What's happened since last week, well i recently received the engineering drawings from Sponberg Yacht Design concerning the new swept back rig, the level of detail is incredible and is a credit to his industry. I can't wait to use these drawings to fabricate the bits and pieces i need but for the moment I'm still on keel duty.
After fabricating a vapour barrier under the boat i got into the starboard side to finish off the last of the laminating work. I've learned alot working with Kevlar - again another string to the skills bow in this project.
Its funny having talked on the forums about propping keels with timbers and doing work yourself i will readily admit to a tingling sensation when - with my nose half inch away from the very bottom of the keel - i finished laminating the last of the Kevlar.
I say this as i have estimated from materials-used the boat weighs 3300kg and its all balanced on two end plates made of 2 x 18mm thick WBP ply - nothing under the keels , it just sits there. I remember when the bloke came to strip the gelcoat many moons ago; to get access he asked me to unbolt half of the cradle declaring "its not going anywhere" and sure enough it didn't although i bolted most of it back on afterwards.
The true test of both my 'bottle' and the panel strength of plywood came yesterday when i spent all day crouched inside the cradle under the boat mixing up and applying west system's 410 to the inside of each keel.
After the first ten minutes i just got on with it not before figuring out a way to escape, today (Sat) i'm giving myself a day off from the sanding as it gets me down day after day so think this afternoon i'll tidy the shed up and get ready to go again.
cheers
Oh yeah nearly forgot, i own agentlemansyacht.com so now its even easier to read my desultory prose via the internet, although solwaycloud.blogspot.com still works perfectly.
Its funny having talked on the forums about propping keels with timbers and doing work yourself i will readily admit to a tingling sensation when - with my nose half inch away from the very bottom of the keel - i finished laminating the last of the Kevlar.
I say this as i have estimated from materials-used the boat weighs 3300kg and its all balanced on two end plates made of 2 x 18mm thick WBP ply - nothing under the keels , it just sits there. I remember when the bloke came to strip the gelcoat many moons ago; to get access he asked me to unbolt half of the cradle declaring "its not going anywhere" and sure enough it didn't although i bolted most of it back on afterwards.
The true test of both my 'bottle' and the panel strength of plywood came yesterday when i spent all day crouched inside the cradle under the boat mixing up and applying west system's 410 to the inside of each keel.
After the first ten minutes i just got on with it not before figuring out a way to escape, today (Sat) i'm giving myself a day off from the sanding as it gets me down day after day so think this afternoon i'll tidy the shed up and get ready to go again.
cheers
Oh yeah nearly forgot, i own agentlemansyacht.com so now its even easier to read my desultory prose via the internet, although solwaycloud.blogspot.com still works perfectly.
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