Action Tiger Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 All my sailboats have been either mast in for good, or relatively open with small masts, but I do understand the need for a mast tube/partner/step. Thanks for clarifying, though, I appreciate it greatly. BTW (that's right, right?), my nick name comes from mountain bike racing. There was beer involved in the coining of the name, and it has stuck fast these nigh on 25 years... Man, time flies, eh? Your deck looks very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted November 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 Robert-- a lot of features on this boat are new to me. I'm incorporating them because they seem like good ideas (i.e., the tube), it's something I wanted to try (i.e., the strip-built deck), or because they're in widespread use, even though it goes against my natural instinct (i.e., the rope trick). I DO get the rope trick concept now, but it was a long row to hoe. If, for some reason, that walnut deck is a bust, I have a sheet of Okoume waiting. But if I can pull it off, I think it might be a pretty feature. "Thrillsbe" is a moniker that was bestowed on me back in my whitewater rafting days. I think beers were also involved. Anyway, it stuck, and I use it occasionally. I even named my Catalina 27 Thrillsbe. It seemed fitting, as we loved taking her out and burying the rail. The 170 Genny was the sail of choice back then, because we wanted to see that green Lake Erie water up close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 Graham, Alan, do you or have you tried using heat to expand the mandrel before and during cure and then cooling to shrink it for removal? I am not up on the details, but this is done by carbon spar manufactures Dave, No doubt that can be made to work but the details of doing it on individual basis is making a simple process complicated. Safety of heat and resin could be a issue also. Yeah, that's why I asked. I figured there might be a serious learning curve. And even if it were mastered by someone, their answer would still require some considerable trial and error to perfect by someone else. KISS is a motto we should all subscribe to some times. I don't doubt it is just as easy as you say Don. Too many endorsements to think otherwise. I will have to try this next time I need a tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted November 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 I shared your apprehension, Dave. I use to "worry over it" as I lay in bed. I could envision the mast section and glass tube becoming one massive piece of scrap. It was a delight to see how easy the whole process was. I'm hooked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 The big spar makers like Hall Spars do use heat during curing. This expands the aluminum mandrel enough for the spar to slide off. When the spar is put in the autoclave the temperature is ramped up at a controlled rate to the optimum cure temperature for which their resin was designed and then carefully ramped down at a controlled rate. All of this is usually computer controlled. For us home builders with our one blend of epoxy which has to do everything, it is better to stick with what we know. Meade Gugeon recently told me that post curing with heat for typical home boatbuilding epoxies does not contribute to the strength. Having said that, I feel that If you are going to paint your boat a dark color, it is a good idea to put the boat out in the hot sun for a couple of days prior to prime coating to post cure the glass to prevent print-thru on your final coat of paint. I have been disappointed to see the weave of the glass show through the gloss after the boat has been out in the sun for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 I also used the strips of plastic when I made the sleeve for the mizzen on my CS-20 Mk-2 and it worked just like Don says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Having said that, I feel that If you are going to paint your boat a dark color, it is a good idea to put the boat out in the hot sun for a couple of days prior to prime coating to post cure the glass to prevent print-thru on your final coat of paint. I have been disappointed to see the weave of the glass show through the gloss after the boat has been out in the sun for a while. I have seen dark colored production boats, even a Swan with bad cases of print through due to post laminate cure. I have seen 20 year old formerly white hull boats painted with Flag blue Awlgrip print through well after the fact. Flag blue was, maybe still is a fad color. Factor in that they (dark hull boats) can be more uncomfortable below on warm sunny days as well as other potential issues from absorbing radiant heat and I have concluded that I do not find dark hulls desirable. It is good to know that helps Graham, but not something I would want to risk. Besides, we all know there are only two colors to paint a boat (white, black), and only a fool paints his boat black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 I agree with you and Capt. Nat.--- there are only two colors to paint a boat (white, black), and only a fool paints his boat black. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Tiger Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Or, do like the Navy and mix em together? I, for one, love colorful boats. Lots of island cultures use color, including the Azoreans, where my gramps was from. Also, I don't wear a cap and blazer, nor race, nor do any other yacht like activities (except use a boat for no purpose other than my pure entertainment), so I'm only interested in what that guy and his son said about the structure of boats. I concur about the no black, biz, though. I may have already mentioned how much I like the olde timey yellow hull with black trim livery. Yea, color! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meester Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 I wear caps, but some skinny guy left his blazer in my closet. Weird, huh? It kinda creeps me out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Actually, I really like color on boats, but I like Capt. Nat's quote, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 I think that guy's blazer should have stayed in the closet, if you know what I mean! LOL Well, Local Honey is bright yellow on the outside, and off-white on the interior. One reason for the yellow is that I'm going to be sailing in upstate South Carolina on lakes with lots of water tubers, PWC's, bass boats and pontoon boats. Many become a little oblivious to their surroundings. I'm hoping that the shocking color will cause them to look up from their cold drink. I've put the last coat of epoxy on my deck this morning. Later on this week, I'll glue it on. (I'm waiting for slightly warmer weather, as my build is outdoors.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meester Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 The walnut looks gorgeous. There might be a downside though. If you bring it to a messabout, people will probably instinctively set their beers down on it. Bring coasters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Ya better make that boat into a coffee table, it'll be too purty to take to the lake and get it all scratched up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 The walnut looks gorgeous. There might be a downside though. If you bring it to a messabout, people will probably instinctively set their beers down on it. Bring coasters. Ya better make that boat into a coffee table, it'll be too purty to take to the lake and get it all scratched up... Bah, first you make your boat gorgeous like that deck, then you declare you built it to be used and live with the consequences. There is always winter (well, for most of us) and then if it bothers you , you spruce it back up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul356 Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Here's the tube I made, per Graham's instructions and Alan's video, installed similar to what Thrillsbe was working on in his photos. The deck setup is a little different in the CS 17 than in T's 15. I wanted a solid step at the bottom so made one up out of a block that i glued and screwed to the platform shown on the plans. Final photo is the "mast" stepped. Also notice the hull color: dark blue. Not white, not black, but a sentimental favorite around here. (Sorry, no clue why the first two photos list to the left. All three started out on their feet.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Tiger Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 The walnut looks gorgeous. There might be a downside though. If you bring it to a messabout, people will probably instinctively set their beers down on it. Bring coasters. Ya better make that boat into a coffee table, it'll be too purty to take to the lake and get it all scratched up... Bah, first you make your boat gorgeous like that deck, then you declare you built it to be used and live with the consequences. There is always winter (well, for most of us) and then if it bothers you , you spruce it back up. Heck yeah. Make it look so nice everyone is amazed, then use it casually with blatant indifference. You are, the one who MADE it so nice, after all, so fixing it back up is no big deal. And, a boat without coffe or beer rings seems a little strange to me. Or sweet tea rings, Chick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 I love the dark blue, Paul. It looks rich. I'm just afraid of getting run over by Bubba in a bass boat around here. And rings on my deck will never bother me. They're signs of good times. And if it gets too gnarly, I'll sand it and give it another coat of varnish. To heck with the coasters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul356 Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Yes, meant to mention. That walnut is terrific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Tiger Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 I'm an avid bass fisherman. So much so, that any other catch is simply a fish. The biggest reason I build and use boats, except sailboats, which never fail to make me feel like some kind of wizard, is to catch a bass. That said: bass boats. By which I mean the way over powered jon boats, not the classy offshore beauties what with two helms and all that goodness. We got Bubbas out here too, jack. Let's just say drop shotting a hump or rock pile can be hairy, sometimes. We also get all manner of trollers, for trout or Kokanee, who don't look up too often, but at least they ain't doing 70! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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