December 26 2016 Sailboat Update

December 26 2016 Sailboat Update

One year ago, I had the double layer base put together, and the bulkheads assembled

By request I am adding a picture of the floor insulation and framing. The edge has a 2x4 on edge, then half a 2x4 (ripped lengthwise) as a nailer. there are 2x4's (all 2x material is cedar) under each bulkhead, and under each seam in the plywood. Note that Dave Z does not insulate his floor this way, but I hate cold feet, so made the sandwich bottom.




Today, 26 December 2016, I am working on the hatch coamings and assembling the first layer of the main cabin roof.

A jig to control where the router could cut

Here is one of the carlines (I had to look up the correct name) notched into a slot cut into the bulkhead beam. There is a notch cut into the top inside edge, where a sliding screen will go to keep out bugs when the hatch is open. The larger slot below it is to hold a ladder,  which will double as security bars when in the stowed position.

Hatch coaming being glued up on cross beam (carline).

Here are handrails for the interior under construction, as per Dave Z's instruction. These ones are made from cedar sold as deck planks, actual measurements 1" thick by 5 3/8" high

 Handrails installed and being glued up. The top 1x4 will hide the seam in the plywood roof.

I have also been cutting and fitting the plywood that will become the galley floor. Here you can see the two 50 gallon fresh water tanks, and the piece of Form-ply plywood, which is removable to access storage between the tanks.

Here the floor pieces are in place, with the shower pan just in the foreground. The bar fridge will be flipped on it's back and super insulated, directly above where it is sitting now. Before gluing any of these parts, I need to paint under the tanks and shower pan, then cut in the clean out hatches into the tanks, and the matching holes in the plywood to reach those hatches.

Some Paint

 After the last few months where various outside tasks, a trip to Hawaii, and a chance to crew on a friends sailboat during some races on a local lake, I am back at work boat building. I decided to paint some of the areas that were already finished otherwise

The storage area under the front bunk has a bunch of small pieces that will enable the hot air from  the stove area to be circulated around the cabin.

Here is a detail of the shelves on the starboard side  of the bunk. I am gluing in some bits of wood to prevent the cover from collapsing inward when leaned on.

Here is a shot of the paint (actually stain) that I am using. I am using an exterior stain so hopefully it will deal with any moisture without any problems.
As a side note, my painting skills are more of "Fence Painter" then they are of "Glossy High Dollar Boat Painter", as I am using a brush, and seem to consistently err on the side of more paint then less. Also, I am painting over rough building plywood, that I have done very minimal sanding to. As long as there are no slivers and the wood is sealed, it meets my requirements.
One day I may go back and refinish those areas that are visible, after I get the boat sailing and have a chance to laze around and critique the job, but I suspect that will be a few years off yet.

Mast Vertical Checking Question?

I have not been working on the boat project for over a month now, the last I had done was to power plane the trees down to size. One mast was ready for sanding, and the other was 75% done when my power plane melted it's little drive belt. I have since replaced the plane, an extended story in itself.

The plane is a discontinued model, and the belt I needed is also discontinued. However, because the product is not repairable due to this, they said I could replace it with a similar model, just bring it in with a receipt. It took me a while to locate the receipt, then drive to a store with stock, but they did a straight across the board exchange, with another identical old stock plane.

Other projects and a trip interrupted further work, and I went out to look at the masts today, and I found a lot of vertical checking. The question I have is how much checking is too much? Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding makes it sound like the checks are no big deal, but he was also talking about a mast that had been oiled. I also ask, if this mast is considered OK, do I just go ahead, finish sanding and paint it? Or would it be considered too weak, and I am better off to start over with a fresh tree?

Feedback from anyone with mast making experience is welcome, as this is the first tree I have attempted to make into a mast.

Note the spiral checking, really obvious on the one mast, I believe this is why the lumber guys left it for the firewood guys, hard to make a straight board from it. I think it is Tamarack, but am not 100% sure.
   
The tamarack or hackmatack has been an excellent timber much used for ships. It is practically indestructible under water and stands very well even where exposed. It is used to be the colonial substitute for the ‘compass timber’ of English oak used in the ships of the Royal Navy, it’s roots furnishing the natural knees and other curved pieces so precious to the early shipbuilders. Unfortunately the tamarack as a commercial timber is no more, for some years ago an insect pest swept the country and destroyed all the trees of any size. Their gaunt skeletons, bare, grey and dry as tinder, may still be seen standing in northern bogs and muskegs, a tribute to the species durability. Fortunately new growth is rapidly coming on. (Lower, A. 1938)

Organic Carbon Fibre Masts, August 2016

Here is an update for August, 2016. I picked up my 

trees, and have done the rough work of converting them to "Organic Carbon Fibre" Masts. Of course, this is only going by what my high school biology teacher told me trees were made of, with a few years in between to make the memories a little fuzzy. Anyways, it is much easier to let Mother Nature do the layup of the carbon fibre than doing it myself.
Also had to build some heavy duty saw horses for this step.  

