Ultrapost!

May 4, 2010

Well crap. I've been so busy in the shop that I haven't had time to get on the website and get it updated. Literally getting out of the shop at 8p, 10p, after midnight. It is actually approaching insane, as I don't spend less than 8 hrs out there 4 days a week. Want proof? Check out this post...

We left off at the beginning of fairing. She was covered liberally in epoxy filled with phenolic microballoons. Man these things sand easily, and I can't recommend enough putting on a good thick coat and only having to do the shaping of the fairing once. No need to do 6 lifts, just put enough on initially and make her fair in one shot.

After doing the dry-fit of the lid, I found out that even though my cabin is 5' long, the overhangs involved, and the slope of the windshield made the 8' blank not quite long enough. She needed just a scant 10" to work. I had planned on a butt block setup to add some thickness aft, but I was beaten down by my friend Ron about my lack of skill and craftsmanship. He invented the Ronnie Roof, so I have built it to his spec. This required cutting two rolling scarphs across the back edge, top and bottom.

Bang the same cuts into two new pieces of plywood, laminate it all together on the jig, screw it down so it is held tight, and voila!

Mind you, I'm having a hard time getting things accomplished because as I'm fairing the roof panels, I can see the water out the doorway.

Did you say something about fairing? I got the opportunity to attach myself to the suffering board for several hours one day scrubbing compound down to a shapely curve on the bow. Have I mentioned I just love longboard sanding? No? It's because I don't.

Jerry stumbled by, as he normally does, and just so happened to have some 6oz glass to do the top of the roof in (I used Ronnie's 17oz 90/0 for the bottom to get more tensile strength under the span), so that got whacked on.

That needed to cure, and I have too much to do to not work on the boat, so I put together the seat/cooler lid assemblies. However novel it may be to you, I was awfully proud of myself to think of this way to line up the seat top on the very tight tolerance hole so the lid would drop in. Simply put two squares of carpet tape on it, then drive small tacks in the sides to support it half in the hole.

Next line up the seat top, press firmly, lift, press again on something firm, and you are ready to mark it up and stick it together.

Another small but critical project was the tank strapping. No room on the ends for the traditional hooks that Moeller supplies, so I went the next best route. Straps over the top allow for the 3% expansion, hold the tanks tight to the neoprene beds, and are replaceable and repairable. Strapworks down in Eugene made me up a set of straps, and had footman loops for 1/6th the price of West Marine.

In goes the tank, and we are ready for seat box lids to go on and interior fairing to commence.

The roof had cured to a point that we could do a dry fit, so up it went.

This part was very exciting, just to start getting a feel for what we really have here. All the trimming was completed to shape the roof blank to the cabin sides. I like how she's coming together.

At 6' 3" tall, I had to make sure I wasn't going to bash my head into the roof at any point. Height check complete.

Part B of the Ronnie Roof is the curbing. He refused to help or sell me any materials unless I did it this way, so I did it that way. Picked up a pressed fiberglass skin he was using for his big project, did some templating, and made curbing ala workboat. First part was to get the shape. Conveniently, the roof was already in place.

Had to mess with the angle a bit and make 3 different iterations, but finally I settled on a shape. Needed to be plenty sleek while remaining functional.

Now that the shapes were set, time to make the real deal, with the roof back on the jig, but lifted on horses. Cutting the fiberglass material smelled atrocious for a woodworker, but the panels are stronger than you would think for their thickness.

I decided that time wise it made more sense to have a radar mast built than to build one, that's why you see the radome sitting out.

And with a little bit of free time this afternoon, while I refrain from fairing anything before the roof goes on, I coated the transom with 3 coats of System 3 clear LPU. Wow this stuff dries fast and works easily! Can't wait to lay the paint, it is the same material, but tinted.

As always, I have to work tomorrow, but the roof is going up when I get home, fairing, and time for primer and paint!

Soreness

May 10, 2010

Have to keep this short, I've been in the shop well above my alotted time each day, and basically I have no social life, no friends, and a nonplussed wife.

My buddy Kasey came over because he was "bored". Nothing cures boredom like a friend that's a boat builder! Up went the roof.

Then apply copious amounts of fairing filler. Purpleness is a plus.

When next door neighbor asks if you have ground the boat down to a nub, you are halfway there...

After an 8 hour sanding session today including such hits as the Longboard Arm Drag, and The Sander Has Been Running So Long My Pinky Is Numb, you get to dive back in and stick in a dashboard and electronics mounts!

Now, without further ado; a boat ready for primer (after a little sanding in the morning).

The interior lighting is a nice touch, eh?

Tomorrow: Primer.

The White Room

May 11, 2010

Another short one, but at least it's got good photos. After a little prep work, it was time for a full day of primering. Got 2 coats on from 1130 to 530 today, and SWMBO came out to help about 3/4 through the first coat. The System 3 primer goes on fast, dries fast, and makes a great paint base.

Does anyone really care what I type here?

A shot to show my shoddy fairing work.

That oh so sexy rump, with the System 3 clearcoat LPU again, this time wrapped in primer.

Though she's technically a little ol' 23 footer, she's a BIG 23 feet.

Gonna let the primer cure as it needs to be completely dried and hardened before paint to prevent mud cracking. Heading out for halibut and lingcod tomorrow, then back for paint!

What the crap?

May 26, 2010

How appalling that I took this long to get an update in! Must have been the fishing trip and the incessantly long hours in the shop. Have faith, however, at least it will be worth it.

