andrewlucking.com

This weekend was spent installing hatches.

I’d routed the frame of the raised deck hatch last week so after a bit of prep work I went around with a tube of sealant and popped the hatches into place.

The companionway hatch is exposing my limited carpentry skills. After cutting the rounded frame for the sliding hatch I glued and then clamped things together. Next step is to build and install the runners. And then hope I can put it together in such a way that the hatch actually works.

Speaking of hatching… I arrived at the stable one morning to the news that this little guy had arrived over night.

On Sunday I climbed into the hayloft for the first time this year. I spent most of the day setting up for the coming “building season”, sweeping out a winter’s worth of pigeon mess and making lists.

And just because I wouldn’t feel like it truly was spring until I’d heard the buzz of an orbital sander I put in a couple of hours sanding primer. I was in such a good mood to be back at work that I caught myself trying to whistle through the respirator.

The cold weather is setting in and I’ve started looking for tasks on the boat that don’t need epoxy or paint to cure. A couple of weekends ago I cut holes for the windows.

I’ve essentially closed up shop for the winter but with the crazy fluctuations in temperature we’re having this fall I’m hoping I’ll get in a bonus day or two.

With the excitement of turning the hull all but forgotten I’m back to the fairing grind. This time it’s the deck and cockpit that are getting the attention of the long board sander. Compared to the hull I think this task is going to be a good deal easier - there’s a lot less surface area to cover and the cloth on the deck is a lighter weight which makes for smoother seams. That and the fact that I’d learned a thing or two by the time it came to installing the deck.

While the fairing compound cures I’ve also been spending some time below decks completing the installation of the centerboard box.

It took a few more attempts than last year but we finally managed to turn the Vagabond 23 in the hayloft back to upright.

Since the last update I applied a few more coats of primer and, figuring that bottom coating will never be easier than with the hull inverted, I slapped on a bit of anti fouling. Afterall, who knows what could start growing on the hull up there in the hayloft ;-)

After building a sturdy “flipping frame” around the hull it was time to roll her over.

Strike One
Originally I thought we’d just refine the rope-through-a-window-tied-to-the-tractor technique which was so successful when we inverted the hull last summer. What I hadn’t taken into account however was that this time around the hull and frame were a fair bit larger and heavier. It quickly became apparent that the rope wasn’t going to safely hold all that weight and a plan B was needed.

Strike Two
I then made a trip into the local construction equipment rental outfit looking for suitable tools to do the job and ended up renting four chain blocks. The great thing about building in the hayloft is that there are plenty of sturdy beams to anchor things to. The new plan was to use two of the chain blocks attached to corners of the frame to roll the frame (and hull) up and then the other two would be used to let it down onto its side.

After setting everything up and hoisting one side of the frame about 5 feet in the air it became obvious that I wasn’t going to have enough length in the chain blocks to get it all the way over. So the hull went back down, the chain blocks were returned and a beer or two were consumed.

Strike Three
A couple of days later I was back at it. This time I figured I’d attach a second set of chain blocks higher up than the first pair, hoist things to the 5 foot maximum as before and then hook onto the higher set to complete the roll. I knew what I was doing, had a good plan and was eager to get the job done.

Maybe I was a little too eager. Because I was using two blocks to hoist the frame I would lift one corner a little bit, then move to the other corner and pull it up by the same amount. Unfortunately when things were only a couple of feet off the ground I hoisted one corner too far causing the hull and frame to spin so that the bow of the boat was about 5 feet closer to the center of the hayloft. After manhandling it back into place I realized I was going to need some help with this.

Fourth Time’s the Charm
Using free beer as bait I managed to lure a small crew into the hayloft one evening last week. We setup the chain blocks and this time held the frame in place with lengths of rope. Slowly we turned the frame onto its side, setting it down on a set of casters. Things went so smoothly I was left wondering why I had so much trouble doing it on my own.

As a bonus, my brother’s girlfriend was on hand to take a bunch of great photos. I’ll put up a gallery when I get a chance.

‘Cause why should OzzyC and Greg have all the fun… ;-)

I’ve been putting in some serious sander time over the past couple of months and finally managed to get the hull to an acceptable state of fairness. On Friday, I managed to sneak away from the office to sand the “sealer coat” of epoxy I’d applied the previous weekend as well as prep the hull for priming. And yesterday I began spraying the VG23 in the hayloft with the first coat of System Three’s WR-155 primer.

