Steaming

The last episode diverted efforts to install the decks into a Plan B.  A number of tasks must be accomplished before Plan A can be implemented.

The decks must receive cleats at both bows and sterns.  The bow cleat above has had the mounting holes drilled oversized.  The holes were filled with an epoxy mixed with a high density additive and later drilled to accept the fasteners.  The epoxy filling distributes the fastener loads and seals plywood at the mounting holes.   The high density additive improves the filling's compressive and bearing strengths.  I hope to sleep well believing my anchor line will not be tearing out deck cleats.

The bow deck undersides receive reinforcements adjacent to the cleat fastener holes.

Some may look at the image above and wonder what kind of a solar powered robot vacuum cleaner I have.  What is shown is the outside face and the inside face of solar powered ventilators.  I have two for each hull, one supplies air and the other exhausts it.  These ventilators have a battery that is charged during the day so that the fan runs day and night.  Good ventilation is key to avoiding mold, fungus and other funk.  The fore and aft decks will be holed to receive the ventilators (resolving a last episode cliffhanger).  

While solar powered ventilators are not new, this brand has a unique feature that I was excited to find.  There is a built in LED light that will illuminate the dark compartments and lockers that would otherside not receive light.  

Here the forward deck has been holed to receive the ventilador.  The aft decks also received similar holes.  The options for ventilador placement were limited and restricted by stringer locations, hatch clearance, cross beam clearance, as well as the internal shelving.  I can't say the ventilador does positive things for the esthetics, but it sits in an out of the foot traffic location as well as being easy to reach and operate from the inside.  This is a case where I would say, "There is no perfection, only compromise".

This is a below deck ventilator view.  Wooden rings have been fabricated to fit around the ventilator below deck.  The ring will give the above deck mounting fixture something to screw into besides 1/4" plywood.

My steam bending efforts have produced positive results after soaking the kiln dried lumber in water for a week.  A newly steamed length of molding is shown clamped to the bending form in the required shape.  The image also shows two examples of specially milled molding for the aft bulkheads.

Above, the steamed wood is drying while held in the desired shape.  The steamed wood has a U shaped cross section that fits over and softens the bulkhead's plywood edge.  Two U shaped lengths will be fitted to finish the bulkhead's edge.  Similar molding will be applied to all interior bulkhead openings, providing my steam bending successes continue.

The molding, mentioned with the bending form, is shown in position at the bulkhead opening top.  The aft cabin bulkhead opening molding has small radius corners that I would not attempt or succeed with by steam bending.  Unlike the previous bulkhead, the aft molding has an L cross section rather than a U cross section.  Several steps were employed to create the corner radius moldings.

Fortunately, I have a fly cutter to cut wooden disks or semicircles of any desired size.  Above is the fixture used to route a circular rabbet around the semicircle's perimeter.  The circular rabbet's inside radius matches that of the bulkhead opening.

The readjusted fly cutter cuts the rabbeted semicircle's inside diameter.  Cuts are then made to create two corner moldings after the edges receive a 1/8" radius.  More attention should have been paid to the wood grain orientation as these unattached parts are very fragile. 

Here two steam bent, L shaped moldings are clamped to the bending form for the lower portion of the aft bulkhead molding.  A square filler piece is placed in the L's mouth to present a square cross section to the clamping forces.

New shelves are held up by temporary supports in the forward bunk compartment to the left.  The shelving theme is emerging with the slotted fiddles capped by varnished mahogany.  An arrangement of netting and bungee cord below the shelves could be used to store clothes and other items.  I need to flesh out this idea before the shelves are installed.

My previous hope of reducing the chaos of a hoarders lair by installing the decks no longer seems wise.  Some future operations will be much easier without installed decks.  Meanwhile, I'm engaged in multiple sub projects at various stages of completion.  It has been said that a point in every direction is the same as no point at all.  I'm pointing for a future sudden assembly event where the boat's state of completion takes a decided jump in a short period of time due to the completed sub projects.  My scrap piles are turning into smaller scraps and the new parts require a place to be, adding to chaos.  Progress will somehow continue as I shuffle along my hoarder's trails while forgetting the purpose of my quest upon arrival at some remote shop location.  Yet, I look forward to starting progress each new day

Plan B

A shop is never big enough.  I'm accumulating piles of useful scrap as well as completed sub assemblies.  The shop has taken on the character of a hoarder's lair.  Materials and equipment define narrow trails leading from one remote shop location to another.  The chaos level is higher than I like to tolerate.  A focus on installing the sub assemblies would reduce the chaos levels.  Plan A was to go full steam on completing interior fitments under the decked areas.  This plan would realize near term deck installations, thereby reducing the hoarding content and chaos.

