Re: [bolger] Re: Thinking Micro...
Tim:
I know what you mean. My wife loves to help. In fact I have started a
folder in the files section of this DG for people to put pictures of their
wives, girlfriends, etc. helping with boat building projects. To get things
going, I have put this shot of my wife, Sandra in the file:
http://www.egroups.com/files/bolger/Helpers/willing_helper.jpg
I hope you and others will take advantage of this opportunity to give your
loved ones credit for their spirit of cooperation and helpfulness.
Chuck
I know what you mean. My wife loves to help. In fact I have started a
folder in the files section of this DG for people to put pictures of their
wives, girlfriends, etc. helping with boat building projects. To get things
going, I have put this shot of my wife, Sandra in the file:
http://www.egroups.com/files/bolger/Helpers/willing_helper.jpg
I hope you and others will take advantage of this opportunity to give your
loved ones credit for their spirit of cooperation and helpfulness.
Chuck
> List,week!!!!
>
> Wife helping in boatbuilding. It is almost like having an articulated and
> pretty saw horse that you can occasionally smooch with!!!!!
>
> David Jost wrote:
> At 12:47 PM 06/23/2000 -0000, you wrote:
>
> "so I recruited my wife's help in drilling the holes and temporarily
> nailing the frames in place until I was sure I had them lined up right."
>
> Tim - Houston - wife out of town - gone to lake every evening this
>
Peter, I would like to take you up on this sailing offer, can you contact me
offline,dodge47@...?
-----Original Message-----
From: peter lenihan <ellengaest@...>
To:bolger@egroups.com<bolger@egroups.com>
Date: Friday, June 23, 2000 6:37 AM
Subject: [bolger] Re: Thinking Micro...
John,
Pity you could not stop by,the forecast for today is sunny,temps
in the 25 to 27 degree range with winds out of the southwest at 15
knots.....my kind of perfect sailing day!
You can bet I'll be out today taking full advantage too.......
Should your travels bring you back a wee bit further west then the
maritimes next time,by all means let me know and,weather
permitting,you and I can take the MICRO out for a spin.That ought to
stir your building fires into a raging inferno!
Safe trip home,
Sincerely,
Peter Lenihan
Montréal,Québec
offline,dodge47@...?
-----Original Message-----
From: peter lenihan <ellengaest@...>
To:bolger@egroups.com<bolger@egroups.com>
Date: Friday, June 23, 2000 6:37 AM
Subject: [bolger] Re: Thinking Micro...
John,
Pity you could not stop by,the forecast for today is sunny,temps
in the 25 to 27 degree range with winds out of the southwest at 15
knots.....my kind of perfect sailing day!
You can bet I'll be out today taking full advantage too.......
Should your travels bring you back a wee bit further west then the
maritimes next time,by all means let me know and,weather
permitting,you and I can take the MICRO out for a spin.That ought to
stir your building fires into a raging inferno!
Safe trip home,
Sincerely,
Peter Lenihan
Montréal,Québec
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, John Bell <jmbell@m...> wrote:
> We'll see about the set-up time if I can ever get the boat built. I
seem to
> be on a never ending road trip, so it is very difficult to keep any
> momentum going in the building department. Ironically, I'm in
Moncton, NB
> tonight and will be passing through Montreal tomorrow morning on my
way
> back home to Atlanta. It's too bad I didn't try to wind up Montreal
with
> some free time this week.
>
> Thanks for sharing your experiences.
>
> Best,
>
> JB on the road in Canada...
>
>
>
> At 07:37 AM 6/22/00 +0000, peter lenihan wrote:
> >John Bell,
> > Do not let the mast intimidate you!I regularily unstep my
mast
> >each time I go up to visit a friend who lives on the"wrong" side
of a
> >low bridge and do not even bother to drop my anchor.That's right,I
do
> >this afloat and the whole affair cannot take more then 5 minutes
> >including the un-rigging of the lazyjacks/topping lifts and snotter
> >from the main sprit-boom.
> > As far as"fishing the mast throught the partners" goes,it is
not
> >so much"fishing" as simply inclining the heel down into the mast
step
> >hole and then walking the mast up into the partner before dropping
> >the retaining board(I cannot recall the proper name for this)into
> >place.The key to successfuly pulling this whole thing off is to NOT
> >hesitate halfway through the act.Before actually stepping the
> >mast,practice lifting it up onto your shoulder and finding out
where
> >the balance point is.Once you become accustomed to the heft of the
> >mast,it is really very simple to actually step it into the boat by
> >standing with legs apart on the cabin top,lowering the heel into
the
> >step and walking it up.
> > All of this is said,of coarse,without knowing your physical
> >parameters.I am 6'tall and have no difficulties with any of the
above.
> > As far as taking anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to launch
> >the boat and be ready to sail.......somebodies doing something
> >terribly wrong or just taking far too many beer breaks!Under 15
> >minutes is my average time.
> > Best of luck with your MICRO
> >
> >Peter Lenihan,sailing my a** off while the weather lasts on the
> >rapidly dropping and always dirty St.Lawrence,despite tons of rain
> >from out West..........