After spraying the first cup I decided to try just rolling it on as I was having some spitting problems with the paint gun that I couldn’t solve. Having never used a spray gun before I was a little nervous about getting good results so I’d made sure to have rolling equipment on hand as a “backup”. In the end, I’m actually impressed with how the primer rolls out and plan to finish priming with a roller. Though I’d like to figure out the problems I was having with the gun too - rolling may work for the primer but I’m not sure about the top coat yet…

For some reason a few pigeons have chosen the last couple of weeks to begin overnighting in the hayloft, leaving a bit of mess on the hull for me to clean up before working. Before heading back to the city last night I pulled a tarp over the hull to keep the new paint from being damaged (you can see it lying to the left of the hull in the photo above). The primer was no longer tacky by the time the tarp was pulled over the hull but of course it was still pretty soft. I had a nightmare last night of the tarp becoming glued to the hull. Fingers crossed.

I’ve added a few more photos to the photoviewer too.

Eventually fairing becomes a process of elimination.

Just writing that title made me cringe ;-)

I thought I’d try the notched spreader fairing technique to try evening out those newbie splices I was mentioning last week. This should allow me to (more) quickly build up either side of the high spot.

For anyone not familiar with this technique, the idea is to apply a layer of fairing material with a notched spreader or trowel. The ridges are then sanded fair and filled in with another coating of fairing material. While not the most sparing way to apply Quickfair I think it’s going to save me the painstaking process of building layer upon layer.

I was inspired to try out this technique after reading a recent post from Ed on his Building the F-22 blog. Thanks Ed!

Here’s a couple shots taken after sanding the ridges down:

Overall, the fairing seems to be coming along. There are sections, such as aft of the ridges, that are starting to look almost even. Depending through which window the sun is shining into the hayloft.

(No, I’m not flipping the bird in that first photo - it’s cell phone shadow).

Fairing has progressed in fits and starts over the past three or four weeks.

After spending a long day hand sanding with the long board I ran out and ordered a pneumatic long board sander. This thing is absolutely my new favourite tool (fuzzy photo warning):

The downside to airtool sanders is that they require a heavy duty compressor to run them. I spent a frustrating day blowing fuses in the barn with a rented electric powered compressor. It ran fine provided the air tank was empty when the motor started. Once it was filled and then partially depleted by the sander the compressor motor would kick in and the amperage it drew in order to push air into the pressurized tank was too much for the barn’s electrical system.

My next attempt was with a gas powered compressor. I set it up on the lawn outside the barn and ran the hose through the hayloft window. Damned if it didn’t work a charm. It certainly isn’t as quiet as sanding by hand but it sure is efficient.

I have some serious high spots on the hull that are going to require a bit of extra fairing attention. These spots correspond to where the side panels were spliced oh so long ago and are a definite result of my having no experience in working with epoxy and fibreglass. I like to think that I’ve progressed as a boat build since those first splices were layed up. You can see a couple of those areas in the foreground of the photo below. Just look for the Quickfair ;-)

Maybe its because I have a new toy but I’m almost looking forward to using the airtool again.

Sign number 17 that I’m getting old? Spring means I get excited about fairing and sanding.

While spring in Montreal started off with some promise the past couple of weeks have been cool and damp. Nevertheless, I’m anxious to get back to work on the VG23 in the hayloft and preparations have begun (tonight’s forecast of snow regardless). This afternoon I thought I’d take a crack at revamping the Flash Player photo gallery I’ve been using to share photos of the construction.

For awhile there I was “documenting” the project with an old 35mm film camera so during this winter’s Christmas holidays I spent a long night with some Red Label and a scanner. The result being a bunch of dark, pixelated digital images and a hangover. See if you can spot the point where I entered the world of digital photography.

Nearly made it to November this year.

Yesterday, after sanding the Quickfair applied last weekend I wrapped the boat in a big tarp and hauled my toolbox down from the hayloft.

I guess it’s back to vicarious building in front of the monitor… Do you know of any projects being chronicled that I should add to last winter’s list? I think it was Tim Zim who pointed me to The Voyage of Wendy Ann 2 . Seb Pattenden has a knack for colourfully describing the adventures of refurbishing an old tug.

Upon seeing the frost on my windshield and the thin layer of ice on the puddles yesterday morning I had little expectation of making much progress on the VG23. Driving to the farm with a steaming cup of coffee I kept thinking about the warm bed I’d left behind and wondering how my allergies to cold weather would hold up under the day’s forecast high of 5°C.

Of course sanding is one of those all-weather tasks and now that I’m fairing, the exertion of using a longboard served to chase away some of the chill. There was actually only a bit of sanding on the keel that needed to be done and by putting a bit of arm into it I managed to quickly move onto applying more fairing compound.

