Vertigo Racing Sailboat Project

Let There Be Light!

2011-07-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

Compression Post

2011-03-11T00:31:00.000-08:00

The compression post is installed. Now some of you may recall I mentioned planning to install an aluminum post. That was my plan. My friend Mitch even had a heavy duty thick walled piece of tubing for me. But then I started figuring how I needed to put on some sort of metal end brackets and would have to measure the length perfectly and get the angle right on the first try and would still need some sort of wood block to match the contour of the cabin top. I decided it would be easier to just build a hollow post out of clear yellow pine. It ended up being 3"x2.25" and only weighed 3lbs. I figure it should take around 6500lbs of compression (which is probably more than the floor will! :) so it should be plenty strong. I was able to use the sander to sculpt the top and bottom to perfectly match the contours of the floor and ceiling. This post was the last structural component on the inside of the boat. Now I need to do a bit more fiberglass reinforcing. Then it will be time to sand, fair, and paint the inside of the boat. Making progress!

A Step In the Right Direction

2011-03-11T00:15:00.000-08:00

Started work on the mast step. Laminated multiple layers of marine ply and then cut the wedge shape. Next I used a belt sander to contour the underside to the shape of the hull. To get it to conform perfectly, I plan on bedding it in thickened epoxy. The mast step is stainless steel and is hinged (which should make stepping and un-stepping the carbine fiber mast an easy job!)

What I Think About A Sink

2011-03-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last post, but I have been working a bit on the project now and then. Just been busy with the family and working. But I did manage to install the chainplate supports for the mast shrouds. Hopefully they are in the right place (or at least close enough!) I ended up finding some Melges 24s sitting on trailers in Seattle and did some measuring. I then used my boats dimensions and did some interpolating and came up with these chainplate locations. I think this should work, I just always get a little nervous about my calculations! As you can see in this picture, I also made the storage cutout in the sink pedestal as well as put in the "sink" The "sink" is actually just a really deep plastic salad bowl. On my current boat, I almost never use the sink. When I do use the sink it is a pain to drain because I have to reach below and open a sea cock (which is normally closed to prevent it from flooding the boat when we are heeled) It also seems that gooey nasty stuff is always clogging the drain. And also having a hole in the hull means there's always a chance something could break, and the boat sinks. For simplicity, I'm using a bowl that easily pops out and it's contents thrown out the main hatch..overboard. No worries about sea cocks, plugged drains, or sinking!

A picture of the port chainplate support structure.

Sink Pedestal

2011-02-02T23:22:00.000-08:00

Today I was able to seal up the starboard bench and rough frame the sink pedestal. Once this pedestal is finished, the only other major interior structure is the aluminum mast compression post. Then comes all the sanding and painting inside.

Added Flotation!

2011-02-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

Some people have suggested that I fill some of my compartments with foam for some reserve buoyancy. So in the interest of safety I added some foam today.
Right below the companionway door, there are two compartments formed by the floor grid. I've decided that rather than sealing these up, I'll use them as storage. One will be for tools, and dock lines, etc. But the other more important one I decided to make into an ice box. This way when we are racing (and are bored after passing everyone :)), we can just reach through the door into the cabin and grab the cold beverage of our choice. It was kind of a fun little project, although my boat is now full of little tiny foamy balls that flew everywhere when I was cutting the foam panels to shape. I then glassed the panels, then filleted and taped all the corners. I will add lids to these compartments later on.

We Have A Floor!

2011-01-30T23:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I cut the other floor panel and glued them down. It is one solid floor! I think I've succeeded in building a floor/grid structure that will be able to absorb the mast and keel loads while remaining lightweight. I also ran the vent lines for the water tanks and added another coat of epoxy in the tanks and then sealed them up by adding the floor panels above. I used 3/8 ply for this because putting down this floor creates the top to a box beam that holds the keel box. These pics also show the port sitting bench getting prepped for it's top as well. As the grids get covered with floor panels, I'm starting to see that I have quite a bit of room inside. Not exactly a luxurious cruiser, but still lots of room for gear and for camping. (especially for a sportboat) The quarter berths are nearly 6.5' long. I also measured and I found I have 4'2" of headroom. Can't walk around, but with the open floor plan and benches, it will have plenty of room to get out of the weather, change clothes, take a nap, or cook some ramen.

Back from Hawaii!

2011-01-30T23:30:00.000-08:00

Aloha! Back from a wonderful family vacation on Maui. I've had a bit of time to dedicate to the boat project again. I know these pics are kind of looking the same..but look closer and you can see progress is being made. The work has been a bit tedious but productive non the less. I have been reinforcing the floor grid, turning it into a system of i-beams, adding glass, and preparing it to receive the floor panels. It's involved a lot of gluing and clamping small pieces of ply, and a lot of filleting in weird little tucked away corners. I also decided to do some plumbing. Around here in the northwest, for some of our distance racing, we have to comply with PIYA regulations. One of the regs is to have permanent water tanks installed in the boat. I've decided to make the tanks in the area on either side of the keel. This keeps the water's weight down low and near the center of the boat. Also, with this setup, I'll have two independent tanks so that if one leaks out, I still have another one. I ran 3/8" pex piping from the tanks under the floor area to the galley area where I will later hook them to a tank selector and a hand pump.

She's Got Some Sole!

2011-01-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

I've been busy with work lately but this week I did manage to reinforce and glass in the floor and keel area. I added some stringers and also the vertical faces of the benches. With this added structure, the bottom of the boat is totally stiff and strong. I was also able to cut out and losely fit part of the floor sole. I will need to do a bit more reinforcing before I'm ready to put down the sole. I will be taking a small break from the boat project for a couple weeks as I'm taking the family to Hawaii!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-02T00:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!! Hopefully 2011 will be the year Vertigo get's to go sailing! Christmas time is always busy for our family but I still managed to squeeze in some time here and there to keep the boat project moving forward. These are some pictures of the grid structure I've been working on. These structures will support the keel loads as well as the load from the mast. I'm really happy with how everything is coming together and how stiff the floor area is getting. This first picture is looking forward. The floor area around the aft part of the keel box will be at the level of the aft berths. Then forward of this

area the floor drops about 6 inches. Along each side of this lower area there will be benches that run from the aft berths to the v berth area. Although you can't stand in this boat, the benches will allow for very comfortable sitting headroom. Also along the starboard bench up at the v-berth will be a small sink and a place to hang my new jet-boil camping stove I got for Christmas!

A Place to Hang My Keel

2010-12-16T00:39:00.000-08:00

So after all my floating, and recalculating, I ended up locating the keel box right where I had originally calculated it would be. Which was great since I had already installed the main cross beam which now intersects the keel box perfectly! I was still a bit nervous cutting that hole in the hull though...mainly because yesterday it floated so well, it just seemed a shame to put a hole in it! The tricky part today was getting the boat leveled in all directions so I could be sure the keel box is installed straight on centerline, and plumb all around. I think I was able to meet most of those criteria so I epoxied it in position.

Whatever Floats My Boat

2010-12-15T01:20:00.000-08:00

Well, since it's now time to install my keel box, I started to worry about where to locate the thing. I had calculated a center of buoyancy...but how accurate was my calculation. I really didn't want to attach the keel only to find the boat sits way off it's lines. So I figured the best thing to do was to go float my boat. Sounds simple, but the problem was I didn't have an easy way to get the boat to the marina. Also, it's been nasty windy, rainy weather here in the Northwest. So even if we could use the boat lift, it would be tough getting any useful data with the boat bouncing around in the waves. So yesterday, I decided the best thing to do was to bring the water to the boat! So I built myself a 28'x8'x1' test tank in the shop and filled it up with water. Once word got out about what I was doing, I had no shortage of people show up to help me move the boat into the tank. (I found out later it was because they figured some sort of disaster would likely be part of the evening's activities and it was not to be misses!) The floating of the boat went off without a hitch. With no keel, it floats a bit nose high. So I had the three guys go inside and simulate the weight of the keel. By moving just over a foot forward of the center of the buoyancy, the boat floats level. So with this info and a few more calculations, I will now be able to mount the keel with confidence!

Thanks to Chad, Dan, Dave, Erik, Kris, Michael, and Mitch for the use of your muscles and ballast. Sorry there wasn't a flood or any other disasters to entertain you guys! (and thanks to my wife Denise for taking the pictures so that people would actually believe I went sailing in the garage)

The toughest part of this little adventure was keeping my boys out of the tank today as I was filling it up. They kept trying to convince me we need to leave this thing in the garage all winter long. After we were done with Vertigo, they launched their El Toro dingy and paddle around for a while. Too much fun!

