WebLetter 36

An Occasional Publication for the Home Boat Builder

• Wood/Plywood questions?
• On the Mark: Scraping for finishing by Mark Bronkalla
• POXY-SHIELD - The boatbuilder epoxy
• In the news
• Chattanooga to Knoxville by Ray Macke
• Old Boat Club: "fast, sleek, water rocket"
• Feedback: Kidyak
• "Safety Standards for Backyard Boat Builders"
• Mat and epoxy
• Argosy notes
• Shop Talk: Making a square peg fit in a round hole
• Feedback: Power Skiff 14
• Questions
• Recent email

• Another large WebLetter thanks to all who have sent in email, letters and photos. Why not share your experiences, especially cost, time to build and performance. Other builders want to know...
• The deep-vee TNT-size boat for a jet... Is going to be available in two versions, one for outboard, one for jet. "Fun" and "FunJet" (6-3-02: The Names have been changed to DynoMite and DynoJet.) Should be available by next month if things progress at the current rate. Stay tuned.
• Email... This past Monday, 267 email; it is getting more difficult to keep up. There was a lot of SPAM, but even after it is swept away, there is still a lot left. If you have any questions, please keep them brief and to the point. Questions that ask for dimensions usually take longer. Also take advantage of the Project Registry. Over holidays or other times when we are not available, a fellow builder may have the answer.
• We have articles by two of our favorite contributors in the issue. A brief spell of good weather on the Kaskaskia has made possible a new adventure by Ray Macke in his Cabin Skiff (Chattanooga to Knoxville). When I read Ray's stories I realize how much a part of his life his boat has become and I look forward to each new adventure.
  Mark Bronkalla has sent in another great article. The subject was changed in response to questions on the Boatbuilder Connection, making them even more timely.
• T-Shirts. In response to customer requests, we now have XXL T-Shirts. I suspect that boatbuilders always need more room.
• Paul Miller told us about this group some time ago... you might want to check it out. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Glen-L-Builders/

Barry Witt      
Editor      

Wood/Plywood questions?

For answers to many questions concerning wood see the FAQ's page in our Wood and Plywood Information section.

On the Mark: Scraping for finishing

by Mark Bronkalla

"Due to recent work on the boat and interest from the boatbuilder connection, the topic has changed." ..Mark

While applying the final coats of epoxy and varnish, there are times when it can be quite frustrating. At times it may seem like you have:

• Sanded off nearly as much epoxy or varnish as you have applied
• Sanded through the "nice" part of the finish while trying to remove drips, runs, sags - bare wood plus a nearly intact run!
• Paid more for sandpaper than the wood you are sanding (well maybe not quite)

Finishing is not my favorite part of building boats or furniture. I love the construction and the final finishing steps where the glossy finish shows off all of my hard work. Conversely, the seemingly interminable sanding sometime makes me wonder why I started this project.

Mental breakthrough

This spring I am finally getting around to varnishing the inside of my Riviera. I know I should have done this 2 years ago, but we wanted to use it and I was putting off all of the sanding required.

A recent article in Wooden Boat helped immensely. It covered using scrapers for finishing.I had been using planes and sandpaper. I was fixated on power sanding to get the job done more quickly, and had developed a mental block about using hand scrapers. I use scrapers frequently on furniture projects and in some cases don't sand at all, but only scrape and plane. Unfortunately, on the boat I did not even think of using them! The interior of the hull has MANY inside corners which make sanding no fun (hard to do and leads to bashed finger tips). With a scraper it goes SO much easier and quicker that it is almost unbelievable. In addition, the greater control with the scraper makes it something I can have the kids do. With sandpaper, there were too many sand-through problems to make it worth having them do it. It is great to have the kids do the engine compartment - they fit so much better than I do, and end up with fewer aches and pains (or at least I do).

Typical cost for scrapers is $5-8 each or 3 for $15.

