New CS 20 Started

[odonaldp]

I've started the CS 20, Hull #115, in Vung Tau Vietnam.

It has been a challenge finding materials that are suitable for boat building including everything from tools to plywood.

I have a source for epoxy and fiberglass, but no fillers at all.  I am sifting sawdust from a couple of sanders and a monster tablesaw.  It will not stick to vertical surfaces and I will have to find an alternative.

My plywood is supposed to be "marine" ply, and I have no idea regarding the actual type of wood that it is.  We did test a piece of 1/2" in a steam box 8 times.  After the 8th trip in, for about 3 hours each trip, it did start to delaminate.  However, with epoxy encapsulation and paint, I think I can make it work.  It is hot here, but not like a steam box and the ply didn't have any protective coating.

The 1/4" is a different story.  The best I could find had only 2 interior laminations with a lot of tunnel voids and very thin veneers on the outside.  It has failed twice now because of the tunnel voids during the construction of the bow and on one side.  I am going to have to cover both sides of all the 1/4" in fiberglass before applying any stress.  That is going to add to the amount of work, time, epoxy, fiberglass, weight.........  You get the idea.

When I ordered the plywood, I asked for 3/8" and 1/4".  What I got was actually 1/2" and the crap 1/4".  When I tried to get the 1/2" replaced, what I was told was "Very sorry, cannot.  You must buy more plywood."  Suffice it to say that I used the 1/2" for the bottom of the boat.  In the end, it doesn't matter because after I add all of the fiberglass to the 1/4" sides, the bottom will be plenty heavy enough to compensate for the added weight to the sides (I hope).  I will just need a lot more energy to launch and retrieve the boat now, and will lose a little speed while sailing.

So far, I have the bottom panels built, mirrored and covered in epoxy.  The 1/4" sections at the bow have a layer of light fiberglass on the outside and I will add another layer before stitching together.  I have 1 of the side panels built and coated in epoxy, the second one layed out and butt joined together.  Tomorrow, I will cut and fair the second one to mirror the first one and then glass one side of both.  I cannot work on Sundays so will have to wait until Monday (Sunday for the States) to glass the opposite sides of the side panels.

When I looked at the plans, I thought I could pump this little boat out in about 2-3 months.  Now I am having second thoughts.  Maybe 6-8 months minimum. 

Oh well.  There is nothing -- absolute NOTHING -- half so much worth doing as simply messing-about in boats.

I have realized how spoiled we are in the States.  If you have the $ and you want something, a table saw for example, you go down to your local Big Box store and buy one.  Here, I ended up having to build one using a 10" Makita circular saw.  Chalk line boxes?  Forget it.  Carpenter's pencils?  Cannot.  Do you speak English?    ???  I didn't think so.  Let me draw you a picture.    Don't get me wrong.  I enjoy what I'm doing, but sometimes the challenges can be overwhelming.  Wish me luck.

Patrick

[Oyster]

You are indeed working under a different set of challenges. In vietnam there are many furniture plants also around now in that area. Ask around to see if any of the shops have the drum sanders which creates a very fine dust. I have used flour and baby powder for thickening epoxy.  Sanding is an issue since its hard. SO for fillets its fine. Just make sure that you end up with a smoothe fillet. Round you a wooden stick if nothing else to apply your thickened glue and cover with the tape. Good luck

[odonaldp]

Thanks for the idea re; the furniture companies.  I actually know a guy that owns one and will visit him real soon.

I'm no stranger to the stitch and glue routine.  This is my third boat now using that method.  My last was an OD18 design by Bateau and it turned out very nice.  Power boats here for private use are not really feasible, hence the CS20. 

[odonaldp]

There are almost no sailboats here.  The power boats mostly consist of traditional Vietnamese fishing vessels that are extremely heavy and notoriously underpowered.  The planking on them is typically a local hardwood that is approx. 12" x 2.5" and maybe 15-18 ft. long each.

I'm looking forward to blowing by them in complete silence except for the noise of my bow wave.

I was not able to glass my side panels today due to weather and time constraints.  Tomorrow is Sunday here and the yard is locked up.  So.... Monday, I will have them glassed on one side and take some photos to post (I hope).

[odonaldp]

I now have the hull stitched and will now install the inwale.  I screwed up and didn't install the forward bulkhead or the temp center bulkhead.  I have found a way to get it all done, but it's amazing what you can learn when you "RTFM" (read the f*&^($@+ manual).    Lesson learned.

I really am impressed with the size of this boat.  Twenty feet didn't sound like much, but now that it's going together, it's bigger than I tho't.

I'll take some photos next week and start posting them on a regular basis.

Cheers.

[John C]

Would love to see the pics.

[odonaldp]

I've tried to post the photos, but keep being told that I've exceeded the 1024 limit.  I'll try again tonight.

