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#1
TSBB General Talk / Re: Zumwalt
Last post by Riley Smith - Jan 19, 2026, 11:35 PMWhite Elephant in the Navy's eyes.
#2
TSBB General Talk / Re: A milestone
Last post by Captain Kidd - Jan 19, 2026, 07:06 PMWhile we're at it, here's one of my biggest bloopers. When I glued in the daggerboard trunk, I got it out of plumb! Oh, man! I couldn't have that! So I cut through the hull on three sides of the trunk, flexed it plumb, and re-epoxied it in place.
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You cannot view this attachment.
#3
TSBB General Talk / Re: A milestone
Last post by Captain Kidd - Jan 19, 2026, 06:54 PMQuote from: Charles Brennan on Jan 17, 2026, 09:29 AMDale, Happy Birthday.
But, I'm holding out for the "bloopers" video!
I've included all my bloopers, as I went along.
And on a personal note, I have to say I'm in awe of someone who takes straight pieces of wood and bends them into such lovely curves. The egg-crate slots-and-tabs construction of a SCAMP precludes all that and while it may look more complex, it's actually much easier to do.
My SCAMP may be more utilitarian and more capable as a micro-cruiser than your boat, but it will never look as graceful, as your CIY 16 does.
Charles Brennan
Blooper video is scheduled for production sometime in 2050. Lol.
Oh, I had some bloopers no doubt. I've actually documented the whole build on the Wooden Boat Forum, on my own blog, and I believe on this forum before the change-over. I'm sure some of the bloopers were included.
Your boat will indeed be more suited for said cruises. Hey, if Howard Rice chose the Scamp, you know you have the best available micro-cruiser on the planet!
Here's to many happy sails for both of us.
#4
TSBB General Talk / Re: Zumwalt
Last post by Timm R Oday25 - Jan 19, 2026, 06:03 PMBobbie and I were up in Marinette Wisconsin where I believe those are built . Pretty futuristic looking .
#5
TSBB General Talk / Re: Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Re...
Last post by Timm R Oday25 - Jan 19, 2026, 06:01 PMIt is currently 9 degrees outside Charles .I have plenty of wood out in the barn that is waiting for the temperature to get into the low thirties .
Running rigging is also going to be replaced once the 2 feet of snow finally melts .
My point is that I appreciate your posting steps of your progress ..
Running rigging is also going to be replaced once the 2 feet of snow finally melts .
My point is that I appreciate your posting steps of your progress ..
#6
Precision / Re: Passing On the Loos Gauge
Last post by CaptGodspeed - Jan 19, 2026, 02:39 PMJohn/Andiamo, I remember you (and your boat's name) from my earlier years here on the forum. Great to hear from you and learn that you are able to get back on the water. I will happily send on the Loos gauge and its instructions to you, just send me your snail mail address. As for me, I continue to sail the square rigger fleet of the Commonwealth (Discovery, Godspeed, and Susan Constant) based in Jamestown. Tomorrow we motor Godspeed to the yard for biannual bottom work. Gonna be a frosty voyage, but we damn the icicles, grab the tiller and go full speed ahead! Richard
#7
TSBB General Talk / Re: Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Re...
Last post by Riley Smith - Jan 18, 2026, 07:13 PMYay! Rigging!
#8
Precision / Re: Lazy Jacks -
Last post by Riggerdood - Jan 18, 2026, 06:30 PMThanks JGrahamK, I'll look that up. The approach I'm leaning towards at the moment is loosely based on the Harken design for boats 21'-28'. It will do all the things you mention, plus be easy to stow for trailering.
#9
Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Thumping
Last post by Doug SC - Jan 18, 2026, 04:46 PMI love that type of a day sailing. What a way to spend a day!
#10
TSBB General Talk / Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Report...
Last post by Charles Brennan - Jan 18, 2026, 03:33 PMWhy you never trust a Weather Weasel. 
(Or the thermometer in the back yard.)
