Little Bit Of A Setback

Ive had a little bit of a setback of late, Ive been watching it hoping it would go away, but as its getting colder its getting worse.

So what is it?

The laminate flooring I used to line the ceiling is distorting. I suppose as the boat gets a tiny bit shorter.  Essentially is compressing and was beginning to ripple midships.  Other option is that the laminate is expanding with the damper weather.

Normally when you lay this sort of flooring its know as a floating floor because its not fixed anywhere and a 10mm gap is supposed to be left all around the edge of any room its laid in to allow for expansion etc.

Compounding this also is:- 1. I have had to glue it to the roof batons to keep it in place. 2. on the port side I did the whole boat in one continuous length of about 12.5m.  Its only this part thats distorted.

The planned repair is underway and involves removing the affected mid section and cutting in a expansion joint above the bedroom door separating the run.

So this is what its looking like.

I shall leave it a couple of days for it to normalise, I have cut some more of the glue to free up more movement.  Then it will be all put back up again and hopefully that will be the an end to the matter.

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Love Him or Not Book Review

 

Capt. Larry Simns has probably had some effect on your life if you are in any part of the seafood industry, if you like to fish, if you are concerned with water quality, if you love to eat seafood, if you live or work near the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, are a politician in the Maryland State House, or for a variety of other reasons. If you dont know his name, or the only thing that you do know about him is his name, then you should read this book.

In the newly released The Best of Times on The Chesapeake Bay, An Account of a Rock Hall Waterman, Capt. Larry Simns (the n is silent), and co-author Robert L. Rich, Jr. tell the story of how he grew up in the small harbor town of Rock Hall on Marylands Eastern Shore. He began his education in seafood harvesting at six years old, he went through brutal but valuable apprenticeship with seasoned and unforgiving Captains in his teens and he grew to become a respected Captain and seafood business owner in young adulthood. He recounts how he reluctantly found his voice as he began his rise within local groups of watermen to become a legendary advocate for them and the Chesapeake Bay in response to critical declines in seafood populations in the early 1970s. In his 40 years as President of the Maryland Watermens Association, he was not only recognized for his work by professionals with interests in the fisheries from Maine to Alaska and the Gulf Coast, he also worked with Senators, Governors and U.S. Presidents.

If you spend any time with a waterman,it would be difficult not to notice that theirs are very tough jobs. Many of our neighbors start their day at 3:00am. They work when its 20 degrees outside. They work when its 100 degrees outside. The brutal apprenticeship that Capt. Larry went through was important for learning to live in an environment that might be idyllic one moment and potentially deadly the next. There are some very exciting moments in the book. In fact, Capt. Larry went through more than one situation where he almost didnt survive.

 

He clearly explains how various finfish, oysters and crabs were harvested, having experience with pretty much every method used. He explains how "The Bay" changed after Hurricane Agnes. A resulting drop in seafood harvests coincided. Other factors including pollution from other sources led him to the chain of events that made him the powerful advocate he is. He discusses how he worked with others from various disciplines including biologists, environmentalists, and others to create policies that were not always popular. An amazing journey for a waterman from Rock Hall, Maryland.

 

Theres a whole lot more here and I highly recommend this book. Most of the chapters are brief, but full of information. It provides an education about the Chesapeake Bay, Eastern Shore life, the history of its watermen, issues surrounding its protection and much more. One gets the sense that, knowing he wont be around forever, he would like for this book to help pass critical information to those for whom stewardship of the Chesapeake and the life within it will pass. We should pay attention.

 

For more information go to: 

http://www.thebestoftimesonthechesapeakebay.com/

Book Details

The Best of Times on The Chesapeake Bay, An Account of a Rock Hall Waterman

Lived by Captain Lawrence William Simns
Written by Robert L. Rich, Jr.
Illustrated by Ann Crane Harlan.

