This page contains a selection of photos from Bob L in Portland, Victoria, Australia, along with some of his comments.
5 June 2006 - Hull completed
12 December 2005 - Painting completed
16 January 2007 - Turning her over
6 November 2008 - Fitting out the cabin
3 June 2009 - Fitting the foredeck
June 2010...
Foredeck completed
Cockpit construction
Centreboard suspension & winch
Sani-potti built into cockpit seat
November 2010 - Construction of sub-deck and outboard well; Construction of aft top deck
December 2011 - Lots of progress
Making tabernacle
Construction of cabin
Sliding hatch
Grab rails
Overall view of boat
May 10 2015 - Launch Day!
These words are taken from Bob's comments on the Eun Mara discussion forum:
Hi Alec, great to get your news. Yes I am about to fit the brass strips, and yes it won't be too long, I hope, before the boat gets turned over. So, I think I hear you wondering, how can the brass strips go on without the ballast in place? Well, the ballast is already in place, and that leads me to explaining a few more things. I would like to place a couple of pictures on Richard's web site, if he doesn't mind, but basically I have chosen to build a modified centre-boarder, and I got this idea when I sailed on a Eun Mara some time ago with a number of changes including a modified centreboard arrangement. I cannot tell you any more about this boat because the owner has chosen to remain anonymous on a public forum, but I can tell you that the hull position and the under keel profile of my centreboard have been very well tried and tested. It is shaped like a quadrant, similar to Grey Seal, and pivots from the front on a 3/4 inch bronze pin mounted through the c'case and the lead ballast each side. It is also aerodynamically shaped about 53mm at the widest point, tapering to about 4mm, and is made from laminated ply, double sheathed with f'glass, with a chunk of lead inserted in the middle to weigh it down. Tot. weight is 34 kg. Inside the cabin, the c'case is 14 inches high off the cabin sole, and extends 34 inches forward from the main bulkhead. This is 2 inches longer than the galley and chart table as per plans, so these shelves are to be extended forward by 2 inches to match. This provides a step from the cockpit, or a seat which can be either straddled, or sat on facing outwards either way, using a hinged flap to make it easier on the butt. Feet can fit under either galley or chart table shelves. I have done a mock-up of this for knee position, head height etc., so hope it all works out.
The bunks are 2 inches shorter, but that is still OK for sleeping, and they can seat visitors with plenty of room for feet between the bunks. Rudder is the spade type as per plans except that it, like the c'board, is aerodynamically shaped, 1 1/2 inches wide tapering to 4 mm. Since the aft end of the keel and the entry of the rudder are both 1 1/2 inches as per plans, I have made the downtube also 1 1/2 inches O/D, S/S tube with solid ends welded in. The keel line and ballast position is the same as the plans c'board option, except that it is lead in 6 main bars, 3 each side of the protruding c'case, & each held with 2 x 1/2 inch S/S bolts, plus shorter pieces at each end of the c'case, bringing total ballast weight including the c'board to 314 kg. This makes the keel 7 1/2 inches wide at the ballast, and it is tapered evenly to 1 1/2 inches at the stern. At the bow end of the ballast, the width is tapered evenly to the bow, as per plans, but looking sideways, I have taken the liberty of adding up to 1 1/2 inches of timber so that there is a continuous curved profile running through from bow to ballast. I sent a plan and 10 photos of these changes to Iain recently, and it meets with his approval subject to a little more time for study. He sees it as an improvement on an earlier plan which was changed considerably after very helpful input from the blokes at Duck Flat Wooden Boats.
Here are Bob's comments about the painting:
"Antifoul. While the boat was still up-side-down, I reasoned that this was the best chance I was ever likely to get to do an antifoul, and although at this stage I don't really know how much the boat will be left in the water, at least it does provide the option. I wanted a copper colour to fit in with the general colour scheme, and something that would not require an annual repainting. There didn't seem to be anything on the market to achieve this, so I finished up mixing very fine copper powder with Bote Cote epoxy at about equal weights. I soon discovered that any more copper made the mixture too stiff, and that a throw away brush was better than a roller. This was applied in 3 coats, 7 hours apart, and then sanded back to reveal the copper colour. It is slightly patchy, but I'm very pleased with the final result, and especially when a bloke walked into the work shop and wanted to know how to fix on the copper plate. Just how effective it is, only time will tell.
