The album of Ariel #422

[Tony G]

How does that 'feel' below decks? I know you were going for the modern 'open' floor plan... that is a pretty significant piece of hardware, does it still leave the cabin feeling open?

Beautiful work there Captain! I look forward to seeing it installed!

Here! Here!

I admit it....I am insanely jealous! That open cabin is perfect for a boat this size and just what I really, really wanted. Oh well. Once again I live vicariously through Kurt.

Kurt, WRTyour mast support set up, is there a flat bar on top of the 'horizontal' tubing? If it is I completely missed that in your earlier photos. And believe you me, I looked at them tons of times! For some reason I too thought everything there was stainless and often wondered how you could have that much moolah and still be in port. That just didn't jive.

[CapnK]

LOL, Tony.

Nope - no stainless, all Aluminum. The internal piece cost me $300, the tabernacle only $120. I could have probably gotten the internal piece a bit cheaper, but made the mistake of mentioning that that amount was the most I wanted to pay...

Don't tell the fox where you hid yer chickens, ya know?

Thereafter ever aware of those consequences, I drove a harder bargain for the tabernacle.

There is a flat bar on top of the internal structure. I figured it would add more bearing surface, and be easier to 'mate' to the overhead that way instead of to the tubing.

[CapnK]

Cut thru the deck today, and trimmed back the cabin liner from where the bearing surface will be. Figure to do the glasswork below first; there is only 1 thin layer of glass on the overhead now, so by doing it this way (bottom first) I think I can re-induce the original curvature in the cabin top. It had depressed about 1/4" with the OEM structure.

So, pics...

First, Katies new dinghy...


The area of deck to cut away - added about 1" all around the tabernacle base. Cut on the red line with the SoniCrafter tool, using the half-circle blade. Hey Tony - see how close I was to the hinges? Maybe 1/2". I have even more aprreciation for this tool after today - more on that in a bit.



Outline cut, & first try at top skin removal. I was really hoping I could manage to peel up this whole piece and then re-use it elsewhere, but the 40 year old FRP was just too tenacious. I wound up cutting with the tool and fighting to get this little piece off. Going from this point, ripping about 1/3 of the skin off, it came off very irregularly, tapering up from the edge to just a last, 1 thin layer of glass at the end. Hmmm...



Broke out the SoniCrafter, and BAM. Perfect tool for this. Use plunge blade, Insert into core, cutting that free all the way across, then cut across the skin at about the point which would have been maximum plunge, and you get nice clean blocks of skin and core.



A 6"x2.5" block takes maybe 1.5 minutes to remove, and the surface underneath you can almost eat off of. You can use the blade to clean off the underskin.



More coming...

[CapnK]

This shows the first area - where you can see ripped mat at the lower part of the pic, from me pulling the skin off of the core (or trying to, at least). Contrast that with the SonicRafted area in the upper part of the pic, and you can see the improvement.



An example of a cut block using the tool. This was one of the first, they got even cleaner.



A couple pics of the tabernacle sitting in the deck hole....





The deck hole itself, in all its glory...



1 more coming...

[CapnK]

Last for now, these 3 pics show the strongback against the overhead, where the light is shining thru the 1 layer of skin left there.

[ebb]

[I asked Bill. Got the idea that Kurt removed them !]

I sometimes hit the blue line on the Discussion menu that says who's on line.
A 'guest' was logged on here.
When we log on cold we are directed to the beginning pages.
All of your earLy photos are replaced with a little red X.


Last page at the moment has your mast-step surgery into the cabin top.
Quality shots of quality work taking the mystery out for anybody needing a fix in this area
(which is probably nearly everybody.)
who hasn't thought they could do it - until now.
Important shots imco.

Kurt, I hope you post the conclusion of the repair.
And show us more or your intriguing and innovative

ALUMINUM TABERNAKLE in place.
How you attach the unit.

The mast in place.
AND HOW YOU RAISE AND LOWER YOUR MAST!

'I really wanna know"

[CapnK]

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa...

A lot of those pictures were on my old, now-defunct 'liquid-epiphany.com' website. Posted 'em there, with the good intention to save some bandwidth for *this* site/Bills wallet. Best laid plans, gone awry - as is not too uncommon... :/ I still have the pics, around somewhere, probably in several places. Which ones in particular were you looking for, Ebb? I could start by taking requests...

Attached are some pics of the beginning of the under-deck strongback area work I'm doing. Started by wrapping the aluminium strongback with plastic wrap to keep epoxy from sticking. Then cut lots and lots of strips of glass cloth, 2.5" wide or so. Between the flat top of the strongback and the curved overhead, were gaps approaching 3/8" at the widest (mid-point of the 3 flat areas across the top. Also, the gap is wider at the after edge, by about double of the front. After much thought and consternation and constipation and, well, delay I am just cramming glass up there until the gaps get closed with a solid layer of cloth. The last layer will get plastic wrap over the top to avoid it sticking to the under-deck skin. At that point, I'll do some cleaning up of this basic structure, grinding edges to make them purtier and fit better, basically get it 95% done, then apply it to the overhead, perhaps with a last layer or two of cloth for that last lil bit...

On to the pics...

This is detail of the top of the strongback, you can see the flatness...



Here's what it looked like after the first layer of goo was on, I started pulling plastic and then thought "Oops, pics...", so replaced it somewhat for this shot..



And here you can see that the new structure base has conformed to the top of the strongback - 3 same reflections, 1 for each plane. After this pic, I re-wrapped the strongback, and replaced this structure there as it was still a bit 'green' and flexible, so that it will harden to the true shape. You'll note some dry spots in the fabric - my resin was *cooking*, and I had to rush a bit more than I would have liked, to get things into thin layers so it wouldn't be shot too fast/hard. Good thing is that I will be able to wet that out easily later on...

