Merry Christmas!

Must have flipped the middle panel as it interfered with the hull.  After hull fit it was chop chop to remove the interference.  The chute seems like it will work with further stiffening. The aft chute will extend to the cockpit and be rectangular. Console work progressing.

Chute work with space problems.  Profile to be covered with fiberglass and fitted to port hole.  Then a square tube will extend to the cockpit.

We finally got that bow tip capped.  It was going to slit a jugular before too long.  The chute design* construction is underway and it requires the chute to neck as small as 170 mm diameter.  The actual cross section area will be larger than a round hole but hopefully this is not leading to a mess.  I do not know how wet spinnakers behave going down a drain.

Two bent laminates are prepared to bolster the center console at the main sheet block.  The plan is to stiffen it fore and sideways with plates that provide mounting landscape for cleats etc., those that exceed the top surface cleats.  Hopefully this can be made as a bolt in place console for needed easy removal but we'll see. 

 Mock-up and layout of console supports.

 Steaming and initial bending.

 

One glued up and another drying.













* What design?????

There would have been only one hole if I could commit on the fore-stay position but it covers the rule.  This plate will attach with two linkage to the keelson and balance the load through the plate and minimize distorting the deck.  Unfortunately this is right through the center of any conceived spinnaker chute pathway...just forgot about that.  The slot is 3/8" top, 1/8" bottom to allow potting the plate with marine sealant.  The chute will be some sort of organic pipe tbd design.  Reinforced window port and tuned chute perimeter profile for deck ply sheet.

Console cometh.

Added edge trim, plug screw holes, mark shroud and forestay location.

The side deck cold molding is finished and perhaps all such work for now on.  Added spinnaker chute into bow with reinforcements.  

Side deck without stapling requires finesse.  Spinnaker chute port glued up.  Forestay plate prep.

We installed the rudder stock in the bearings and they appear to have shrunk in diameter slightly. The lower barb seal slightly interferes but it is minor.  A little sanding opened the diameter but it still takes some effort to install.  For now going to let it sit with a film of Teflon lubricant.  The rudder tiller assembly seems to be sound enough to allow closing up the aft deck after the side deck work finishes.  Thrust bearing block bolts in nicely, needs paint and final fit before deck install.  It will be surrounded by sealant but removable for bearing top access.  To do:

• Sand out first side deck layer.
• Second layer side decks cold mold.
• Sand out second layer, seal.
• Fit spinnaker chute mouth and level for fore deck installation.
• Build in bow profile over cleat base, shape, prep for cleat installations.
• Console construct and mount.
• Final aft tank checkout.  Rudder stock seal.  Thrust bearing block mount.
• Station 7-8, 3-4 space pad-eye mounts for restraining buoyancy bags.
• Level deck surfaces fore and aft.
• Fit fore-stay plate and rig to keelson.
• Install deck plates 4x.

 

Working on four things at once as the rain keeps falling.  Set up a ring structure for the spinnaker chute and finished up the tiller assembly except for key way slot.   Deck ply sheet reaches up to black mark on sheer so it will encompass chute.