Painting Firstly many many hours of sanding and filling. Paint used was International Prekote, 3 coats, followed by Int. Brightside 3 coats, except that I did not want the super gloss finish and on Richard Almond's advice mixed in 25 gm Norglass Flattener per 1 litre paint. This produced a pleasant satin finish & was just what I was after, so thanks a lot for that Richard. I did however include 10% Int. Brushing Thinner no.6, as the Flattener which is a silicon powder, did tend to thicken the paint slightly. Colour is a mix of Off White 2/3, and Bristol Beige 1/3. Application was with a 7 inch mohair roller with a short 5 mm staple so that it does not hold too much paint. Now you might not believe this next bit and I didn't at first either, but here goes. A friend of mine (whose partner was a professional signwriter for 13 years), advised following on immediately after the roller, using a small block of open cell, med.density, poly foam ( about 150mm x75mm to fit easily into one's hand ). Once having wet a surface of the foam block with paint, the technique consists of a rapid on and off patting action. This absorbs lines left by the roller and any potential runs, and leaves an even smooth coating, which rivals a spray job. It must be done straight after the roller, and it's better not to use too much paint, as 2 thin coats are better than one thick coat. My friend and I painted the whole boat in less than an hour and chatted as we went. I had previously intended using an old brush after the roller, but now I'm totally converted."
Here are the photos. I love that copper effect, especially with the brass strip. I'm glad my web-site comments re' flattening the gloss were useful. (Richard)
16 January 2007 - Turning her over
Well done Bob! Here are his pictures and the description of proceedings.
At last my boat has been turned over! It all happened last Sunday with the assistance of a few willing helpers from the yacht club. The concern was that the weight of the centreboard (34 kg), plus ballast (280 kg) already installed in the keel, (tot.314 kg), could take control half way over. So, I probably overdid it, but made 2 very strong cradles with 8mm scrap ply & 4" spacers, to embrace the boat at stns. 3 & 7.
Each cradle was then joined together across and under the building frame, as well as fore and aft, to make a unified whole fitting tightly around the boat. I cut the corners off one side of the cradle unit to make 4 equal lands so that we rolled the boat over in 4 stages at 45, 90, 135, and finally 180 degrees. This worked pretty well. The weight of the ballast didn't really kick in until after 90 degrees, which was much the same as with a small model I had made before making the big one.
Before the roll over, it was possible on my own to shift the boat and building frame to one side of the shed by jacking it up and rolling it over the concrete with pipes. Then on the roll over day, with the help of one bloke, we worked quietly on it for 2-3 hours to get it to the 90 degree position. We used 4, 1 tonne endless chains, (2 to pull and 2 to restrain), attached to the rafters, which fortunately we cleared with only inches to spare.
When the main group arrived, we had to pull the whole thing back (with the endless chains), towards the starting point a couple of times to avoid finally landing on the work bench on the other side. Then from 90 degrees on it was much easier being basically a controlled lowering, and the job was done!
Finally we relaxed with grins all around and a few nibbles and coldies to celebrate the occasion.
Happy helper!
Almost at 1st stage. The endless chain blocks got in the way a bit.
The boat is now at 90 degrees and still sits comfortably, despite the weight of the keel ballast.
This is pretty well the point of equilibrium. A piece of larger timber has been placed under the frame to help bring it over. That's me in the blue shirt at the back.
We are now lowering it down.
Easy does it.
A safe landing and grins all around.
This is the model before the turn over, and built from a photocopy of the plans. It was mostly to see how the weight of the keel would behave. The shape of the cradle was really an enlargement of this.
