Where has all the time gone since the rollover party?
On the sailing front the next race at RANSA was frustrating as we sailed well n the drifting conditions only to miss the finish time cut off by less than 30 seconds. Only Foreign Affairs and Amante escaped the guillotine and Amante was just in front of Passion X.
The rest of the fleet was becalmed way off in the distance but we scored the same.
The following week we set the No1 heavy when the prestart conditions were brisk only to have the wind die. Despite the handicap we sailed well to keep in touch with Allegro and Amante but slipped one place on Allegro to be tied at the top of the ladder. In the drifting conditions a backstay flicker would be a great advantage but I am saving that expense fot the new yacht.
This week Kevin and I are at Brisbane for the SPLM at RQ and the crew is boing boat duty for a certain 4th place.
Back at the new project the list of jobs changes with the weather but in essence I am working from both ends to waterproof the exposed hull as the task of pulling tarpaulins on and off detracts from my building time.
At the stern the boarding platform has been glassed, the gas locker panels cut, fitted, bogged to the hull and glassed internally. The cockpit cross support 35 by 35 laminated beam has been finished in clear epoxy and glued to the underside of the deck and the cockpit toe rails have been cut and installed. After a good clean up the cockpit floor was glassed.
Along the way the exposed top shelves in the lockers have been filleted to the skin so that these are waterproof.
At the bow the anchor locker was similarly filleted to the skin and a protecting layer of 435 gsm double bias epoxied in place. The two 50 by 22 laminated beams were constructed and glued in place plus the 35 by 22 central stringer.
Inside the hull the V berth tops have been installed and had a single coat of epoxy. The saloon starboard floor has also been cut and epoxied so that movement inside the hull is less hazardous.