Don Silsbe
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Posts posted by Don Silsbe
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I tried it, and it was ugly. It gets scrunched a full 2”. Should have taken a photo of it.
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Today, I cut the slot for the c/b uphaul, and finally glued in the port trunk extension. I need to do a little fillet and taping, either tonight or tomorrow morning.
Before I did that, I checked to make sure all the parts didn’t interfere.
I also made a template for the changes that’ll need to be made to the port bunk cushion.
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Since these are usually built by amateurs, we should think of key things to look for, to distinguish a good build from a bad build.
One thing to look for is how much care was taken in feathering the taped seams into the adjoining surface. A skilled craftsman will take great care in making this joint invisible.
Worse yet, if you see areas where air has crept underneath the tape, or the tape is wavy or lumpy, run away!What else?
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That’s a good list, Andy. Nearly all builders take “liberties” with a naval architect’s design. I suggest that you become familiar with the designer’s original intent, so you can identify areas of “creativity”. One such example are the side decks. At least one builder deleted the side decks on his build. They are significant in improving the down-flooding angle* of the CS series over the BRS. If I were buying a used CS, I’d want it to have the side decks.
The foredeck is another area that is susceptible to creativity. Be wary of modifications there, too. Graham told me a story about racing the EC in an early. CS 17.1. It was nighttime, it was raining, and they needed to make an approach on a lee shore (in the dark). Rather than risk that in darkness, they anchored in the lee of an island, wore their foul weather gear pants, and slept with their heads and torsos tucked underneath the foredeck. They were bone dry, and slept well. It’s also a great area to stuff incidental stuff for daysails.It is my understanding that only the first few (6?) CS17.3’s had the balance issue. Once Avocet is completed, there’ll only be three remaining, I think. Hull number and lack of a c/b hump in the interior would be your guide there.
By design, the only boats to have a lead-tipped c/b are the mkIII’s. Everything else should have a horn (my term) sticking up above the c/b trunk. The advantage of the horn is that with it, you get both uphaul and downhaul for the c/b. And you know the c/b’s precise position. The downside is the protrusion. Knowing my First Mate’s sailing preferences (see photo), I deviated from the plans, & put a mkIII-style weighted c/b on my BRS15. I don’t know of anybody else who has done this.* The angle of heel at which you begin to take on water.
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@Oyster, I agree that boatbuilders aren’t foolish. But to intentionally cut a hole in someone else’s boat takes an odd combination of courage, skill, and foolishness. I have an odd combination of each, the proportions of which vary daily.
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@Kennneee Enjoy your sail! Here in NC, we have been blessed with the Christmas gift of a visit from the Polar Express. The outside temperature was 9F/-13C!
To All: Yesterday, I got my heavy second coat on the glass, due to my use of the cotton ball test. I’m going to use restraint now, and not touch this until after Christmas. (If you look closely, you can see were I placed my hand in the still-green epoxy. So much for touch.)Merry Christmas!
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@Kennneee— More like foolishly optimistic. LOL. This forum, plus Graham and Alan’s continual involvement, do a lot to bolster confidence. And we did have a long discussion about it at the Messabout.
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5 hours ago, Chick Ludwig said:
you actually install the starboard side extension so you can press the glass "flange" in place with a removable backing plate with wedges
That’s exactly how I planned to do it!!!
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Oh yeah. Taping the trunk to the hull. You outlined a very good process for me. Thank you. Do I need to worry a out/try to fillet the starboard plate, once I glue it to the rest? I could do that from below, with a long stick, I suppose. I do plan to apply glass to the “dome” on the interior (top) side, for added strength.
@PadrePoint— My engineering mindset has me “running the trap line”, thinking first of ways that things could go wrong. Then, I think of ways to prevent it. It’s all part of the “fun”.
Today, I added a fillet and glass to the port side of the extension. I’m happy with how it came out.
Next, after another coat or two, I will drill my pivot holes. Then, I need to wait for this polar express train to leave the station, before I attempt to install these parts.