I have an old desk in the hayloft that has been re-purposed as a workbench and by sticking a halogen lamp beneath it and blocking off the ends I had a nice spot to warm Quickfair to a workable temperature. With a second halogen lamp aimed on the hull I was able to keep the fairing compound being applied from becoming too cool to spread easily. I found that with this technique I was able to take my time and didn’t feel rushed to beat the Quickfair’s curing time (here’s hoping it will cure eventually ;-).

This is by far this the latest into the fall that I’ve worked on the boat and while it’s only October I consider it “bonus” time. I’ll probably just keep playing it by ear and close up shop when the temperature drops a few more degrees.

According to System Three’s The Epoxy Book, fairing “is the operation of filling the low spots on a boat hull or auto body to the level of the high spots, eliminating waviness and hollows“. That sounds easy, right?

In the month or so since the last update I managed to complete construction of the keel and glass the VG23’s exterior. Last weekend began the process of fairing the hull and already I’m starting to see a problem developing:
See, I’m not a particularly patient person. I’ll work hard, (possibly even a little obsessively), provided I see progress being made. Once I begin to feel things are bogging down however, I have a tendency to convince myself that the current state of affairs is “good enough”. Something I almost always regret later. Unfortunately, from my limited experience, patience seems to be a key “ingredient” in the fairing process…

I’m hoping though that I can use the fast approaching winter to my advantage. Figuring I probably only have a few more weeks before it becomes simply too cold in the hayloft to work with epoxy and fairing compound, I’d like to get the fairing job well begun before winding down for the winter. The theory being that the winter off will serve to dull any negative feelings I have about fairing and I’ll be raring to get back at it come spring.

Of course, there’s always the risk that little scheme will backfire. It’s possible that spring will roll around and knowing full well how tedious the fairing process will be I’ll succumb to another of my problematic characteristics - procrastination.

Building the centerboard was a great example of why I so enjoy building this sailboat. It was a project with a number of tasks that at first I really wasn’t sure how to accomplish, but by taking it one step at a time, doing some research and then putting in the work required I was rewarded with a great sense of achievement, (not to mention a functional (hopefully) centerboard).

To achieve the desired thickness the VG23’s centerboard is made from 3 pieces of 3/8″ ply so after cutting the shapes I laminated them together with the usual woodflour / epoxy putty. A group of woodclamps held the board together as the epoxy cured.

Shaping the profile of the centerboard into something resembling a NACA profile was a task that I really wasn’t looking forward to. I knew it was going to entail a fair bit of work and I had, (still have actually), doubts about the performance improvments it would provide. After consulting the very knowledgable group in the bateau2.com message forums I decided to go ahead and shape the board. After plotting a number of profiles for the v shape of the centerboard I followed Justin Pipkorn’s advice and cut some cardboard template “molds” to help measure the profile. Then I set to work with the planer, a wood rasp and my trusty orbital sander. Eventually I had a sleek looking centerboard that reasonably matched my templates and as a bonus was able to collect a fair bit of sanding “dust” to augment my woodflour supplies (fillet putty made from sanding dust is incredibly smooth, nearly paste-like in consistency).

After a bit of searching I managed to track down some Delrin to act as a bushing for the centerboard’s pivot hole. The supplier I found only stocked tubular shaped Delrin so in order to make it less likely to want to turn in the board I squared it off (more or less) on the radial arm saw. I say more or less as Delrin is well, very hard and you can imagine how easy it is to clamp a chunk of round plastic in place. Finally, after drilling the pivot hole I embedded it in the centerboard.

Weighting the board with lead was another task that I approached with some hesitation. Obviously it needed to be done - the centerboard on the VG23 is designed to be gravity deployed, meaning when lowered it is simply the board’s weight that holds it down; there is no mechanical force keeping it lowered. Melting and pouring lead however was not my idea of an enjoyable job. I seem to have no problems “poisoning” my body with alcohol in it’s various forms but the very remote risk of lead poisoning had me considering my options. After chatting with the good folks at Canada Metal and repeatedly reading that heating lead only really became dangerous when it got so hot as to vapourize I once again overcame my reluctance. Using a router I bore a few cavities in the board using a dovetail bit around the edges to help hold the lead in place (I also added a few brass screws in the “walls” of each cavity). I melted the lead shot (outdoors) in a stainless steel pot over a propane burner (being careful to only heat it to the point of melting) and carefully poured it into the cavities. The process was so simple I was left wondering why I ever had doubts.

Once the weighted centerboard had completely cooled I encapsulated it with 12oz fibreglass cloth and used quikfair to get it fair. After a flow coat of epoxy it was ready for painting.

After having rolled the hull I was a little uncertain as to how difficult it would be to install the centerboard box. In the end though I think it worked out quite well.

