Thread: Tom Cat

So what else have I done? Back to the BH’s and I have completed the initial paint steps up to where I now have all the undercoats and 2 coats of Int. Brightsides/Toplac finish on and am currently awaiting drying to final sand prior to installation. The final coat/s will be added on completion of this. I say Brightsides and Toplac because I have both and wanted to use up the Brightsides so have used that for the first two coats and will do the final/s with Toplac. The Toplac colour matches the already painted interior better. Note that the interior is 2 pack whilst the others are not so masking off is important on the final coats.

Spent some time readying the boat for the BH glue up process - had to sand back the areas where the epoxy goes that I had missed previously. I have a copy of Aust. Amateur Boatbuilder #84 and it has an extremely good article about repairing BH’s by Terry Buddell. Having sat on the loo pondering this article I have decided that my tiny little BH’s and their being glued directly to a frame with additional fillets precludes them from needing to be glassed in. They are also screwed to the fore and aft thwart by way of a support on the BH so just another piece of strengthening taken into consideration. The hard spot originally created by the frame has been marginally lengthened by this process so it all augers well from where I sit, especially considering the fillets being added both sides for the full perimeter mating surfaces. Additionally we have the top edges being glued to the transverse beam so I’m comfortable. If they need replacing or come unstuck or anything I’m going to be in it up to my neck for any kind of repair to take place.

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I was also persuaded by my better half that my vertical BH trim pieces were unacceptable as they did not exactly match the timber colour of the transverse beam trim pieces. In essence I redid them. So that’s where the time went! In my small shed it’s almost a major exercise to get out the saw bench, saw the wood, put it back, get out the jointer, joint the wood, put it back, get out the planer, plane the wood, put it back, get out the saw bench, saw the groove, change the saw for the router in the bench, rout the corners, put it back, sweep the mess, vacuum the mess, get out the paint for the BH and etc etc ….time wasting, yes, but enjoyable? You bet! So PAR is correct we “would be ship wrights” waste a heck of a lot of time but as always it’s about the journey. Sailing will come soon enough!

It’s been a few weeks and the only thing completed has been the installation of the BH’s. I have been abroad working and am now back although not quite on deck as I caught a terrible head cold whilst away and still not on top of things. So here I am 4 weeks gone by and have accomplished nothing but at least I can share the BH photos. From here I have an opportunity to rough sand the epoxy joins back and attempt to beef up the fillets out to the paint lines prior to moving forward.

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This the Coach Roof framework sitting in place to give some perspective of the overall look.

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One of things needing completion before that is the painting of the Keel where I had previously sanded back after plugging the screw holes. I think now is the time that the CB needs to go in prior to my putting the Coach Roof on - just in case I can’t get the CB in from the top. I think I’m worrying needlessly though, as I reckon I can get it in if the CB Case covering board isn’t installed.

Been struggling with enthusiasm lately…something to do with short cold days! Anyway, I haven’t done much. It’s been too cold to paint so haven’t done the Keel yet. S’posed to be my next job. So what can I share? At least the Coach Roof framing is glued in place, the totally inaccessible screw holes for the fwd end of the seating are in place and I have made the Coach Roof beam corner supports. To get to the location of the screw holes I had to buy the right angle Dremel accessory – it’s a great little machine that thing. Just the job for all those so called once in a lifetime tasks that seem to crop up now and again because the person in charge was not on top of his game and didn’t think things all the way thru.

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I have also located the centre of the mast on the Foredeck and made the hole required there. Still needs some finishing work. This was a job in itself as I didn’t have a hole saw of the correct size. I took a trip into town to buy one but as ever, the expense was too big for a one off hole. AU$38.00 for a 105mm saw plus another 12 for the mandrel as it wouldn’t fit my existing one. I have a good set but it only goes up to 62mm. Bottom line is $50.00 for a single hole? No thank you…so have resorted to the time honoured drill a million holes around the inner circumference and finish up with rasp, file sandpaper etc. Mind you I have decided to buy a rotary drum sander for my drill. I figure it has a multitude of uses going forward after I clean up the mast hole with it. I made a template of the angle required for the hole to assist me keeping the correct alignment whilst drilling all the holes.

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I am also going to add a timber Mast Collar at deck level maybe 25mm thick? I figure a profile that will provide a groove for an elasticised edge for a Mast Boot might work. The boot may be permanently attached to the mast at the top end with an elastic edge or a tie at the bottom. Considering the Mast will be dogged in place with mast wedges about 12mm thick she will be open to water getting in around the hole. That’s my thinking anyway.

NIce! ...as always Laurie... I just checked my log and have been totally out of shop for 2 months; stopped to prepare my 18 foot cat for 3 day cruise with son, girl friend and wife. heading back slowly amid summer agenda... cheers!