Getting ready to build a mold

2010-12-11T01:05:00.000-08:00

I've nearly finished fairing the keel bulb plug. I think I may add a layer of glass just as reinforcement so the bondo "egg shell" doesn't crack when I push it into the concrete/mortar mix. My plan is to make a 2 part mold divided into upper and lower parts. The upper part will have the filling ports. My goal is to make this a one piece bulb rather than having to bolt 2 halves together.

I am really fortunate to have the i550 blogs to look at. Even though it's a different boat, it is still kind of similar and I am able to pick up a lot of little tips from seeing what those guys are doing.

Today I also got completely caught up on all my interior joint taping. I also set the keel box on the floor of my boat and daydreamed about what kind of grid system I will use to integrate it into the boat structure. Not having a plan means ultimate freedom..but it also means lots of time just staring at stuff!

Building The Keel Box

2010-12-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

Finally, the keel fin is faired and I'm very happy with how it turned out. So next I built a keel box. This will mount inside the boat on the floor and will, along with a grid structure, provide the support for the keel.

Basically I just used the keel fin as a mold to make the keel box. I did add some duct tape to make the finished box a bit bigger around the leading and trailing edge areas. This will allow a bit of wiggle room to allow the keel to slide up and down more easily. Next I wrapped the keel in plastic sheeting so that the keel box didn't become a permanent part of the keel. Then I began wrapping the keel in Biaxial glass. After 6 layers, I decided to let it set up so I could make sure this thing would slide off.

It didn't. As I mentioned before, I wrapped the keel with multiple layers of plastic sheeting before I began the glass layup. Unfortunately, as I began sliding the keel box off, it slid a few inches and then layers of plastic began to bind up. For over an hour, I tried all sorts of tricks and nothing worked. Not even yelling at it. Finally, I used a razor knife and sit it along the trailing edge. It had enough flex that I was able to pop it free and slide it off. I then pulled off the offending plastic and tape and slid it back on. Perfect fit! Snug but slides easily along the length of the keel fin. I then left it on and added another 4 layers of uni-glass. So I ended up with a nice fitting keel box that is about an 1/8" thick solid glass.

Keel Blob

2010-11-30T23:05:00.000-08:00

Continuing my work on the keel plug. First I filled the skeleton frame with spray foam. This was very cool as I ended up with something that looked like a giant grub larva..my boys were especially impressed. Once the foam had cured, I used a hacksaw blade to saw along the frames and bring the shape back to a bulb. A little sanding, and now I'm filling it with bondo.

I'm heading off to work until Monday. Hopefully I can make some more progress next week!

The Origins Of A Bulb

2010-11-30T00:24:00.000-08:00

Things have been quite busy with the kids, the holidays, and work..but I've been able to find a bit of time to plug along on the boat project now and then. I've continued fairing the keel fin and almost have it done. I thought I was almost done last week, but with each layer of fairing compound, I'm excited to find I'm exceeding my expectations but that it's still not quite perfect..so I grab my template an add another layer of compound. With the shop being kind of cold from the weather, it takes a while for each layer of fairing compound to cure.

So since I've been waiting between fairing layers, I've been taping seams on the inside of the boat and am almost caught up. I have run out of 6" fiberglass tape so it looks like a field trip to Fiberglass Supply in the near future.

One cold night as the snow was falling and I didn't feel like heading out to the shop, I figured I should start thinking about the keel bulb. So I poured myself some wine and I did. And what I thought was, there's no reason for me to re-invent the wheel and try come up with my own bulb shape. Since this project is sort of similar to the i550, I've decided to use the bulb shape someone already designed for that boat..with only ever so slight modification. I found the bulb lines on the i550 forum and downloaded them. The only problem is that the i550 bulb weighs 180lbs and I'm thinking I need this thing to weigh around 550 lbs So I grabbed my calculator, scratch paper, another glass of wine and began measuring, calculating stuff, and running ratios. By some method which my memory is not exactly clear on, I arrived at the conclusion that by enlarging the i550's bulb dimensions by 45% this new bulb would weigh precisely 550lbs. I know when I did the calculations I was pretty confident that they were sound, however, I will consider any weight between 475 and 600 lbs a complete success. And if it's way off, I melt it down, build a new mold, and re-cast!

The first step is to build a plug which I will use to cast a female mold in plaster or concrete. I am building the plug out of plywood and foam which I will fair (arg!! there's that word again!) and cover in fiberglass.

Laminated

2010-11-10T22:57:00.000-08:00

Finally finished laminating the keel. Ended up using E glass alternating between 12 ounce biaxial and 10 ounce unidirectional fabrics. for a total of 11 layers. Did a simple hand layup using a brush, squeeges, and a laminate roller. It's a nice thick layer of fiberglass. From what I can tell, it's just over an 1/8 inch thick. Which should be just about right. It also seems quite smooth and true to the foil shape. I'm sure I'll still have to do some fairing, but hopefully not too much.

We Have a Keel Core!

2010-11-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

Got the keel core done today. I'm happy with how it turned out. I thought I would have to do some fairing but it's actually so close that I'm not going to risk messing it up! I would of started laminating but I didn't have enough time to do all 12 layers so I didn't want to start. I have a race ('Round The County) this weekend so maybe on Monday....

Shaping The Keel Fin

2010-11-02T00:06:00.000-07:00

Got home from work today and had some time to work on the keel fin core. After finishing making the cuts, I spray painted the whole thing dark green. By doing this, it will be easy to see the depth I need to go to as I chisel and sand. By using a chisel and mallet, I'm able to get rid of the wood and bring it down toward the right shape. Then I use the sander to continue shaping the blank. Once I get the foil shape roughed, I'll make a template and use filler to fine tune things. It's fun and I'm feeling quite craftsman-like as I'm using the mallet and chisel to carve this foil shape. Just hoping the finished core looks craftsman like!

On my way home, I stopped by Fiberglass Supply (that place is like a candy store..without the tooth decay!) and picked up the glass I'll need for the lamination. I'm using 12 oz bi-axial e glass and 10.3 oz unidirectional e glass. Probably around 6 layers of each will give me the strength I need and will give the foil a skin thickness of 1/8 inch which will give me the right shape.

Getting Rid of That Blank Look!

2010-10-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

The pine laminated very nicely to form the keel blank. I then marked the foil on one end of the blank. My plan was that I would run it through the table saw at depths that corresponded to the foil outline--just like I did with the foam for my practice rudder (yeah I've decided that was just a practice rudder...pink foam is just not gonna do the trick!) The difference,however, is that the pink foam weighed nothing, and this plank (even though it's pine) weighs a ton! I tried the table saw thing but trying to push it through by myself with any degree of accuracy was going to be a dissaster! So I decided to bring the saw to the blank by using my skilsaw. This seems to be working great although it takes a while. I'm using a piece of 3/4"ply as a straight edge that I clamp in place. I then set the depth, and make a run down the blank. Then I unclamp, move a quarter inch, reclamp, reset the new depth, and cut again..and repeat..over and over. It's not hard, and seems to be working quite well...it's just a bit tedious and takes some time!

I had a good talk with the guys at Fiberglass Supply yesterday. Matthew was very helpful as I talked about my keel ideas. The guys at FS are totally cool and are always helping me brainstorm stuff. So it turns out that I don't really need to make this keel out of carbon fiber...even though CF is sooo cool! The biggest advantage to carbon is how stiff it is for it's weight. And in certain situations, this is really important. I'm not that concerned about making the keel fin lightweight. So I can use S or even E glass..and just increase my layup schedule to reach the same strength as the CF. It may flex a bit more..but it will still be strong (at less than half the price as CF) Besides, I'm gonna paint the rudder and keel orange(cause orange is fast!) so no one would be able to see the awesome black carbon anyway. I head off to Seattle tomorrow to work a few nights...so probably work on shaping the keel fin some more come Monday.

Let The Keel Begin!

2010-10-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

Well, today I got to do a bit of work on the boat. I put a couple more coats of gray primer on the hull. This means I now have 4 coats. I think I'll add one more tomorrow.