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >--- Inbolger@egroups.com, "John Bell" <jmbell@m...> wrote:
> > > I'm building a Micro myself.
> > >
> > > According to the few people I've discussed Micro with, it is an
all
> > > around great boat. That does not mean they don't have some
> > > criticisms, though.
> > >
> > > The biggest complaint is that the mainmast is difficult to step.
> >I've
> > > got my mast ready to go, and I see where it could be
intimidating.
> >It
> > > is quite a large unweildy timber to fish through the partners.
> > >
> > > The other is that it is not the best "day-sailer on a trailer",
> >since
> > > it takes somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour each way to
set up
> > > and take down on the ramp. So if you plan to use it that way,
you
> > > might find it too much work to set up for a quick after-work
sail.
> > > This is a common criticism of just about all larger trailer
> > > sailboats, though. I suppose if we wanted utter simplicity, we'd
> >all
> > > get jetskis instead of sailboats, wouldn't we? I'm probably
going
> >to
> > > keep mine rigged on a trailer up at the lake to keep it simple.
> > >
> > > Other than those two points, everything else has been positive.
> > >
> > > John Bell
> > > Kennesaw, GA
> > >
> > > --- Inbolger@egroups.com, "Mark Paquette" <paquette@d...>
wrote:
> > > > I am waiting for the weather to warm up so I can complete my
first
> > > > boat. All I have to do is get some paint on her and haul her
to
> > > the
> > > > water. For my first boat project I selected the MayFly12
> >designed
> > > by
> > > > Jim Michalak. It has been a lot of fun.
> > > >
> > > > Now for the next boat I have just about made up my mind on the
> > > Micro.
> > > > I have a couple of question for the group.
> > > >
> > > > First, I have seen almost no bad press on this design.
> >Everything I
> > > > have
> > > > been able to find says how great this little boat is. So has
> >anyone
> > > > out there
> > > > willing to share any bad experiences they have heard about
this
> > > boat?
> > > > (Or bad experiences they had themselves in the Micro.)
> > > >
> > > > Second, any builders willig to share cost est. and building
time
> > > est.,
> > > > would greatly help the cause...The "cause" you say...Yes,
talking
> >my
> > > > wife into
> > > > letting me start the next boat this summer, would be
> >this "cause"...
> > > >
> > > > Thank you...
> > > > Mark in MN
> > > >
> > > > PS. Me thinks this e-Groups thingy is great...
> >
> >
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
> >SALESFORCE.COM MAKES SOFTWARE OBSOLETE
> >Secure, online sales force automation with 5 users FREE for 1 year!
> >http://click.egroups.com/1/2658/13/_/3457/_/961659467/
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
> >
> >Bolger rules:
> >- no cursing
> >- stay on topic
> >- use punctuation
> >- add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
> >- add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savings + service + convenience = beMANY!
http://click.egroups.com/1/4116/13/_/3457/_/961756637/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolger rules:
- no cursing
- stay on topic
- use punctuation
- add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
- add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
Hello Gregg,
You bring up an interesting point and in fact this may be the
biggest hidden draw back with the MICRO.
While building my MICRO,I routinely entertained myself with
fantasies of either stepping dry-footed off the boat onto a sandy
beach or else climbing out of the water after a brief swim
(actually,it was more like visions of various female acquaintances
doing all the climbing!) by using those niffty boarding steps built
into the bow-transom.
Three years ago,I had a somewhat un-nerving experience.This
occured on the very first sail of the season in early May.I had
decided to invite a girlfriend along for a ride and we packed a light
lunch.
After a number of hours of fine sailing,I chose to beach the
boat on a small un-inhabited island located in the middle of the
St.Lawrence River so that we could stretch our legs abit and to give
her something of a break.This was her first time in a sailboat.
This was an island I knew very well and I have beached my MICRO
and other boats here on countless occassions.
Deciding to show my friend the island,we took a walk around and
when we returned to the boat,it was about 20 feet off the beach!I
should add that in close to 26 years of sailing to this island,I had
never bothered to tie a boat down.....simply grounding it out on the
beach always kept the boats in place.Until now,that is!
Realizing that the current was slowly taking the boat further out
of reach,I began to remove my shoes in order to swim out to the boat
and bring her back.However,before I could say a word,my friend had
already dived into the water and had begun to swim out to the boat.In
what appeared to be seconds,she was holding onto the lower step of
the bow-transom.I watched nervously as she repeatedly attempted to
climb up the steps only to just miss getting one of her feet into
that first step.I shivered when it finally became obvious that she
was not able to get up into the boat and started calling out for me
to come and help her as she could no longer maintain her hold on the
boat.Without further delay,I too dived into the water and began
swimming out to the boat which was now at least twice as far away
since we first saw it.
The shock that hit me when I dived into the water is hard to
describe.As it was still relatively early in the year,the water was
ice cold and it's effect on me was to all but blow the air clean out
of my lungs!It also served to propel me that much faster to the boat
as it dawned on me that my friend must now be freezing.
