A baby got a new bottom

The insert glassed over

The insert glassed over with 3-4 layers of 5.5 oz fiberglass and covered with peelply.

Foam glued to a sheet of glass(fiber) and cut to shape then inserted into the cut in the hull.

Foam glued to a sheet of glass(fiber) and cut to shape then inserted into the cut in the hull.

Hull Slit down the middle.

A really cool salt water tank. (2)

A really cool salt water tank.

NSC season haul out.

Even in a clean lake we have a growth problem.  Could this cause a steering issue??

Halyard Lock

I was having troubles with the new(to me) stiff boltrope. Wile I could get the sail up with out the halyard I could not release the hook when I wanted to.

I removed about 3cm if boltrope and now it works fine. Do need to make a new hook out of lighter stock.

Sail shape 2

The second set clew at 50% and down haul at 10%.

Sail shape

Some shots of the new sail. 

The first two are with the clew at 90% and the down haul at 50%.

New boom and mast rotation control.

Boom and mast rotation control.
I can adjust the mast rotation and the down haul from both sides.
This is new to me, I have not sailed a boat with a boom years.

New Sail

A new sail from North (Henry Bossett designer)

The pessimist...

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.
— William Arthur Ward

Center Board attitude movement.

My intent is to have the centerboards near vertical upwind and angled for down wind.

Center Board attitude adjuster W/ CB in place.

Center Board attitude adjuster.

Don't you just hate cutting holes in your boat...

Don't you just hate cutting holes in your boat...
I'm installing new CB trunks to accommodate the new center boards and to move them back about 3".

Out go the old.

Vacuum bag laminating table to make flat parts Part 3

Vacuum bag laminating table to make flat parts Part 2

Part 2

Vacuum bag laminating table to make flat parts Part 1

Using a laminating table to make flat parts with a vacuum bag.
I need to make center board trunks for the curved center boards, the easy way for now is to
use 4 mm ply with a fiberglass reinforcement. In this video the underside is got a coat of 5oz glass and a layer of peel ply, purf. poly, and breather mat. At the start I have layed down the glass and am putting a layer of peel ply on.

Curved Center Boards

The boards are now waiting for fairing and painting.

Pouring foam 2

Just a little mis-calculation, too much foam.

Pouring Foam

Pouring foam into centerboard, I am using 8lb per cubic foot.

Clamping the glued centerboard skins

Clamping the glued centerboard skins

Gluing the Centerboard skins.

Sealing up the Vacuum bag in a center board skin.

This is the sealing up of the vacuum bag after the layup is done. On the carbon fiber goes a layer of peel ply, then a layer of perforated release film. Next goes two layers of breather fabric and bagging film (LTF250).





The Vacuum bagging consumables are from Express Composites, Inc.

The layup of a Centerboard skin with carbon fiber.

The layup of a Centerboard skin with carbon fiber.






BOM (in order of use )

1 layer of 5.7 oz plain carbon fiber weave. (6" x 52")
1 layer of 11 oz Uni-directonal carbon fiber (6" x 52")
1 layer of 11 oz Uni-directonal carbon fiber (2" x 52")
1 layer of 5.7 oz plain carbon fiber weave. (4" x 52")
1 layer of 11 oz Uni-directonal carbon fiber (2" x 52")
1 layer of 5.7 oz plain carbon fiber weave. (6" x 52")

Curved CB out of the jig.

Sorry for the messy table.

Parts into assembly jig

parts into assembly jig after gluing, then into the oven.

Preparing CB skins

Preparing skins, pulling off peelply on front part.

Test assembly

Two skins together in the assembly jig.  I need to  put the compression spar inside before I start to glue them together. 

Into the oven it goes

Once the vacuum bag is OK (no leaks) a foam box goes over the mold with a 50 year old heater set to low and a fan at the other end.  The temp. is set to 130 F. and then I walk away for 12 hours.  After 12 hours off goes the vacuum and heat and I don't open it for 24 hours.

Center Board skin in mold under vacuum.

Center Board skin in mold under vacuum.

I am using West Systems 105/206 with e-glass for the first sample that I will make the assembly jig from.

Second CB mold off the tool.

I popped the second CB mold of the tooling. ( I use the word popped loosely, the resin stuck to the primer in a few spots.)  I will need to finish some of the spots after sanding the surface.

Working on second CB tool

The inside radius CB tool just needs a little clean up and to be reinforced.
The plug is back on the strong back and waiting for the tooling surface and glass.