Building A Chameleon Sailing Dinghy | Sawing Her In Half - #4

[@marshallpoe8087]

I can see the Sailboat Story Boat Building Company based on the shores of some small Caribbean island coming next. Molly will be an excellent salesperson!

[@nowhereman7398]

Good, I'm not the only one who does stuff like that. Great video.

[@spinnaker5514]

You did the right thing! Even though nobody else would have ever noticed it, it would have bothered you and drove you crazy. Better to take a little extra time now and fix it right than later when she's all painted and it's even more work.. You do excellent work. Watching you build it and all the time and effort you put into this boat, you can see why a new dinghy sells for so much. Wish you lived around me, I'd hire you to build one for me you do such outstanding work.

[@Sailboatstory]

You can't afford me. ;) I jest because I think I'd have to sell them for $30,000 to make a decent wage.

[@frankrice5364]

Omeomy but then again I have seem it finished..great job Ben and family

[@wornslapout]

More Ben! MORE! Glad I read and saw your photos on Facebook also. You could have given us 200 hours of dinghy video and we'd still watching it.

[@Sailboatstory]

Even though I'll have close to 300 in it when finished, you'll have a little over 1 full hour of video when it's all said and done. Happy to hear that you're enjoying the series. :)

[@AndyKopac]

I built one too Ben. Mine I built in Ecuador. Love our dinghy. If there was one thing I would suggest it would be to glass the inside of all the daggerboard trunk before assembling it. The daggerboard slot takes a beating over the years.

[@Sailboatstory]

Great idea, but sadly too late. :) Maybe on the next one.

[@captgrant]

She didn't say small package, otherwise this would have been a rather boring sailing adventure. Great Job, I'm thinking of making one of those myself. Thanks for another video. Cheers from The Grand River Ontario

[@captgrant]

i don't mean you are boring, far from it. You get the meaning....haha

[@saltysailor9401]

She looks very stout and study. Good job. Wow.

[@edrosenberger6947]

Gee.....I thought I was fussy.....but in this instance, I would have said 1.5° off was good enough! That was a bunch of extra work but now you know that little discrepancy is no longer going to bother you.....good job!!

[@Sailboatstory]

Just tilt your head 1.5 degrees. Problem SOLVED.

[@Bumsonaboat]

My god! Your such a perfectionist and I love it. This baby is dialed. Snow...what!!?? Must be nice. Better take Molly sledding on the Chameleon.

[@johannmendelsohn6365]

Brilliant idea to make two halves! I nearly stopped building my Argie 15 as I don't have a trailor or tow vehicle! All stations go again. Thanks a million!

[@Thuddriver01]

I'm impressed. I'm a little OCD but I couldn't have tackled an addition twenty hours to correct a one degree tilt. Where are you working on the boat; I thought you sold your house? Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration to us all.

[@Sailboatstory]

Closing the sale end o March if everything stays on track. So far so good.

[@Thuddriver01]

Ben; my heart just dropped when I saw you sawing the boat in half; the OCD kicking in. Little did I know that is the way it was designed. I saw those big patches on the side of the boat in early construction and wondered if they were there to just hold things together until it was glassed. Really looking forward to the finished product.

[@leosorbello7732]

The first boat always takes more time ,even a for a pro boat builder . So don’t be afraid to try build.

[@charlescain7962]

Once again, the most entertaining and informative channel, on here.

[@johnwhyman8490]

Just catching up on this build, and little word of concern about split hull construction. I see the only way the two halves are held together is by two bolts through ply pads on each side near the gunwale. These will come under huge stress unless you have some method of fastening the bottom together at the keel. Water WILL get into the gap between the two halves as you sail along however close the fit , and especially from the the turbulances round the rear of the dagger board. This could put a lot of pressure on the front board of the rear half as there could be flex if the upper bolts aren't very tight. Perhaps I'm missing something in the build and this will be covered later, but keep it in mind. Apart form that, what a great build and nice to see real dedication to quality.

[@rj7411]

Awww, the things we do for our daughters, so sweet. So much hard work & love in this DIY. Thanks for sharing, mistakes and all, excellent Ben.

[@tashtashy3094]

Execellent ! I would have done the same. It would have bugged me all my life. Attention to detail is not always technical, ( for a mm or a degree ) but moral. It is the perfectionist in the man ! Great job Ben!

