A place to share YOUR boat building story

• Allyn Perry, Frame Kits and a Rocky Mountain high
  
  
• Building the Console Skiff by Matt Marzullo
  
  
• Cruisette: Builders' Diary, Part 2 by Ron & Devy Porter
  
  
• Photos sent in since the last WebLetter...
  
  
• Naming a Boat by ArtDeco
  
  
• The trials of building the Renegade, Part 2 by Mark Haxton
  
  
• Sumer is icumen in by Bob
  
  
• Shop Talk: Odds and Ends
  
  
• From the Boatbuilder Connection
  
  
• Recent email
  
  

• In the email notification for this WebLetter, Gayle included the wrong link to the Free online book "Rigging Small Sailboats". This is the correct link.
  
  
• Glass Bottom Boat. What can I say? Allyn has finished the boat and the plans, instructions and patterns are still waiting to be proofed. Our NEW shopping cart slogs on... so the GBB will have to wait.
• Thanks to Matt Marzullo, Ron & Devy Porter, ArtDeco, Mark Haxton, Bob and the other contributors to this WebLetter.

      
Editor      

Allyn Perry, Frame Kits and a Rocky Mountain high

Allyn Perry is familiar to many of you who regularly read this WebLetter. Allyn is the person who makes all of the Glen-L Frame Kits. He is also the builder featured in Glen-L videos. He has built all of the Glen-L test models in the last 35 years. But Allyn does much more than this. He is our in-house fixit man and consults frequently with the designer about the best way to proceed with the construction process.

But all good things... Allyn has let us know that he is ready to retire. We have known for some time that this was his plan, but the schedule has been moved up due to the slowing real estate market in Southern California and the rising market in Colorado, where Allyn and his wife intend to retire.

What does this mean to our customers? When Allyn leaves, we will no longer make Frame Kits. Allyn will stock up as much as he can before he leaves, then Frame Kits will be available only as long as our inventory lasts. Allyn is truly not replaceable and we will not try to replace him. Allyn will be here for approximately two months, maybe... depending on when his new house is finished. We are, of course, sorry to see him go, but are happy that he is able to pursue his dream.

Building the Console Skiff

by Matt Marzullo
JF Woodworks

Let me start by saying I would like to give a special thanks to the other builders that helped me thru the project. Dan Hehn, Gary Solmi who both did a wonderful job on their CS's, the staff from Glen-L, particularly Allyn Perry and Barry Witt and of course the guidance from all the great guys from the Boat Builders Forum.

The project started in May of 2005 and was completed in February 2006 working mainly on the weekends. I tried to stick as close as possible to the original design as that is what inspired me to build the Console Skiff. The modifications that I made were widening the motor well to 30 inches to accommodate the new style steering systems. Installing a custom 18 gallon aluminum gas tank below the forward sole between the long boards and modifying the console to making it taller and angling the backrest to make it more comfortable for whoever was sitting on the front seat.

On its maiden voyage I received numerous comments on the look of the boat, while returning home I was approached at a traffic light by someone who asked "who manufactured that boat" I explained to him that I had built it. He then asked me if I would consider building another one for him. We traded phone numbers and he called me yesterday to discuss pricing. How cool is that… I'm not sure that I will actually do it mainly because I'd be concerned about liability issues, however, it is worth considering.

The boat is powered with a 2006 Evinrude E-TEC 50hp motor and the performance of the boat is fantastic, at 4500 RPM it turns 40 knots and handles great. If I were to build another the only other modification that I would make is adding another inch or so to the depth of the skeg as I feel this would make slow speed maneuvering even better in windy conditions. The raised bulwarks really help keep the boat dry. I'm not new to woodworking but there is something to be said about boat building, it's just so rewarding compared to other forms of woodworking. I'm sure that I will be building another Glen-L design soon.

PS. I will be ordering the frame and fiberglass kit for the Malahini as soon as I get my workshop back in order.

Customer Photos

Cruisette: Builders' Diary, Part 2

Ron & Devy Porter

Framing the hull

This is actually the most critical part of the operation. The jig is fairly straightforward to build and, as important as it might be, it really only serves as a 'good start'. Getting the frames lined up properly and stabilized and getting the battens straight and level will make or break the sheeting process. The last thing anyone wants to do is a bunch of sanding or filling on the several dozen square feet of plywood that gets sheeted onto the hull.