ISBN: 9780764342776Soft Cover 288 Pages 42 illustrations

 

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You Sure it Will Make it out of the Basement

Before totally committing to building a boat in the basement, one needs some kind of proof its not going to be Noahs ark waiting for the basement to flood to get some use. While the tape measure said it would make it out...I wasnt sure that I wasnt another idiot building a big project that was stuck in the basement. I have to make a slight turn at the top of the stairs to clear the kitchen cabinets, so its not a straight shot out of the top of the stairwell.

My first plan was to temporarily set up the frames, transom, stem and keel and then fashion some temporary plywood sheers and take the clamped together skeleton on a trial run. But my son Bill said maybe a tricked up 4x8 sheet of plywood would suffice. Not wanting to remove frames from my set-up form it sounded like a good idea. So some temporary plywood strips were used to simulate the shape of the shears, traced onto scrap plywood and cut to shape. These were screwed to the stem and breasthook assembly which was screwed/clamped to a 4x8. The stem and various bar clamps were used to simulate full beam width of the boat and depth of the boat. The trial run into the stairwell and out at the top went with no issues. I took some clearance measurements at the tight spots and I have some room for more length, beam, and depth....but not enough to change plans to a bigger boat and start all over!

The kitchen in the background was a major project of a few years back. My son and I built all the cabinets, doors, drawers, etc. Maybe it will be another blog someday.

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Every June On The Weekend Of Fathers Day

there is a show in St. Michaels, Maryland, that to me, is special in a way unlike any other that I know of. Let me say that Ive been to a lot of shows over the years. Its formal name is "The 26th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival/The Arts at Navy Point".

Feel free to print this poster and show it off

It is one of the grandest expositions of fine old mahogany and chrome boats in the country: it is, in fact, the largest show of the type in the Mid-Atlantic region. Its location, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, is a setting that is perfect for the shows many aspects. Being on the Miles River, which connects directly to the Chesapeake Bay, stately motoryachts come from many parts of the East Coast. Many boats simply cross the Bay from the Western Shore or come up or down the Bay from various Eastern Shore locations. Boats arrive on trailers from all over the US and often from Canada, as well. There are runabouts, utilities, race boats, cruisers, launches and virtually everything that you can imagine in between. Because these boats are in competition for best restoration to original condition, they are all in "Bristol" shape and when you see 120 to 130 of them together, its quite a sight.

There are several Antique & Classic Boat Festivals throughout the US and Canada and I think that they are all worth checking out. We attend a number of such shows each year and they all have their strengths. What I like about St. Michaels is that there is a type of synergy that has developed over the shows 26 year history. In particular, and for reasons that Im not sure that I understand, it has had a good relationship with the arts. Having been among the first vendors that were part of the show, many years ago, I remember that the first group had a number of artists in it. Some of them still do this show, almost 20 years later.

???

Talk about use of "Style"

While I dont understand how it began, this connection between the boats and the arts has grown in a very natural way and the two worlds compliment each other amazingly well. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the boats, most of which were designed to be stylish in their times, and which are in such pristine condition are art in and of themselves. Making old and worn boats young again is an art form in no uncertain terms. Understanding how to do research, learning about history, and applying techniques of woodworking, metalworking, finishing, graphics, etc. are all types of multi-media art and artisanry.

I often hear people say how beautiful the St. Michaels show is. That it is balanced and makes people feel good. There are a lot of reasons for that. There is a lot to do and a lot to see and the people are friendly. Again, the Museums grounds are beautiful in mid-June when the weather is "just right". I
think it looks better with lots of beautiful boats all over the place. ...and if you havent been to St. Michaels, it really is a great place to be.

Everyone has a reason for liking boats, or not; art or not, and what I see in this may seem like a figment of my imagination to you. I have no problem with that. I will say that you should come to this show and think about what Im saying here and see what you think for yourself. Even if you think Im crazy, there are a lot of other things to see and do at the show. Whatever you like, Im willing to bet that you will love something about this show.

