Mirror 16 foot Sailing Dinghy

[Ozducati]

New project that was given to me last week...... Sail #189.

[Ozducati]

It begins..........

[Tim B]

Wow, that's going to take some time and effort. I think this will be more rebuild than renovate, but good luck!

Tim B.

[Ozducati]

Hi Tim, its certainly is going to be a big job. Just about everything timber will need replacing. This photo was taken 5 mins ago when I pulled off the layer of fibreglass from the transom.... all rotten.
I am trying to remove each panel in one piece so that I can use them as templates. I will also be using that data to update my CAD model.

I will probably stray from the original design for parts such as floor ribs to try to improve the strength/life of the hull.

I have never bult a wooden boat before so I would appreciate advice on suitable adhesives, fasteners and finishes.... particularly in regard to sealing all the exposed timber underneath the floor.

Ultimately I should be able to create a set of drawings for those who want to build one from scratch.

[Ozducati]

This is a newsreel of a 1967 boat show in England. The Mirror 16 is shown about 27 seconds in.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=41223

[Landlubber]

Ozducati,

Why would you wish to do such a thing to yourself mate, there are dozens of cheap Mirrors for sale, some are real bargains ready to sail and far below parts replacement costs....it is far easier to build new if you want to, but to try to make mutton look like lamb is both expensive and backward...being a Ducati owner I understand the need for punishment mate, but this is crazy.....

[Ozducati]

G'day Landlubber,
I need a project and this is it.
I wont be trying to repair the existing hull.... it will only provide dimensions and part patterns. The hull I build will be all new.
Also my three sons want to get involved as well..... so they should get some practtical skill development out of it.

There may be dozens of Mirror dinghys for sale, but not Mirror 16 dinghys.... there were only around 600 built, seven that I know of are in SE QLD, and I have seen an informal register of Mirror 16 owners that listed about 40 boats worldwide. They dont come up for local sale on a regular basis.

Anyway, surely there is no way it can create as much heartache as my 1979 Darmah gave me

[Landlubber]

...oh OK that is a different story, you wish the whole project to be a learning experience and create a new boat....nice of you to do so , and i am sure the kids will benefit.

Far easier to build new then it is to restore in almost every case.

...I once had Dukes, now play with R series BMW (always did anyhow)...not quite the headache, but certainly have their issues too....all the best.

[Ozducati]

"The Mirror 16 is also unusual because different parts of the boat are made by different firms, not by a single boat builder, each of which supplies the do-it-yourself buyer direct."

"A similarly fresh approach has been made to the lightweight trailer for the Mirror 16. Since the boat has a rigid structure, it seemed pointless and wasteful to rest it on another rigid structure just to tow it behind a car. Instead, it was planned to put a beam through the boat with detachable wheels, and hitch the bows of the boat to the back of the car. However, it is illegal in this country to have a trailer of more than 2 cwt which is not fitted with brakes, even though the trailer can be loaded with a ton or more. And so a compromise trailer was designed which pins the bows of the boat to a bracket on the tow hitch, and has a lightweight section frame pulling the stub arms."

"The same purposeful approach which distinguishes the design and construction of the Mirror 16 has been applied to the marketing arrangements. The order form is a model of clarity. A copy is attached (no carbon paper needed) which the purchaser keeps; cash price or credit price is clearly marked; blocks are ticked for each item required; and a colour card is provided so that colour can be specified. Within a couple of weeks of the order form being completed, six different firms send the customer the cut and shaped plywood panels and frames, rigging, spars and fittings, canvas cover, trailer parts, sails, paint, etc. The mast comes in two sections, but after initial assembly remains as one piece. It is reckoned that it requires about 300 hours to assemble the parts and get the boat ready for her maiden voyage."

[Landlubber]

Rod,

Wow, that is clever, never knew that before, sort of like todays Drop warehousing on the net......

[gonesurfin]

I am reluctantly selling my mirror 16 due to overseas relocation. It is in almost perfect condition and garaged near Bundaberg (Australia). Comes with or without 3.3hp mercury outboard and log book.
Any interest please email or respond here.
Dave.

[Ozducati]

Hi all,
I need some help..........
It appears that the transom and the rearmost sections of hull panels and the floor panels have been replaced on hull 189. The transom seems to rake forward more than most Mirror 16 that I have seen. Also they have added an inner panel to the transom, and knees where the transom meets the keel and the gunwales.

Anyway, could someone please give me a measurement along the floor from the rear face of the bulkhead to the forward face of the transom panel (not the transom stiffeners).

Thanks in advance....

[Ozducati]

Dell of Eccles.......
could you please contact me via private messaging..... I would like to add your boat details to the list of known Mirror 16s.
Thanks.

[Phanou]

Asking onthebeachalone about his progress on re_engineering Mirror 16 plan
I have been answered :
"I made some progress but passed the project over to OZDUCATI on this forum has his CAD skills were far beyond mine."
SO would you please let me know. Do you plan to make them available on the web.

[Ozducati]

Hi Phanou,
I saw your posts on Facebook and on Woodworking forum.
I dont have building plans yet, but having a hull has definitely helped speed things up. Thanks to Dan from Manly for generously giving me his boat (hope you enjoyed the Wild Turkey Dan!)

I have set the hull on stands and then used a plumb-bob to markout the shape of the hull on the garage floor. These points are marked on the masking tape stuck to the floor in the attached photos. I have also marked out other key points like the centreboard slot, hull centreline, and the joint where the side panels meet the bottom panels (is this called a 'chine'?).

Three parallel steel tubes have been set onto the floor and levelled. A length of 40x40x6mm equal angle lies across these tubes and can be moved to almost any position under hull. When resting on any two of the three parallel steel tubes the equal angle is effectively a datum plane. By measuring vertically from the upper face of the equal angle to points on the hull I can get the relative heights of these points. Combining this with the measurements on the floor gives the necessary three dimensional info to create/correct my CAD model.

The brown sheets leaning against the wall are 3mm card that I want to use to take templates from the hull also.

I am led to believe that hulls were traditionally built to a limit of reading of one eighth of an inch (approx 3mm) and the Mirror 16 Class Measurement Rules generally allow plus/minus one half of an inch (approx 12mm). I reckon that my measurements will be within 5mm, and I will be comparing these against the Class Measurement Rules, so I think the results should be OK.

If I can generate a set of decent building plans then I would make them available.