In order to hold the box in position while it was fibreglassed into the hull I slapped together a temporary supporting frame made of 2×4 remains from the original basket mold. It took a number of test fits to get the various members supporting the centerboard box properly adjusted and I was able to stand on the inverted hull and simply lower the box onto my frame from above. Once the box was glued in place I dismantled the frame and applied fibregass tape to all the seams.

Once the turned hull was stabilized I began the process of laminating a second layer of ply to the bottom of the hull. After removing the more than two year old butt blocks I gave the bottom panels a quick sanding. Once I had the panels for the new layer cutout I began mixing and applying the large batches of epoxy and woodflour laminating “slurry”. With the hull completely upside down gluing the panels in place was a pretty easy task. And once again a few haybales came in handy to hold everything in place as the epoxy set.

Next, using my trusty orbital sander and angle grinder I rounded off the outer seams and then applied the fibreglass tape.

I’ve recently enrolled the services of a guard cat (with lasers for eyes no less) to patrol the hayloft at night. You can see her at her post beneath the hull.

A few more photos in the photoviewer too… New ones start here.

It sure has been awhile since my last update on the VG23 build. Putting a positive spin on my neglect, that should mean this won’t just be a “more sanding” report…

After installing the cockpit gunwales I began the process of dismantling the basket mold that had support the hull during the assembly process. As I was doing so I recycled a number of the 2×4’s to build a supporting frame ‘box’ in which I planned to roll the hull. By adding a number of supporting members I hoped to prevent any shifting during the turning process.

I’m fortunate enough to have plenty of space in the hayloft so rather than turning the hull in place I was able to ’simply’ roll in on to the starboard side. To do the heavy lifting we ran a line from the newly constructed frame through a pulley hung in the peak of the roof of the hayloft and out the window to a tractor on the ground. For safe measure I strategically placed a few haybales to act as cushions in case we set things down to quickly (or worse yet, something let go). After a few false starts the hull was eventually sitting on her side and I was grinning from ear to ear. I’ll tell you, with a beam of 8 1/2 feet the VG23 was looking mighty imposing resting there.

At this point I had a decision to make. Installing the centerboard trunk would be easiest with the hull on it’s side but first I needed to laminate a second layer of ply to the hull’s bottom. In the end I decided to go ahead and complete the roll - it would need to be keel up to complete the fibreglassing of the hull anyhow.

I’d attached a set of coasters to the starboard side of the frame box prior to turning the hull so we were able to ‘wheel’ it back over to the side of the hayloft. Again we attached the line that ran out the hayloft window to the tractor. I dragged the haybale cushions back into place and slowly we rotated the hull. Slowly that is until after the hull crossed the tipping point. As it was being lowered the line gave way and the hull dropped to the hayloft floor. My grin did too.

Fearing the worst, I inspected for damage and was relieved to find the VG23 uninjured. It was resting crookedly on the haybales and one corner of the 2×4 frame box had given way but there wasn’t so much as a scratch on the hull. I’d built the frame box with some extra length to the vertical members so the hull would be sitting a foot or so off the floor. As near as I can figure, the haybales beneath helped the hull to roll onto these ‘feet’ which had hit, causing the frame to fail and absorbing the impact. My grin returned. Things hadn’t exactly gone according to plan but the hull was intact and in the position it needed to be. With the hull resting on the haybales I dismantled the framing and built some supports on which to rest it while I completed the build.

Managed to put in a short day in the hayloft yesterday. I spent some time cutting ply for the cockpit seat backs and getting things in order after the winter break. I’m happy to report that the VG23 seems to have made it through the winter with no ill effects. After sweeping out a few spider webs (that has to be a good omen) I was able to quickly settle into tackling the first hurdle of this years build.

I figured that cutting and installing the cockpit seat backs would be a nice straightforward task to start the season off with. As I was drawing out the shapes though I quickly realized that the backs were going to be a few inches longer that a single sheet of ply (did I mention that the cockpit seats in the VG23 are large?). So, rather than a single piece I’ll build the seat backs in two sections, joining them at one of the cockpit frames. This will require a few extra cleats which I’ve glued in place and left to cure.

Popeye called, and he’d like his arms back.

Nearly five months to the day after setting out from Lisbon, Julie Wafaei and Colin Angus have rowed into rowed into Limon, Costa Rica to complete their human powered crossing of the Atlantic ocean in a 24′ rowboat. Following a short pitstop in St Lucia they began rowing for Costa Rica at the beginning of February, arriving arriving early yesterday morning.

