Author: Yrvind

Second test of the the boat with a little bit more ballast and a few issues sorted out.

Exlex have now been in the water for two days.
A strategy for the initial stability has been found.
The idea is to use the cargo capacity as ballast when testsailing. For the real voyage I will bring along flexible water tanks in their collapsed state and as I eat my way down I will replace eaten food with water.
The problem was I had not any siutable tanks in the marine market but now I have found them in the outdoor market in capacity 4, 6 and 10 liter capacity.
Today I added 125 kilo ballast and one mast is removed leaving two up which I will shift araound.

I have also sorted out the some of the rigging.
Now she feels fine, now there is hope.

Below two pictures: Click once or twice to enlarge.

and one from the bow

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.

Exlex now floats.

The bad thing is she is extremely tender, but she is a modell in reduced scale and one should not ask her to act as a grown up. The full scale boat will be just fine as stability increases very fast with scale. Still the plan to sail to New Zealand stands, although I think it will be a difficult voyage.

The god thing she has an extremely good stability range. We did a rool over test. At first she heeled over very easily but then she got stability.

At 90° she was god as with 120°, 150°, even at 180° she tugged at the lines and wanted to right herself. That was very positive.

She is of course far to heavy, still she did not float to deep, a good thing.

No water or nearly no water came in when she was uppside down, only a little that had collected in the ventilation systen may bee 0.3 liters and that drained out in the stearing room no harm.

My friends took plenty of pictures and videos in a few days I will be able to show them.

to be continued…

Regards Yrvind

I have done what I can and the weather seams to be fine so if no disaster happens tomorrow will be the day.

Launching at 14:00 at Västerviks Båtvarv

Solbergs Udde

Peaople having a positiv interest in small cruisers are welcome.

A rollover test to determine Exlex stability range will be done.

After that the boat will be rigged wich will take not too long and if the wind is not to strong a test sail

Thomas Grahn my skipper from the Vega Atlantic crossing 10 years ago has promised to assist.

Below two pictures.

below: ready to roll out:

A few copies of a 72 page booklet in swedish with colour illustrations booklet about Exlex, small cruisers and the planned voyage coming from the printer this friday will be for sale. Price 100 kronor.

Crowdfunding without middleman:

People who like to support my project are welcome to Swish donations to 0706 200 550 or use the donation button on my website.

To be contiued…

Regards Yrvind.

Exlex is now out of the workshop and in the warehouse.

Getting her out was very close. I had 3 centimeter to spare as she had to make a 90° turn to get out of a sidedoor. But with the help of a few friends it went fine.

In the warehouse she is now rigged for the first time. She has two side by side mast for her two balanced lugsails to run before the wind.

There is also a thierd mast for a Bermudan aft sail to help her getting into the wind.

There is no pulliy at the mast tops to give the hailyard omnidirectional for the lugsails, but as the sails are not big it worked fine.

In fact so far everything worked fine.

The launching is planned to Tuesday 8 August. Time: 2 pm at Västerviks Båtvarv Solbergs Udde Västervik Sweden.

Check this website monday just in case something unexpected has turned up.

Persons with a positive interest in small cruisers are welcome to watch.

To find Exlex stability range a roll over test with me inside is planned.

A few copies of a 72 page booklet in swedish with colour illustrations booklet about Exlex, small cruisers and the planned voyage coming from the printer this friday will be for sale. Price 100 kronor.

Crowdfunding without middleman:

People who like to support my project are welcome to Swish donations to 0706 200 550 or use the donation button on my website.

Below are some pictures, click once or twice to enlarge.

Running downwind the sails will be sheated out more than 90°

Vy from up aft

To be contiued…

Regards Yrvind.

The paint and electricity jobs are now done to my satisfaction. The VHF and AIS will be done during winter hopefully by an expert.

There is a few odd jobs left to do  before test sail, mostly rope work like sheets, halyards, rope to secure the leebords and rudders anchor and mooring lines et cetera, not very much.

Below are a few pictures.

Abowe a bright navigation ligt made from 4 car reversing lights.

Abowe Exlex viewed fram aft.

Abowe: Exlex viewed from bow

Abowe: Me proudly writing the boats name with a rather shaky hand.

Abowe: Me looking out from my snug, cosy cabin.

Abowe: Me having a good time.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind

The project have now gone into finishing details

To get the boat out of the rather cramped workshop it has to be rolled.

I have made an axis and put 4 wheels on her. I made the wheels out of hard polyurethan rubber subblaied by UW-elast Mariestad, the bronce bearings is from Lagermetall Örebro.

When the going is good and the ground is flat the wheels are attached to the boat. When on a beach with soft sand or big boulders or in rocky mountains where the terrain is rough the wheels is put on the ground and the boats bottom is supplying the smouth surface.

In fact the boat can even become its own bridge. Illustration Martin Mörck from my book: Konstruktören 2003

Me strapped down in my bunk. I use a diameter 12 cm fender as pillow.

Viuw from the bow

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind.

I have added a safety belt for stormy weather.

I have made progress with electricity

What is left is the solar panels and their regulators.

The VHF radio and AIS I will install hopefully with professionaell help coming winter.

Below is a picture of the panel.

the 4 red cables coming in is from the 4 batteries. By disconnecting respectivly fuse I can check the status of each battery.

The lines at top is stearing cables and jammers to the port rudder.

There is not a whole lot of electrucity. I will have a fan to cool me when crossing the equator becouse in a small boat the temperature at noon can rise to 35 degrees C

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind

The four 55 Amp gel betteries are now installed.

I have wrapped them in rubber with adhesive that the rubber does not slip. The will work as schock absorber.

Below a picture:

Its a real close fit in all directions. The batteries are heavy still I had to press on them to get them down. I do not think I can get them out again. Hopefully I never need to.

Thera are four of them in two compartments. On top is more rubber as schock absorbers when capsizing.

The lid is screved down with 11 M6 screws

The lead is now also stowed in its compartment.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind