Happy Birthday

I'm celebrating my 38th spring time! Ipê-amarelo - Planta símbolo do Brasil

Russ Brown's proa Kauri sailing

There is a hot discussion going on, on the Yahoo discussion group Proafile. Russ Brown's proas (Jzerro and Kauri) are discussed, as beeing in oposition to Rob Denney's Harriproa range.

I talk little about shunting proas on this blog. This is mainly because it may cause confusion on a page dedicated to the building of a tacking outrigger. They are quite different boats.

Nevertheless I like proas. Not last, they both have one outrigger for stability. Now whether the weight goes to windward, the rig, the accomodation - I don't care. I have chosen tacking outriggers for my own reasons. But I admire the talent of designers who design and build shunting proas. Jzzero has had great influence on the Carioca design. And the Harriproa certainly have a modern take, with many advantages.

I don't particularly seem to like the accomodation to windward configuration. My gut-feeling makes me want to hold the centres of efford, lateral resistance, buoyancy and weight together. But anyway. The looks takes a bit getting used to. But they seem to work nicely too, I think.

Now, this video shows Kauri, one of Russ Brown's pacific proas sailing. A rare sight. I didn't know these videos were available until today. The music that comes along is nice too.

There are other videos, incliding one of the boat being shunted. Can't really make much of the images. But you get a feeling of how long it takes. And some serious sail work too...

Basement Jaxx - Do Your Thing

Eagle Eye Cherry - Falling in love

From the movie "Surf Adventures".

Arpex preparing for gluing

The whole set up, and alignment (again) is being tested before actual gluing. All wooden parts are being cut and it's fit tested in place. By next week the stringers should be glued on, the spaces between the stringers will be set in, so that we will have a fair surface, to attatch the plywood in the end.

Note the nice curve of the lower chine (upper on this picture) when it comes next to the bow. Note also that the keel line is straight (lower picture) and has a fair curve (upper image).

Chega de Saudade - Bebel and João Gilberto

Listen to this lovely song. Good for a pleasant Sunday morning.

This unpretentious couple, is a duett between father and daughter. The father is the sacred master of Bossa Nova, João Gilberto. And the young girl is his daughter, Bebel Gilberto, who nowadays is one of the most talented and creative brazilian female singers. She blends Bossa Nova with more modern arrangements. She has a nice velvet voice. Her songs have been on this blog before.

Beautiful April days

April brings beautiful days.
Enjoy the nice view of the Sugar Loaf.
It's a view I love to see everyday on my way to work.
My birthday is in 2 days, on Tuesday, 29th of April.
I hope to have a nice day like this one.

Sailing Outrigger Canoes

I feel honoured to have the visit from Gary Dierking on this blog. Gary builds fine outrigger canoes in New Zealand. Tacking outriggers and shunting proas. His canoes are of a simplicity that transcends tradition and modern thinking. Beautiful and practical boats, that can be assembled quickly, by any amateur.

He has also written and edited a fine book about "Building Sailing Outrigger Canoes". He offers 3 complete set of plans in the book, which makes it of great value if you're thinking about building a canoe. I whish I had one of those when I built my canoe, Arara. To all others it is still nice reference. It's nice images are worth it.

The book can be easily found on Amazon, which is how I got it.

Please also find Gary Dierking's blog, "Sailing Outrigger Canoes" in my link list.

Gary wins!

Gary noticed that the previous images contained some artistic freedom. On the side view the ama was to st'board, while on the front view it was to port. Not on this image above.

It shows the first reef tucked in.

Gary: Great book!

Carbon

Last week I had time to visit the Rio Boat Show. It is a heavily powerboat oriented show. But a few sailing boat were to see on the piers. Even one great surprise, that I will still post here on this blog! But more to that later.

My main target was to compare engines, and get a feeling for weight, consumption, reliability, guarantees and such. I know nothing about engines, since the only one I ever posessed sits in the front of my car.

I also took the opportunity to chat to Gustavo, from Barracuda, a company that sells modern building materials like foams, resins and fibers. I was curious to check the availabilty of carbon and kevlar fibers.

Now that I am progressing with the rig set up, and have decided for a keel stepped, modified wharram style rig, I am pondering about the mast building and materials. I am very tempted to use carbon fiber and epoxi - maybe together with glassfiber... Having a light, hollow mast would be a great asset. The sail with a luff pocket allows for a simple round tube construction. Halyards are used outside of the mast, inside the sail-pocket.

The question is which building technique, how? and how much it would cost, how much? Gustavo told me the price of carbon is currently USD 70 per m2. Unidirectional tape is available. Same price.

Quick exercise; the spar would have 10 meter lenght. Counting 2 layers of carbon, with 1 or 2 of glass, having a section of, say, 15 cm? That would make, c=d*pi, 0,47=0,15*3,14, multiplied by 10 meter spar lenght, makes 4,7 m2. This times 2 = 9,4. Times USD 70 = USD 679. With the USD @ 1,68 = R$ 1.140, for the carbon fibers.

Added to that would be epoxi, maybe 4kg? 4 time R$ 35 = 140. Some glass fiber, wood ... that would make at least R$ 2.000 to R$ 2.500 (USD 1500) and I don't know... a wooden structure? How would a hollow tube be produced? I only know the birds-mouth, wooden construction of tubes... No labor cost computed yet... pretty expensive!!! Got to think about that...

Arpex - More artistic view

Click on the image to see the details.
Something on this image is very wrong. Who can tell me what?

Euforia

Christian Gaul.

To bad I just got such a low quality image. I still like it, though.

Vitória Régia

Vitória Régia leaves floating in a pond in the Botanical Garden in Rio de Janeiro. The big leaves reach a diameter of almost 2 meters. It has a beautyfull white flower. There is a small one in the center of the image. Click on it, and you will see.

Construction projects

Click on the image to get a better view of the landscape.

My life is currently dictated by three big construction projects:

One that you know of; That is the boat-construction project Arpex.

The other, is a big plant errection project, on a greenfield. We are building a 5 million ton/year steel plant, on the bay of Sepetiba. It is right next to Baia da Ilha Grande, a sailing paradise. If you click on the image you will be able to see aprotected bay, with Ilha Grande looming in the distance. The region is a tropical paradise.

It is the biggest private construction site in South America. The plant is being built by a team of more than 13.000 people.

Into the mist

Bridge to Niteroi. It has 14 km lenght.

We are being meticulous about alignment, specifications and measures.

Now, all it takes is good wood-working hability.

Botafogo Campeão!!!

Botafogo - Campeão da Taça Rio 2008!

Campeão da Taça Rio 2008.
Botafogo 1 x 0 Fluminense

Arpex - Internal mast support