[bolger] Micro money saving stuff . . .
Hey guys, cool group, I just came across it.
Some stuff I did that is "cheaper" than the plans . . .
Why use lead? The objective is to lower the CG of the vessel to
achieve a sufficient righting arm moment. I cast a concrete keel
filled with pig iron ingots with rebar reinforcement to the same weight
as teh blueprints called for. It is thicker, almost 4" total, but the
boat sails fine and I did not have to melt lead or any of that mess. I
did the mast with #2 doug fir 16 footers scarfed together with a 3/8
ply spacer oriented prependicular to athwartships. This was not only
cheap, but the ply resists the natural tendancy of the sail to bend the
mast over the bow beter than a sitka($$) piece would have. All this is
considered "heresy", but I have been sailing "Heidi" (named after the
Tool Time girl of course) for three years off shore here in Hawaii with
no problems. I just got finished with a major "SHIPALT" where I cut
out the deck aft of the aft main deck hatch and enclosed it into a true
cockpit so I have somewhere to put my feet and beer cooler. Sure, I
sacrificed some storage space, but most of us only really daysail these
things, so the recreation space is of better use than the storage
space. Anyway, I thought you guys embarking on your projects would
like to know that it is possible without casting that annoying lead
plug . . .
Josh Brooks
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Some stuff I did that is "cheaper" than the plans . . .
Why use lead? The objective is to lower the CG of the vessel to
achieve a sufficient righting arm moment. I cast a concrete keel
filled with pig iron ingots with rebar reinforcement to the same weight
as teh blueprints called for. It is thicker, almost 4" total, but the
boat sails fine and I did not have to melt lead or any of that mess. I
did the mast with #2 doug fir 16 footers scarfed together with a 3/8
ply spacer oriented prependicular to athwartships. This was not only
cheap, but the ply resists the natural tendancy of the sail to bend the
mast over the bow beter than a sitka($$) piece would have. All this is
considered "heresy", but I have been sailing "Heidi" (named after the
Tool Time girl of course) for three years off shore here in Hawaii with
no problems. I just got finished with a major "SHIPALT" where I cut
out the deck aft of the aft main deck hatch and enclosed it into a true
cockpit so I have somewhere to put my feet and beer cooler. Sure, I
sacrificed some storage space, but most of us only really daysail these
things, so the recreation space is of better use than the storage
space. Anyway, I thought you guys embarking on your projects would
like to know that it is possible without casting that annoying lead
plug . . .
Josh Brooks
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii