EBB's PHOTO GALLERY THREAD

[ebb]

Appologize for no pics. Just by way of a report.
The estate shop (where I wirk) has a $4000 set of Festools built around the biggest vacuum they make. The System, and it is a System with a cap, is an installer' /remodeler's dream. Remodeling in an upscale house usually means removing all the furniture and taping/drapping plastic on everything.
You can trundel this vac and a stack of modular boxes containing your selection of tools (saw, sander, router) all clipped together into any room, plug in, open the boxes and start right in. Well, it's almost that good.

There is a kind of annoying germanic precision and hardness and hardedge personality to this extremely expensive set of tools. There is no funky to this grey and green clip and formfit tower of power. All tools have the dust and chips sucked up right thru the tool. Hardly any of it gets away. The sander I used you grip by the barrel - I can't get my mit around it, what do smaller hands do? "Ve vill hav NO Komplaints!" I really worked the tool - NO heat buildup. Vac going for hours - NO heat buildup. There's a huge bag in the vac - time to change it, finally?
NO complaints from the fine dust and glass. Opened up the vac to check the bag - the inside of the vac is compleatly clean, the huge bag doesn't need emptying yet!

Took the vac and one of the 5" sanders, the most powerful, but not the 6" that Jamestown and everybody else has been 'discounting' recently down to the boat and went to work without a mask INSIDE. What a joy!

No clean up! 5 minutes with the Makita grinder the dust is in every nook and cranny of the boat, and in the hair, up the sleeves, between yer toes, down the back.

It was difficult and time consuming but I used 24 and 40 grits disks to remove the gelcoat on the decks adjacent to the coamings. (Coamings removed.) This is where I had the epoxy fail on me. That's personal! So I took it down to the green. Actually blue, the mysterious blue first coat Pearson sprayed on some of the gelcoat befor they glassed. This narrow alleyway of deck has a 'reverse camber' in it, a sunken look, that's why I decided to level it - this is also where there is no balsa core. From the end of the cabin back is 'solid.'

Seems radical removing the gelcoat rather than trusting some dewaxing solvent. But I don't yet know what the problem is? Why didn't the first attempt to level the deck stick anywhere? Wax IN the gelcoat?
I'll do a small test today.

[ebb]

The side decks are looking great, up to snuff, and almost a fair line. It's amazing how unlevel the fore and aft run of the deck is. And how different the two sides are in fair.

I've decided against the hard dodger windscreen. Too heavy. I need expertise in much lighter building tech.

In that regard, I spent a day making a paper and cardboard scale model of a foredeck dinghy/pram for the Ariel. The idea is that the transom will partially be cut away and fit over the trunk of the Ariel just forward of the mast. That gives this 6 1/2' pram a wide stern indeed. And a nearly 5' beam! But looking at the model from different angles, it does have a nice sheer and nice curvey wales, has moderate rocker and a nice curvey multichine deadrise. Greenwater over the bow friendly upsidedown. A canyon rightsideup. Bet it'd hold a baby elephant, but will it row, will it sail, will it motor?

See now about putting together a fullsize doorskin on even 1/4" luan model.
I know it's a lot of work, but I could do it right in the house if I can keep the landlady at bay....

Like to see how a fullscale model looks in its place on the boat, it may be worth the effort.

And I'm curious about self-rescue aspects that a hard dinghy has going for it. Flotation can easily be worked in on a dinghy this wide. Yeah, Right! But can it float fully flooded with a man in it??? No. Yet I'd like to check it out in the estate pool here. Because the ultimate self-rescue aspect is whether you can climb into it from the water. That means putting 250# plus on the stern or a side and not pull the 60# dinghy under!!! Put that in your hat!

[c_amos]

[quote]I've decided against the hard dodger windscreen. Too heavy. I need expertise in much lighter building tech.[quote]

Sorry to hear this Ebb, I thought the one you had worked up was very nice looking. I wish you well in your dingy building, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

[commanderpete]

How about cutting bigger holes in the dodger for windows

http://www.wavestopper.net/

[ebb]

SeePete, Craig,
I like the Wavestopper itself.
It looks unaffordable taken together with all the other deck tubes I'm thinking about. Notice that they now have an even lighter model that you can't stand on! Probably cost more too!
Unless it's all fabric and tubes, you should be able to get on it, if you must. And greenwater too has to get on it, and off without damage, if it must. I would just assume that a pramhood dodger would get swept away if it came to down to that. That was the primary concept. To have an impervious window wall protecting the companionway. If everything else got carried away one could always rig something over the hole if the windscreen part stayed put.

But a hard dodger growing out of the trunk would have to be made strong enough to take nearly anything. My method created an item too heavy in any arena. Really. I like its shape, but the damn structure bothers me. I'll consult with a dodgermaker when it comes time to see if it can be cut WAY BACK, as you suggest, and maybe have the fabric and vinyl fitted around it. I wanted solid 3/8" wave stopper lexan lights in it. Which have their own weight to add. Thanks guys!
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Yves Gelinas (Cape Horn wind vane) on his Alberg30 JeanduSud had an inflatable dodger frame. Was nearly 24 years ago he did his Circumnavigation.
Yet this sailer/inventer hasn't got a flexible dodger on the market. There's a lot to like about the idea!
Hypalon fabric has the best reputation for lasting a long time in extreme conditions. My google searching brings up NOT A SINGLE do-it-yourself inflatable site. The rubber glues have evil solvents in them. The tech side keeps mutating. But wouldn't you think there would be a source for materials like there is for plastics and paints?
I guess Ives must have used bike tire tubes or something?
Nothing's easy, but it sure is a lot of fun.

[CapnK]

Ebbster -

I've compiled the materials for a Yves-type collapsible frame. Yves used fire hose for his tubing, with PVC fittings for the end caps, ring clamps and glue to attach the caps, and a bicycle/car tube nipple as the inflater. Nothing too esoteric, the man was on a tight budget (aren't we all? ).

AFA the fore-house pram - I've long though to try making a dink using pink/blue foam (in lieu of the plywood which is in most of them), laminating it just like a surfboard once the foam was in the needed shape. Surfboards are pretty tough even with their relatively thin skins (1-2 layers of 4 or 6 oz glass), just avoid running them right into rocks - same as you would with a ply dink or an inflatable. Dings can be fixed. It'd be much lighter, and floatier.

If you haven't seen a good surfboard laminator at work, you should arrange a visit to a nearby factory and see how they do it. A 'pro' can get a board glassed to within I'd bet 15% or better of the efficiency of vacuum bagging. Waaay less of a hassle than vacuum-bagging, as did the fellow with that neat little boat.

Grist for your mental mill...

[ebb]

hey Kurt,
I've ad nauseumed near every stitch and glue, tack and tape site on the www, and gained a little insight on a lighter style of shell making. It looks like you need some moves - generally it's straight forward if you work neat and have a little experience with the steps. I may give it a whirl on the house-pram, using 3/16" meranti and 6 oz? woven glass inside and out. This is a big little pram and we'll have to fight to keep it light. The trial model will be 1/4" luan from H.D. which is actually 3/16".

Surfers have a simple solid structure to work on, while kyackers are skin. I'd like to look in on a master on that! (If you have more than a vague interest in the process, check out OneOceanKayakdotcom, incredible!) Have not seen a foamsheet canoe/kyack yet. For weight control, once the fabric is wetted, you can carefully squeegy off excess epoxy - one guy said - almost as good as vacuum. Dynel and matt could not be used.
But foam is a way to go. One site reminded us that added unsinkables should be above the waterline. (Some water in the bottom of a dinghy might be a good stability thing. Burden boards (added weight) be good to design in.
A solid ply bottom sounds right to me, with composite foam sides, all composite foam interior, seats and closed off spaces. But the weight will add up fast.
You can get foam composite board already made up. But it is way too stiff to be used when you need to bend it. Unless you have an oven it which to soften it. Too tech for me.
With a curvey pram you'd have to use sliced foam and the vacuum method to drive the epoxy into every small space. The result would be fantastic, but probably the result not lighter than a shell boat.
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Did have a mental about the flooding scenario of a self-rescue dinghy.
That is: a shaped nylon tarp could be fitted loosely into the interior of the boat, attached around the inwale. You would with a crisscrossed strap or two, yank up on this membrane to spill the water from the dinghy. You wouldn't need to have this in place all the time - it might be good to have it rigged in its waiting rescue mode when the dinghy is stowed on deck. The tarp wouldn't have to waterproof the interior, it could be removable for normal tendering, or it could become a tent in rescue mode still attached to the wales. The idea really is to lift the tarp and pull a good amount of water out to get the dinghy habitable.

