Deck arrangement

I´m starting to figure out how the deck arrangement for the running rigging should look like. Sheets, falls and such. ...

There are other ropes which need to be taken care however, mainly to control the mainsail, in terms of boom (whishbone), reefing, etc....

I will elaborate further a bit later on. The above, however, shows my first thought around it.

Any comments and ideas would be welcome.

Rogerio visits Arpex

Yesterday Rogerio finally came to pay a visit to Arpex. Due to his experience acquired by building a Tiki 30 to a high standard, I much value his comments and suggestions. To some extend I feared his scrutiny, since I am well aware of my sometimes less than perfect finishing. But, of course, his easy ways made for a nice visit with a productive exchange of ideas. I look forward to day out on the water, sailing on Arpex together.

Deck work

While Valmir advances with the gluing of the anti-skid, I work on the reinforcements layers on the deck, where the mast is going through. It might not seem at first glance, but it is a strong construction, with structuring elements underneath the deck, and, when finished 50mm of plywood and glass-fiber.

Mast - almost ready...

Here it is - the mast. Almost ready to be fetched up. I guess that by next week it will meet its partner: Arpex. All it needs is another coat of paint (which Rogerio has applied right after I took this picture.

Removable rudder tube

Installing the tube for the rudder shaft is proving to be a tricky task. Besides the necessity to mount it in good alignment, and, of course stout and strong, I also think about what happens if I should ever need to change the tube in future. That is how to install it in a way that I could remove it if ever needed. As it is in the moment, I´m coming to satisfactory solutions for the challenge.

The tube will be glued with epoxi to the hull. However the metal will be covered with wax before doing so. This way it will be water tight and give good support for rudder pressure. Above the hull the tube will be fixed with through going screws to a stout primary fixing table. On the upper extremity there will be another fixing table. The tube will be fixed to the table with another stainless steel plate, with through going screws. A cut out on the rear part will make it possible to remove the tube after releasing the screws and a slight hammering from underneath to break free from the epoxi.

By the way; looking at the top picture, don´t let the funny angle of the tube irritate you. It is just an odd distortion by the camera lens.

Handrail

I have acquired a beautiful wooden handrail, which will be placed on the port side of the cabin top, so that the "pod side" is safe to walk on when under way. It is made of teak, and I think it will fit just nicely.

The weather was terrible today, and I had a few really annoying jobs to do, which kept me home. So, no progress on the internal rudder structures...

Heck

Since I came back to Rio, I have been putting things into place to get my boat building back on track. This included sourcing a wooden mast, herding Valmir into finishing his jobs, and last not least, preparing an activity list to get started, myself - hands on style. 

One of the tasks on the list is to finish the structure for the steering, the rudder. This includes the tube for the rudder shaft and the attachment points for the steering cables. Getting these done is important, in order to close the rear deck. I wouldn't want to do these jobs in the cramped space after closing the decks. Valmir is waiting for me to do this in order to finish his jobs. At least that's what he puts forward. And, I admit, there is a point to his argument. So I give him the point. And, more than that, I try to use it as an incentive to get things done. 

Well, today I started after all. Lots of my time still goes into cleaning and putting things into order, but, slowly, I'm getting back on working mode.

Mast primed

Rogerio and Fred have now primed the new mast, and are doing the finishing touches before it gets painted. Now that the mast is there I have my fixed points around which I can develop all other things, like mast step,.... and well all the other things around it.

Command cabin

I saw this peculiar command cabin in Berlin these days.

Disassembly

Lovely work by Bownik, seen on Art Berlin. It is, of course a pretty precarious picture, nevertheless clicking on it reveals Bownik's idea.

Flores para você

Taken in my mother´s  garden.

Mast sealed

Rogerio and Fred are advancing fast with the construction of the mast. It is now rounded and sealed. On the picture you can see Fred sealing the mast with epoxi. I might drive out there to take a look at it today.

Mast rounded

 Rogerio is advancing swifly with the construction of the mast. And he is also doing a fine job of documenting the construction with pictures. the last ones posted on his constrcuction blog: http://tikirio.blogspot.de/

The lovely Aida

Right in front of my hotel I found the lovely yacht Aida moored alongside a dedicated pier. The yacht was built in 1930, in Stockholm, Sweden. Its hull is karvel planked with fine mahogany, which has also been used  in the deckhouses. The decks are planked in Oregonpine. Its first owner, Gösta Tholin, member of the Royal Swedish Sailing Club, undertook extended trips through the Baltic, among them destinations such as Danzing, Helsingsfors, Tallin, Riga and Kiel.

The yacht has received a full restauration in 2000 and is now used as a charter vessel for sightseeing through the channels of Berlin. 

For contact call: Yacht Aida 030 399 20 790

The Singing, Ringing Tree

Mast closed

Rogerio is advancing fast with the construction of the mast. It is now closed and ready for sanding in order to get it round and fair. On the picture were looking down the mast from the top.

Arpex

What is art?

Arpex Masted

What you see now is Arpex'es future mast.

Rogerio and Fred have agreed to sell the mast that they were building for Tiki Rio, a 30ft. Wharram catamaran. I'm very happy to do business with the guys and think that they will produce a very good a mast, which will suit the needs of Arpex very handsomely. So, by the end of this week, the Arpex construction project will be one important step closer to conclusion.

Fifty-Fifty

A pretty cool, and fast double rigged catamaran.

Other imminent jobs

It might not seem like it at first glance, but following the mast construction by Rogério is a productive and important thing to do. After all, Arpex will need a mast just like the one Rogério is building right now. I have purchased the plans from Wharram to build one of them.

However, htere is no denying, I need to get back to work myself, since many other jobs must be tackled before Arpex can go to the water. The most imminent are the permanent fixing of the rudder tube and internal support structure, and the gluing of the deck sandwich. And then the mast step and deck partner.

The most difficult thing is not to actually start working and sweating again, but to actually know how and what to do. And while I keep breeding these definitions, I keep on following Rogério´s mast construction. Who know what comes out of it.   

Tiki mast constuction

Today I went again to "Tiki Rio´s" construction site, to watch, and lend a hand to Rogério, who is just now building the wooden Tiki 30 mast. An interesting job. One great asset for this job is a solid building base. And they have just that on the Sao Cristóvao Club, where several boat builders gather.

Cisne Branco

A welcome sight in the distance. The beautiful three masted sailing ship Cisne Branco.

Another day on the water

Instead of going boatbuilding this Saturday, I took another "day off" to go sailing with my sister, on our good and old "Aleguá" again. In the end, it is important to remember what all the building time is good for - Is it not? So no"lost" time...

Tiki 30 sailing

Here is a lovely video of a Tiki 30 sailing swiftly along. A lovely boat, in my opinion. The contral cuddy is optional and probalbely dispensable in tropical regions.