Congratulations Colin and Julie!

update: A couple of the links to the expeditions update blog died so I’ve updated ‘em.

As work on the VG23 is halted while I wait out the Montreal winter I find myself turning to others’ boat projects to get my building fix vicariously. I am so grateful that there are some folks out there with some cool boat projects who take the time to blog. Here’s a small list of some of my favourites.

Building a Houseboat - Buddies Dave (”OzzyC”) and Greg are building the GT23 (a cabin cruiser) designed by the good folks at bateau.com (also designers of the VG).

I didn’t mean to but… - Tim Zim is in the midst of converting a fishing trawler into a liveaboard. Tim complains about busting rust the way I complain about sanding. And his “Lady Jane” is 90+ feet!

Ceilydh Under Construction - Evan Gatehouse and family are reconstructing a Woods Meander 40′ catamaran. Any boat project that begins with a chainsaw is okay in my books.

Waterlogged: living on a wooden ship - These folks are living aboard the MV Bowie, a 136 foot former WW II US Navy subchaser, as they renovate her. Something about life on a huge old wooden ship with a hot tub on her stern really appeals to me.

Know of any other projects that I should be following?

I’ve been casually following the exploits of Colin Angus ever since I first read Amazon Extreme, in which he recounts rafting the the Amazon river. With next to no sponsorship and very little experience he and two friends walked to the Amazon’s source and then rode the entire length of the river into the Atlantic ocean. Following the Amazon, Colin rafted the Yenisey river - the world’s fifth-longest which flows from western Mongolia to the Arctic Circle.

His latest adventure began nearly 18 months ago when he and Tim Harvey set out to travel from Vancouver to Moscow by human power alone. Upon reaching Moscow, and apparently not satisfied with the accomplishment, Colin decided to continue on and attempt to become the first to travel around the Earth entirely by human power.

Today he and his fiance Julie Wafaei are somewhere south-west of the canary islands rowing for the Florida coast. They left Lisbon on September 22nd and expect to be at sea for another 2 months.

Yesterday I happened to catch a conversation that CBC radio’s As It Happens had with the travellers and was inerested to hear Julie mention that the rowboat they are aboard is constructed of marine plywood and epoxy. It sounded to me like a very familiar construction method so I went hunting for more details. After one look at the photos on the expedition’s website I recognized some familiar ply panel seams in the craft’s chines. And a little more googling turned up a similar design for an ocean rowing sailboat.

Colin and Julie’s Expedition Planet Earth progess is being updated here.
A little more info about the boat and other equipment can be found here.
As It Happens has a series of RealAudio interviews covering the Vancouver to Moscow leg here.

I spent sometime getting acquainted with the new sander today.

Added some more photos too.

There are couple of reasons for the slower than usual updates. With the cooler fall weather and the darkening evenings I’ve stopped putting in evenings on the boat. Also, I’ve been sanding for the last few visits. There are few things less exciting than sanding but blogging about sanding has to be one of them. (You tell me, how does reading about sanding rank?)

A couple of weeks ago I finished glassing the deck. The plans secify using a 6oz cloth to sheath the topside and I am really happy with how it turned out. I found the lighter weight cloth a bit easier to work with - it probably helps that it was lying mostly flat. I expect fairing it should be a relatively painless undertaking, though I’m sure I’ll find some way to complicate the process.

Something I’m not thrilled about is the stiffness of the deck. In a couple of areas it is quite spongy. I had been planning to add strengthening backings to the various deck-mounted hardware I’ll be installing but now I’m thinking about also installing a layer of ply from below between the deck framing. Doing it again I’d be tempted to either deck the boat with thicker ply or use two layers of the specified thickness.

The deck on the VG23 drops slightly beneath the sheer line going forward which means that without some form of scupper the deck will hold a small amount of water. You’d think this wouldn’t be much of a concern right now considering I’m building inside. Not so. Depending on the direction and force of the wind and amount of rainfall there are a number of small leaks in the roof of the barn. We had a fair amount of rain this past week so on the weekend there was a small puddle waiting for me on deck. Though, I’m actually happy it happened - now I’ll know to be wary of it when I wrap the boat for the winter.

Have I mentioned that I’m a big fan of sanding? I’ve begun “cleaning” things up below decks. Starting in the forward berth I’ve been sanding all the rough framing and removing any of the excess epoxy putty that dripped or squeezed out as the members were being installed. It’s awkward, dusty, thirsty work. It also proved too much for my sander. To be honest, when it finally died I actually felt a bit of satisfaction - like I’d vanquished an adversary. (That lasted until the trip to Canadian Tire to pick up a replacment).

I managed to finish sanding the tape on the topside of the deck this evening. This, of course, means that my forearms are itchy.