Continue

POXY-SHIELD The boatbuilder epoxy

This is a re-print from WebLetter 3. This is one of the most often asked questions about Poxy-Shield, and well worth repeating.

How can I increase the working time of POXY-SHIELD?

This is a commonly asked question... and a good one. The speed at which any particular epoxy sets up is determined by temperature. There are several ways to affect temperature, both directly and indirectly. Either by controlling physical temperatures or by controlling the resin volume.

There are obvious ways to control temperature. If the weather is warm, the resin and hardener can be stored in a cool place or can even be cooled by the simple expedient of setting the resin container in a bucket of ice. Do not work in the sun. Will a fan help? Not likely. Fans do not cool. They move warm air away from your body and heat generated by the resin, but this is neglegible once the resin is applied in a thin film.

Which leads to the second, and possibly most important way of extending "pot life". Once the resin is mixed with the hardener, it begins to react; the reaction generates heat. This heat will accelerate the process. Once you can feel the heat it is probably best to discard the resin, particularly if you are applying glass cloth. So what do you do? As soon as the resin and hardener are thoroughly mixed, transfer the mixture to a container with a large surface area (pie tin, paint roller pan, etc.), this allows the heat generated by the reaction to dissipate. Obviously, if you get the mixture onto your boat quickly it will have the same effect.

How about adding less hardener? Don't do it. Visualize epoxy as a plastic material that has been disassembled. If you do not put all the pieces back in, you will not have the same product. Although there is some leeway in mixing, it is best to keep as close to the recommended mix as possible. In the case of POXY-SHIELD, the mix is 5 parts resin to 1 part hardener.

Epoxy Manual on-line for more information on working with Poxy-Shield boatbuilder epoxy.

In the news

Otis Gifford's Bo-Jest appeared in WoodenBoat's "Launchings" section, May/June 2002.

Otis Gifford began with the Bo Jest plans from Glen-L Marine Designs. He extended the stern to enclose a 25-hp, four-stroke Mercury outboard motor. The 19' plywood-and-epoxy O'sARK travels Florida's St. John's River and the Intercoastal Waterway at 5.5 knots.

In the same issue:

Scott Cronshaw stretched Glen-L Marine's design for the 18' Little Hunk to 20' 9". He built GLORY with 1/2" fir marine plywood for the sides and 1"-thick oak planking covered with 3/4" plywood on the bottom. All is sheathed with fiberglass and epoxy. (I assume"oak planking" should be "oak framing".)

Tennessee River Chattanooga to Knoxville by Ray Macke Another story from our favorite river traveler... The winter of 2001/02 had been fairly mild in So. Illinois. I was fortunate that the Kaskaskia River was frozen over for only about a week and a half the whole season. As a result, each month this winter I have been able to get out on the water several times. But most all the outings had been local and the gray/brown shoreline of the Kaskaskia had become a little boring. To make matters worse, it seemed that spring is taking its time in arriving. Frankly, I was starting to suffer the nagging urge to explore new water. My wife can always detect this as she spots me at my desk, idly staring at river charts with drool collecting on the pages (that's why many of them use water resistant paper!). Yea, I've got it bad and am in need of a fix. Continue

Old Boat Club: "fast, sleek, water rocket"

This recent entry for the "Old Boat Club" Project Registry tells a familiar story of resurrected dreams...