I also started my journey toward having a keel. The keel for this boat will be a high aspect ratio wood cored carbon fiber fin with a 600 lb lead bulb at the end of it. The foil shape will be the NACA 0012 which from what I've read is a good all around foil for this kind of application. The chord will be about 18 inches with nearly 5 feet of foil between the bottom of the boat and the bulb. When finished, the fin should only be about 2.25 inches thick.

For a core, I'm using laminated clear red pine planking. The core will not be providing much structural strength. It will serve mainly as a rigid spacer between the outside shell of carbon fiber which will bear the bulk of the loadpath.

Tonight I laminated 3 sheets of pine to make a core blank that is 2 inches thick. I've weighted it down on the shop floor while it cures. Hopefully the floor is nice a flat so that the core blank ends up true!

Banking Some Points!

2010-10-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

This past week I did no actual work on the boat. I did however help out the boat cause. Since my wife has been very patient with me working on the boat so much lately, I decided to tackle a project for her (building cabinets/bookshelves) Although it took all my days off, she is very happy and I've built up some currency I can cash on the boat project! Truly a win/win situation!

And More Paint!

2010-10-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

So today I did some more painting. I was able to get 2.5 coats of epoxy primer on the hull. I have to say that after all the sanding, it has been really fun to finally paint. My plan now is to finish a few more coats of paint on the hull. Once the exterior is primed, I will focus on working on the inside of the boat..hopefully finish the inside this winter. One of these days I need to use a real camera to take some pictures instead of my phone which kind of distorts things. Also, now that the boat looks all nice, I guess I should give the shop a bit of a cleaning too..of course that means valuable build time wasted!

On With The Paint!

2010-10-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

After locking myself in the shop for days, I've finally finished sanding. It wasn't all that bad. In fact, I filled and faired in about a week more surface area than the bottom of the hull which took about 6 months! (of course that was winter and I had no idea what I was doing!) So I guess I'm learning some things! If I build another boat, I'm thinking it'll take less than half the time!

Anyway, I was glad to be done with the sanding and move on to some painting. I'm using a two part epoxy paint (white for the decks and house) These photos show one coat of Interprotect 2000E. It rolled on very smoothly. I plan to do 3 or 4 coats of white on the topside, and 4 or 5 coats of gray on the hull. Starting to look like a boat now!

More Fine Tuning

2010-10-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

After filling the weave and making things smooth, I've had to do some fairing work on a few trouble spots. The main areas are on the hull's shear panels where the panels didn't quite line up in the scarffing process. As I would run my hands along the hull, I would feel a definite bump in a few of these areas. I used epoxy and micro-balloons as my fairing compound, and then used a long batton to get a fair curve on the hull. After sanding these areas I was very happy with how everything smoothed out.

Ahhh....Sanding!

2010-09-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

So last week I covered the decks, cockpit and cabin top with glass, fully encapsulating the boat. This week I was able to fill the weave of the glass. I used 2 thin layers of epoxy slightly thickened with micro-balloons. Of course this meant bleaching, scrubbing, and sanding between layers, and after the second layer was cured. After a couple days of work, I'm happy to say the weave is filled and things are feeling pretty smooth. Next i will fill the weave on the hulls shear panel section. Once everthing is filled and smooth, I will check for problem areas and tackle some little fairing projects. I have to go work for a few days but will hopefully be able to work on the boat a bit next week. I don't really enjoy the whole sanding for hours and hours thing so it is important that I keep the momentum going and get through it! Still having fun though!!

She's Blushing!

2010-09-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

The one bad thing about West System epoxy is that it sure seems to blush. For some reason during the curing process, a wax like substance forms on the surface of the epoxy. To ensure proper bonding of the next layer of epoxy, this waxiness has to be removed. I've found the best thing is using bleach water and a scrub brush. Then I lightly wet sand with 80 grit and wipe with a rag. This seems to get most of the yellowish-orange "blush" off. This morning, I was able to bathe the whole boat this way in order to get ready to "fill the weave" of the fiberglass cloth. After the wet out cloth cures, it is a long way from being smooth. It currently still has the texture of cloth. I will use epoxy slightly thickened with glass microballoons (to make it a bit more sandable) to fill the woven texture of the cloth and to build up a sandable surface that I will be able to make smooth.

Grinding the Lap Lines

2010-09-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

Because the cloth I used was only 38" wide, I ended up having 2"overlap lines where the sheets of cloth would meet. I used the blet sander to grind these down so they will be easier to blend when I begin filling the weave and the final outside fairing.

The Great Cover-Up

2010-09-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Well, most of the outside structure is complete and prefaired so it's time to start covering things with fiberglass cloth. Adding cloth adds some stiffness to the plywood, but mainly its to provide a moister barrier and also more resistance to impact and abbrasion. I started with the transom, then the decks and the cabin top. I used 6 ounce e glass cloth for this. I had the whole day off and was able to get the whole boat covered. Wetting out all that cloth took a lot of epoxy. I think I still have enough left to finish the outside of the boat though. I just bought sails for my racing boat and don't want to have to tell my wife I need to spend another $500 on epoxy!

So now my boat is waterproof! I could plunk it in the harbor right now and go float around with no ill effects to any of the wood. Sweet! It's officially a boat!

Foot Thingy

2010-09-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

On my San Juan 24, the cockpit isn't very wide. The boat can heel way over and I just stand on the opposite cockpit moldings and can drive comfortably. This boat has way more room in the cockpit. It's so wide, my feet can't touch the other side when I'm in my estimated driving position. So I figured (actually Erik pointed it out to me...but I'm sure I'd of eventually noticed) I had better add a foot brace thing. It's made of 1/4 inch ply and epoxy and runs down the center of the cockpit. It turned out nice and straight and should be plenty strong to take all sorts of abuse that I'm sure it will see. It also further stiffens the cockpit floor..which may now actually be bullet proof!

Pre-Fairing

2010-09-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Once I had all the seams taped with fiberglass it was time to "pre-fair" This involves first grinding the sharp edges of the glass tape. There is still a difference in height between the glass tape and the wood surface. If I just went over everything with the final layer of glass, there would be a bump where the tape runs underneath. This would then need to be faired. Instead, I'm fairing all the tape and most any bumps or misallignments now so that all the major bumps are gone and things are fairly smooth and even before the final layer of glass. This will mean the majority of the fairing compound and build ups will be below the final layer of glass which should make it more durable and decrease the chance of chipping later. So now I'm just spending time spreading a light weight fairing mixture along all the tape seams and any other imperfection areas and sanding the whole surface smooth in preparation for the final glass cloth layer.

I'm now devoting all my build time to getting as much done on the outside of the boat before the weather turns cold and the epoxy and fairing compound start taking days to fully cure. Once the weather turns cold, I'll work on the inside of the boat where I can easily keep it heated.

I continue to make progress with an hour or two here and there. I'm having a blast working on this project...just wish I had more time to devote to it!! But it will get done someday!!

More Fillets and Seams

2010-09-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

In the cockpit, I once again made a fillet of real lightweight filler to make a nice radius, and then taped over it. I also put in a lot of work to get the transition between the cockpit sides to the deck nice and fair and rounded. After taping it though, if I sight down it, I see a bit of wavering that I will have to fair out before the final glass covering.

Returning To The Dust

2010-09-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

I had almost forgotten how dusty and itchy grinding fiberglass could be. When it came time to tape the seams of the transom, I had to grind the existing glass on the bottom of the boat so that I could wrap the tape around. After starting in just a shirt, shorts, and a mask, I quickly remembered why I had the tyvek suit for these occasions! In a cloud of dust, I soon had the glass ground away and was able to nicely wrap the tape around

And More Taping!

2010-08-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Made a big old fillet along the edge of the cabin. Since this joint already had a strong structural fillet, I used tons of micro-balloons to create a really light weight mixture to fair this joint. Then I glassed the seam with tape.

Taping

2010-05-17T22:38:00.001-07:00

It's very cool to have the cabin top in place. It really feels like the boat has a cabin now. I even have to use a light inside because it is so dark! So now I've just filleted the joints and then taped them on the inside. I've also sanded the outside joints to make them smooth and straight and taped them as well. The picture makes everything look really crooked, but in real life things are actually quite straight and fair. (trust me, they really are!) At this point, I can still grab the boat at the back transom and pic the back end up. So despite using the 3/8" ply, she's still going to be a pretty light boat! Yay--I'm caught up on my blog! (of course, I could of been out actally building tonight!

The Cabin Top!

