Archive for March 2016
In my rush from task to task I had forgotten to show the photos of the wide stern of our Didi 40 Cr Wide Stern version now that the deck around the cockpit is fitted. This is about as good a photo as I can get for a while as there is not a good vantage point to photograph the side decks. Also today due to rain I worked inside the hull on the chart table. I was worried the the plywood for the lid was warped so I am pleased to report that after gluing on some trim it is now flat and ready to have the hinges fitted. The other useful job completed today was to trim the outer edge of the 12 mm plywood floor where it sits on the keel frames. These localized areas are trimmed back to 6 mm to give a large bearing area on the keel frames and to lessen the slope of the floor. Now the floor can be epoxy coated to protect it during the rest of the construction.
Our wide stern version of Dudley Dix’s Didi 40 Cr looks very modern
Today’s job was fitting reinforcing trim on the chart table lid
Chart table with lid in place ready to fit hinges
We had guest around for Easter Sunday dinner so I wanted to show the most progress for the least work. I had already put the floor in the settee area to make it a more usable work area. It was hard work stepping around the keel floors but now that there is a floor in place it is quite a useful work area. The most progress for the least work was to cut the plywood for the bunk tops. The forepeak was easy because I had already installed the edges that go around all the tricky framing and was left with just straight cuts. In the quarter berth area I had arranged bearers so that there was one rectangular piece and one tapered piece.
One of the benefits of having visitors around it that it prompted me to tidy up the boat building materials that had been sitting in the sun room for the past six months. Now we have a clean tidy sun room back to enjoy.
Today, Easter Monday, I set out the foredeck plywood and marked out the shape of the sloping area at the front of the cabin. That proved less difficult than I had expected so I had time to complete the fairing of the gunwhales all the way to the bow, cut out the first layer of most of the foredeck up to the anchor locker and add an extra 12mm plywood layer to the rear of the anchor locker. The optional anchor locker calls for two 12 mm doublers over the 9 mm frame plus a laminated beam checked int the gunwhales. The beam is laminated ready to install and the two 12 mm ply doublers are glued into place. The forward 12 mm doubler is difficult to fit after the hull skin is on and in hindsight I should have fitted this before the skin. The consequences were that I had a big of bogging to do with thickened epoxy to seal all the joins.
12 mm plywood floor provides a nice work area in our Didi 40 Cr
Quarter berth bunk tops in our Didi 40 Cr.
It was easier to install the vanity front on our Didi 40 Cr before the side deck was installed
The bunk tops in our Didi 40 Cr provide a very comfortable work platform for fitting the foredeck plywood
The first two 6 mm ply layer on the foredeck of our Didi 40 Cr are cut and ready to glue in place.
Due to the light conditions the starters sent us out on the shortest possible course around Goat Island and back home. We made an aweful start. As we circled close to the start line we were trapped by a row of starboard tackers and after taking the last stern could not make the pin end mark. On tacking back to starboard we found Izzi was also trapped so at least we were in company with our rival for the point score. We both chased the fleet out of Humbug and found most of them becalmed in the lee of Greenwich Point. We both went wide and made up a few places by sailing the long but fast way around the point. Agrovation was in a class of its own ahead and to windward and in the only wind strong wind on the course. We went for tide free area around Long Nose and once there made good gains on the fleet. In a master stroke Kevin sent us short tacking back to Long Nose to stay out of the tide and we emerged in second place. Only French Connection made it around Long Nose close to us and by going lower made better progress towards Goat Island. Eventually a bit of breeze filtered westward and we gained speed to chase French Connection. Again at the Goat Island mark we hugged the shore to stay out of the tide and managed to sneak in front of French Connection. We had just enough breeze and just enough angle to clear the mark and head for the safety of the incoming tide on the way back to Humbug. French Connection never made the last five boat lengths to the mark. Five times they tried to round the make and five times the tide was stronger than the wind. We were in fact only the second Blue fleet yacht to round the mark. The tide was now carrying us at one knot back to Humbug while the breeze was varying from zero to two knots. Back in line with Long Nose we could see no yachts behind us except the few left on the course still trying to round Goat Island. One by one the engines came on as the skippers and crew realised they could not make the cut off time. By now the tide had peaked and there was no flow and no wind so with ten minutes to go we too took to the motor and dropped sails. As we motored through Humbug we found Agrovation short of the finish line by a distance we would normally travel in a few minutes. As we motored past they too were dropping sails. Ahead a loud cheer went up from the deck at GFS as the last yacht to finish crossed the line with fifteen seconds to spare. In all six out of sixty completed the course while everyone else was beaten by time and tide.
