Its Twins

Followers of Q might say that I've received my first injection of microchips to ward off Covid 19.  On the whole, I would say that Belize has done a good job with the pandemic, but the vaccine distribution schedules were not well publicized, at least on the media I frequent.  I only heard about it by going to the hospital and inquiring to learn a mass vaccination campaign was taking place the very next day at the Community Center.  I showed up to wonder which of the four unmarked lines I should stand in to learn my first line chose was wrong.  After that things went smooth and efficient.  After receiving the shot we were required to wait awhile to make sure no one was suffering any immediate adverse effects.  We were then issued a packet of Tylenol and rehydration powder to mix with water before being released.  I suffered no ill after effects as one person I know has experienced and we were warned about during the wait.  I'll receive the second injection in about three months.

Above is a view down into the port hull footwell.  The oval shapes are access covers to bilge/storage area below.  The exposed faces are 1/4" plywood located by a smaller on 3/4" thick oval glued on below.  The cover, resting by the footwell lip, is upside down to show the locating oval.  Eight loose ovals for both hulls have been kicking around since early in the construction.  Some time was spent refining the locating ovals fits so that each of the covers drop into place very nicely.  Eight loose parts reduced to four, progress!

The companionway steps, the access covers and cabin sole (floor) have received a blue/gray antiskid coating.  I expect the antiskid will give a more durable surface than a painted surface, as well as providing improved footing.  It was very time consuming masking off and sanding the areas receiving the antiskid, but applying the antiskid goes very quickly.  This is followed by immediately removing the laboriously applied masking before the antiskid dries.  

An additional antiskid surface is needed at the bunk level or the long step between the steps and cabin sole.  Regular readers will know that each hull is provided with a removeable table surface that spans each hull's width above the bunk level.  Seating at the bunk level is too far away from the table to make it useful.  The solution is to build a movable seat that spans the footwell (bunk level) opening.  One side will provide a cushioned seat that can be flipped over to reveal a nonskid surface aiding entry and exit.  This solution will come at a later stage in the project.

Fiberglass is applied to the port hull companionway opening drain channels.  The cabin roof slopes towards the inner coaming and would encourage water towards the insides.  The sloping channels, cut at each opening edge, are meant direct water to the outside   The left side shows the fiberglass after the epoxy has set, but before the excess fiberglass is trimmed.  This fuzzy image shows the trimmed and sanded drain channel on the right side,

The port side now sports a companionway washboard.  Note the drain channels on either side of the companionway opening.  Completing the washboard required some 3/4" plywood that was not available in my scrap pile.  Some 3/4" plywood was set aside for a component I had not yet fabricated.  It was time to build this component and replenish the scrap pile.

 Above is the 3/4" plywood backbone for the aft beam.  Ignore jog in the shape, this is just an artifact from stitching two images together.  This beam will span the boat's sterns and support the aft trampoline.  Like the three other beams joining the hulls, this beam will have a triangular cross section with a gentle curve in one of the vertical and horizontal directions.  Its loads will be lower and it will have smaller dimensions than the remaining more heavily loaded beams.

This is the money shot, I now have twins!  Both hulls now have fiberglass and white primer applied on the upper surfaces.  The primer protects the underlying epoxy from degrading by UV exposure.

Patch Me

 After a recent birthday I found it was a good time to get patched up again.  Some boat building contortions had aggravated the hernia I've been babying for a couple of years now.  I had surgery on this hernia for the second time about a week ago and soon the stitches will be removed.  Boat building is such an obsession for me that I've been putting off the fix so I wouldn't be laid up for a while.  It got to the point that my motions were restricted by the condition and inhibited what I could accomplish.  Time to take the cure!

Both forward lockers received locking hardware.  Two hooks are visible in the locker opening.  These hooks engage metal plates, suspended from the lid, to lock the lid.  The hooks are mounted on a linkage that is operated securely from inside the cabin.  The hooks lay flat against the inner coaming in the unlocked position.  This arrangement works very well when it is necessary to secure items in the boat, but the lockers will also have latches operated from the outside under normal conditions.