[@robertgoldbornatyout]

Good Job!

[@larzhillbot1443]

I am currently building a Chameleon dinghy myself. After seeing all you went thru with the dagger board box i think i will just go with simple Lee boards like on many of the Bolger designs They work just a well and no putting a hole thru the bottom of your boat. If it was a flat bottom dinghy it would be no concern but with the V bottom much harder to get perfect. Any way It would have bugged me as well if i did not correct it lol Thanks for your time showing us your work

[@TheBlackdog65]

Good job Ben

[@thepigwillfly5869]

Good episode. I like watching the ones where you build and repair stuff.

[@richardsteele928]

How I know why you are the way you are, it's the headbanger music you lesson too. Great job on the dingy.

[@Sailboatstory]

Thanks Richard. :) Rock on, Sir.

[@daneschuck6242]

LOL love your adlib commentary.

[@fxpthl]

Ben, Ben, Ben, you really are a perfectionist! I would bet that your sock drawer is neat and orderly as well, yes? The "Fix" turned out good, but were those extra 20+ hours really worth it? In your mind I'm sure it was. Nice to see Tambi once again, but where was the "Star of the Show" Miss Molly? Looking forward to the completion of this project and how/what the finish will be.

[@oceandrew]

You're now a certified expert on building Chameleon daggerboard/slot/trunk sections. When's the paint going on?

[@Sailboatstory]

Yes. That would be true. Not joke, I bet I could knock out a second one in close to half the time. Paint happens in the next episode.

[@stacey62293]

Looking good!! I would have fixed it too. Lets see the girls more often been a while for Tambi . It has been nice watching you build this boat in the mean time before the sailing begins again. Look forward to seeing the end result soon. Thanks as always so much for sharing your lives with all of us :)

[@DougMinchau]

Am i the only one who wanted to kick the brick out right after you lined it up? haha! Keep the imperfections, you know its yours!

[@Sailboatstory]

That's unkind, Doug. You're a mean, mean human. I would have had the same thought.

[@DougMinchau]

I installed my dagger board trunk backwards, it still works, and the dagger board only goes in 3/4 of the way, i figure the boat likes shallow water sailing!

[@Sailboatstory]

Did you build a Chameleon?

[@DougMinchau]

Sailboat Story No, a Beth sailing canoe.

[@Sailboatstory]

I looked up a picture. Beautiful.

[@dmzflightmedic]

Looking good!

[@rockyevans5171]

Ben, talking about brain cells...You have quite a few. Your a very capable, smart guy and you are blessed with a great sense of humor. Maybe not as cute as Molly, but smart.

[@Sailboatstory]

HA. Thanks, Rocky. :)

[@rmhollin25]

dammit boy , are we related? off by 1 deg ,lol the cure ,ac/dc , chain smokers , bob marley, and Alice in chains! wow!! great work ! p.s. I know you've hear the saying " we aint building a space shuttle "

[@Sailboatstory]

A phrase I use frequently is "It's not rocket surgery".

[@darrenphughes]

Meow that's a fine job.

[@craighowell7425]

Fantastic work - thoroughly enjoyed your efforts

[@Jimmy47904]

Is this where we say "I can't tell the difference" or do we say...."Oh my, it looks much better!"

[@Sailboatstory]

Neither. Just leave a thumbs up. ;)

[@Jimmy47904]

I "ALWAYS" leave a thumb's up!!!!! Great Vid's!

[@cristianvalladares2973]

After all the great work done I bet is still painful to cut it😅

[@Sailboatstory]

VERY.

[@raykiii]

Sniffing glue makes Capt. Ben a little Dinghy. Story at 11:00. Looks great. How do you feel about it? Was it nerve racking to cut the boat in half?

[@SailingBritaly]

Hi Ben great job on the dinghy so far! We built ours too (it folds down to 4 inches wide - there is a short video about the build on our channel) and building that little boat is honestly one of the most satisfying things I've done in my whole life! When you get yours launched and start using her all the hard work will instantly be worth it! P.S. Well done for rectifying the daggerboard angle: a little thing like that can drive you nuts if you let it go! Fair winds, Chris (& Rossella) 👍

[@saltysailor9401]

Sailing Britaly I remember when you put that video up! I think you guys chose much easier plans than ben. I'd like to take a crack at building your dingy. You guys have such great info and tips. Wow Ben really built a tank. It looks almost Ready for an Atlantic crossing. It's great to see you sailing Britaly on here!

