News & Progress - Part One

This page is getting to be to large. I have started a new page here.

30 September 05. Un Screwed.
	Pulled the rest of the screws today. Planed down the bow area rebates. September 2005 Build Photos
29 September 05.
	Pulled all the screws from the wide panels. Planed the radius skin at the rebates. This brings the edge even with the flat panel skin. Started rough sanding on the starboard side. Looks like I went over 400 hrs today.
28 September 05. The hull is covered!
	All of the radius chine skin is on. Next will be to pull the screws and fill the holes, about 2500.
27 September 05 Port side done!
	Epoxied the last of the panels on the portside bow area. I will have enough 4mm plywood to complete the hull!
23 September 05 Last of the wide panels.
	Finished the last wide strips on the forward hull. The aft sections were finished too. Started with the thin panels on the port side. Managed to get 4 glued on.
22 September 05.
	Removed all the screws installed with the 2nd layer of skin. Yes, I had used all 1000 that came with the kit! Got 3 more panels fitted and epoxied on the portside.
21 September 05. Will I make it?
	The growing pile of scrap! 3 more panels on the portside put on today.
18 September 05.
	Added 3 more panels. 1 forward on the starboard side and one each on aft section. Both sides of the hull are covered to the same point. This has used up 2 sheets of plywood. 1 1/2 sheets left. Will it be enough? The 1st layer used not quite 3 1/2 sheets. So in theory it should, but as I look at the growing pile of scrap.....
17 September 05.
	More panels fitted to the starboard side. This is slow going. Seems to take 45 mins to an hour per panel.
16 September 05.
	Moved back to the starboard side. Got 3 panels fitted and epoxied.
15 September 05.
	Got 4 more panels on the port side.
12 September 05. Green side up!
	Day started bad when I covered the wrong side of the panel with epoxy. Cleaned most of the epoxy off and reapplied it to the correct side. It's the dark piece in the picture. Just have to remember "green side up".
11 September 05. The 2nd layer goes on.
	Started the 2nd layer of radius skin panels. These are harder to dry fit, due to a lack of a way to clamp it in place. Got 4 pieces on the starboard side and 1 on the port.
10 September 05. And more rebates.
	Planed and sanded the rebates on the port side, along with the hole filler. The hull is ready for the 2 layer of 4mm radius skin. Cut the remaining 4mm plywood into 200mm wide strips for the 2 layer.
09 September 05. Rebates.
	Started to sand the radius panels to match the height of the flat panel rebate. Found the belt sander was to hard to control. Used my little pocket plane and followed it up with the disk sander. Also sanded down the screw hole filler. Starboard side is done.
06 September 05.
	Pulled the rest of the screws and filled all the holes.
05 September 05. We got it covered.
	All the first layer of radius akin is glued on! Mixed up a couple of big batches of fairing compound and filled the screw holes and gaps next to the flat panel rebates. For just the hull, to this point, we have about 350 hrs in it.
04 September 05 Back at it
	We had a great vacation, but it's time to get to work. Pulled all the screws from the radius skins. Cut the remaining 100mm wide strips necessary for the 1st layer of radius skin. Epoxied on 4 strips each side. September 2005 Build Photos
13 August 05.
	Glued on the all the 100mm wide panels that I had cut. This used up 3 of the 7 plywood sheets, so with careful cutting I should have enough. We are off on vacation for the next couple of weeks, so the Boatworks will be dark. August 2005 Build Photos
12 August 05.
	Continued with the 200mm wide panels to about bulkhead 4, on both sides. Ripped the remainder of the 200mm wide strips to 100mm. Thanks Todd. Installed the 1st 100mm strip on the starboard side. Did not have enough mixed epoxy to do another panel, so I mixed in some microballoons and filled some of the screw holes. I found that if I mixed a big batch of epoxy and keep it in the refrigerator, during the time I'm fitting the panels, it will be a bit thick but does not set up in the cup.
11 August 05. More skin.
	Pulled all the screws form the earlier installed panels. Continued with installing the panels on the port side.