A shot taken from outside the shed. It was great to see the boat right way up at last, and to look inside and see the actual positions of cockpit, cabin, bulkheads, bunks and so on. Hmmnn, I think about 2000 hrs to go.
6 November 2008 - Fitting out the cabin
1. Platform around boat with stairway access.
This was extra work, but I have been up and down these stairs 1000 times. The hand rail is for safety & I pull myself up with it. The platform is so handy for accessing tools etc. I'll probably make a set of steps at the other end when building the cockpit.
2. Floors, logs, laminated frames completed. From stern.
The logs are larger (2" wide x 3" deep or to underside of sole.) than c'board plans because they needed to match the 7" wide keel below. See earlier description of keel & c'board. The 12 x 1/2" S/S bolts pass through the lead ballast & anchor into the logs. They are buried at each end with epoxy. See filled holes in picture. The load is then spread across the whole boat via the floors.
The laminated frames are made from 5mm thick strips obtained from Duck Flat W.B., alternating mahogany and hoop pine. The hoop pine in particular needed heating with the heat gun to take the bend, but I think it was used for both.
3. Floors, logs, laminated frames completed. From bow.
Same as above, but looking from the other way.
4. Fwd bulkhead Stn. 3.
In the fwd. buoyancy compartment there is a shelf between the circular openings at the bottom and the water tight hatches at the top. The removable w'tight doors can be placed inside for convenience when the need for buoyancy is minimal e.g. on the river.
The inwales are being glued in.
5. Reinforcing pieces ea. side of c'case.
These are the same dimensions as on the plans, 1 1/4 " square, though there is an extra horizontal member on top of the logs, all for extra c'case strength. On the question of c'case strength, the plans do include support across the f'wd end of the c'case between the bunks to stop sideways movement, and it has been pointed out that the lack of this support on my boat could cause sideways weakness. I appreciated the comment because it made me think. The plans also show that the c'case sits on top of the keelson. This was first pointed out to me by the blokes at Duck Flat Wooden Boats, and so I took their advice and extended the c'case all the way down through the lead to the bottom of the keel, or rather just short of it, to cover the end grain with epoxy. This gives vertical support for the c'case through ballast, keelson, logs and c'bd reinforcing pieces, which collectively totals 13 inches ! In addition, the c'bd pivot point is low, running across the lead below the waterline, and when the c'board is lowered to its max., the top of it is below the sole, so I believe any c'case sideways movement is totally contained. It certainly feels like it.
6. Half b'heads installed.
These are made with 9 mm ply sandwiched in the middle to finish 1 1/4 " thick ( thanks Alec). The curved corners of the caps were a challenge, but I managed it by cutting 10 wafers just over 1 mm thick on the band saw, and gluing them together progressively, 2-3 at a time, and using the hot air gun to coax the curve. The b'heads are in line with the front of the c'case, which makes them 2" further fwd than plans. i.e. galley & chart table areas are 2" wider than plans.
7. Berth framing & part b'head stn. 3.
The part b'head was made from 9mm ply. The fwd berth was divided into two mostly because it needed to be strong at that point to take the standing weight of a body climbing out the hatch. I accidentally used 1/2 " ply though which was an overkill.
8. Berth framing and sides installed.
This was fairly straight forward. I have a quantity of waste 3 ply which cost nothing, and use this to get the initial shape of areas like the bunk sides, and then mark the final ply +or - at various points for the finished fit.
9. Scoria in under berth space to measure volume.
I want to measure the volume of any compartment which may be used for buoyancy. Since 1litre = 1 kg of buoyancy, I hope to be able to calculate with some accuracy when the boat is completed, whether she will sink or swim if holed. So far :-
Bow compartment at stn. 3. = 240 litres
Under bunks 138 litres. ea side = 276 "
----
516 litres.
10. Completed fwd. berth compartment with hatch covers.
Hatch covers are hinged and w'proof to enable these spaces to be used as buoyancy.
11. Bunks before fitting tops.
General view similar to no.8.