Most interior fitments use 1/4 inch plywood material and it is critical to know if there is enough material on hand.  The remaining full 1/4 inch sheets and scraps were inventoried and identified with tape for future applications.  There are some large 1/4 inch plywood parts to cut that could provide useful interior scraps.  Plan A morphs into Plan B .... 

The above image shows green fishing lines tensioned between the cabin corners.  By sighting across these lines it is possible to judge if the lines lie on the same plane and the adjustments needed to create a sloping, flat, single plane cabin top surface.  In practice, the fishing line elevations are adjusted on the aft bulkhead to determine the plane formed by the corners of the two forward bulkheads.

The eagle eyed will notice the left fishing line does not touch the outboard middle bulkhead.  A tapered shim was later glued to the bulkhead edge to assure the side panel would sit fair against the three bulkheads.

The aft bulkhead height is adjusted to the co-planer fishing line/bulkhead intersections.  A clamped on straight edge and the oscillating saw make quick work of it.  

A straight edge with hot glued pointed sticks form a cabin side template.  The template straight edge and stick points are transferred to the 1/4" sheet stock.  A batten is sprung between the transferred points define side panel cut only requiring minor fit up adjustments. 

With all the side panels cut and inplace; I Hollywooded on the decks (fake installed) to gain my first good look at what I've been building.  It is difficult to appreciate and photograph the boat's shape in the close shop confines, but it is gratifying to view the boat in a more completed state.

I like the pronounced upward sweep of the bows and sterns.  The cabin sides seem a little slab sided at this point, but portlights and wash boards will lighten the appearance in time.  The diversion to Plan B has revealed that I should have enough 1/4 inch marine plywood to complete the boat providing I make NO mistakes.  The addition of the cabin side panels has added to shop chaos as I return to Plan A.

The port side forward locker lid latch linkage is shown above.  The linkage pivots on 1/4" bolts epoxied into the 3/4" thick mahogany components.  The linkage is pulled/pushed through an inspection port in the forward bunk.  Pull the link to extend the latches into lid mounted dogs, push to retract and release the dogs.  An operator's handle was later added to the link adjacent to the inspection port.

The starboard forward locker/head has received finishing coats of paint.  The corner step and the floor hatch will require a nonskid surface that I do not yet have materials for.  I may opt to varnish some wood on these parts just to spark things up.  A clip is incorporated into the lower right hand corner to hold the composting toilet's agitator handle.  A few glueing operations and this compartment will be ready for deck installation.

Above is a view forward into the foremost bunk compartment.  This compartment, in both hulls, received coats of primer, paint and surprisingly sturdy shelves made of 1/4" plywood.  I hope not to launch an embarrassment.  To that end I have added some ginger bread to the shelving to spark things up, this includes a varnished lip rail and decorative slots cut along the fiddle's (raised lip along a shelf edge) length.  All of this sold through an artsy image taken through the round bulkhead opening.

The deck panels above enclose the forward bunk compartments.  Preparations are being made to paint the panel undersides.  One panel has been masked off in the areas where it will later be epoxied to the hull.  The remaining panel needs to be scribed off while installed on the hull to mark the masked areas.  I managed to get one coat of primer on these panels when I realized I have a large hole to put in these panels.  I'm excited for the hole's purpose, but that purpose will not arrive until the next shipment; a month and another episode away.  

This shows the foremost bunk compartment with the painted hatch mount in place.  This compartment will be covered with a deck panel shown masked in the previous image.

Gingerbread Gone Wrong

My ginger breading could use some bent wood.  The table sports version 2.0 of my wood steam bending apparatus.  Version 1.0 had a 1000 watt electric hot plate that was too wimpy for the job and a PVC pipe for a steam box that went limp with the heat.  Version 2.0 features a powerful butane hot plate and a plastic sleeve steam box.  This arrangement delivers plenty of steam and heat to the wood contained within the sleeve.

My steam bending attempt was not successful.  Blocks were screwed to a scrap sheet at intervals along the bulkhead opening edge to force the steamed wood against the opening's shape.  The wood was not compliant enough to form to the shape and it snapped.  I later learned that my kiln dried lumber is the worst thing to steam bend.  I'm soaking the wood in water for a while in hopes of better results in a future episode.  

As you see, I have sprinkled this episode with some cliff hangers; what are the deck holes for?, will the steam bending efforts be successful?  For some, this harkens back to the days of the kid's Saturday matinee when you had to return for the next week's episode to see how Flash Gordon got out of that jam.