07 August 05.
	Got a couple more pieces on the starboard side. Started on the port aft quarter. This side is a pain to work on. Have to go around the bow and squeeze myself in. Of course the work bench is on the other side. So I dry fit, take the panel over to be cut, back to be sure it fits, then over to get epoxied, the back to stick it on. I'm sure by the time I'm done with this side I'll have figured some shortcut.
06 August 05. A new day, a new way.
	After great support from Roy at CKD Boats & Dudley Dix, the boats designer, I found the error of my ways. I put the router away and just put the panels on. They had suggested to put the panels on at a 20 deg angle so it would bend easier. I found that if I went at 45 deg I would get better yields from the plywood. I will have to use my old friend the belt sander to bring the edge of the panels to the same height of the rebate in the flat panel skins. All in all a great day! Really looking good.
05 August 05. Unfair!
	Started on the radius skin panels. After cutting up some of the 4x8 sheets of 4mm plywood into 200mm wide strips, I routed out 2mm deep where they touch the stringers & tangent doublers. The flat skin sections are 6mm so after two layers it should be equal. Well after cutting out the grooves, when the panel is bent it just bends at the grooves, the rest is flat. Did not look good at all. So I took off the two sections I had on & cleaned up the epoxy. I think I misunderstood the instructions here!
01 August 05. Real Visual Progress.
	Removed all the screws and most of the wires holding the panels in place. Filled all the holes with fairing compound. Filled the center seam with filleting compound. August 2005 Build Photos
31July 05. Bottoms Up!
	All the flat bottom skins are epoxied on. After my haircut from yesterday, I wore a hat. Actually Wendy wore a hat and stuffed the wire up to me, sitting on top twisting. July 2005 Build Photos
30 July 05. Aft bottom skin.
	The aft section of the bottom skin is epoxied on. 1st time for doing "stitch and glue", other then finding the right size wire that I could not break when twisting and the epoxy in my hair, it went well. Also dry fitted the middle bottom skins.
29 July 05. Bow side skins.
	We got both sides of the bow skin panels glued on. The skin is fairly stressed here. Had to use more screws to pull the panel in to place. Also got the aft bottom skins dry fitted.
25 July 05. More then one way to skin a boat.
	Got about 1/3 of the flat hull skins glued in place today. Both sides aft to about bulkhead 1. The scarf joints fitted well. And I again ran out of clamps! I think the only time I have too many is when I'm cleaning up.
24 July 05. Scarfing it up.
	Scarfed all the flat hull skin pieces. I used a couple of practice pieces on top and bottom of the real skins to use as a guide. 1st time I have ever scarfed plywood. By the time I got to the last pieces it was getting easier.
23 July 05. Just call me Dusty.
	Shaped the stem and sanded the frames/stringers on the whole boat. This was prep for the skin.
19 July 05 Fun with visual progress.
	Sanded some of the areas on the frame to fair in. Sorted thru & figured out what parts of the flat hull skins go where. Dry fitted the hull skins. Looks like a lot accomplished but not really. To this point we have about 275 hours in it. Thanks Sam.
18 July 05 Screwed!
	The sheer clamps have all been screwed on. These are about the only screws used in the hull. Filled the holes with pine bungs and then filleted the back side of the sheer clamp.
17 July 05 Sheer clamps
	Fitted and epoxied on the sheer clamps to both sides of the boat. Will need to add screws before the C clamps can be removed. Called it a day when the temperature in the shop hit 105. Outside temps were 115.
13 July 05 Stripped out.
	Finished all the stringer strips. Cut the bevel in the sheer clamps. Started to profile the sheer cleats.
