Build Retrospective

First off I would like to say that the PocketShip is a wonderful boat.  I think one of the best examples of a pocket cruiser in the 15' range that exists today.  It sails nicely and looks stunning.  Everything has a functionality that is very well thought out.  Design wise I can't think of any misses.

The build itself is much longer (at least in my case) than the estimated 500 hours.  My 1 to 1 1/2 year build turned into 3 1/2 years.  I tried to go with high quality sails, hardware and accessories on every part of this boat.  When in doubt I overbuilt.  The final cost of the boat is much more than I would have paid for a similar factory built boat.  However, I feel that the quality is a cut above anything you could buy commercially and I am intimately familiar with every nook and cranny.  That knowledge is important when sailing.

Mistakes:

1. Bulkhead number two was canted about 1/2" athwart.  It was the largest mistake on the boat but doesn't amount to anything.
2. Technically not a mistake (since I did it on purpose) the hatch cover is a little skewed to make up for item number 1.
3. When I marked hull for painting I masked for where the hatch cover contacted the hull so that I could get a good epoxy bond when I glued the hatch cover on.  Well, on the starboard side I simply missed.  I thought there was enough non-painted hull area that I could get a good epoxy adhesion.  I was wrong and the first sail when my son stepped on that area it let loose with a sickening crack.  There was no damage but there is a small gap there now.  I'm going to have to carefully excavate the paint from under that area and re-glue it properly.  For now it doesn't cause any problems.
4. Even though I own a drill press there were many times that I missed getting the holes correct on the tabernacle, bowsprit, mast, boom and gaff.  They either had to be plugged and redone or bored out to make them fit.
5. I think the hull painting would have turned out better if I had simply "rolled and tipped" it vs using a HVLP sprayer.
6. The bright work got two coats of clear WR-LPU paint.  I think it could have used a third coat.
7. In several placed where I have bright work that was encapsulated in epoxy I sanded too aggressively and removed too much epoxy and got into bare wood.  Sometimes it's hard to see those places before you paint.  When clear coated they become very obvious and didn't result in the finish that I was trying to achieve.  After the fact I learned that a rag with alcohol will reveal those areas instantly.

So, would I start another one tomorrow.  That's a resounding NO.  I've scratched the itch to build a cruising sailboat.  I am helping my wife and daughter with kayak builds.  They are building a Chesapeake 17 and a Petral SG respectively.  I am providing technical support and that suits me just fine.

The PocketShip was the third boat I had built.  Each of them was a stitch and glue boat and each one was better than the one before.  Ten years ago I build my second boat, a small sailing skiff that my son uses weekly either for sailing or fishing.

I will probably build another (smaller) boat again someday.  For now I will just relax and learn to be a great PocketShip sailor.

Build is over sailing adventures will continue to be documented here!