[bolger] single handed schooner progress
The project is moving along very quickly. all the bulkheads but 'C'
are built and the temporary mold 'B' is also built. This weekend was
spent on the masts. The foremast is now virtually complete with just
final sanding, sealing and varnishing to do. This mast is 11' 10" and
was built from Home Depot spruce 2 x 4's. This was a bit of a
challange since this was my first round mast. I had considered a birds
mouth mast but the bottom 16" is square and I couldn't figure out how
to do that. So I just went with a solid mast. Two and a half inches
in diameter with a taper to 1 1/2" in the top 4 feet. The work went
according to plan and the mast is a good approximation of round.
Suprisingly light. The gaffs and booms are also made of spruce (1 1/2"
square) and are very light. The main mast blank is glued up and curing
in my garage. It's 14' in length and will have a round cross-section
tapering of 2 1/2" tapering to 1 1/2" in the last 4' similar to the
foremast. It is square in cross section for the bottome 1' 9". I'll
finish that off next weekend, finish the last bulkhead and cut our the
hull side panels. With the masts, gaffs, booms and hull panels done,
I'll concentrate on the rudder and daggerboard structures. This boat
could be truly an instant boat with about 4 or 5 days of devoted work.
It actually is much simpler (so far) than Gypsy. That could be because
I have the experience of Gypsy behind me too.
are built and the temporary mold 'B' is also built. This weekend was
spent on the masts. The foremast is now virtually complete with just
final sanding, sealing and varnishing to do. This mast is 11' 10" and
was built from Home Depot spruce 2 x 4's. This was a bit of a
challange since this was my first round mast. I had considered a birds
mouth mast but the bottom 16" is square and I couldn't figure out how
to do that. So I just went with a solid mast. Two and a half inches
in diameter with a taper to 1 1/2" in the top 4 feet. The work went
according to plan and the mast is a good approximation of round.
Suprisingly light. The gaffs and booms are also made of spruce (1 1/2"
square) and are very light. The main mast blank is glued up and curing
in my garage. It's 14' in length and will have a round cross-section
tapering of 2 1/2" tapering to 1 1/2" in the last 4' similar to the
foremast. It is square in cross section for the bottome 1' 9". I'll
finish that off next weekend, finish the last bulkhead and cut our the
hull side panels. With the masts, gaffs, booms and hull panels done,
I'll concentrate on the rudder and daggerboard structures. This boat
could be truly an instant boat with about 4 or 5 days of devoted work.
It actually is much simpler (so far) than Gypsy. That could be because
I have the experience of Gypsy behind me too.