Fldg Schnr update
Still picking at the bits and pieces of the Folding Schooner. On
Labor Day I put up all the spars and sails and drilled lashing holes
and roughed out some of the rigging. I feel like I spent hours melting
the ends of braided nylon lashings. Peter Vanderwaart's beautiful
computer drafted, polytarp sails went up on the boat for the first
time and the boat suddenly became animate and talked to me all
afternoon as the spars swung around in the light breeze in the
driveway.
This boat uses a lot of line. I bought 180 ft of 1/4 yacht braid.
That took care of 5 halyards with too little left over to do much of
anything. Still need the foresail sheet, have somde 3/8 for main,
topping lifts and all the line for the staysail.
The last details keep surprising me with how long they take. Took
most of a Saturday to build the rudder and tiller and a long half day
to hang it. Sounds easy but the hardware I got was different from the
plans and it was tricky lay out square bolt holes that didn't end up
running foul of the steeply rockered bottom of the transom. It is
also the kind of thing you need four hands for.
Finally got the bilge board handles made and smoothed up. I faired
some thickened epoxy along the exposed edges of the boards and
rudder. This filled up some small voids and strengthed the edge. I
considered putting cloth along the edges but this treatment looks
like
a reasonably rugged solution. Everything is now made except for the
chine lock and everything but the boards and rudder and some belaying
pins has been painted. We need to drill a few holes, instal the chine
lock and finish rigging the boat. I am alsmost ready to brave the
DMV.
Leander
Labor Day I put up all the spars and sails and drilled lashing holes
and roughed out some of the rigging. I feel like I spent hours melting
the ends of braided nylon lashings. Peter Vanderwaart's beautiful
computer drafted, polytarp sails went up on the boat for the first
time and the boat suddenly became animate and talked to me all
afternoon as the spars swung around in the light breeze in the
driveway.
This boat uses a lot of line. I bought 180 ft of 1/4 yacht braid.
That took care of 5 halyards with too little left over to do much of
anything. Still need the foresail sheet, have somde 3/8 for main,
topping lifts and all the line for the staysail.
The last details keep surprising me with how long they take. Took
most of a Saturday to build the rudder and tiller and a long half day
to hang it. Sounds easy but the hardware I got was different from the
plans and it was tricky lay out square bolt holes that didn't end up
running foul of the steeply rockered bottom of the transom. It is
also the kind of thing you need four hands for.
Finally got the bilge board handles made and smoothed up. I faired
some thickened epoxy along the exposed edges of the boards and
rudder. This filled up some small voids and strengthed the edge. I
considered putting cloth along the edges but this treatment looks
like
a reasonably rugged solution. Everything is now made except for the
chine lock and everything but the boards and rudder and some belaying
pins has been painted. We need to drill a few holes, instal the chine
lock and finish rigging the boat. I am alsmost ready to brave the
DMV.
Leander
We leave for Maine on Friday and the Folding Schooner will not be going with us.
The hulls are done and painted. A mis placed mast step has been corrected.
Trying the Main mast for fit we cracked the the thin 1/4 ply deck when the mast
got away from me momentarily. I repaired it with 1/2 MDO and would recommend
upgradding at least the deck with the mast step to 1/2". The 1/4 is strong
enough once the mast is in place but the accident that happned in the driveway
is even more likely to occur at the ramp. We also had a very disheartening
mishap sawing out the stock for the gaffs. I bought two studs this am that
looked fairly straight. We put one of them thruogh the saw and and there was a
tremendous spark. On closer inspection the stud was clearly recycled and we had
hit a screw. Now we need to sharpen our saw blade. I going to propose to the
lumberyard that they remburse me for that. These repairs slowed us down some
but there are still a myrid details. Locating fun noodles for the flotation of
the forepeak. Drilling a 1/4" hole through the stem. Drilling and fairing the
dumbsheaves for the halyards, backstays and forestay. Somemore rounding and
sanding of the masts. Installing the chainplates for the backstays. Affixing the
decks permanently. Putting in the main flotation billets. Building the rudder
and tiller. Handles for the bilge boards and then rigging the boat, including
several eye splices that have to be made in place. Peter's deluxe Poly sails
also need grommets arouind the edges. Not to mention the little detail of having
the boat registered. It would be tempting to take it all to Maine if I thought
we could pick up finished hinges on the way but that is looking unlikely though
I think we may come home with a pair. Installing the hinges and the chine locks
looks a good days work to me which means it will probably take two. To a
certain extent having a deadline is inspiring and I never would have got so much
done without it but there comes a point when pushing begins to take the fun out
of it and it certainly makes the percentage of dumb mistakes go up. Finally
there are three boys and one of their friends and it seems to me they will have
more fun at camp with a Gypsy that is ready to sail than with a boat that is
still getting ready to sail. So looking forward to getting reaquainted with
dinghy sailing. Looking now at a late August launch. Peter Vanderwaart was
here tonight in his official capacity of technical advisor and sailmaker and he
took some pictures which I hope might get up on the web.
Leander
The hulls are done and painted. A mis placed mast step has been corrected.
Trying the Main mast for fit we cracked the the thin 1/4 ply deck when the mast
got away from me momentarily. I repaired it with 1/2 MDO and would recommend
upgradding at least the deck with the mast step to 1/2". The 1/4 is strong
enough once the mast is in place but the accident that happned in the driveway
is even more likely to occur at the ramp. We also had a very disheartening
mishap sawing out the stock for the gaffs. I bought two studs this am that
looked fairly straight. We put one of them thruogh the saw and and there was a
tremendous spark. On closer inspection the stud was clearly recycled and we had
hit a screw. Now we need to sharpen our saw blade. I going to propose to the
lumberyard that they remburse me for that. These repairs slowed us down some
but there are still a myrid details. Locating fun noodles for the flotation of
the forepeak. Drilling a 1/4" hole through the stem. Drilling and fairing the
dumbsheaves for the halyards, backstays and forestay. Somemore rounding and
sanding of the masts. Installing the chainplates for the backstays. Affixing the
decks permanently. Putting in the main flotation billets. Building the rudder
and tiller. Handles for the bilge boards and then rigging the boat, including
several eye splices that have to be made in place. Peter's deluxe Poly sails
also need grommets arouind the edges. Not to mention the little detail of having
the boat registered. It would be tempting to take it all to Maine if I thought
we could pick up finished hinges on the way but that is looking unlikely though
I think we may come home with a pair. Installing the hinges and the chine locks
looks a good days work to me which means it will probably take two. To a
certain extent having a deadline is inspiring and I never would have got so much
done without it but there comes a point when pushing begins to take the fun out
of it and it certainly makes the percentage of dumb mistakes go up. Finally
there are three boys and one of their friends and it seems to me they will have
more fun at camp with a Gypsy that is ready to sail than with a boat that is
still getting ready to sail. So looking forward to getting reaquainted with
dinghy sailing. Looking now at a late August launch. Peter Vanderwaart was
here tonight in his official capacity of technical advisor and sailmaker and he
took some pictures which I hope might get up on the web.
Leander