The 26th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival / The Arts at Navy Point

For a list of this years artists and vendors go to http://intothings.com/boatshow/vendors.html

For more show information, or to register a boat go to http://www.chesapeakebayacbs.org/

For information about the town of St. Michaels go to http://www.stmichaelsmd.org/

For Accomodations during the show go to http://tourtalbot.org/accommodations.asp

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Dressing up The Annie Buck in The Eye of The Storm

Phase II of the Annie Bucks change over from her summer outfit to her winter outfit occurred as two incredible storms were on our doorstep: Hurricane Sandy (otherwise known as Frankenstorm) and the 2012 Presidential Elections. As I write this, the hurricane is bearing down on us, so if my writing seems a bit off, its because Ive got my mind in a few different places. This story is about yesterday and as I write it I dont know what the outcome of today will be...

?

David pointing to the winch on the boom. The mast is the pole
with the "whiskers".

It has to be done when it has to be done and on the day the rain bands were arriving in advance of Hurricane Sandy, it was necessary to install the mast and boom used for oyster dredging into the Annie Buck to be ready in time for the season.
 

About a month ago, I wrote about the removal of her canopy, a coordinated task involving the efforts of a number of Watermen and neighbors. This is a similar type of task. The mast is made of steel and, although I dont know exactly what it weighs, it weighs at least several hundred pounds. It is the long pole with the “whiskers”, which are steps to climb to its top for whatever maintenance might be required. The Boom is made from aluminum and it weighs somewhat less, but the winch attached to it adds a lot of pounds.

The boom comes out of the truck first.

All of the work was again supervised by“Keeper”, who knows all corners of the boat. Our part starts when we meet David at his truck, where he has somehow managed to load both mast and boom. They are precariously balanced, the weight bolstered by some people sitting on the truck-cab ends as if on a see-saw. The trip to the boat is about 500 yards and uneventful.

The mast has to be installed first, but the boom is on top, and so it is the first off the truck. It is placed out of the way, as much as it can be, on the dock.

 

The mast is all steel and quite heavy.

As it was when we removed the canopy, you find that its a long distance from the decks of the boat to the floor, especially when you are carrying something heavy and even more so when there is a momentum to the object being carried, because of all of the people involved. Everyone has to be quick and careful and to be aware that if you are at the wrong part of the dock, or boat, it is easy to step off onto nothing and end up in the water.

Board being bolted to mast bottom.

The bottom of the mast is attached to a board which is bolted to the floor just behind the pilot house. That board is bolted to the mast first and then the mast is brought upright. There is a bit of finagling to get the bolt holes in the board to line up with those in the floor. When the holes are aligned, lag bolts are set in, but the mast is by no means secured.

Raising the mast.

What really controls the stability of the mast are the various lines running from the top of the mast to the bow of the boat and to points near the sheer line in the forward half of the boat. These lines are made of “wire rope” and their tension is controlled by long turnbuckles.

Securing the mast.

 

After the mast is in place, the boom is brought aboard and attached to its mounting point by a very sturdy assembly made of stainless steel. Of course, as we are doing all of this, there is a wall-like line of clouds in the SouthEast sky; probably the first part of Sandy... 

???

Bringing the boom aboard.

 

The boom is not raised yet to its normal spot. It doesnt need to be today. Its time for everyone to go and batten down the hatches at home.

I just want to say that its clear as I write this, that  a lot of people that we know and love are going to be hit hard by this one. I hope that everyone fares well in Hurricane Sandy...

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Answers to a couple of recent comments

Here is comment received regarding Fleet:-

How much does she weigh?
What I like about flint is that the center of balance is over the center thwart making her easy to carry and light enough for this senior citizen to car top.

Well, I cant tell you how much she weighs because we havent weighed her yet, but the material thickness is the same as on Flint and the area of plywood is only 8.4% higher, indicating an 8.4% weight increase.  The Fleet shown in the pictures has a foredeck and inwales, but the standard Flint and Fleet have tank-tops on the foreward and aft buoyancy tanks, so it probably all evens out.