Upon reaching the boat,I saw at once that my friend was indeed
shivering and very pale.Taking a second or two to catch my breath,I
then attempted to board the boat.Well......after a dozen or so muscle
tearing efforts,I simply could not do it!The combined effects of the
cold water,the rapid swimming and,by that time,panic,had exhausted me
to the point where I could just barely hold onto the first step
myself.Unable to attain a purchase with your feet means that you must
first haul your entire body up to a height sufficient enough to get a
foot hold.I am no Charles Atlas but then again neither am I a 80 lbs
weakling.
At this point,I was having some real concerns for my friend who
was now lapsing into a state of some sort of drowziness which made it
very difficult for her to maintain her hold on the boat.PLeading with
her not to let go of the boat,I then proceeded to drag myself to the
aft quarter hoping to perhaps reach up high enough to grab a line in
which to fashion some sort of loop to put my feet
through.Unfortunately,all the lines were neatly stored out of
reach.Moving further aft,I came around the transom and saw that the
outboard was my only hope of ever getting back on board.Using the
boomkin,I just managed to hook a leg over the raised outboard.Then in
a series of oddball manouvers,I was suddenly in the cockpit!
In a flash,I was standing in the foreward well and bending over
to grab my friends arms.When I first looked down at her,her eyes were
half closed and her lips had turned very pale.She was unable to raise
her arms.Bending over as far as I could,I grabbed her two rists.They
felt very cold and wet.Fearing that I might slip or lose my grip on
her and very much aware of the consequences of such a slip,I gave one
mighty heave backward.Falling backward onto the cabin top was just
far enough to haul her body over the edge of the bow well.
Without really thinking,we were soon both bundled up in
sleeping bags in the cockpit,sipping warm tea while I motored the
boat a few miles to the yacht club.
Many events could have easily happened which would have made
this whole experience something less then exciting.I could have
secured the boat to a tree or some other object.I could have chosen
to go on a weekend instead of a weekday where we were virtually alone
on the river.I could have installed a proper boarding ladder,instead
of relying on the false security of those boarding steps.
Today,when I reflect on that incident of a few years ago,I
still get a little chill recalling just how close two people came to
losing their lives for all the wrong reasons.Also,I'll never forget
how"tall" even a MICRO looks from the waterline up with ones eyeballs
but a few inches above the water.
A boarding ladder is a must on these Bolger Boxes(I use that
appellation endearingly,not with scorn!) and they should perhaps be
recommended somewhere in the plans packages.
Just a bit more then two cents worth....
Peter Lenihan
Montréal,Québec
You bring up an interesting point and in fact this may be the
biggest hidden draw back with the MICRO.
While building my MICRO,I routinely entertained myself with
fantasies of either stepping dry-footed off the boat onto a sandy
beach or else climbing out of the water after a brief swim
(actually,it was more like visions of various female acquaintances
doing all the climbing!) by using those niffty boarding steps built
into the bow-transom.
Three years ago,I had a somewhat un-nerving experience.This
occured on the very first sail of the season in early May.I had
decided to invite a girlfriend along for a ride and we packed a light
lunch.
After a number of hours of fine sailing,I chose to beach the
boat on a small un-inhabited island located in the middle of the
St.Lawrence River so that we could stretch our legs abit and to give
her something of a break.This was her first time in a sailboat.
This was an island I knew very well and I have beached my MICRO
and other boats here on countless occassions.
Deciding to show my friend the island,we took a walk around and
when we returned to the boat,it was about 20 feet off the beach!I
should add that in close to 26 years of sailing to this island,I had
never bothered to tie a boat down.....simply grounding it out on the
beach always kept the boats in place.Until now,that is!
Realizing that the current was slowly taking the boat further out
of reach,I began to remove my shoes in order to swim out to the boat
and bring her back.However,before I could say a word,my friend had
already dived into the water and had begun to swim out to the boat.In
what appeared to be seconds,she was holding onto the lower step of
the bow-transom.I watched nervously as she repeatedly attempted to
climb up the steps only to just miss getting one of her feet into
that first step.I shivered when it finally became obvious that she
was not able to get up into the boat and started calling out for me
to come and help her as she could no longer maintain her hold on the
boat.Without further delay,I too dived into the water and began
swimming out to the boat which was now at least twice as far away
since we first saw it.
The shock that hit me when I dived into the water is hard to
describe.As it was still relatively early in the year,the water was
ice cold and it's effect on me was to all but blow the air clean out
of my lungs!It also served to propel me that much faster to the boat
as it dawned on me that my friend must now be freezing.
Upon reaching the boat,I saw at once that my friend was indeed
shivering and very pale.Taking a second or two to catch my breath,I
then attempted to board the boat.Well......after a dozen or so muscle
tearing efforts,I simply could not do it!The combined effects of the
cold water,the rapid swimming and,by that time,panic,had exhausted me
to the point where I could just barely hold onto the first step
myself.Unable to attain a purchase with your feet means that you must
first haul your entire body up to a height sufficient enough to get a
foot hold.I am no Charles Atlas but then again neither am I a 80 lbs
weakling.
