That's a picture of my neighbouhood - Urca.

My building was built after this picture was taken, in the gap between the hirises.
I live close to the Sugar Loaf, which is the 350meter high, monolithic rock. The Praia Vermelha Beach is to the right. When the tide is high it is good for a swim. Several hawaian canoes are kept there. It is also where the OC canoe competitions are held. The yacht Club is to the left. The buildings in the backround, uper-middle-left is the actual neighbourhood called Urca. The rectangular building to the lower left is a colonial time university.

The Sugar Loaf itself is in a natural reserve. There are nice walking areas, trails with views to the sea, the bay, the mountains. It's a climbers paradise with hundreds of routes in all degrees of difficulty. The walk up to the Morro da Urca, the first station of the lift, takes around 30 minutes through the rainforest.

Little monkeys and multi-coloured birds make the walk up a very entertaining one. The sweat up the moderately steep trail is awarded with breathtaking views of Rio.

Tokerau

This is a picture of Tokerau, a tacking outrigger from the 50ties.

It is from the same man who designed the Malibu Outrigger, the precessor of the Hobie Cat.

Swingo Sail

Jerrys Swingosail is very inventive and seems interesting for a shunting configuration. I have tried to think ways of having it in a tacking config on a stub mast.

I love the plasticity, colour, uniqueness of the Heliconia flower. I have used its shapes and structure to inspire my mobiles.

Wharram Wingsail Rig

I like the Wharram Wingsail Rig. It seems simple, fast to reef, low center of gravity, aerodynamic, no high mast, reasonable jig or genoa. I guess building the mast should not bee too dificult.

Orquídeas

Cada Um Por Si

Carioca model video sequence

Freedom Child

This is one of the rare tacking outriggers about which I have some information. A sailing account. It's Freedom Child, from some Caribean island. Seemd like a good performer, having finished first over 120 mile races. Ok, I'm talking about the b/w picture. The other one is the 1:10 scale model.

Computer model

These are one of the first computer renderings. Note, that the ama was drawn completely wrong. The bow angle is different from the main hull, the sheerline is curved, while I want it straight.

First drawings of Carioca

These are the first drawings for the Carioca, a tacking outrigger project. They were done in 2005. What is comming out is quite similar to these drawings.

Nice schematic view of Arara, my sailing canoe. I have now made some improvements regarding stay handling, cockpit drainage and a wave breaker to prevent water from wetting the cockpit.

Click on the image to get a better view.

Carnival forecast

The brazilian "CPTEC - Centro de Pesquisas de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos" says that we'll have good weather during the first days of carnival, on the first 6 days of february. Note the first graph, up on top, giving the precipitation in mm/h. In the middle of the graph, around the 5th february, it seems probable that we'll have some rain. This is a 14 days model forecast.

Paciência em alta

Paciência é uma virtude de manter um controle emocional equilibrado, sem perder a calma, ao longo do tempo. Consiste basicamente de tolerância a erros ou fatos indesejados. É a capacidade de suportar incômodos e dificuldades de toda ordem, de qualquer hora ou em qualquer lugar. É a capacidade de persistir em uma atividade difícil, tendo ação tranqüila e acreditando que você irá conseguir o que quer, de ser perseverante, de esperar o momento certo para certas atitudes, de aguardar em paz a compreensão que ainda não se tenha obtido , capacidade de ouvir alguém, com calma, com atenção, sem ter pressa, capacidade de se libertar da ansiedade. A tolerância e a paciência são fontes de apoio seguro nos quais podemos confiar. Ser paciente é ser educado, ser humanizado e saber agir com calma e com tolerância. A paciência também é uma caridade quando praticada nos relacionamentos interpessoais.

Veja em: Wikipedia

Old Rio

This is Rio, about the end of the 18th century. A beautyful view of the little Gloria Chapel, with the Sugar Loaf looming behind the hill. The long building, a former market, does not exist any more. The smal bay has now been landfilled and now we have the great Parque do Flamengo - A phantastic park by Burle Marx.

Please note the rig of the small open boat.