I have the hull stitched together, the bow partially filleted, and the chines filleted to the temp center bulkhead.  Today, I installed the transom w/stitching along the bottom and filleted.  Temp fillets on the outside and partial fillets on the inside and will finish that up tomorrow.  The keel is filleted and glassed up to the forward bulkhead. (I needed a skyhook to get that done). 

I hope to have the boat turned by the end of the week, and start on the outside.

Will try to post photos again now.

[Frank Hagan]

I've tried to post the photos, but keep being told that I've exceeded the 1024 limit.  I'll try again tonight.

Sorry about that ... I had the quota set at 1mb which is pretty small!  I've upped it to 5mb; let me know how that works.

[odonaldp]

Have made some progress since my last.  The hull is fully glassed now and I have the first coat (3 planned) on.  Tomorrow will see the next 2.  Hopefully, I will be able to have the color coats on by Monday and will turn the boat next week to begin the interior.

I had some problems getting the hull fair along the keel line.  It was my fault.  When cutting the keel lines, I hacked the port side.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't real good either.  I decided to press on and straighten things out w/the stitching and a round batten.  That didn't happen.  I did press on, taped the keel line REAL good and installed the keel batten.  I really tho't I was smokin' hot until I rolled the hull and had a good look.   

To make a long story short, I worked it out w/a LOT of epoxy and additional glass in the bigger spots.  There are still a few anomalies, but overall, I am very pleased w/the lines that have resulted.

My keel is one piece meranti w/a 1" x 3/16" x 13' stainless (304) shoe.  I expect to have this boat on pebble beaches a lot and there are a lot of rocks in the water.

When I get the color coats on, I'll upload the results.

I've decided to go w/wooden masts.  We have a bit of meranti here, stacks of it in fact.  I will laminate both masts and have a hollow core for wiring masthead lights and anything else electrical I might put up there.

I started looking for sails/sail cloth, sail lofts,  etc..  All is non-existent here in Vietnam.  You have to go to Hong Kong or Singapore.  I did, however, find some cloth that I think will suffice for the sails.  I live w/a lady that is a seamstress and she has a Juki industrial sewing machine.  I know squat about making sails and have looked a little on the 'net.  I need a set of patterns for the sails, period.  My email to B&B has not been responded to yet.  Anybody know of where I might find patterns for these sails? 

Cheers

[Designer]

Patrick,

It is good to see your progress.

I have not seen your email. We changed our email address a couple of months ago because of pinelink's unreliability and I just switched from them altogether yesterday because they have been down for almost a week, we had long switched Frank for hosting our website and it has been perfect. Look me up on our website.

[odonaldp]

Thanks for the insight, Graham.  I found the discrepancy in the B & B website w/Carla's email address.

I have re-sent the msg to her and am now holding my breath waiting for her reply.

I have some help w/this boat now, and I expect it to go very fast.  Maybe by the end of October, I'll be able to get it wet.  This is assuming, of course, that I find a solution to the sail issue.

BTW, nice design.  The lines of this vessel are very good and the boat goes together well.  Are the CNC files available?  I am considering building a number of these boats and will want the construction to go fast.  Saigon has a yacht club, but they don't have a boat one.  My boat has generated a lot of interest and I think there will be a market for 15-20 boats.  Possibly the 15 and 17 footer as well.  Not to worry about royalties.  I would be happy to pay. 

[odonaldp]

Today saw the first 3 coats of color on the boat.  We are using a fast drying, 2-part epoxy paint.  It will be a very pale blue w/a cobalt blue strip around the gunnel.  We wet sanded the second coat w/400 and it came out beautiful.  Tomorrow will see the last 2 coats, the strip around the gunnel and hopefully a coat of gel-coat.  The shipyard is pretty dusty during the day, so I might have to come in of the evening for the gel-coats.  When we finish it, I'll post another photo.

Wish me luck.

[odonaldp]

It's been a while since my last post.  There has been a major hiccup with the big boat project and I kinda lost my motivation to continue.

I'll stop by the supermarket and buy some more (motivation, that is).

Posted two new pics tonight.  I have the boat painted, the rear deck framing installed and the lazarette painted w/2 coats of primer.  Some of that will have to come off, but I wanted it protected.  Also installed the main mast step, and that didn't turn out quite as "pretty" as I would have like.  Still, I think it will be plenty strong, and besides, I won't be able to see it from the cockpit.

I have my masts built and will give them a coat of varnish tomorrow.  They are heavy :-\.  I hope not too much, but I know that to re-step the mizzen in a blow will be a very touchy procedure.  I would guess them to be about 40-50 lbs each.  Does anybody know what the typical weight of a 22' wooden mast might weigh?  How much weight will be too much?  I'll sure be embarrassed if when I launch this thing that it just falls over on it's side.

I have the center board done.  Instead of a downhaul, I embedded a piece of steel of about 4-5 kilos in epoxy.  I will have an uphaul w/a jam cleat.  The center board trunk is also done and waiting for me to finish the cockpit seats.

More pics to follow, tomorrow perhaps.

I hope to hear some comments regarding the mast weight.