The Little Sailboat

My friend Chuck, has several boats, and one is a Precision 23 sailboat. When I saw the boat, I didn't see a name written across the transom. I asked about her name, he replied, "She doesn't have one. I just call her 'the little sailboat'." I told him that she needed a name, but I don't believe he thinks that's very important, so I will name her 'THE LITTLE SAILBOAT' until I come up with a better name.

Her mainsail was ripped, and in need of repair. I kept my heavy-duty portable sewing machine, so I took the sail and fixed it, now she's ready for another romp in the Atlantic.

Many homes in the Keys have canals behind the house, and Chuck's home is no exception. How convenient is that! Yesterday, Chuck and I decided to take 'THE LITTLE SAILBOAT' out for a sunset sail. We got the jib on, mainsail cover off, drinks and chips aboard, motor warmed up, cast off and headed for the channel. Once we got to the channel, the motor would die when we tried to give it gas and get on down the channel, so we slowly crabbed toward #2 marker. Once pasted #2, we turned to port and raised the sails. We barely had any wind, which was probably a good thing. Not sure of the swing keel's position, Chuck pulled up on the line, but the keel didn't fall back down. Okay, now we don't have a keel, the motor is not reliable, we decide to head back to the dock. Luckily, it's down wind and with the current, so off we go.

It was nice to be back on a sailboat, even if it was not a very successful sail, it was fun for me. I will make a list of repairs that need to be done so she can go out and have fun in the warm waters of the Atlantic. Sailboats are not Chuck's favorite mode of transportation on the water. She has spent most of her time at the dock, but I hope to change that now. :-)

Paradox Build

The build is taking longer than I had hoped. But, yesterday, we did a dry fit. A couple of the bulkheads need more beveling, and #2 still needs a little work before it can go together. The mast, boom, yard, rudder and rudder stock are in different stages of completion. I would like to have it in the water this summer, we'll see.

This project has been a fun one. The running and anchor light was difficult to figure out, but we did and now are making that. The unit will be removed from the masthead for storage. It helps that Dale, my better-half, is an electrical engineer. He is in charge of the electrical stuff. We will post updates as they happen.

I have the plans and Don Elliot's build manual, but this novice builder still has many questions. I have posted them on the Paradox forum on Yahoo, and everyone has been very helpful. They are a great source of information, and always willing to help. They have been great!

The name of the boat has already been decided, but will wait until it is 3D to reveal. Hopefully, that will be within a couple of weeks.

Lezlie
Houston, TX

My Boat Building Journey

I started building things from wood about 20 years ago; shelves, bookcase, towel racks. I love to create things with my hands. In 2007, Dale and I moved to Houston from the desert (Midland, TX). We met a guy with an Irwin 41 sailboat, and started sailing with him. We enjoyed being on the water, and then in 2009 I decided I wanted to build a boat. Wanting to start off small, I decided my first boat would be a PDRacer (PDRacer.com). Yeah, it's small, but it is a lot of fun!

After looking at a lot of plans and reading about the different boats, I decided my next boat would be a Matt Layden design, Paradox. With plans and build manual in hand, I bought the plywood and started cutting. The bulkheads, transom, rudder and rudder blade are cut out. The mast, boom and yard will be next. I should have the solid lumber by this weekend, and get to work.

I am hoping to have this boat completed by June 2011. That might be unrealistic, but I need a deadline. My progress will be posted here for anyone interested to follow.

Lezlie