[CapnK]

These three show the above in place.

I've begun on the outside part as well, filling in the deck hole with cloth. Going to attempt to get that near-done tomorrow. Will post pics of progress.

[CapnK]

Re: tabernacle... I *think* I have it figured out at last. I will cut the 2 nubs off of the mast foot (the nubs which sat in the plywood slot) so that I have a nice, flat bearing surface when the stick is up. I do not want the thru-bolt pivot to bear any of the weight of the mast. Thing is, when the mast rotates into position (I am planning on having it lay down aft), if it were to wind up where it was then sitting on the tabernacle base, is that the after portion of the mast and foot would have to be shaved off so that it will clear the base portion as it rotates into place. The after corner at the bottom of the mast would have to be rounded off. Rounding that corner will take away from the bearing surface I want. This is the Catch 22, that has stymied me for a couple of months...

One idea of many considered (and then rejected) was to make an oblong hole in the mast for the thru-bolt that the mast would rotate on, large enough to accommodate the corner clearance needed. Then, the mast would have to be pulled aft and up, for the last couple of inches of raising, to get the corner past, before it settled down on the foot. Doesn't sound like an easy thing to do, with a 35' long pole that weighs in excess of 100#'s.

What I've settled on is to use 2 shims. The mast will rotate up into place, 'hovering' on the pivot bolt, just far enough off of the tabernacle base so that that after corner has clearance when it rotates into place. Now, imagine a rectangle, the base plate, which is as wide as the space between the tabernacle legs, a bit longer than the mast in the fore-n-aft dimension, and just a smidge taller, maybe as much as 1/4", than the space between the mast foot bearing surface, and the tabernacle base below.

Take that rectangle, looking at the edge, and slice it on a slope into 2 pieces. Slice it so that if it is sitting on deck, the slice slopes from the upper aft corner, down to the front lower corner. Result: 2 wedges.

Once the mast is up, slide the lower piece, which will slope down and forward on top, into place on the tabernacle base. Then insert the top piece, wedging it back and up-slope on the bottom piece, until it takes up the weight of the mast. Secure it into place, and problem solved (I think...).

Re: mast raising... I've seen an idea where a fellow took a piece of chain on each side of the mast at deck edge, attached it to the deck at the ends, with enough slack so that when it was picked up in line with the tabernacle pivot, a particular link lined right up with that pivot point. From there, on each side of the mast, you lead a line up to the spreader bases, and make it off. Voila - legs. Then you can use tackle and a gin pole on the front of the mast, and hoist away. The legs will keep the mast centered until it is up and you can attach shrouds. I will probably also make a line off to the tabernacle base, aft, to take some of the kick-out load that will be there early on in the raise.

[CapnK]

Built up the 'strongback mating' piece somewhat more...

Trimmed the piece previously shown using the Rockwell tool (which is fast becoming my 'go-to tool' for this job...).



Labeled the piece generously, since the fit is different for vs aft against the overhead (tighter fit forward).



Shown with the mating piece is the scrap cutout from the cabin overhead liner. I intend to use this at the last layup in order to provide a nice flat surface for bonding against the overhead skin.



Glass cut and laid out for easy access. I positioned every full-width piece against the forward edge, smaller width pieces I laid slightly past the after edge in order to build a thicker section there.



Two resin mixing sessions later (the first one went off *fast*, too fast for me to layup all the glass at once), this is what i now have to work with. Have to trim it and measure, but I believe it is thick enough that I can lay on a paste of resin and colloidal for final forming, and then bond the liner scrap to it just prior to in-boat mounting. I put the overhead scrap piece against the resin when wet to make a 'pattern' of sorts so I know where to build up a bit more resin in the next step.

[CapnK]

Last for today, the CrewDogs are getting older, and getting them down into the cabin during the cold winter months has always been, well, interesting.

Molly is pretty fearless and will jump down, but she is almost 11 now, and I don't want to put that sort of stress on her old bones any longer. Buffett has to be 'persuaded' or brought down by hand - 55 lbs of wiggly furry mutt.

So this year they get their own accommodations, out in the cockpit. A cheap tent from WalMart with floor dimensions of 5'x6' fits the area pretty well. I am going to make an extension tube or something that will allow a good tight fit against the companionway from that side of the tent, allowing both me access to the boat, and hot air into the tent. I'll insulate it somehow.- am thinking of some batting material sewn between thin nylon that will basically blanket the tent. Will tackle that project down the road a bit, when nighttime temps start down below 40 or so...

[ebb]

Kurt,
Looking good!
I hope you are beveling the perimeter of the old deck to mate with the new fiberglass you are putting in?
Can't tell from the photos.


Maybe you can rig an easy on/easy off sling for your mates
and use the Garhauer derrick to safely transport them?

[CapnK]

As much as possible, ebb. Don't have room (between cabin trunk up-step and aft edge of fore hatch) for a proper 12:1 taper, so am just going with as much as I can get.

LOL @ the derrick suggestion. ;D A good idea!

Yet keeping them up in the cockpit *might* (and I stress that word for a reason known to dog owners...) keep the fur amount inside the boat down somewhat... (I wish!).

[c_amos]

Kurt,

It will be good to know that falling bridges, crashing planes, and the occasional meteor will pose no threat to the crew of the good ship Katie Marie!

Peter will be jealous when he sees the crew dogs new diggs!

A couple is buying Dennis' Flicka (the one that has been sitting in my back yard)... the selling point was not the brand new Yanmar, or the bronze ports from New foundmetals.... no, it was the great companionway entrance angle for their dogs...

[CapnK]

It is, indeed, a dogs world... ;D