Micróbio do Samba

Where to put a winch?

One of the items that need figuring out, is the deck layout, that is where to place turning blocks, stoppers, cleats, rails, and... a winch. Since I plan on having a self-tacking jib, one winch will be sufficient. That makes things easier. However, I don't have too many options for the placement. And ideally the same winch would be a multipurpose equipment. Say, maybe it could be used to bring a halyard hard in too.

Ideally the winch would be accessible from the steering position. Anyway, I need to be able to release the sheet quickly. But on the other hand it should't obstruct seating area, because a winch can be a hard thing to sit on. I would love to have it by the cabin entrance (companionway?). But in that case, how would I lead the jib sheet to that position? Not to speak of halyards?

But since the jib will be self tacking, maybe the requirement of being accessible from the steering position is not so imperative. In order to be operated adequately it needs room for the handle. So, if I place it on deck level, it would need to be forward of the stays. In that case the most likely position would be somewhere close to the mast.

Outright world speed sailing record for Vestas Sailrocket 2

The Vestas Sailrocket Team has achieved another remarkable feat. They have just cracked the outright world speed record over a nautical mile. The video is an impressive testimonial of what it means to sail at more than 55 knots.

I have once blasted at 50 knots over the water, on a very potent powerboat. And I can tell you; It's scary! Every little wave becomes a potential mortal threat and it all shakes you to the bone. The video of Vestas sailing at more than 55 knots gives you a very light impression of the feeling.

What I find particularly interesting in this project is the use of the hinged foil, which keeps the boat attached to the water. Note, that the sail with its tiny float actually lifts ot of the water. Without the hinged foil, the whole contraption would launch itself into the air.

The hinged foil has been amply discussed in proa discussion forums. Here its use is impressively demonstrated.

Cheerst to the Vestas Sailrocket Team!

Checking tasks on the list

Now that I have a reasonable task list (although it still needs refining) I can go and keep checking them tasks, one by one. Today, a holyday in Brasil, I concentrated on shaping the rudder. Quite a tricky, and time consuming. Templates gave me a first, rough, shape, which now needs refining by hand. I'm still working on it.

Another task I worked on, was to improve the blocks which will receive the stays. The improvement was to introduce a radius in the lower end, which will reduce the wear on the spectra lines, which it will receive.

I also managed to drill the holes and attach the blocks. They will later be glued on.

I also produced two rings, which will be glued to the mast partner, on deck level. Their function is to receive a glove, which will prevent rainwater to enter the cabin. Remember, that the mast will go through the deck. Without that glove all rainwater, running down the mast, would gather inside the hull. 

 

In total, a productive day.

So you think Arpex is just about to set sail?

I've been making a lot of noise about "being done" with the main hull. That might have given you the impression that I'm just about to let Arpex to the water and set sail.

Well, ... then think again. Because that is just what I did this morning. And guess what; there is still a long list of activities that need to be done, before I get to the water. Not to speak of setting sail, Which is another ballgame.

Getting a hull ready is nice. Having two hulls ready is even nicer. Nicer still once they are painted. However, many other things still need doing. And some of them need doing before I paint. Like finishing the mast partner on deck level. Others can be done in parallel, while Valmir takes care of the painting - the wooden deck between the hulls, the engine support, all the stainless steel parts to join the hulls, fix the standing and running rigging... Well, you name it. There is all sorts of things to do. For some I don't even know where to start, like with all the eletrics.

But, as with everything; All it needs is to keep on going. Having a list of activities is a very good first step. In the next few days I will work on the priorities and dependencies for the activities. This will help me to focus and avoid waiting times.

A second very good step is to get started, and drive out to the boatshed. Which is what I'll do just now! Enjoy your day.

Mrs. Arpex on visit

Lucky me!

Done. The stern is closed and laminated!