11 July 05 More stringer strips.
	Got the starboard side strips glued on. Again all C clamps are used. We got a 3rd in our class in the MDR to SD race. Wind did not last the night nor the next morning. July 2005 Build Photos
25 June 05 Stringer strips.
	Epoxied on the stringer strips until I again ran out of clamps. This will be the last work day for a couple of weeks. As we will be racing the J/24 in the Marina Del Rey to San Diego race. Wish us luck, and the wind to hold during the night! June 2005 Build Photos
24 June 05 Last of the doublers.
	Finished fitting & gluing the tangent doublers at the bow. Cut out the hull skin panels. Used the off cuts from the 6mm skin plywood to make "stringer strips". These are being used on stringers 5,6 & 7 were a design change left the stringers a bit short. These are the 3 stringers outboard of the backbone center line. You can see in the picture where the stingers do not quite fill the slot.
19 June 05
	Cleaned up the sheer cleats and stem area. Fixed one stringer that slipped it's c clamp. Glued in the final stringers at the stem.
18 June 05 Stem & Sheer.
	Fitted all the stringers at the stem. Got all but one set epoxied in place. Cut all the sheer cleats & epoxied those as well. Cut and scarfed the sheer clamps.
17 June 05 Fitting
	Finished the epoxying on the tangent doublers. Aligned stem and fitted and glued stringer 1. Set out the sheer cleats & clamps.
13 June 05 All strung out.
	Installed stringers 3 & 4. That is the last of the stringers. Fitted all but the most forward tangent doublers. Next thing we knew we had epoxied in 75% of them. Then we ran out of clamps. That used up all but 2 of the bar clamps. Also started in with the fitting of the stringers with the stem.
12 June 05
	Epoxied in stringers #1 and #6. Was going to glue in 1 & 3, but one of the stringers broke as I bent it around the hull. Luckily one of the #3 stringers was long enough to use for a #1, since I had already done the other side. Glued in #6 since it was ready to go. Only have #3 & #4 to install.
11 June 05 More stringers
	Scarfed the remaining long stringers. Epoxied in stringers 2,5 & 7. Filleted the backbone / bulkhead areas with the leftover epoxy, mixed with cab-o-sil and wood flour. Also added cleats to the area where I broke the backbone at bulkhead 8.
09-10 June 05 Fitting
	Took time after work to trim and fit the stringers.
07 June 05 Tangent stringers on.
	Epoxied in the 4 tangent stringers. Figured out the layout for the remaining stringers.
06 June 05 Sailing
	Came out in the morning to find one of the stringers that was lightly clamped in position had broken! Re scarfed that one and since the forecast was for 15-25, we went sailing.
05 June 05 Tangent stringers.
	Fitted the tangent stringers. Had to expand part of the notches where they go thru the bulkhead doublers. In the process I broke one of the scarf glue joints. Re glued with epoxy. Also the tool store was having a parking lot sale! Bought all of their 18" bar clamps. Can't have too many!
01 June 05 Started stringers
	Glued up the tangent stringers. See the June photos.
31 May 05 Backbone laid.
	Set and epoxied in the 4 pieces of the backbone. Also bulkhead "0" has been glued in place. See May build photos.
30 May 05 Busy day!
	Finished the building stocks & completed the set up of all bulkheads. Whew! It took about 9 hours. But it looks like a boat.
26 May 05 Building building stocks.
	The aft part of the building stocks are complete. The new rails are plenty stiff. Was going to use concrete screws to hold the legs down. HA! The drill bit was good for only about 5 holes. After a trip to the hardware store, I returned with a Remington Powerhammer. Load it with a nail & a 22 cal shot shell & one whack it's in. Quick & easy.
24 May 05 Slight set back
	The timbers for the rails of the building stocks or strongback, took a turn for the worse. After 3 days of over 105 deg temps & humidity under 15%, the wood warped. Hard to build a square boat with that twist. I went with plan "B", cut rails from 3/4" plywood ripped to 6" and glued together to make it 1 1/2" thick.
19 May 05 Finishing the "bump in".
	The "Bump in" is finished, there is now enough room to build the boat. Started cutting the wood for the building stocks. That's it on the floor in front of the bulkheads.
18 May 05 The destruction continues.
	Hole cut thru to bedroom. "Bump in" framed. See May build photos.
14 May 05 Wall
	Drywall all cut to the final location & size.
13 May 05 "Hole in the Wall" party.
	The wall destruction in full swing.