 I have the best pole completely power planed as the main mast, and the second best pole about 70% done, before the belt in my planer melted. I have just exchanged it on warranty, as the planer and replacement belt are discontinued, but one local store had some of the old stock still.
Next is to take the belt sander to  the poles, cut to length, and put on a coat of paint.
There is a third pole in case I find major flaws in the first two.

 I also bought two 50 gallon water tanks, here is a picture of the starboard tank in position, and at the bottom of the picture is a corner of a 4" deep 37x37" tray that will form my shower pan. The pan will get a sump pump and an elevated grating to stand on while showering.

Not shown is a 32 gallon tank that will be installed for grey water, when in a location that does not allow discharge.







I purchased the various fittings to fill and vent, as well as a 8" clean out with rubber seal for each tank. Once I have the tanks and bulkheads all figured out, I will cut and install the fittings

July long weekend update, windows and masts

Here is my update for the July long weekend, 2016

 I made an armrest for the forward end of the settee, out of a cutoff from the bow curve stringers. There is a removable pole with nice curves at the top and bottom, with a spot to hold up the armrest. I have to go and get some barrel bolts similar to the other side to hold it in position.

The shape is so I have a little table to hold my coffee while lounging on the settee

 Right now I have a piece of wood propping it up in the right position, there will be a hinge so it can be folded up out of the way. I will figure out a way to tie it in the upright position, so it doesn't fall and bang me in the head one day,

next photo is the shelves inside the settee leanback, and (not shown) one of the access holes was cut in the seatback.

 As I mentioned in a previous post, getting appropriate wood for a mast in the prairies is a challenge. I could have gotten a cutting permit, roped in a buddy, drove a few hours west, spent the day cutting down a suitable tree, and hauling it back. Instead, the guy just down the road from me brings in big truckloads of wood, which he cuts up and sells by the bag to people going to the nearby lakes. I had him separate 3 likely looking ones from the pile, and I bought them and brought them home this weekend. One other bonus, he is close enough that I drove my tractor over, so we could use the hydraulic front end loader to do the heavy lifting. I bought 3 in case there is a flaw in one of them that only reveals itself once the bark is off and the wood is dried. The least desirable one will become firewood. 

 I will have to make up some new sawhorses to do the de-barking on, Peter Hooper from his Trilobuild face book page recommended  higher than normal ones. I hope that my trees are suitable to turn into masts, as per Dave Zieger's blog post http://triloboats.blogspot.ca/2012/03/masts-as-if-they-grew-on-trees.html

The other bit of progress is the windows. Here is the set by the dinette, each window is just under 18" square. The order of assembly will be, from the outside in, exterior trim, an 18x72" piece of Plexiglas, bedding compound, the 1/2" exterior skin, then a window frame ( which is visible in the photo of the shelves above) cut from a 1/2 thick plywood, glued to the inside of the exterior skin to strengthen the ribs. Inside of this is a second piece of Plexiglas and a final 1/2 frame , screwed together so that the Plexiglas can be replaced when scratched up. I am using the term "Plexiglas" here generically, as I will actually be using whatever brand that my local lumberyard carries. I left the cedar around the window exposed, and will coat it with a clear finish, maybe Prizim as recommended by Dave, if the cost to get it here is reasonable.
 Don't pay any attention to the mess visible through the window, once I launch that will no longer be in sight.

More table details, June 5 2016

Here are some more details on the table top

 Here is the support mounted on the wall

Table installed

Close up of support with table inserted. I wanted the small storage area with fiddles to hold water glasses,,salt and pepper, and other stuff that is handy to have at the table. The other point is that it pushes the table a bit out into the aisle, so it looks right on the leg (if flush to the wall, the leg would stick out past the edge of the table)

Saloon puzzle

Here is the completed picture of the saloon with the settee pulled in and the dinette folded down. After I took this picture I rounded some corners. Still to come is the lean back storage, and of course the walls and windows.

And here is a detail of the table leg in the down position, with the added plywood bits

 And here is the same leg in the upright position

Hopefully I have the photo editing figured out, and you can make sense of what I was trying to do here

A quick word on "Good Enough"

The working name for the triloboat I am building is "Good Enough", as in something that is good enough to get the job done properly, without regard for superfluous additions. I ran across a link to a boating blog with some similar thoughts and thought I would share.
If something is "Good Enough", it is not mediocre, but neither is it gold plated. Perfection is the enemy of Good Enough, life is too short to waste trying to build something perfect, as then there would be no time left to go sailing. So if my boat is water tight, safe and serves my purposes, without regard for resale value, it's Good Enough.
As a side note, in honour of another friend, I plan to name her dingy "Plan B"

