WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE ANCIENT PYRAMID BUILDERS I CREATE A FLAT SURFACE FOR MY HATCH GASKET

When the archaeologist studied the pyramids they found to their surprise that the four courners of the base where in the same plane whithin millimeters. How that had been done thousands of years ago was a mystery. Finally they realised that the pyramid builders had digged a ditch around the pyramid lined it with clay and filled it with water. In that way they got the four corners exactly level and in one plane.

I always liked this tale so when I was going to create the neccesary flat surface for my hatch gasket I simply pured in a few millimeters of NM-Epoxy. Et voila a perfectly flat surface was created.

Below is a picture of the hatch frame. Click once or twice to enlarge.

Below is a close up.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.

GASKETS – OR KEEPING WATER ON THE OUTSIDE

Every housewife knows that her dishwasher and washing machine do not leak. Still yachtsmen accept leaking hatches. The technology to keep a boat dry in all weathers has been with us for nearly a hundred years. Its a question of gaskets. Not only that a yachtsman should be able to change a gasket even in wet and windy conditions in a few minutes.

This is how I do it. Instead of trying to replace a gasket using primer and glue. I place the gasket in a slot. I use big sections 2 by 3 centimeters epdm cell-foam (ethylene propylene diene monomer (M-class) rubber). The gasket should be slightly thicker than the slot and have big radius. Then it will stay in place without glue and be easy to change. Epdm-rubber is difficult to glue.

You need a lot of pressure to close the hatch. The circumference of the hatch in my main bulkhead is 240 cm. If you like to have one kilo per square cm that is something like a quarter of a ton.

Below are some pictures. The first one shows my main bulkhead. For ease of working I make the hatch with the bulkhead resting on a table. It is tempting to put up the bulkhead first to see some progress, but in the long run this is the faster way.

Next picture shows the slot made and me putting in the gasket.

Here is a close up of a piece of the gasket. The slot with gasket can also be seen.

It only takes a few minutes to replace a gasket using this method and it contributes to make the boat completely waterproof. A skipper sailing a boat with details like this do not have to worry about big waves.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.

WATER STORAGE

Most yachts store water in tanks and use pumps and plumbing to get acces to it. A smarter way is to store water in plastic jerry cans and once a week transfer water for daily use to one liter bottles and drink directly out of the bottles.  Before I picked a calm day and used a funnel to transfer the water. Now I use a piece of tubing and siphon it.

I use less than a liter of water a day, even in the tropics.

Using plastic jerry cans and plastic bottles makes it easy to keep track of how much water is on board. It is easy to keep the containers clean by rinsing them. Also it is a fool proof system. It is also light and cheap.

Below is a picture with me and plastic bottles and jerry cans supplied by Emballator in Mellerud. I demonstrates how to siphon water, but of course even a child knows how to do that.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.

GETTING A GRIP ON THE GEOMETRY OF THE C.B. INCLUSIVE THE UP- AND DAWN-HAUL.

The geometry of the C.B. is not self-evident if you like to have a down-haul and no lines crossing each other or the C.B.  A down-haul is not neaded for coastal cruosing may be not even for stormy waters, but I like peace and calm and when the boat is thrown around in big waves capsizing and pitchpooling it feels nice if the C.B. is not slamming about. Thats my opinion. Therefore I have included the extra complication of a down-haul. I like to be in control.

The first picture shows the plywood mock up of the C.B. from the outside. It is right at the bow of the boat. A very succesful position. I have crossed the Atlantic with a boath having a C.B. in this position. I like it. Several freinds of mine have built boats to this my design. Some of them have also crossed the Atlantic. With the board down one can ride out storm in comfort pinting high sailing very slowly, just fore-reaching. On you tube there is a 44 sek video “Amfibie Bris in a strong breeze”. Looking were carefully one can just glimps the C.B. towards the end of the video.

The secound picture shows the C.B. down from inside. The black line is the up-haul rope. The red tape shows the outline of the C.B. against the C.B.-case

The third picture shows C.B. in the up position.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.

MOCK UP

The inside of the hull is now  succesfully laminated. To give myself an idea of what it is going to look and how I can mowe in the boat I have made a mock up.

