Spindrift 9N #448 finished (warning: lots of big pictures!

[Charlie Jones]

Again - a very nice job Ray. I'd sure like to see it in person.

Question- can you just chunk the two halves over board, then join them?

On Tehani the bow is pretty tight. Our minipaw will fit up there but later on it might be nice to have a sailing dink- gonna have to look into that one.

[rlchenry]

I can join them by sitting in the aft section. I added the "lip" on the aft section to grab the forward's bulkhead to make it easier.

It wouldn't be pretty in any kind of sea, but it is doable. There is no way I could assemble it on Seaweed's deck either.

Since the water has gotten cold, I haven't had a chance to do any real testing that would have gotten me dumped in the drink. I am saving that for spring. I'll give a full report on powering, rowing, and sailing when the water warms back up.

[Garry]

The BEST way to join the two halves is in the water! I had an 8' nesting pram on my 28 footer, Rosebud, that I adapted from a one piece design back in the mid-80s. It was MUCH easier to align the two halves in the water than on deck or on land. The water yielded easily to movements while out of the water you spend a lot of energy fighting gravity.

I tossed each half off the side with a long tether attached to the stern rail. Then, sitting in the stern section (which had plenty of bouyancy), I pulled the bow section into position. Each section floats with the nesting bulkheads high since that is the widest beam. This means that the bottom edges meet first when pulling the two sections together. It took only a resonable amount of pressure to pull the tops of the nesting bulkheads together and push the bow section down even with the stern.

With the bottom connectors that I used (see my website below) this action seated the bottom connectors together. Then I would move to sit on the seat in the bow section thus using my weight to hold the two pieces in position while making the top connections. It might be a little more difficult with the bolted connections since it would require closer alignment. However, the top edges can be used to indicate the bolt alignment so it should be easily done, even by feel. I'm sure that, after a few times, it could even be done in the dark.

www.pbase.com/sailrosita/expedition_dinghy

Connecting the two halves was actually easier to do than trying to describe it! I did it once in a North Carolina summer squall so that I could row out an anchor after we ran aground in the ICW mud. I am confident that I could do this in almost any condition that the dinghy could be expected to handle. It was also easy to hoist each section out by the tether tied to a halyard and maneuver it into position for stowing on deck.

[Greg Luckett]

For some reason the pictures in the first post will not display on my PC. I am guessing :? I must have something set wrong but have not been able to figure out what it is. Suggestions?

Thanks.

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

Frank Hagan explained earlier in the thread...original poster updated site with new address later in the thread.

[Greg Luckett]

Frank Hagan explained earlier in the thread...original poster updated site with new address later in the thread.

I see it now, thankyou .

[Garry]

Frank, could you remove the first photos that don't work anymore. One of them is in a wide format which makes the rest of the posts too wide and the text too long to read without moving the window back and forth.

Thanks, Garry

[Greg Luckett]

I wondered what caused that to happen. I hate it when it does. :x

[Frank Hagan]

Sorry about that ... I didn't edit it because at my resolution it was OK; but its shortened now with a link to the site with the pics.

[rlchenry]

I am sorry for having screwed everything up, guys :? :? :?

Apologies,

Ray

[Greg Luckett]

LOL, gee guys, not everything is screwed up. I just hate scrolling across. Given the choice of not seeing the post at all I would rather scroll and still see the posting. What drove me nuts about it was looking at my machine trying to figure out what had screwed up the screen sizing.

Frank, what are your settings that allow you to see the bigger pics w/o scrolling?

Thanks,

Greg.

[Frank Hagan]

It doesn't always work ... but I have mine set to 1024 x 768. Makes the type very small sometimes. And some pics are still too wide.

[Greg Luckett]

Beautiful job!

I love the way the Spindrift looks. Now I just have to build mine (I have the plans' date=' although not for the nesting version ... I should check with Graham and see what the difference in the plans is).[/quote']

Better hurry Frank...after over a year of sitting on the plans I have begun lofting the Spindrift 12 and should be cutting panels this week sometime, weather permitting.

[Garry]

Thanks, Frank. I thought about switching the screen settings but 800x600 is so much easire for me to read than 1024 x 768.

Hey Greg, don't be in a big hurry. I started my Spindrift last February and its still not finished. Then Ray started his after I did and it is finished and he's had it sailing already! I'd hate to have another one started and finished before I finish mine!

Actually I have some good excuses. I started the boat during our first outage in the spring. I made good progress even though I was working six-12s night-shift for three months. I got some work done in the summer but sailing on Rosita took priority. I started the second outage in October with the same schedule, but this time I just didn't have the energy to work on anything. I should be back at a normal schedule after Christmas vacation, so I hope to finish my Spindrift then.

I will be looking forward to progress pictures from your 12 footer. I'm sure it will look great!

[Greg Luckett]

Garry,

Better hurry . I just got back with about 90 board feet of sassafras for the dimensional lumber, as well as several species of maple and some white oak too. Of course, not all of that is for the Spindrift, but Sam and Ben are chomping at the bit to have the Vacationer built for them to use...

I expect to have the Spindrift mostly done by late spring.

Greg.

[attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

[Garry]

Thanks for the push!! :wink: I hope to have it finished by the end of Feb. I really don't have that much left to do. Working six-12s on the night shift has put a kink in my productivity. But it will be over soon. After I get back from Christmas in the Keys I'll be eager to get it finished. Especially since I'll be relocating at the end of Feb. anyway.

Keep us posted on your progress. I want to see your details!

[Greg Luckett]

Wow, I wouldn't get much of anything done while working 12s. Where are you relocating to? The Keys :shock: 8) ?

[Greg Luckett]

Hi all!

So very sorry!!!

I made a more complete web page for the Spindrift. It is here:

http://seaweed.thebilge.com/spindrift.htm

Apologies' date='

Ray[/quote']

That is a very well done job . Thankyou for all those detailed pics too . I look forward to seeing the "on the water" pics when it warms up. Your boat is really good looking and it looks like a pro did the job. I will strive to achieve as good on mine.

My apologies for hijacking your thread earlier. :oops:

[Garry]

Relocation plans (in response to Greg's question)

This spring I will be dividing time between my girlfriend Vicky's house in Richmond,VA, and working on Rosita (Allied Princess 36).

Currently, Rosita is in the Halsey-Cannon boatyard just north of Charleston, SC. I have some required maintenance (replace cutlass bearing, repair gouge in the keel, inspect rudder pivot) before she goes back into the water. I will also have the yard touch up the topside paint job. I have a long list of other projects that I could get into.

I'm hoping to land my next contract in Florida. There are a couple of opportunities in Crystal River and Stuart. I'm thinking that one more project, especially if I can land a 3 or 4 year contract, will fill the cruising kitty to overflowing. Then you can reach me at 1-800-CARIBBEAN

Garry!

[Steve Day]

Garry,

Both of those locations in Florida are great, but I prefer the east coast for sailing adventures. Might have something to do with where I grew up.

I started my Spindrift 10N right around the first of September of 2003 and had her sailing on Memorial Day weekend, 2004. I did a few extras on the seats and the fire hose over the rubrail over the summer in between sailing her in the lakes of Nebraska.

Greg, so glad to hear you are starting your Spindrift. I'll be following along as you build her.

Frank, all of us are building Spindrifts around you. You had better get going.

Steve