Swallow Yachts Association
Swallow Yachts Forum => Home Builders' Area => Topic started by: Steve Joyce on 30 Jul 2011, 22:00
-
A month in and making good progress. Amazed to see that if I put it in the water now, it would float.
Just waiting for someone to come along to help me turn it over. Handy being next to a public footpath!
-
Looks like its coming on nicely. I'm impressed that its only a months work. I've just flipped my S17 back over and am now fitting the outer gunwales. Will be a delay though as I promised to decorate the hall before next weekend.
-
There is always the temptation to just carry on. I took a week off so I could crack on so progress has been fairly quick. Mind you have had to work very quickly as a single shot of epoxy is going off when spread from one end of boat to the other. I did my last outside seam with both pieces of tape in 15 mins with if being practically dry at the end. Probably did a better job of it for that!
-
Update on my storm 15 build. 7 weeks in doesn't time fly. I'm glad I don't work fridays though. Not sure what went wrong with my cboard. The first problem was that the side pieces were 2 different sizes. Fortunately the smaller one appeared to be correct. Having assembled the case, and starting to fit the keel and makeup pieces, it was obvious that the slot was far too thin for the cboard case, even with my wonky eyesight. I packed the slot with bits of wood the right size, clamped it up and filled the gaps with epoxy, hopefully that will do. A test fitting of the centreboard in the case showed the need to chop off about 1/2 inch otherwise it wouldn't fully retract, plus another 1/2 inch off the rear face to let it fully retract when the top plank is fitted to the cboard case.
If I ever write a book, it may be titled how I learned to stop worrying about the wood and to love epoxy! (pinched from Dr Strangelove).
I'm not complaining though, I love a challenge. The stern post templates were also interesting.
By this morning the seat side panels were in, and coated, the king plank fitted and the outboard well in place.
Made a stab at the mast whilst the seat panels are glueing. I had thought about the possibility of using a right angled adapter in the chuck of a pillar drill to make a spar lathe..... Nah! too wobbly and potentially dangerous. Seem to be making a good job of it with a box sander instead, although it was always going to be too small for the pre-cut hole in the king plank.
-
Sideways pic ... oops..
-
Steve
A sort of penny has half dropped. Reading about your CB problems, it suddenly struck me that, if I remember correctly, you collected your kit from Swallow Boats and I arrived to collect mine later that same day? Meaning that our kits were put together at much the same time, over the previous week(s) or so.
I am having major problems with the fit (or rather failure to fit) of a number of parts - 3 pairs of seat supports and possibly also the three temporary spreading bulkheads to which the seat supports are screwed during fitting of the longitudinal bulkheads. I struggled to alter, modify and generally fiddle, but couldn't make anything work, so emailed Matt, who promptly suggested he send replacement parts, which I await (trouble is, Matt is currently jet-setting, or Easyjetting, around boat shows! - see website. My build meanwhile is totally stalled (well, except for things like daggerboard, rudder, spars etc).
Matt is perplexed by my problem, but suggested that 'something moved in the CNC machine perhaps'. I'm wondering whether, if our parts were CNCd at much the same time, we have both been victims of the 'glitch', whatever it was, in your case with parts involved around your CB case? Just a thought. You got round your problems - well done. I didn't around mine, but not for lack of trying, I assure you!
I'll give a progress report when I get and can try the replacement parts. You're clearly making a beautiful job of your Storm15. Judging by what I have seen of the Crosses' 'Iona', she will sail beautifully, and like a witch in light airs.
-
Hi Michael, sorry to hear that you are having problems. The only parts that didn't quite fit on mine were the centreboard sides, one being bigger than the other, the smallest one being the right one, the stern post templates, which I never quite figured out other than to press ahead with what looked right, and the spreader templates which as it turned out were just wrongly numbered. I made a new set and that was fine. The biggest problem has been trying to make things straight, but they say a poor workman blames his varifocals.
I actually had my kit delivered due to a screwup on the trailer. I did without the trailer and picked up one today. Just been having fun rolling it up and down (with a little trolley under the stern).
-
Just given my storm 15, its 2nd coat of primer. Did a better job of it this time.
-
Hi Steve, obviously I got that wrong!