Well, OK, good beginning. Let's do make the water-out tarp the dinghy's tent and add some pumpup tubes for ribs to keep it up, and let's include a valve with which we can collect rain water, but of course... Make it so!

[Bill]

Little late posting these photos taken in September at the last InterClub race. First photos are of the total assembly, followed by photos of each end.

[Bill]

The ends are more interesting . . .

[Bill]

OK, now Ebb can explain . . .

[CapnK]

Ebb raises the bar* of 'Ariel restoration' once again...

*(spar?)

Holy Shmokey, that thang looks niiice...

Details, please - section info of that extrusion if possible, and suggested retail?

Looks like we are only seeing the underside of yon boom. Will ye be using a loose-footed main, Ebb, or is there a slot for a bolt rope on the other side?

[Bill]

[QUOTELooks like we are only seeing the underside of yon boom . . .[/QUOTE]

The second photo in the first post does show the top of the boom.

[CapnK]

That it does, Bill, upon further investigation. Thx for pointing that out..

Doesn't look like there is a slot in there...

[ebb]

Old boom dimensions are
3 1/2" X 2 3/8" weighing approx 16 1/2#
New boom dimensions are
4 7/16" X 2 7/8" weighing in at 22 1/2#*

The new boom is a single extrusion with a groove on top, 3 incised reference lines. One on the bottom and one at 90 on each side. Makes putting on eyes, fairleads, cleats a breeze (eg: lazy jacks.) The scantlings of the new boom are a result of my being uncomfortable with the skinny old boom used for loosefoot and hard vang attachment. Not that anything untoward to old booms with modern alterations has happened so far as I know. I feel some redundancy is needed for cruising. There's a price in weight for that, but I feel now the new boom matches the mast in proportional strength, and aesthetics.

The boom is attached with a normal gooseneck fitting (not in pic) to the mast. The long oblique cutout has jammers that can be used for at mast reefing - or reef lines can be led down to the base (with the jam cleats deactivated) and led aft on the cabin top. (#264 top)

The outboard end with the smaller cutout has the clew line in the center sheeve of three with reefing lines entering the boom on either side. The reefing lines are deadended with simple loops around the spar. They would go up to cringles on the leech, down to sheeves in the end of the boom, then forward inside to exit at the mast. I don't know what the purchase is on the internal clew cable. How one pulls maintenance on the internal block system remains to be seen. (264 lower)

If I wanted to lead the luffcringle lines aft that could be done along with the leech reef lines. (Along with the 'continuous reef line' that gathers the flap of the sail and bundles it.) Not sure if that is a good idea to run it all back on the cabintop anyway as it's probably better to use hooks on the gooseneck or something else like small tackles?` Hope to find out one-o-these-days. Depends on what the conditions are and what control the helm has while shortening sail. Cruisers might want to have the trisail ready at the mast and that's another set of lines that may not go to the cockpit.

Exceptionally made spar with fantastic 'coin stack' aluminum welding on the inserts. Has a soft browngold flushed annodised silver metallic finish. It's really beautyful! The choice of finish was that or no finish to allow painting. Painting over new annodize is a complicated process and screws up the annodize. When I get to painting the mast have to try to get something close to the boom finish. It reminds me of clear coat powder-coatings. My old Dodge truck has failing clearcoat over "Driftwood" that changes from a warm silvery brown in the sun to a cool grey in the shade or when its overcast.

The 2006 cost from Ballenger Spars in Watsonville was under $900. I was the transport. At the moment there seems to be no reason why one could not carry the original boom along as a spare or for wing-and-wing, and with the spinnaker pole, be able to rig legs too for the boat (see Baldwin's Atom) when needed at the ends of the earth.
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*on a ten dollar Sunbeam scale

[commanderpete]

I am soooo jealous

By the way, you might want to put some teff gel where the stainless cotter pin goes through the aluminum gooseneck. Mine froze up after only eight months. Had to cut it with a hack saw and drill it out