Based on just the plywood in the bare hull, the weight of Flint panels is 24kg(53lbs) and in Fleet the same is 26kg(57lbs). The centre-of-gravity of the hull panels (including transom without framing) is at 1.96metres forward of the aft perpendicular i.e. at the midships thwart near the aft edge.

The weight of any boat depends tremendously on the density of the materials used, and the attitude of the builder.

________________________________________________________________

In relation to my recent post on the virtues of the sprit rig with the jib set flying, Dennis Marshall writes: -

May I ask what the line is hanging from the peak of the sail?

Dennis is asking about the light line which can be seen in a number of photos, running down from the head of the sail at the peak end of the sprit

The light line is just visible in this photo

The line is a vang. I suggested that it be used in certain conditions when hard on the wind and when running free, to control the amount of twist in the sail, and (when running) to prevent the head of the sail from moving forward of the beam i.e. forward of a a line drawn at right angles to the centreline of the boat. If a sail moves forward of the beam, it is a sure invitation to a Death Roll.

The light line is run from the head of the sail near the peak of the sprit down to a thumb-cleat on the weather quarter and then to a little fairlead on the rudder head and then along the tiller to a small V-jamb cleat within easy reach of the helmsperson. When tacking or jibing, the line is flicked off the thumb-cleat and quickly moved to the one on the new weather quarter.  It only requires a light tension on the line (vang) to haul the head of the sail in to reduce twist in the sail.

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Its Been A Buffing Sort of Day

I have been buffing the paint this afternoon.  Its very hard work and not very interesting.

But the result is satisfying even if the reflection shows that ugly mug.

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Yawl should know the conundrum of getting a tiller round the mizzen mast

The details of how to design a yawl so that the tiller gets around the mizzen is an interesting topic. There are a number of tricks:

Using a line steering system: Here you can see Michael Storers Beth Sailing Canoe with the tiller forward of the mizzen and the lines connecting to the rudder, which is out of the picture.


Ill add that there are a number of ways to do line steering. My Deblois Street Dory has line steering coming into the boat from a rudder yoke but there is not a remote tiller as in Beth. The Coquina is another example of line steering in which lines are attached directly to the rudder and pass through the transom, via a pulley system, and the steering line goes around the perimeter of the boat.

Using a long push-pull tiller: Here you can see James McMullens Oughtreds double ender.


Using a curved, laminated tiller or split tiller


Using a normal tiller with an offset mizzen




For the Goat Island Skiff, we go with an offset tiller as in this model by a customer:




The other methods I mentioned just wont fit the situation we have in the Goat Island Skiff, mainly because there is not room for a split tiller and we want to keep the solution simple. We are deciding about just how much to offset the tiller. You can see above that the tiller will hit the mizzen before 45-degrees. The big question is how much room do we want to give the tiller to swing. In the pictures, we decided to test a 45-degree swing. That puts the mizzen a little further off the centerline than Id like. This boat is very light and pushing a tiller than hard over makes the rudder act like a brake and the risk of losing so much speed that you cant get through the tack is something to consider. Then again, we dont need it so close that things feel claustrophobic. In the picture above of the offset mizzen, notice how little offset the mast is...the tiller must touch the mizzen pretty early. Does that give enough steerage for the helmsman when the push the tiller in the mizzen direction?

Well have a solution soon after a full-scale mock up. The way we are doing this, collaboratively, is something I do on many projects. It always gets a better result because many thoughts and ideas can be sifted through. The more the merrier. Whatever the solution I draw up, the mizzen can always be moved a little more or less off the centerline according to the skippers preference. The important thing is to maintain the rake of the mizzen, which has been determined. My point is, that collaboration with designers, customers, and other folks with experience through the forums and boat shows can be an advantage in getting many thoughts onto the table and generating the best solution.