12. Gen view bunks with tops & hatches. Chart table & galley completed.
A big jump here 4 months later. The bunk tops, 9mm ply, are in together with their hatches. The mattresses were cut from 4" high density foam, using the bunk tops as a template before they were glued in. They needed a slight recess in the underside to accommodate the hatches. They are yet to be covered and are not shown here.
The chart table and galley areas are basically finished in background. Next few photos show more detail.
13. C'case seat & step from cockpit.
The step down from the cockpit is at the same height as the c'case top /seat, extending each side along the main bulkhead, and is covered with black rubber matting. The step is also the top of a cupboard for storage of water bottles underneath, which is epoxied together to form a unit on each side. Each unit can be removed by undoing screws into the b'head & c'case sides. On each side of the c'case there are:-
2 x 10 litre blue c'tnrs ( One hidden next c'case) = 20 litres.
2 x 5 litre white c'tnrs. . =10 ''
30 litres x 2 sides = 60 litres
On our experience with camping we reckon this should be enough water for cooking and washing for 4 days. The idea is to dispense water from the 5 litre containers, as we do for camping.
The bilge space under the units can be accessed by removing a spacer between the sole and each unit. This is held by 2 screws (see picture), which then allows the sole board to be removed.
The c'case top/seat is held on the c'case with 8 brass screws, and cushioned with a strip of w'proof closed cell foam tape as described by Alan once on the forum. ( Thanks Alan. )
14. Chart table with plastic boxes extended out, & wash-up dish cover removed.
It took a lot of thinking time and trial and error to work out the best arrangements for the chart table and galley. I was really glad of that extra 2 inches. The large plastic containers come from our camping experience. One is for food (port side), and the other for utensils, soap powder, etc.(stbd side). They are both packed in the kitchen before a trip. Washing up basin is the fill-it & chuck-it system. The long container next to the bulkhead is for saucepans and any other items when the time comes.
15. Chart table with plastic boxes stowed.
Same as 14., but with boxes stowed and basin cover in place.
16. Completed galley.
On the opposite side (port), we have the double burner metho stove which I purchased from Maxie, the makers in Sydney. Metho is simpler & safer. It is mounted on gimbals mostly because I imagined myself down on the river comfortably tied up and cooking tea, when a motor boat goes speeding past. The vertical hanging strips were supplied, but not the hanging brackets, which were made from a S/S sandwich cutter.
The large plastic container is set further back than the stbd. side because it is higher. This provides space for my knees when seated .
The shelves on both sides and the vertical piece are made from 9 mm ply and are held in place with screws, so it can be dismantled if necessary.
17. Seating position at chart table.
You are meant to look past this male model and note that you can sit and write, wash up, or whatever else from here. It's OK, but perhaps not quite as comfortable on the butt as the other side, so one day I may put in a small hinged piece, will have to wait and see. A wider c'case seat would prevent removal of the large plastic container.
18. Seating position at galley.
This is a comfortable position for preparing meals or tending the stove.
3 June 2009 - Fitting the foredeck
Here are the notes Bob sent with his photos:
Today I glued on the s'bd side foredeck. It was a big glue job and even with slow epoxy mix in cold weather I just got it all done, including cleaning underneath, before the epoxy started to become unworkable; 4 hrs in total. One clue that was given to me by David Wilson was to bevel the edges of the deck ply where it meets the rubbing strip, so that there is a V gap between the ply and the rubbing strip. Fill this gap with epoxy so that deck water cannot seep under the deck. I have done this. I fitted the rubbing strips before putting on the deck, so that it was possible to use clamps for fitting them. I found this helps when putting in screws by taking up the bending pressure with a clamp before screwing. The rubbing strips are 1" X 5/8" as per plans & in teak as recommended by Duck Flat.. The thickness is 5/8" and it would not want to be any more or bending would be a real problem. As it was I broke one while trying to bend around the stern. The bottom one is now being painted with Deks Olje with a 50:50 mix of no.1 & no. 2. for a satin finish. There is masking tape above and below. I used stainless screws as they are hidden behind the wood plugs. I will wait until the toe rail is put on before the top one gets its Deks Olje.