JET CAT 14' / Steve Johnson / steve_wake2001@hotmail.com / 5-12-02: My grandfather had built this boat over thirty years ago, along with another Glen L boat called the Squirt. The boat stayed in excellent condition, and provided the family with many wonderful times on the water. However at the time, we only wished the engines would have been built as well as the boat was. They kept breaking down, and because of that fact the boat stayed in storage for 28 years. Two summers ago I went down and opened up the cover that was on top of it. In my eyes I saw a fast, sleek, water rocket that would be the most interesting boat on the lake. I decided to start to re-build the boat that summer. The more I examined it, the more work I found that had to be done. I had to strip all the interior, rip out the full floor, and sand all the old paint off. Once the boat was down to bare wood, we basically had to start fresh. We re-fiberglassed the outside, strengthened the bilge area, and re-inforced all the bulkheads, stringers, and stations. Now, almost 2 years later we are finally at the painting stage. We decided to paint it off white, with Interlux one part polyurethane paint. We bought a Johnson 120 H.P. outboard which should push her along quite nicely........ Right now I am building a few parts for her at the company I work at. I'm building a gas tank, seat pedestals, a wakeboarding tower, a window frame, and an engine bracket. "all out of aluminum". There is still a lot of work, but I am very excited to finally have it done.

Feedback: Kidyak

Subject: Kidyak
Date: Mon, 13 May 2002

Hello, I wanted to pass on some photos of Kidyak that I built last summer. Don't blink, you are not seeing double. You are looking at a matching pair of Kidyaks I built for our 6 year old twins (they are 7 now). Last summer they each wanted their own kayaks since they were tired of taking turns with rides in my kayak (sharing is just too much work). I saw your plans for Kidyak and it looked perfect for 6 year olds. Most of the paddling we do is in the many reservoirs and remote mountain lakes of Idaho. I wanted a design that was stable enough for a beginner and had good tracking ability to handle windy conditions. They liked the looks of the shark face on the prototype shown on your web site. That is why you see shark faces on theirs. Safety was my primary concern and I liked the enclosed floatation chambers in the ends and the open cockpit for easy entry/exit. These were the first small boats that either of the boys had used and I was surprised at how quickly they mastered them. We camped near Redfish lake in the Sawtooth Wilderness area in central Idaho when the boats were first finished. The first morning we were there the boys put the boats in the water. They were a bit nervous at first but by lunch time they were all over the lake paddling like experience kayakers. Kidyak is a very stable boat which helps first time paddlers gain confidence quickly.

The boys helped build the boats which adds to their enjoyment in using them. They are proud to tell their friends about the boats they built. These were also the first stitch and glue boats I have built and I found it surprisingly easy. Thanks for the great design. This week we are adding more padding for the seats and adding a couple of front deck lash points for shock cording to hold a dry bag full of lunch or other things that a 7 year old might consider as necessary expedition gear. I also have two 14 year old boys who are interested in boat building. They have their eyes on Tunnel Mite and Squirt. It looks like I will be placing another order soon.

Scott Van Hoff
Boise ID 83704

Photos

"Safety Standards for Backyard Boat Builders"

From the "Letters" section of Boatbuilder magazine, May/June 2002.

Coast Guard Standards

On the subject of powering a homebuilt boat, the present Safe Powering Regulations (effective date: 1 November 1972) in Subpart D of Part 183 were adopted from industry standards published by the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) and the Boating Industry Associations (the former BIA is now the National Marine Manufacturers Association). These standards were originally developed by a team of boating experts. They tested a variety of boats (approximately 150) and rated each boat according to the horsepower they felt was safe or unsafe. The ABYC plotted these test results against boat dimensions (length and transom width) and derived an average safe horsepower recommendation.

The boats tested by these experts were off-the-shelf models which were available during the period 1954 through 1967. All of the boats tested were of conventional design (semi-V, round chines, cathedral hull). All of the boats had a length-to-beam ratio ranging from 2.2:1 to 3:1, and the smallest boat tested was 14 feet in length.

Later amendments to the Safe Powering Standard (effective August 1, 1987) allowed manufacturers of small outboard-powered runabouts with remote wheel steering to use the ABYC safe maneuvering speed and quick turn tests for computing horsepower, provided they met certain qualifying criteria: (i) 13 feet or less in length; (ii) remote wheel steering; (iii) transom height (A) minimum 19-inch transom height; or, (B) for boats with at least a 19-inch motorwell height, a minimum 15-inch transom height; and (iv) maximum persons capacity not over two persons. Manufacturers of small outboard runabouts meeting the special criteria who used the performance tests for determining maximum horsepower were limited to a maximum of 40 horsepower.