Pole and leg details





Sorry about formatting, I am having trouble with Blogger today

Table leg



This post is to show some of the construction details on how I ended up



Base of table leg

Building some of the bits and pieces, such as the table leg that will also become a horizontal support when everything is folded down to create a large flat space. An additional piece of plywood about 6" wide will be attached to the upper side of the leg (when it is in the horizontal position)

Table leg horizontal

When a large flat space is desired, the table is lowered, the table leg is put in place across to the settee, the settee is pulled out 9", and the two seat backs are placed between the table and settee.This will give an area thirteen feet long and six and a half wide. the cushions will not cover this area completely, so will probably be stacked off to the side. The surface will match the height of the galley sole, so a 24" wide by twenty foot long area is also possible.

















top of pole outboard, with barrel bolt detail



There is a removable pole that holds the inboard forward end of the dinette seat back, cut to hold the seat angle formed with three inches of lean back. the middle of the pole is 1.5 x 1.5 inches, rounded to a nice to grip shape.

Rough cut seat back, still needs rounded edges

Fuzzy picture of pole in place

mortise and tenon

tenon on bottom of pole and matching cutout in the plywood seat bottom. This piece of plywood will be glued down to the seat frame. 

top of pole,inboard

I added a bit of wood at the top to center the barrel bolt in the beam 

Finally, this under the aft end of the settee, this is where the fans to circulate hot air from above the stove around the bunk to under the dinette will be located. I have not picked up the fans, so no holes are cut yet 

Bunk progress & Oops, March 18, 2016

Progress has been slower than ideal, I have been dealing with my domestic hot water heater, and work for some reason expects me to show up if I want to get paid, but at least I can bank some of the overtime. I cut the two 3/4 inch pieces of plywood that make up the bunk, although I need to decide how to lift them up (do I cut a hand hold, attach a strap or something else?) and trim the edge that will hit the crosspiece when being opened.
   The other detail I discovered was the the top port side of the saloon to bunk bulkhead is 1" farther forward than the rest of the bulkhead. Unfortunately, I have glued enough bits at the bottom and cut the pieces on the bunk side to fit that I will not be able to completely correct this without a lot of work. Luckily, it is a cosmetic problem, not structural, so other than adding time while I adjust cuts in the area to the actual rather than theoretical dimensions, it is not that big a deal.
Also, the cross piece midway up the bunk to front hold bulkhead, is slightly crooked, but will easily do its job of reinforcing where the deck on the front attaches, and strengthening the area where the front tabernacle will attach

Air vent under bunk routing Feb 27 2016

 Today's progress was putting in supports to hold up the bunk. A while back, I was having an e-mail conversation with Dave Z, about a clever idea I saw in one of the Junk Rig Association magazines, where someone in a northern boat was finding his feet cold while visiting mid winter. His solution was to make a tube of cloth with a small fan at one end, blowing  heat from up by the roof down to the floor. Dave said he was thinking about an air passage from under the dinette, around the bunk, and up beside the wood stove. Here is my interpretation of that, in progress.

Here are the air holes, from either side, penetrating the port side saloon to bunk bulkhead. I am doing a balancing act in their location, wanting a location out of the way of storage, without weakening the bulkhead too much. There is about 10 square inches of  air hole, as well as a limber hole.

A second layer of plywood will be screwed to the outside, so it is removable for annual painting and  cleaning. This will give a 3 inch wide channel, about 8 inches high across the foot of the bunk. It's amazing how much time is consumed trying to figure out these little details. Hopefully everything will work and I will get toasty warm toes when running the wood stove

Stringers and stuff to Feb 15 2016

Stringers, Feb 2016

Previously, I installed 1.5" insulation in the floor, with 2X4 stringers reinforcing the insulation where the bulkheads cross and furniture edges are to be installed. The plywood was cut so that the seams would be hidden under furniture edges. Here is a picture with the insulation dry fit, it was glued in with Gorilla glue  with a layer of 1/2 inch ply on top. The bulkheads were then screwed and glued to the floor, with temporary braces across the top to hold everything square.

This weekends accomplishment was to install stringers made from two 2x6 planks scarfed together for a total length of twenty five feet on one side, and twenty three and change on the other side ( the side door is located at the end of the starboard one).

Starting with a picture of my scarfing jig, which is a 8:1 slope on some scrap plywood, and a piece of plexiglass that replaces the factory base on my router. An ideal plexi base would be a couple of inches wider, as I have to turn the router at an angle so it doesn't slip off the guides.

Completed scarf prior to glue up

I put short pieces of 2X6 on the sides of the bulkheads, to hold the main stringer, and to act as a nailing surface for the inside plywood pieces.

The size and height of the stringer has been chosen so that the joint in the outside plywood layer, the top of the outside reinforcing plywood, the rub/guard rail, the main level of interior furniture and interior plywood all attach to it.

I noticed that Dave Zeiger has added me to his sidebar, thank you Dave! How many other triloboats are under construction out there?