Both aft bunk compartments have received paint as well as inspection ports for the aft floatation compartments. In later operations I gripped the painted surfaces with epoxy covered gloves and created a painting do over for myself.
Inspection ports were also installed in the forward two compartments. The fore most compartment is a flotation compartment. The foreground port gives access to the locker lid dogs providing a means to lock the lid from the inside. Completing these details inches the deck installations forward, but there are other details holding this up that would have been better completed earlier in the construction.
The Tiki 26 is a boat design inspired by polynesian catamarans. Like the polynesian boats, the Tiki is held together by three crossbeams lashed to the inboard and outboard hull sides. At first I was skeptical of this arrangement, but in time it made sense to me. Imagine if the springs in your vehicle were replaced with steel pipes. A rough potholed road would beat the vehicle to death in short order. Like the sprung vehicle, the lashings provide some give in the assembled boat and thereby relieve stresses on the components.
The image above shows a lashing pad clamped to the shear stringer. My regular readers will know that the shear is a line defined by the deck/hull intersection. Below the shear stringer is a shear doubler. The lashing pad captures the lashings under the shear doubler as the lashings are lead up and over the crossbeam above for several turns. The lashing pads are held by three machine screws through bolted to the hull. These screw holes require some special preparation.
A drilling jig was used to drill the 1/4" holes in a consistent pattern. As the beam and lashing pad width broadens on the inboard side as well as fore and aft, three drilling jigs were required for the hole pattern variations.
Above is one of the twenty shear doublers. The 1/4" holes were drilled out to 1/2" holes then filled with high density epoxy. The drilling jig was then reinstalled to redrill the holes to 1/4". The high density epoxy provides better bearing strength for the fasteners and seals the wood from moisture,
Above are the 16 lashing pads with the edges rounded over by the router. Each of these pads will receive three epoxy filled screw holes for a total of 48 holes or 96 filled holes if the matching hull holes are counted. Holing these parts will wait until the final positions are determined in conjunction with crossbeam locating much later in the construction process. I'll certainly need to place my drilling jigs in a memorable location for future needs.
Four additional stringer doublers/lashing pad locations are on the boat's stern as shown above. An additional fourth crossbeam will span between the hulls at the aft to support a boarding ladder and rear trampoline.
On the left hand side, just forward of the stringer doubler and below the shear stringer, is an angled piece of timber that is not yet present on the right hand side. I term the angled timber as a drip rail. Those with Tiki experience have reported that the shear stringers are prone to rotting by water clinging to the stringer underside. The drip rail should prevent that problem and ease the transition of fiberglass fabric from the hull to the shear. The shear stringer bottom was cut at a 15° to avoid the clinging water problem, but it did not appear to my eye to provide a steep enough angle. This feature increased the number of angled cuts required to create the drip rail cross section that nests nicely against the hull and stringer.
Installing the 18 drip rail segments was inhibited by the number of suitable clamps. Above I have repurposed the plywood parts of previously used spanish windlasses as clamping jigs. The jigs apply the clamping forces so the drip rails are bent around the hulls as well as firmly seated against the hull and shear stringer. This installation was rather tedious, but once the clamps were in place there was nothing to do but wait for the epoxy to set .... I got some afternoons off!
It was wise to delay deck installations (see Plan B episode) until the shear modifications were completed, Clamping, drilling and filling holes would be much more involved if the decks were in place. If I were truly wise, these modifications would have been done before any dreaded painting was involved. With the shear work done it was on to more interesting tasks.
A Galley Forms
Progress on the galley was delayed while awaiting the shipment of sink drain fittings. Before mounting the sink; the bottom needed to be modified with a drain fitting and a drain valve mount. I'm rather pleased with the valve mounting arrangement that uses valve body flats to prevent body rotation as the drain valve is operated. Ahh, good valve action here!
Above the galley is configured for use as the aft bunk with the lid covering the footwell and the alcohol stove stored on the right. Two shelves reside under the counter to either side of the sink. A goose necked lamp is clamped to its' location on the right bulkhead. The lamp features white as well as a night vision preserving red light. This lamp is the primary lamp in each hull. The goose neck allows the light to be directed as needed.
The stove rests against the outward sloping inboard hull side. Wedged shaped pieces under the stove help assure the stove remains secure in its' stowed location. A latch on the upper left corner and a projection on the lower right corner also secure the stove.
In the upper right background there are three blue boxes in the navigation compartment. The boxes are solar charge controllers, the boat's electrical system beginnings. Delving into that will remain for a future episode and the arrival of a future shipment.
The footwell lid now serves as the stove table and the galley is ready for some cooking action. I'm not the one to give much action in that regard but can offer observations. I'm 6'-1" and my knees fit comfortably under the table. The counter height is right to serve as a comfortable arm rest and to view the sink contents while experiencing great valve action. It is probably best if I just stay out of the cook's way.
After two years the galley (port hull) and the navigation (starboard hull) compartments remain to complete the hull's interior fitments. All decks are cut out and fitted as well as the cabin sides. The decks require only interior paint and cleat backing pads for installation in the near term. The backing pads and the electrical system components (to be installed in the navigation compartment) should arrive on the next shipment in a month and one half. The cabin sides will require a far amount of work to make provisions for port lights and the companion way entrance. The list of tasks ahead is long and can be tedious. I will not trouble my readers with this list, but to allow them to bask in the progress presented in each new episode.
Scooter Blues
I enjoy the scooter as it has restored driving fun. It is my preferred means of travel around town as I'm equipped for in this picture of better scooter times. The electric motor has started cogging and making noise. It runs a bit like a vehicle that is not operating on all cylinders. I think I know what the problem is, but it will require dismantling the hub motor, ordering parts and waiting. I'm not yet inclined to do so.