Installing the deck ply went fairly smoothly. Once I’d cut them to shape and glued them to the frames I used whatever objects available to weigh the sheets down while the glue cured. That is how a couple of hay bales came to be the first items to sit on the deck.

Actually, they weren’t the first - I’d originally placed a couple of unopened (full) epoxy jugs near the decks edge. I only replaced them with bales after the duct tape holding one panel in place popped free sending one of the jugs tumbling. Suprisingly the plastic jug survived the 4 foot fall but the cap popped off under the pressure of the impact. Ughh. While spending the next 20 minutes soaking resin from the floor I consoled myself with that fact; imagining the mess I’d have had had the jug exploded.

Phew. Big push this past week.

I found installing the roof beams to be very rewarding work. The frames spanning the width of the boat are made from laminations of 1/4″ ply. After test fitting the pieces I glued them together and then removed notches to fit the longitudinal frames. Once the laminations had cured I used clamps and a few temporary wood screws to hold the frames in place while they were installed in the boat.

I used some nice Quebec hard maple for the logitudinal frames. I’ve heard that maple has a tendancy to stain when wet but figured that most of it will not be directly exposed to the elements. Time will be the judge of that decision. Anyhow, once these frames were glued into the notches in the roof beams I used a planer to ensure the deck will sit flush upon the frames.

When constructing the framing for the deck hatch I thought I’d try to gain an inch or two in headroom beneath the hatch by mounting it on the level (as opposed to following the deck’s cant). This will mean that the forward end of the hatch will sit a little higher and may be a bit more exposed than it would have been. Hopefully it won’t look too out of place either.

A bunch of sanding still to do, but the seats are installed in the cockpit. Man are they huge! I realize the seat backs will take a good chunk out of the seat depth but they are going to be a great spot for sleeping under the stars.

Before installing the sole in the cockpit I glued a few battens to it’s bottom for stiffening and had planned to do the same with the seats. Unfortunately it slipped my mind and only dawned on me as I was sitting back with a “job well done” reward. Oops. Luckily I can still access the underside of the seats, though I’m not sure they’re required after all.

I’ve also done a bunch of work below deck - building shelving and backs for the benches.

A couple of photos have been added to the photoviewer gallery too (they’re at the end so hit the ‘prev’ button if you want to skip to ‘em quicker).

Nearly finished installing the seats, benches and bunks.

Assuming that I would be more likely to make mistakes at the beginning of this stage I started in the v-berth and worked my way aft to the cockpit. I found cutting the ply for these pieces to get a nice fit against the curved hull and between the various members to be a bit fussy. My limited carpentry skills tend to become evident when I stray beyond right angles. I was however pleased to note that by flipping a piece from one side of the boat I was able to use it as a template for the opposite side (with some adjustments). It would seem she’s relatively uniform.

Folks on the bateau2.com builder’s forum gave me some good ideas for designs of latching hatches below decks.

I also ordered a couple of watertight locking hatches to be installed in the cockpit seats. With the cockpit sole installed I have been able to get a good idea how enormous the storage area is beneath the seats in the cockpit. Nearly sufficient space to relocate the quarters of any crewmember who finds my badside. ;-)

At last it looks like I’m nearly finished fibreglass taping the stringers, frames and bulkheads into the hull. Getting into the corners to sand can be dusty and cramped work so I’m happy to be putting it behind me (atleast for the near future). I’ve developed a real appreciation for the angle grinder which really helps to take down the edges of the tape and any stray drips of fillet. Usually what I’ll do is run the grinder over the tape before sanding, keeping it handy for any of those spots that would take some working at with the sander. In the corners where both the angle grinder and the orbital sander can’t reach I’ve been using a Dremel type rotary tool with a decent sized grinding stone to get any of the sharp fibreglass edges. This seems especially important in the those sections that I know willl be storage compartments. I’ve caught my fingers on those rough edges a couple of times now and would rather not get that kind of suprise each time I reach into a storage locker.

I’ve also begun installing cleats to support the various bench tops etc. I know other builders have attached cleats to the frames prior to installing them in the hull - something I hadn’t done. I’ve been curious to see if I’d suffer for it but so far it hasn’t been a problem. I think in a couple of spots it may have actually worked to my advantage where I’ve been able to “even out” a spot where the edges of two frames didn’t line up by fractions of an inch.

Last year when builing the basket mold I got a pretty good deal on a laser level and have found it to be incredibly useful in keeping the cleats level. I’m actually a little impressed how even all the framing that supports the bench and bunk tops is. I can’t say I fussed a great deal getting the basket level but it seems to have worked out for me. It would seem I got a whole lot of dumb luck with my $50 level.