Now I want to touch briefly on the subject of the "Safety Standards for Backyard Boat Builders" pamphlet. First of all, it is just that-a pamphlet that provides a simplified explanation of the Coast Guard safety standards and regulations to individuals building their own boats (people who are building a boat for their own use and not for sale). The pamphlet is not a regulation and has no force of law. If there are readers of Boatbuilder who are manufacturers in the business of building boats for the purposes of sale to the public, they should not be using the "Safe Standards for Backyard Boat Builders" pamphlet, but, should instead be following the pertinent regulations in the Coast Guard regulations 33 CFR Parts 179, 181, and 183.

Second, while the Coast Guard encourages individuals building boats for their own use and not for the purposes of sale to build them in compliance with Coast Guard safety standards, there is no regulatory requirement for them to do so. If you are a manufacturer of boats for the purposes of sale to the public, you can expect: (1) a visit by a Compliance Associate (trained inspectors under contract to the Coast Guard) for inspection of your production for compliance with Coast Guard regulations; (2) your boats might be spot checked for compliance by Coast Guard boating standards personnel at a boat show; or (3) one of your boats might be purchased on the open market and tested for compliance with the regulations.

There is no similar enforcement mechanism for individuals building boats for their own use and not for the purpose of sale.

Alston Colihan
AColihan@comdt.uscg.mil

Mat and epoxy

Since epoxy is "better" than polyester resin, can I use epoxy resin to apply fiberglass mat in my one-off fiberglass James Cook?

Answer:

First some background:

From Fiberglass Boatbuilding for Amateurs, Chapter 5...

WHAT IS FIBERGLASS?

The conventional fiberglass boat, if there is such a thing, basically consists of laminates made up of various fiberglass reinforcements and resin, which is usually of the polyester type. Basically, the true fiberglass reinforcing materials are made from glass filaments using virtually the same ingredients as those used in ordinary window glass, namely silica or sand. These glass filaments can be made in different ways to have differing qualities of strength, abrasion resistance, flexibility, chemical stability, and so forth.

The different types of glass are designated by a letter identifying code such as "E", "A", or "S". For example, the common fiberglass filament used to make up the conventional fiberglass boatbuilding reinforcing materials is called "E"-type glass, with the "E" standing for electrical grade. This type of glass has a tensile strength of around 500,000 p.s.i., with the actual glass being a lime-alumina borosilicate glass of low alkali content. It has high chemical stability and high moisture resistance making it well suited to marine conditions.

The "E"-type glass is considered of medium strength and high rigidity, but more important, the main reason this type is so common is low cost. While maybe not the highest strength glass available, it does have all the strength that is normally necessary for most conventional boat work, and this is balanced by its favorable cost. There are other types of glass that are stronger, such as the "S"-type glass described in Chapter 2 1, but these are usually more costly on a weight basis. Then too, other types of glass may be better suited for more specialized purposes, such as the "T"-type used for storage tanks, and the "A"-type, which is not alkali-free.

THE MAKING OF FIBERGLASS REINFORCEMENTS

The fiberglass filaments are made into materials that we ordinarily refer to as "fiberglass", such as rovings, yarns, cloths, mats, and woven rovings, many of which we'll be discussing shortly.

In the process of making the materials, the strands of filaments must be coated with a sizing material. There are various types of sizings, but their purposes are similar: (1) to bind the monofilaments together into a more easily handled fiber, which is the actual strand; (2) to lubricate the filaments so that they won't abrade and break each other, causing a reduction in filament strength; and (3) to increase surface contact between the fibers and resin; that is, to increase the quality of the fibers to soak up resin rapidly. This latter quality is called "wettability".

