Box Boom Construction

Forward and aft plugs with tapers and lightening holes along with blanks for spacers:



The top & bottom pieces will be milled to 12mm x 27mm x 12' (yeah, I know, mixing systems there). I need a clear span of 24' to run them through the thickness planer but with WildCat and Gardens' hull occupying the shop, I cannot get the needed space without opening the overhead door. And it just wasn't warm enough for that today.

The intended assembly sequence is to glue the top and bottom pieces to the plugs and spacers, trace the boom's profile onto the plywood, cut the plywood sides slightly oversize, glue the sides to the plugs/top/bottom assembly and trim the ply to size with a trim router.

Back to work in the shop…

Work on the sail rig for Gardens began this past week. The boom will be of hollow-box construction with ½" pine top & bottom and 9mm (3/8") meranti plywood sides. Spacers and plugs will be pine.

The top & bottom will be milled from 1x2 stock tomorrow or Tuesday if it is warm enough to open the overhead door (not quite enough room in the shop to mill 12' stock without opening the door). There is enough plywood cut-offs from the planking to piece the sides of the boom together. Blanks for the spacers and plugs were milled from 2x3 stock and are to be cut to size and trimmed to shape (a bit of taper in the end plugs) prior to assembly sometime later this week (weather permitting). (Thursday's forecast calls for temperatures in the 50s, which means temperatures in the shop should be warm enough to resume epoxy work.)

Regardless of the weather, I plan to sew the mizzen sail this week (as that is an indoor project).

The First of March

March 1st - winter is almost over!

So, I didn't really plan to hibernate but I think that is what happened last month - figuratively, of course - more or less, at least as far as boat work is concerned. The mizzen sail kit is still in the box; the foils still need shaping and I need to find a trailer and an outboard.

While it hasn't been a particularly severe winter here in central Michigan, it has been cold enough to keep me out of the (unheated) shop. I did get some shopping done - blocks, rigging and miscellaneous boat bits. I found sources for a trailer, outboard and lumber for the mast (although I am still working on how to transport 20' long DF planks). I bought a new bike and I'm looking forward to a great summer of cycling. We made trips to Ann Arbor and Chicago.

John Welsford replied to my inquiry about a balance lug yawl sail-plan for Gardens, which was exciting news to receive. I'll begin work on the masts and spars as soon as I can get the materials to the shop (probably not before the end of this month, though).

Even with snow on the ground and ice in the driveway, it is March and the anticipation of spring and milder weather will have me in the shop very soon to resume work on Gardens' hull. Perhaps I need to get out to the shop to tidy things up so when the weather permits I can get back to 'real' boat work.

Hibernation?

Last week, Doryman spoke of uncharacteristically cold weather in Oregon. Over the weekend, Michigan's characteristically cold winter weather arrived. Single-digit temperatures accompanied by double-digit winds provide the cold and turned the shop into a freezer. No significant boat work in the shop for awhile.

But hibernation? No, not really. There are indoor tasks and projects enough to keep me busy:

• The SailRite kit for the mizzen sail awaits; the sewing machine will soon be put to work.
• Plastic sheeting will be used to create a sanding/grinding booth in the basement for shaping the centerboard and rudder blade.
• Internet shopping for a trailer, an outboard and sailboat hardware will certainly keep me busy throughout these cold weeks of winter.
• And an assortment of crafty wood projects (picture frames, napkin rings and coasters) in need of sanding and finishing.

Progress on these projects will be forthcoming...

Task: Remove Interior Motor Mount

When I built the frames, I intended to build and use the motor-well as designed. However, after assembling the hull I read about the experiences of other Pathfinder builders who chose to use a transom mounted motor mount. Eliminating the motor-well would simplify building the hull - no need to cut another hole in the bottom of the boat! I decided to not build the motor-well. Of course that meant removing the motor-well from F-6A (and adding a doubler to the transom).

Since the space is limited and there is little room to work a saw - any saw - removing the motor mount was a little finicky. With a little patience and perseverance the piece was removed and now F-6A is symmetrical!

I still have to do a bit of sanding to clean up the frame and the seat-front 'extensions' between F-6A and the transom need to be installed.

Heat Lamps and Warming Tents

Getting back into the shop after the holidays for some boat work, I was scratching my head wondering what to do about the temperatures in the shop. While it isn't bitter cold yet - mostly in the 20s with some lows in the teens - it isn't very warm in the shop either: mid-30s. Since there is still a LOT of work left to be done, I want to be able to work through the winter. So, while checking old posts and a few photos, I was reminded of what I did last winter: Warming Tents (focused on the particular current glue-up]!

This year I've added a heat lamp to last year's collection of work lights and draped black plastic over the work area (instead of a hard-frame structure). Here, the warming light and plastic are in place keeping today's epoxy warm and the heat lamp is clamped in place to pre-warm the next section of the hull.

The sequence that is working for me is:

• Warm the resin and hardener in a warming box (using a 75W bulb)
• Pre-warm the section of the hull (between two frames) to be worked with the heat lamp and cover with black plastic
• Apply the epoxy;
• Keep the section warm with a 40W warming light and black plastic.

This sequence allows me to work up to two sections of the interior per day. The 250W heat lamp warms the hull section to about 70° in the morning and the 40W warming lamp and plastic maintains a temperature of 60° under the plastic. By the next day the epoxy is cured enough for me to move on to the next section. I may have to vary things a bit when I begin painting.

Oh, yes… Happy New Year to one and all!

Diversions (Updated)

Interior sanding and epoxy work continues. Temperatures have been cooperating enough - aided by the plastic weather coverings tacked up on the windows - to allow epoxy work.

The band-saw is back in operation with a new capacitor. I'm sure it is just wishful thinking, but the motor seems to be working better than ever. Of course, cleaning the motor and blowing out a LOT of sawdust probably helped.

Getting the band-saw working meant I had to test it… but just cutting scraps of wood didn't make sense, might as well cut something for Gardens. Checking the plans, I decided to work on the mast steps (both main and mizzen) and the boomkin mount. So, after figuring out what I needed and checking my wood supply, I cut out the pieces for the boomkin mount. (Photo in the morning as the camera is not available tonight.)

The boomkin mount dry-fitted. The base was cut from a block of laminated Douglas fir using the band-saw and planer to mill it to size. A bench-top sander worked to bevel the top corners. A scroll saw was used to cut the 3/8" meranti ply side pieces. The pin holes are over-sized. They will be filled with epoxy and re-drilled for the pin attaching the boomkin in place. More sanding, epoxy and finish work to do on this component. Working on these small bits is a nice diversion from the monotony of sanding.