Exlex has started to live a life of her own. Now she wants plumbing. That was not planned, but she has reason, water handling will be much easier. With plumbing I can be busy doing other things while the rainwater fills up my jerry cans.
The forward rain catcher in a bit awkvard position.
Aft rain catcher
To get the water into the jerrycans I use hoses. There are two through deck fitting one forward and one back leading into the aft and forward compartments, from there, fittings connects through the waterproof bulkheads to the jerrycans in the holy sleeping room, holy in the sense that there is no direct holes to the outside.
The jerrycans have a very tight fit and are very secured in place. It would also be awkward to handle the 20 liter containers in the small cabin the solution is to use air pressure to transfer via hoses the water to one liter bottles.
Pressurising the jerry can with the help of my healthy lungs. The compressed air transfers the water to the one-liter bottle from wich its handy to drink.
The picture is from September 19 2015, the idea older. Now I have this idea to use this techniche on Next Design to transfer water to the windward side. This technique is not suitable for a big boat but for my boats I think it is appropriate. Back to the present, here are some details on Exlex plumbing.
This picture is where the water from the aft rain catcher enters the sleeping room, just below the deck. The two ropes are the steering ropes for the port rudder. The thing at the bottom right corner is the two jammers that locks the rudder in the desired position.
The same fitting from the eating room. The two steering ropes and two antenna cables one for the AIS one for the GPS can be seen. Its not waterproof, but its just under the deck and very off center. I do not think its very likely that water will enter my sleeping room here.Here I am modifying the lid of the jerry cans for the water hoses. The brown Tufnol piece is added to get a better grip to get the lid well screwed on.
Screwing the pieces together using bedding compound between the Tufnol and the lid
The two lids with the hoses that goes into the jerry cans. To the very right of the picture can be seen that on the end of the hose a nipple has been added as a sinker.Here is a close up
I have now done four lifting ropes for Exlex. The dynema ropes each have a breaking strenght of ca 8 tons. I do
not think I will have any use of them. They can be used for lifting the boat on to trailer and launching the boat with a fork lift. Other ropes can be used for that purpose.
A situation may arise at sea when a ship comes alongside and for some reason likes to pick up Exlex and haul her out of the ocean and put her on its deck, then it will only be a matter of doing a knot and she be attached. As I said I do not think they will be used, but if they are handy.
Pictures below.
The four ropes met at a point perpendicular abouve Exlex center of gravity. When not in use the ropes is tied to the gallow. The blue canvas is part of the water collection system.One of the four strongpoints. An eye is spiced. The eye is reenforced with a mantle to protect it from chafe. The rope is attached with a larks head.
The four ropes is tied to the gallow when not in use. The blue is water collector.
The photos below is for the main anchor a 10 kilo SPADE.
The anchor bollard. A winch would have been better, but there is no space for it. It will be on next designThis handle with a cam cleat will help me to get up the anchor. I do not intend to anchor. If I do it is an emergency. If it is to heavy I have to cut the line.The splice to the anchor chain. I have added two mantles to the rope for extra protection. The rope is also twice around the schackle pin to distribute the load
The one place where windward sailing is neccesary is just north of the equator heading south. There I will meet the south east trades. Also the equatorial current will poush me west. If I cannot make good enough to windward I will miss the Brazilian east corner and be forced up into the North Atlantic.
The weather sight windy.com illustrates what i mean:
After two and a half weeks in Stockholm I and Exlex are now back at my workshop for the final preparations.
Some alternations will be done – more about that later – but mostly I will be occupied with filling every cubic inch of Exlex with food.
A big thanks to Göta segelsällskap for the hospitality and to all the friendly people in Stockholm and elsevere that is supporting my project.
The future looks bright, but there will be hard work ahead.
Below are 3 pictures.
The picture above shows Exlex two masts her sculling oar two booms two yards and two sails and two big fenders in the back of my Wolksvagen Golf.
Yrvind is launching ExLex at boat club Göta Segelsällskap in central part of Stockholm. He is going to promote ExLex and his next sailing to New Zeeland
Tomorrow I drive Exlex to Stockholm to campaign her in our capital.
Trials are done. She is not perfect, far from it but with big will I think I can sail her to NZ although it ceratainly will not be easy.
Next boat be much better.
Most of the things are now fixed.
I did not get the leeboards to work to my satisfaction so I eliminated them after some consideration. Her windward ability suffered but she gained downwind. Its a balance. She now has no lateral area except her hull. Considering that her windward ability is amazing.
Persons having a positive interest in small cruisers are welcome to have a look at her, not to early in the day nor to late. I be somewhere west of Slussen east of Västerbron, thats the plan.
Below are some pictures.
The M20 boalt holding the leeboard.
Cutting the boalt.
Boalt gone.
Sculling away without the leeboards to put her on the trailer.
On the trailer next to the yellow boat with chinerunner I sailed from Kinsale Ireland to Poerto Santo Madeira to Martinique in 2011 ready to drive to Stockholm tomorrow 24 August.
Thanking those that have kindly donated to my voyage.
A new text about Exlex is now published under the heading MANIFESTO. To read it go to the blogg section.
I continue to work with Exlex, sorting out one problem after the other.
Becouse I do not yet know her and becouse she is designed for open waters and not to the narrow ones here I have to take care and watch the weather.
When the weather is not good I work on trying to get sponsors. Exlex is a modell of boat ideal in reduced scale and the planned voyage is a long one.
Hopefully I can average 2 knots. The 15 000 miles to New Zealnad will then take 300 days. The prudent navigater calculates with the worst weather conditions. Some years are worse than outhers and the worst of the worst is very bad. Then my average speed may drop a good deal below 2 knots.
Its very basic but there is a big difference between average speed and top speed. Once down in the Roaring Forties a easterly storm blew 150 miles westwards. I was heading east. Then there is calms. Once I got stuck in the Doldrums for a month. Today one often read in the yachting press “There was no wind so we had to turn on the engine”. Exlex has no engine, nor does she wants one.
This is not an complait but an explanation that average and top speed are different.
I hope to be able to load Exlex with food for one year also to pay rent for my flat and workshop for one year.
In a weak or two I will trail Exlex to Stockholm. There hopefully I will find money.
In the end of April 2018 I will trail her to Dingle in western Ireland.
Beginning of May I be ready to start when the a weather window comes.
To bee contiued…
Regards Yrvind.