[@SailingBritaly]

Hi John, thank you! We really like our dinghy and highly recommend those plans to anyone. They are pretty quick to build too, even for a beginner. The Chameleon looks like a great boat and I'm very much looking forward to seeing Ben's finished version, as well as seeing the Sailboat Story family out there using it in future! 👍

[@waldowoc]

So, what is the purpose of the opening on the back of the daggerboard trunk? Nice job by the way, it looks amazing.

[@Sailboatstory]

It creates the female notch that helps the 2 halves assemble together while in the water.

[@RealChrisHubbs]

As the daughter of a cabinet builder / finish carpenter ny wife is by far the more handy wood worker in our family. That sortnof thing would have driven her nuts as well. She said that was time well spent to fix.

[@denniscollins2032]

The fish will love it.

[@laurentfroggy6631]

Really nice job Ben. Looking forward to the launch 😏 will you call her "SV Molly" Thanks and best from HKG 🇭🇰

[@bobwallace8104]

Just saw you at WallyMarket and already a new Vid. In your words "Pretty Darned Good". Bob Wallace

[@SenatorPerry]

Amazing job. Looks great. I must admit that it would be neat to have a small window in the bottom to make finding diving spots easier. Thought about making a "looking bucket" while you have all the tools out and extra epoxy?

[@Sailboatstory]

I had the same idea! Thoughts about laying in a panel of plexiglass or something.

[@vincentdolente7053]

Looks fine

[@Sailboatstory]

Cool avatar picture.

[@vincentdolente7053]

@@Sailboatstory From a movie, iron giant.

[@Sailboatstory]

Suuuuupeerrrrrmaaaaaaaan. :)

[@vincentdolente7053]

@@Sailboatstory hahaha

[@SmokyRibsBBQ]

I've been following this build since the beginning and man, your doing a fantastic job! Don't blame you for redoing the dagger board. I'm the same way about things like that. No one else may notice, but I sure do. Your editing skills are getting fantastic as well. Just wondering, have you been pinged yet for the music? Love the music, but I know how those music police are lol ;)

[@Sailboatstory]

Thanks very much. Yeah - none of the videos with music playing in the background are monetized. It doesn't bother me though, they make so little anyways.

[@frankrice5364]

She is a beauty can bot wait to see her in the water

[@bobswezey7452]

She's looking good, looking more like a small ship....

[@scrolex]

The Cure and Alice In Chains. Great music again. RIP Layne Staley.

[@usmcmma]

Smart move on the Dagger Board. It would have bugged you forever!!!

[@LearningtheLines]

You know, before watching these videos I kind of wanted to build a chameleon. Watching that hour count go up, I'm not so sure anymore! Lol. I like watching the videos though! Quick question, will this fit nested under the boom behind the mast?

[@Sailboatstory]

Yes, it'll fit below the boom or on the foredeck of the E32. It's definitely taken a major time investment, but it's been very enjoyable. Mostly.

[@SailingBritaly]

Ben's Chameleon will be a vessel in her own right and I reckon she'll have a 100 year lifespan, so the hours he's putting into her will be repaid in the end. If you're looking for a quicker build, check out our dinghy... 👍

[@pauldicarlo3057]

Very nice job! At 11:50s where you repair the bottom of the hull... is that thickened epoxy you are using? If so, how do you keep those temporary sacrificial pieces of wood from being glued to the hull?

[@Sailboatstory]

Good question. I wrapped them in wax paper. Epoxy doesn't stick to it. Aluminum foil also works for the same purpose, I found out.

[@pauldicarlo3057]

I just sent you a small amount of $ via PayPal to say thanks for the Chameleon dinghy build series. Best wishes.

[@Sailboatstory]

Unnecessary, but hugely appreciated, Paul. Thank you very much for that. Glad the series has been helpful to you. :)

[@shippen2010]

Wow it's beeaauuutifulll...

[@Sailboatstory]

Getting there, isn't it?

