Deck Hardware and sail report

July 20, 2015

Sorry for the lack of updates.  But, I wanted to go sailing this summer and decided to put the computer on hold in exchange for a full focus on finishing the boat.

Deck hardware was installed with backing blocks, and polysulphide sealant.  It is amazing how many little screws, washers, lock washers, bolts, and nuts are needed to install the cleats and blocks.  This necessitated no fewer than 5 trips to my local hardware store that has a very good selection of stainless steel hardware (amazingly out of $10 lockwashers).  The only tricky part was the installation of the centerboard downhaul and uphaul, as this was a new type of system I needed to learn as I went along.  In practice, it works well, but necessitated shaving down the aft part of the floorboards that serve as a platform up front so that the lines would run free.

I also needed to move the boat onto the trailer, which meant the 18 workskiff needed to come off.  Using levers and jacks, I was able to lift the 1000lb clamming skiff off the trailer and then slide the Core Sound 17 onto the trailer from the building form using old rugs to protect the finish.  

The CS17 fits perfectly.  

I still need to add the self-bailer, and the docking hardware, and oarlocks, but it was time to get out on the water and see how long it would take to rig and launch.  

30 minutes to step masts and rig.  could be 15 without mistakes. 

As you can see from the photo above, there was very little wind, but the boat moved along even with ghosting conditions.  

photos of the launch. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/41024536@N02/sets/72157655720562508

July, 21,2015

Went out to Hopkinton State Park.  It was much better with winds 5-12kts.  The boat sails beautifully, and points very well.  I was very pleased with how easy the boat is to control and how well it responds to gusts.  I felt in control at all times throughout.  

Sorry, no photos, I had my hands full.  

Read More..

Plywood the other boat skin

One of my ongoing research areas is what to cover a skin on frame boat with other than industrial fabrics sealed with modern sealants.  Yes, there are animal skins, and I know that people have covered their boats with cow hides, but you see, we live in an industrial society and the imaginary scenario I am creating for myself is that the factories have shut down and one has to operate as boat builders of old did, that is, to find boat building materials in their immediate surroundings.
Perhaps we have to broaden our definition of skin on frame a bit and allow a boat where the skin is the main structural material and the frame is of secondary importance.  Enter the plywood boat.
In my case, not a boat exactly but a plywood pool punt.  The main idea was to not spend a lot of money.  The secondary idea was to provide a stable lounging platform for a pool in an environment that is too cold for swimming for most of the year.

Here is the punt under construction.  One sheet of plywood formed the bottom, another formed the sides.  Height of the sides was just a bit under 16 inches.  Early trials established that 16 inch sides were too high so I trimmed them down to 13. Perfect. The sheets of plywood are screwed to battens inside the punt for additional support.  Water proofing of the screw holes courtesy of 3M 5200. Water proofing of the seams was done with a layer of glass adhered by epoxy. 

Initial trials also established that the sides of the pool abraded the fiberglass that I sealed the seams with so I added some wooden bumpers at the corners and some skid rails at the bottom for dragging the punt in and out of the pool. Then a few coats of gray paint from a five gallon bucket that a friend was tossing away, or rather, giving away. And oh yes, we realize that the pool is greener than it should be. 

The same day we launched the new improved punt we also ran into a small futon and some quilts that a neighbor was discarding.  These are now lining the bottom of the punt.  Very comfortable and stable to boot for someone used to sitting in narrow kayaks.  Sometimes it is OK to trade speed for comfort.

Read More..

Why Build Your Own Kayak

A friend of mine recently posted a picture of a customized car from circa 1970 Houston, Texas.  What struck me about the photo was that the owner of the car clearly wasnt satisfied with the amount of chrome that designers back in Detroit were putting on cars at the time, so he took matters into his own hands and added chrome to a level that he felt was appropriate.

And this same sort of urge, not the urge for more chrome, but the urge for more cool is what led me to start building my own kayaks. It was not about money, it was simply the desire for a superior esthetic over what commercial manufacturers were capable of delivering. Others may disagree.  Many prefer the look of shiny plastic.  I prefer the cool of skin on frame.

Read More..