Underside of foredeck painted.
Half foredeck glued.
Foredeck showing inside edge of rubbing strip.
Port side bronze chain plates.
Port side bronze fitting for whisker stay.
Bob has made great progress since his previous contribution a year ago. Read on (all words are Bob's)...
Foredeck completed
Cockpit construction
Centreboard suspension & winch
Sani-potti built into cockpit seat
Completed f'wd hatch.
The deck is sheathed with fibreglass, although that can't be seen in the picture, and I intend to use the International non-slip paint for the finish. I found gluing it over the framework was fairly straight forward, but on my own there was no time to waste in mixing and applying the epoxy.
Completed f'wd hatch open.
The hatch took a lot of time. It is modelled on the Griffiths design. The frame is merbau which is a bit oily, & just in case it didn't stick needed rubbing down with acetone before applying the epoxy. The frame angles were a bit tricky because it is not square, with the fore and aft sides a different length, as well as the curve across, but it is amazing what epoxy bog can hide. The top of the hatch is also sheathed with f'glass for strength, as no doubt it will be walked on.
Cabin interior with foredeck in place.
This shot of the cabin interior shows the carlin on each side of the cabin being continued along the front. This is a slight departure from the plans. I thought it would look better and it also has a curve from one side to the other which I like.
Completed foredeck.
Next job was the cockpit and c'bd suspension which was very much easier for access in & out about 10,000 times. Definitely the next step and not the cabin sides.
Mizzen mast box ready for gluing.
I carefully set this up with the mizzen box dead vertical both fore and aft and sideways, and then after it was set found that the mizzen in fact is supposed to have a slight leaning aft. Oh well, the difference is about 3 inches at the top of the mast, so perhaps I will be able to set the mast itself on a slight lean when it comes to that. Will see.
There is a plastic fitting for a 1/2 inch hose set with sikaflex into the bottom of the box on the other side ( can't see this picture ), to provide drainage into the outboard well later. The insides af the box are sheathed with f 'glass.
Cockpit seats and cave lockers.
Before starting I spent a lot of time considering the height of the seats, cockpit sole, and fall in the sole and the height of the sole above DWL. I like a cockpit which is high so that when on the tiller you can easily see over the top of the cabin. I also like the safety of a self draining cockpit. I finished up with a sole 4 1/2 inches above DWL at the aft end, and 5 inches above DWL at the f'wd end. Then to fit in the seats and the cave lockers before running out of space under the side deck, the seats ( which are level ) finished up 12 1/2 inches above the sole at the aft end. A 5/8 inch cushion ( high density foam sleeping mat) will go over the top of this. As you can see from following pictures, this still left a reasonable amount of space for the cave lockers.
This picture shows the coaming being fitted. I used a long length cramp to encourage the curve. The flexible tube is for the vaccuum cleaner. The small portside locker against the main b'head and the cave locker above it have been left deep for stowing fenders. Similar cave locker stbd. side.
Cockpit framing.
This picture shows cockpit framing towards aft end. The outboard cut out in Stn. 8 bulkhead has been arrived at by measuring absolutely everything on the outboard which I have on hand . I have found that some of the measurements provided by Mercury or Tohatsu in their line diagrams are not always correct!! Beware. I'll be crossing my fingers when it eventually is lowered in.
Cockpit port side.
Not much to comment on here except for the Sani Potti space. It mounts under the wooden block at the rear, and the shock cords at the front go over wooden pieces glued on each side of the Sani Potti.
Measuring volume stbd. cockpit locker.
As done before with space under the bunks & fwd compartment , to find out how much buoyancy the boat will have when completed, I have been filling each buoyancy space with scoria measured from a 20 litre drum. Because 1 litre of water weighs 1 kg, the capacity in litres equals the upward lift in kg. ( provided water doesn't get in). The volume here is 317 litres which will provide 317 kg of upward lift in the event of swamping. This really is a peace of mind thing because it is most unlikely to be needed.