At this point,I was having some real concerns for my friend who
was now lapsing into a state of some sort of drowziness which made it
very difficult for her to maintain her hold on the boat.PLeading with
her not to let go of the boat,I then proceeded to drag myself to the
aft quarter hoping to perhaps reach up high enough to grab a line in
which to fashion some sort of loop to put my feet
through.Unfortunately,all the lines were neatly stored out of
reach.Moving further aft,I came around the transom and saw that the
outboard was my only hope of ever getting back on board.Using the
boomkin,I just managed to hook a leg over the raised outboard.Then in
a series of oddball manouvers,I was suddenly in the cockpit!
In a flash,I was standing in the foreward well and bending over
to grab my friends arms.When I first looked down at her,her eyes were
half closed and her lips had turned very pale.She was unable to raise
her arms.Bending over as far as I could,I grabbed her two rists.They
felt very cold and wet.Fearing that I might slip or lose my grip on
her and very much aware of the consequences of such a slip,I gave one
mighty heave backward.Falling backward onto the cabin top was just
far enough to haul her body over the edge of the bow well.
Without really thinking,we were soon both bundled up in
sleeping bags in the cockpit,sipping warm tea while I motored the
boat a few miles to the yacht club.
Many events could have easily happened which would have made
this whole experience something less then exciting.I could have
secured the boat to a tree or some other object.I could have chosen
to go on a weekend instead of a weekday where we were virtually alone
on the river.I could have installed a proper boarding ladder,instead
of relying on the false security of those boarding steps.
Today,when I reflect on that incident of a few years ago,I
still get a little chill recalling just how close two people came to
losing their lives for all the wrong reasons.Also,I'll never forget
how"tall" even a MICRO looks from the waterline up with ones eyeballs
but a few inches above the water.
A boarding ladder is a must on these Bolger Boxes(I use that
appellation endearingly,not with scorn!) and they should perhaps be
recommended somewhere in the plans packages.
Just a bit more then two cents worth....
Peter Lenihan
Montréal,Québec
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, GHC <ghartc@p...> wrote:
> Well, unless you moonlight for the circus, don't ever count on
those steps
> as are (who can get their foot, under them, in a first step 6"
above water?)
>
> A rope with a loop would be OK, but what would even be better was a
single
> U-shaped tube (probably of bimini-top tubing) pivoting at the bottom
> corners. It would fold flat on the bow transom when stowed and you
could
> reach it from the water.
>
> It's a real problem; you would not have been the first to drown
that way.
>
> Gregg
>
> >7. the climbing steps on the bow are really
> >unique. You will really appreciate them if you have ever tried to
get back
> >into a boat after you have fallen out. ( I have done this
twice!, Ok, I
> >am a klutz)
Mark,
Below is my current budget, hopefully won't be TOO far off, but I'm having
such a good time, not really concerned as long as it stays less than $5K.
You'll note that I'm going will really good plywood, but in the overall scheme
of things, it only adds about 15% to the overall cost of the boat than if going
with a lesser grade. And while I have no plans on selling my micro, if I ever
do, it will be easier to sell, and I'll feel better about selling someone a boat
built out of really good material.
Glen
Construction costs:
Plywood: 14 x $60 $840
Framing: misc $200
Epoxy + Glass $600
Paint $100
Sails & rigging $700
Motor 3-5HP (used) $300
Screws / fasteners $100
Trailer $500
Total $3340
"Mark Paquette" <paquette@...> on 03/17/2000 07:36:44 PM
Please respond tobolger@...
Sent by: "Mark Paquette" <paquette@...>
To:bolger@...
cc: (Glen Gibson/HQ/3Com)
Subject: [bolger] Thinking Micro...
Hello to the Group.
I am waiting for the weather to warm up so I can paint my first boat.
I built the MayFly12 designed by Jim Michalak and I can't wait to get
her into
the water. Builder her has been a BLAST!!!
For my next project I a thinking very seriously about the Mirco. I
love the
fact that it is self righting and seems to have a ton of room.
I have read alot of the web pages out there on the Micro and
I have yet to here anything bad about the design.
Has any one from the group heard of anything bad or had bad experiences.
Also if a few of you Micro builders would like to share time to build
and rough costs with me I would greatly appreciate it
have to talk the wife into letting me build another boat, she just
doesn't understand).
Mark in MN.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:
http://click.egroups.com/1/5530/10/_/3457/_/961073831/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolger rules:
- no cursing
- stay on topic
- use punctuation
- add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
- add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
Below is my current budget, hopefully won't be TOO far off, but I'm having
such a good time, not really concerned as long as it stays less than $5K.
You'll note that I'm going will really good plywood, but in the overall scheme
of things, it only adds about 15% to the overall cost of the boat than if going
with a lesser grade. And while I have no plans on selling my micro, if I ever
do, it will be easier to sell, and I'll feel better about selling someone a boat
built out of really good material.