Another phase of the construction is finished!Today I managed to give the stern its second, and final, lamination. Afterall, I found some resin, which enabled me to finish the job. Looking at the finished main hull gave me a great feeling, indeed. A good day to go and have a drink.

 Looking good. Isn't it?

Superyacht in Rio

A lovely superyacht has found its way to Rio. The boat has been an imposing sight in the bay of Botafogo for the last fortnight, or so. It is not often that the big ones find their way down to our South Atlantic coast.

In desperate need of epoxi resin

Bad planning and bad luck have stopped me in irons. This week is atypical in Brasil, with two sequential holidays: Thursday and Monday. And I was planning to use this time to finish the decks (and other stuff). However, the epoxi resin I had in stock was not sufficient. I knew that and went shopping for resin last week. But they only had 5kg packages or a single 1 kg package. Since I don't need 5kg, I bought one. Hoping to find additional 2 kg on the market today. 

But my gamble went wrong. Due to the holiday I´m not finding sources for resin. My usual supplier, Tubolit, seems to have closed business over these days. And other distributors say they don´t have the resin in stock. Only on Wednesday... Well, that is some bad luck. I´m burning to close this phase of the construction - and I can´t!

Therefore, you'll have to make do with pictures of the last day in the shop when I managed to prepare the deck (above) cover the rear deck with one layer of glass (below). Two layers are what I had planned for...

Yes!!!! well,... almost...

Lamination: Yes, I did it. As planned. However,... however, I didn't complete it. Unfortunately, I was short on resin. And what I had, was good for only one layer of glass. Nevertheless; it did have a good feeling!

Almost done with closing the deck...

Oh, yeah...! I'm almost done with it. I have laminated the sandwich of the rear deck. Therefore, almost all structural work is done. I'm just not firing the crackers, because I think I should have it laminated first, before I consider this milestone as finished. However, I can assure, it won't take long for this to happen. Next time I manage to make my way to the boat shed, lamination is on the to do list. It will happen by next week. ... I'm tempted to do it tomorrow.... Maybe I should chill a bottle of blubbery stuff.

I also tested the template vs. router thing;... tricky!

All prepared...

All is prepared to close the deck. The edge stringers are glued on and even the tube to fix the trampoline is in place. Previous experience with the fore deck has shown that gluing the foam and then fixing the upper ply is a tricky operation. But this time the are is smaller, so I hope not to have many problems.

The key for a productive day in the boatshed is preparation. One needs to have a clear picture of the job at hand and the detailed sequence of activities. I usually prepare mentally during the whole week. So when I get to the shed I can reel off the activities and get the job done. So, whats on the list for today:

1. Get the tools from the box
2. Grab the cordless screw driver and get all the screws out of the deck edge stringers.
3. Sand all the top parts
4. Vacuum clean all parts (I need to sand it because else the foam will get all the dust)
5. Place the polyestirene foam
6. Align the top ply
7. Drill the holes and screw the ply into place
8. Release the ply again
9. Vacuum clean all parts again (having a clean gluing surface is important)
10. Put on the Personal protection equipment (gloves, mask, cap, goggles?)
11. Prepare the tools to apply epoxi
12. Prepare epoxi paste (but not mix)
13. Prepare the epoxi mixture
14. Apply epoxi on the deck
15. Apply epoxi on the foam
16. Place foam on deck
17. Apply epoxi on the top part of foam
18. Apply epoxi on the underside of top ply
19. Mix epoxi paste
20. Apply epoxy paste on edge stringers
21. Place top ply
22. Screw top ply into place
23. Check alignment and clean gluing
24. Take a breath....

If I manage these in due time, I'll also try some of the rudder shaping. I've been working on patterns as a homework during the week....

5th Anniversary of this blog

It has happened again. The 5th anniversary of this blog has slipped by - as usual. In these 5 years the pleasure of keeping this diary, of meeting people and hear comments has not decreased. I hope you're still enjoying too.