2010-05-17T22:26:00.001-07:00

Tada! That actually wasn't all that bad. It was a bit akward working with 4'X10' sheets by myself getting them into position to mark

but once I got them cut down a bit, things pretty much fell into place. I would just temporarily screw a big piece into position, and then use a 12' long piece of 1"X2" vinyl trim piece I picked up at home depot as a batten. I would lay this batten in position to get a nice fair curve. Then I'd trace it and cut it. Then put the panel back up and use the batten to mark the other edge. Did this three times, then was able to just use the panels as patterns to cut out the three for the other side. Actually ended up pretty symetrical. I then drilled holes and zip tied the whole thing together and filled the gaps with thickened epoxy. I'm hapy with the look of the thing. I like the look of a lot of the European ocean racers--the minis, the open 40's etc and I think this will have a bit of that look to it.

Getting Ready for some Progress!

2010-05-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

I finally made the trip up to Bellingham to get more plywood for the cabin top. I decided to go for 3/8" for the top. I'm sure I probably could of gotten away with 1/4" but I want this boat to be strong--I figure the top should be as strong as the bottom since I tend to puch things a bit when I sail and the top could end up being the bottom at some point! The panels for the cabin top will be 10' long so it was time to do some scarffing. I'm starting to get pretty decent at this whole setup. Even with the fact that I was down to my last belt sander belt, and it was getting a bit worn, it still went pretty quick. After pulling off the clamps, I was very happy with how straight and true the panels and joints were.

Building a Beefy Bulkhead

2010-05-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

After much careful consideration, calculation and concentration, I finally took a guess where the keel is going to go. Now I am able to build the main bulkhead that will act as the lateral bracing for the keel box. I cut the pieces out of 3/8 and 1/4 and laminated the whole thing in position to make a 5/8" bulkhead. Eventually, I will cut a slot and the keel box will be centered in this bulkhead.

Yes, Some Progress is Being Made

2010-04-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated the blog again. This is partly because I've been too busy to work on the boat much. I have been getting an hour here and there though. So with these little bits of time, I have been filleting all the joints inside--hull to deck joints, deck to stringer joints..etc. It's all filleted now and I've been getting some taping done as well. It's not the kind of fun progress that looks great in photos though. I also stopped by Fiberglass Supply a few weeks ago and bought another 5 gallon epoxy kit--so when I finally get some time, I'll be set to make some good progress! Next month I've got some vacation time. I'm not going anywhere so I'm hoping to hit the project hard. (although I do have to work on my other boat to get it ready for the "Round Whidbey" race, and possibly the SJ24 nationals) I'm hoping to make it up to Bellingham next week to purchase more plywood for the cabin top.

Thanks for your patience!!

More Decking

2010-02-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

I used 3/8 ply for the decking. It went down quite nicely and is very strong. Now that the deck is on, the boat is super stiff and strong, yet I can still lift up either end by myself. Before I build the cabin top, I will be building the structures for the keel box, and most of the cabin interior structure since it is open and easy to work on right now. I now have my yearly training and checkride for work coming up at the end of the month, so I won't be working on the boat much for a few weeks. I'm really looking forward to getting back onto the project in March!

Stringering The Deck

2010-02-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

During the first part of February, I was able to continue work on the deck. I used 3/8 ply to build a system of plywood stringers. In the photo looking forward, you can see the halfpipe I built for my boys for Christmas--one of the many reasons, I didn't get anything done in December.

Off For The Holidays

2010-01-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

Yep, things got pretty busy through December and January with the holidays, family, projects, work, etc.. So not much was accomplished during that period. At the end of January, I finally had some time to do a bit of work. It was great to be working on the project again. I was finally able to finish the cockpit deck. Where the cockpit sides meet the deck, I added an extra 2 inch wide angled strip. This makes a nicer transition from deck to inside by making 2 smaller angles rather than 1 sharp one. I think it also gives it a much more finished look.

More Progress

2009-11-20T00:16:00.000-08:00

Got a bit more done today. Most of it what I got accomplished is below deck. Where the cockpit

floor panels meet the cockpit side panels, a bit of work had to be done to strengthen the joint. First I had to sand the sharp edge where the two surfaces met smooth and give it a nice rounded profile. Then I glassed it with 4" tape, and then a second layer of 6" tape. (The flash from my camera makes it look like I've got a lot of dry spots in the tape--they aren't really there..really!) I also added a couple layers of tape around the base and top of the rudder box. I also added a strip on the top edge of starboard hull and sanded it at the correct angle to receive the deck. Lastly I cut the remaining cockpit deck stringers, notched them and dry fit them into postion. If I get time to work on the boat next week, I should be able to start decking the cockpit area.

Deck Prep

2009-11-18T23:53:00.000-08:00

I'm a few steps away from putting on cockpit deck (have to do reinforcement of the cockpit floor seams, rudder box, etc) But since I was waiting for some epoxy to cure, I started prepping the port side for deck. All the clamps are holding a strip along the top of the hull. This strip is to beef up the hull/deck joint and give me more area to glue to. I so love all the clamps--they just look so very..boat builder like! Plus, I had to use my sanding block to shape the strip to the proper deck angle--which also felt pretty craftsman like! The forward part of the cockpit deck I foresee being abused by my crew. This is where everyone jumps up to go forward and hike. To make it "Dan Proof" (and "me proof") I dry-fitted a couple 3/8" ply stringers that will lay under the 3/8" deck. The aft deck won't be walked on as much and also narrows so I will run just one stringer in that section. Note: All the cardboard covering the cockpit deck area is to keep in heat. I have a lot of stuff below the cockpit curing so I put a heater below and then made a "tent" with the cardboard. Well, tomorrow is supposed to be another rainy, windy day here on Whidbey, so maybe I'll get to play inside again and put in a few more hours on the project.

She's Got A Sweet Rear End!

2009-11-18T23:31:00.000-08:00

I'm really happy with how the rudder project is turning out. By having the slot, it just makes everything look a lot cleaner. The middle picture shows sort of a mock up of the rudder assembly (I guess I should have flipped this picture around) Has the rudder at one end of the carbon cassette, and that stick on the other side represents a tiller that will attach to the top of the rudder post. The whole thing slides into the slot. The rudder ends up below the hull and is free to pivot. The carbon fiber part locks into the slot, and the tiller will attach to the top. The whole thing will be able to quickly pop in and out for trailering, cleaning, etc. The last pic shows the cassette in place. (There will still be another plate that goes on top of thisto clean it up and lock it in place) Note: You may notice drywall screws visible in certain pictures. These aren't permanent, they are just to hold things in position until the epoxy cures, then I'll take them back out.

Cool Carbon Part

2009-11-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

I could have built this part out of regular glass, but after making the cool carbon tube, I figured I'd continue with my carbon dreams. So this little thing is the cassette that will slip into the rudder slot. The rudder will be below it, the rudder post will run through it, and the tiller will be at the top of it. The shop has been sort of cool lately, so I decided to use the oven again for curing this particular part. Well, I'm now banned from using the oven. Apparently, some minute amount of epoxy dripped into the bottom of the oven and made a little plastic-esc smell when Denise made cookies after I used it as an autoclave. So now, unless it's something I can eat, it doesn't go in her oven. Seems a bit harsh to me because honestly, I really didn't think the cookies tasted like epoxy--can't figure what the big fuss was. Oh well, the parts done now, and maybe I can use my neighbor Daves oven in the future.

Crikey! There's A Hole In My Boat!

2009-11-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Well, that was a difficult thing to do. Not physically, that part was surprisingly easy--she cuts like butter with the right tool. It's just sort of tough emotionally to cut a hole in a perfectly good hull that you spent so much time trying to make perfectly smooth. But the good news is I got over the trama pretty quickly, and made a box for the rudder cassette to slip into. It runs from the bottom of the hull right up through the cockpit floor (which I also installed today) This box is water tight--at least it's supposed to be. But it shouldn't get much water in it any way as the waterline is pretty much even with the bottom of the hull at this point.

Totally Tubular!