Forecast was for low 50's and the back yard thermometer read 48ºF, so I figured I was screwed, since the weather was going to be even worse, the next day.
But, just on an impulse I dug the laser thermometer out of the truck (the one I use for checking trailer hub temps, on the road) and slapped it on the roof.
62.5ºF!!
I was LIED to!! Wonder how many painting/epoxying days I have lost, to bad forecasts and erroneous temperature measurements? 
Promptly slapped on another coat of paint, on the cabin roof.
You cannot view this attachment.
And the transom cap.
You cannot view this attachment.
Tried that trick again the next day; forecast was for 58ºF at 10 am and I hoped that by 1 or 2 o'clock the temps would be 60ºF+ again.
Nope. Cabin roof measured 58ºF at 10 am (when there's still too much humidity to paint) and measured 52ºF at 1 PM, when I wanted to paint.
No painting today, boys.
This has happened to me right along, on this project. One coat away from an end phase, and I get hit with more bad weather.
Ah, well.
The temps dropped even further as the day progressed to the point of bringing inside, my wife's more favored plants and forcing me inside as well, to do whatever I could.
Like making the eye splice for the yard, starting with a locking Brummel eye splice on a sail makers thimble.
You cannot view this attachment.
Followed by another locking Brummel splice, on the two tails
You cannot view this attachment.
The tails are rather short for buries, but I needed a very specific loop diameter.
It's going around the yard, as either a double-cow hitch, or as a ⅔rds Prusik knot, depending on how you like to define these things.
Pulled half the yarns out, to taper the bury.
You cannot view this attachment.
Like so. It was more tapered than it appears in the pic, since the end was closer to the camera lens.
You cannot view this attachment.
Other side is already buried.
Always a good feeling, when the end splice loop comes out to the originally desired measurements.
You cannot view this attachment.
Absolutely did NOT trust those short tapers in the Dyneema, locking Brummel or no, so I whip-stitched the length of the splice from one end to the other and back, then moved the thread at 90º to those stitches and ran back and forth the other way, twice.
That splice is not going anywhere.
Did I mention, this is what holds up the entire sail rig?!?
You cannot view this attachment.
Annnnddddd . . . . . . . . . . it didn't fit.
Short, by a ½-inch. DOHHH!!!!
Used a come-along to "persuade" it to lengthen, a little.
Wow!! That Dyneema is as tough as they all say it is!!
You cannot view this attachment.
And with a lot of prying, pulling, tweaking, and healthy swearing, just barely made it.
Wife said she was glad the garage door was closed, so the neighbors couldn't hear me.
You cannot view this attachment.
The original intent was so that the two loop-arounds, would keep it from sliding like a single loop might, but still allow enough movement when desired, for tuning the rig.
You cannot view this attachment.
And it DOES move (sort of!), it just requires a block of wood and a mallet, to do so. DOHHH!!!!!
Hoping in a few days (weeks?) or so, all the fibers will have sorted themselves out enough, to move a little more easily. WHERE is "Dyneema Creep" when you really NEED it?!?
Thinking about it afterwards, I realized I had penetrated the line in front of my laundry marker marks instead of behind them; and had also failed to allow for the increase in line thickness from the buries affecting the line diameter and thus, accounting for the fit discrepancy.
Strangely, the insight did not make me feel any better.
Driving to and from the St Pete Boat Show, I allowed my sub-conscious to work on the problem, since it seems to be far more rational than I am and doesn't allow emotions to interfere with clear thinking.
So when I returned home, I looked at the yard fitting, admired the workmanship and effort it had required; took a cue from Matthew 5:29 and un-folded the sheeps-foot serrated blade from my Leatherman Wave and coolly cut it off the yard.
I HAVE to be able to adjust that yard pick point, easily. This is likely going to be the last boat I ever own and it HAS to be right.
