Im Building a Sailing Dinghy! Check it out!
- Thread starter sailingandsuch
- Start date
- Status
back seat
Unfortunately, I don't have a great photo of the back seat. Take a look at the one I've attached and you can get an idea of how it works. I made a sketch of the back portion of the dinghy as if you were looking down into the boat. You can see that I basically cut off the left and right portions of the seat and glued them into place which creates the open space for the wooden seat. It is not attached or hinged in any way but that would be very easy to do. Mine fits pretty tight so I'm not too worried about losing it if the ride becomes a bit rough.
A couple more things you may want to consider, after towing the dinghy the first time in good wind, I found the boat filling with water through the centerboard trunk. Each time the boat hit a big wave, water would rush up the trunk and fill her up. I couldn't see this happening because it usually happened while she was climbing up the wave so her interior was angled away from me. Gradually, I realized she was acting sluggish back there and sitting lower in the water so we stopped to find her with 20 or 30 gallons of water inside. I ended up stuffing a rag in place just to keep the water out until I could make a proper plug (See the sketch).
I added dual oarlocks so I can row facing forward from the back seat (see photo). I like this because (A) I can see where I'm going, and (B) whe there's just two people on board, one can sit in the front and on in back so the boat balances much better.
Lastly, the skeg was getting pretty beat up from dragging her up on the beach so I found an aluminum "U" channel that fit perfectly over the skeg. I cut it to fit and used up some extra Boat Life underwater caulk I had laying around to glue it in place.
Hope this helps!
Unfortunately, I don't have a great photo of the back seat. Take a look at the one I've attached and you can get an idea of how it works. I made a sketch of the back portion of the dinghy as if you were looking down into the boat. You can see that I basically cut off the left and right portions of the seat and glued them into place which creates the open space for the wooden seat. It is not attached or hinged in any way but that would be very easy to do. Mine fits pretty tight so I'm not too worried about losing it if the ride becomes a bit rough.
A couple more things you may want to consider, after towing the dinghy the first time in good wind, I found the boat filling with water through the centerboard trunk. Each time the boat hit a big wave, water would rush up the trunk and fill her up. I couldn't see this happening because it usually happened while she was climbing up the wave so her interior was angled away from me. Gradually, I realized she was acting sluggish back there and sitting lower in the water so we stopped to find her with 20 or 30 gallons of water inside. I ended up stuffing a rag in place just to keep the water out until I could make a proper plug (See the sketch).
I added dual oarlocks so I can row facing forward from the back seat (see photo). I like this because (A) I can see where I'm going, and (B) whe there's just two people on board, one can sit in the front and on in back so the boat balances much better.
Lastly, the skeg was getting pretty beat up from dragging her up on the beach so I found an aluminum "U" channel that fit perfectly over the skeg. I cut it to fit and used up some extra Boat Life underwater caulk I had laying around to glue it in place.
Hope this helps!
Attachments
Yes, they come full size. They also come with overview drawings and instructions. Here's the website...
http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=PK78
Click on the "study plans" and you'll get an idea.
http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=PK78
Click on the "study plans" and you'll get an idea.
Plywood checking
There are all kinds of forces on these boats so the plywood is flexing a lot. I used 1/4" plywood but when you put a couple two hundred pound people in the boat with the weight point loaded (say they are standing up, plus a bunch of gear, then you take on some water from heeling that sloshes around, the plywood ends up checking as described and small cracks in the relatively brittle non-reinforced epoxy develop. Marine plywood from what I'm told is the same as any other plywood regarding the adhesive used to make it but the difference is every layer in the laminate has the defects fixed with plugs, so there is absolutely no voids in the plywood. I went to high school with a guy that now sells marine glass and epoxy supplies and he recommended the single sheet of glass and resin to seal it and increases the strength of the bottom as well. Worked excellent, not a drop of water.
All wood swells a little when wet so where there were checks it would seal up, just like a wooden boat hull does when launched. If I build another boat some day I will absolutely glass it on the bottom before installing the skeg and I'd consider glassing the inside bottom up to about two to three inchese above the floor, just to add to longevity and reduced maintenance. The epoxy coated plywood looks really good but it doesn't hold up to sunlight and starts to peel and discolor. It absolutely needs to be painted or varnished to resist the sunlight. Mine needs a complete refinish on the interior but I am so busy having fun with it I never seem to get around to the cosmetics. I'll post a picture when I can find one of the semi finished hull and the finished boat under sail.