Why Are Sea Otters so Cute

The sea otter post on my blog is the all-time most popular. No other post even comes close. I guess there are a lot of people out there who want to look at pictures of sea otters. Sea otters are probably the cutest animals there are, cuter than pandas even. 
What makes them so cute? I think that the key to sea otter cuteness is the fact that they look like cuddly baby animals even as full grown adults.  I think its all that fur that makes them look so cuddly.  And they lay on their back and they stick their furry paws up in the air and the fur makes their eyes look like little buttons and that black furry nose, so cute.  Makes you want to just pick them up and squeeze them.

Read More..

Fiberglassing Completed

With the sounds of the Hallelujah Chorus still echoing in my ears, Im happy to say that fiberglassing work on the Utility hull is finally completed. Ive added a second layer of epoxy to the whole thing, and the next step will be to sand it down smooth in preparation for painting. Until then, at least, its nice and shiny.

The Next Problem?
For planing boats, the bottom of the hull is supposed to be flat along the aft 1/3 of its length. If its not flat, the boat will likely tend to porpoise (bounce up and down at the bow) at higher speeds.

For an 11-foot boat, 1/3 the length would be 3.67 feet. Checking the bottom of my boat with a 48" level, Ive found that the aft 36 inches is fairly flat. However, in the aft 48 inches, there is a noticeable hook that is about 1/16" in depth. So the unanswered question is, "will it porpoise?" Since the bottom of the hull is not as long the top, and the final 36 inches is flat... perhaps itll be okay. Perhaps not. Only time will tell.

Even though I dont know for certain just yet, Im tempted to go ahead and add a wedge to the bottom of the hull while its still upside-down and easily accessible. Ill think about it.

The gap between the hull and the level shows a hook of approximately 1/16" depth.

Progress on the Zip
Ive got the transom knee for the Zip built. While the plans call for a 1-1/2" wide knee (two 3/4" plywood parts laminated together), Ive added additional 1/4" pieces on either side to widen the knee to 2 inches. It should be plenty strong. 

Transom knee for the Zip.

Read More..

Bottom port forward is dry fit

On Fathers Day, I finally completed dry-fitting the bottom planking on the forward port side of the boat. Im very happy about that.

Port bottom planking, dry-fit with screws and washers.

The fitting started off wonderfully at the aft end, where the planking joins along the centerline of the keel. By the time I finished at the bow, however, there were some spots where the fitting was not as good as Id hoped. These spots can be filled with thickened epoxy, of course. Still, I wish the fitting had been better.

About midway along the keel, there is an open seam approximately 18 inches long, and about 5/32" at its widest point. There was also supposed to have been a transition joint just forward of the end of the keel. I did not pre-plan for this, and as a result, I kind of messed it up a little bit. 

5/32" gap along the centerline of the keel.

The missed transition joint.

In retrospect, I think both of these mistakes could have been avoided if I had overlapped the planking along the centerline of the keel, and trimmed the whole length to fit as I went.

There is another small gap between the bottom planking and the side planking at the stem. 

Another small gap up forward.

My plan is to use epoxy thickened with mahogany sawdust (ie: Wood Flour) when I glue this panel on. From what Ive encountered so far, this mixture seems to absorb impact better than epoxy thickened with #2 silica (which seems more brittle). The thickened mixture will fill in these gaps, and I believe that in the end it will all be just fine.

Read More..

Working on the Zip

This blog started off with a reference to the Zip plans I had just ordered back in April. The plans arrived a week after I made that first post, and I got started on the stem that very weekend.

During breaks while working on the Utility, I have slowly & purposefully been working on parts for the Zip. I have been taking my time, carefully shaping the parts. Im in no rush at this point, since after all I still have the first boat to finish.

Ive made it a point to cut just outside the lines on the parts so far, then sand them down to the line. So far Ive got the stem shaped, as well as the lower piece of the breasthook. I cut the top piece of the breasthook earlier today. Not much to show so far, but here are some photos.

Tracing the stem onto 3/4" Douglas Fir marine plywood.

First stem piece cut. Using it as a template to trace out the second piece.

Carefully filing out the notch in the lower breasthook piece.

The shaped Zip stem needs to be epoxied. Construction on the Utility is underway in the background.

Read More..