Boat Forum / Building / October 2005

My website (see below) could be disappearing on or about 11 Dec 05.
If anybody wants to copy anthing off it better do so before that date.
Mostly stuff on small cheap boats and small homemade sails.
Some stuff on sprit sails and boatbulding formulae.

Hello, I'd like to add a 4' bowsprit to an IP23 sailboat. To what
extent does the bowsprit rely on the rigging for it's strength vs it's
actual strength of materials? I was hoping to use a one inch thick
piece of epai 6 feet long, two feet on deck, four feet for the

Assuming one makes provision to access and mechanical or electrical
components within the mast, are there any compelling reasons NOT to foam
fill the mast?
Bob Swarts

I'm thinking of building a Monfort Snowshoe 14.  There are a lot of
posts about aerolite boats, but I'd like to find out how stable his
canoes are.  Can anybody comment of this?

i just find a little sailing dinghy , but the hull is need to repaint
,what is the best way to go to repaint the hull outside?
epoxy paint ? and what kind of prep . need to  be done to get a nice
luster ? sound very basic but i can use some good advice.

I'm in the process of building an e-boat and am looking for a ~19 inch
variable pitch prop along with probably the shaft and any controls that may
be associated with it.
A friend of mine told me that Volvo makes one, but none of their dealers

I'm searching for plans that could be used to create a round bottom
sailing skiff using the cedar strip type construction.  I was thinking
of something anywhere from 10' to 14' long.  I was hoping to find
something trim and handsome, with probably a single sail.

There's several gallons of sea water in my aluminum bayrunner and I
can't figure out how to get it out.  When I'm in the water on full
throttle the boat doesn't tilt enough to push all the water to the back
where the bilge pump is located.

Anyone have some experience with 12 ft firefly sailboats? I'm putting
one back together again and have some questions on the running rigging.
thanks
paul oman

Any opinions on the feasibility of foot-operated water jet propulson for a
small boat like a canoe or kayak? I was thinking of mounting twin water
pumps on the (out)sides of the hull to suck water in the front of the
pumps and squirt it out the back through a smaller diameter pipe ...

Hi, y'all.  I'm replacing a failed Lewmar 1000 which has, I believe,
5/16 chain.
Based on the Popular Sailor review of like windlasses, and the Seven
Seas Cruising Association survey of Windlass owners, I believe the

A number of weeks ago, I posted a question on this group about building
a composite hot tub by "borrowing" some boatbuilding methods. I've been
looking at cold-molding vs sheathed strip (is this synonymous with wood
cored glass?).

I need 15 gal of epoxy now [and more a little later] for a project that
will need to wet out 40 oz knitted cloth w/mat facing.
What's the most favorable price I can currently expect and who is the
recommended vendor, please ?

This isn't really a boatbuilding question, except that there used to be
a boat stored in the building I am working on, and it *is* by the water :)
However, you guys are pretty good problem solvers and I hope you can help.
I am finishing up rebuilding a barn/shed on family property ...

ahoy, I epoxied some one inch strips of wood in slats to make up a
little decorative rope bin which was intended to sit on deck but it
warped and popped apart in about 3 days in a damp shop. Does
everything have to be notched or biscuited or doweled and pinned or