2009-11-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

So I've been sick the past couple days and haven't gone flying, but I haven't felt like doing much of anything. I'm feeling mostly human again today so I thought I'd make a carbon tube. This will be the tube in the rudder casette that the stainless rudder post will pass through. So I used a 2' length of PVC as a mandrel. I put vasoline on it and then a layer of 4mil plastic. Next I did 2 layers of carbon. Then I wrapped it gently with electrical tape and let it cure in the oven at 130 degree. After 40 minutes, it was cured. The PVC slid out easily. Next, I wrapped a couple more layers of carbon, then 5 layers of glass (as a core), then 3 more layers of carbon. Then I wrapped it really tightly with electrical tape that I had drilled holes in. As I stretched the electrical tape around, it forced excess resin out the hundereds of holes. I wiped the whole thing with paper towels, then back into the oven for 40 minutes. The thing turned out really nice. It is super stiff and strong and should work great. It was also a good way to get some more experience working with CF.

Decisions, Decisions!

2009-11-05T21:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, so if you've never built a project from scratch with no instructions at all, there's something you should know. One spends a ton of time just staring at the project trying to figure what to do next and how to do it. Sometimes I'll just stare for 20 minutes or more running dozens of senarios through my head. Trying to figure loads, strength, asthetics, all these variables. My latest problem I'm contemplating is the rudder. Transom hung? OR mounted under the hull. If I go with a rudder hung off the transom, it will be a cassette type so I can easily pull it up for trailoring, or cleaning off sea grass. The negative is that the transom has this sweet slope to it and I'd have to build out some sort of structure to mount the rudder on. I'm afraid this would clutter the look of the boats rear end. If I go with a rudder mounted under the hull, the back of the boat stays clean, and I can mount the outboard bracket in the center. I think this will look nicer. The problem with this is it will be tougher to remove the rudder for trailoring. (Someone will have to either get wet, or we need to use the lift) Does anyone have any input on this? The good thing is that whatever I choose, it wouldn't be hard to change over to something different later on. Just wondering what other people think.

Enter The Matrix

2009-11-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

Today I got the rear cockpit floor panel cut out. The grid system that I'm making for this panel is made of 3/8" ply and has 2 for/aft stringers, and 2 sideways stringers. This matrix of stringers is the biggest grid so far. It's a lot of fun making these grids. They are so slick the way the notches lock together. And when they are all filleted and taped, the panels seem very strong, stiff, and light. The last picture is of the panel with the grid filleted and weighted down on the floor (to ensure a flat cockpit floor).

Cockpit Floor

2009-11-04T10:36:00.001-08:00

The cockpit floor I'm making out of 3/8" ply. I'm also making a grid for it out of 3/8" and 1/4" ply. I know how chaotic it can be in my cockpits so I want the floor to be pretty tough. The whole boat has to be built "Dan proof". Dan is one of my regular crew and he's a big strong guy--like 8 feet tall! He will be a key player in keeping this boat on its feet, but he doesn't always move around gracefully (sorry Dan, but you're no ballerina :)) and I don't wan't him suddenly disappearing through the floor either! It turned out strong-and fairly light. I think once it is all bonded, and glassed it should hold up well!

Hey Look--A Cockpit!

2009-11-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

Well, sort of a cockpit!Pictures of the side panels laying in position. Suddenly the cockpit sort of takes on a bit of shape. Its nice to see actual lines rather than having to imagine. Next, I'll work on the floor panels and get them ready. But before I can glue anything in position, I have to finish up below the cockpit floor--adding some reinforcement tape and painting everthing in epoxy. I guess I could do this later as there is room below to work but it will be easier while it's still open.

Cockpit Side Panels

2009-11-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

I decided to make these panels out of 1/4" to save weight since they are vertical panels and won't be walked on. Then I remembered how I tend to sail boats in some pretty unusual attitudes and that these panels may indeed be walked on. So I added a grid system since it seemed to work so good on the berth panels. Notice the panels are curing in the house--yep, Denise has been so kind as to let me bring stuff in to cure at 70 degrees rather than 50 degrees in the shop. It goes a lot faster, plus the whole family can enjoy my handywork (and partially cured epoxy actually chips off the floor quite easily--so no worries!)

A Place to Lay My Head- Quarter Berths

2009-11-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

Actually, it will be where my legs and feet will lay. The quarter berths extend 4 feet under the cockpit. First I painted the inside of these compartments with epoxy, and added another layer of carbon to the stringer that runs through this area. The stringer now has 3 layers of 6oz carbon and is super stiff. I was amazed how much that last layer stiffened things. I will be adding a 3rd layer to the rest of the carbon stringers as well. Then I cut out the panels from 1/4 inch ply. To add strength, I made a grid system from more 1/4" ply and glued and glassed it to the bottom of the panels. Now they are still really light but super stiff. The last pic shows the panels glued into position. In addition to serving as part of the quarter berths, these also brace the hull side panels--giving more rigidity and stiffness. They also form watertight flotation compartments.

V-berth Panels

2009-10-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight I got the panels trimmed so that they all fit nice and snug. I also built an access hatch into the center so that I can get to the storage area under the v-berth. Next step is to paint the bottoms of the panels with epoxy and then glue them into position.

Oops!

2009-10-08T23:36:00.001-07:00

When I made this bulkhead, I decided to make a couple lightening holes to save weight. Well, it turns out I was a bit premature. When I gave it more thought, I decided I don't want holes because I want as many air/water tight compartments as possible. That way if the hull is ever compromised, or we get knocked down and get water coming inside, we have more flotation to give us time to take care of things. So I ended up making a couple plug pieces to fill the holes once again. Now when the v-berth is finished, the forward part will be a seperate airtight compartment.

Floor Panels!

2009-10-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

Here's some of the rough cut panels that will be installed in the v-berth. I did this yesterday so this means my blog is now caught up. I promise I'll never get behind on my blog again..yeah right!! I will however try to stay more up to date on it since I was surprised how many people actually check it. Hopefully the progress will be more steady now too since the kids are back in school, and sailing season is slowed down. Plus I was inspired to get going on it again since David (the original builder/concept guy) came by and gave lots of compliments on the project--seems I thrive on the whole flattery thing!

Installing the Beams

2009-10-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Some pics of the I-beams installed in the v-berth area. I also glued in some ply strips along the bulkheads to give me more area for gluing on the floor panels.

I-Beams

2009-10-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

To give strength to the v-berth area without adding weight, I have built three I-beams. These things are so cool. I used 5mm luan for the webbing and then used 1/4" ply for the caps. I glued these, and then laminated the web on both sides with 6 oz cloth. They turned out super strong, and weigh less than a pound each. Now I should be able to use 1/4 inch ply for the v-berth "floor"

First Interior Section Complete!

2009-10-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

I completed the my first section of the boat's interior. Its the area in front of the crash bulkhead. I painted the interior with epoxy so it's water proof. Then I made a "floor" out of 5mm luan which I glued and taped in. So now I have a nice little cubby area in the bow with a water tight "crash" section below.

Making it Stiffer!

2009-10-08T11:02:00.001-07:00

In addition to the carbon fiber stringers running along the bottom, I've also added a couple of plywood stringers running lengthwise along the keel joint. This is to stiffen the hull panels but it also creates a sort of backbone for the boat making the whole boat stronger and stiffer along the longitudinal. I also got the transom re-installed and glued into postition. The transom is tied into the plywood stringers with a couple triangle shaped gussets for added strength.

Carbon!!

2009-10-08T10:36:00.001-07:00

Finally, the carbon fiber! So the stringers on the bottom that will take the most pressure and beating I have decided to use carbon on for extra stiffness. To start with, I have gone with 2 layers of 6 oz cloth. The carbon actually wets out and lays down really nice. With the carbon on the stringers, they become really stiff. It like having a couple steel bars running the length of the boat!

Finally Using the Stringers!

2009-10-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

So after seeing the stringers on my blog for the past few months (sorry), you can now see that I have them in place. I had to pull the transom off the boat, and was then able to slide then into postition. They curved nicely and fit right into the curve of the hull. I then glued them in using fillets and set about glassing over them. Once covered with two layers of glass cloth, they seem to be quite rigid and have stiffened up the hull panels considerably.

Gluing and Taping

2009-10-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

After cutting out all the bulkheads, it was time to glue them into position. Once again, I used epoxy thickened with the shreded plastic fiber. This makes an incredibly strong gap filling glue that can be shaped into a smooth fillet. After forming the fillets, I used the glass tape to reinforce all the joints. After the fillets and glass cured, I was amazed and pleased with how strong and rigid everything has become. Note the notches in the edges of the bulkheads. These would later be cut out to slide the stringers through.

Summer Break is OVER!!