There are all kinds of forces on these boats so the plywood is flexing a lot. I used 1/4" plywood but when you put a couple two hundred pound people in the boat with the weight point loaded (say they are standing up, plus a bunch of gear, then you take on some water from heeling that sloshes around, the plywood ends up checking as described and small cracks in the relatively brittle non-reinforced epoxy develop. Marine plywood from what I'm told is the same as any other plywood regarding the adhesive used to make it but the difference is every layer in the laminate has the defects fixed with plugs, so there is absolutely no voids in the plywood. I went to high school with a guy that now sells marine glass and epoxy supplies and he recommended the single sheet of glass and resin to seal it and increases the strength of the bottom as well. Worked excellent, not a drop of water.
All wood swells a little when wet so where there were checks it would seal up, just like a wooden boat hull does when launched. If I build another boat some day I will absolutely glass it on the bottom before installing the skeg and I'd consider glassing the inside bottom up to about two to three inchese above the floor, just to add to longevity and reduced maintenance. The epoxy coated plywood looks really good but it doesn't hold up to sunlight and starts to peel and discolor. It absolutely needs to be painted or varnished to resist the sunlight. Mine needs a complete refinish on the interior but I am so busy having fun with it I never seem to get around to the cosmetics. I'll post a picture when I can find one of the semi finished hull and the finished boat under sail.
Regarding plug for centerboard trunk and u-channel
I made the exact same plug for the centerboard trunk. I put a couple eye bolts near the bottom of the trunk and use a bungee cord to hold the plug in place. Works great. The u-channel aluminum is a great idea. I installed a thin hardwood strip on the skeg to act as a wear strip but this sounds like a better idea. No screws to leak and rot out the skeg.
Sailing dighy's are so much fun I hardly want to sail my big boat any more. I was thinking of getting a laser but its not set up for power. The sailing dighy I made is 11' long so it is pretty nice for two people and a lot of gear.
Here's a picture of the boat from the designer. This is not mine, mines a little rougher but you'll get the idea.
I made the exact same plug for the centerboard trunk. I put a couple eye bolts near the bottom of the trunk and use a bungee cord to hold the plug in place. Works great. The u-channel aluminum is a great idea. I installed a thin hardwood strip on the skeg to act as a wear strip but this sounds like a better idea. No screws to leak and rot out the skeg.
Sailing dighy's are so much fun I hardly want to sail my big boat any more. I was thinking of getting a laser but its not set up for power. The sailing dighy I made is 11' long so it is pretty nice for two people and a lot of gear.
Here's a picture of the boat from the designer. This is not mine, mines a little rougher but you'll get the idea.
Here's a description from the net
Cracking - Plywood (Checking)
View Larger
DESCRIPTION
Thin, long, and relatively straight cracks that form in the paint film, usually in the direction of the plywood grain.
POSSIBLE CAUSE
Plywood is prone to cracking because of its method of manufacture. Plywood cracks from its expansion and contraction with changing moisture content. Stresses are induced which later show up as cracking. Many small fissures are produced in films of paints and stains that have been applied to insufficiently dry plywood. The edges of these cracks protrude upward and can be felt as sharp burrs. Subsequently, this coating may become detached from the edges of the cracks and lead to flaking.
SOLUTION
See Lead Information.
New wood: To prevent cracking of newly installed exterior plywood, sand and immediately prime with A-100® Latex Exterior Wood Primer. Even minimal exposure to the elements will cause unprotected plywood to degrade.
Repaint: If the cracking is not extensive, clean the surface thoroughly, then sand surface smooth and wipe off dust. The plywood must be thoroughly dry. If cracking is severe, replace the wood.
Cracking - Plywood (Checking)
DESCRIPTION
Thin, long, and relatively straight cracks that form in the paint film, usually in the direction of the plywood grain.
POSSIBLE CAUSE
Plywood is prone to cracking because of its method of manufacture. Plywood cracks from its expansion and contraction with changing moisture content. Stresses are induced which later show up as cracking. Many small fissures are produced in films of paints and stains that have been applied to insufficiently dry plywood. The edges of these cracks protrude upward and can be felt as sharp burrs. Subsequently, this coating may become detached from the edges of the cracks and lead to flaking.
SOLUTION
See Lead Information.
New wood: To prevent cracking of newly installed exterior plywood, sand and immediately prime with A-100® Latex Exterior Wood Primer. Even minimal exposure to the elements will cause unprotected plywood to degrade.
Repaint: If the cracking is not extensive, clean the surface thoroughly, then sand surface smooth and wipe off dust. The plywood must be thoroughly dry. If cracking is severe, replace the wood.