There are many options for joining the adjacent edges of plywood sheets and Dudley’s covers the options pretty comprehensively. The choice of join depends on many factors and I have used butt joins with plywood backing, taped joins, flush taped joins and scarph joins in various locations. Even the butt joins with plywood backing will have flush tape on the other surface if they are exposed or under load.
Today I prepared deck joins for both scarph joins and for plywood backed butt joins. The scarph joins are on the aft deck where it was convenient to do the scarph in situ. The plywood backed butt joins will be used to join the bridge deck to the two sides and for some of the joining panels along the deck where the joins are quite close to frames. In these cased one edge of the plywood backing piece will be fitted against the frame and the other edge will be beveled 45 degrees.
Preparing the scarph join for the aft deck around the gas bottle locker
Plywood ready for gluing around the gas bottle locker
A plywood backing piece ready for a butt join across the bridge deck
Close up of the full 45 degree bevel on the edges of the plywood butt join backing piece
Scarph join ready for gluing on the starboard quarter of our Didi 40 Cr Wide Stern version.
Tracks from 16th March twilight showing the tacking angles up to Goat Island
The fresh breeze suited our selection of the No 2 genoa last night and we made a good start following Agrovation on the beat to Cockatoo Island. Izzi and Worlds Apart were in hot pursuit and we lost and gained ground depending on who was on the lifting side of the course. We held them out for the work to Goat Island until we tacked away from Izzi and let them get to the port lifting tack first. By now the breeze had deserted us and in the light conditions it was hard to know if it was just an under canvassed boat or a second wrong move at the approach to Goat Island that let Worlds Apart through. From Goat Island it was a drift and in these conditions the heavy laminate on the No 2 genoa was too much for the breeze. Some breeze filled in from the South East and brought Gwhizz around Goat Island and into our rear view mirror. Eventually the breeze came down on us and we accelerated away from Gwhizz but Worlds Apart and Izzi were long gone. Much to our surprise we found Agrovation reaching back into Humbug after doing a extra tour of the river. The had been so far in front that they thought they were a black division boat. Try as we might we could not pass them and so finished with a fourth fastest and fifth on handicap. I had thought we would do better on handicap but a rain squall at the finish brought back the strong breeze and the tail of the fleet raced home. For the season points Izzi made up a lot of ground and with just two races to go it was good to see the handicap system give us a little more help for the next race. They also leapfrogged us on the most fastest times and are chasing Worlds Apart for the series. It will take a couple of great results to catch these two.
All the jobs on my list for today were completed with great assistance from Kevin. The splices in the stringers were cleaned up, the deck clamp stringers were cut to the correct bevel for the deck plywood and all the stringers were fitted from stern to stem. All the remaining cleats for the deck were glued in place and in the warm conditions the glue soon cured. We installed the diesel tank in its final position and adjusted the deck beam above the gas locker to give more clearance for the gas bottles at the stern of the locker. I still have to install cleats along the top edge of the stainless steel tank to secure it in position and add a 6 mm plywood protective panel across the top.
The two of us sharing the load of carrying the 12 mm plywood sheets made the task of fitting and cutting the deck plywood much easier. Tonight most of the deck around the cockpit is covered in plywood which is temporarily screwed into place. I will wait for a cool change before attempting to glue these in place as there is a lot of glue to place before the glue surfaces can be fastened together. I will probably pre measure some small batches and only add the part B to the part A as each batch is completed. Otherwise the heat generated in a large batch would cure the mix before it could be placed.
I think I will cut out most of the 12 mm deck panels and the 12 mm plywood doublers before starting the gluing. It will be easier to mark the shape of the doublers off the stringers before the deck is fitted.
Stainless steel fuel tank in position
12 mm plywood deck panels temporarily screwed into position. Note the gloss on the epoxy glass floor of the cockpit.
The gas locker on our Didi 40 Cr Wide Stern version. Just the two pieces of plywood were needed to form up an air tight locker. I will move the stringer out on the transom about 30 mm to give clearance for the gas bottles at the back as well as the front of the locker.
The underside of the gas locker on our Didi 40 Cr Wide Stern before final fit and structural epoxy adhesive.
I am pleased with the gas and fuel locker on our Didi 40 Cr Wide Stern version. The enclosure was completed with just two pieces of 12 mm plywood and as well as enclosing the gas bottles in an air tight locker they provide additional support for the wide T shaped cockpit. I will glass the bottom of the locker both to protect the timber from the metal gas bottles and to bond the 12 mm ply to the frames, cockpit side and hull side. After a final fit today I ground off the two pack epoxy primer to give good adhesion for the plywood and later the glass on the bottom which will be turned up onto the frames. I then glued the 12 mm plywood in with thickened structural epoxy and in a few hours the locker was completed. There is one post completion job to do and that is relocate the deck stringer above the gas locker to give a few more millimetres of clearance. I will run the stinger parallel to the cockpit top so that I can put gas bottles in both ends of the locker without having to move one out to replace the second one.
