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My boat building project


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Those pictures make me wish we lived by the sea! We had an Osprey once, but didn't sail it on the sea. Just on lakes.

If you have SkyTV there's a boatmaking programme on Discovery Shed - channel 242. About 6.30pm french time. The guy on there's making a dinghy too.

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Just to make you really green, I can see the Golfe out of the windows at the front and the back of my house -- we're on a peninsula. This is how I get the boat to the water; it takes about ten minutes if I'm not in a hurry.

[IMG]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/photopikey/CIMG0009.jpg[/IMG]

We don't have satellite, so only get the French channels.

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I love the wheels.  I may copy that idea.  Are they held in place by a strap?  Or is it a proper trolley rather than just a set of strap-on wheels?

I've just put a 2nd coat of varnish on the deck and daggerboard.  Silly, because now I daren't cut any ply for the rudder for fear of making a lot of dust that will ruin the gloss finish

On top of that the sun's gone, it's turned cool, and the varnish probably won't dry for 24 hours!

Patrick

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I've just taken a quick pic of her on her road trailer, complete with paint.

[IMG]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/photopikey/Hoedic_Trailer.jpg[/IMG]

The wheels were a bit of an afterthought. When I'd finished her well enough to float I hadn't yet acquired a trailer so I lashed this together out of some 2"x1" and some bits from a brico shed -- Leroy Merlin I think. It lashes on with a lightweight luggage strap but for my first couple of outings I used string. The only problem is that it's a bit cumbersome if I take it in the boat. I keep meaning to make a lighter, folding version

[IMG]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/photopikey/Trolley01.jpg[/IMG]

The axle is a length of clothes rail (15 mm IIRC) and the two 'hubcaps' are the bits that attach it to the wardrobe.

[IMG]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/photopikey/trolley02.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/photopikey/trolley03.jpg[/IMG]

 

 

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Yes, it's a pivoting leeboard as championed by Jim Michalak.

The leeboard and rudder are nearly ready for painting but I need to get hold of a couple of kilos of lead. Then I still need to make the spars and the sail itself. Hope to be sailing by the end of July.

The flat bottom design isn't pretty but it went together quickly and fits in well with the local 'plates'.

[IMG]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/photopikey/Plate01.jpg[/IMG]

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Yes, your boat is a close cousin to the local type by the look of it.

I cut out and shaped up all the bits for the rudder today and glued up the rudder stock parts.  I was going to make a straight rectangular blade but then I figured I had messed about with the design enough already so I made it the curvy shape on the drawings.  Very pretty, but probably no more effective as a rudder.

Painted the oar blades the same colour as the hull, too, just to have

something to do while resin takes all day to go off.

The design calls for a massive tiller carved from solid oak but I'm going to lash something up out of bits of plain old pine.   

At this rate I'll be in the water by the end of the week - touch wood.

Patrick 

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Hope you have a nice time in the mountains.  I'm having a bit of trouble with French varnish!  Sanding like a madman now to make the rudder blade fit between the cheeks of the stock.  It'll all be done by tomorrow - or Friday, maybe Saturday!

Patrick

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  • 2 weeks later...
The boat eventually went in the water on Sunday June 27.  She floats, rows and sails.  No leaks!

Here are a couple of pictures taken during and after the maiden voyage

[IMG]http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af173/patmobile/sailing1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af173/patmobile/apressailing.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af173/patmobile/apressailing2.jpg[/IMG]

I'm now planning next year's bigger boat

Patrick

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Stupid me. I've only just read this thread. I must have 10-15 (maybe more) sets of dacron/kevlar/carbon used sails (mains, gennies, jibs, kites) for various racing classes kicking around the barn in Creuse. (Well protected from vermin). All freebies from the big name sailmakers, they never want them back after I've used them a couple of events. Bags and bags of fittings, again mainly hi-tech stuff, accumalated over the years when replaced by something better. All Harken/Fredrickson/Ronstan stuff. No metal spars though. Got some, wooden laminate, and also carbon foils. Sorry, but if anybody wants stuff, PM me and I'll tell you what I've got which will do the job. You can have it for free. None of it cost me. Even got some rolls of UK builders lead, used to bring my boats up to weigh for events, need to keep that (doesn't register on their magnetometers when they scan for dodgy weight correction!)

So sorry, should read stuff. Certainly one the GP14 spoon rudder blades would have done (I've got a couple of wood laminated ones that actually decrease the displaced weight by about 20kg, I hated them, but they work fine), and maybe a 5o5 jib for your main.

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That sounds like a really useful treasure trove of bits.

I'm researching designs for next year's boat, one that would be suitable for the Morbihan Week events, and I'm getting seriously drawn to a 17ft American design which has won a few tough endurance events.  As it uses unstayed masts I'm hoping to be able to use two of my windsurf masts that are still lying about in the outbuildings. 

The last and most boring bit about building boats is making the centreboard and rudder foils.  Some people actually do them first so that it gets the boring stuff out of the way.  If it turns out, once I've decided what I'm going to build, that you have a rudder or centreboard that could fit or be adapted, I would be really grateful.

Patrick 

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