Jaysen's V12 -- 'Lil Bit' of everything fun

[Jeff]

Nice!! Beautiful place to train but never get to truly enjoy!! Jeff

[jacquesmm]

Don't worry about the gaps in the puzzle joint.
Go over the puddles with a grinder and leave the gaps for now.
You will them later.
Later, when you build your putty fillets, take a little bit of that putty and go over those gaps.

[Laszlo]

Jaysen,

Congrats on starting your adventure. I completed my V12 7 years ago and have been having lots of fun with it. It's a great little boat, very capable. I've rowed it during a small craft advisory with 3-ft. waves and never got any water over the top. Jacques did a great job with the design. It's also very pleasant and easy to sail, even with the boomless rig.

I also hold the record for the longest build time - 9 years. Here's a few tips on how to avoid being a challenger for that record:

1. Build it exactly as the instructions say. Do not modify the design, even a little. All I did was add a cuddy in the bow and that added a chunk of time.
2. Don't try for a yacht finish, it's not worth it. It eats ridiculous amounts of time, it's expensive, it turns into a workboat finish after a season anyway and it makes absolutely no difference to how the boat works. If a workboat finish is good enough for the USS Nimitz, it's good enough for me.
3. Work clean. Spend a little extra time up front preventing spills, drips, rough fillets, etc. and save a lot of time sanding later.
4. Do all your cleanup with a rag before the epoxy cures, instead of after with a sander.
5. If you don't like how something turned out, take it out as soon as possible. Don't try to get used to it and let the epoxy cure while you're trying. And especially don't cover it up. Because you're going to remember it and take all the stuff off and have to replace/repair/rebuild (and sand).
6. Do something everyday, no matter how little. Once you lose your momentum it's very hard to get it back. Lost momentum is the biggest reason for abandoned boat projects. The atypical thing about my build isn't that it stretched out so long, but that after so much time I actually completed the boat.

Anyway, have fun and keep on posting,

Laszlo

[Jaysen]

Leave it for later it is.

Laszio, the plan is 60min/day with 8hr on weekends. Already decided in workboat finish since that is what she is. If I can stick to the paln should be in the water a bit faster than 9years thanks for the tips. I'll keep them handy.

[terrulian]

I'm still of two minds about the workboat thing. I tried to finish mine off nicely, but in addition to all the disadvantages Lazlo listed, it adds a lot of weight. I didn't go for two part paint, so the expense wasn't tremendous, but I would guess 80-90% of the time was making things look good, not making them solid, which is easy if you follow the plans.
On the other hand, I enjoyed the whole build quite a bit and there is no comparison between how I felt about the work, and the result, on my V10 and the "total junk boat" I described on another string. The little junk boat is perfectly serviceable, but every job was completed with a completely different type of satisfaction--not a job well done, but a job quickly and cheaply done. There's a difference. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get any admiring stares for my junk boat, not that that is what it's all about. But I will never have the same level of affection for it.

[Fuzz]

Leave it for later it is.

Laszio, the plan is 60min/day with 8hr on weekends. Already decided in workboat finish since that is what she is. If I can stick to the paln should be in the water a bit faster than 9years thanks for the tips. I'll keep them handy.

Jaysen it is your boat and you have every right to build it any way you want but you might want to re-think the work boat deal
I only say this because from what you have said "Lil Bit"is SWMBO's boat and I bet she will be wanting it to be nice
I have built work boats both big and small

The work boats could be kindly said to be butt ugly The only time they looked good was when filled with several tons of fish.
I also built an OD-18 that is not in the Cracker class but is not too bad
It is sure nice to have people come up to you at the launch and say they like your boats look. I think you would be much more pleased with that in the end.
Fuzz

[WouldWork]

The way I look at it is simple - you will make up your own mind on show or work boat finish as you go. The more you use epoxy, the more you sand and the closer you get to the end, the more you will know in your own mind just how far you're willing to go on the finish. Trust me, you will know!

You get an idea of how hard or easy you find it to make stuff look good. Everyone's different though, you'll see. My idea of show boat is probably Larry's idea of workboat. Make it what you want and how you want it! The V12 is an awesome looking hull, Jacques has done the hard work, it's up to you how much you want to compliment that. No one here will think less of you with either finish as long as you're proud of it and happy with it.

Fuzz,

I must have horrible taste because I think you're butt ugle boat is gorgeous!! I'd love one of those.

Take care all.

Cam.

[Jaysen]

Well... let me clarify.

SWMBO doesn't really care about finish. She's as happy with a 1980 rust bucket as a 2016 fresh off the line vehicle. She has preferences, but for her "get it done and make it safe" are the key. I on the other hand... I'm more like terrulian when it comes to "done nice". Which is BAD for this particular build. Im my mind "work boat" still looks nice, but won't make me cry when I find the inevitable scratches and gouges. So here's what my finish will be.

1. No bright work other than mast/spar (and maybe not them either.
2. glass and graphite bottom
3. prime and sand, but only 2 top coats of something "inexpensive" and close to "fighting lady yellow" on hull
4. interior will be white.
5. Orange peel is ok
6. Runs/drips are not.
7. All lines will be even/symmetrical and fair.
8. No mods to hull structure or fittings (other than mast retention)

I know I'm abusing the idea of "workboat" but when my workboat is done, I'm pretty sure she will still be a looker. Not terulian class looker, but she will stand out. Even with fish parts and crab traps she's going to be unique and sharp.

As to last night's work... Oops... Son and I needed to practice gun control. Man 500rnds go fast when you're having fun. Going to sand over lunch today.

[Cracker Larry]

As to last night's work... Oops... Son and I needed to practice gun control. Man 500rnds go fast when you're having fun.

Don't they though! My son and I can easy go through 500 in an hour with pistols Get my wife involved and 1,000 goes real quick My M14 can eat 750 a minute. That gets real pricey, real fast

[cape man]

So my OD18 has some nice bright work on the gunwales and fore deck, but the paint and finish is cheap and definitely 30 foot. Have never had anyone say that it looks bad. The boat I'm working on now will be the same, if not more "work-boat" finish. Doubt I'll hear anything but compliments on it as well. The way we use them it would be foolish for me to build em too pretty.