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Now, I'm not saying that Bill DIDN'T build his for 10K or less, just that there is more to that achievement then he is giving away.


I dont think there is any more than I am giving away.

I worked with Steve last winter in his shop to lay up the hulls. I took the 4 halves home one winter day and stuck them in my basement. Once I had the foam cut and fitted to the mold it takes about a half day to lay up hulls, if you use Nomex you can do 2 halves in one day. Cutting the carbon according to the pattern takes about a half day. The hulls prior to mine were done in a weekend.

http://www.intcanoe.us/mygallery/index.asp - see A cat construction Feb 05

I built the bulkheads, and sterns in my basement with corecell foam, carbon cloth and epoxy, without vacuum pressure, tabbed them into the hulls. Made anchor points for the rigging out of fiberglass and epoxy, and tapped in Wichard anchor bolts.

I glued the hulls together with Proset and beamed up the boat (Proset again) with the help of a carpenter friend. Lots of measuring, laid the lines out on a concrete floor. Glued it all together, which I think was easier than building anchor points for beam bolts.

I purchased new Flyer Rudders and rudderheads, and purchased used daggers. I got the boom and beams from Forte I got a used curved travelor from a friend, used an old travelor car, modified with carbon plate, and added components from my spare parts box.

Midboom sheeting was custom made, no mold, just built up carbon and epoxy, using an Ronstan rachet block on a cutoff section of boom.

Mast from Hall with gibb tangs and carbon gooseneck.

Phil Kinder made me a tramp.

The only mold was the hull mold.

I collected chop sticks for stirrers, and used plastic butter containers for epoxy mixing pots.

If anyone wants to try it, I would be happy to introduce them to Steve, and share any of the things I learned along the way. I will also lend you the Proset gun and a handful of chopsticks.

No secrets Wouter.