Jack Christensen put in seventeen years building Queen Jean, a 50 foot wooden schooner, in his backyard. Then he gave it away.

Here’s an article in Quincy, Massachusetts’ Patriot Ledger from last spring:
http://www.patriotledger.com/articles/2004/03/25/news/news04.txt

There’s a small piece in this month’s (well actually next month’s) edition of Sail magazine that provides a bit of an update. Apparently he wound up giving it to a private citizen as maintenance expenses would have been too steep for a charity.

Been awhile.

I put in the first full (well, nearly full) day in the hayloft on the weekend. Everything came through the winter down time just fine (no nests in the boat) and it was nice to get back to it. I had missed the smell of epoxy but have to admit to being a little more cautious with exposure to the stuff since reading of kdog’s allergy woes on the bateau2.com builder’s forum. Epoxy allergies appear to be fairly rare but it seems like a wise idea to wear gloves and avoid any fumes (I actually find the epoxy resin to have a very low odour). Here’s hoping he’ll find a way to get his boat finished.

As for the Vagabond in the hayloft, my first order of business is to finish fibreglass taping the stringers and bulkheads in the hull. For some reason all winter I thought that I had only about 1/3 of that task left to be done. Turns out I’d only done about 1/3 of it. Perhaps instead of building nests in the hull critters were undoing my work?

Two buddies building a houseboat (the GT23 from boatplans-online.com) and blogging about it:
http://houseboatbuilder.blogspot.com/

Once the inside of the hull had been fully fibreglassed and sanded I was ready to begin the process of permanently installing the stringers and frames that make up the interior structure of the VG23. Before any of them could be glassed in place their shape needed to be tweaked to ensure that they would sit properly. It’s important to avoid any hard spots which are places where the frames put pressure against the hull. Otherwise the localized stress in these areas could cause problems down the road.

With each member of the structure I ran the table saw or jig saw around the edges, taking off about a 1/8″ to 1/4″ sliver. I would then test fit them in their specified locations within the hull, using the grinder and occasionally the jig saw to adjust the shape. All hard corners on the framing were rounded out to fit the curves of the hull seams. This procedure was a tiny bit awkward with the long stringers which tended to want to slip ahead. Because their length and flex made them clumsy to remove from inside the hull to be worked I made most of the adjustments in-place. Once I was happy with how each member fit I gave them a thin coating of epoxy, being sure to touch the edges of the plywood as well. Naturally I was eager to run the sander over each once they’d fully cured.

I mentioned during the process of shaping the hull that I had managed to fit most of the interior members together without having to cut them into pieces so that was how I placed them in the hull for the final time. Begining in the cockpit I tabbed the stringers and then the frames to the hull with an epoxy / sawdust putty. I would glue the members in a few strategic locations to hold things in place, again using an occasional temporary screw to keep things from shifting while the glue hardened. Finally, I built the fillets and applied the required fibreglass tape as specified in the lamination schedule of the plans. Similar to the procedure I’d used to apply the tape to the hull seams I would build a few fillets and while they began to cure I cut and wetout the fibreglass tape on the workbench. The wetted fibreglass tape was then applied to the seam and worked with the squeegee. By this point I was quite comfortable with the process and was able to make good progress considering the number of seams that need to be glassed.

(I scaled the rafters of the hayloft to take this photo)

I’ve actually been delaying the writing of this dispatch as it will unfortunately be the last covering the first season of building. As I write the VG23 is sitting in the hayloft as you see her above (nearly), wrapped up tightly in a few tarps. I’m anxiously awaiting the warmer weather that spring will bring in order to get back into the loft. A few foks have let me know that they are reading these accounts and I want you to know that they will pick up once work resumes. You can expect the picture count to increase as well. If you have any specific questions about building the VG23 I would love to try and help answer them. I do suggest that maybe we try and keep the technical discussions to the bateau2.com builder’s forum so that those who follow us can more easily benefit from the conversation. Besides there are a number of folks there who actually know what they’re doing and would love to help out ;-). That’s where Jacques Mertens, the VG23’s designer, reads and answers questions like a champ. He is very giving with support and his advice and explanations are always pearls of wisdom.

In preparation for fibreglassing the interior of the hull I sanded the double layer of fibreglass tape along the seams. I also ran the angle grinder along the edges of the tape to smooth them out a little figuring this would help get the glass inside the hull a bit more fair. Doing this also allows the cloth to bond smoothly, preventing any air pockets from forming.

