PS22 #19 goes over

[john_manchester]

Finally got around to developing/scanning some pictures, and thought you might enjoy these. Charlie's photos inspired the rope cradle, although the "gallows" and pickup are my fault. I've turned her twice now this way, without any help, serious exertion or damage. Although I have to admit looking at the photos it's a little surprising it has gone so well (and that my wife is still speaking to me).

Don't have the recent pictures but she's currently upside down again, with her centerboard case and motor well, almost ready for that Xynole polyester I bought so many months ago.

[brian watkins]

That is impressive!

[Greg Luckett]

I need to build one of those turning cradles. Something for me to think about while driving back to Michigan this weekend. Post more pics please.

[john_manchester]

Hope these help. I didn't get any up close, I don't remember now out of shame or just plain fear.

You run a rope around the boat and through a pulley suspended via a hoist to sometime solid. It's OK to knot the rope since you only have to turn the boat through 180 degrees (that didn't occur to me until I saw Charlie's (or Graham's?) pictures). I underestimated the weight of the boat (I had a 4:1 purchase, which isn't enough to raise it). It's a good excuse to buy a nice chain hoist, but if your truck just happens to be sitting there...

The A-frame is made from 12' 2x6's reinforced with 12' 2x4's (looks like angle-iron). I used a landscape timber across the top, and then tied it all together with whatever I had laying around. The outriggers are just 2x4's tacked to the 2x6's with a single deck screw so they can run wherever they want to the ground, and believe it or not that makes the whole structure very rigid.

I suspended the bow from the front of my "shop" and just used the one cradle, but I'd feel better with a second cradle. To be able to turn it by hand, the cradle needs to be near the center of mass (otherwise you have to lift the center of mass). Unfortunately on this boat that's in the biggest span between bulkheads, so that puts the strain on the sides as I understand in about the worst place. The first time I turned it I could take advantage of the temporary bulkhead, but the second time I'd removed it while installing the centerboard case, so put the cradle much further aft, and did have to struggle a bit to turn it.

Maybe somebody else can verify this, but it seems like a second cradle with a decent (electric) hoist and enough ground clearance would allow you to manipulate height of the center of mass as you turn the boat, keeping it above the center of one or the other cradle, so it wouldn't take any real effort at all to get her over.

Drive safe!

[Charlie Jones]

Looking good there John. Now the fun can REALLY begin

I used the temp frame as a spreader also but in my shop I have beams overhead that enable me to use 2 chain falls so I can space the slings apart further and hang the boat evenly. It still takes several extra hands as the boat gets heavier. Something to be prepared for - after the hull was glassed and the keel installed, when we rolled Pilgrim the last time our big problem was SLOWING IT DOWN!! Once she went over center, she rolled FAST. Be alert for that.

One other thing to think about. While you have her upside down for glassing, consider doing the final painting of the bottom part of the hull. That way you won't have to turn it again nor will you have to crawl around under trying to get a good paint job. I painted up to and just past the chines, then carried my topside painting down to there once the boat was completed.

[Howard]

Your second picture looks remarkably like a Spindrift on steroids.

She looks very good. What plywood did you use?

Any surprises so far? We hadn't heard from you since the keel and stem days. I've been wondering how it was going.

[john_manchester]

Meranti 1088 (Shelmarine). It's pretty stiff and I struggled a bit to bend it properly over the stringers forward. Only other real suprirse is the weight of the boat, although of course it probably seems heavier than it really is when it's hanging in the air and you can't get ahold of it.

Should I be posting more updates?

[Guest]

Meranti 1088 (Shelmarine). It's pretty stiff and I struggled a bit to bend it properly over the stringers forward. Only other real suprirse is the weight of the boat' date=' although of course it probably seems heavier than it really is when it's hanging in the air and you can't get ahold of it.

Should I be posting more updates?[/quote']

Looks like Charles and his tutorial of boat building , as so many other albums depicking different stages of building, increases the interest and in many cases helps people escape the fear of doing such a task as building their own boats and does genuine good for people that do come along from time to time.