Designer Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 Thought I'd update everyone on the progress of the "big build" going on at the B&B shop. We have 6 folks working now. Things are moving along nicely. The first hull halves have been joined and the interior bulkheads are in. The port hull has been started. Our next step will be to glass the exterior surfaces of the starboard hull. One of those working with us is known to our fellow Water Tribers as SOS, aka Alan Stewart. Alan very cleverly put together a great time lapse photography sequence of us rolling the starboard hull onto her side for glassing. The link to see this is at Alan's blog - www.sailnaway.blogspot.com - save the address, Alan will be adding to it, so for those who may be it interested, you can follow along with our progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Luckett Posted December 25, 2010 Report Share Posted December 25, 2010 I have wondered how it was going. When can some pics be posted? Merry Xmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rattus Posted December 28, 2010 Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 Graham, is that shape accomplished entirely without strip planking? If so, this may be one of the the most curvaceous shapes ever made with sheet goods! Why the clipper bow on the, for want of a better term, "upper hull"? How did you tape the bows, especially the lower one? What's the designed draft? The panels look somewhat foamy... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer Posted December 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 Mike, The boat is Airex foam cored. To get that curvaceous hull shape she was built on CNC cut stations with closely spaced 1 x 2 battens to form a female half mold onto which the foam was laid. The foam was thermo-formed by heating in an oven and screwed into the mold. You will see foam in three colors' selected for different properties. We get to build four half hulls, three down, one to go. We wanted wave piercing bulbs on the bows with very narrow waterline beams to almost eliminate bow waves. To get reasonable room in the hulls they flare out above the waterline to a knuckle or chine. As most cat hulls are ugly with high freeboard and straight sides we tried to get as much shape into the bow as it would allow. She will be powered by two 200 HP Yanmar diesels and we expect her to top out at around 25 knots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rattus Posted December 29, 2010 Report Share Posted December 29, 2010 Damn - and I had been hoping some of the sheets were tortured plywood ;-) I think that's great that you were able to thermoform such large sheets and seriously minimize the number of joins. Sounds like a version of the Farrier vertical-strip setup, writ huge. Was this vacuum bagged or infused? How long are the sheets workable once removed from the oven? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Posted December 30, 2010 Report Share Posted December 30, 2010 Beautiful and exciting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Day Posted January 1, 2011 Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 That is one cool looking boat! It reminds me of some of the larger catamarans that are being produced by Austal here in Mobile. I can't wait to see her put together and in the water. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Stewart Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Alan here with another update on the power cat. We have been battling the bitter cold on a daily basis here at the shop but still making strong progress. Since the last update, we have glassed the outside surface of the starboard hull, sanded it, installed the bulkheads that will define the fuel and water tanks, layed-up and cut out the baffles for the tanks and finalized the position of the engine. Once this was done, we wasted no time in setting the boat back upright and then rotating it down the other way to facilitate glassing the inner surfaces. Rotating the hull has become old hat at this point and due to the careful positioning of the center of rotation we were able to lift the hull upright and lower it down again without the help of any come along's or ratcheting devices! Here the hull is down on the other side. Here is a view of the interior looking aft. Yesterday we glassed the inside of the fuel and water tanks. Working on a one off boat in a relatively small shop requires constant improvisation. We make a lot of tools and come up with new ways of doing things to make large jobs easier. Below is one such improv device we nicknamed "the diving board" which allowed us to reach the back of the tank with rollers when the roller on a stick just couldn't cut the mustard. More to come. Thanks for watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarbaby Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Very cool!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Stewart Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Today the crew at B and B moved the now glassed starboard hull out of the shop so that the port hull can be caught up. Once the port hull is complete both hulls will be mated and finished inside the shed. Notice that the hull is still light enough to be moved around by hand. The four of us (with the help of Mandy, the boatyard dog) could easily slide the hull around the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Anderson Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 At some point I am thinking that shop is going to be too small for that boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy Hill Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 At some point I am thinking that shop is going to be too small for that boat. Is it too soon to ask for another update?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer Posted April 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 The project goes on and on. Here is a recent picture showing Alan working on the pilot house front. We will soon out-grow the building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy Hill Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 That's it?!! One picture? ...............................................................................................................................Sheesh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Marshall Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 There will be more when they peel the building off. There's really no room to take a picture in there that would show more than a close-up of the tunnel between the hulls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer Posted April 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 Randy is right about the difficulty of getting back far enough to get a good shot, but I agree with Gordy that I could do a little better. So here is todays challenge. The pilot house top measures 19' x 16'2" and weighs 450# and had to be put in place. In the best tradition of B&B and a generous helping of Rube Goldberg it is now glued in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterP Posted April 26, 2012 Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 If I didn't know any better I'd say this is your classic government job. One guy driving a tractor, one guy scratching a dog and three others hanging around waiting for lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Lathrop Posted April 26, 2012 Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 If I didn't know any better I'd say this is your classic government job. One guy driving a tractor, one guy scratching a dog and three others hanging around waiting for lunch. Agreed Peter, but Mandy, being female, has her needs and must be scratched regardless of other necessary activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Jones Posted April 27, 2012 Report Share Posted April 27, 2012 and besides, Mandy is THE boss!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterP Posted April 27, 2012 Report Share Posted April 27, 2012 I don't know about Boss. The Nose more likely. She can tell a guy with a sandwich from a mile away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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