[@shippen2010]

You should name it " Molly's First Love"

[@SailSmileReDo]

Ben rocks ))))

[@timthetoolman5128]

Minor problem, it would bug me to. How many days have you been working on the dingy? Watch " life on the mold" for some great tips and amazing fiberglass work. Can't wait to see you all back on the water. From Niagara Falls Ontario

[@Sailboatstory]

I'm not sure how many days. I probably averaged 6 hours a day. Some days being far longer, but with quite a few shorter days mixed in. Just a guess would be about 23 days to get it to this point at 139 hours into the process.

[@TheDenyingDutchman]

I can totally relate to minor build error OCD, I would have ripped out the daggerboard too.

[@Ivansgarage]

SV Molly Is coming along, nice project, where was Molly? she should be helping.

[@MsPdog1]

Molly make sure you have a life vest on first go in the new boat, just in case dad forgot something.

[@salmonhunter7414]

I would do it to. Thanks for sharing. I said it before. I think your humour is great. You missed your calling, you should be a comedian.

[@UweBehrendt]

Im laughing my ass off ,ive never seen a comedian build a boat

[@Sailboatstory]

HA. Well, I'm very glad that you enjoyed it!

[@SaschaSupertramp]

Great music to work!

[@dalebuckley6073]

I wouldn't have been able to sleep either !

[@Sailboatstory]

Glad that it's not just me.

[@chasemixon6327]

As a person that has those same things happen to me, I would have handled it a little differently, I would have said, ah heck, then convinced myself that it was "close enough" and it would still work the same, then later, 6 months to a year, after I could no longer handle it, I would have rip it off and done the same thing! :) Great episode! #ProbablyTheRightThingToDo

[@tedrenard472]

Hey Ben. Just had a close look at the video again. It's hard to see clearly, but the daggerboard is actually bent slightly to one side. Case looked OK to me.....:-) Great job, and great job on the video again, and top music again too.

[@Sailboatstory]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[@thetravelingelk1155]

Looking good. question as I am looking to build one of these one day. Why cut the transom of the front part of the boat? Couldn't you cut the bottom only? Oh and how Molly doing with the name?

[@Sailboatstory]

Happy to answer your question, but I can't quite visualize what you mean. Take another shot at that and I'll do my best to give a good answer. I think we have a name picked out now, but we'll keep it under wraps until the launch.

[@thetravelingelk1155]

On the dagger board slot you cut thought the bottom (horizontal). Which made sense to me. But you also cut the back side of the bulk head (vertical) slot out. I didn't see need for this, as the dagger board trunk is only open to the bottom, not the back side of the bulk head. Could you have only cut the bottom? I'm not good at explaining things so thank you for your patience.

[@Sailboatstory]

I understand your question. I do didn't see the need for it. Per the plans, it's supposed to be wide open on the back once complete. I modified mine and closed the vertical slot back up, leaving only the recessed notch open. It's visible in the final shots of the video.

[@rundown48]

Hey there Ben ,, Looking real good ..being your first time in all.. I was wondering if you were happy with the blueprints / information provided.. and if you are happy...who did you order them from ?? Cheers

[@Sailboatstory]

Plans can be found on the "Duckworks Boatbuilding" website. Search: Chameleon. The plans are FAR from perfect, but they get the job done if you can mentally fill in the many gaps. There are incorrect dimensions and plenty of areas that are incredibly vague. With that being said - the mistakes I made were not a result of the plans, but my own errors. I would still recommend the plans though. They're adequate despite they're shortcomings, and the resulting vessel should be very nice.

[@rundown48]

Cool.. i'll look them up .might be fun , and i need some practice with my glassing skills . lol

[@Sailboatstory]

I can tell you - as a result of this project, my sanding skills are OFF THE CHARTS!

[@ByronWatts]

Didn't see glassing the outside that used to be inside the saw joint. Trusting it gets well sealed too....

[@Sailboatstory]

....

[@WakeforMe]

"That's what she said." and then I snorted tea all over my keyboard.

[@Sailboatstory]

Did you really? I mean, do you say that just to make me feel good or did that really happen?

[@WakeforMe]

Yes, I snorted, yes, I was drinking tea. How much tea got on the KB remains a top-secret, for your eyes only matter.

[@Sailboatstory]

Sorry about that.

[@harrysmith1185]

Oh man, the same happened to me.

[@jimfromri]

I would have redone the daggerboard slot too. Otherwise it would have bugged me every darn time I used the boat. 20 hours is a small price to pay to avoid the regrets later.