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@PadrePoint— Yes, it’s going to be a two person operation to put the centerboard onto its pivot. Somebody, most likely me, will lay on the driveway, pushing up on the board, while someone in the interior lines everything up. It will be fiddly, but not near as bad if the starboard plate is glued on afterward. I just hope I don’t get so much squeeze-out that I glue the c/b in place!
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Thank you Graham! We discussed this on the Sunday of the Messabout, you, Alan and me. You said that you glassed the starboard side of the extension before installation. It was laid on a flat surface to cure. To ensure a flat mating surface to the existing surface, the glass “tail” was pressed against the flat surface with a releasable plate. This part was installed the next morning, while the epoxy was still green. Hard to describe. But I’ll be doing it this way in a week or so, and will take photos.
By the way, the photo you attached is priceless. It told me to install the c/b before installing the starboard extension. That is brilliant! I’ve been having nightmares about fiddling the c/b into place after it was all glued together.
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@Steve W— But this IS scary, isn’t it? That’s my asphalt driveway down below the hole. It was a little nerve-wracking for me.
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I have been silently working on a “plug” for that hole I cut in the bottom. Here are the cut parts:
I glued them together this morning. The cheeks get installed separately, after a few more operations in the shop.
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@Chick Ludwig— Hurt? It was the same as with the birth of our children— it didn’t hurt me a bit! LOL
But after I did it I sat back and though “What have I done??!!”-
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I love this boat! If I come back as a powerboater, I’m making this boat!
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Carole King’s song “It’s too late, baby, it’s too late” going through my head.
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My multi-tool and I became best friends today. I owe it a new blade, but gosh! That was fun!
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It is correct. Wet epoxy does not pull fibers away. Try it!
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I just want to share a tip I discovered on an old MAS epoxy video.
One problem is knowing how soon it’s OK to apply an additional coat of epoxy on your work. MAS recommends a test using a cotton ball. Lightly touch the recently epoxied surface with a cotton ball. If it comes away clean, it is not ready yet. If fibers are left behind on the surface, you can give it another coat.
NOTE: Do this test in an obscure corner. Those cotton fibers are going to peek through your final product. Also, this test doesn’t work after four or six hours. -
Welcome to the forum. I love that boat! You’re off to a great start. Honestly, I don’t think three coats of epoxy would affect the stiffness of your panels. I’ve even applied a layer of glass to one side of some panels before the assembly of hull planks. It didn’t matter.
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I like it. What material did he use?
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@PadrePoint— And for me, it is a design problem. What fun!
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Currently, there is no knee. I have a choice of adding a 1/2” or 3/4” thick one. One is shown on both Graham and Chief’s boats in those videos. Also, there is even less room on a 17 for packing this all in. So, my current plan is to go straight with the roller (like Graham did), put the cleat just to port of the tabernacle (like you did), through bolt the base plate, straddling the knee, and using T-nuts to attach the roller to the base plate. Before I do, I want to make sure I can get those beefy T-nuts in stainless. I would also appreciate hearing from others, before I glue in the knee.
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Thanks, Amos. The shape of your plate is exquisite!
I was also thinking of tilting it to port. There are fewer lones on that side— more available space. The problem I cant’t get past is how to work around the support knee. My roller is narrow, and has holes in the same location that yours does. My current solution is to attach the wooden base plate with through-bolts, and attach the roller to the plate with short 3/8” bolts and T-nuts. What’s your plan?
Also, is a 1/2” thick knee substantial enough, or should I go thicker.?
Modifications to Avocet
in B & B Yachts Forum
Posted
Ah, that’s the question! I should, I know. But I will not lengthen it. I’m mainly out to solve a problem. I know that an additional 10” of board will improve pointing ability. But I have other things to attend to, so it is low on the priority list. So, not this year. If I have the opportunity to “store” the boat for Ted next year, maybe. Time will tell.