Glen-L.com

Looking for some advice from more experienced builders and sailors. My wife and I are taking up sailing more seriously and I'd like to build a boat for us. I guess at the moment I'm torn between what I can use, store and transport now and what I'd really like to have down the road. I like the looks of the Bulls Eye and it looks like a great first build, but I'd eventually like something bigger that we can take out and even use as an overnight cruiser. Is it counter-productive to build something smaller first only to immediately turn around and start construction on a bigger boat? I'd lean towards the 17 just because it'd be a little larger to sleep on and we might take it up to a larger lake later. Thoughts, advice, experience? Thanks in advance!

Jester;
I built the Bulls Eye and finally launched it last year with an eye towards gaining skills for the 'big one'. It was a great introduction to stitch and glue construction and was built in one of those garage tents. I had zero woodworking skills or tools and spent more time and money aquiring those skills (lots of hanging out on this site) and buying tools than building the boat ... all together a satisfactory experience : ).
At 11' and around 150lbs it is just a bit too big for me to manhandle alone and too small for two people to sail actively (I'm 5'11" wife 5'1" and it's very snug). It does sail pretty well with the spirit rig and rows ok but with only 'butt ballast' it requires alot of attention to sail trim and body position in a breeze or over you go. The good news is that it is an easy self rescue boat, rights easily, easy entry, floats high enough to bail and off you go. My current location on Puget Sound though makes flipping the boat a chilly experience (<50° water most of year) and my sailing has been restricted to fluky winded lakes. I plan on donning the wet suit and going out on the sound some nice day this summer.
I bought plans for the Fancy Free (21' framed boat) with plans to explore the islands in the sound with a cabin and heater to get out of the frequent rain on weekend adventures but alas fear it is too big to fit in my newly aquired garage, too big to tow with my little prius and too big to sail single handed with my aging body. I do think I could build it though with the skills and self confidence (which may well be illusory) gained from building the Bulls Eye.
So get out the tape measure, contemplate a trailer and hitch and go for it. However if you actually want to get sailing it will be cheaper and faster to buy a used boat but you will miss the real satisfaction of building something that actually can harness the wind with you own hands.

DaveA

I finished a GlenL 15 last year and it is a great sailer. It has enough deck on the sides that the mast can touch the water and still only a small amount of water gets in, the rudder comes out of the water and the boat pops right back up. It does not fill the bill for overnighting but I don't think a 17' boat even with a cabin is really reasonable to spend the night in either. It is a nice place to store sails. The Fancy Free sounds like a great boat for overnighting and I have had my eye on it for a while. It's a great looking boat too. Just thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth.

Good luck and enjoy the build.

Thanks for the replies! Dave, I think more than anything, the confidence boost would be great. Does the Bulls Eye sail ok with just one? The local marina rents out boats to folks who have been through their sailing program, so I can afford to take some time to build one, which I'd like to do. Thanks again!

jester, this is a timely thread. I have also considered building a Bulls Eye. The first boat I built was a 16.5ft stitch and glue kayak. This method builds much quicker and when finished is rock solid. I live in the Atlanta area and my garage only needs to be heated in Jan-Mar during a normal winter (this year I could have left the garage doors open). I could build a Bulls Eye over the winter if everyone would just leave me alone!

I was leaning toward the sprit rig just because it is compact and can be completely stored inside the boat. I'm wondering if sunflounder (DaveA) can provide any thoughts about the sprit rig. I'll be sailing on a mountain lake. As a beginner, I want a simple rig and would definitely stay away from the sloop rig or anything with a stayed mast. I have an RC sailboat with a sloop rig and it is complicated enough.

I am also looking at a wooden sailboat that is very close to me and I may just buy it.

_________________
2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

Well, my Bulls Eye study plans arrived today, and I think this is the way to go for now. It'll get my hands dirty and get me something manageable that I can move with the vehicle(s) we have now. Taking a look at that Fancy Free, I think that may be the boat to build for weekend trips. Thanks for the advice guys!

Hi

Great to hear of more folks buiding a Bull's Eye!

There is much truth to the content of this thread in that the boat is a little small to sail with two but it can be done.

I built mine in the cat rig configuration to facilitate quick rigging. That coupled with an aluminum mast makes it relatively easy to transport on a trailer, rig the boat and get sailing. I dry sail her and was concerned if the process was too awkward, she would not get used.

The build is relatively straight forward. In sailing she is a typical small dinghy in that crew position and attentiveness is everything. Small dinghys will teach you lessons quickly if you are not paying attention to them!

If you are interested I have a significant amount of pictures loaded up of my build.

You can see them at: http://www.glen-l.com/picboards/picboard15/pic754a.html

Regards,

Mark C
"Sparrow"

I've been doing some review and soul searching and I'm leaning towards the 15 now. I just think it will be a more practical day sailer for my family - if it were just me, I think the Bulls Eye would be great, but I'd like to be able to take the wife and kids out with me too, and I think the 15 would better suit the bill.

Hi

If your goal is to be able to take a family all together, then I would agree with you that the 15 is probably a better fit for you.

The build will likely be a bit longer but will also be more learning which can be put towards your bigger goal down the road.

In the end, if the boat is suitable for your desired application you will be much happier.

Happy building!

Mark C

Just a thought, I see you are a buckeye too. I live in Toledo and while on a walk today I saw a 18' wooden sailboat for sale. I had seen it before sailing and it has a beautiful shape and I talked to the owner. He says he bought it complete and that it is very old but was refurbished. He is selling it for $1000.00 with a trailer but no outboard. It is currently a bit weathered but sailable. You could use it to determine feasability or start on the Fancy Free while getting in some sailing time. Of course you would lose the building experience but from my experience Glen-L does not oversimplify it's statements about build difficulty. If you can build a 15 you can build a Fance Free it will just take a little longer. Either way enjoy the build I did.

I'd really like the opportunity to build a boat, but unfortunately space limitations at home would make anything larger than about 15' impossible. I'd be more inclined to build the day sailer and buy the cruiser, you know? I also keep an eye on the ads too - I'd be lying to myself if I didn't realize I could go out and buy a boat for what the sails would cost on the 15, but there's a certain pride in building something yourself. Who knows... I'm realistically at least a year from buying or starting a boat, so I have plenty of time to research and make a decision. Thanks for the tip, though!