[@tartansailor]

And what color will it be?

[@Sailboatstory]

Mostly white.

[@johno998]

I'm voting for pink!

[@Sailboatstory]

Taupe.

[@georgebetar923]

Ben, I thought of this when I watched you criticize your dagger board. This is one of my favorite literary pieces and was also a favorite of JFK. It is written by one of my other favorite war heroes, Teddy Roosevelt, who along with JFK became our president. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. Teddy Roosevelt. With Respect,

[@Sailboatstory]

I LOVE that quote. Before we packed everything up I had it hung on the wall. Thanks for that. :)

[@georgebetar923]

Small minds think alike apparently... :-)

[@liongod1000]

Ben, BTW have you sold your house? Can't remember if yes or no. As Maddie from 'Sail Life' would say about that dingy is "Pretty Damn Spiffy" !!!

[@Sailboatstory]

Everything is still on track with the same Buyer. So far so good. Closing is near the end of March.

[@mosquitobite101]

First off, your build is looking good. But, I got to say, nice cover for a major screw-up! You realized you weren't supposed to have cut the bulkhead when you installed the trunk.

[@Sailboatstory]

No, that's incorrect. The plans actually call for a much larger cut in the bulkhead than what I made. My modification is more conservative and much stronger.

[@OverlandSea]

Oh man what a bummer having to re-do the dagger board, it had to be done though, it would have drove you nuts.

[@Sailboatstory]

That it would. She's straight and true now though! Thanks for watching.

[@williamberkeley6675]

Did you say “meow”?

[@Sailboatstory]

Ha. Yep.

[@williamberkeley6675]

Sailboat Story “ you jumpin around all nimbly bimbly?”

[@LJL98]

You know. If you turn the camera upside down. Those upside down shots won’t be as confusing. Only problem is. Everyone watching falls on to their roof..... 😂

[@Sailboatstory]

Why is your comment upside down?

[@os5017]

You realize that the bulkhead didn't have to be cut, only the floor of the boat, the dagger board goes down not backwards. It just made the boat weaker.

[@Sailboatstory]

Keep watching. It’ll all make sense soon.

[@Pixxelshim]

"That's what she said" heh!

[@ronjohnson9690]

Numbered thoughts: 1.- A magician on stage at the beginning. 2.- Great bargain for the divorced couple. 3. You made the mistake on purpose just to show off your expertise. 4.- So many comments were weighty, I thought I should bring buoyance. 5.-Next episode?

[@Sailboatstory]

6. That was the last episode.

[@ronjohnson9690]

Okay, that means thought No. 5.- No Comment.

[@bobbybaldeagle702]

All that work and it wasn't crocked to start with. You just didn't have the boat level. See it was only your perspective that was off by one degree... All that work could have been avoided if you would have gotten another person perspective on it... LOL,LOL

[@Sailboatstory]

Calm yourself. To the contrary, a combination a 3 levels were used to ensure that the boat was sitting correctly. This was the case during both installations of the daggerboard. Pretty common sense stuff - still, mistakes were made. Big things don't happen without mistakes along the way. It's just the way it goes.

[@mheermance]

It was really painful watching you tear apart that dagger board trunk over such a tiny defect.

[@Sailboatstory]

I don’t feel the least bit sorry for you. ;)

[@handsoff5822]

Great job. Thanks for sharing. And I agree completely with you going the extra mile to straighten the dagger board. Call me anal😅

[@kenwalter867]

No one can ever say, you dont know the half of it!

[@helenm4357]

well we have had funny and sexy so far I wonder if cute will show up

[@Sailboatstory]

Tambi is kinda funny, isn't she?

[@mdaddley]

OCD much???? lol

[@Sailboatstory]

I don't have OCD. Could you PLEASE only use 1 question mark? Multiple question marks make my eye twitch uncontrollably.

[@mdaddley]

lol

[@SmokyRibsBBQ]

LOL!

[@scrolex]

mdaddley I have the same issue as Ben but unlike Ben, I tend not to even try to build things. I pick apart every little thing i do. So in the end it’s easier on my mental state just to buy things already built.

[@TheSurfrer1]

Another video without Molly. SMH.

[@Sailboatstory]

You are mistook. She was present during the first 5 seconds.