August 30th

Pic of floor in place which was done yesterday.

While waiting for sand and stone to be delivered for another project I finished fitting the deck stringers and intermediate deck beams ready for gluing.  Lots of shavings and fiddling with joints to fair it all in.

The foreward stringer join  was the most thought intensive. The rest were easy simple joints.  The best part is they dont have to be perfect zero gap joints.  A bit of epoxy in the joints is stronger than it all squeezed out. >

Got to do concrete mixing tomorrow but hope to get a bit of time before I fall down in a heap to glue the deck stringers and beams into place.  I want to get the side deck glued on before starting the interior but still lots to do.  

 28th August

Spent time in the cockpit today.

Bottom sides fitted with floor supports screwed on.  The bottom ply was also cut and prefitted. This all has to come out again for epoxy coating on the inside and some areas with paint primer before gluing.  That will happen much later.

 27th August

Been doing some bits and pieces the last days between other commitments.

Spent several hours sanding fillets by hand and wearing my fingers out.  It has been hot and humid so set up my system for keeping cool and sanding without needing a respirator.  Fan is put outside and blows clean air through plastic tube which I put over my head.  Used this system in the past for grinding and glassing inside an encapsulated keel.  Also great for painting with toxic fumes in enclosed spaces.

Glued the chainplate doublers on.

Cockpit framing getting glued on.

Started with deck stringers

Finally decided on the bunk level Im going to use.  2cm lower than the plan as Im tall (1.9m) and need headroom to sit down inside but also want the biggest storage space available.  Inside all marked out so cut bulkhead.

This is not the final cut profile but the bottom level is set.

Decided on the coin to be fixed under the mast post.  100 escudo coin from the Cape Verde Islands.  The Madalan  was regarded as a lucky ship in the Cape Verde Packet Trade.  http://www.archive.ernestina.org/history/Tchuba/tchuba-4.pdf  Go to page  38.  I will probably stop in the Cape Verdes on  my way across the Atlantic as I have several good friends that I worked with many years ago in Mindelo.  The beer is good and the Caldo Verde is delicious.

 22nd August

Nuts was snoozing today.  I was occupied with concrete slab pouring preparation so not a happy chappie.  But yesterday played around with the cockpit.

Cockpit layout is pretty well set and decided so starting there.  Interior is still in planning mode and undecided.  Got to look at planned routes for crossing the Atlantic twice starting in the Azores and see which jybe/tack will be most prevailing and comfortable for cooking / sleeping.  Short boat will be uncomfortable with motion so looking for the best compromise. Even considering a flexable / changeable galley / nav station setup. Any Ideas?

 

 20th August

Nuts is happy again. Hull nice and level (used laser level) so I can use a level inside for doing the interior.  Bow compartment got its second coat of epoxy primer this morning while still on its side. Left a patch where the forestay chainplate will be bolted on as I will put a couple of glass layers on the inside for reinforcement.  Keel top also all nice and straight and sanded with first coat of epoxy primer applied.  I think I will give it 4 coats of primer before bolting the lead on.  The keel can then be left outside till needed just before launching next year.

 19th August

Busy day today. Went fishing with my sister and filled the cooler with nice sized trigger fish, cleaned and bagged about 15 meals. Then..

Filled keel mounting plate with filler to make it flat and hopefully it will be a good flush fit.  Just needs a little sanding to get a good finish.  A few more coats of epoxy primer for protection and the keel plate is done.  Got to weld up the lead bulb bolts.  Dont want to use 304 threaded rod for bolting them on and have 316 bolts that are too short but can cut and weld (using 318 rods) to extend them and use a4 nuts which I have.  I think that will be better for corrosion seeing that it is underwater.  Once keel is finished I can put  it in the forest until needed. 

Nuts still on its side.  Epoxy coated the bow compartment and also gave it its first coat of epoxy primer.  Using Hempels Light Primer.  It now has 2 coats of epoxy resin and 1 coat of primer. 1 more coat of primer and I think it will last forever.  So much easier to work inside the bow while the hull is on its side.  Another day or two and I will flip Nuts to the straight and level.  It is so much easier to turn the hull the right way up than upside down.  Had to use a block and tackle to pull the boat upside down and the same tackle to stop the hull spinning the right side up when going the other way. A good sign?

 18th August

Keel removed and filler strip visible along the edge.  >It was easy to remove with the epoxy filler releasing well from the parcel tape on the hull.

You can see the distortion on the plate from the welding.  It got worse after the zinc spraying

 which  is maybe from the heat of the molten zinc and flames in the process? I dont know but happy with the coating and easy to fix.

This is the keel plate with zinc spray and 1 coat of epoxy ready for fairing the mounting plate.  You can also see the lead bulb halves with epoxy filler on the outside to get them nice and smooth.  Already filled and flattened the insides of the lead bulbs.

Getting hull ready to turn on its side.

Bulbs skimmed with filler and will hand sand in 24 hours (or later as going fishing tomorrow)

Only turned the hull about 90 degrees so I can work on the bow compartment.

Putting extra reinforcing fillets on the stringers with silica, micro fibers and a few glass beads in the mix.  Not too worried about getting it nice and smooth and good looking.  Just want it strong as it will all be covered in more epoxy resin, epoxy primer and filled with foam sheets and spray foam up to the bottom of the hatch and sealed over.  The rest of the compartment will be filled with pet bottles to enable access to the deck fittings and bow chainplate.

So much easier to work inside the bow compartment with the hull on its side.  Will do a light sanding and give the whole compartment a coat or two of epoxy resin and a few coats of epoxy primer now as once filled with foam flotation there will be no access.