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Photos of a Good Flat Bottomed Skiff

Back in April I wrote two posts about flat-bottomed sailing and rowing boats (see Discussion About Flat-Bottomed Boats and Sharpie Hulls and Fine Sections ).

Things have been pretty hectic at our place since the disasterous flash-flooding which hit our area on January 10, 2011, but over the last few weeks Ive been getting back to work on some over-due jobs, one of which is a nice flat-bottomed skiff for a customer in Brisbane. She is a Jim Michalak-designed Mayfly 14 and is a good example of a well-designed flat-bottomed hull. The point to note is the relationship between the curve (or rocker) of the bottom when viewed in profile, and the curve of the topsides when viewed in plan-view. These two shapes, in combination, determine the chine-line, and the the flow of water around that chine. The aim is to reduce cross-flow to a minimum in order to minimise eddying.

A nice, simple boat, showing the pivoting leeboard, centreline hatches, and external chine log.

Many people find external chine logs difficult to accept, but they have some advantages. They are much easier to install on a boat which isnt built on a strongback, avoiding compound bevels and determination of length. In addition, they provide good protection to the chine, which is somewhat vulnerable on a flat-bottomed boat. Phil Bolger had a theory that if the hull was properly shaped, an external chine log may reduce drag, by delaying the point at which cross-flow occurred. In addition, I guess that they provide a bit of extra lateral resistance, which is good in a sailing boat.

Brutally simple pivoting rudder design which requires only one rudder cheek. The key is the amount of blade above the pivot point, as it provides support to the blade regardless of which tack the boat is on. The patch at the bottom of the blade is where Ive cast in a block of lead to sink the blade. It is covered with a small patch of 200gsm/6oz glass to prevent cracking between the lead and the plywood. The white is epoxy and sanding filler. 

Very simple, but rugged, mast step and mast partner, well braced by framing on the other side of the bulkhead.

Close-up of the mast step showing the very necessary drain hole to get rid of water in the step. This is all a bit rough at this stage, still waiting for some clean-up and fairing work.

Close-up of the external chine log, rounded over on both edges, and showing how Ive brought the epoxy/glass bottom sheathing around the bottom edge and up over the chine log. This is to protect the vulnerable edge grain of the 1/2" plywood bottom.

Outer stem made from a superb piece of Celery Top Pine from Tasmania. Hard, dense, and strong. Still waiting for finishing work and fairing.

Close-up of the external gunwale/sheer clamp, laminated from two beautiful pieces of Silver Quandong. Note how in a simple boat like this, there are plenty of places where the edge grain of plywood planking is vulnerable - this needs to be considered, with action taken to protect the edge. The edge of this plywood will be treated with three or four soaking coats of epoxy prior to being painted, but even then it will have to be watched in service.

Detail of the corner joints in the hatch framing. Once again, Silver Quandong

The single-sided pivoting leeboard allows for a clean and open interior. Although simple in concept, the leeboard design requires great attention from the builder when fabricating the leeboard upper and lower guards, so that the board is absolutely parallel to the centreline of the boat. Trickier than it looks!

A nice, simple, rugged boat. The external stem cap is yet to be trimmed, and at this stage Im planning on finishing it off with a Jonesport Cleat.

So, there you have a nice little boat. But you dont get something for nothing. These boats might be easy to build, but they consume large numbers of silicon bronze screws, and the structure is quite heavy. However, she should give long and trouble-free service, given that she is painted properly (she will be) and stored properly

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The State of the Sport

Oracle on its foils. A new level of sailing performance

Ive been thinking lately about the state of the sailing industry in the US, and, frankly, its not pretty for the designers or the builders. Since the "Great Recession" there has been a decline in yacht design activity in this country. With a few exceptions, most of the designers I know are struggling to find commissions and many builders of custom and semi-custom yachts have diversified into powerboats or other products, or simply shut their doors. Is this the natural ebb and flow of business cycles, or are there other forces at work? It may be a matter of business cycles but I think there is more to it than that. Its pretty clear that the recession took a lot of money out of the sailing industry, which is to be expected since many people have been understandably more focused on their economic survival than new boats.