Beautiful Boat
This is a picture from the web site of the designer. Search on Arch Davis Sand Dollar. Arch is a designer/Builder up in Maine. The plans are 108 bucks and come with a complete book on how to build her step by step. Wonderful set of plans. My sand dollar looks almost as good but it needs some refinishing on the inside. Arch recommends varnishing the interior but I'm going to paint mine as it will be easier to maintain. My sailing rig is a lugsail. I made everything including the sail except for the hardware like oar locks, sheaves, cleats. I spent about 6 months on it a few hours at a time here and there.
Arch also has a 14 footer of similar construction and a 17. It's a great boat but too big to put on the foredeck. It rows absolutely beautifully.
I have pictures of her under construction I'll try to find them and post them. You really learn about woodworking and epoxy work building it. The boat is built on longitudinal frames so it is not stitch and glue. The planks are screwed to the frames with stainless screws every four inches and all parts are also glued with epoxy. The plywood is coated with epoxy but as noted I recommend a layer of glass on the bottom.
I saw on Arch's web site that you can now get the boat as a kit, that would make it easy to build but you still need a jig to build it on and station frames to set up the shape of the hull.
This is a picture from the web site of the designer. Search on Arch Davis Sand Dollar. Arch is a designer/Builder up in Maine. The plans are 108 bucks and come with a complete book on how to build her step by step. Wonderful set of plans. My sand dollar looks almost as good but it needs some refinishing on the inside. Arch recommends varnishing the interior but I'm going to paint mine as it will be easier to maintain. My sailing rig is a lugsail. I made everything including the sail except for the hardware like oar locks, sheaves, cleats. I spent about 6 months on it a few hours at a time here and there.
Arch also has a 14 footer of similar construction and a 17. It's a great boat but too big to put on the foredeck. It rows absolutely beautifully.
I have pictures of her under construction I'll try to find them and post them. You really learn about woodworking and epoxy work building it. The boat is built on longitudinal frames so it is not stitch and glue. The planks are screwed to the frames with stainless screws every four inches and all parts are also glued with epoxy. The plywood is coated with epoxy but as noted I recommend a layer of glass on the bottom.
I saw on Arch's web site that you can now get the boat as a kit, that would make it easy to build but you still need a jig to build it on and station frames to set up the shape of the hull.
Jibes
Jibes- I found a 10' sailing/rowing dinghy in my shop when I moved into it. It is very nice. I hear it was built by a high school wood shop class and then raffeled off, won by my investors dad and then never used. The sail was still in the package brand new, but 20 years old when I found it. I wanted to use it as tender for my catalina30 but it's too heavy for me to handle comfortably.
Anyway, I tried to take it out on a lake here and could not figure out how to get the sails set up. I took my wife out with me to the lake. We got blown down wind a mile or so and then I had to row back against the wind because I couldn't sail it at all!
One of those pictures was my wife making fun of me acting like she was scared while she took the picture. She is hilarious.
This thing came with alot of stuff but since it's never been sailed, it is missing the mainsheet and any other running rigging.
Can you give me a description of how to set it up and how the sails are trimmed? I think I need some pullies for the mainsheet. How many turns in the sheet do I need?
Jibes- I found a 10' sailing/rowing dinghy in my shop when I moved into it. It is very nice. I hear it was built by a high school wood shop class and then raffeled off, won by my investors dad and then never used. The sail was still in the package brand new, but 20 years old when I found it. I wanted to use it as tender for my catalina30 but it's too heavy for me to handle comfortably.
Anyway, I tried to take it out on a lake here and could not figure out how to get the sails set up. I took my wife out with me to the lake. We got blown down wind a mile or so and then I had to row back against the wind because I couldn't sail it at all!
One of those pictures was my wife making fun of me acting like she was scared while she took the picture. She is hilarious.
This thing came with alot of stuff but since it's never been sailed, it is missing the mainsheet and any other running rigging.
Can you give me a description of how to set it up and how the sails are trimmed? I think I need some pullies for the mainsheet. How many turns in the sheet do I need?
Attachments
How to set it up
Scott,
Not enough information to help you. Do you know what kind of saling rig you have? For instance, your Catalina is called a Marconi rig. The sail is attached to the mast and boom and is triangular in shape. There are other kinds of rigs, mine is a lugsail. It is a four sided sail and the sail is not attached to the mast at all. The sail is attached to the boom and to a yard that is hauled up by a halyard. There is also a sprit rig on many dinghys.
From your second picture it looks like the sail is attached to the boom by individual loops of line. Better to use a continuous line and run it through the loops and around the boom like you are tying your shoes. Then you need an outhaul, Something to pull the bottom of the saul somewhat taught out towards the end of the boom, and you need a tack, a connection point at the front of the boom. As for a mainsheet, mine is way more elaborate than needed. I used a cam cleat on the floor so I could cleat the sail and use both hands to open the cooler and pull out beverages. This goes back to my sunfish days where I always had to hold the sheet. With the sheet in one hand and the tiller in the other all your hands are used up. Secondly I got a couple blocks and rigged a two part tackle to make sheeting easy. I found it was unnecessary as the forces aren't that high except in over 20 knots of wind. So just tie a line to the boom out near the end and pull it in or out. Be careful not to get rope burn.