Stbd. cockpit locker.
I borrowed this form of locker lid and drainage construction from my W.A. friend. It's not terribly clear, but the strips of 7mm ply mounted vert. around the edge of the locker are forced against the rubber strip on the lid when it is closed. Drainage escapes to the cockpit.
Completed cockpit with sole framework.
The cockpit framework was lined with a thin adhesive strip, for easy removal of the sole should that ever be necessary.
Gen. view completed cockpit.
The sole was then anchored in place with screws, plus a thin bead of sikaflex into the corner against the seat sides.
The 10 inch deck plates took a lot of finding. There is too much space under the sole to not use it, and the usual 6 and 8 inch openings are a bit small. So I found these in the BIAS catalogue ( Aust only I think) Cat no. 5701. They have a rotating catch at the top ( 12 o'clock ) and a lip at the bottom ( 6 o'clock ). Put them in lip 1st and then lower it down and close off with the catch. The catch handle then folds back flush with top of the lid. I recessed mine so that the top is flush with the sole. They seem strong, made in Italy.
Aft end cockpit & drain plugs.
he drain plugs are 1 1/2 inch diam plastic fittings, one way flow, incorporating a light weight flap that hinges away to allow water to escape from the cockpit, at the same time as preventing any flow back. They work very well with only 2-3 mm head of water necessary for a flow, and it is impossible to suck air in reverse. A screw in plug is provided as well just in case.
Fuel tank stowed port locker.
The fuel tank sits on a shelf inside the locker and is held in place with a short length of shock cord. The fuel line will pass under the lid and connect to the outboard when it is operating.
Non slip rubber mat cockpit sole.
In my dinghy sailing days so often a simple slip was the initial cause of disaster. The rubber mat provides a sure footing and allows water to creep under it to the cockpit drains. Hopefully we will have dry feet.
Centreboard suspension & winch
Winch & centreboard, vertical view over no.6. bulkhead.
This bird's eye view shows the complete system for raising and lowering the c'board which weighs 34 kg. I will comment on each part separately.
Centreboard suspension. Centreboard down.
The c'board is only a short distance down resting on the concrete, and not it's full travel. The blue line is 5mm spectra, which 1st passes through a block (RF 35101D) suspended across the c'case with an 8mm S/S bolt & is held in place each side with short lengths of hose. The short pieces of cord to each side prevent movement of the block casing.
Moving aft it passes over a block of rubber also mounted across the c'case with a 3/8 inch S/S bolt, which is a stop for upward movement of the c'board.
Finally just before the line exits the c'case there is a 3rd bolt 3/8 inch S/S suspended across the c'case, and kept in place each side with short lengths of hose. This holds one end of a short length of 3/8 inch braided rope which stops downward movement of the c'board beyond the c'case. The other end is of course attached to the c'board. You can just see the attachment in the picture next to the rubber stop. When the c'board is up, the rope coils up in the c'case behind the c'board.
The c'board is a quadrant like Grey Seal, and pivots at the front with a 5/8 inch bronze pin which passes through the lead ballast on each side. That hole is lined with epoxy, and all that part was done before the boat was turned over, and was of course given the OK at the time from Iain Oughtred. More pictures of c'board earlier on this site.
Centreboard suspension. Centreboard up.
Upper limit of c'board travel. Otherwise same comments as above.
Centreboard winch in completed cockpit.
An overall picture of the double drum winch, located inside the bridge deck locker. It is mounted on a tray which can be removed by undoing 4 screws, then lifting and turning through 90 degrees. Batterie(s) will be located under the winch tray, and you can just see the corner of a cardboard box same size and shape as a 70 amp hr AGM battery, to make sure it will fit ( though not sure yet exactly what I will be using ).
Centreboard winch mounted on tray.