2009-10-08T10:06:00.001-07:00

Back to work on the boat. Summer was busy. Besides the whole working to provide for the family, we also did lots of family activities during the summer. There was also lots of sailing on the San Juan 24. So not a lot happened on the boat. But now the kids are back in school so its time to get back to work on Vertigo! Even with summer, I did manage to get out in the shop a few times and made some progress which I will show in the nex few blog entries.

Stringers

2009-06-02T23:40:00.001-07:00

To give the boat more rigidity and strength, stringers will run lengthwise in strategic locations. For the core of the stringers, I am using fir that I milled. By using a wood core, I can glue these in under tension and help keep the hull curve fair. Also wood should help dampen and distributes the slamming loads. These things are suprisingly light and strong. After the cores are installed, they will be laminated in glass. In the higher stress areas, I will be using carbon. Sweet, sexy, expensive, carbon!

(Does this lens make my hand look fat?)

Cutting Out the Forward Frames

2009-06-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

These are pics of some of the bulkheads and frames I was able to cut out today. The jigsaw works great for this except for some laser problems. It turns out the laser points 10 degrees off the actual track of the blade (like I've always got a left crosswind) When I'm trying to follow the inked lines exactly, the wayward laser was pretty distracting, so I just taped over the laser and reverted back to old school. I'm sure there is probably an adjustment I could make, but that would take time away from the boat building!

See the bulkhead at the very front? That's the "Crash Bulkhead" I just love having one of those. I guess its so that if I hit something (or more likely, someone) and crack the pointy end, it is water tight and will keep the water from flowing into my boat. I feel my confidence increasing already. Another thing I like about sailboats is that the cockpits are at the back--far, far away from the "Crash Bulkhead" I think that's a really good idea.

Cabin Top Sneak Peek

2009-06-02T23:03:00.000-07:00

Today Iworked on the bulkhead that will support the mast and cabin top. In order to determine the shape of the bulkhead, I used temporary stringers to give me the outline of the cabin. The actual cabin top will be built using plywood and the stitch and glue method. It is multi-facted like the hull which will look nice and give added strength and rigidity. I was able to take the measurements, and then add onto the top of the frame (I'm getting pretty good at scarf joints) and cut it out. (picture on the right)

So you may be wondering if it's the camera lens that makes the shop look like a disaster with stuff everywhere. It's not. For some reason, when I have time to work in the shop, I go straight for the boat. I just have a hard time spending precious time cleaning when I could be building. But it's getting pretty bad. I'm starting to lose tools under debri. I kind of liked the whole mad scientist/ evil genius thing at first but it's probably time to clean it all up and make it a ship shape ship building operation. Maybe next week..now where's my tape measure...

Fitting the Forward Bulkheads

2009-06-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

I continue on with the internal framing. To get the shape of the bulkheads, I first make a template. By using cardboard strips and a glue gun, I can make a very accurate pattern in a short time. I then trace the pattern onto the plywood. I then use my circular saw to cut out the basic shape, and then my jigsaw to do any radius work. I now need to fix my circular saw as I somehow managed to run across my own power cord (It was pretty spectacular with a brilliant flash and pretty sparks) I will get the basics shapes fitted and then work on doing the cutout work.

More Bulkhead Pics

2009-05-17T00:46:00.000-07:00

Starting to look kinda sporty!

More Scarffing

2009-05-17T00:36:00.000-07:00

Since the main cabin bulkhead is more than 4 feet tall, I had to scarf another part of a sheet on. I used the same method I had done a month before when I made the strips for the freeboard extension. It just took a bit longer to sand the bigger area but it turned out really nice. I glued it up and soon had a nice scarf jointed sheet.

Main Cabin Bulkhead

2009-05-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple pics of the cabin bulkhead being dry fit into position. The cardboard strips are just there to give a very rough mock-up of the cabin top shape. (Yes, I know the strips are crooked--even Denise pointed that out to me--it's a ROUGH mock up!)

A Handsome Transom

2009-05-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hey check it out, it looks like a boat now! I think it looks pretty sweet raked back like that. Right now it's just tacked and taped into position.

Missing In Action?

2009-05-16T23:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah, Yeah, I know... It's been a long time since I've updated this blog. Life has been pretty busy lately. Besides the usual (kids, little league, wife, yardwork, home projects...) I've been racing "Magic Juan" on Wednesdays which takes up quite a bit of my free "sailboat" time. I also hauled MJ out and re-did the bottom and got her ready for the big 'Round Whidbey race.

The racing has been going quite well. We usually end up placing near the top or losing in a most spectacular fashion (death rolls and spectacular spinakker episodes) The problem with the San Juan 24's is the narrow stern--which means no form stability. As the wind builds, the boat doesn't plane but starts to dig in and roll back and forth. Usually, we can keep it going in the direction we want but sometimes, if the wind really gets blowing, it can get pretty ugly! So this is one reason I'm so excited about Vertigo. She should be much more stable with the wide transom and the hard chines. When the wind builds, I look forward to taking off on a plane, rather than starting to roll as we push more and more water. On MJ, it seems we are hauling when we hit 7 knots, I can hardly wait to see what a downwind run in the double digits looks like!
These are the things I daydream about! So, all these excuses and daydreams...Have I gotten anywhere on Vertigo? Yep. Slow but steady progress will see this project through. Check out the next posts....

A Wee Modification

2009-04-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I had one more fillet and then I could start with a couple bulkheads. But not quite yet. My plan is to eventually do some distance racing with this boat. Things like Round Whidbey, Northern Century, Southern Straights, Swiftsure,..etc. All those events require PIYA class 2 certification. I was going through the requirements and found that I need 2.2 feet of freeboard at the stern of the boat. Vertigo's freeboard is 3.5 inches too short. The only thing I can figure is to add on to the sheer to increase the height. So I scarffed some plywood strips together, did some marking and cutting, and now have a couple sheer extenders I will attach to the hull. This will increase the freeboard at the stern by just over 4 inches. Now I will be able to do the races I was hoping for--plus if I ever need to make an escape for Hawaii, this could be the boat!

Today I attached the port extension. For years, I've been collecting clamps--dozens of clamps. Denise had been wondering what for and frankly, I didn't really know either--just knew I needed them. Today a great mystery was solved and I now know what all the clamps were destined for. Besides, it makes things look pretty official and boat builder like to have lots of clamps on everything!

More Fill-Its

2009-04-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well, its official: The fillets on my boat are not pronounced like a cut of meat but are pronounced "fill-its". (Thank you Scott!) Now I can sound like a real boat builder when I talk about my project. So I now have 4 out of 5 fillets done. I have run out of 6" tape and Fiberglass Supply didn't have it in stock. I tried at West Marine--they had the 6" tape but wanted four times the price Fiberglass Supply sells it for. Since my wife has me on a budget now, I figure I'll try back with FS later. Anyway, the fillets are strong and the tape is looking good. I'm very confident the seams are now as strong or stronger than the panels. This is going to be a strong boat. I'm really enjoying this project, just wish I had more time to work on it!

Mmmm....Fillets

2009-03-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Ok..so I'm not sure if its pronounced "fillet" like what I order at a steakhouse or "fill-it"--so if someone knows, please set me straight! Anyway, however it's pronounced, I now have one on my boat. The fillet is just a smoothened bead of thickened epoxy laid in a joint where two panels come together. Tonight, I started on the keel joint. I mixed up the epoxy and thickened it with plastic fiber and microbeads. I then glopped it into a ziplock freezer bag. By snipping off a small part of the corner of the bag and then sqeezing, I was able to lay a nice controlled bead. I then shaped it with a radiused putty knife making a nice smooth consistent bead. After this started to set up slightly, I put a 3" wide layer of cloth down. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the fiberglass place to pick up 3" tape so I cut a 3" x 25' long strip. As I wet out this strip of cloth, the cut edge started fraying and causing a bunch of work to keep it from being a mess. I got the edge cleaned up but from now on will only use the glass "tape" to avoid the fraying edge. I then layed a 6" tape over the 3" to give me two layers of cloth over the fillets. Once again I used papertowels over the whole laminate and then rolled it. This soaked up any excess resin and gave me a nice tight, consistent finish. Turned out really nice and should be very strong.