Something else my sub-conscious didn't like, was the ¼-inch sail makers thimble which looked clunky and out-of-scale, on the yard. So I had picked up a 3/16-inch sail makers thimble at the St Pete West Marine, along with another quart of Grand Banks Beige paint, because I was worried I might not have enough paint left, to finish the cabin roof and transom cap.
You cannot view this attachment.
New thimble and cut-up eye splice.
Made sure I had LOTS more tail this time, so I now had the length to taper and bury it, properly.
You cannot view this attachment.
One side already buried and an idea of the long bury tail.
You cannot view this attachment.
Another wrinkle gained from my hard-learned experience, was that I didn't really need a locking Brummel on the splice end. Instead, I used an off-set, as if for a soft shackle, so I could adjust the length more precisely.
You cannot view this attachment.
It helps to have a model of the same diameter as the yard, to fine-tune those adjustments.
After I was satisfied as to the fit and function, I whip-stitched the end splice and buries, as before.
You cannot view this attachment.
So now, it fits perfectly,
adjusts easily, and best of all:
MY DAMN' SUB-CONSCIOUS QUIT NATTERING AT ME, ABOUT HOW I SCREWED UP TRYING TO INSTALL IT ANYWAY, WHEN I KNEW IT WAS WRONG!!
You cannot view this attachment.
It really is a pretty smart sub-conscious, though. I thought I might have enough paint left to get a last coat on but sure enough, ran out after I got only the transom cap painted.
You cannot view this attachment.
Was glad for a new can of paint to get the final (OK 3rd!) coat on the cabin roof!!
You cannot view this attachment.
Feeling more confident now, I used another cold, rainy, day to make up a boom down haul.
It seems the only real trick is not to rely solely on measurements, but to have a model to base the dimensions on, so that it can be adjusted as required, until finished.
Like a short section of left-over boom extrusion.
BTW, notice that the lines on the outside loops are much thicker, the ones that contain the buries and which are what screwed up my original measurements.
May be slow, but I DO learn.
You cannot view this attachment.
Things are going to start happening more quickly, from here on out!!
Charles Brennan
(Or the thermometer in the back yard.) Forecast was for low 50's and the back yard thermometer read 48ºF, so I figured I was screwed, since the weather was going to be even worse, the next day.
But, just on an impulse I dug the laser thermometer out of the truck (the one I use for checking trailer hub temps, on the road) and slapped it on the roof.
62.5ºF!!
I was LIED to!! Wonder how many painting/epoxying days I have lost, to bad forecasts and erroneous temperature measurements? Promptly slapped on another coat of paint, on the cabin roof.
You cannot view this attachment.
And the transom cap.
You cannot view this attachment.
Tried that trick again the next day; forecast was for 58ºF at 10 am and I hoped that by 1 or 2 o'clock the temps would be 60ºF+ again.
Nope. Cabin roof measured 58ºF at 10 am (when there's still too much humidity to paint) and measured 52ºF at 1 PM, when I wanted to paint.
No painting today, boys.
This has happened to me right along, on this project.
One coat away from an end phase, and I get hit with more bad weather. Ah, well.
The temps dropped even further as the day progressed to the point of bringing inside, my wife's more favored plants and forcing me inside as well, to do whatever I could.
Like making the eye splice for the yard, starting with a locking Brummel eye splice on a sail makers thimble.
You cannot view this attachment.
Followed by another locking Brummel splice, on the two tails
You cannot view this attachment.
The tails are rather short for buries, but I needed a very specific loop diameter.
It's going around the yard, as either a double-cow hitch, or as a ⅔rds Prusik knot, depending on how you like to define these things.
Pulled half the yarns out, to taper the bury.
You cannot view this attachment.
Like so. It was more tapered than it appears in the pic, since the end was closer to the camera lens.
You cannot view this attachment.
Other side is already buried.
Always a good feeling,
when the end splice loop comes out to the originally desired measurements.You cannot view this attachment.
Absolutely did NOT trust those short tapers in the Dyneema, locking Brummel or no, so I whip-stitched the length of the splice from one end to the other and back, then moved the thread at 90º to those stitches and ran back and forth the other way, twice.