Glen
Construction costs:
Plywood: 14 x $60 $840
Framing: misc $200
Epoxy + Glass $600
Paint $100
Sails & rigging $700
Motor 3-5HP (used) $300
Screws / fasteners $100
Trailer $500
Total $3340
"Mark Paquette" <paquette@...> on 03/17/2000 07:36:44 PM
Please respond tobolger@...
Sent by: "Mark Paquette" <paquette@...>
To:bolger@...
cc: (Glen Gibson/HQ/3Com)
Subject: [bolger] Thinking Micro...
Hello to the Group.
I am waiting for the weather to warm up so I can paint my first boat.
I built the MayFly12 designed by Jim Michalak and I can't wait to get
her into
the water. Builder her has been a BLAST!!!
For my next project I a thinking very seriously about the Mirco. I
love the
fact that it is self righting and seems to have a ton of room.
I have read alot of the web pages out there on the Micro and
I have yet to here anything bad about the design.
Has any one from the group heard of anything bad or had bad experiences.
Also if a few of you Micro builders would like to share time to build
and rough costs with me I would greatly appreciate it
have to talk the wife into letting me build another boat, she just
doesn't understand).
Mark in MN.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:
http://click.egroups.com/1/5530/10/_/3457/_/961073831/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolger rules:
- no cursing
- stay on topic
- use punctuation
- add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
- add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
Gregg,
Thanks for the great idea! I will start my search for some old
bimini tubing now! I was also thinking that a short pvc pipe ladder
of
1 step would be a great addition. Once you get your toe on something
low and then grab the mast, I should be back aboard. The last time
I
fell out of my Goldeneye, I was fortunate to have my Pointy Skiff
handy. I did kind of a seal type flop into the skiff, then climbed
aboard thus providing some great entertainment for the nearby yacht
club that was engaged in its annual blue blazered outdoor barbeque.
Thanks for the great idea! I will start my search for some old
bimini tubing now! I was also thinking that a short pvc pipe ladder
of
1 step would be a great addition. Once you get your toe on something
low and then grab the mast, I should be back aboard. The last time
I
fell out of my Goldeneye, I was fortunate to have my Pointy Skiff
handy. I did kind of a seal type flop into the skiff, then climbed
aboard thus providing some great entertainment for the nearby yacht
club that was engaged in its annual blue blazered outdoor barbeque.
I knew I would get some arguments on this:
Gregg: BWAOM says that the draft for micro has a draft of 21 inches - that
is knee deep on me. That gets me within about 100 yards of the beach at
Bird Island Basin in the Padre National Seashore.
Chuck
Most things being relative, I find the Micro exceptionally easy to trailer
(especially load/unload), and super shoal-drafted. For instance, sailing
up to the average shallow beach, you can either step directly out of the
cockpit into ankle-deep water, or walk to the bow and step on dry sand. I
can't think of a "traditional" ballast (permanent, external) better in this
regard.
Not to be argumentative, but I think draft and accomodation/length (i.e.
it's heavy) are Micro's raisons d'être. Agreed, centerboard/leeboards could
be slightly shallower, but I think there little practical difference. I
think Micro draws maybe 10", with its full keel working. To get to 10",
wouldn't you have to retract your boards mostly up? In your theoretical
windward slog across the far and flat reaches of say, Lake St. Catherine,
LA., the Micro might even give you trouble!
Gregg Carlson
Gregg: BWAOM says that the draft for micro has a draft of 21 inches - that
is knee deep on me. That gets me within about 100 yards of the beach at
Bird Island Basin in the Padre National Seashore.
Chuck
Most things being relative, I find the Micro exceptionally easy to trailer
(especially load/unload), and super shoal-drafted. For instance, sailing
up to the average shallow beach, you can either step directly out of the
cockpit into ankle-deep water, or walk to the bow and step on dry sand. I
can't think of a "traditional" ballast (permanent, external) better in this
regard.
Not to be argumentative, but I think draft and accomodation/length (i.e.
it's heavy) are Micro's raisons d'être. Agreed, centerboard/leeboards could
be slightly shallower, but I think there little practical difference. I
think Micro draws maybe 10", with its full keel working. To get to 10",
wouldn't you have to retract your boards mostly up? In your theoretical
windward slog across the far and flat reaches of say, Lake St. Catherine,
LA., the Micro might even give you trouble!
Gregg Carlson
Well, unless you moonlight for the circus, don't ever count on those steps
as are (who can get their foot, under them, in a first step 6" above water?)
A rope with a loop would be OK, but what would even be better was a single
U-shaped tube (probably of bimini-top tubing) pivoting at the bottom
corners. It would fold flat on the bow transom when stowed and you could
reach it from the water.
It's a real problem; you would not have been the first to drown that way.
Gregg
as are (who can get their foot, under them, in a first step 6" above water?)
A rope with a loop would be OK, but what would even be better was a single
U-shaped tube (probably of bimini-top tubing) pivoting at the bottom
corners. It would fold flat on the bow transom when stowed and you could
reach it from the water.