Continued

During the winter months, I spend a lot of time doing "mental boatbuilding". I build a design over and over in my mind, covering all the steps to the finished boat to hopefully speed the actual construction. The last step is to think of a name for the boat. Not all of the boats I have built or bought ended up with names but I can tell you I did consider it each and every time. I don't believe I am the only one who does this. To note the sometimes difficult process of coming up with a boat name, I offer this poem: Naming a Boat Building a boat is a great experience      I’m filled with pride and joy So why not name the craft I’ve built      To really top off “My Toy” But a name is such a personal thing      It reflects the inner me Will I come across as a boating wit      Or witless as a tree I could spice it up as “Cinnamon Stick”      Look profound with “Let It Be” Something sexy like “Ray Sea Lady”      Or clever as “CCCCCCC” (seven seas) For a stately craft, “Full Fathom Five”      An example of alliteration For a party boat, “Bottoms Up!”      Which hints of degeneration How about a sailboat named “Blue Soup”      Perhaps it tastes better than it sounds Or a little tug called “Chugging Time”      Cute-ness knows no bounds I could also use a person’s name      A relative or maybe just my own Or perhaps use my initials instead      That is at least home-grown Rarely will an admirer question      My choice of plan or designer The colors I chose for the hull or deck      Why the finish is coarser or finer But, if I paint a name onto my boat      Using colors gloss or flat Then some curious soul will surely ask      “Say, why’d you call it that?” -ArtDeco

The trials of building the Renegade, Part 2

by Mark Haxton

I wish now that I videotaped me building this boat. I could have made some money by making it into one of those safety videos where the guy thinks that wearing safety gear is silly and gets hurt. I discovered that I am that guy. In the first letter, I mentioned that I didn't wear a respirator when I cut a plywood scarf joint. I was coughing all night. You would think I would learn my lesson about safety. Well, I was cutting the edge of some plywood with an electric hand planer, and I didn't think I really needed to wear goggles. Of course a piece of wood flew into my eye. Then to make things worse, I rubbed my eye vigorously in an attempt to get it out and cut my eye. Now I don't consider myself much of a sissy, but that freaking hurt. I think I even cried a little, but let's keep that quiet. That evening, I woke up in the middle of the night and my eye was glued together from "Mocos de ojos" (Eye boogers). The next day I went to the medical center and got some eye drops. The experience was absolutely miserable. It doesn't stop there folks, I also didn't wear a long sleeve or the respirator when I started fiberglassing. I got epoxy on my arm hair and had to pull a bunch out, and I got a headache from the fumes. So now I use a respirator, goggles, and a long sleeve shirt every time. So learn from my stupidity, because stupid hurts.

Continue

Sumer is icumen in, Lhude sing Cuccu!
          or Life is too short not to build a boat

by Bob

I suppose there is something to be said for a brand new shiny fiberglass boat hooked to the back of your SUV. A pride of ownership, but not the sense of accomplishment that comes from building it. Too many people today are losing touch with doing, and are substituting "buying". We are urged by people in government to "buy" for the sake of the economy. In order to meet this national obligation, we work more jobs, have two bread winners in the family and spend everything we make. A life style dedicated to accumulating more stuff... for which we have to find a place. So, enter one of the fastest sectors of the economy, storage for our excess. There's something very wrong with an economy that requires us to buy things we don't need, in order for it to work.

With all this working and shopping, it is hard to find time for personal enrichment activities... things like bonding with our family, working in the shop, creating, smelling the wood. I am one of the last people to extole the joys of sanding, but it doesn't get much better than a finely sanded piece of rich-grained wood when you wet it with a little paint thinner to reveal the grain.

Boatbuilding may not be of earth shattering importance, but it is one way to connect to history and to get our hands dirty in a process of creation. My grandson Paul was over this past weekend and he has moved from pounding nails into wood to tacking and gluing blocks onto a pointy-end 1" x 6". Next weekend it will be painted and, hopefully, launched soon after. This is pretty unsophisticated, but he is only three. Still, I suspect Paul will remember these projects when he is older, in the way I remember the projects in my father's shop.

So many stories that I have read in these news letters have been of memories of past projects that connected a father and son or daughter. These boat projects are kind of like watching your Christmas presents being made. There's little wonder that we remember them so well. We have invested so much time and imagination in them. I often urge people to take on a project that requires more time than assembling a piece of IKEA furniture and to make the time to do it. Although Paul considers my boatbuilding project, ours, in a few years he will be able to be a real partner. I'm thinking of something like the Pee Wee with an electric motor as our first real boat. Creating a bond with our children or grandchildren is something we have to work at. If we don't make these connections, the time will come when we will regret it. If having a little helper means that it will take a little longer, so be it. It doesn't have to be a boat, build something and involve the family. Life is too short, not to build... something like a boat.

My wife told me that she wanted a cabinet for the kitchen... and she didn't really care if it floats or not.

Shop Talk: Odds and Ends

I happened out in the shop while Allyn was varnishing... using our utility brushes. I was rather surprised and questioned whether he had a problem with the bristles coming out. Not a problem, "I just run a bead of super glue along the base of the bristles, just above the ferrule. These make a really good varnish brush."

An interesting site, recommended by one of our builders: Stick Trade, Wholesale site for buyers & sellers of hardwood & softwood lumber, logs, plywood, veneer, flooring & more.

Recent visitors

Kent Miseglades stopped in from Cary, NC. Kent is building the Tuffy.

Johnny Roest and friends stopped in from Norway, but we didn't think to take a photo until after they had left. Johnny picked up inboard hardware for the Ski King he is building.

I've had this question several times in the last couple of months... Why laminate plywood on the keel?