Since the sizing materials are incompatible with the resins which will be used with the fiberglass materials to form laminates, the sizing must be cleaned or specially "finished" so the resin will saturate and bond to the fiberglass. There are many cleaning processes or "finishes" used, but for boatbuilding materials, the two common types are known as "chrome" and "silane". These finishes give the fiberglass materials their characteristic "white translucent" appearance. ...

From How to Fiberglass Boats, Chapter 3...

MAT

Fiberglass mat is a reinforcing material made from glass fibers about 1" to 2" in length, or continuous strands arranged in a random swirl pattern formed into a felt-like product. The fibers are held together with a dry resinous binder. Because mat is cheap and builds up thickness (and subsequently, stiffness) quickly, it is commonly used in fiberglass boat production, even though it is heavy. The binders used in the mat must be highly compatible with polyester resin (since this is what's commonly used in the factory) in order to wet out the thick, heavy material quickly. However, the binder may create a problem if other resins are used, especially epoxy resins, which may be incompatible with the mat binders. Thus if you want to use mat with epoxy resin, you must determine that the epoxy being used will wet out the mat being used. Unfortunately, due to the wide variety of epoxy resin formulations, not to mention mats and their respective binders, this may be difficult; some work, some don't. But from a logical perspective, due to the higher cost of epoxy resins, and the greater amount of resin required to wet out mat, there is little justification or need for this combination. Thus, in general, mat and epoxy resin should be avoided if only to conserve materials.

Allyn, our shop foreman, has made panels with mat and our Poxy-Shield and he disputes that there is any problem with bonding. However, this would be quite an investment and unless you can find someone who can assure you that their material is compatible, it is very risky to use epoxy.

Epoxy is "the" resin to use over wood because it sticks so much better than polyester. The requirements of glass laminates are different.

See Boatbuilding Books for more information on the books quoted above.

Can I increase the range of the Argosy to about 2000 miles?

• Per design page: 670 gal = 1300 miles @ 10 knots
• ÷ both sides of the equation by 1.3 =
• 515 gal = 1000 miles @ 10 knots
• X 2 =
• 1030 gal = 2000 miles @ 10 knots
• 1030 - 670 = 360 gals more than design shows
• Space required @ 7.48 gal per cu ft
• 360 div by 7.48 = 48.7 cu ft additional space required. Should be located as close as possible to the center of buoyancy.

You need to find an additional 48.7 cu ft of space (about 3'8" x 3'8" x 3'8").

Shop Talk: Making a square peg fit in a round hole

Some time ago I took pictures of Allyn cutting the base of the mast for the Eight Ball-FG to a round shape. In another context I recently had an email from a builder asking how we would round a square spar. So... here is the answer. The following shows some of those "1000-word" photos to illustrate the procedure.

Continue

Feedback: Power Skiff 14

Launching, May 5, 2002
Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 12:59

Well, I did it. This morning, poured the old gas out of the motor, hooked the trailer up and got fresh gas on the way to the lake. Lu and I launched the boat and fired up the outboard, a 15hp Merc (just tuned up). I had Lu in the very front seat and me at the motor. Gunned her and was very disappointed at the way she ran. Asked Lu to move to the centre seat, gunned her... and WOW! Ran beautifully, just jumped up on plane, and ran very dry, no splash into the boat... and here is the best part... 22mph with both of us in it! Ran her for two hours up to the far end of the lake, twisting and turning, just flying!

She handles great, turns smooth, low wake, lots of freeboard. Had Lu driving her so I could check out the middle seat, and it's warm, the wood doesn't seem to transfer the cold from the water as the aluminum did. Lu had fun driving it, she had never run a boat before, and the grin on her face (not to mention mine) was something to behold. All in all, a very satisfying experience. The boat seems to draw looks of approval from the spectators, and I must admit, she is a fine looking craft. Took her out by myself, and again she just jumped up on plane, and I made 25mph! The best I ever got out of the old aluminum was 15mph.