Still not much happening…I have added additional framing for the Coach Roof but that’s about it. I’m back in Germany for 6 weeks so maybe that’s OK considering its winter and the shed doesn’t appeal. Maybe I’ve had too much on my plate as far as work goes so by the time I get back I should be all fired up and winter will be a thing of the past and I can get on with it.
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Note that I have used my original Deck Beam for the Coach Roof that had the incorrect camber. Waste not, want not as the saying goes. They don't look too bad either – saving a bit of head space!

You seem to be doing a wonderful job of this build. I'm sure the result will be well worthwhile, even if it's not the fastest project on the planet.

OK…back on deck and been on holidays for a week so far but should get some work done. I have re-commenced by adding a coat of epoxy to the inside of the Coaming, Coachroof framework and Coachwood plywood. Let that fully harden and have now sanded that back in readiness for the assembly of the roof itself.

Whilst that has been happening I have now finally addressed the top of the Transom.

I originally made an error here way back when first assembling the bits for the hull planking. I had inadvertently proceeded to cut off the protrusion on the Transom required for the thickness of the hull. Subsequently I have been ignoring it ever since. Anyway after some thought I decided to fill it out with some trim pieces and at the same time provide a seal for the plywood edge by trimming that as well. I’m thinking I will round the ends off and see what it looks like from there.
Hopefully the pictures tell the story.

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Hello Laurie and nice to see you back at it. We're into fall now of course with progess decent like spring; fewer competing tasks. Looking at my time log I see very long stretches where I dont get anything done; a bit dissapointing but I DO like the whole building process.

Can you tell me how you fastened the deadwood, keel and outer stem? I'm thinking epoxy with 3" wood screws...

Best,

Greg

Originally Posted by Dry Water

I originally made an error here way back when first assembling the bits for the hull planking. I had inadvertently proceeded to cut off the protrusion on the Transom required for the thickness of the hull. Subsequently I have been ignoring it ever since. Anyway after some thought I decided to fill it out with some trim pieces and at the same time provide a seal for the plywood edge by trimming that as well. I’m thinking I will round the ends off and see what it looks like from there.
Hopefully the pictures tell the story.

I did a similar silly mistake when building my boat. Forgot to carry the rebated top of the sheer clamp through to the very ends of the boat (stopped it a centimetre or so short, where the notch into the transom stopped). Had to fill it in later with a tiny dutchman. D'oh.

Anyway your fix looks good.

The hallmark of all successful builders is the ability to problem solve, often on the fly. Lets face it, you measured 2 twice, cut three times and still came up short, so . . .

Under putty and paint, no one will have a clue, which is a good thing, other wise, I'd never have any repeat business. I did get caught with this mantra some years ago, when a client had scraped the whole one side of his boat (my build) against a concrete post, removing lots of paint and wood. He used a chemical stripper and set about "fixing it" when he noticed "dutchmen" and about a gallon of putty. I blew his phone call off as "fairing compound", but he knew, perticular when he saw one of the planks had a couple of butt joints, about 12" apart. I'd mis-measured, cut it the wrong size, so I scabbed on a piece and butt jointed in the needed additional 12". Oops . . . damn concrete posts can blow a perfectly good rep . . .

I think "dutchman" is a wonderful term. It sounds so much more nautical than "I effed it up and had to stick another bit of wood in".

By the way, here's a good (true) story about "fairing compound".

About thirty years ago, I did a brief stint as a labourer in a yard that built aluminium motor yachts. Unfortunately they didn't quite have all the tricks down pat, so rather a lot of fairing was necessary. One boat, a very swish and shiny looking 87 footer, had so much bog on one side that when launched it actually floated with a noticeable list. On an 87 footer, this is rather a lot of bog.

The client wasn't around at the time, so they decided it should float level before the client saw it. They could have put ballast inside, but that would have resulted in the client and designer asking awkward questions about the presence of that ballast, which wasn't supposed to be there. Another solution was required, and it was a doozy.

The brass ordered the lads to haul it out of the water again, take a posse of sledgehammers, and bash the other side in so they could throw enough bog on that to level the boat out. No, I am not joking. Dead serious. So, that's what they did. By the time the client and designer got there, the new boat was looking swish and shiny again, and floating level. Client was happy. Company got paid.

However, one thing they didn't tell the client, or OHS for that matter, was that while the crew was bashing the hell out of the port side, the shocks caused a huge slab of bog on the starboard side to come loose and fall off the boat, almost squashing several blokes who happened to be working round there. This meant that side ended up needing to be faired all over again. It ended up costing a lot in bog. Us dogsbodies helpfully suggested they could just build the things out of bog and skip all the aluminium, but for some reason this eminently practical suggestion was not appreciated by the Powers that Be.

Guys…thanks for the kind words and now I know I’m not the only one that buggers things up! Finally…it’s done and the roof is on!!! Just need to sand, glass and paint - why isn’t a job never finished! (bad words go here!!)

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The only person who never buggers anything up is the person who never does anything.

Roof looks good.