A Major Wart

At long last; the nine inch deep bow fillets are completed and fiberglassed.  These were the last major structural fillets to complete in the hulls.  The lumber clamped inside the hull will later receive screws to mount chocks protecting anchor and docking lines from worrying against the shear (edge defined by the hull and deck intersection).

Above, the ventilation hatch mount subassembly is epoxied together in stages.  This required clamping and installing the loose pieces in the hull and verifying the mount is properly located to extend through the hole previously cut in the deck sheathing.   With the deck removed, c-clamps securing the mount on the longitudinal deck stringers; the short deck supports are epoxied to the mount's fore and aft sides.  At the stage above, the short deck supports and one edge of the mount are epoxied to a longitudinal stringer.  Clamped on legs support the assembly in position while epoxing on the remaining longitudinal stringer.  This staged in situ approach allows the fit between mating parts to be checked and adjusted for correct alinement. 

The boat will have modist electrical needs.  I've estimated a 100 ampere hour battery will suit my purposes.  I'm considering a lithium iron phosphate battery as apposed to a lead acid battery.  For a long life; the lead battery can only be discharged to 50% of its' rated capacity where a lithium battery can go to 20%.  The lithium battery is lighter at 30 pounds, endures a greater number of charge cycles, requires no maintenance, is free of flammable gases and acid, but comes with a hefty price.  As I often say, "For every pleasure there is a pain".

A plywood mock up of the battery is shown in the above view aft along with the battery shelf and the locker areas where the paint is removed so the shelf can be epoxied in place.  It was a real treat on a breezeless hot day, hanging over the bunk edge, blood pooling in the head while reaching down and back to remove the paint.  I discovered late in this process that a sharp chisel is about the best tool to scrape away the paint.  It also reaffirmed the lesson to mask off known painted areas subject to later gluing.  Prior to building the battery mock up I considered placing the battery in the aft bunk compartment or a cockpit locker, but there were complicating negatives to these locations.

Here we see the "battery" resting on its' shelf and completely tucked away beneath the forward bunk overhang.  The short battery cables will pass through a hole in the bulkhead behind and then up to an electrical distribution panel to be installed above and to the left in the companionway (entrance to the boat's interior) compartment aft.  Short wire runs will complete electrical connections between the solar charge controllers and the battery.  All of this with good battery access.

My focus is to complete all the interior work necessary to install the front and rear decks.  To that end the forward locker, the bow and stern flotation chambers have received top side paint.

The starboard forward locker has received paint in the lower portion and a floor for the head.  The white PVC pipe is electrical conduit to take power leads from lid mounted solar cells aft, through two compartments, to the companionway electrical distribution panel.  A similar arrangement exists in the port hull.

The composting toilet covers the head floor hole.  In the foreground are two latches that will secure the lid over the inner combing (elevated box surrounding the hatch opening).  The rotating latch arms will be joined by a link that is pulled, by means of a hole in the bulkhead (lower right), to engage dogs on the lid underside.  This provides a method to lock up the forward lockers from inside the boat without the need for locks or keys.

Space is limited in the open air head and I regret opting for the elongated seat.  This seat could invite wet accidents as well as reducing the available footing room.  It is an 18 inch step down from the combing lip to the head floor.  This could make for failed entry and exit tales.  A midway step seems wise.

Straight, level and square do not seem to be the character of a boat.  This poses challenges in laying out and sizing new structures.  The best that can be expected is flat as a reference surface to derive other locations needed for new fitments.  Above, the step elevation is marked with blue tape at points along the bulkhead and hull as indicated by the pointed stick.  This shaky set up can rest on the flat surface and reach out to the sloping hull sides to indicate the step elevation.  It was easily checked against the first piece of tape applied to assure it indicated correctly.

The step is fitted to the bulkhead and hull.  Underside cleats support the step that will be installed after painting an otherwise difficult to paint corner.  It is held up by a prop rod used only for the purposes of making this image.  The step features a toe stop to protect the electrical conduit.  The step protrudes minimally into the space directly below the hatch opening.  

The hatch lid will hinge on the same side as the step.  The lid must be restrained in the open position by a locking linkages to prevent the wind from blowing the lid closed on an unfortunate occupant.  These linkages are likely to attach midway on the fore aft inner combing ends.  The best hope is that a person of short stature will not suffer a crotch to linkage impact when using the step.  A locked linkage will enable the lid to be used as a steadying influence when entering or exiting in my best case scenarios. 

The above image shows the deck and the forward house (cabin) bulkhead.  In the lower right is a white piece of tape with a pencil mark.  The pencil mark indicates where the forward bulkhead face should be, 7/8" aft of where it is.  This mistake means that the length of a plywood sheet is too short to span the house length as intended.  A crossbeam lands directly in front of this bulkhead and would require a much larger crossbeam to house gap on the starboard hull and a tapering gap on the port hull.  This compounds into issues mounting the cockpit that are best avoided.  It is embarrassing to make such a mistake and it is a wart that must be removed.