Lots of room, and very comfortable too. It seems unreal that I actually built it! I would like to thank Glen-L Design and Barry for great plans and support throughout the project. I can't wait to build my next one.

Will send pics when developed.

Daniel Rullman

Questions

The following is from the US Coast Guard web site. Since I have been asked some of these questions in the past, and didn't always know the answers, I am including them here. Click on the link below for the answers.

• Do I need a license to charter my recreational boat?
• How do I obtain a Captain's License?
• How do I get a Z-card, MMD, or other commercial license or certificate?
• Where can I take a class to prepare for my commercial licensing exams?
• Who do I contact to register my recreational boat?
• What are the advantages of documenting my boat with the Coast Guard?
• How can I renew or transfer documentation?
• What are the equipment requirements for my recreational boat?
• Do I need a license to operate a recreational boat?
• What regulations are available if I want to build or modify my own boat?
• What if I want to build a boat to sell?
• What is the age limit to operate a Personal Watercraft?
• Can I use a bigger motor on my boat than what it's rated for?

Recent email:

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 at 21:53:47
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

name: Doug Wolven

Comments: My bother and I built the Glen-L 10 21 years ago. I am now converting it to an electric motor scow called Sparky Elmo ("Electric Motor"). My kids use it for a reading center. My son and I built Dinky which he named "Dinky". We have also built Minuet, called Ark. We have loved sailing that most of all. It has been ten years now. Bo-Jest, called Lily Pad, is being built by my second-graders and I. I am really enjoying your web site and seeing what others are doing. Glen-L deserves all the success it has earned. All the projects have been fun and educational. Doug

"My kids and I are excited to give you something that will demonstrate how simple it is to have seven-year-olds accomplish as much as they do in construction." Doug Wolven

Subject: Big Hunk!
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 14:42:49 -0700
From: Howard Ruiz

Having a real good time, all us old retired laborers get together and make plans as to who is going to do something next, with your guidence,,,,,Plans & patterns. Some of us can't use our legs, some of us got arthritis and can't use a hammer, but we all meet for the building of the Norma -K. thanks Glen-L

Subject: Re: poxy shield and Kevlar compatibility
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 16:10:15 -0700

Brent E Jamison wrote:
>
> Q: Is POXY-SHIELD resin (as available in kit #09-509) compatible with
> aramid fiber cloth (i.e., Kevlar)?
>
> If not, what do you recommend? Thanks in advance.
>
> -Brent

From our book How to Fiberglass Boats:

Page 114. "Since Kevlar is made without finish agents, it can be used with many different types of resin including polyester, vinylester, and epoxy. However, to realize its high impact resistance and other physical properties in a laminate, vinylester or epoxy are usually advised."

Page 113. "The most important limitation in sheathing with Kevlar is that it has only fair abrasion resistance, which as one should know by this time, is a major prerequisite of a sheathing material. ...While you could sheathe with Kevlar to improve impact strength, it would be recommended to clad this with fiberglass or comparable material for abrasion resistance and to permit fairing or sanding."

--
Barry

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted on Sunday, April 21, 2002
---------------------------------------------------------------------

name: Chuck Jackson

Comments: I have built a boat from your plans, a Hunky-Dory back in the 70's. It was 22' with a driving console and some deck front and back, powered by a Harding-marine Olds 240HP with a Hamilton jet pump. I took it to Alaska and used it on Cook Inlet and the big Susitna River, Etc. It worked well and would run in 3" of water at about 55MPH. It also was very seaworthy!
Thanks, Chuck

55mph in 3" of water? ... brw

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002

Barry,
As far as the speed... I did not have a speedometer to measure it, but it was fast!
Thanks, Chuck

-----Original Message-----
From: Guy Middleton
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 3:16 PM
To: SpikeArlt
Subject: GlenL Rebel

I caught your article in the GlenL newsletter. I have a contribution in the #20 newsletter, "Father and a GlenL Rebel". I'd be interested in the speed your hull attained.

