Duckworks - Projects
vvvv
The Online Magazine For Amateur Boat Builders


“VIOLETTA “
a swollen Oldshoe
by Emilio Cazzaniga

My family used to sail on our J22. We were doing so in the fall 2003 when, due to my frequent web navigation to sites like yours, I was taken by the desire to try building a little boat.

For Christmas my sons made me, as a present, two boat plans: Bolger Oldshoe (from Common Sense) and Michalak Music Box3 (from Duckworks).

click to enlarge
Violetta at the lake

(click images for larger views)

To accommodate our intended use, we made some modifications to Oldshoe’s plans adopting Jim Michalak's leeboard system. The Oldshoe plans have been upsized by ten per cent with a traditional stem, external rudder, schooner rig, a wide storage space under deck (a guy can sleep in it), a free flooding motor well and anchor well.

To speed up the building time we bought marine wood panels already jointed, avoiding the scarfing operation. The whole structure of the boat has been upsized adopting panels of 8 mm instead of 6 mm and for the bottom 18 mm instead of 12 mm and the same has been done for structural wood.

original jointed panels
click to enlarge

We received the materials supply at the middle of March 2004 and the whole labour was completed by the end of July, 350 working hours later. At the beginning the construction was really very fast (see the picture of 40 hours [below]where the boat is shown already -dry- assembled). Then, due to the modifications, the following steps slowed down the construction speed.

click to enlarge
40 hours work

The 350 hours, total working time (mainly by my sons), has been calculated in this way: 1 hour by 2 people equals 2 hours; this means that my personal pauses admiring and enjoying the boat taking shape are included. Included, too, sailmaking (by my wife) with sun tent fabric, wooden blocks and cleats.

Violetta at sea
click to enlarge

The tools used were not professional and all bought on “special offer”.
The boat with 60 kg. of lead ballast (total weight 270 kg) has an impressive initial stability and windward ability (4 people and 2 dogs aboard) up to 20 knots wind speed with no reefing (sail area is 12 m2.).

click to enlarge
the cockpit

The windward angle is modest (55/60 degrees) but sufficient for a pleasant motor-sail. My whole family was happily involved in the building adventure and today we are thinking about making a new boat, possibly a little bigger (at least 18’) and possibly to our own plan (top satisfaction).

Expenses:
consumption materials € 767,00
wood and marine panels € 752,99
epoxy resin (15 kg) € 661,50
paint € 458,00
sails € 167,00
building plans € 150,00
others/miscellaneous € 667,50
  € 3.623,99
ready to sail
   
tools € 476,50
sewing machine € 166,00
outboard engine € 690,00
road trailer € 2.490,00
   
total amount € 7.446,49
   
Violetta on her trailer
click to enlarge

Emilio Cazzaniga
22072 Cermenate -CO- ITALY
Via Matteotti 48