13 May 05 Bulkheads completed.
	Ready for the next step.
12 May 05 Final bulkhead assembly.
	The final bulkhead & the transom are assembled. 6,7 & 8 have been sanded. See May build photos.
08 May 05 Assembly continues.
	Bulkheads #6, 7 & 8 are epoxied together. Used up all the "C" clamps and all my stock of bar clamps. Looks like the limiting factors are number of clamps & shop space. Tangent doublers are sanded and wait for final fitting. See May build photos.
06 May 05
	Transom & lower 1/2 of #6.
02 May 05
	Bulkheads 1-4 finished. #5 assembled.
01 May 05 Assembly
	Started epoxying the bulkheads together. As well as some of the bulkhead doublers. The tangent doublers were also cut from the "scrap" from the 9mm bulkheads and then beveled. This cleared up more room in the garage. See May build photos.
27 Apr 05 Sanding
	All the rest of the freed pieces have been sanded.
26 Apr 05 Cutting.
	All the bulkheads are cut free! Also the backbone & doublers. All the bulkheads pieces are sanded as well.
25 Apr 05 Sorting & Cutting.
	Sorted out the plywood sheets & stacked the sheets that will be needed later. Started cutting the bulkheads out. See build photos.
21 Apr 05 Unpacking
	Unpacked the crates and somewhat organized garage. Looks like nothing was lost. Although the bow rail & one aft rail was damaged. All the plywood looks excellent.
20 Apr 05 Unloading
	After the drive from LA unloaded kit into garage. Thanks to Dave, Darrel & Steve for all the help.
20 Apr 05 Pick up kit.
	The kit is here. The main crate did not weather the trip well. Looks like the box with the keel lead in it was loaded on top. Sides of the crate all blown out.
19 Apr 05 Paper work all together.
	The kit is ready to be picked up. Have to pay an extra $750 for "Delivery Destination Charge". This is a charge by the steamship line. Seems like paying twice.
15 Apr 05 Kit has cleared customs.
	Kit has made it thru customs & is at the shippers warehouse. I will be able to pick it up once the paperwork sent from customs. Hopefully by mid-next week.
14 Apr 05 Finally recovered lost data from dead hard drive.
	I'm will be updating with the lost pictures.
08 Apr 05 Kit is in.
	Kit is in L.A. Was scheduled to transfer to San Francisco. WTF. The agent was able to hold it in L.A. That was a close call. Now for the paperwork. Fairing still continues, this seems to take the longest.
04 Apr 05 Kit is due in.
	The 16th of April. Now to see how long to clear customs. Fairing continues.
29 Mar 05 Foils
	More fairing.
22 Mar 05 Foils
	Fairing continues on both rudders & daggerboards.
15 Mar 05 Fwd Daggerboard.
	The Fwd Daggerboard is laid up & vacuum bagged. 1 layer of C/F overall with an extra layer at point where it will exit the hull. Also extra Kevlar at the same point. Then a full layer of Kevlar & bagged.
08 Mar 05 Fairing.
	Both rudders & the aft daggerboard are covered with fairing compound.
03 Mar 05 Kit is shipped.
	Our kit is on the container ship Durban Bridge from Cape Town to Singapore. It will then transfer to an other ship to cross the Pacific. Estimated arrival in Long Beach is 41 days. Or 13 Apr 05.

02 Mar 05 2nd Rudder is laid up & vacuum bagged.
	Laid up the last rudder with a layer of C/F & one of Kevlar, with 3 extra layers of Kevlar on the stock.
26 Feb 05 Hard Drive Crash!
	The hard drive in my computer crashed. All data & picture files lost. This is version two of the web site. I must do a better job of back-up.
20 Feb 05 Kit is completed.
	Our boat kit is done & has left Roy's shop for Cape Town.
06 Feb 05 Foils.
	While waiting for my kit to be ready I have started on the Daggerboards & Rudders. They will be made from Core Cell A-600 foam & covered with Carbon Fiber & Kevlar.

04 Mar 2007