If you could take a picture of the rig I could offer more help. The boat looks really nice. You may want your wife sitting in back when you row, might distribute the weight better and then you can look at her while she is yelling at you. You should search on sailinghy dinghy rig types or get a book on sailing and see if you can find out what you have.
Scott,
Not enough information to help you. Do you know what kind of saling rig you have? For instance, your Catalina is called a Marconi rig. The sail is attached to the mast and boom and is triangular in shape. There are other kinds of rigs, mine is a lugsail. It is a four sided sail and the sail is not attached to the mast at all. The sail is attached to the boom and to a yard that is hauled up by a halyard. There is also a sprit rig on many dinghys.
From your second picture it looks like the sail is attached to the boom by individual loops of line. Better to use a continuous line and run it through the loops and around the boom like you are tying your shoes. Then you need an outhaul, Something to pull the bottom of the saul somewhat taught out towards the end of the boom, and you need a tack, a connection point at the front of the boom. As for a mainsheet, mine is way more elaborate than needed. I used a cam cleat on the floor so I could cleat the sail and use both hands to open the cooler and pull out beverages. This goes back to my sunfish days where I always had to hold the sheet. With the sheet in one hand and the tiller in the other all your hands are used up. Secondly I got a couple blocks and rigged a two part tackle to make sheeting easy. I found it was unnecessary as the forces aren't that high except in over 20 knots of wind. So just tie a line to the boom out near the end and pull it in or out. Be careful not to get rope burn.
If you could take a picture of the rig I could offer more help. The boat looks really nice. You may want your wife sitting in back when you row, might distribute the weight better and then you can look at her while she is yelling at you. You should search on sailinghy dinghy rig types or get a book on sailing and see if you can find out what you have.
http://www.glen-l.com/
Check this site, under the misc. heading they have a free downloadable book on rigging small sailboats, it might help Scott.
Check this site, under the misc. heading they have a free downloadable book on rigging small sailboats, it might help Scott.
Jibes-Sorry I was so excited seeing your set up I forgot to mention that. It is the same set up you have. When I first tried putting it together I couldn't find a picture of anything like it. I even posted on here and asked. I thought it may be a gaff rig and that was what I got from here. It must be a rare set up.
I didn't know how that top spar was supposed to go. I had it fixed to the mast making the sail look like a chinese junk set up, but that didn't work becasue the luff doesn't attach to the mast.
Saildog- my wife took that picture and didn't tell me. Then she downloaded it to the computer and waited for me to find it. She does clever things like that.
I didn't know how that top spar was supposed to go. I had it fixed to the mast making the sail look like a chinese junk set up, but that didn't work becasue the luff doesn't attach to the mast.
Saildog- my wife took that picture and didn't tell me. Then she downloaded it to the computer and waited for me to find it. She does clever things like that.
Lugsail Rig
Scott,
The lugsail rig is sensitive to the position of the halyard. It willl take you some trial and error to get the right position. If it is set up wrong you will get wrinkles in the sail. Once you get the right spot mark it witha sharpie so you can set it up each time. The lugsail isn't the best upwind but it is ok. I run a trip line so when I tack i move the sai over so it is on the lee side of the mast giving it a better shape. It helps to loosen the halyard, move the sail over the tighten the halyard. I run the halyard througha block on the bow cleat back to the cockpit to a cleat so I can easily loosen it and tighten it. A lot of dinghy's have a bridle set up at the stern to connect the mainsheet. You may want to try that. Don't go too big with the line, dinghys are pretty light and the forces aren't that great so don't oversize your lines. You want to minimize weight.
Scott,
The lugsail rig is sensitive to the position of the halyard. It willl take you some trial and error to get the right position. If it is set up wrong you will get wrinkles in the sail. Once you get the right spot mark it witha sharpie so you can set it up each time. The lugsail isn't the best upwind but it is ok. I run a trip line so when I tack i move the sai over so it is on the lee side of the mast giving it a better shape. It helps to loosen the halyard, move the sail over the tighten the halyard. I run the halyard througha block on the bow cleat back to the cockpit to a cleat so I can easily loosen it and tighten it. A lot of dinghy's have a bridle set up at the stern to connect the mainsheet. You may want to try that. Don't go too big with the line, dinghys are pretty light and the forces aren't that great so don't oversize your lines. You want to minimize weight.
- Status