It's a real problem; you would not have been the first to drown that way.
Gregg
>7. the climbing steps on the bow are really
>unique. You will really appreciate them if you have ever tried to get back
>into a boat after you have fallen out. ( I have done this twice!, Ok, I
>am a klutz)
Micro vs. other boats:
I came to the decision to build Micro due to a number of factors.
1. I needed a comfortable cabin to spend 1 possibly 2 nights aboard
a
few times a year.
2. I like the safety of the full keel. Small children can be
spooked
by an accidental capsize. My wife hated our old Rhodes 22', It
rocked
and rolled due to not having enough ballast where it counted. The
Herreshoff Goldeneye was as stable as a church in winds up to 25 kts.
But, I had to constantly check the charts and tides, and the
"cabin"
stunk!
3. Real good sailing weather occurs in only June - September in the
Northeast, with an occassional bonus day in Oct. The cabin is once
again a great feature.
4. The boat will exist in a harbor that only allows boats up to 25'
in
length.
5. If a hurricane blows up, I can pull the boat out quickly and
easily.
6. The 10" draft will not be as efficient as my old Herreshoff, but
by taking the shortcuts over the sandbars, I will probably arrive at
the same destinations in about the same time. If I am going to the
Vineyard or Nantucket I can also go where others fear to tread (after
checking Eldredge's Tide Tables)
7. Chebacco or MJ would probably have done as well, but I like the
way this boat looks! the climbing steps on the bow are really
unique.
You will really appreciate them if you have ever tried to get back
into
a boat after you have fallen out. ( I have done this twice!, Ok, I
am
a klutz)
8. If you want speed and a cabin, get a J24. older used ones go
for
around $8k, some with trailers! I think owning a Micro and a J24
would
be the best combination. total cost around $12k US. quite a bargain!
David Jost "lanquishing in the murky foggy weather", Boston"
I came to the decision to build Micro due to a number of factors.
1. I needed a comfortable cabin to spend 1 possibly 2 nights aboard
a
few times a year.
2. I like the safety of the full keel. Small children can be
spooked
by an accidental capsize. My wife hated our old Rhodes 22', It
rocked
and rolled due to not having enough ballast where it counted. The
Herreshoff Goldeneye was as stable as a church in winds up to 25 kts.
But, I had to constantly check the charts and tides, and the
"cabin"
stunk!
3. Real good sailing weather occurs in only June - September in the
Northeast, with an occassional bonus day in Oct. The cabin is once
again a great feature.
4. The boat will exist in a harbor that only allows boats up to 25'
in
length.
5. If a hurricane blows up, I can pull the boat out quickly and
easily.
6. The 10" draft will not be as efficient as my old Herreshoff, but
by taking the shortcuts over the sandbars, I will probably arrive at
the same destinations in about the same time. If I am going to the
Vineyard or Nantucket I can also go where others fear to tread (after
checking Eldredge's Tide Tables)
7. Chebacco or MJ would probably have done as well, but I like the
way this boat looks! the climbing steps on the bow are really
unique.
You will really appreciate them if you have ever tried to get back
into
a boat after you have fallen out. ( I have done this twice!, Ok, I
am
a klutz)
8. If you want speed and a cabin, get a J24. older used ones go
for
around $8k, some with trailers! I think owning a Micro and a J24
would
be the best combination. total cost around $12k US. quite a bargain!
David Jost "lanquishing in the murky foggy weather", Boston"
Most things being relative, I find the Micro exceptionally easy to trailer
(especially load/unload), and super shoal-drafted. For instance, sailing
up to the average shallow beach, you can either step directly out of the
cockpit into ankle-deep water, or walk to the bow and step on dry sand. I
can't think of a "traditional" ballast (permanent, external) better in this
regard.
Not to be argumentative, but I think draft and accomodation/length (i.e.
it's heavy) are Micro's raisons d'être. Agreed, centerboard/leeboards could
be slightly shallower, but I think there little practical difference. I
think Micro draws maybe 10", with its full keel working. To get to 10",
wouldn't you have to retract your boards mostly up? In your theoretical
windward slog across the far and flat reaches of say, Lake St. Catherine,
LA., the Micro might even give you trouble!
Gregg Carlson
At 12:52 PM 6/15/2000 -0500, you wrote:
(especially load/unload), and super shoal-drafted. For instance, sailing
up to the average shallow beach, you can either step directly out of the
cockpit into ankle-deep water, or walk to the bow and step on dry sand. I
can't think of a "traditional" ballast (permanent, external) better in this
regard.
Not to be argumentative, but I think draft and accomodation/length (i.e.
it's heavy) are Micro's raisons d'être. Agreed, centerboard/leeboards could
be slightly shallower, but I think there little practical difference. I
think Micro draws maybe 10", with its full keel working. To get to 10",
wouldn't you have to retract your boards mostly up? In your theoretical
windward slog across the far and flat reaches of say, Lake St. Catherine,
LA., the Micro might even give you trouble!
