Added another string of photos and captions to the PocketShip construction gallery. (Thanks to Geoff Kerr for sending those along!)
When will plans & kits be available? Probably six weeks. A lot of the plans work has been done already. Obviously we want to give the boat a thorough shakedown and tweak things if desired.
Pricing? Don't know. The plans will be an impressive roll of paper, since almost everything will be patterned at full size. Likewise, it's a lot of plywood, so it's not going to be a $1000 kit, but we'll do everything we can to make it reasonable.
How exciting! More questions from the peanut gallery:
What is the significance of the stars in the updated PocketShip logo? In my deep, hazy memories of celestial navigation class, I don't recall that configuration of constellation. But then, I didn't make high marks in celestial nav class...
The newest photos answer my questions about the feasibility of rolling the hull. However, will tires be included in the PocketShip kit?
Looks like white undersides and bright deck. What color will her hull be? I vote for dark blue, as the CLC demo MC16.5. Or could it be Folkboat Red?
Those are some of the more visible stars from the Pleiades star cluster.
Yes, the sides are dark blue, and the topsides and deck will be white.
This is the boat I have been waiting for!!! Only problem, I don’t have a garage or access to one. Is it feasable that this could be built outdoors in the driveway? Even if you do have an indoor space I would think it would be have to be larger than most people would have available.
Magnus, of course it's possible to build boats outdoors. Most boats ever built throughout history were built outdoors. You will have challenges with protection from weather, thieves and neighbors who don't want to be looking at a boatyard, but if you can work around those problems there's no reason why a boat couldn't be built outside.
John, I see Pleione and Atlas at the left, Alcyone in the center, Maia and Taygeta top right with Celaeno and Electra at the bottom right. Merope seems to be covered by "PocketShip". Or does this mean that the prototype PocketSHip is named Merope? Could be fitting, especially since she married Sisyphus who could be sort of a patron of amateur boatbuilding. Think of it - we sand the wood, we put on epoxy. We sand the epoxy, we put on epoxy. We sand the epoxy, we put on epoxy. We sand the epoxy, we put on varnish. We sand the varnish, we put on varnish. We sand the varnish, we put on varnish... Then, we complete the boat, we start a new boat. Sisyphus would understand.
Anyway, she's looking great, hope to see her (and maybe get a ride) at Okoumefest in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, back to finishing my Duck. As Sysyphus says, it's all downhill from here.
Laszlo
Is that a PocketShip trailer I see on the live shopcam right now?
Ayup. That's PocketShip's trailer, from a Trailex kit. I'm going to modify the bunks a little and add a runner for the keel, nothing serious. Off to Vermont to pick up the finished boat later this week.
>>>>>>This is the boat I have been waiting for!!!! Only problem, I don't have a garage or access to one. Is it feasable that this could be built outdoors in the driveway? Even if you do have an indoor space I would think it would be have to be larger than most people would have available.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You'd need to keep the assembly dry from start to finish, and you'd need to maintain temperatures between about 60F and 90F with the epoxy. Those two pieces really aren't negotiable with a composite boat. In most parts of the US, that's completely achievable with one of these sturdy-but-temporary shelters:
That one lists for $389 at SheltersOfAmerica.com
Larry Froley, our West Coast agent, has used one of these as a boatshop for years. You can even heat them. Once you're done, you can store your 612 Scaglietti in there.
Well, it's all about as interesting as watching paint dry right now. The boat will be under the digital gaze of the Live ShopCam starting Wednesday morning, and you'll get to watch yours truly do the Headless Chicken Rigging Dance in time for OkoumeFest. I'm taking delivery of a bare hull, so all the hardware is up to me.
John, Thanks for the idea of using a temporary shelter. It looks like a good solution to my problem of not having indoor space. Please post more pictures soon of the PocketShip. I need my fix ;-)
My wife's an art historian - she watches dried paint.
Is there going to be a launching ceremony?
Laszlo