The tool above oscillates a fine kerf saw blade that cuts the bulkhead flush at the deck surface.  I previously had a Porter Cable version of this tool I chose not to bring with me.  The tool was big and heavy while providing great effort and frustration in changing out the oscillated tooling.  This german Fien tool is a jewel in comparison.  Flip a lever to drop a tool and just pop the next tool on.

A tapered shim spans the bulkhead width to correctly position the house bulkhead.

Above, the epoxy sets on the butt block joining the house bulkhead to the tapered shim.  Happily this correction went exceptionally well with the bulkhead lining up on the marks.

I'm enjoying fitting out the interior that is not detailed in the plans.  The most difficult part is anticipating what fixtures are necessary for living extended periods on a boat.  Then comes the simplification and innovation necessary to achieve hopefully elegant solutions.   Meanwhile, the backlog of parts requiring epoxy coating, sanding, painting, sanding and sanding continues to grow along with the piles of sand dust.

Scooter Blues

The long awaited scooter I received in February is still not legal for road operation.  I've added turn, running and brake lights as well as a horn.  The LED turn signal/running lights required a special flasher relay that recently arrived, but failed to produce the necessary blinking.  I've read that load resistors are sometimes installed to make the flasher work.  Not having load resistors, in a flash of brilliance (puns intended) I reasoned ordinary incandescent bulbs could be used to provide the necessary load.  Sure enough the flasher operated the LED turn signals with the load bulb in the circuit, but the LED running lights, built onto the same circuit board as the turn LEDs, no longer operated.  Presently, the scooter remains disassembled and unable to pass inspect for road operation.  I await an adjustable LED flasher relay that may provide a solution to my scooter woes.  It should arrive in about two months.

The Pecker Birds

My sleeping habits have changed to where I'm generally up at 3:30 am for some unknown reason.  About the time the sun is coming up, I've experience a tap, tap, tapping.  Investigating the source of this noise I discover a beautiful reddish orange and black bird pecking away at the pickup windows and mirrors.  This bird is extremely skittish and would flit away at the slightest of my motions on the deck above.  This bird was soon replaced by the pecker bird shown below and the beautiful bird was rarely seen again.

The pecker bird was not skittish at all and would allow a very close approach while giving me a look that said; "yeah, so what ....?"  With that I initially agreed, after all what harm could this pecker do?  There is the issue of this bird's droppings coating the doors, mirrors and bed sides.  This additional indignity may be fitting for a vehicle designed not to impress on any level.

I allowed the little pecker to have at it for a while.  At times he would really get worked up and go to town on the windshield.  This went off and on throughout the day, until I noticed the little pecker was creating pits in the windshield.  I've experienced the persistence of birds when herons return year after year to fish my koi ponds.  I assumed breaking the pecker behavior would be difficult, but no!  Two encounters with well thrown rocks diverted his pecking to the neighbor's window.  Now the skittish beautiful bird is back at it.

In my previous life I enjoyed automobiles intended for spirited driving on twisting roads.  Such vehicles are not suitable or enjoyable on Belize roads.  I do not find enjoyment in driving a low powered, lumbering pickup under any conditions, but it suits the circumstances.  I think I've found a solution to my first world problem:

Scooter Porn

This pothole doger is an electric Phat Scooter.  It has a top speed of 20 mph and a range of 30 to 50 miles.  It features front and rear hydraulic disk brakes as well as front and rear suspensions.  In most parts of the U.S. this scooter is allowed to operate on bicycle trails with no license or title requirements.  After purchasing the scooter I had this Dorthy in the Wizard of Oz moment when I realized was no longer in Kansas.  The scooter needs to be titled and licensed in Belize.  This would require the addition of a horn, brake light and turn signals as well as switches to control these items.  I set to work with the parts I could obtain locally from the chinese scooter dealer.

A switch housing was fitted next to the left handlebar grip.  The switch housing grips the handlebars in an area deformed by the nearby bend.  Some file work on the housing gripping surfaces accomodated the handlebar deformations.  The electric horn is visible behind the front fender.  Just below the switch housing is a squeeze bulb horn.  It is one of those horns where the body tube loops just before the bell.  I like to call it my Happy Hello horn as apposed to the Clown Horn description it is sold under.  

 The turn signal/running lights and handlebar mounting clamps I ordered on line.  These mounting clamps are ordinarily used to attach rear view mirrors.  The clamps were drilled and tapped to accept the light mounting threads.  The electrical leads exit an additional drilled hole.  

