Dos

Progress on the second hull is well underway.  A few things have changed this time around.  We have already figured out most of the bugs and decided on how we want all details, so progress is much faster.  Construction on this hull began in earnest on October 12, and the second hull is almost ready for paint on the inside and cockpit construction is well underway.  When you take into account the three weeks that two of the guys in the fleet were sailing in Mexico on the Baja Ha Ha (lucky bastards), the progress so far has been particularly swift. 

Baja Ha Ha - faces not shown to protect the not-so-innocent

If you are going to be in the Portland area January 12th to the 16th, you can stop by and see us at the Portland Boat Show!  We will have one completed hull and one in-progress hull at the show, and there should someone from the fleet there most evenings to answer any questions.  We hope to see you there!

So, getting on to the business of the second hull, I will try to focus primarily on things that have been done differently this time around.  Much is the same (sanding never gets fun), but a number of things we are doing a little differently.  First of all, we constructed a proper cradle to hold the hull.  Previously we simply supported the hull in only 3 areas, and the cradle was about as study as an Irish bank.  Unfortunately, the hull shape probably suffered a bit because of this, but this time around the cradle is built for the ages.  There is a 1/2" plywood support at each frame position, and they are securely fastened to engineered wood I-beams used in home construction.  The thing is a tank.

Once again, stitch-and-glue construction takes things from random bits of plywood to a boat-like object in a short period of time...

By mid-November the frames were getting installed...

Frame 89 got doubled-up to provide extra support for the mast...

Carbon was added to the bow to further stabilize the sprit hole (there's gotta be a nautical term for that thing)...

And there's a piece of hard plastic to support the sprit bearing and make it slide back and forth more easily for articulating.

We've also included  holes in the side of the hull to help drain any water that gets in around the sprit hole, but I unfortunately do not have any good pictures.  I'll try to include some in the next update.

We also had the foresight to pre-cut the access holes to the sealed bunks as well as limber holes for proper drainage.

As of a couple evenings ago, the cockpit was well underway and the inside had been painted with a first coat of sealing epoxy.  With a little luck the inside will be painted next week and the deck and cockpit permanently attached.