Manie's Microcruiser

[colfar5033]

looking good manie has come on since i was last there

[Manie B]

Peter

Looking good, the older I get the smaller the boat that interests me.
How did you splice the ply?

I can assure you that i realised that its a small boat or nothing, first reason costs, second reason is singlehanded. My last time at sea was on a 36 Beneteau in very bad weather with FIVE crew on board vomitting their lungs out. We were on a third reef in the main and it was up to me and our very capable young instructor to get back to Durban harbour. That was when i learned i would rather be out at sea alone on a small "egg" much better with only myself to look after. I will be spending my money on the nice to have stuff - radar - AIS - good instruments, composite mast. When you build a small boat you can actually dream about buying the cool toys for the boat.

I stepped the joints with a router
half the thickness of the ply deep - and double thickness wide
this is glued together with epoxy mixed with cotton flock and cabosil
i then tape one side with epoxy and two layers of glass tape (50 and 100 wide)
the oppsite side will get a light sanding with the belt sander and then a 100 tape epoxied on
keep in mind that the entire boat will get a heavy layer of glass over these joints inside (450gm) and outside (750gm)

i dont have space in my build area, i already have to open the door to get into the back of the boat, so i just found the stepped joints to be easier than scarfed joints. What i had difficulty with scarfed joints is that because it is at an angle the one board "rides" up on the other board, so it is more difficult to assemble accurately. With a stepped joint you have positive location.

[masalai]

GO Manie "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Manie B again" - - One day soon....

[colfar5033]

manie

thanks for photos of join was going to ask you to send as i could not remember how it looked when you showed me

[Manie B]

Hi Colin
i have been at it flat out since your last visit
i dug up some of the old pics of the "Jarcat" hulls that show the "s" joint and on the other (which is not clear) the scarfed joint where i used dowel pins drilled thru both boards to locate the boards together when gluing.
The scarfed joints were a hassle, problem is that i first had to "loft" and cut the panels out and then join together.
If you have BEEEEEEG SPACE you can scarf join the full sheets (8x4=2.44x1.22) together and then do the lofting and cut out the panels same as Mas's cat kinda but i haven't tried so cant really say

my method is very fast - very simple - very easy and no way does it break on the join

[Fanie]

with FIVE crew on board vomitting their lungs out. ... That was when i learned i would rather be out at sea alone on a small "egg" much better with only myself to look after.

Come on Manie, a little processed food scares you ?

Begin en sit nou die ding aanmekaar toe jong !

[masalai]

"i have been at it flat out since your last visit" - Nice to be able to laze around, on your back or side? - (I snore when resting on my back)

On a rough passage a VC (Vertical Chunder) is not desirable as the disposal of semi-processed food tends to fall back on one and is effectively spread all over the sleeping space and everywhere else

[Manie B]

Colin here are more pics of my chine joints
what i want to show you is that it is easy to work neat and tidy
this is what i was trying to tell you the other day
it is far easier to "sculpt" soft epoxy than to have to sand it afterwards
the first pic shows the seam after the peel ply was pulled off
and the second shows the other seams after a very light sanding
you will also see that my lofting and cutting for most parts are very accurate

doing seams like this takes time - but its easy light work
in the evenings i sand down and clean up one seam and lay another approx 6 meters per evening = 2 to 3 hours
spending that amount of time every evening on your hands and knees is not everybodies idea of fun - but for me its a labour of love

[masalai]

Nice work Manie...

[Manie B]

Oh well its been a good weekend, pity its stoooopid Monday tamara sheeeet

i started on the transom yesterday and got it in today
my daughter saw me working on another "plank" yesterday and joked about it

anyway, visible in the top corners are the yellow Kevlar layers that will be part of the "strong" points for the backstays

starting to look more like a sailboat now

[Manie B]

Oh and just a tip for the fella's out there

i use wax paper that is used in the kitchen for baking purposes over the peelply, it means that your roller never get "tacky" and stays clean and it is MUCH easier to roll out the peelply. I get excellent results and i dont have that roller lifting the peelply sometimes when the eopxy gets tacky

[Fanie]

I'm impressed Manie !

my daughter saw me working on another "plank" yesterday and joked about it

Revenge is sweet my friend I have friends and family that has no friggin clue what it is that I'm doing. It's when they start with 'why don't you do it like this' that I want to run away

Can't give you any points yet... Jeeeefffff !.... but I have to admit it is beginning to look like a boat Sure it's not a bakkie canoppy just upside down ?

[Manie B]

He he no its not a canopy
but the best still was my son's girlfriend yesterday wanted to know when i am building the other half - say WHAT ? i still cant figure it out
outside view - just to "intrigue" the neighbours

[Fanie]

the best still was my son's girlfriend yesterday wanted to know when i am building the other half

She has a point here you know. Clever girl !!! Better look after that one, her thinking is right

[Wynand N]

quite a tight fit in the garage. A few millimeter longer and the door would not close Im curious though how yo gonna get the mast up with that little headroom

Nice work and project Manie.