International Laser at speed

Another factor is the way people spend their most precious commodity, leisure time. Sailing is time consuming compared to other sports that compete for your recreation time. Golf is a good example. You can go play a round of golf on a Saturday morning and be home in time for brunch. You drop your clubs in the garage and youre ready to spend the rest of the day doing other things. Sailing, on the other hand, is pretty much an all-day affair. If you just want to go out for a couple of hours, you head down to the boat, spend a half hour getting it ready, then push off from the dock and, if youre lucky, there is a breeze and you go out and enjoy sailing for a couple of hours. But who wants to sail for just a couple of hours on a Saturday? Instead you spend the day on the water, enjoy the hell out of it, then get back to the dock around four in the afternoon. Then you spend an hour folding sails, hosing down the boat, etc. and perhaps have a cold beverage and watch the sunset. Sounds like a good day to me. But for many, that doesnt work because they always have so many other things to do. Further, in many families not everyone involved in the decision-making process is as enamored of sailing as we are, so compromises must be made. Soccer, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, golf, riding, biking, hiking, surfing, etc. all compete for their time and interest, and most of those sports are less work, less expensive and less time consuming than sailing, so its no wonder the sailing industry is struggling.

Another interesting symptom of the sailing malaise is the average age of the people you find out on the race course on any given weekend. Its been going up. Of course there are younger people coming into the sport and I am pleased to see the vibrant junior programs of the yacht clubs in my town. Still, the geezer-to-young buck ratio at my yacht club appears to be on the rise. Among the ranks of the cruisers, both local and long distance, the average age also seems to be on the increase. I guess its all part of that 70 is the new 60 paradigm.

A Hans Christian 38 drives to weather

With all of these forces at work, there seems to be a lot of hand wringing over the changing sociological and economic landscape in the sport of sailing. Declining sales, declining demographics, fewer boats on the starting lines, danger and death at the Americas Cup...Yikes, its enough to make you trade your boat shoes for golf shoes.

For some this is a catastrophe. My God, our beloved sport is shrinking! What shall we do? Well, I have a couple of recommendations. First take a deep breath and relax. So what if our sport is shrinking? Itll find some point of equilibrium, some point where its in balance with all the other forces that work on our leisure time, our psyches, and our multifarious commitments. Second, remember that you enjoy the sport. Remember that there are thousands of us out there enjoying our time on the water. If youre in the recreational boating industry, think about building the quality of the sailing experience instead of the quantity. Take your family and friends out sailing and dont worry that some or maybe even most of them dont connect with the absolute pleasure we derive from it. Ill wager that there is someone who has encouraged you to try something new, mountain climbing, horseback riding or whatever, that just didnt work for you. Those sports are no poorer because you didnt go out and buy a new Stetson or ice ax. And our sport is no poorer because someone came, saw... and decided theyd rather be on a mountain trail.

Left Coast Dart headed your way

Frankly, Im not the least bit disappointed that our sport is in something of a decline. Here in California, in the last year or so weve lost eleven people in yacht racing accidents. The jury is still out on the death of Andy Simpson, the crewman who died when the Swedish Americas Cup catamaran capsized, but the other deaths can be attributed to operator error. So either we need to improve the skills and knowledge of the folks that are already out sailing, or we might be better off if people who dont have those skills took up a different sport, or got the necessary training before heading offshore. Sailing is a lovely sport, pastime, and lifestyle, but its not for everyone so lets just relax and enjoy it. We can and should welcome anyone who joins in, and we need not be concerned when people dont get it and prefer other things. Sailing and the sailing industry will survive and thrive in its own way, its own time and at its own level.

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A couple of thoughts regarding ballast

Follow the money, a good point, and someone doing good...

