Tuesday, May 29, 2012

First sail of the season

After I launched Saturday morning, I was able to motor a short trip together with my wife and our 2 yo daughter.  They were on board for their first time.  Our daughter had a thrill when she found out how the tiller works.  Sunny, warm and absolutely no wind.

Sunday turned out to be unusually windy for the season.  We all had our hands full trying to avoid the docks being relocated and the boats being hurt by all the jumping around.  I didn't find these conditions suitable for a first sail, none of the reefing systems etc. been tried out, and relatively inexperienced, at least for F-boats, crew.

Today, the wind direction turned to a less challenging direction at the dock, but still about 20 knots of wind. Finally this evening it calmed down a bit and we finally got "air borne".  Vegard, Guttorm and I planned to sail from Holsand to Levanger, about 8nm, where one were changing vessel to help Audun bring his 36 ft leadmine back to Holsand after being stuck in the weather.
12 - 15 knots of breeze on the nose, gusting to 20, turning more and more to port as we were rounding the peninsula "Nesset".  Full main, no jib.  Sailed effortless 12-16 knots, some old seas made the trip very wet.  Waves reaching just to the deck of the main hull.  The boat torpedoed through, was a bit stopped by the largest waves but most of the time just went on like a train.  Very impressive! Hit maximum speed of 18,88 knots on a close reach, main only, in a 20 knot gust.

When we got to Levanger nobody wanted to get off so we told Audun to leave his keel at the dock and come with us for a beam reach back.

This leg we had main with one reef and the self tacking jib, a bit smaller than the standard jib for the F-22.  I have however a rather large mast section that costed me a lot of penalty on the rating, but seems to work very well.  So off we went, now 4 raqther big guys on board, easily reaching 14 -16 knots of boat speed, searching for "sporet", translates to the track or similar.  In a gust we took off and were not below 18 knots for about 4 nm.  Most of the time between 19 and 20.  No sounds from the daggerboard.  A very fine vibration in the fingertip controlled tiller, but barely any audible hum. The boat felt very easy, were very easily controlled, but Guttom reported increasingly frequent that the lee bow seemed to be pressed ad I decided to roll in the jib and bare off towards the dock.  What a ride!

Happy crew, puddling along at 12 -14 knots under reefed main only.


Back at the dock, checking the hard facts of the trip.


Average wind speed 6,65 m/s, that is 12,93 knots.  I saw gusts at over 10 m/s, but on the return the instrument showed apparent wind speed and I haven't really gotten around to learn all the tricks of the Nexus system so I don't know.  It seems probable that the wind was somewhat the same.


The instrument showing maximum speed 21,15 knots.  This is the fastest I have ever sailed a boat that I know of.  The previous record was in a Banner 33, a really nice oversized dinghy, at 18 knots.

It turned out to be an even more enjoyable first sail than expected, and I am looking forward to new fine days on the fjord.  Have to get my self some boots though.  It gets wet at 20 knots.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Launch

Leaving the garden for now, going to pick up the mast.


It's been waiting in Guttorm's barn since it was painted.


Mast on board, heading for the water.


Afloat at the dock at 2 am.


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Interior paint

I cut all bolts that was longer than necessary, both inside and outside, yesterday.  And I made a panel with cut outs for the electrical switches and the radio and mounted it under the port window.

I painted the main bulkhead and the daggerboard case off white the other day.  Today I painted the settees, the head compartment and the forward parts of the under settee area and floor with grey.


I use the cheapest possible two part polyurethane paint, roll it on in two coats.  No fairing compound, a light touch with sanding paper some places, rest is pure WYSIWYG.  It's not a museum, but this makes it very much easier to keep clean.

Monday, May 07, 2012

Trough hulls, and some


I have a long shaft Yamaha 8.  This worked very good, and pushed the boat at 7 knots with very little effort.  However, it was just too small to get the boat on plane, so it never really reached the right revs.  Also, even though the reverse was adequate, since there is a dedicated high thrust propeller for this engine, I figured I would try.  The standard propeller is a three blade 8 1/2" x 7 1/2".  This propeller is 9" x 7", and with a special hub for leading the exhaust away from the blades in reverse.  Will be exciting to see how it works.


I finally got the hardware for the anchor well hatch attached.

And after this picture was taken a U-bolt have been fitted in the well for dead-ending the anchor rope.


I use Marelon trough hulls and sea-cocks.  They come in a special flush-mounting edition, but the Norwegian distributor wanted a one year delivery time for those, so I bought the regular ones.  Then, when I got them, I couldn't make my self to add such "brakes" on the outside of my hull.  Also, I was not happy with the way the AIRMAR triducer was protruding the hull.
I decided to modify the trough hulls and triducer to be more flush.  That involved making different diameter cut outs on the inner and outer skins:


Then a wide circle of foam was dug out and replaced with high density epoxy putty.  With the temperatures still here, snowing the other day, I had to rig this system for curing.


Then a step was made in the epoxy insert to leave the outside of the fitting flush with the hull.  I also took off some of the fitting (reduced diameter slightly) to avoid the rounded off part, making it more even on the outside.


Triducer seating


Water intake:


On the inside, the inner skin was reinforced with a ring of 10mm thick solid fiberglass bedded in putty. Water intake.


Placement of the trough hulls were chosen to make the least possible plumbing and easy access to the sea cocks. Previously mentioned planned build up for the head shown in the foreground.


Drain system for the flush bow cleat finally added.


Trimmed the flange on the front beam bulkhead (didn't touch any aka bulkheads)


Looking for a clever place for the electrical panel and the radio. Here, perhaps (behind the port seat back that I haven't still made)?