DaveH6
The builder.
Hi,
I'm Dave and I'm 35 years old. You can see the toll that boat building has taken on my body.
In the background is Lake Travis outside of Austin, Texas. Since this lake's primary purposes are flood control, municipal water supply and farm irrigation, the water level is subject to big swings as floods and droughts come and go. How about rising 25' in 24 hours after a monsoon up stream. The water clarity is suberb and the cliff ringed shoreline is very dramatic. This picture taken during a drought.
Primarily for the fun of it, building a boat is on my bucket list.
I have been sailing for over 40 years on the Chesapeake Bay with occasional voyages to New England and Maine. I confess that I enjoy working on boats almost as much as being underway.
My sailboat averages about 6 knots and has a six foot draft so time and access is a constraint in seeing more of our nation's spectacular waterways. A trailable powerboat with adequate living accomodations is my answer. My sailboat's diesel engine burns 1/2 gallon of fuel per hour and nothing under sail. Imagine my distress if I had a powerboat that blew through say 15 gallons an hour. The Bluejacket's superb fuel economy meets my needs.
I am retired thus can spend much time each day working on my Bluejacket. But, when measuring my progress and the time demands to build a Bluejacket, please keep in mind that each year I split my time between living in Austin (the build site) and Annapolis, MD.
Prospective builders have asked me how difficult is it to build a Bluejacket? I can only answer that question based on my experience and skill set. I sat behind a desk for 35 years, am a hobbyist woodworker/house builder and my only boat building experience was 25 years ago building an 8' pram. Maintaining my fiberglass sailboat has added to my skill set.
I suppose my major boat building attributes are the willingness to learn new tasks, muddle through the unpleasant (i.e.sanding) and never quitting. I believe that boat builder burnout and not skill set shortfall is the primary reason projects are abandoned.
Using a scale of 1 (can't use an electric drill) to 10 (can build exquisite furniture with complex inlays), I find that building the Bluejacket is a 4 in regards to skill set demands .
Lifting of heavy pieces is not a frequent concern on the build. My son and I lifted the topside panels into place for wiring to the bottom. In a pinch I could have handled the panels by myself. Help will be needed when I install the foredeck and pilothouse roof. Free beer will provide all the help you need for the boat rollovers.
Your body needs to be limber enough to get on your knees or squat down to fiberglass components into place.
Hope this rambling helps.
Regards,
Dave
The builder.
Hi,
I'm Dave and I'm 35 years old. You can see the toll that boat building has taken on my body.
In the background is Lake Travis outside of Austin, Texas. Since this lake's primary purposes are flood control, municipal water supply and farm irrigation, the water level is subject to big swings as floods and droughts come and go. How about rising 25' in 24 hours after a monsoon up stream. The water clarity is suberb and the cliff ringed shoreline is very dramatic. This picture taken during a drought.
Primarily for the fun of it, building a boat is on my bucket list.
I have been sailing for over 40 years on the Chesapeake Bay with occasional voyages to New England and Maine. I confess that I enjoy working on boats almost as much as being underway.
My sailboat averages about 6 knots and has a six foot draft so time and access is a constraint in seeing more of our nation's spectacular waterways. A trailable powerboat with adequate living accomodations is my answer. My sailboat's diesel engine burns 1/2 gallon of fuel per hour and nothing under sail. Imagine my distress if I had a powerboat that blew through say 15 gallons an hour. The Bluejacket's superb fuel economy meets my needs.
I am retired thus can spend much time each day working on my Bluejacket. But, when measuring my progress and the time demands to build a Bluejacket, please keep in mind that each year I split my time between living in Austin (the build site) and Annapolis, MD.
Prospective builders have asked me how difficult is it to build a Bluejacket? I can only answer that question based on my experience and skill set. I sat behind a desk for 35 years, am a hobbyist woodworker/house builder and my only boat building experience was 25 years ago building an 8' pram. Maintaining my fiberglass sailboat has added to my skill set.
I suppose my major boat building attributes are the willingness to learn new tasks, muddle through the unpleasant (i.e.sanding) and never quitting. I believe that boat builder burnout and not skill set shortfall is the primary reason projects are abandoned.
Using a scale of 1 (can't use an electric drill) to 10 (can build exquisite furniture with complex inlays), I find that building the Bluejacket is a 4 in regards to skill set demands .
Lifting of heavy pieces is not a frequent concern on the build. My son and I lifted the topside panels into place for wiring to the bottom. In a pinch I could have handled the panels by myself. Help will be needed when I install the foredeck and pilothouse roof. Free beer will provide all the help you need for the boat rollovers.
Your body needs to be limber enough to get on your knees or squat down to fiberglass components into place.
Hope this rambling helps.
Regards,
Dave