Escadinha do Quitandinha

Esta é a Escadinha do Quitandinha. Não sei de quem é a foto. Se alguém souber eu agradeço pela informação para poder dar os créditos.

This is the Quitandinha Staircase. I don't know the author of the picture. thnk's for any info.

Spanish Felucca

This Spanish Felucca has inspired my ideas about the rig configuration.

I'm now more inclined towards a Wharram style, with a luff pocket, though.

Into space

O caminho para o espaço está sendo aberto. Richard Branson, da Virgin, lançou seu vehículo sub-orbital pela terceira vez. Com o feito ganhou um premioo internacional de 10M de dólares. A neve deve iniciar passeios turísticos em breve.

Um interessante avião multi-casco leva a nave ao alto. De lá, ela se lança até uma altura ainda maior, sub-orbital - o que quer que isto queira dizer. Alto o bastante para escapar da gravidade.

Anxoius waiting

A couple of days have passed since the planned construction start. AS of the 15th of January the first activities should have started. Some delay in the material delivery has stopped us in the boxes though. So, nothing is actually done yet.

But tomorrow the strongback should be built. The 15mm ply is already cut into the right pieces. That was done in the woodshop - hence the delay in delivery. It just needs screwing together now.

The freijó wood, which we selected as untreated wood (as seen in the picture posted last week), has also been cleaned and aligned. That will make it easyer to work the wood.

But still, I was anxious to have first parts built! Yes, of course I do. Would love to progress and solve actual construction issues. But I will still need patience...

Weekend em Teresópolis

Adriana e eu passamos o final de semana em Teresópolis no sitio do Kiko. Sylvia, Claudine, Lola e Carmem. Foi muito agradável sair do calor do Rio. O sábado foi de calor intenso de 40 graus. A tarde desabou uma tempestade de chuva pesada com granizo.

O ar fesco e limpo da Serra e das montanhas de Teresópolis foi revigorante.

In the box

Self portrait from 2006 - Pressão / Pressure

Picadeiro - Strongback

Esta é a pilha de Freijó comprada no final de semana passado na Madeiras Japão. elas serão aparelhadas e entregues na terça-feria da próxima semana. Hoje foram entregues diversas madeiras compradas na Ecomadeiras, Niteroi. Todas madeiras de apoio, como para fazer o picadeiro, gabaritos e outros. Espero que Luiz Fernando tenha montado o picadeiro para que eu possa ver alguma coisa no sábado!

This is the Freijó pile, which I bought last week at Madeiras Japão. They will be delivered next Tuesday. A set of support wood was delivered today. Plywood for the strongback and MDF sheets for jigs. I hope Luiz Fernando has prepared the strongback so that I can see something on saturday!

Party flier

Some more party pictures

While we're still busy buying material, and the boat doesn't yet take form, I post some more party pictures. Just to remember the good times. These were taken by the Castelinho crew. I was clearly too busy, doing other things than taking pictures.

Festa no Castelinho! Construction start party

The construction start party was a full blown success! More than 300 friends and friends of friends danced and partied until the sun came out. The place for the party was more than appropriate; the Castelinho. A little pousada of my dear friend Stefano. Stefano is, unfortunately travelling Africa with his wife Fernanda and couldn't join. But he authorized our little get together, and the lovely crew around Fabio took good care of us. The place was very appropriate since it was here, discussing with Stefano that the first ideas of the Carioca - now called Arpex - have been formulated.

Three DJ's have served us with excellent music. The night was full of stars and balmy temperature made the beer (and a couple of caipirinhas) go down easily.

I hope I'll have as much fun during the construction and use of the boat as I had at this party (and seemingly a couple of others too)!

A festa no Castelinho foi um sucesso! A galera machucou o joelho de tanto dancar. Kiko (DJ Opala), Maria e Pit deram um show no som! Reunimos muitos amigos e a festa só terminou com o raiar do sol.

Wood pile - Freijó

Yesterday I've bought a big pile of freijó wood. It was a pleasant experience. Luiz Fernando, my boatbuilder, is very experienced with wood, and gave a little lesson in wood selection.