I am still harbouring ambitions to get the 12 mm plywood on the deck around the cockpit area. That means fitting all the deck stringers since the plywood will extend into the area adjacent to the cabin. Both the 35 mm deck stringers and the 44 mm beam clamp that sit under the carlins need to be fitted. These are long lengths of timber so today was spend planing and routering edges and making splice joins in the long lengths. These are curing as I write and by the morning they will be ready to drop into place.
I must remember to drop the fuel tank into position as it will be easier before the deck goes on. Mine is a stainless steel one located in the very front of the locker just behind the wet locker. There are a couple of small cleats that need to be added so I might make an early start so the glue on these is cured in time.
And a final reminder to myself I need to clamp straight edges to all the frames so that the stringers will hold them straight. Yes even at this stage the unsupported edges of the frames can still move around and this will be the last chance to keep them straight.
Splice joins on the stringers for our Didi 40 Cr clamped together on a straight piece of LVL
Long stingers spliced together ready for final fit to the deck frames.
As I predicted last time I commented on the Blue fleet at Greenwich Flying Squadron, Izzi will be the one to beat in the overall series. We did it tonight by one place on fastest time and one place on handicap but it was a great battle all the way around the course. In similar conditions to last week we went for the bigger No 2 genoa and with a bit of fine tuning I was able to set the genoa cars a notch further forward for more drive down low.
From the start it was Agrovation, Izzi and Passion out in front. Both Agrovation and Izzi seem to reach faster than Passion but once on the wind after rounding Cockatoo Island we found the right gear to hit the lead. We avoided a tack to clear Long Nose and that gave is a little breathing space for the reach to Goat Island. We turned the navigation mark at Goat Island a nose in front of Agrovation but were restricted in our options by the fleet in front. In the end Agrovation got outside us and forced us higher than we would have liked into the lee of Goat Island where we sat waiting for breeze. Izzi made up ground and on the run back to Cockatoo they also passed us with their own private gust. From Cockatoo to Humbug we watched the gusts carefully and took the wind shifts as they came each time making up a few metres on Izzi and Agrovation. In the final tack for the finish we were going to tack under Izzi but they did now want us there and bore away to take our stern. We then tacked above them on starboard and held on until level with the finish line so we could tack in front for a second fastest time.
At the final rounding of Cockatoo Saoirse came right up on our transom but could not get through our wind shadow. We captured the freshening breeze around Cockatoo and headed for home while they waited another 12 minutes for breeze so we count ourselves very lucky on the night.
Mondays seem to be the days I feel that I make progress on the construction of our Didi 40 Cr. I was thinking today that if I had all Mondays the boat would be completed sooner. Perhaps the weekend sailing the Laser clears the head But today I made an early and measured start with some detailed tasks and as the day progressed installed more and more deck cleats and reinforcement. It did help that the timber had all been pre cut last week and all that was needed today was trimming to size and routering edges where required. By the end of the day the two ends of the large deck locker had been glued and cured ready to take the water seals, all the deck cleats were completed and the gas bottle hatch marked up. It was handy having a spare gas bottle to use to check the size of the lid required and the depth of the locker needed. As a final dirty job for the day I sanded the rudder stock bottom bearing support area ready for heavy layers of glass and epoxy possible as soon as tomorrow. Hopefully all the thinking is finished in this area and I can move into production mode. The thought of getting some of the deck installed is motivating me but can I do it by Friday?
Installing deck cleats on our Didi 40 Cr using a straight edge and clamps so that the edge of the plywood cures as straight as possible
Plywood reinforcement has been added to the frames at the ends of the deck locker hatch. Because of the T shaped cockpit the back edge of the locker needs considerable reinforcement and I settled on three additional layers of ply for a total of 48 mm.
Perhaps tomorrow’s job is heavy glassing around the rudder stock bottom bearing. The heavy hardwood doubles on both sides of the keel are impressive reinforcement so the extra glass will make it super strong. I am glad I did this work with the hull upside down as the area is mighty cramped now it is right way up.
Today Elaine and I moved Passion from the mooring in Valentia Street Woolwich to our new mooring at Greenwich not far from the Greenwich Flying Squadron where the dinghy is now stored.
