The album of Ariel #422

[Tim D.]

Kurt have you used Citristripper on bottom paint? Specifically ablative paint.

[CapnK]

Tim - Nope, I sure haven't. There is a thread here in the forums about using a product named "PeelAway" that covers the topic very well (thx to Senor Ebb!), and would be the way I would go to remove old bottom paint.

[CapnK]

Have started next-to-last construction in the v-berth. I say 'next to last' because how I am doing it, I will still have some wiggle room WRT customization/changes. But - I don't think I'll need it.

What I've finally figured out is a way to do the build-in, while I live-in. Here's how I describe it to people:

Imagine living, with all your 'stuff', in a walk-in closet. A closet that happens to be pointy on one end. Now, do construction in there, too. That's what it's like.



So the problem has been to find a way to exist within the space, while creating and changing it. The icing on the problem is to do so in a manner which allows the rest of my life to continue, ie; work to pay the bills, and fitting in the creation/changing when I can. I've had some great ideas that I won't be able to use (foam "plywood" being the best, IMO), regrettably. But what I've come up with is "good enough", and seems to be working well.

I'm doing it using 1x4" white pine planks. It's a wood that is:

• of local origin (I wanted at least part of the boat to be made of local material)
• cheap
• easy to work
• takes resin well
• a manageable size for working with in the confines of the boat

And the way that I am doing the construction is suited to my admittedly primitive carpentry skills (or lack thereof). I can work in small bits - if I only have 20 minutes, I can work just that long, and still make/see progress. I can do all the cutting and drilling while onboard (and even at night), and immediately put parts into their place. At present, I am only semi-permanently tacking everything together with drywall screws - rough but functional. If it works well after it's all together, then I will permanently assemble it with resin/glue/cloth etc. How it is now will be plenty strong enough for me to determine whether I will be doing that, or making some changes first.

I am not sure how I am going to finish it (appearance-wise), but am leaning towards 'pickling' the pine, keeping it light and airy inside.

This past week, I've done the first bit, the port side of the v-berth. With that practice under my belt, I should be able to get the starboard side done and be working in the "main cabin" by this weekend.

In keeping with my intention to make the boat (hopefully) sink-proof, I've raised the top of the v-berth 9" above where it was originally. Partitioning off a 13" wide section of this against the main bulkhead gave me about 20 gallons of storage. I don't know how many cubic feet that is, but the bin I used to keep my food in is 18 gallons, and all of that fit in easily with some room to spare. The 'temporarily permanent' construction I am doing is allowing me to make sure that my concepts actually work in reality.

It's gonna be nice to be binless soon, for the first time in ~5 years.

[Tony G]

Rock on Capn K! It is monumental to finally get to put something back into the boat isn't it? Why is it you have changed your mind about the manufactured sandwich?

And don't forget about the obligatory photos!!!!

Ironical as it is, I'm now down sizing and moving into totes and packs.

[CapnK]

Grassyness, Capt T! It feels great. It has been a long time comin'.

Re: the foam sandwich - basically it just comes down to time. I would have to make the sheets, then working with them would be like working with plywood, then they would need glassing on both sides.

Versus the planks - rough measure, cut, fit, scribe to exact size, trim, install.

Apparently, I am some kind of carpenters idjit. Trust me when I say about all I can handle warping my mind around is about 4" at a time of the complex shapes that are inside this boat. I've tried! I played with using sheet foam to make some of the interior stuff, and it just wouldn't come together. With the 1x4" planks, once I get just 1 of them in, I then have a straight line to start from, and it is pretty quick, easy, and painless then.

So that begs the question:

Can I still hang out here with you boatwork masters?

I'll post progress pics when it becomes noticeable.

Probably I'll have it figured out after a bit of doing it, but getting started is the thing.

[mbd]

Hey Kurt,

Thanks for the update. Nice work as always, and some pics too! Sure would love to see some "overall" pics of your current layout.

Questions/comments:
- Ordinarily, I wouldn't think twice about using a soft wood like pine if it's just furniture, but being that you're intending watertight compartments, do you think the individual boards are up to the task as far as durability and seal-ability? I guess you could glass the insides, but that seems like a lot more effort... It does look very nice though, kind of like Brave Heart!
- In the first pic above, it looks like a portable throne in the v-berth? Didn't you make an enclosed head in the after portion of the cabin?
- Finally, where the heck do you and the crew dogs sleep?? By my count, you've got the v-berth for storage, an aft enclosed head compartment, and a dinette...

[CapnK]

You could simulate an 'overall' picture on your boat, with a little work. First, distress the interior a bit. You know, remove some paint from random spots, take off cushion covers, cut out parts or all of various interior cabinetry work, and then scatter around a fair amount of what would seem to be junk. Afterwards, toss a hand grenade into the boat, and shut the companionway hatch.

When the smoke clears, what you see would probably fairly well approximate an 'overall' picture of Katie's interior at the moment.

I am saving *those* pictures until after the "prettying" is done.

Re: white pine - it is soft (it is also light), and I will be glassing the interior of the various compartments. Prior to that, if the arrangement works like I think it should, I will be edge gluing all the butt joints with Gorilla Glue, as well as the face of the horizontal members to the verticals. Foam will be going up against the hull, topped with (probably) 1/4" ply and a layer of glass (might do just glass though). The compartment walls will be bonded to the hull, the foam will go around them.

Unlike Brave Heart (I noticed that too), I am going to have a light colored interior. Also, I don't think the butt joins will be as noticeable. I wonder what wood they used...

Re: aft head - it worked, and is eminently do-able (Go, Franky!) (No pun intended ), but I am not doing it. The head will be in the forward part of the boat, I have not decided just where or how or whether to stay with a porta potty or a bucket or a composting system of some kind. Pics of what I am going to try to do WRT the head will be up in a few days, I think. I first had to build in the area.

Re: sleeping - having gone full circle and then some trying different arrangements , sleeping accommodations will be thus: big bed in the v-berth, convertible athwartships sea/company berth in the saloon. That's where I am bunking while working up front, although as you can see in the pic below, I can start sleeping forward to port tonight.

Saloon will have the galley-stuff aft, and two small setees (just large enough to seat 2 folks who get along well side-by-side) between the 'galley' and drawers/cabinets which will be up against the main bulkhead, on it's after side (like the OEM drawers). These will convert to the athwartship single sea berth.

I'll write up a comprehensive list of the myriad different ways I configured things belowdecks, along with what worked or didn't, how's and why's, and the reasoning behind why I have ultimately gone with this arrangement. I'll post here when that is done. It won't be getting finished quickly, though - the past 4 years have seen many changes and different arrangements, as you all can attest to from the partial list of same I have shown here from time to time.