Building RYD-16.9 Rocky - Hull 21

Hello Everyone,

Greetings from Melbourne, Australia!

I haven't seen too many posts on the build of this fine vessel designed by Paul Riccelli, and seeing that more than 20 plans have been purchased I thought I'd share some of my build progress.

Started in late 2016 with having to build a boat shed for the build. I skimped somewhat on the size but made it with easily removable sections so that access all round wasn't a problem.

Around Christmas 2016 I started work on the strongback. Two weeks leave helped me to prepare the station molds and over January secured them in place.

After experimenting with a couple of options I used 3mm MDF for the planking templates. Paul has been very helpful all along the way. Given the bending of the ply at the bow section, I decided to take the more laborous path of using two layers of 1/4" cold molded marine ply for the side planking. It has worked well for me.

I'm almost finished the second layer (just have to fit the second 3/8" bottom plank layer). I've included some pictures of the various stages.

This is my first "traditional" build - my son and I bult a CLC Northeaster Dory in 2013 and enjoyed it very much.

Regards, John Theunissen

 

Yeah, John, good to see your post and welcome to the forum.

She looks to be coming along pretty good. Some filler work at the lower portions of the stem (we knew this) and she'll fair up nicely. I now am suggesting folks use "Ram board" as their template material.

It comes in rolls, cuts and marks easily. It's "chipboard" which is like the material you find on the back of a paper note pad. It's cheap too.

 

Thanks Paul.

I should have mentioned that Paul gave me this tip and it worked a treat at the bow section where the 3mm MDF kept on tearing. Sorry for posting large mages, I think I'll post thumbnails n future.

Yes, your expert eye can easily see where some "corrective" work needs to be done near the stem. I hope I can do that well.

Regards, John T.

 

Your picture sizes are okay on my machine. You'll do fine, though fairing is tedious, the more time you put into it, the better the end result (usually).

 

Greetings,

Almost ready to tape the seams. Here are some more pics showing the latest progress.

Regards, John T.

 

Hi John,

Thanks for posting the build of your Rocky !

I'm going to follow it with interest . .

BTW, Theunissen is that from Dutch origin ?

I've heard the name a few times in the south of the Netherlands.

Good luck !

 

Hi Angelique,

Thanks for your note and for taking interest in the build. It's a slow process as I have to find a few hours every week outside of work and other commitments to move the project forward. Target dates are end 2017 for turn-over, and end 2018 for launch.

Yes, my father's side of the family is originally from the Netherlands - his ancestors migrated to South Africa from Maastricht in the mid 1700's. There has been a bit of an exodus from South Africa in the last generation, and we came to Australia in the 1990's.

Regards, John T.

 

Greetings,
Tackled fibreglassing the seams this weekend. I was a bit apprehensive, but it worked quite well after I got the hang of it - here are some pics of the progress. There were a few small areas near the bow where I ended up with a couple of air bubbles. You can see them on one of the pictures. I guess I can either cut out those sections or inject them with epoxy and clamp them to retain the proper shape?
Regards, John T.

 

Congratulations John, a major step toward the end result is sealing 'er in. As you gain more experience, your bubbles and dry spot issues will decrease dramatically, so don't worry too much. Injecting sometimes works, but most of the time, it's just best to assume the worst and grind it back to solidly attached fabric. Depending on location and how big, you can fit in a patch or just use a filler. If the bubble or delam is in an area that will see occasional bumps and scrapes, then put a fabric patch over it.

 

Thanks Paul,
I'll grind those areas back, fill in the depressions and place another layer of cloth over the front of the bow stem for good measure. I'm guessing next steps are sheathing the hull exterior with a layer of cloth, followed by the detailed fairing process, in that order?
By the way, how did the recent severe weather impact your home, was there much damage? I thought of you when they showed pictures of the Florida area on our TV stations.
Regards, John T.

 

Nice job John . .

Godspeed !

 

Yeah that's how I do it John. Before the next round of 'glass goes down, I'll take a thin smear of fairing compound to the transitions at the tape edges, so the next layer of fabric lays down neatly. It's a pain in the butt, because you're fairing twice, but I've learned the fabric goes down much neater if the underlying surface is pretty fair. So basicly, hit areas you know will have some depressions, like the butt joints, seams and around fastener rows, etc. A quick smear with a plastic applicator and knock it down with a long board. It'll make the next layer easier to fair and it'll go faster too. Agreed on the bow areas for a patch, but I wouldn't worry much on areas that aren't directly on a chine or the centerline.

Yep, some damage, a few trees into the shop and on fence lines around the property. My property is all trees. I hurt my back clearing some of it, so I've been lounging around feeling sorry for myself with sciatic pain. I'm recovering and will get to it soon enough. I discovered that a walker is the best thing. I have a TENS unit and the various analgesics you'd guess, but the walker is the real ticket. I support my weight on my arms, giving my back and legs a chance to recover. Since this discovery, I've not needed the TENS unit for a couple of days and no major pain killers, other than ibuprofen.

 

Thanks Angelique for your encouragement, it also keeps me more accountable (to move the project ahead and not to cut corners) when I know others are interested.
Blessings, John T.

 

Thanks Paul, very wise counsel as always and worthy of following. I'm glad the damage was not more severe to your property. Take care in recovering, I'm sure your dogs will be making a fuss of you.
Regards, John T.

 

Thanks John, but if I didn't have an opposing thumb, they'd pretty much have been through with me by now. I'm only good for opening cans of food and door knobs, as far as they're concerned except for Sasha, who thinks I walk on water (occasionally).