Freijó it is very high quality timber, very appropriate for nautical and aeronautical construction. It is commonly used to replace stika wood. Its scientific name is "Cordia goeldiana Huber".

I was very pleased with a successful first step into this building experience. The construction start party was a big hit and a full blown hammer until the morning hours!

Madeira Freijó
Nome Científico: Cordia goeldiana Huber
Família: Boraginaceae
Freijó é um tipo de madeira utilizada no Brasil, em substituição a stika comum nos EUA. É utilizada na construção de aeronaves experimentais.

PROCEDÊNCIA - O material lenhoso para os estudos tecnológicos foi obtido na região de Belém, Estado do Pará.

DURABILIDADE NATURAL - A madeira de FREIJÓ, em condições adversas, é considerada de resistência moderada ao ataque de organismos xilófagos, segundo observações práticas a respeito de sua utilização.

CARACTERES GERAIS - Madeira moderadamente pesada; cerne pardo-claro-amarelado ou, também, pardo-claro-acastanhado, eventualmente com reflexos róseos, uniforme; textura média; grã direita; superfície lustrosa, acentuadamente nas faces radiais, moderadamente áspera ao tato; cheiro peculiar, mas pouco acentuado; gosto imperceptível.
propriedades físicas

TRATAMENTO PRESERVANTE - A madeira de FREIJÓ, por apresentar seus poros parcialmente obstruídos por óleo-resina e tilos, deve ser de baixa permeabilidade às soluções preservantes em tratamentos sob pressão.

PRINCIPAIS APLICAÇÕES - A madeira de FREIJÓ, por ter cor pardacenta, agradável, com retratibilidade baixa e propriedades mecânicas médias, é particularmente indicada para móveis finos, folhas faqueadas decorativas, lambris, painéis; em construção civil, como caixilhos, persianas, venezianas, ripas, acabamento interno, molduras, guarnições, sarrafos; em construção da estrutura de hélices de pequenos aviões, de barcos de recreio, laterais de escada etc.

- peso verde(kg/m³)= 800 to 900

- gravidade específica em 12% (kg/m³) (light)= 590

- retração tangencial total (T%)= 6.1radial (R%)= 3.9

- força esmagando em 12% (N/mm²)= 54

- flexão estática em 12% (N/mm²)= 97

- modulus de elasticidade em 12% (N/mm²)

Good start in big style

Yeah!!!

today was construction start. I've selcted the timber (Freijó) for the whole keel and structure. Still need to get the plywood for planking.

The aCAD work was done precariously. I will have to redo this, to get decent plots. This is an item not considered in my spreadsheet.

We had a phantastic party at Castelinho 38 www.castelinho38.com.

Enjoy,

Peter

TIM MAIA's great funk samba soul talent

I'm currently reading Tim Maia's biography, by Nelson Motta, "Vale Tudo". It is great to follow memorable descriptions of his live recordings and be able to watch them on Youtube! His funk, samba, soul, suingue, dance recordings are irresitable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqJSW4Uituk&feature=related

...I whish I knew how to post youtube videos. I just manage to post my own videos by uploading...

Arara Canoe to Arpex

My sailing outrigger canoe is the spark that led me down the road of building the current Carioca Project. A canoe long enough to carry a smal cabin with weekend liveabord capability, and capable to take me to Ilha Grande. A tropical archipelago, some 60 miles West of Rio de Janeiro.

The Carioca, named Arpex will have a nice wooden deck for day, and nightime lounging.

Cabo Frio videos

Boqueirão - Arraial do Cabo

Travessia Rio - Búzios

Fizemos a travessia Rio - Búzios. Vimos baleias, golfinhos e paisagens lindas!

Esta foto mostra o nascer do sol, as 05:45. Uma linda velejada.

Ancoramos no Boqueirão, Arraial do Cabo. Passamos a estreita passagem em águas lindas, transparentes de fundo de areia branca.

Antes de chegar a Búzios encostamos na Ilha de Pargos, tomamos banho, subimos na ilha.

Foi ótimo.

Fomos em 4 pessoas: Andreas, Maurício, Maurício Neto e eu.