That splice is not going anywhere.
Did I mention, this is what holds up the entire sail rig?!?
You cannot view this attachment.
Annnnddddd . . . . . . . . . . it didn't fit.
Short, by a ½-inch. DOHHH!!!!
Used a come-along to "persuade" it to lengthen, a little.
Wow!!
That Dyneema is as tough as they all say it is!! You cannot view this attachment.
And with a lot of prying, pulling, tweaking, and healthy swearing,
just barely made it.Wife said she was glad the garage door was closed, so the neighbors couldn't hear me.
You cannot view this attachment.
The original intent was so that the two loop-arounds, would keep it from sliding like a single loop might, but still allow enough movement when desired, for tuning the rig.
You cannot view this attachment.
And it DOES move (sort of!),
it just requires a block of wood and a mallet, to do so. DOHHH!!!!! Hoping in a few days (weeks?) or so, all the fibers will have sorted themselves out enough, to move a little more easily. WHERE is "Dyneema Creep" when you really NEED it?!?
Thinking about it afterwards, I realized I had penetrated the line in front of my laundry marker marks instead of behind them; and had also failed to allow for the increase in line thickness from the buries affecting the line diameter and thus, accounting for the fit discrepancy.
Strangely, the insight did not make me feel any better.
Driving to and from the St Pete Boat Show, I allowed my sub-conscious to work on the problem, since it seems to be far more rational than I am and doesn't allow emotions to interfere with clear thinking.
So when I returned home, I looked at the yard fitting, admired the workmanship and effort it had required; took a cue from Matthew 5:29 and un-folded the sheeps-foot serrated blade from my Leatherman Wave and coolly cut it off the yard.
I HAVE to be able to adjust that yard pick point, easily. This is likely going to be the last boat I ever own and it HAS to be right.
Something else my sub-conscious didn't like, was the ¼-inch sail makers thimble which looked clunky and out-of-scale, on the yard. So I had picked up a 3/16-inch sail makers thimble at the St Pete West Marine, along with another quart of Grand Banks Beige paint, because I was worried I might not have enough paint left, to finish the cabin roof and transom cap.
You cannot view this attachment.
New thimble and cut-up eye splice.
Made sure I had LOTS more tail this time, so I now had the length to taper and bury it, properly.
You cannot view this attachment.
One side already buried and an idea of the long bury tail.
You cannot view this attachment.
Another wrinkle gained from my hard-learned experience, was that I didn't really need a locking Brummel on the splice end. Instead, I used an off-set, as if for a soft shackle, so I could adjust the length more precisely.
You cannot view this attachment.
It helps to have a model of the same diameter as the yard, to fine-tune those adjustments.
After I was satisfied as to the fit and function, I whip-stitched the end splice and buries, as before.
You cannot view this attachment.
So now, it fits perfectly,
adjusts easily, and best of all:MY DAMN' SUB-CONSCIOUS QUIT NATTERING AT ME, ABOUT HOW I SCREWED UP TRYING TO INSTALL IT ANYWAY, WHEN I KNEW IT WAS WRONG!!
You cannot view this attachment.
It really is a pretty smart sub-conscious, though.
I thought I might have enough paint left to get a last coat on but sure enough, ran out after I got only the transom cap painted. You cannot view this attachment.
Was glad for a new can of paint to get the final (OK 3rd!) coat on the cabin roof!!
You cannot view this attachment.
Feeling more confident now, I used another cold, rainy, day to make up a boom down haul.
It seems the only real trick is not to rely solely on measurements, but to have a model to base the dimensions on, so that it can be adjusted as required, until finished.
Like a short section of left-over boom extrusion.
BTW, notice that the lines on the outside loops are much thicker, the ones that contain the buries and which are what screwed up my original measurements.
May be slow, but I DO learn.
You cannot view this attachment.
Things are going to start happening more quickly, from here on out!!
Charles Brennan