The Core Sound 17 is a spirited cat ketch expedition style daysailer.

Designed by B&B Yachts, the CS17 is fast, responsive and safe, making for exciting sailing for the whole family.

But it is in the realm of small boat adventure raids this design really shines. See also here for the designers experience in the mother of all events.

This one was put together over 2 years as the subject of a series of articles for Small Craft Advisor. The plans were followed to the teeth where it mattered, while lots of free form ideas crept in during the later stages, some elaborate enough to add weeks to the project!

Scroll down for images
and go here for construction details

The good old stitch and glue hull is comprised of the usual materials: Okoume 1088 marine plywood and System 3 epoxy products. All hull ply joints are scarphed. Most of the structural members, trim and other visible wood are Douglas fir, including the masts. The latter are of solid construction, glued up with 5 laminations of 3/4" stock.

The side benches are topped with laid strips of solid wood, caulked with a graphite/epoxy mix. This provides good friction for slippery feet and butts, besides the esthetic gains of less painted surfaces. The coaming is laminated Doug fir. Inside the transom on the port side are reinforcements for an outboard bracket. All hatches are secured with positive latches and foam rubber seals. The floorboards are screwed down in a semi permanent fashion, but with a generous spacing so dropped items are readily retrieved and cleaning is facilitated. An Andersen bailer is installed for better or worse. The tiller swings up out of the way if needed.

The rig of this CS17 is far more traditional than normally seen on other similar looking vessels, with almost entirely shop made components. This can be a drawback for some, if performance is the number one concern, but the simplicity and durability of these tried and tested methods are well documented. Everything can be field maintained with common tools. Rope stropped blocks are silent and tough. 3 strand lines feel good and splices easily. And it is all so much fun to make.

We also sewed the sails here in the shop, using 4 oz dacron and a professional machine. They have double stitched panel seams and classic cut tablings. All the hardware is brass. There's a leech cord and hefty corner patches and reef points. They came out good, judging from the one test sails we've had.

Finishes include painted hull, deck and cockpit with System 3 water borne epoxy coatings, and oil/pine tar/turpentine saturation of bare wood. No varnish is used anywhere, a fact that should make the sale right there! We used oil based house paint inside the bulkheads and waterproof compartments.

So what worked out and what didn't?
The hull is fair and smooth, better than anything we've done before. The scarphs are just barely visible in low angle lighting but can't be felt. The chines are straight and consistent. On the decks, on the other hand, are a few unsightly dips that missed the fairing compound. Also the epoxy coating and some of the fillets inside the cockpit are a bit rough, likewise with the overall appearance of the paint job.
Most of the woodworking is of high standard.
The centerboard case have nicely fitted bedlogs, instead of tape, and the laid bench tops look splendid.
The rig worked out real well, with well proportioned cleats and blocks and cool ropework. The mast are relatively straight, but a little bumpy due to difficult flat grain in places.

For a big set of construction images of this project, go here

Here you will find a 10000 word article describing how to build this boat.

Launch day, June 23 2008, with only a small group of the essential folks.

From left: Sonja (ever supportive of the big project), Jan (relieved builder), Bjørn (excited sailor), and Dave (provider of inspiration and crucial assistance)