Since the short hiatus of two weeks, during which I temporarily closed this blog for public access, the number of readers, or at least of viewers has decreased. And that is just fine for me. High numbers of accesses had triggered invitations for advertising on the blog. I did feel slightly proud of it - I admit. But on a second thought it lead to ways I was not happy with. This blog is, and will stay a strictly private place. And having a more intimate circle of readers is more comfortable to me.

I will continue to blog away about topics of my interest; the sea, boats, art, music and travel - and of course the construction of Arpex. Which is now very well advanced. The closing of the complete main hull structure is about to happen. And once construction is finished, you will hear about the sailing Arpex, setting up and fine tuning of the boat. It could even happen within this next year of blogging.

I will have to learn many things. And I'm thoroughly looking forward to it. Hope you keep me company, and give me your thoughts once in a while.

Preparing the sandwich

As reported yesterday, the rear deck is now closed. And I tell you; it's a great feeling to be on the last mile towards the closure of the structural parts of the hull! I really feel like I will have a "boat" anytime soon!!!

But it ain't ready just yet. SO, hold your horses, and I will hold mine. The deck still  needs to receive the polystyrene sandwich, and two layers of glass. Many small bits still need sorting out. And of course I still need to produce the wooden deck between the hulls and the engine support. But; I'm getting there. I'm getting there...

Closing

I'm happy to report, that the closing of the rear deck is proceeding. Today I have glued the first layer of ply. Due to good preparation the bond was nice, sound and clean as could be. But, since I forgot phone, camera, wallet, documents and all at home, I have no pictures to post... Wait for tomorrow.

Foil shape continued

Doubts about how to shape the rudder have been haunting me for a while now - more than a year to be more precise.

Some help came from Mr. Ross Langford, courtesy of Google, who took me to Ross'es Duckworks Magazine article about how he shaped his foils. His basic procedure is pretty in the same lines as I was about to work. With a jig and a router around the wooden block. as shown in the sketch above, which was taken from the Duckworks article. ... And that's probably not a coincidence - I guess I have read this article sometime before. However, I was still missing the correct way to get the NACA foil shape drawn up for the chord of my foil.

Here Mr. Langford was really helpful, and I thank him for that. He has put the full spreadsheets, with calculations and graphs linked to the article. With it I was able to fill in the chord of my foil and simply print the templates.

Simple, simple - let's go to work... isn't it? Well, not quite yet... The problem is that my foil has a variable chord. And that's probably something I should have avoided in the first place. But I didn't, and now I have to deal with it. But I'm not complaining. I'll find a way. Even if it probably isn't as elegant as Mr. Langford's.

Closing time

Currently I'm working on two projects, which have a shared priority. One is the closing of the rear deck. The other is the rudder blade. But in parallel I'm finishing this and that also. It is surprising how many invisible bits and pieced also belong to a boat. And yes, they need to be finished too, before the boat can be ready to sail. And it does take a little time to produce them...

Like the little socket on the picture above. It belongs to the steering console, and will hold the end piece of the steering axle. Getting the right height was slightly tricky.

But what really got me, was the shaping of the rudder blade. I do not have a clear idea on how to shape the brute wooden sandwich to a foil shape. I' m trying to produce a jig, which would allow me to use the router to do the shaping. But I'm puzzled on how to do it. No really smart, easy and quick way came to me. I could only think of the dumb and difficult ways. And unless one of the smart ideas come up really quick, I'll have to go with the dumb one, and give it a try.

Nevertheless, I managed to glue on the deck stringers. This means it is closing time for the rear deck!

Spruce Goose

 

The "Spruce Goose" has always fascinated me. Howard Hughes giant airplane, built out of wood, because aluminum was not to be had due to the war effort, was a gigantic water plane.  The numbers behind the construction are impressive. But what has always fascinated me most, is the challenge to build such a enormous and complex structure out of wood.

I was happy to learn, that the plane still exists. It lives in the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinville, Oregon