Sea Sled madness. It’s in my brain.

I repaired a buddy of mines boat last week, the side to the underneath where the tire ate through all of the gelcoat and glass to the core. Masking tape works wonders where gravity tends to pull the epoxy.

 

The way to avoid distortion...

wet out on plastic; carry it to the part; apply; once applied, carefully remove

i had distortion trouble with beam sockets and made jigs

I didn't want to tell you the plastic trick earlier because even using the plastic method; so much goes wrong. The glass is not guaranteed to stay on the plastic.

For my beam sockets, I used the points of screws as glass grippers.

Bigger pieces require more support.

So, for example, you could take cardboard and put thumbtacks in it and lay plastic over it and then wetout, take the carboard and tack and plastic and glass to the job and lift it on.

But this is they way to deal with say a 3'x2' piece.

And I didn't want to tell you because I figured you'd try to do the whole bottom and big pieces and the work really would be ****.

By the way, the thumbtack points push up into the cardboard, theu the plastic and into the wetted glass. The cardboard gets pulled away carefully and the plastic stays until the glass is well stuck...just in case noone understands not to tack the glass from above..(call me Captain Obvious if u like). If you are a little unlucky you might get a pinprick.

ps-this is a two person job ftmp; one person to hold the cardboard and the other to work the application; one person could try a t bar, but it is so much harder than an extra set of hands

 

Okay,Fallguy. That's super cool.

 

the way to do that is to hotcoat the job; once the spot is super sticky; you apply the wetted glass and it doesn't move much so aim well...you can mask tape dry glass, but not wet epoxy; perhaps this is what you mean and it was just a wording issue

 

I actually put the tape on dry glass as well as the wetted in csm. It worked quite well, but, it was a small repair. It was an everloving b***" to get it off but I did a lot of sanding. About 4 hours worth.

 

I just finished reading this thread... WOW..... I think the sea sled sickness my be contagious

 

Latest layout sketch.

 

Just a few random thoughts re your GA drawing -
Will the forward cockpit be self draining, with drains port and starboard? I guess that there will be a sill / upstand in way of the door to the cabin?
Similarly the aft cockpit?
it looks like you have a double bottom, slightly deeper in way of the wheelhouse - will this be a void space, or filled with foam, or tank spaces?
I am just wondering why you have slightly less headroom in the wheelhouse as a result? You could maybe have a slightly raised wheelhouse, like some of these tug based motor yachts?
I remember you were saying that the boat will have accommodation, but it will also have to function as a ferry for transporting building crews between the islands
- I guess you will have a heads / shower, a galley area, and a couple of settees for the passengers (how many maximum?) that can convert to bunks?

 

Nice.
That foredeck is a struggle for me.
Stairs up the port side maybe?
Handrail built in that way, less obstructive to the driver.
"Better" use of the V-hull void.

 

A bit worried about the weight of the super is all.

 

If the super structure was done in foam core it wouldn't/shouldnt be a problem

 

Great questions and comments fellas.
Forward cockpit sole is a grate with a glassed in ½ plywood sole under it, sloped towards large scuppers. Weather upstand to cabin is mostly below that sole.
Aft cockpit the same.
Cabin sole at several levels because the tunnel rises slightly going forward, and a heavy as the hull is, I didn't want carpenter's workboots on it, or their sharp heavy tools dropped on it. Sacrificial sole instead. Probably flotation underneath to satisfy government regs.
Interior furnishings not yet decided. I can legally carry 12, but that would be badly crowded.

 

Re Bluebell.
The tunnel rises inthe forward cockpit, and must be cased. The top of that case almost exactly folllows the rise and run of a flight of stairs, so put steps on it...

 

Fallguy, I share your concern. I had meant to build the wheelhouse to the same scantings as the hull, but Bluebell has persuaded me that that is unnecessarily heavy.
That's a lot of window though. I may go perspex on the sides just to save the weight.

 

John-you are forgetting most of the landings will be docks, no?

The stairs will be useless at a dock. You might rethink steps for getting out on a dock as a bench for'd. A 15" bench is steppable and if you want to make it nicer for old folks; you could do a hinged step or one you stow that isn't in the way of the bench. So, consider a bench seat all the way. Then above the bench you can do whatever. But you step up onto a bucket all the time, so reconsider that stairs. A bench is so much more practical. Storage under as well.

What is your goal with the massive enclosure?