-----Original Message-----
From: Spike Arlt
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 12:27 PM
To: 'Guy Middleton'
Subject: RE: GlenL Rebel

This is another response to your communication and I have found one picture so far of my "Rebel". It was taken 13 years after I built it in 1962. The picture was July 4, 1975 and my three little sons were running around the dock at our summer home at Sun Lakes by Coulee City...

As you can see it also was a ski boat with the rack on the back end. I used 57 Chev car seats from a hardtop for front and back. You could flip forward and walk to the back. Had seating for six.

It was all glassed with a mahogany dash and had three transom knees in the backend for the long shaft 75 Johnson.

22 years later it was still a good boat. In the average summer I ran at least 3 cases (24 quarts) of oil through the engine on a one quart of oil to 5 gallons mix. We never bare footed because we didn't have the speed. We still have the single skis we made that were copied from the O' Connely and O'Brien style. We often went daylight to dark and sometimes after dark -- oh the bugs!

We also were into the mirror water at 6:00 and 7:00 in the morning and you are right about no wake behind the "Rebel" for skiing.

Later,
Spike

-----Original Message-----
Subject: GlenL Rebel
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 12:39:06 -0400
To: glen-l
From: Spike Arlt

Barry,

I am looking and working on some pictures of past boats the "Rebel" "Renegade", and "Outrage" that we built. So Far I have found two pictures but will look for more. Guy Middleton go me stirred up as we have been communicating. The "Rebel" picture I sent to him at the end of the file.

The "Outrage" Arlt version is attached here. My son Bob owns it now so it is still in the family, however we are all into serious Jet Skiing and have 4 of them in the family now for several years.

This year we are celebrating 40 years of Glen-L boats in the family. The Rebel in 1962 and the Renegade in 1978 that I built. The Rebel was the only boat for the first 22 years and the Renegade since. We also have an Outrage that my son Richard built to fit with that great family of Glen-L designs.

Thanks again for your great designs -- They last a lifetime!

Spike Arlt

Subject: Re: WebLetter Size
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 10:07:51 -0400

Thanks for asking!

The newsletter loads pretty quickly for me, but I have a good connection.

One solution to the problem of breaking the articles would be to repeat the opening information at the beginning of the "continued" article. Seems to me you used to do this, but maybe I'm thinking of a different newsletter.

Including one picture, with links to other pictures works well.

One suggestion: when asking for response to questions, e.g., "what do you think of the newsletter?", if you included your "reply to" address at that point, I'd bet more people would reply.

I really enjoy the newsletter, no matter what the format or how many pictures are included.

Thanks,
Dan Clark
Tallahassee, FL

Subject: Tango/Kevin Gough
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 18:26:36

OK!!! The boat is glassed at last. I'd never done this before so I really had to take my time with it. I'm suprised how easy it turned out to be. I'm not going to paint the hull at this point though I know it would be easier to paint it now rather than later. The reason for this is that drops of resin might fall and cure on the side planking while I'm glassing the deck and as I might be sanding the hull again I'd hate to ruin a nice paint job.

Note: We would usually paint the bottom, then paint the sides with the boat sitting on the trailer after decking, etc.

Subject: I won
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 21:56:59 +0000

Dear Glen-L,

Thanks for a great contest. I will soon place an order for various boat building parts and will want to use my gift certificate for that order.

What do I have to do to apply the certificate towards my order?

God bless you all,
Jonathan Bornman

Subject: Glen L 14 Centerboard
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 21:06:32 -0700

I have a set of 14 plans and have seen your notes on using a steel plate in the centerboard. Why not use the same building method as the steel only the size of the lead piece and just pour in #9 lead shot from a shooting sport supply house, add some epoxy to hold it together and not have any rust problems ever? Lead shot usually comes in 25# bags. - Cliff Biggs

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