We had a pleasant lunch in the shade of the trees at Woolwich while watching our mooring contractor attend to a large yacht in Woodford Bay. As soon as the mooring barge left Woodford Bay we raced to Passion’s mooring on the other side of the peninsular at Valentia street so I could motor Passion to Greenwich towing the tender. At Greenwich I picked up a spare mooring and waited for our mooring from Valentia Street to be relocated. It was warm down below as I used the spare time to delete spurious way points from the chart plotter and enter our new mooring location.
Looking back to Cockatoo Island from Passion’s new mooring at Greenwich
Looking North to Greenwich Flying Squadron from Passion’s new mooring in Greenwich
The row to Greenwich Flying Squadron is about 400 metres and it took six minutes to reach the club. After ten years stored on the rocks at Woolwich the tender needed a clean with the high pressure machine which Elaine had driven around from Woolwich. An hour later the dinghy was cleaned and in the allocated rack ready for next Wednesday.
As a result of the time taken on Passion very little was achieved on the new build. I did cut out the side of the cockpit where the anchor locker is located and made a start on reinforcing the frames either side of the locker.
Our Didi 40 Cr just after turning. The chain blocks and slings are back in storage and the cockpit is now covered with epoxy glass and all the deck beams in this area are fitted.
The details at the front of or wide stern Didi 40 Cr. A laminated deck beam had been fitted across the front of the cockpit. It is notched into the side of the wet locker and goes all the way to the side locker in the quarter berth.
After the excitement of the hull turning ceremony ten days ago the euphoria has gone and now the hard grind to the finish has started. The first task was to protect the raw plywood on the deck and boarding platform. These now have a heavy layer of glass and two thick coats of epoxy so the timber is sealed and the surface is shiny smooth. The bare plywood in the base of the anchor locker also got the heavy glass and epoxy treatment but in this case it was two layers of glass over the bottom, one on the sides and doubled over the corners.
With that out of the way I spent nine hours on Monday planing away the surplus timber from the gunwhales and fairing up the tops of the frames. Tuesday I laminated up a 32 by 32 mm beam to go across the deck just in front of the cockpit well. This joins the deck and cockpit and is also the support for the mainsheet traveller for those who put the track in this position. Because the beam is visible in the quarter berth the bottom corners had to be routered before installation. Today I installed most of the deck beams for the cockpit area and again the beams had to be routered prior to installation.
At the front end of the boat I have cut out the second 12 mm plywood panel to reinforce the back of the anchor locker and also laminated up a 25 mm by 42 mm beam to be notched into the gunwhales. This structure will take the anchor load from a Samson post or an electric winch and is also suitable to take the load of an inner forestay if fitted. I have already installed plywood doublers 100 mm wide along the bottom edge of the gunwhale to take an external bowsprit and will put plywood doublers down both sides of the narrow deck around the anchor well.
Ahead I have to form up the locker hatch area before I can deck that side. It would be unfortunate to forget to put the hatch in and find there was no way in or out. It seems that completing the deck from the stern first is a good safety measure as it creates a stable strong working platform for the next stage.
In the Twilight overall series our lead is being whittled away by the charging herd and now there are six yachts within seven points. Unless we can pull a rabbit out or the hat we are about to be dethroned. The most likely successor is Izzi who have scored second place in three of the last four races and only now the handicap system is throwing us a few crumbs.
I should not complain because we have beaten Gwhizz by a single place on handicap these last two races and still they have to give us a few seconds. A few seconds is all it will take if we keep having photo finishes with Gwhizz like Wednesday night. Neither crew knew who had won the tussle until our support staff presented a photo taken at the finish and that was how the official finishers saw it too.
Now we have not done a stellar job these past two weeks. The prior week we set the No 2 genoa and were under powered for the run around Schnapper and Spectacle Islands and over powered in the beat to Goat Island. The fleet split on the run down the Hunters Hill shore so it was hard to tell how much of the result was luck. This week we set the No 3 genoa which was more suited to our diminished crew numbers on the night. Surprising we managed a fourth fasted just holding out the back markers on the last run down around the lee of Cockatoo Island and overtaking Gwhizz on the finish line. There was very little tacking in this race so it was a test of who could keep their yacht moving with fewer round ups in the gust. In one gust we had a grandstand seat as a gust hit Jackpot just as she passed the barge in Snail Bay and there was not much room between the mast head instruments and the crane.
Saoirse is built for these conditions and reached away for a fasted time and the ever reliable Northshore 38 Izzi was second. The Northshore 38s are particularly good once they free up a bit and Wednesday’s race was about a good a conditions as they can get. Passion is not going to catch them in these conditions but perhaps the new one will.
The last race of February was around 18 knots and we set the No 2 genoa
The first race of March was around 20 knots but not much beating for our smaller No 3 jib