ron ward

hi eltoro,

thanks for the links on the build and sail cloth...interesting. i'm going to buildIONAplank on frame, as welland glass it with .5oz. and resin. i'm not really concerned about weight as there's no racing around here and it's a project i've wanted to do for a long time, just to enjoy a largerc sailboat. i realize i won't be able to put quitas much keel ballast down low with the heavier hull, but i don't need as much canvas above to just sail around, so i'll reduce the canvas accordingly to keep her upright. i figure an 80% sailplan will be plenty for me. i've got some experience with sailing and design, used to own a real star sloop, an old one built in 1938, restored itwhile workingfor a local sailboat builder when i was younger.a lifetime of building furniture and cabinets hasgiven mea pretty complete shop and plan onfabricating all the hardware and rigging as well. i'm retired now and have the time and talentto enjoythings i've wanted to do for a long time, but stillhave to keep costs down abit.i'm a bit of a " build- it-instead-buy-it" type of guy. allot of the machinery in my shop is "home-made". my own slidingtable saw, a 2-1/2 hp.routertable that's morelike a shaper than a routertable, lots of jigs and fixtures. now i turn down lotsof smalljob offersbecause i'm busy doing the things i want to do in the shop.
i've seen the mylar kite material in several pics and wondered what it was and where it came from..... nice to know, now! i just got done covering a plane with the dress lining and thought it might be good for the sails as well. i didn't think thepolyester dress lininghad much stretch, at all. not racing the boat,a properly shaped sail is more important than air tightness for my use. i wanted to get as much materials as i can locally without using on-line suppliers. if they don't work, i'll go for the mylar, but i don't expect to see much improvement for my purpose....maybe i'll makea set out each and see how much difference there is, just for fun.