Once the hull was prepped I began the process of laying and wetting out the fibreglass cloth. Working my way fore to aft I would unroll a few feet of the 12 ounce biaxial cloth from the bolt and hold it in place with a few strips of duct tape. To wet the cloth I’d use a cheap paint brush to apply the epoxy and then using my trusty bondo squeegee I would move it around to get things smooth. In the beginning I was leaving a bit too much epoxy but after a few batches I had figured out the right amount of pressure to apply to get the cloth properly bonded.

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The spot welds between the cable ties cured for about a week before my next weekend trip out to the farm. At this point I secured the tops of the side panels to the frames of the basket mold and removed the framing (as mentioned previously). For a little bit of extra support I’d also added a few strips of fibreglass tape on the outside of the hull to hold the seams together.

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Once I was happy with how the frames and bulkheads were sitting and the hull had taken its’ proper form I went around and tightened up the cable ties holding the panels together. I also taped along the exterior of the seams with duct tape (right over the ties). The sight of the hull sitting there all “sealed up” with duct tape provoked a few more “are you sure you know what you’re doing?” type cracks from the peanut gallery. The mess it prevented during the welding and filleting process made the good natured ribbing a little easier to take though. Besides, the odd looks my “no, not really” responses got sort of gave me a chuckle.

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While the side and bottom panels were being assembled, spliced and then stitched together in the basket mold I was also busy producing the stringers, frames and bulkheads specified in the plans. I can tell you I came very close to making the wrong cut on a number of occasions and only have dumb luck to thank for not wasting a sheet or two of wood. Actually dumb luck, high quality plans and a pretty sweet tape measure. Someone had given me a ProTapes carpenter’s measure and I’ve found its one of those tapes that you just can’t help but pull out for one last measure before the the saw blade touches wood. Saved my butt a few times.

Once all the frames had been cut and the stringers spliced I began to install them in the hull. At this stage of the building process we are only using the framing to shape the hull and once it has been properly formed all the framing will be removed while the fibreglassing of the inside of the hull is completed. This means that while we really want to get the frames properly positioned they are not fibreglassed to the hull. By cutting some cleverly located notches in the stringers and the frames I was able to slot them together without requiring cutting any of them into multiple pieces.

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Once the splices on the panels had firmly set I gave the panels a quick sanding to rough up the epoxy coated surface. The fibreglass splices are incredibly strong and able to take the manhandling they were given as the panels were placed into the basket mold. With some assistance I first placed the bottom panel in the basket and then added the side chine panels. A few strategically placed cable ties helped to hold the panels together. As I was shifting the panels about to get them properly seated in the basket it became obvious that I’d need to add some vertical support at the bow frame of the basket. Once those were added the hull began to take shape. It was an awesome feeling to see things coming together after just a few days of work.
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One of the first challenges to boat building on the second floor is getting the materials into the loft. Specifically, the 40 odd sheets of 4′x8′ marine plywood that are used as the core material of the vg23’s composite hull. I spent hours contemplating a method to easily get the sheets up and down from the loft and finally settled on a simple pulley mechanism which seemed to do the trick. One sheet of plywood at a time. I’m not the most patient of people and after hoisting 5 or 6 panels into the loft it was gently pointed out to me that the front-end loader on the tractor could reach to the height of the hayloft. An hour or so later the plywood was safely stacked in the loft and my rope and pulley system hasn’t been used since. I took it as a perfect lesson in over thinking a problem and have made a point of not repeating that kind of waste of time and energy again.

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Hayloft VG23
That’s what I’ve been calling the boat project until I can decide on a real name and she is properly christened. My mom and step dad operate a horse stable outside the city and have been kind enough to let me build in the stable’s hayloft. It’s actually the perfect spot for it - I’m spoiled by all the space. Getting the finished boat down from the loft is obviously going to be a challenge but I have some ideas (some good, some hilarious) so am not too worried. Yet.

Anyhow, the first step was to build the basket mold. When I assembled the frames for the mold I initially only put vertical supports at the two mid frames which I eventually realized were too few. I later added some support to the bow frame which helped to align the panels quite nicely. That was probably lesson number one - the better the basket design, the easier it will be to align the long side and chine panels. It all worked out for me but if I’d planned a little better I could have avoided some frustrations (and cursing) when attaching the panels.

I’ll write some more about the construction process when I get a chance.

peace.

Check it out!

(image credit bateau2.com)
The vg23 is a 23 foot sailboat constructed of a plywood-fiberglass-epoxy composite, also known as stitch and glue. I bought the plans for this sailboat from boatplans-online.com this past winter and began construction in the spring. I’ll blog about the building progress in posts to follow, but for now let me introduce you to the design a little bit more.
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