every minute counts, and jigsaw blades have different jobs.

I've been spending a lot of time just sanding the pieces to the line because i couldn't cut really close without the worry of the jigsaw blade going off at an angle. Well, i was using the wrong blades. It seems that some are for crossgrain cuts and others are for cutting with the grain. Armed with that info I'm turning a two hour job into a one hour job, and with that I'm nearly out of wood to cut. Just two more side frame members. It seems today I'm a little closer to The Minuet Sailboat

Cost so far.

As I said before building a boat isn't cheap. As far as boat building goes though. This one isn't very expensive. So it's time to start keeping a running tally of the cost. I'm going to include every nut, bolt, nail, screw, and tool I had to buy to build the Glen-l minuet sailboat.

$112 - Plans including shipping

Lumber
$42.50 - 5pc 1x6 6ft long Douglas-Fir

Composite materials
$54.00 - 1 quart T-88 structural adhesive including shipping with graduated cups

Tools
$4.99 - 5 12oz graduated cups
$1.99 - 12 latex gloves
$1.49 - plastic drop cloth
$4.25 - 5 small brushes
$119 - Small table saw
$49  - Jigsaw
$24.50 - Clamps On sale from harbor freight
$7.42 - 2 sanding belts
___________________________
372.14 total

Remember I'm also acquiring tools that I don't already have. So about half of the cost is for those.

Making vertical grain

Another decision has been made. No one in the area can get vertical grain wood or very very rarely does. So what is a boat builder to do? This boat builder has made the decision to make his own by slicing down horizontal grain Douglas-Fir into strips turning them 90 degrees and laminating them back together.

Now that is a perfectly fine idea, but it does add a problem. Glue. What kind and where should it come from. T-88 structural epoxy came to the rescue. It's FAA approved on a case-by-case basis for repairs to certified aircraft, and is used a lot in wood experimental airplanes. The epoxy is also waterproof, resist oil/gasoline, can fill 1/4" gaps, and dries a nice color that can be varnished. If it's good enough for an airplane it's good enough for a boat. Now I just have to wait for it to get here. There is a little surprise coming up too....

Lumber woes

As I said building a boat isn't going to be easy. So the first hiccup in the road. Mahogany, Fir, and Sitka Spruce are either not available, horrible quality, or prohibitively exspensive. Right now the most cost effective alternative is southern yellow pine. It's also what is available locally.

Glen-l 15 Minuet Specs

Length overall (on deck)	15'-0"
Length overall (with bowsprit)	16'-8"
Length waterline	13'-0"
Beam	6'-6"
Depth amidships	3'-6"
Draft (board up)	12"
Draft (board down)	2'-11"
Height (board up to cabin top)	4'-3"
Displacement (at D.W.L.)	1124 lbs.
Hull weight (approx.)	400 lbs.
Centerboard weight (1/2" steel)	120 lbs.
Cabin headroom	37" max.
Cockpit size	6'-5" x 5'-0"
Average passengers	2-4
Sleeping capacity	2

Supplier

The great thing about Glen-L marine is the ability to get everything you need for the boat except wood right from them. So for the plywood I'm going with Bateau out of Vero beach, Florida. They are less than half an hour away from me and carry the meranti 1088 and 6566 that i plan on using, in addition to fiberglass, epoxy, and a ton of other stuff. They also have some very nice designs. It actually came down to choosing their 16 foot boat or the minuet.

Reconsidering the Pocket Cruiser.

I still haven't received the plans which isn't a big deal for only being a couple of days, but I also haven't recieved anything indicating that they know I've paid or have made an attempt at shipping. So I've started to look at other designs and the 15 foot Glen-l Minuet really stood out to me. I will feel much more comfortable sailing her than the stevenson pocket cruiser, and think the boat will be a  bit more capable weekender. So, after 12 hours of thought and searching the Minuet turned out to be the best compromise, and I purchased the plans. Now I wait some more.