The rear turn signal mounting brackets were recycled from the light angle iron shipping cage protecting the scooter.   The center brake light was sourced locally.  I built the black wooden forward section to give it a teardrop profile.  I may change this taillight out in the future.

It has been a fair amount of work figuring out how to modify and implement the wiring.  Everything works with the exception of the turn signals.  The LED lights require a special flasher relay that I will not have until the next shipment arrives in the middle of April, a month away.  Along with the relay I will be receiving a new saddle shaped seat suspended by springs to better tame the potholes.

This scooter will serve the majority of my transportation needs.  I have a large light fabric bag that will hold cargo on most shopping expeditions.  I have been very excited to receive this scooter and the returning driving pleasures.  The scooter sat at the freight forwarders in Los Angles since early December and I did not receive it until the middle of February.  Presently lacking turn signals I can not yet register it for use on the road.  Is scooter gratification delayed scooter gratification earned?  

I will admit to taking illicit scooter rides in the neighborhood to make these observations.  An early ride took me on a road I don't often travel.  This resulted in a higher speed scooter encounter with a monster pothole.  This was a good early lesson for me as I required chiropractic services shortly thereafter.  The on order, spring suspended, seat will be a grand improvement over the inadequate stock seat.   I was expecting a greatly cushioned ride on the wide tires inflated at 10 psi rather than the recommended 15 to 20 psi.  A higher tire inflation pressure will improve the range and may make it less squirrely on rutted road sections.  The wide tires makes it possible ride at what would otherwise be impossibly slow speeds.  The 1200 watt motor has torque for effortless hill climbing and good acceleration.  The three speed ranges (8, 13 and 20 mph) are very useful to reduce throttle authority in lower speed situations.  20 mph may be as fast as I'll ever want to go on this scooter as the sensation of speed is great!  The reactions of the few people that have seen this scooter have been unusually positive.  This would be great if I were more comfortable in the spot light.

The Boat Build

I've had two weeks of visitors merged with a good three weeks of a lingering illness overlapping the scooter receipt and modifications.  Yet there is previous and present build progress to report.  Earlier efforts have produced many parts comprising deck stringers, decks, hatch mounts, and hatch combings.  With all these loose parts things were becoming chaotic.  It was time to assemble some parts and restore order.

Above the deck stringers are epoxied to the rear deck undersides.  Two coats of epoxy were applied to these components followed by sanding before assembly.

Laid out on the sawhorses is the underside of the forward deck subassemblies.  Two plywood sheets makeup the forward deck.  These sheets are joined by butt blocks visible to either side of the forward hatch cutout.  The sheets will be joined as part of the on hull installation process.  These subassemblies also received the protective epoxy coating and sanding treatment.  

The forward hatch inner coamings received an outside 1/4" overhanging lip to help exclude water from the inside.  Coamings are surfaces intended to exclude/deflect water.  The hatch lid will extend over the inner coaming to close against the outer coaming.  The outer coaming face, seating against the hatch lid, is just above the deck surface.  Thus, any water forced pass gaps in the outer coaming will be directed against the side of the inner coaming and further inhibited from entering the vessel by the hatch opening outside lip.  This is one traditional method of building water tight hatches.

 Above are inwale timbers clamped in the starboard hull stern glue up.  These inwales assure substantial material is available to receive screws supporting the aft trampoline and hardware to tie up the boat.

  

The bow ends are also receiving inwales to support the forward trampoline.   The inwales start out with rectangular cross sections.  When they are clamped to the sloping hull sides, a one edge protrudes above the surface the deck must rest on.  The protruding edge is planed down so the deck underside is in good contact with the inwale and provides good footing for future screws.

The head floor is visible in the left compartment.  The composting head covers the opening providing access below, but normal access is through the cover to the right.

My next task is to finish up the bow fillets.  The bow fillet above has been sanded in preparation for building up with additional epoxy applications.  It is not wise to fill this volume in one go as large epoxy volumes generate significant heat during the curing process with the potential for fire.  The epoxy is applied in thinner layers that generate less heat.  Once a layer has partially cured another layer is then applied.  In this case I waited too long for additional epoxy applications and had to re-sand the cured epoxy for adhesion to the next coat.  

This is where my wait for the shipment of $4.00 worth of inferior Chinese small sanding drums paid off.  The sanding drums greatly reduced the time and effort required for this difficult to sand area.  My decades old Dremel tool never received much use until starting this project.  It was only a year ago that I discovered the Dremel had oiling holes that I attend to regularly to help assure it will last for the project duration.