My new boat

**Mezaire** · 30th June 2009, 12:06 AM

Hey all,

Well after ScottyK's great success in building and launching his Waller 5.4 I was thinking of building a boat myself. I was planning on starting on a 15ft hard chine rowing/motor skiff and then moving up to an i550 sportsboat.......

,,,,,,and I was told about this little boat!!

She is 22ft long and 8ft 6 wide and was designed in 1980 by Steve Ward, the builder of Australia II. Built by the then owner, cold molded oregan, 2 layers with internal stringers. Origionally built to win a local series called the Little Wheel, she dominated that event to the extent the rules were changed to be a one design event. She then went on to be the dominant trailer sailor on the Swan River for the next few years.

She origionally had two seperate cockpits, since been made into one. She also had a backwards sloping rudder which caused alot or weather helm and has also bee changed to a vertical one.

This is the condition I will get here in. The hull is very solid, no rot. The deck is terrible and will come off. She also has no keel (the current owner used it for a rudder on his 40ft yacht). The rig is broken but is repairable and she also comes with a near new carbon #1 headsail, a new dacron code zero/screecher and the main is OK.

The plan is to get her into the shed and then take the deck off. Will try to sand all the paint off the inside of the hull and coat it all in epoxy. Depending on the condition of the timber I will leave it clear coated or paint it white.
I will then put a new deck, cockpit and cabin on her. Also the mast is very far forward and the keel is right behind the mast, causing some tendancies to round up, so the plan is to move the mast aft a little and the keel a little bit further. I will do some calculations to work out how this will work.
Internall she will have a v-berth fwd and a pipe cot down each side under the cockpit. Will maybe put a little porta-loo in (to keep the missus happy) and maybe a little shelf. Under the cockpit will be two iceboxes, one for food and one for beer/rum!!

Oh and she was VERY cheap!!!

A few questions for you all...

What cabin shape should I go for?
I am leaning towards a J24 type raised deck, maybe a little higher than the J, lets say 300mm higher than the sheer at the companionway. I like this type as it's easy to build and is strong.
Alternately I could build a nice rounded cabin with sides and windows, more work but maybe more athsetically pleasing!!

Anyway, all comments are looked forward too!!!

Mez

**rob540** · 30th June 2009, 10:43 PM

Congrats on the find. That'll be a great project, particularly since the boat comes with an interesting story. If you want a cabin, I'd be trying to fit in with the sort of aesthetic used elsewhere by the designer so that it doesn't seem like an 'add on'. Any chance of getting a line drawing of it? Or was it a 'one off' with nothing published? With a good side elevation you could draw some lines, or get someone else to...
It seems from the photo that the sheer is negative or convex, that curve might be nice repeated or developed in a cabin roofline. Maybe the stem and stern angles might suggest some lines too. I don't know anything about this designer, but I bet someone knows enough to throw in some ideas.

**Mezaire** · 1st July 2009, 02:08 AM

Hey Rob, I know the designer quite well. It is Steve Ward who built Australia II (now there's some history!) and I had a good chat to him but unfortunately there is no plans available anymore as she was built 28 years ago!!

The sheer line is actually dead straight, just the deck curve makes it look like it has reverse sheer.

I am really warming to the J24 style cabin.

While you're here Rob, what thickness ply and how many layers did you use to get that lovely curve in you cockpit seat corners? Also what radius is it??

Cheers,

Mez

**Darce** · 1st July 2009, 03:20 AM

So that's her, hey Mez?

I reckon the J coachouse is the way to go for sure. Try giving Morgans a bell and ask about their bendy ply - just the trick for laminating sweet curves.

No word yet on the old Diamond, but I'll keep trying for you.

**Mezaire** · 1st July 2009, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Darce

So that's her, hey Mez?

I reckon the J coachouse is the way to go for sure. Try giving Morgans a bell and ask about their bendy ply - just the trick for laminating sweet curves.

No word yet on the old Diamond, but I'll keep trying for you.

Morgan's??? You must forget where I work!! We got ply coming out of our ears

Will use 2 layers of 4mm for the entire deck and cockpit as I want to do some nice curves!!

If you don't hear about the Diamond don't sweat it. The old rig is easily repairable with a sleeve so I might go down that path..

Mez

**PAR** · 1st July 2009, 01:32 PM

Blister style decks are good for windage and styling, but not easy to make. The last one I made, I diagonally planked it with two layers of 4 mm plywood. Sheathed with two layers of 8 ounce.

**rob540** · 1st July 2009, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Mezaire

While you're here Rob, what thickness ply and how many layers did you use to get that lovely curve in you cockpit seat corners? Also what radius is it??

Cheers,

Mez

Mez, I used two 4mm layers and the radius is about 80mm. Mike suggests one layer @ 6mm with parallel relieving cuts under it, filled with epoxy, and with some ply that will work a treat, but my ply had too much grain going against the curve, so I did the two layer thing; a bit heavier but fantastically rigid.
Rob

**Mezaire** · 1st July 2009, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by PAR

Blister style decks are good for windage and styling, but not easy to make. The last one I made, I diagonally planked it with two layers of 4 mm plywood. Sheathed with two layers of 8 ounce.

Now you have me worried!!

What sort of bend did you have in you cabin? The plan with mine was not much more curve than a J24 cabin

Something like this http://www.ic24us.org/beforeafter.asp but with 200-300mm higher cabin. Do you think I will get the ply to bend around that?

Mez

**Mezaire** · 4th October 2009, 09:23 PM

Well finally got her to the new house!!!

A bit of a tentative 30min drive home on the dodgy trailer but she is snuggly in the driveway.

Took to the deck and cockpit with the power saw. Origional timbers look good so far which is great as I plan to keep the old gunnel timber.

Also have been given all the origional plans too which is good as I realised the old rig is beyond repair so I will build a new one!!

Cheers,

Mez

**Mezaire** · 22nd November 2009, 12:47 AM

Well had a BIG day!!!

Scotty is over for a couple of days so we decided we would have a go at getting the boat in the shed.

As you can see it didn't look like it would fit, but after a bit of hacksawing at the hinges on the door, she fits with about 10mm a side to spare!!!

We then too the wheel off and put a heap or struts everywhere. This will do for now until I get the new deck on.

Speaking of decks Scotty decided that my method of cutting the old deck off in managable pieces was a bit pansy, so the whole thing came off in one go!!!

As you can see, plenty of work to do. First thing is to get the lead ingots out of the bilge. Looks like their are about 10 of them.

Mez

**rob540** · 22nd November 2009, 09:52 AM

Having the deck off will give you something to think about! The hull seems to be in terrific condition. Any thoughts on your cabin design?

**Mezaire** · 22nd November 2009, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by rob540

Having the deck off will give you something to think about! The hull seems to be in terrific condition. Any thoughts on your cabin design?

Yeah thanks Rob. The hull looks in great condition, especially seeing she was built 30 years ago!!

The cabin design will de dictated by other measurements rather than asthetics. Will end up a 5 panel design, with two sides, two at 45deg and a flat top..

Off sailing now and then back to the hammer and chisel this arvo!!

Mez

**PAR** · 22nd November 2009, 10:55 AM

So, you're not doing the blister style deck you previously mentioned? I build a fair amount of composite cabin roofs, which would be 3 mm plywood over 25 mm foam with another 3 mm plywood layer on the outside, all epoxied together, for your size boat. Very strong, very light and easy to make.

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