The locking linkage is operated through an inspection port between the locker and the cabin.  A person must crawl forward into a low space that is mostly intended to receive feet as part of the forward bunk.  It was as I wormed my way forward to test the locking latch that I aggravated my hernia.  As a result, I've been giving some thought to a manipulator stick to operate the latch from a more comfortable cabin position. 

The lid interiors and inner coamings have received their first topside paint coat. Another coat or two will bring these lockers up to a finished condition.

I should test my regular readers to see if they can identify the above parts as the beginnings of the port cabin top.  I had to comb through my scrap materials to scrounge up all the bits and pieces to close up the port hull.  In the foreground is the companionway inner coaming.  The four arcs, to span and shape the cabin top, are in the background.  The foreground and background items rest on the 3/8" plywood that will close the cabin top.  

The smaller items have received primer and will require painting before installation.  An opening has been cut in the plywood to receive the coaming.  The list of hull completion tasks is growing smaller, but the hulls are still the project's most monumental sanding task ahead to brighten my future.

My 15 year old digital camera may be done for.  I've been operating it for a while using cable ties to hold the battery compartment together.  It doesn't boot up anymore; it gives up as it fails to extend the lens as normal.  My tablet is no help as it is out of service.  I'm fortunate to have a video camera that stores still images on a card so that I can continue documenting this build.  Special batteries for video camera have given up, but it came with an AC power supply to tether me.  I suppose I will have to give up part of my retirement fortune to a new camera.

Sheathing Up

 Adventures Obtaining a Belize Driver's License

My Washington state driver's license expires next month on my birthday.  I decided to get a jump on things ahead of time to assure I could continue bouncing along the lumpy roads.  This turned out to be something of a mistake.  I was first told that I had to be a permanent resident, but then I mentioned I owned property and that I lived here full time for four years.  The traffic police (separate from the regular police) said that they could work with that and that I would need to supply copies of my passport showing the date I arrived in Belize.  

The next morning I set off to obtain ink for my scanner/printer to produce the copies.  The ink was no longer sold at the store that sold me the printer, but I was directed to an alternate store that provide the first success on this mission.  Returning home the needed copies were produced and carried to the traffic police office.  I was then informed that the copies needed to show I had been in Belize for a year so it was a return home to produce other copies.  These records created some confusion saying that some months were missing, but I pointed out that the visa stamps were for more than one month.  After some examination this was accepted.  I was then directed to have a doctor give me an exam then stamp and sign the traffic document.  I thought I could game the system and escape the exam by obtaining the license before reaching next birthday's magic number.  Luck was with me as two doctors were available.  I had a short wait followed by an eye exam, administered with a cell phone app, then left with the needed stamped and signed document.

I returned to the traffic office to pay the fees and score a license after better than a half a day's effort.  At no point was a test or driving skill demonstration required.  I chose to pay $150 BZE for a two year license.  The guy taking the money tried to hit me up for some drinking money, but he ended up disappointed.  I expressed disappointment in receiving a license that expires in one year and one month.  It was then explained to me that a license year expires on my birthday, one month away.  To that I can only shrug and say oh well.  Though english is the common language, communication is not always clear or easy.  Belize tends to be bureaucratic and it does no good to get tensed up about such things.  I've learned to expect such things and just endure with internal humor mixed with a quiet dread.

It is not yet over, I just got a call from the traffic police.  My last name was misspelled on the license and I must return to the office to have it corrected free of charge within this month.

Rudder Preparations

The 3/4 inch thick plywood rudder trailing edges have been tapered down to 3/16 of an inch.  A grinder fitted with a sand paper flapper wheel made quick work of this.  This operation filled the shop with more sanding dust than any task to date.  Now a wiser person, I would have performed this shaping process outdoors.  

Rounded rudder edges are sheathed in fiberglass and green fillets are made between the 1/4" rudder cheek blocks (to the left) and the rudder proper.  All of this is part of the completed mission to sheath the rudders entirely in fiberglass.  

Note the series of drilled holes opposite the tapered trailing edges.  Matching holes are drilled in the hull stern to create the rudder hinges by lines laced in a figure eight pattern through the holes.  This is said to be a very reliable arrangement.