Gregg Carlson
At 12:52 PM 6/15/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Mark:
>
>At the risk of being branded a heretic, I will happily point out the
>drawbacks of the Micro relative to other designs of her complexity:
>
>1) She is heavy
>2) She is short
>3) She is deep
>
>The weight and depth conspire to make Micro harder to trailer than, say a
>boat that has water ballast, and leeboards or centerboards. The keel also
>makes her harder to beach, and sail in shallow waters. Her shortness keeps
>her top speed low, since displacement speed is a function of WLL.
>
>If these are not considerations, then Micro is a fine design indeed. I live
>about five hours from the Gulf of Mexico, which means I have to haul my boat
>a long way to enjoy those shallow waters, and gently sloping beaches. Micro
>is not the boat for me. Martha Jane, on the other hand....
>
>Chuck
>
>> Hello to the Group.
>> I am waiting for the weather to warm up so I can paint my first boat.
>> I built the MayFly12 designed by Jim Michalak and I can't wait to get
>> her into
>> the water. Builder her has been a BLAST!!!
>>
>> For my next project I a thinking very seriously about the Mirco. I
>> love the
>> fact that it is self righting and seems to have a ton of room.
>> I have read alot of the web pages out there on the Micro and
>> I have yet to here anything bad about the design.
>> Has any one from the group heard of anything bad or had bad experiences.
>>
>> Also if a few of you Micro builders would like to share time to build
>> and rough costs with me I would greatly appreciate it
>> have to talk the wife into letting me build another boat, she just
>> doesn't understand).
>>
>> Mark in MN.
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:
>>http://click.egroups.com/1/5530/10/_/3457/_/961073831/
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Bolger rules:
>> - no cursing
>> - stay on topic
>> - use punctuation
>> - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
>> - add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
>>
>>
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Remember four years of good friends, bad clothes, explosive chemistry
>experiments.
>http://click.egroups.com/1/5532/10/_/3457/_/961091698/
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Bolger rules:
>- no cursing
>- stay on topic
>- use punctuation
>- add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
>- add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
>
>
Also, she doesn't point as well as a boat with a higher aspect ratio
keel/board.
Everything is a tradeoff though, I think Micro is a wonderful boat, a great
little big cruiser.
keel/board.
Everything is a tradeoff though, I think Micro is a wonderful boat, a great
little big cruiser.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Leinweber" <chuck@...>
To: <bolger@egroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: [bolger] Thinking Micro...
> Mark:
>
> At the risk of being branded a heretic, I will happily point out the
> drawbacks of the Micro relative to other designs of her complexity:
>
> 1) She is heavy
> 2) She is short
> 3) She is deep
>
> The weight and depth conspire to make Micro harder to trailer than, say a
> boat that has water ballast, and leeboards or centerboards. The keel also
> makes her harder to beach, and sail in shallow waters. Her shortness
keeps
> her top speed low, since displacement speed is a function of WLL.
>
> If these are not considerations, then Micro is a fine design indeed. I
live
> about five hours from the Gulf of Mexico, which means I have to haul my
boat
> a long way to enjoy those shallow waters, and gently sloping beaches.
Micro
> is not the boat for me. Martha Jane, on the other hand....
>
> Chuck
>
> > Hello to the Group.
> > I am waiting for the weather to warm up so I can paint my first boat.
> > I built the MayFly12 designed by Jim Michalak and I can't wait to get
> > her into
> > the water. Builder her has been a BLAST!!!
> >
> > For my next project I a thinking very seriously about the Mirco. I
> > love the
> > fact that it is self righting and seems to have a ton of room.
> > I have read alot of the web pages out there on the Micro and
> > I have yet to here anything bad about the design.
> > Has any one from the group heard of anything bad or had bad experiences.
> >
> > Also if a few of you Micro builders would like to share time to build
> > and rough costs with me I would greatly appreciate it
> > have to talk the wife into letting me build another boat, she just
> > doesn't understand).
> >
> > Mark in MN.
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:
> >http://click.egroups.com/1/5530/10/_/3457/_/961073831/
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Bolger rules:
> > - no cursing
> > - stay on topic
> > - use punctuation
> > - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
> > - add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Remember four years of good friends, bad clothes, explosive chemistry
> experiments.
>http://click.egroups.com/1/5532/10/_/3457/_/961091698/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Bolger rules:
> - no cursing
> - stay on topic
> - use punctuation
> - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
> - add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
>
Mark:
At the risk of being branded a heretic, I will happily point out the
drawbacks of the Micro relative to other designs of her complexity:
1) She is heavy
2) She is short
3) She is deep
The weight and depth conspire to make Micro harder to trailer than, say a
boat that has water ballast, and leeboards or centerboards. The keel also
makes her harder to beach, and sail in shallow waters. Her shortness keeps
her top speed low, since displacement speed is a function of WLL.
If these are not considerations, then Micro is a fine design indeed. I live
about five hours from the Gulf of Mexico, which means I have to haul my boat
a long way to enjoy those shallow waters, and gently sloping beaches. Micro
is not the boat for me. Martha Jane, on the other hand....
