by John Bell jmbell@mindspring.com
If you're thinking of building your own Windsprint, learn
from my experience:
Use good plywood. The extra expense is not that much and you
will have a much better boat for your efforts. One year later, my boat is checking pretty
badly. You will also spend a lot less time sanding and filling than you will with AC Fir.
The bottom is too flimsy, build it out of 3/8" or
1/2" plywood. You'll have much less annoying oil-canning that way.
Don't use "marine" paint. I used Interlux
Brightsides one-part poly: it looks great, but at $20/quart I could have bought a lot of
porch paint which would have looked just as good.
Build big floatation tanks. I'd deck over from the mast
partner foward and the rear thwart aft. You'll be glad you did when you inevitably
capsize.
Build the hollow mast as shown in the plans, the solid piece
is too heavy with any wood you can afford. This is a future project for my boat.
Bohndell Sails in Maine makes a great sail for a great
price. Call Dynamite Payson or Bohndell directly to order yours.
