Manie's Microcruiser

Eh Manie !

Geezzzz, you live around the corner from me and I hear nothing from you. I have to go on a forum thousands of km away to see what you're doing...

LOL, I think they had to pay Obama to get him away from here, hence the dead economy...

 

Truth be told I sat for almost 5 months without work
that's why I was very quiet - South Africa AND the telecoms industry is now owned and controlled by the Chinese and Indians.
So its easy to understand - they send money - we work - that's after the government has stolen- sorry skimmed 50% off the top.

But don't wolly me no chopsuee wiff noodles
and I don't have to wear that taliban head gear to work
so to confuse the chinese and indian bosses we speak AFRIKAANS and the local blacks actually loooove it

other than that I'm fine

 

Please post detailed photos if you can. I am currently looking at putting twin rudders on a boat I am designing to build and I am pondering various setup configurations for the rudders and controlling bits. I would love to see what you are doing and maybe incorporating some or all of it with your permission.

 

Nice work. Does the ledge on the rudder's leading edge tend to snag aquatic debris(puin)?

 

The rudder's leading edge only tend to snag on ropes, grass, rocks, nets, trees and mud. We don't have debris in SA

 

Sorry. I should have used the word "puin".

 

The word "ruin" would be much more suitable. That's something that gets stuck to everyone's rudder, boat or no boat

 

Steve I finally got a bit of time for the boat again
What I wanted from my new rudders are:
to be able for the rudder and the tiller to fold up and away in the upright position when I am in very shallow water
a more robust construction than the previous ones
with the tiller arms up and away the cockpit is nice and open in the evenings when I shower.
My hinges are made of a hard plastic "air pipe" that is used on trucks, it works well because I lay the pipe down straight with an aluminium rod inside that way the hinges are perfectly lined up.
I will show picks of my "kick-up" system soon, it works with shock cord and I have tested it, if the rudder hits ground it will bounce up to prevent damage
The floor tiles are standard 1'x1' or 300mm x 300mm that gives a general idea of the size of everything.

Everything is glassed inside and out
that means wood does not touch wood
its always glass touching glass with a bit of Vaseline as lubricant

And the good news - I cut my Lug sail - next week the chap that made my "Biminis" will sew the sail for me.

 

Hoyt - I have picked up rotten branches and other rubbish with the rudders but because I have 2 rudders I can lift one up, let the rubbish flow away and then pull the rudder down again with out stopping or slowing down. This is motoring I will have to see what happens when I start sailing.

 

Good. Let us know how it works under those conditions.

 

Hey Manie,
How the hell are you man? I've been calling you, but you no answer.
Good to see some progress on the boat.

I have always maintained that the wise man starts building his boat by doing the rudders, then the keel/centerboard, then the boom, then the mast, then the sails, and right at the end, as an afterthought, the hull. That way you have a great deal more space available, and not a lot of cash caught up in a big container that sit and waits patiently for all the time consuming small bits to be made. It does require a certain bloody-mindedness though, and thorough design upfront.

I am following this with the keen sight of a vulture um I mean hawk, because I remember the promised shake-down trip from Durban to Richardsbay.....

How did you design the sail shape?

 

Hi Dries, he has been ignoring me too, he's getting too fancy for us locals.
I think he's scared we may hint that he must invite us along to go sailing with him...

 

How sad that a once-trustworthy dust covered man has become a poncy yachty type now that he has is a bona-fide boat owner. Come hell or high water, he's taking me sailing! I've waited long enough for him to finish the damn thing, now he has to put his speedometer where his mouth is.

All jokes aside, I think Manie did a fantastic job and I am incredible keen to actually see what the minion-*** boat can do. I think it is going to go like the clappers, now we have to convince him to put a proper rig on, that will drive that hull to its' full potential.

I can but look at this man in awe. I have built enough boats commercially to have a very keen appreciation of exactly how mammoth a task it is that he has all but completed.
To do this in a little home workshop with the expendable cash at hand, and keep up the motivation, is nothing short of a miracle.

 

Thanks for the kind words.

Hey I did not forget the promises that I made
You guys will all go sailing with me SOON.
Fanie your roller furlers are being installed you will see pics soon!
Dries you just keep the connections going in Richards Bay - not long now!

The sail is completely flat because this is the first experimental sail with the roller furler on top of the boom - similar to some super yachts that have in boom furling and MOST importantly Matt Lydens Paradox and Enigma.

This first sail is important because of the learning curve - when I hear from "proper sailors" of what doesn't work the hairs on my neck start rising - the one idiot at the dam even had the audacity to ask me where the other half of my boat is. I am very popular with the "rebel" crowd so the guys that wear jackets, ties and cheese cutters (straw hats) to go sailing think I am a barbarian and in January when I did the Villiers trip I was naked on my boat just to peeee them of even more

So remember - sailing with me on my unconventional boat is "different"

And when you look at this guys boat I am not so of the wall anyway

 

That he does !

The man has a point you know... I like multi hulls myself

I won't go if you go naked. I don't want to get the same thoughts as this poor guy in the picture !