Hull Sheathing

In the foreground is the inverted port hull sheathed in fiberglass.  It took me about twelve hours to do the first side by myself.  This is more time than I like to spend on the project, but when working with fiberglass and epoxy it is best to get that second coat of epoxy with fairing compound on before the first coat cures.  I enlisted some help to get the second side done in half the time.

Three layers of heavier fiberglass were applied to the keel in the chocolate colored areas.  This is a deviation from the plans and provides great keel protection.  A professional boat builder used this method on identical boats built for a resort.  These boats are run up onto a beach three times a day with great success.  Without a dingy I am likely to beach the boat from time to time.

About two and one half gallons of epoxy were consumed to get this hull fiberglassed.  It will likely require another two coats of epoxy with fairing compound before it is ready for painting.  This work will require long board sanding after each coat to produce a satisfactory painting surface.  I can look forward to more sanding in the painting process, but in the mean time I'll find other tasks.

The starboard hull can be seen in the background.  White primer has been applied to the  fiberglassed areas to provide protection from UV damage.

On the left is the 6 oz. fiberglass used to sheath the hulls and other exterior surfaces.  Three layers of the 6 oz. fiberglass lap over the keel.  On the right is the heavier 1708 fiberglass also applied in three layers over the keel.  On one side is fiberglass woven and on the other side is chopped strand fiberglass mat.  The sides are sewn together and form a long tape.  1708 soaks up a lot of epoxy and requires a large amount of fairing compound to get it to blend into the hull's shape.  Sanding this stuff has been the first time I've experienced the itch that is common with fiberglass work.  I'm itching to avoid this kind of work for awhile.

Hopeful 2021

 I think most everyone will be happy to put the year 2020 in the rear view mirror.  Belize had done so well in the early pandemic by holding the number of cases to 24 until this fall.  Each day, 100 new cases are identified, as the case count continues climbing towards a peak.  2020 ends on hopeful notes with covid vaccines on the way bringing prospects for a return to normal life.  All of this swirls around me leaving my existence unchanged as this day, like everyday, is a good day for more boat sanding.

I've been a bit limited in the work that can be done due to a lack of materials and hardware.   The focus has been on completing a number of smaller tasks left languishing.

The washboard assembly has a coaming section that does not clear the fixed coaming when inserting the washboard assembly.  This is because the washboard slope is different from the coaming slope.  The solution is to cut the coaming section ends to a triangular shape matching the washboard slope thereby clearing the fixed coaming.

All surfaces exposed to water must be fiber glassed for protection.  Above, areas adjacent to the washboard weep hole receive a fiber glass sheathing.

The 16 beam lashing pads receive fiberglass on all surfaces.  Can you spot the one pad that has had the fiberglass trimmed, sanded and the mounting holes restored?

It is a common modification to add a cross beam to the stern.  This beam will support the aft trampoline as well as a boarding ladder.  Four additional lashing cleats were made for the aft beam.  

The port hull has received fiberglass coverings on the decks and shear stringers.  The hull is inverted to accept fiberglass spanning across the keel.  This is the first of three layers of 6 oz. (per sq. yd.) fiberglass on the keel.  This will be followed by two layers of 1708 (17 oz. per sq. yd.) on the keel.  These layers will provide abrasion resistance to the hulls so that the boat may be beached without worry.  

An odd low spot was discovered on the hull and corrected with green fairing compound and long board sanding.

Above the port hull is turned on its side so that lengths of fiberglass can be laid over to determine the amount needed to cover a hull side.  Four lengths were cut for future installations.

I was excited to find the piano hinges and hatch prop rods in the latest shipment along with five gallons of epoxy.  The head compartment above has the new hardware temporarily installed.  

The piano hinge must be let into the lid to account for the closed thickness.  My first efforts were on a router table that produced less than successful results as witnessed by the green filler shown above.  Better results were produced with a handheld trim router working against a screwed on wooden fence.

Sail track slides were also received for the main hatches, but lumber was not available for this installation due to difficulties the rainy season imposed on logging.  

Another shipment will arrive soon that will contain the 1708 fiberglass and other fiber glassing supplies that will assist with hull fiberglassment.  There will not be much I can do until more materials and supplies arrive.