We started doing this many years ago, when some of our friends were having their keels split at high speed on choppy water. Isn't always done, but is a good idea if you are pushing the hull to the maximum. Plywood can be fastened to the keel before attaching to the frames or can be installed between the frames after the hull is righted. Depending which method is used, you may need to adjust the notch depth. We do not do this with low speed hulls.

From the Boatbuilder Connection:

I read somewhere recently where the handgun of choice among Los Angeles street gangs is the 9mm. I think it's great that at least our nation's youth are embracing the metric system. ...Dave Grason

Sailboats/Minuet - "Sweet Pea"

razopp

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:41 am

Below is a "proud daddy" speaking. I just wanted to share some experiences of the past weekend with my daughter, but I wanted to post this as an idea for other parents who may want to involve their children. I will post pics to my site shortly of the events below, as my wife took several pictures of the process.

Continue

Recent email:

Subject: Glen L. boat plans.
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006

I have built several boats from your plans and have to say that all have behaved nicely in the water. I have built: Pot Luck, Two Plus, and Overniter twice. My Overniter picture has been on your website for several years now.
Yours, Claude Matthews

Subject: Amnaj Chaisuwan
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006

Hello Glen.

A few month ago I found following eMail on your home page.

Dear Gayle,

Many thanks for sending me a link to see Glen-L Newsletters again. I love the sea and boats and would like to be an amateur boat builder. I loved my boat, but it might be gone with Tsunami tidal wave at Phuket, Thailand. Please continue to send me the Newsletter. At this time I would like to forget the Tsunami Victims pictures for a while.

Best Regards
Dipl.ing. Amnaj Chaisuwan

I am very sure that Amnaj was a very good friend when we were young men. We were students in Hannover (Germany) in 1968 - 1971. Since this time, we have had no contact. I would be very glad to contact Amnaj again. But I don't know his address. Would you be so kind to print this eMail on your home page, including my eMail-adress (Steinmann-lvl@t-online.de).

For your help thank you very much.

Kind regards,
Rolf Steinmann

Subject: Project registry update
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006

MONACO / Rich Coey / Modesto, California

Done with the last layer of mahogany at 368 hours. Time to start sanding.

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted on Wednesday, March 1, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------

firstname: Sergio
lastname: Chau

Comments: I have built a couple of your boats from plans left over from friends that started but never finnished your stuff. I had such a good time following your easy to use plans that I just had to see more of what you had for myself.

Subject: RE: Order Acknowledgement
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2006

Dear Gayle Success at last! I received the plans in good order yesterday. As coincidence would have it, it was my birthday yesterday so all-in-all not a bad gift, I would think. Of course none of this would have been possible without your friendly assistance and efforts. Allow me to again express my sincere appreciation to yourself and to Glen-L. The memory of your attitude towards resolving my problem will endure long after the first coat of paint on the boat has faded. Yours, Henry Walton

Subject: RE: Kidyak Photo
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2006
From: Marc Bourassa

Thanks Gayle - you should have seen the looks on the kid's faces when I showed them the proof!! Really appreciate your efforts- thank you again. MB

Subject: Re: Utility for Ad
That is so cool Gayle! Thanks. Can the editors slim up my waistline?
Steve Miller

Subject: Re: Zip Photo for Ad
That's great news and the ad looks wonderful. Thanks for using my boat.
Jeff Pankow

Subject: Error in Squirt sheer scantling
From: Fraser Maclean
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2006

LUMBER: All lumber noted allows length for fitting. All widths are actual size. All thicknesses are standard finished sizes, with 1" lumber being four quarters material, usually finished about 3/4"...

Sheers * Mahog or SP * 2 * 1"x1-1/4"x12' (or 4 pcs 3/8")

The hard copy plan B.O.M. for the sheers states:

Sheers * Mahog or SP * 2 * 1"x1-1/4"x12' (or 4 pcs 5/8")

The plan instructions have the sheers made up of two laminations of 1-1/4" x 5/8" material which give a final finished size (after lamination and before shaping) of 1-1/4" x 1-1/4". This size appears to be the correct dimension as it fits the frame sheer notches correctly with room for shaping. I would suggest the plan B.O.M. read
Sheers * Mahog or SP * 4 * 5/8" x 1-1/4"x12' (laminate to 1-1/4" on assembly).

Thanks,
Fraser

That's interesting. I must have read the plans dozens of times and it was not until I actually cut the sheers did I notice the error. Sort of like printing a document from a computer then noticing the spelling errors. No loss though and my son and I hope to have the boat ready for the late summer.

Regards,
Fraser

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006
------------------------------------------------------------------

name: Denny Bergeson

Comments: Hi! Denny Bergeson here. I am seventy five years old and I am planning to build an eighteen foot cabin or runabout boat in May. Would like to order your catalog of designs. Hoping to find a design I like. I built about eight hundred boat hulls in the nine years I worked for Rockholt Boat Co., Marysville, California. Also decked and finished some of the boats ready to paint. Built and designed some of the first back-to-back boat seats on the market (labor of love for boats). There is nothing like a wooden boat!
Thank You for your kindness. I remain like a wooden boat.
Denny Bergeson

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