Hi Will,

MUSTELID uses 3×3/4in and 13×1/2in ply. We ordered fir AC ply (not marine), but the delivered 1/2in was some mystery wood. Here’s hoping!

And yes, ultrashoal draft opens so much skinny water to the sailor… especially (I imagine) along the Great Loop and Inland Waterways.

An abundance of teak… what a windfall!

Perhaps we could continue the discussion from triloboats swirly gmail daughter com?

Dave Z

I’ve actually been on the Volkscruiser website many times. I think it was around about the time I started getting acquainted with Bolger designs and I saw your articles about Trilobites. You were building one up on top of a bunch of stacked up blocks.

I originally became interested in your cargo sailing barge and still am actually. But ever since I saw M, I decided it’s perfect for my current needs.

I was going to, at one point, buy an older but decent 24′-26′ shallow draft, maybe a swing keel, and just gut the thing. Cut out the foredeck, then make some corresponding bulkheads and stringers, glue them into place and build something like a “Chetzemoka”. It’s a 30′ but I don’t need that much boat. Too big to easily trailer behind an SUV with 4×4.

I want to do some voyaging, various legs of the Great Loop and lots of inland waterway exploration, gotta float in a foot of water or maybe 18″ is okay.
That’s why M is pretty perfect.

I was going to ask you about your choice of plywood. Did I hear right that you used Marine Ply? How many sheets did it take you? I just left Thailand where Indonesian Hardwood Marine Plywood is about $31USD per sheet for 6mm and about $46-48 for 12mm. Here, it’s on par with Gold Bullion! And in Thailand, Teak is a Native species. It was literally laying all over the ground and almost every backyard had a bunch of Teak trees. I would drool at nearly every fallen tree and people thought I was mentally ill, until I explained what Teak is used for and how it’s not available in other parts of the world.

Hi Will,

Thanks for your kind words! Haven’t seen that movie, but will put it on our winter list if only to see who might play ‘me’ in the up-coming Hollywood rendition of our series. 8)

Building from scratch has so many advantages, especially in a smaller project. Someone once observed that even the most experienced, professional builder can’t lavish the amount of time and attention on any given project as can we amateurs. The very word ‘amateur’ roughly translates as ‘done with love’. That which money can’t buy!

That being said, if you incline the other way, Bob Wise at Volkscruiser has a lot of good advice regarding refurbishments.

Either way, here’s wishing you a successful project and good sailing!

Dave Z

I see you now have the boat’s plans up on the website for sale. I’ll definitely be purchasing a set. I’m wrestling with building a boat from scratch or buying a nice older hull, gutting it, cutting off the clutter and rebuilding it to suit my needs, with an Aft cabin But I think building a new one would actually be easier and I promised myself that my next boat would be a new one that I personally built for me, rather than an old boat that I repurposed. Winter is right around the corner too.

Anyway, thank you for your latest video and fair winds to the two of you. I can’t wait to see Ep.8.

P.S. If you see a Bigfoot, tell him/her that I said hello!

P.S.S Dave, Have you ever seen the movie “Moonrise Kingdom,” by Wes Anderson? You sir, could be a double for the Scoutmaster in that movie. (Not Edward Norton, the other one who narrates the movie) Maybe movies aren’t your thing but, I think this one you would definitely like.