It must be tough (but presumably c'est la vie du constructeur des bateaux - I'm sure there's a romantic-sounding French word for boat-builder) for Matt to come down to earth from Swallow Boats' US triumph to deal with nitty-gritty such as replacement kit parts, but I have been harassing him politely and hope to resume my hull build shortly. Meanwhile, the rudder is shaping up nicely, and I have ten curved seat slats and a couple of (straight!) spars to laminate, so I am somewhat frustrated but not idle. I've deviated from the instructions somewhat because I am not fitting an outboard facility, and I am VERY pleased with how my modified transom has turned out, elegant curve and all. For some reason the Trouper 12 has not done very well for Swallow Boats, but she is a very attractive little dinghy, and I have high hopes for her.
-
think I may have been sniffing the paint fumes too much. Keep managing to post into the wrong thread. Maybe it's just that I am in shock, it is sunny today! I will soon make it rain when I wheel the S15 out of the garage to put more paint on.
Latest pics are in the outboard for S17 thread....
-
Just for a change and as it was not raining we flipped the hull over and had a go at fitting the jib and screwing in all of the polished parts. Have gone for Ionas style of jib furling. Seems to work quite well although need to practice splicing a little more.
-
Steve, a question about the wooden seat slats on your boat. I am thinking of fitting something similar to my boat to protect the paint work on the side benches. What are they made of? Are they solid wood or plywood? How are they fitted? Are they screwed, glued, screwed and glued? If screwed, do the screws go right through the bench plywood? I want to avoid that as I have a quarter berth underneath one side deck. If glued, what glue do you use? I am a bit reluctant to use epoxy as it is so permanent. I was thinking of Sikaflex, which sticks like anything, but there would be some chance of getting it all off if I ever wanted to. Any advice appreciated.
-
Hi Julian,
the seat slats (and all of the other posh parts) on my kit are Robbins super elite ply. Matt is supplying this instead of hardwood now for these parts.
I coated each twice with epoxy (with clear hardener), then about 3 coats of Compass varnish. This looks pretty good although I did have a cock-up with one pair and had to take the epoxy off and start again. I decided to allow them to dry off in the back of my car to keep them out of the dust. Fine for epoxy but the varnish has left a not unpleasant smell reminiscent of an old Jag!
The slats are screwed in place to allow them to be removed for re-varnishing. The screw holes line up with the seat strengthers (5/16th ish ply), so don't go right the way through.
I have the outside painted now. Don't think I will win any prizes for my painting ability though, then it was brush painted.
-
Looks good to me Steve.
-
Just about complete now, just need another coat of paint on the hatch covers, and tidying the garage of course.
Looking forward to getting "Robin" on the water soon.
-
That looks really good, something to be proud of. I do like the colour co-ordinated wheel arch covers.
-
I do like the colour co-ordinated wheel arch covers.
The wheel covers weren't planned, I don't really do co-ordinated normally.
Hope the 17 is coming on well. Spring launch?
-
Hopefully a spring launch, I got delayed as my wife seemed to prefer me getting the central heating boiler working first! (Had to move it as the flue was in the way of the solar panels we had fitted). All thats left is rubbing down and painting and making up the masts which I should be able to do over winter. As my sailing is tidal and the North Sea gets a bit cold theres no incentive to rush and finish until next year.
Did you get to launch Robin?
Clem
-
We just gave Robin his/her maiden voyage today. Many thanks to Craven Sailing club for helping us get afloat. We had intended to have a go after the days sailing but thick mist and hardly any wind had done for the sailing contest. Fortunately the mist cleared a little and there was enough of a breeze to give Robin a try out. One of the club members sailed along with us in his 420, in case we sprung a leak or sprung apart, neither of which happened, I gratefully report. The conditions were pretty much perfect for my wife who has never sailed before, and despite initial trepidation, did enjoy it. The only mishap was on the way back home when the damn tailboard fell off one side of the trailer, only cosmetic damage but Drat! all the same.
Despite this being my 1st sailing trip in about 25 years, it all felt very natural and I was surprised how quickly she (ok its a she), responded to the tiller.
Managed to test out the rowing too, as the wind totally died when trying to get back to the slip.
It has been a very gratifying experience building my own boat, and if I ever do it again (2 hopes, Bob Hope and no hope), it will be another Swallow boat.
Hope all of the other builders have the same enjoyment that I have had.