Below are some pictures. First myself with the CB. It did look right so now the first thing I have done, ironically, is to cut a big hole in the hull for the CB-case

Next picture shows me in the athwart-ship bed. It is going to be 80 cm wide to give enough space for sleepingbags and blancets in the cold southern winter.

Finally, sitting up in the aft cabin. Windows will give me a nice and buituful viuw of the souronding seas.

To bee continued…

Regards Yrvind.

ON CLEANING WITH VINEGAR

I am thanking Manie B for the suggestion of cleaning with vinegar. However the vinegar is an acid and the epoxy hardener is an alkaline. The two react with each other. The harm will probably be minimal but when I discessed the issue with my epoxy chemist he did not like the idea. Insted I have dried the inside of the hull and am grinding the Divinycell down to un-contaminated core, just in case.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.

ASPECTS OF THE RIG AND WATERCOLLECTION

Matt Layden did teach me the advantages of the lugsail. I did grow up with the traditional Swedish spritsail.

Paradox and Enigma uses a standing lug. I plan to use a balanced lug. Like Matt I intend to reef by rolling the sail around the boom. Unlike Matt I will keep the boom inside a slotted pipe, much the same as in-mast furling. Its a complication but it has some advatages. It protects the sail from chafe against the mast. It is easy to attach a preventer to the pipe. When the sail is not in use it functions as a sailcover. And important I will use the slotted boom to collect rain water in. A hose from it will lead to plastic containers.

There are two masts and four positions for them. The masts are selfsupported, unstaid. Thanks to the lugsail the masts will be very simple, no tracks and no goosenecks, only one halyard. I plan to make the mast of carbon at Marström. I will make them strong. They will not be longer than an oar (how long is an oar?) The will be as easy as an oar to handle.

They will be close to the hatch, within 3 feet, 90 cm. To move an mast it has first to be mowed vertically out of its support. Being of short statue and getting older every day some windy days I may need a helping hand in the form of  a stick and some rope. Below follows some pictures click on them and click again to enlarge.

Full sail.

A reef.

A deeper reef.

The slot where water is collected.

The sail rolled into the boom and secured to the deck. The mast is free to be moved.

The mast and the helping stick and the lifting rope.

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With the help of a rope the mast is lifted out of the mast hole. Each mast hole has a rope that can be attatched to the lower end of the mast and controlled from the deck. Its function is to secure the mast and guide it when I mowe it. The picture shows the lower end of the mast at the moment when its out of the hole but before it is mowed. Before I disconnect the first rope I attach an other the rope from the mast hole to where it is going to be mowed. Two ropes are therefore at the moment connected to the mast. (look closely)

The mast is put on deck and its lower end is mowed to the new mast hole. Now it is very easy to raise it with one hand at the same time as I pull on the rope to drag it down the new hole. When in position the rope is cleated and the mast is secured in the new position. During the whole operation it has been under control.

The mast in the new position.

This is the theory, to be modified, all the details are not included. As Clausewitz said “few strategies survives the first contacts with the enemy.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.

A SETBACK

I had been away a week traveling all over Sweden giving lectures and talking to sponsors.  Things were going well. The last assignment was showing my previous boat to people at the opening of Pampas marina here in Västervik. At 4 pm I drove my boat back to Marström. Having a few hoers left of the day I went to my shop not to waste them.

Laminating the outside of the boat had been a success. We had done a good job on her and before that I had succeeded in shaping her well. I was proud of my small boat. She was so pure and clean, a real virgin.

I opened the workshop door. Before I could switch on the light I heard a sound that made my hair stand up, the sound of water, the sound of water in my workshop.

Water from pipes above where coming down in my boat. Not clean water, but dirty, rusty brown water. The boat had accumulated nearly a feet of the fool smelling evil stuff. I broke down and cried.

Had the inside been laminated it would not have been so difficult to clean it out. But now the Divinycell pores where filled with it. The water can be dried out but the rust and dirt never.

What will happen now? I don’t know. This happened a few hoers ago. Time will tell but one thing is sure. It is a set back and I will not sleep tonight.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.