Back To The Old Grind

2009-03-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, the first job is to clean up the inside seams. When the panels were initially wired together, the builder also tabbed the panels every 16 inches with thickened epoxy. I am now grinding these tabs down smoother so I can lay a nice continuous epoxy fillet the length of the seam. I had just started sanding with a regular sander with 80 grit and I could see it would take a long time. Fortunately, my neighbor Dave came by and suggested using my belt sander. I figured I'd give it a try and found it to be much more efficient. I just have to be real careful I don't hit the wood. After many hours, I am nearly finished (just have to clean up the bow section a bit). Nearly everything is nice and smooth and will soon be ready for the epoxy fillets and then glass tape. In all my zeal, I decided to forego my tyvek coveralls during sanding and am now very itchy from head to toe. Despite the itchiness, I must say it's very cool to be working "inside" the boat.

All Rolled Over

2009-03-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we got it rolled over. The morning was quite windy and even a bit snowy. David wasn't able to make it because of all the snow down south so we were going to bag the whole operation. But then the sun came out and since my dad and brother were already down here, plus neighbor Dave and bowguy Luke were able to help, we decided to go for it. I was glad I put casters on the strongback. We just wheeled the whole thing out of the shop and parked next to the field. Then we added some bracing to the hull so it wouldn't flex as we manuevered it. We were able to lift it off the male frames and set it down in the grass. Next, we slowly rolled it over. As we were half way through the roll there was a loud crack--turns out it was just one of the braces shifting (that sure got my attention!) After getting it rolled over, we removed the male forms from the strongback and replaced them with the cradles. Then we set the boat in the cradles and rolled it back into the shop. Took less than an hour. The boat looks a whole lot bigger now that it is flipped right side up. Very cool. Thanks to all who helped and to David who wanted to be here!

Book Work

2009-03-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

As the roll over nears, I am having to give some thought as to how I'm going to build this thing. I have a hull but from here on out I'm heading off the map with this project. I don't think the original designer got much further than the hull so I hate to keep bugging him for info. So I've decided to just do the work myself using what I have to figure it out. I used a laser to project the designed water line. I then measured all dimensions at 1 foot stations. This data can be used to figure all kinds of fun stuff. Using my actual measurements, I was able to calculate the center of buoyancy and it was within 1.5 inches of where the designer predicted it should be. So this has given me confidence to press on. I'll continue my calcs and find the keel location, and mast location and that will help me figure locations for bulkheads, and stringers. I'll do some engineering calcs but will also look at similar projects to figure thickness schedules and such. I think I can probably do all this--after all, designing boats isn't an exact science and has some room for a designer's intuition. Otherwise all boats would be exactly the same..right? Besides, what could possibly go wrong??

Getting Ready The Roll Over

2009-03-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

Looks like we will be rolling the hull over this Sunday. David, who originally came up with the concept of this design and who initially started building the hull is planning on being here to help roll it over and check out my progress on his boat. I'm thinking it should go pretty easy. It still weighs almost nothing so I think with 4 guys we can lift it off of the strongback and carry it out into the field. We will then pull off the male forms and replace them with female cradles that I built today. The roll over will be done in the field. Then we will carry it back into the shop and set in in the cradles. We will then do any adjusting to make sure it is straight and level. After this we will sit back and admire the fine lines of this vessel as it sits in a proper boatlike position.

Study Break!

2009-02-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am so close to flipping the boat over. So why no updates? Well, because I'm studying for my yearly simulator checkrides for my work. I figure I'd better do some prep to make sure I pass and keep my job. My budget for this project is already pretty tight but without a job...well, it wouldn't be pretty! So flipping the boat will wait until after I'm done with my rides, then I can hit it hard again.

Now We Are Getting Somewhere!

2009-02-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

Well, the temperature finally warmed for a while so I was able to get out and work on the boat. I sanded like a madman for a couple days and got the bottom all smooth. Then I coated the bottom with two thin coats of straight epoxy to seal everthing. And again, I sanded. Actually, the sanding was easy. The hard part is always getting the blush off the epoxy. When epoxy cures (especially West System) part of the process produces this sticky waxy substance that lays on top of the cured epoxy. If you try sand it, it instantly gums up the sandpaper. So it has to be washed off before it can be sanded. I've found that using a spray bottle with bleach and water works well. I spray it all down and then scrub with a scotchbrite pad. Then I spray some more. The water that drips off is bright orange as it contains the blush. After getting most of this off, I wet sand the surface to get the rest off.

So after getting everything smooth, I applied a high build epoxy primer (interprotect 2000) This will act as additional protection, fill any small scratches, and provide a base for the anti-fouling paint I will later apply. I have rolled on three coats, and will put on a couple more. Then I will wet sand it so its nice and smooth. Then it's time to turn the boat over and begin working on the inside. I will finish fairing the bilge and shear once the deck and bulkheads are installed and the hull is more stable. I am really please with how it is looking. Everything looks smooth, straight, and fair---sweet!

Wrecking Day!

2009-01-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my friend Doug for letting me know about a boat in the yard that was being scrapped. Doug laid claim to lots of stainless steel for me. We were able to get all the stanchions with their bases, the stainless lifeline, chainplate stock, and even a bow pulpit that we may be able to modify for Vertigo. It was sort of sad seeing an old classic wooden boat come to its end but was pretty cool to get some of the parts. Now the old boat can live on in Vertigo!

Vertigo gets a Rig

2009-01-17T22:07:00.000-08:00

Today the rig for Vertigo arrived. It is a carbon fiber Melges 24 mast that had been on an Express 27. The owner was making his boat stock again to race one design in the bay area and was looking to unload this one. It is pretty much the complete rig with spreaders, mast step, tapered carbon boom, nearly new stainless standing rigging, and 2 dacron mainsails that are in pretty good condition. So now it's probably time that I get sanding on my boat so that I can use this cool rig someday! I also learned today that my friend Doug,who works at the local boat yard, has laid claim to some stainless stancions, bow pulpit, and lifelines that he's going to send my way. Thanks Doug!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

Boat House Closed For Weather

2008-12-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

I've been dreaming of a white Christmas. But this cold stuff has messed up my boat building schedule. My shop is great. It is roomy and insulated and bright. But what it doesn't have is heat. With the temperatures this last week always below freezing and often in the teens, the shop has cooled to around 40 degrees or a little less. The problem is, the epoxy won't cure properly at these temps. Even the fast hardner is pretty slow at temps under 50. I have an electric heater but need about 10 more before it'll warm up such a huge space. So I'm taking a break right now till the temp warms up. The good news is we've all been having fun playing in the snow, skipping school and work, hanging out as a family. Too bad snow has to be so cold. Next week is Christmas and we will be busy with family stuff and then the first 10 days of January will be spent in a more tropical local so I guess we are at a bit of a delay but hopefully the boat will still be ready to turn over by the end of January.

My Helper

2008-12-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

Both of my boys have been very interested in the boat project and love to help out in any way they can. Here are pictures I found of Tommy helping me sand the keel joint. He thought it would be a good idea to wear a helmut in case he fell off the bow end of the boat. I thought that was a pretty good idea. Thanks to Denise for putting up with all our dusty clothes all the time! She knows we are having fun.

Finding Treasure at the Beach

2008-12-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I think we've found our source for lead for the keel bulb. Just down the road from my house, we came across the remains of an old keel from a sailboat that washed up in a storm a few years ago. What remained on the boat was hauled off the beach but apparently, the keel stayed behind. In the pictures you can see just the top corner of the keel. It is pretty well buried in the sand and will have to be dug out and it is only accessible at low tide. Our plan is to attack it with shovels and battery powered sawzall's on some dark night when the tides way out. I would think there isn't a problem with us taking the keel--since we are sort of cleaning up the beach. But it will be a night operation just to avoid any questions. I figure there is well over 1000 lbs of lead in the thing. We will just cut it up into managable pieces to bring back home.

Mine's bigger

2008-12-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

Well, Scott came by and dropped off the B's rudder. I was sort of guessing at how big to make my rudder and what foil and planform. I was pleasantly surprised when comparing the rudders that they seem fairly similar. After close examination, the foils seem very close. The B definitely has a more efficient planform with its long elliptical curve. My rudder is a little longer and has more surface area--but my boat will be a bit bigger than the B and weigh a bit more so it stands that slightly bigger will indeed be better. I'm trying to decide whether to recut the rudder to more match the B's or to leave mine as is. I'm thinking my rudder's planform while not quite as efficient drag-wise will be a bit more powerful and forgiving as it will start to stall at the tip and work it's way up (giving me some warning) whereas the B's will stall all at once. So I'm thinking I may glass the rudder blank I have to use as a starter rudder. Until we get the boat tuned and dialed in, we will need a poweful yet forgiving rudder--because when it comes to steering, I'm no Scottie. I am going to make a template from the B rudder to use for a future high-performance rudder. Thanks Scott!

