hp honda at full throttle. I did not
> > notice it at first but the 25' boat has a full width cuddy roof
> > no side decks to get more inside room, has anyone done any minorcuddy
> cuddy
> > changes aside from Johanna? I'm curious to maybe enlarge the
> butare
> > am wary to change it to much so as not to increase windage. What
> > builders getting for empty weights? Bolger mentions a 500 lbweight.
> figure. I
> > do not recall any other mention in the newsletters of empty
Hi Phil
No,the 20 footer doesn't plane, I don't know of anyone who has
managed to make it do this.
I know two builders (Randy Wheating and Chuck Gottfried) who have
enlarged the cabin. If I remember rightly, both made the cabin sides
a continuation of the coamings, making the cabin about a foot wider
and leaving narrow side decks. Both also raised the cabin roof an
inch or two.
I don't have it in front of me, but I think Bolger estimated the
weight, with motor, at 1200 lbs, quite a bit more than 500. I
haven't weighed mine, but I would guess its a lot closer to the 1200
figure.
Have you looked at www.chebacco.com? There's a wealth of information
there that might help you. Where do you live? You might find
there's a Chebacco close enough to go and see.
Good luck,
Jamie Orr
No,the 20 footer doesn't plane, I don't know of anyone who has
managed to make it do this.
I know two builders (Randy Wheating and Chuck Gottfried) who have
enlarged the cabin. If I remember rightly, both made the cabin sides
a continuation of the coamings, making the cabin about a foot wider
and leaving narrow side decks. Both also raised the cabin roof an
inch or two.
I don't have it in front of me, but I think Bolger estimated the
weight, with motor, at 1200 lbs, quite a bit more than 500. I
haven't weighed mine, but I would guess its a lot closer to the 1200
figure.
Have you looked at www.chebacco.com? There's a wealth of information
there that might help you. Where do you live? You might find
there's a Chebacco close enough to go and see.
Good luck,
Jamie Orr
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "phlmynrd" <phil@p...> wrote:
>
> Hi, My name is Phil Maynard, I'm a new member, I have built 3 boats
by
> now and I've been looking at the chebacco for a while and I just
> ordered the plans from Payson. I still need a place to build it, the
> boat shed , err, garage is kind of full, but in the meantime...
>
> I noticed in Bolger's boats with an open mind he describes the 25'
> clinker version as planning cleanly on low revs with a 15 hp motor.
I
> assume the 20' boat will not plane? I noticed Johanna did not go
> faster than 8 kts with a 20 hp honda at full throttle. I did not
> notice it at first but the 25' boat has a full width cuddy roof with
> no side decks to get more inside room, has anyone done any minor
cuddy
> changes aside from Johanna? I'm curious to maybe enlarge the cuddy
but
> am wary to change it to much so as not to increase windage. What are
> builders getting for empty weights? Bolger mentions a 500 lb
figure. I
> do not recall any other mention in the newsletters of empty weight.
>
> Phil
Hi, My name is Phil Maynard, I'm a new member, I have built 3 boats by
now and I've been looking at the chebacco for a while and I just
ordered the plans from Payson. I still need a place to build it, the
boat shed , err, garage is kind of full, but in the meantime...
I noticed in Bolger's boats with an open mind he describes the 25'
clinker version as planning cleanly on low revs with a 15 hp motor. I
assume the 20' boat will not plane? I noticed Johanna did not go
faster than 8 kts with a 20 hp honda at full throttle. I did not
notice it at first but the 25' boat has a full width cuddy roof with
no side decks to get more inside room, has anyone done any minor cuddy
changes aside from Johanna? I'm curious to maybe enlarge the cuddy but
am wary to change it to much so as not to increase windage. What are
builders getting for empty weights? Bolger mentions a 500 lb figure. I
do not recall any other mention in the newsletters of empty weight.
Phil
now and I've been looking at the chebacco for a while and I just
ordered the plans from Payson. I still need a place to build it, the
boat shed , err, garage is kind of full, but in the meantime...
I noticed in Bolger's boats with an open mind he describes the 25'
clinker version as planning cleanly on low revs with a 15 hp motor. I
assume the 20' boat will not plane? I noticed Johanna did not go
faster than 8 kts with a 20 hp honda at full throttle. I did not
notice it at first but the 25' boat has a full width cuddy roof with
no side decks to get more inside room, has anyone done any minor cuddy
changes aside from Johanna? I'm curious to maybe enlarge the cuddy but
am wary to change it to much so as not to increase windage. What are
builders getting for empty weights? Bolger mentions a 500 lb figure. I
do not recall any other mention in the newsletters of empty weight.
Phil