Raphael
a Weekender Friendship Sloop

A lot of years back, I built a small sail boat called the "Weekender". I got the plan for it from an issue of "Popular Science"! Actually, from the March 1981 issue, page 102. I still have the pages in my file. Looking back on it, it was a fun boat to build. The story said you could build it for under $800.00! FAT CHANCE!! I started building in 1988 and by 1993 had spent $2,362.22!

I wrote a story about building it that has been published in a couple of small magazines and was talked about in one book. The book was "Sailing on a Budget" by Anne M. Johnson 1997.

Here are a few photos of the construction of "Raphael"

That's me after I finished laying up the kiel. This photo was taken in the back yard of my house in Southern California.
 

Here is a shot of the bottom, deck & kiel before I put them together.

I have now put in the bulkheads and attached most of the major parts together. That's Charlie Shield (standing) and Jack Harris helping to put in some of the screws that hold everything together!

Here is a hot of the finished cockpit with wheel steering. I used a wooden dowel to mount the wheel. That turned out to be a BAD idea. If I were to do it over I would use a metal pipe!

Here is a shot of the boat , on the trailer.

The bow sprit in place!!

This is a sad photo. It was taken as I sold Raphael and she was towed away. We were in Georgia and I had been transferred to the San Francisco bay area. I had two other boats and the company drew the line at transporting 3.

Here it is as it was leaving.........     :-(