Straightening the chines

2008-12-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

Well, the bottom sections are pretty much filled and smooth. Now on to fixing a few troubled areas. As I've worked on the boat I've noticed that there are a couple spots on the chines that waver a bit. I've made some battens out of plywood that I can follow the chines with and see any wavers. I've then been building those spots out with epoxy and filler and then sanding with the longboard. I'm very please with how the imperfections are going away and it is a much fairer curve. It's all taking a while to do this but I think it will be worth the extra effort in the finished product. Of course I do have to find some balance, as it will probably never be totally perfect. At this time, I don't think performance is the issue but rather asthetics. I've taken a couple pics but it's tough to see what's going on -- things really are smoother and straighter looking in real life!

Yep, still sanding

2008-11-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I haven't posted lately. The reason being that not much is happening. It's not that I haven't been working on the boat, it's just that the progress isn't very quantifiable. (especially in pictures) If you want to check it out, you really have to stop by and feel it. Feel how smooth everything is getting and how the bumps and lines are gone. I'm almost done with the bottom. I'm still hoping to turn the hull sometime in January and can then start construction on the inside. I am enjoying the sanding. It's tedious and mind numbing but for now, that's a pretty good thing. Tonight Luke (Magic Juan's bowman extraordinare) came over to see the progress. He tried his hand at mixing some epoxy for me. It was nice to spread one batch and have another all ready for me--thanks Luke! Just noticed the crazed look in my eyes--that's from too much sanding!

I'm Still Sanding

2008-10-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

Still hard at work sanding. Not a whole lot exciting to say about it. I just put a very thin coat of thickened epoxy on, let it cure, then sand it smooth. Then repeat. There is a lot of surface area here but I'm making progress. It is nice to see the cloth weave, lines, and bumps, all disappear and get replaced by smooth surface. I also found another bag of old tapes from college so have even more great tunes to listen to during sanding. I'm mostly using my hand sander because I can hear the music and get an upper body workout at the same time. I am also trying out a pneumatic longboard sander which is also fun because it's annoyingly loud and creates an amazing dust cloud! Rock on!

Future Naval Architects

2008-10-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

Andrew (6) and Thomas (4) came to the conclusions that dad's progress was way too slow and decided to build their own boats. Last night when I was sanding, they found left over foam and shaped it with a hand saw and sand paper and then used other scraps to build the rigs and sails. It's fun having these guys working out in the shop with me. I'm always amazed at their creativity and skill :) (Note Tommy's canting mast--he's so cutting edge!)

Girl holding my rudder

2008-10-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

Ok guys, got a picture of a girl here now and have gone a week without another picture of me sanding the hull --so is that better? (Denise is gonna kick my butt when she sees this) Anyway, I was busy today resurecting "Magic Juan" my dear SJ24. Today I finally got the mast back up and she should be sailing tomorrow. We had a bit of bad luck while sailing in a gale a couple weeks ago--long story but involved being knocked down by an 8' wave, losing outboard, breaking off tiller, losing boom, eventually losing forestay--and we were soo close to winning the race!! So I did more sanding on the hull this evening. I also formed the top of the rudder. This is a cassette type rudder and the top part will fit into the rudder holder thingy (what is that thing called?) Should be a pretty slick system--will allow us to pull the rudder up easily to inspect or remove seaweed between races. I've gotten the first coat of fairing compound on and it is pretty sweet. Just a little more sanding and one more light coat of fairing and it should be ready to glass.

I heard from Scott who sails a b-25 and he's going to let me borrow an old rudder of theirs. This will allow me to compare it to the one I've just made. Hopefully, I won't find any fatal errors in the way I've shaped mine but if it is way off, I can always use theirs as a pattern and build a new one.

Pretty in Pink

2008-10-22T22:48:00.001-07:00

Yeah-- the rudder is pink ok--got a problem with that?? I finally got a chance to do some work this afternoon. To get a break from just sanding and to be able to actually see some progress, I decided to start on the rudder. Today I was able to rough out the foam core. I decided to go with a NACA 0012 foil which is a good compromise between high lift/ low drag, and forgiving stall characteristics. The rudder will be mostly constant chord for ease of construction but with an elliptical tip to minimize drag caused by water flowing spanwise. I made a template and drew out the foil shape on the end of the foam stock. The I just ran the stock through the table saw 200 times as I adjusted the blade depth each time. Took a couple hours but I was quite happy with how true the core turned out. Now (like every part of this project) I will do some fairing, sanding, and repeat... Once it is totally shaped, I'll rip it in half and put in a strip or two of 5mm okume ply to act as a stiffening stringer (like a surfboard) This will add little weight and will allow for a lighter lamination schedule (I hope)

Progress continues (slowly)

2008-10-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Busy week at work, followed by crazy week at home with Dental and Doctor visits, and 3 soccer games has meant not so much time on Vertigo. I have managed to fill the weave on the top (actually I guess it would be the bottom) of the hull. I have done lots of sanding and it's fun to see how the tape lines and weave dissappear and things start getting smooth and fair. (Yes, I'm actually enjoying sanding) I'd post pictures but nothing really looks any different unless you look real close. The big difference is when you run your hands over the surface. Gone is the cheese grater like texture of the cloth and bumps of tape lines. Its now smooth like glass (still slightly bumpy glass but improving rapidly). I'm thinking that to keep the blog interesting, I will start a side project of working on the rudder since this is sort of a tedious stage with the hull. (someone also suggested the blog could use some pics of hot women to hold interest...yeah, I'll talk to Denise...) That's all for now!

It's just not Fair

2008-10-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, it's fairly fair but a few areas needed some work. So this morning I mixed up some fairing compound. First I mixed up the epoxy, then added microballons for easier sandability and lightness, then some silica to stiffen it up so it doesn't ooze down. In my white coveralls, gloves, and respirator, I feel like some sort of mad scientist as I'm stiring up these concoctions. (which is cool because I always wanted to be a mad scientist) The areas that needed the most attention were where the panels were scarffed together. I made a really wide scraper out of plywood which seemed to work well. Now I just have to let it all cure and then do some sanding--actually, a lot of sanding. Last night I bought a new tool that I have a feeling I will get to know very intimately by the end of this project--my longboard sander.

Filling the weave

2008-10-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

After a few nights of flying, I'm back on the island until Sunday night. The hull is covered in glassed out cloth. The texture of the cloth is sort of like a cheese grater right now. Plus along the chines, there are little ridges caused by the tape edges and some of the scarf joints of the panels aren't quite fair. I now have the job of filling and sanding until the surface of the boat is smooth and fair. This morning, I put my first filler coat of epoxy on the bottom of the boat. I used unthickened epoxy that I squeegeed on and then used a roller to get a nice even coat.

Last of the Glass (for now)

2008-10-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

This morning, I was able to finish glassing the hull. Much of the time was spent grinding out little imperfections in the keel joint and filling and fairing with thickened epoxy. Once that was semi-cured, I glassed over with 6" tape. I also put a nice rounded edge on the hull's transom trailing edge and glassed it. This should be the last of the glass layup on the outside of the hull for now. I will now be spending lots of time fairing the hull and filling the weave of the cloth. This probably means lots and lots of sanding--so probably not a lot of real exciting pictures--just me (and everything else in the shop) covered in dust. Since I had to let the epoxy cure, took advantage of the wind and took my boys out sailing on the SJ-24 (good times!)

Ok, just looked at the pics. Maybe it was the dust in my eyes, but at the time, it sure seemed my tape over the keel was in a much straighter line than appears in these photos. You'd think a pilot would know that a straight line is the quickest way between two points--but hey maybe that's how I fly too. Anyway, no worries, it all gets faired out in the end anyway.

Tomorrow and Sunday, we race "Magic Juan" as we remember our friend and fellow sailor Scott Cline at the Scott Cline Memorial Regatta here in Oak Harbor. As I type this, the barometer is falling rapidly which should mean lots of wind giving us an exciting weekend. So between racing, church, and family stuff this weekend, I probably won't get to do much with Vertigo. I also have to go work a few allnighters starting Sunday night too. Oh well, got some more time off next week.