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
Hello Friends
My webpage is now updated in preparation for the upcoming voyage with Exlex.
The old one is outdated and a new one is born. Long live the new one.
Please continue to watch share and support.
To be continued…
Nostalgia, sehnsucht, saudade, I suffer from it all. I am a stranger in this world so far removed from my youth. I have not gotten older, but as times have gone by the world have changed. The fundamental things that once were part of my world are no longer here.
Already the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712 – 1778 thought contemporary society was too removed from nature, so did, Henry David Thoreau 1817 – 1862. I agree.
In my youth world population was two billion now its more than seven billion. This has changed the landscape. Buildings and roads are everywhere and everything is bigger despite the need for smaller things, things more suited to human scale. There is no silence anymore stress is everywhere. A friend crossing the Bay of Biscay told me, when the speed dropped below five knots we started the engine.
Only the true, eternal, endless, blue, wet, deep ocean is the same.
Only the true, eternal, endless, blue, wet, deep ocean can cure me from nostalgia, sehnsucht and saudade and bring me back to the spiritual state of my youth. That’s why I long to be out sailing again.
Routing Cart showing Dingle Ireland, my point of departure.
On the wall of my small flat I have pinned a Admiralty Routing Chart for the month of June covering the North Atlantic. I marked my point of departure and from there I have drawn a circle with a radius of 60 nautical miles, the distance I hope to cover the first day hopefully with the help of a tow.
If all goes well the first day I will have the wide open spaces in front of me three- four- hundred blissful days at sea.
I look at the chart several times a day. It fills my heart with joy.
While working on Exlex a prototype I am thinking of next design.
All the errors I encounter I tell myself I correct that for the next design. I also get bright ideas. One such is to have an two meter long aft cabin with a bunk for a short girl. It will also contain the lunch-room if you sitt atwarth-ships. To make that possible I have increased the beam of next design to 1.4 meter. This has enabled me to make the boat shorter. Next design is now 5.6 meters long or 18′ 4”.
The hull made of 5 cm thick Divinycell reduces the inside beam to 1.3 meter. I need about 1.2 meter sitting space so plenty of room. Headroom is 90 centimeters.
Doing the galley. To prewent my precius food from slipping out of my hand I have glued a bit of Tufnol to the bottom of my bowl I made out of carbon fiber. Now the grip is excellent.
When not holding the bowl she can rest in a swinging holder. Below the bowl is the countertop.The bowl in a heeled position.
To let the bowl swing easily I made a bearing out of Tufnol and inserted it in the bulkhead, gluing it with epoxy. On the opposite side is a washer and a cotter pin.
The navigational light is now also done it consist of four LED water proof backup lights
The mast are now painted. Color RAL 1003 signal yellow.
For convieneice I have installed a compass in the living room. That way, even in the middle of the night I only need to open one eye to find if I am still on the right course.
If not, thanks to the new steering arrangement with lines in the roof and my new type of winch I do not have to leave the bed to adjust the rudder.
Often I will sail the same course for several days, the compass is gimballed, but not enough. If the average healing is 20° I can tilt the compass 20° and lock it in the new position with the help of the two wing nuts. Thats easier on the compass.
Below same pictures.
First I use a Plastimo handbearing compass. To save space I have shorteneed the handle. I also have added a string to fix it so when the boat capsizes it will stay put. Besides the one in the bedroom I have one in the navigation compartment.
The good thing with the Plastimo ia that the vertical scale is vertical. Silva compass used to have that feuture but to save a few pennis the vertical scale is now only 45°. Nut very useful.
The good thing with the Plastimo ia that the vertical scale is vertical. Silva compass used to have that feuture but to save a few pennis the vertical scale is now only 45°. Nut very useful.
The compass holder. Sturdy enough.
The compass in its holder fixt at an angle with small wing nuts.
The lines controlling the rudder and its jammers.
Here are two pictures of the aft compass, the one in the navigation/lunchroom. First one I missed the top part of the compass. Secound one taken through the window.
The opening under the first picture is the door to the bedroom. Part of my blanket can be seen.
Finally there is a 95 page long text in english about the ideas behind Exlex.
You find the text under the heading MANIFESTO up in the menu. There is also a swedish version of the text. Scroll down a bit belov the donation buttons and the link to the swedish version and you find the link to the english version at the bottom of the page.
I very much appriciate any donation. The money goes straight to the project. I will to pay the rent for the about a yearent for my flat and workshop. I cannot sublet my apertment or workshop as it filled up with to much books and tools (10 000 books)
I will also help to pay for a tracker going to the Iridium satelites. That way I can send SMS that you may follow my voyage.
To those that already have donated I give my sincere thanks.
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.