So, here are a few numbers to play with;

• A cubic foot of water weighs 62 pounds
• A cubic foot of concrete weighs 150 pounds
• A cubic foot of iron weighs 491 pounds
• A cubic foot of lead weighs 709 pounds
• A cubic foot of gold weighs 1206 pounds

Like a lot of people I like the idea of water ballast. Whats not to like... its free, you can lose it when you dont want it around, and it works. Of course, theres a downside (theres always a downside to anything) in that it takes up a lot more room than most of us care to give up within the interior.

Case in point: Phil Bolgers take apart three piece schooner that Ive often considered building as a non-take-apart boat which has often been on my shortlist for the next Loose Moose. Of course replacing the water ballast with other ballast types would gain a lot more room...

That said, somehow the idea of a 47-foot boat has lost a lot of its allure for me but would still make a certain kind of sense due to its 1.5-foot draft and enough room and stowage to be able to work on rigging jobs and build self-steering gears/dinghies/surfboards as a nomadic shop/business model.

Listening to Bob Dylan covering Frank Sinatra

So it goes...

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The End of the First Build Year

The planking was completed in a total of 320 working hours.

December was mostly spent in fairing (smoothing and shaping) the hull, and cleaning the inside of excess epoxy.

Pencil marks were spread across the hull. As the fairing progressed, removing any high spots, the marks disappeared.

The Festool Rotex was the original tool used. It is an aggressive cutter. It has a 6" disc and is a combo rotary and random orbit sander. It worked best for cutting down the high areas of epoxy, and later for aggressively cleaning up the inside.

The Hutchins Eliminator with its 8" disc, is a rotary sander that blends high and low areas the best.

An inline sander was applied to a "fairing board". It will be used in an attempt to create the "ultimate smooth" for the pre-glass finish.

After smoothing the high spots, any low spots were filled with a mixture of phenolic micro spheres, wood flour and epoxy. The wood flour is for non-sag structure, while the micro spheres make the sanding easier once it has dried.

Richard dons his Tyvek (AKA sperm suit) with his 3M Breathe Easy self contained positive pressure hood for the sanding jobs. Cedar and epoxy dust are a bad combo.

The process involved frequent sweat breaks.

A more tedious job than the planking....

After the highs and lows were smoothed, a mixture of epoxy and wood flour was used to fill all screw holes and other voids.

The inside was cleaned up with the aggressive Festool Rotex. I finally climbed inside to view the job. The pressurized hood was an absolute must for this job.

The laminated frames and bulkheads as structural supports are clear.

This is the view looking up toward the engine compartment and lazarettes.

The holes are baffles between the water storage compartments under the sole. All surfaces, hole interiors, etc will be meticulously glassed and epoxied. No water will be allowed to touch any wood. The center board configuration makes drainage of bilges and water compartments slightly more complicated, as there is no right to left connection or central bilge. Since numerous bilge and water pumps will be necessary, we will look at it as bilge and water pump redundancy...


The centerboard box meets up with the bulkhead to form the back of the galley sink cabinet.


The plan for the bulkheads is to cover them with white painted bead board and trim in mahogany, for a very traditional, light look. Most of the "walls" will be covered by cabinetry.

Between these two rounded bulkheads is the Navigation Table. Note the feet working on the outside of the hull...

This is looking forward from the saloon into the storage and head area.

Here is a good view of the laminated frames that create the open area in the main saloon.

The end of the month was when the boat was made mobile for the first time!

The strong back was detached from the floor, and a series of 8 casters were placed under custom boxes. She can be moved by using a little lever action.

Now that she has her own rigidity from the planking she will be able to be pushed from side to side in the small room she inhabits. This will allow her to be positioned better for the diagonal veneer application. Next step...order the veneer.

The grand total of working hours to date is 1150 hours. That is with 13 "no work" weeks.

Lets see what 2010 will bring! Peace and health to all!

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