Nothing could occur until the tanks were set in place and rigged so I could button up the seat boxes. I wasted a couple hours putting styrene foam around the tanks to help bolster them in, turned out to be a bad idea because of the possibility of static buildup (in my opinion). So I finished out the tank rigging.

What you don't see is the huge swearing tirade and funk I was in when I didn't account for the tank filler on the starboard side being slightly further from the side of the boat than the port, since the tanks are identical, not set up for opposite sides. That resulted in a $20 fuel hose being 1" too short. That hurt...

Lots of sanding, blah blah blah, lots of cleaning of the garage, yadda yadda, three long days in the shop, and what do we have?

Yeah that's right, she's painted!

Interior is 3 coats of System 3 Whidbey white, a sandy off-white color.

The interior went down well, SWMBO helping out a bunch in that long and painful day of corners and tight spots.

Exterior topsides were a little dry and streaky with uncooperatively warm and dry weather, causing the paint to cure too fast, regardless of how much water I thinned with or humidity in the shop I could create.

Today, however, we had low 60's, plenty of rain, and no wind, making it the perfect day to lay down System 3 LPU paints. The bottom is Camano Red, a deep true red with no tint or tinge toward any other primary colors. Tomorrow will be repairing a few things, some touch-up work, a bit of rigging, and application of Kiwigrip, the non-skid product, on the side decks, bow deck, and possibly the sole panels depending on how the day goes. More updates to follow, and much more often!

Rigging begins

June 1, 2010

Well, I wish I had more rigging for you, but a rainy holiday weekend was spent more with SWMBO in the shop than with the boat. Good for marriage, not as efficient for boat building. She's gone next weekend, so I will definitely be forging ahead then, burning a little midnight oil and any other metaphors you can think of.

What'd we do you say?

She saw some Adirondack chaise lounges in a catalog that she liked for much more money than they were worth, so it was time to put her to work, get out in the shop, and save some coin for other boat purchases. Here you can see the testing phase.

Final product was a pair of comfy loungers for the back deck for a little less than half price, and she's going to build the cushions for an even bigger cost savings. Money well spent, and a good time hanging with the wife in the shop.

Today, back to work in the shop after a dentist's appointment destroyed the morning. Bilge pump #1 was installed forward, a little Attwood 1250.

A very generous neighbor who hates bilge pumps gave me two, the Attwood, and a Rule 2000 HD. The Attwood fits nicely under the sole and will be a good rainwater and spray dewatering pump.

Steering also went in, as far as the helm and cable are concerned. Still need to dig up some parts to complete the install, mating the cable to the steering arm for the IO.

No really tidy place to run the cable, but this looks as sanitary as it's gonna get.

Last part of the work session I started doing the figuring for the trim tabs. Trim Master units that hopefully last a long time, with a bomber switch assembly and Bennett planes. Couldn't get them mounted before we had to leave for a volunteer trail cleanup event, but it will be early on the agenda after work.

Expecting a few shipments this week, hopefully we are ready to rig up completely by Friday.

Pile gets smaller

June 7, 2010

Today, for the first time, there's a light out there in the darkness, and I can actually see an end to this project. I have all the requisite materials to finish the coatings on the boat, materials are pretty much finished, and it is down to accessories, parts, fiddly bits, and lots of bedding compound.

This installment takes us to the engine compartment first, where the fuel system has been mocked in, ready for the final holes to be cut. I purchased a Moeller 3 way switch to alternate tanks, nice and simple, rebuildable at sea, and easily defeated mechanically if need be.

Then the fuel line was run near the engine, ziptied in place, and is ready to rally. Just needs fuel fed to it from the tanks and we are ready to rally.

Here is the rigging detail on the tank end. Nice and tidy.

Like I said, lots of fiddly bits, so here the fuel line has been run from the tanks, and the cleats are in place. Note no cleats on the deck, no chocks, no vents, nothing will be on the deck surfaces to hang up lines or nets, break off fish, etc.

Perfect weather arrived today, so the Kiwigrip from Pachena went on the side and foredecks. This stuff goes down like magic, just a notched trowel to spread it (being the consistency of yogurt), then chase it with their Loopy Goopy roller. The stipple stands up and cures quick, leaving a great non-skid surface that is tencaious, hard to damage, and cleans easily with a soapy brush.

Of special note is the color matching. I used the Kiwigrip Cream color over System 3 Whidbey White. The color match is almost uncanny, and I highly recommend it for anyone doing a non-skid and paint combination, as they look perfect next to each other.

A few extra minutes were spent doing some detailed masking to make her look sharp. The pulpit was put on a week ago, the chocks and bollard were added today. To a nice effect, if you ask me.

Here's another example of how smooth the side deck profile will be. No chance to break fish off or have haphazard events decrease the catch rate.

Though not as planned, all of the rod holders are through-bolted and bedded to the boat. These are a bulletproof setup, and I'm reasonably sure you could tow other vessels with them, they are in that strong.

Final fitment of the cockpit door, and she's in. Unfortunately I set it up with about 1/8" of space for the hinge to sag when deployed, and it didn't sag a single millimeter. So, the doors are a little off. Ah well, the holes are drilled, it's done.

Tomorrow should include hanging some electronics, painting on bottom paint, and doing the last of the fiddly bits I have here, plus hopefully my shipment from Defender arrives. This will have the thru-hulls, hoses, and other small bits necessary to complete the rigging. Here's a pseudo-mock of the planned electronics locations. The Standard Horizon CPV350 is a combo chartplotter/radio on the dash, and the sonar is a Furuno FCV 600L, recommended to me by a buddy down in Mexico that swears by his.

Waiting on the radar, but it is all coming together in the near term. July 4th might just happen...