Chuck
At the risk of being branded a heretic, I will happily point out the
drawbacks of the Micro relative to other designs of her complexity:
1) She is heavy
2) She is short
3) She is deep
The weight and depth conspire to make Micro harder to trailer than, say a
boat that has water ballast, and leeboards or centerboards. The keel also
makes her harder to beach, and sail in shallow waters. Her shortness keeps
her top speed low, since displacement speed is a function of WLL.
If these are not considerations, then Micro is a fine design indeed. I live
about five hours from the Gulf of Mexico, which means I have to haul my boat
a long way to enjoy those shallow waters, and gently sloping beaches. Micro
is not the boat for me. Martha Jane, on the other hand....
Chuck
> Hello to the Group.
> I am waiting for the weather to warm up so I can paint my first boat.
> I built the MayFly12 designed by Jim Michalak and I can't wait to get
> her into
> the water. Builder her has been a BLAST!!!
>
> For my next project I a thinking very seriously about the Mirco. I
> love the
> fact that it is self righting and seems to have a ton of room.
> I have read alot of the web pages out there on the Micro and
> I have yet to here anything bad about the design.
> Has any one from the group heard of anything bad or had bad experiences.
>
> Also if a few of you Micro builders would like to share time to build
> and rough costs with me I would greatly appreciate it
> have to talk the wife into letting me build another boat, she just
> doesn't understand).
>
> Mark in MN.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:
>http://click.egroups.com/1/5530/10/_/3457/_/961073831/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Bolger rules:
> - no cursing
> - stay on topic
> - use punctuation
> - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
> - add content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
>
>
Hi Mark,
As to your, "Has any one from the group heard of anything bad or had
bad experiences.", the answer is a resounding, NO. I've been involved
in, hoping for, planning for, dreaming of, and building a Micro for over
two years, and in all that time, I have yet to hear a negative comment
about its design, construction, or use. It is indeed a great little
boat. If you can, go to the group archive and search for, "more bang for
the buck" and you will have a better idea of her reputation.
As to cost, there is nothing carved into stone, the Micro can be made
of lumberyard materials, i.e. A C exterior ply rather than marine, pine
framing rather than mahogany, and doing this, great savings are
possible.
As to time involved, This depends on you, and your ability to say no
to improvements, modifications, and expressions of your self into the
finished boat. I know for a fact, you can very easily double the
building time by wanting this little improvement, and that little
modification. But, unlike other projects, this is a labor of love, and
time spent is almost as enjoyable as the enjoyment of using her when she
is at last completed.
Now, to the important part, getting your wife to join you in your
interest to build her. Some forty years ago, I wanted to go camping, and
since my wife was born and raised in New York City, It wasn't an easy
sell. I then explained to her why women love camping. I told her it was
her vacation time, the man sets up camp, does the cooking, and all the
chores, and the woman just is supposed to relax and enjoy. It is the
same with boating, it is her time to relax and enjoy. In fact when I
started my Micro, the first thing she asked was, "do camping rules apply
with boating?" I said, "yes", She said, "OK", with a big smile.
If all else fails, go with Davids suggestion;
All the best, and good luck, Stan, Snow Goose.
As to your, "Has any one from the group heard of anything bad or had
bad experiences.", the answer is a resounding, NO. I've been involved
in, hoping for, planning for, dreaming of, and building a Micro for over
two years, and in all that time, I have yet to hear a negative comment
about its design, construction, or use. It is indeed a great little
boat. If you can, go to the group archive and search for, "more bang for
the buck" and you will have a better idea of her reputation.
As to cost, there is nothing carved into stone, the Micro can be made
of lumberyard materials, i.e. A C exterior ply rather than marine, pine
framing rather than mahogany, and doing this, great savings are
possible.
As to time involved, This depends on you, and your ability to say no
to improvements, modifications, and expressions of your self into the
finished boat. I know for a fact, you can very easily double the
building time by wanting this little improvement, and that little
modification. But, unlike other projects, this is a labor of love, and
time spent is almost as enjoyable as the enjoyment of using her when she
is at last completed.
Now, to the important part, getting your wife to join you in your
interest to build her. Some forty years ago, I wanted to go camping, and
since my wife was born and raised in New York City, It wasn't an easy
sell. I then explained to her why women love camping. I told her it was
her vacation time, the man sets up camp, does the cooking, and all the
chores, and the woman just is supposed to relax and enjoy. It is the
same with boating, it is her time to relax and enjoy. In fact when I
started my Micro, the first thing she asked was, "do camping rules apply
with boating?" I said, "yes", She said, "OK", with a big smile.
If all else fails, go with Davids suggestion;
> d. promise to let her spend an equivalent amount of money on thingsI know for a fact this works too!
> for her that you spend on the boat. (This always works in my house)
> We call it the Cha-ching (sound of a cash register)effect.
All the best, and good luck, Stan, Snow Goose.