Author Archives: Grace Ombry

trailer sailer LULU

LULU, the Biggest, Baddest Trailer Sailer

A home-built water-ballasted trailer sailer

By Brad C. Frederick

I’ve always wondered if LuLu wasn’t the largest trailer sailer on record. I’ve been sailing this 35′, self-designed and homebuilt trailerable sailer since launching her out of Morro Bay, California in 2010. I laid the keel in 1993 after three years of testing on a half-scale model I’d built. Her construction consists of ¾” planks bent over bulkheads on a strongback and closely fitted, layered joints held together with a lot of West System® Epoxy. I also used West System® when I sheathed her with fiberglass. Continue reading →

stand-up paddleboards complete

Building CLC Stand-Up Paddleboards

By Bruce Niederer — Retired GBI Technical Advisor

Helping my brother Nelson build two Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC) stand-up paddleboards was one of the first projects I started after retiring.  We were building them for the best kind of friend—the paying kind. I guess I’m one of those guys who finds retirement much busier than work. In fact, I wonder how I ever found time to work. Continue reading →

A cedar strip canoe by Kurt Mangseth.

Readers’ Projects, Issue 53

This cedar strip canoe (top) was laminated with WEST SYSTEM® 105 Resin®/207 Special Clear Hardener®. It is the work of Kurt Mangseth of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Continue reading →

Robert Garrison's big, beautiful barn.

Big, Beautiful Barn

by Robert Garrison

Cover Photo: Robert Garrison’s big, beautiful barn. The trusses were reinforced with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.

I designed and, with the help of others, built my big, beautiful barn many years ago. While we didn’t use epoxy in the construction, I’ve used WEST SYSTEM® many times to make repairs and modifications. Much of this was needed because the construction crew didn’t follow the design instructions.

The fourth floor of the building is a 24′ wide by 60′ long clear-span room. The weight of the roof, cupola, and sometimes a lot of snow, are held up by six trusses. I strengthened the trusses by adding the missing gussets, adding additional lumber to some parts, and strengthening weak spots in the grade F lumber I’d used. Continue reading →

Several small parts coating by Russell Brown

Coating Small Parts

By Russell Brown — Port Townsend Watercraft

Pre-finishing parts with WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy before installation is a technique that was popularized by guess who? The Gougeon brothers. It can save time and increase the quality of the finish. Coating small parts can also be a challenge, but it’s much easier if the parts are held in a way that provides good access for roller and brush coating. Continue reading →

Obsession fulfilling its purpose, charging down the rapids.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go…

in a Wooden Boat

By Greg Hatten

I was anxious the first time I took my handcrafted McKenzie-style drift boat to The Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, Washington. Realizing that boat builders and woodworkers with discerning eyes would be inspecting the construction details of my boat over the course of four days was almost reason enough for me to create a “change of plans” and not go. Continue reading →

1957 MG 15 Fiberglass Runabout with original mahogany transom.

The Restoration of a 1957 Fiberglass Runabout

By Bill Bauer

I acquired this 1957 MFG 15 fiberglass runabout with its original mahogany transom in 2017. The previous owner had started to restore it but did not finish. When I first got the boat it was just a hull and a bunch of parts. A neighbor, Kami, and I work on it on weekends at Black River Boat Shop when we both are available. Continue reading →

Stormy Weather, an East Coast 32 designed by Dovell Naval Architects and built by Denman Marine.

Stormy Weather

By Lorraine Murray — ATL Composites

Denman Marine in Kettering, Tasmania built and recently launched Stormy Weather, an East Coast 32. Renowned naval architect Andy Dovell designed the boat primarily as a day boat but included accommodations for overnights at harbor or short coastal cruising in good weather. She features traditional styling including a plumb stem and curved, raked transom. The Western Red Cedar strip hull is constructed with modern materials including multiaxial E-glass and WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy, resulting in a strong, lightweight, and easily handled boat. Continue reading →

Repairing Gelcoat Stress Cracks

By Terry Monville – GBI Technical Advisor

Knowing how or why your boat’s gelcoat cracks occurred in the first place is the key to a successful repair. For example, if hitting a seawall or dropping a champagne bottle on deck is what caused the cracks, after fixing them you will know how to prevent them in the future: Don’t drink the champagne causing you to hit the seawall and drop the bottle. Continue reading →

The Globe Mini 5.80 is a boat in a box.

Boat in a Box

The Globe Mini 5.80

By ATL Composites

The compact offshore racing boat known as the Globe Mini 5.80 is the brainchild of adventurer and sailing legend, Don McIntyre. This boat design is taking off all over the world in the form of a DIY kit constructed with plywood and WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy. Continue reading →