Fizemos turnos de 2-3 horas com duas pessoas por turno.

Proa file post

Thank's for the good vibes, John, Leon and others.

Perseverance is welcome and needed. A clear goal, and a realistic timeplan, that clearly separates the different evolutionary steps to get there help too. It is not easy to get the whole thing done.

But right now I'm pretty confident. A lot of thought and pondering has ideed gone into it in the last 3 years.

In short:- First ideas in 2005: Right after building my canoe (04/2005).- Beginning of 2006: comissioned the plans; CAD drawings and structural engineering. Drawing took 20 months! Delivered plans were not complete.- From mid 2007 I've been busy checking the different building mode options: Self-building, self-managed comissioning and full comissioning. I opted for self-managed comissioning.

It took 4 months to visit builders, check potential building-sites for renting. Checked material options, potential hands to be hired. Prices. Have established detailed part lists. And price lists. That's the though part. But re-doing the list exercise often, often and explicit, in detail, helps getting a realistic view of the whole thing.

The key factor is to have fun doing it. And in my case, that's granted.I'm thrilled! I'll enjoy this while it lasts, because I know that Murphy is right there, and 4 months easily become 8 or 10. Good planning, in my opinion, is key. It's fun and it's cheap.

I'll keep you posted,
Peter

Construção

O encontro com o Luiz Fernando foi muito produtivo e agradável. Conversamos muito sobre as diferentes opções de construção.

E está decidio: O Carioca vai começar a ser construíde dentro de 1 semana! Sábado vou escolher a madeira, cedro. Segunda vai ser construído o picadeiro. Em Itaipú, Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro.

Estou feliz de passar para a próxima etapa neste processo. Está sendo muito divertido e instrutivo.

Desejem me sorte.
Desejo me sorte.

Peter

Construction start

Guys,

I'm happy to tell you that construction start for the Carioca, 30ft.tacking outrigger is set to be on the 15th. January of 2008.Next saturday I'm going to separate and choose the wood, "cedro" ("ceder", maybe?), and on monday the building of the strongback willstart.

Until there, the next week, is about settling the contractual issues, activity plan and timeline. The boat is going to be built in a self-managed comissioning mode.The comissioned builder is an experienced craftsman, who knows well about wood, epoxi and glass construction. Having quite some experience with aeroplanes (wings), boats, canoes and car-construction, I hope to count on his resourcefullness in crafsmanship.

The time schedule is based on a 4 month construction period. We all know that some scope creep and decision taking can add a couple of aditional weeks to that. The building of mast, spars and sail and fine tuning can take some more months too.

As a matter of fact, I expect to be able to see the next New Year firework at the Copacabana Beach from the sea! Yeah, and whoever wants to join is invited!

Whish me good luck.

Peter

ARPEX

Já faz um tempo que não postei nenhuma mensagem.
Andei ocupado com Natal, ano novo, além de uma velejada para Búzios no barco do meu irmão.
Progredí batante no projeto do barco. Decidi quanto ao local de construção e construtor do barco.
Se tudo der certo a construção vai acontecer no início de 2008, em Itaipú, Niterói, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Já elaborei o contrato de construção, o plano de atividade e o cronograma.
Não consigo falar com o Luiz Fernando. Construtor que escolhi pelas suas competências de construção e simpatia. O fato de ele poder construir em sua garagem, em Itaipú, também ajudou.
Mas, insistentemente ainda falta o nome apropriado para o barco. O "Carioca" é o nome de projeto. Gostei do nome "ARPEX". Apelido da praia do Arpoador, Ipanema, o carinhoso Arpex simboliza diversos elementos que me agradam. Uma certa aura anos 70, ano do meu nascimento, década das minhas primeiras impressões. A visita às praias, do Rio, como Copacabana no Posto 6 e Arpoador quando o mar está calmo, é um dos objetivos do projeto Carioca. A repetição das letras A e R, de ARARA, letras fortes, também é legal. E o X também é uma letra forte. O suffixo "EX" lembra uma giria usada na época. Bom, para testar o nome decidí renomear o Blog para ARPEX.