The winch as seen from the side of the boat. Design is from the plans, as for the bilgeboards, except that the small drum or spindle is slightly smaller, which results in a slightly easier pull on the control rope from the large drum. It also ( on suggestion from my steel fabricator when I showed him the plans ) has a 1/2 inch pin running through the whole assembly, which means it can be disassembled if necessary, and is easier to put together. This is easily seen in the photo with a split pin holding it in place.
A short length of grey plastic pipe protrudes through a hole in the bridge deck side, at the same height as the cockpit sole, for drainage of any water coming up from the c'case along the blue spectra. The tray has sides for the same reason.
The pull rope on the large drum ( 5 mm starter rope ), is held in place at any stage up or down with a cam cleat ( Harken HK 471 ). When the c'board is up, the small drum is full and the large drum is empty, so the tail coils away in the box beside the large drum.
Centreboard winch fore & aft view.
As in 5.above, except it lines up in the bridge deck locker this way. ie. viewed from astern.
Centreboard winch inside b'deck locker, vertical view.
The blue spectra passes through the stn. 6 bulkhead via 1/2 inch plastic hose which connects onto a brass T ( at the top of the picture ). The purpose of the T is to release any water or sudden pressure from the top of the c'case. ( This used to happen in my dinghy when coming off a wave and landing in a trough, exciting stuff. ). If necessary I could run an open hose vertically from the T, but we will wait and see. The T then connects, via a bit more grey hose, to a brass end fitting with a hole drilled in the end to allow passage of the 5mm spectra.
Sani-potti built into cockpit seat
Sani Potti fitted into seat.
The Sani Potti is behind this section of seat on port side.
Sani Potti top cover removed.
The cover or seat top drops into place.
Sani Potti top cover & sliding front removed.
The top of the sliding front fits up into a groove under the top cover. This keeps the cover in place horizontally.
Sani Potti available for use.
It is kept in place under a wooden block at the back, and shock cords at the front slip over blocks glued on each side of the Sani Potti.
November 2010
Construction of sub-deck and outboard well
Vertical view framework outboard well. I put the outboard on the port side because theoretically when you are in reverse it will cancel out the prop walk and go straight backwards. It will be most interesting to see what will actually happen in practice.
Construction of outboard well. I glued the sides in place first, and then after some careful measuring on the outboard itself, cut a hole through the hull. I then lowered & clamped the outboard into place for the first time with some relief and satisfaction that it did all fit as planned.
Outboard prop. & removeable panel. The hole turned out to be bigger than necessary for the prop, so I trimmed off the front half of the cut out piece, and beveled the rest to fit back into the hole, and held it there with a clamping piece inside and a wing nut.
Aft of Stn 8 bulkhead. The cockpit sole has a fall of 1/2 inch with 5 inches to DWL at the aft end. On each side there is a 1 1/2 inch plastic drain hole fitting which comes complete with a non return flap. The port fitting drains directly into the outboard well, and the st'bd fitting drains through a piece of radiator hose as in the picture.
Aft of Stn 8 bulkhead & outboard well. Same as above but you can also see the drainage line from the mizzen mast hole.
Completed sub-deck showing bases for mast crutch. The mast crutch bases suit 2 1/2 inch ID, PVC pipe. There is a supporting piece of timber under the deck, and the picture shows clear plastic tubes for drainage. More on the mast crutch next section.
Construction of aft top deck
Completed aft deck framework before fitting the deck. This is pretty much as per plans except that there is a bit more support around the mizzen, and extra support for places such as the aft fairleads on each side, and for the anchor points each side for the hause.
PVC tubes for mast crutch support. These tubes will each hold a 4ft 3inch length of 2 1/4 inch oregon pole 3 ft above the deck ( actually ex Heron mast ) with the following purpose:
Epoxy clear finish for underside of aft deck. Easier to do this before gluing down the deck.
Completed cockpit with mast support poles. As with 2 above. Note plastic caps for PVC tubes while on the water.
Whole boat as at Nov 2010.