Construction news

2019 09 07 End of work for 2019.

The work started in february, and the weather was exceptionally warm. Later, not so good: unstable weather, then extreme heat periods... anyway. Work done:

portlights and hatches installed,

deck gear built and installed: organizers, blockers, cleats, lifelines stanchions, etc.

deck and cabin painted (coating = pigmented epoxy resin)

hull painted (pigmented epoxy resin, dark grey to capture heat)

rudders installed (2 lateral rudders, 1 central only for engine)

etc.

 

In july we removed the tent under which the boat was built since may 2015. 4 years under a f. tent, leaking from everywhere,  with a swamp at the entry, and absolutely no space.
Finally in the open air!

   

 

2018 11 12 End of work for 2018.

The work period was shortened because of weather (March and April too cold, heat waves in July and August), and the work was slowed down by material shortages (from factory).

Anyway, decent progress (portlights, rudders, deck accessories, coating...). One more year, o so we hope.

 

Here are a few photos, this site will be completed later.

2018 10 14 - Rudder boxes     ... blades (2 lateral+central)

 

2018 11 10 - roof, pilot house .. and dog house

 

2018 11 01 Doors closed         .. open

  

2018 11 10 Interior

   

2018 03 12 Start of work for 2018. Work estimate:

5800 hours done,
1500 hours to 2250 hours to do.
1 1/2 to 2 years work if the budget is OK.

GREAT NEWS! The shipyard will fix the "swamp problem", dirty waters gathering in front of the tent because of a clogged drain. After 3 years...

2017 11 30  End of work for this year.

Visible progress (deck, cabins, pilot house, cockpit..) but slowed down by budget limitations

Estimated end of work: 1 1/2 year from now.

2017 03 07. Starting again after a sailing season near and around Cape Horn.

Planning for this year: finishing interior work, roof, pilot house and cockpit.

2016 11 20 End of work for this year. Uneasy conditions, but some progress, see above.

Too cold in March and April (bad for resin), too hot from July to September (bad for resin).

No space. Under a 15m tent, no space to move around the boat, no space to stratify large panels. Muddy and wet. Leaks and a swamp when it rains.

Lousy tent (cheap) and lousy drainage (none). The Socoa Shipyard has a clear policy: zero money for infrastructures and equipment.

2016 03 17. Work resumes, after returning from the travel Mares del Sur.  This time, the boat is outside the building, under a tent.  Narrow and short, bow and aft touch the tent.

 

2015 07 01. Work is suspended until next year: currently preparing our RM 1050 Sonabia to return to Tierra de Fuego. Leaving in October.

Status: hull and internal structure ready, keel in place (lifting mechanism not installed), engine in place (accessories not installed), tanks in progress, deck in progress.

2015 05 05.The keel and the engine are in place. The boat was pulled out of the building and left under a tent for the rest of the work.

February 2015: The last 2 months, the work has been slowed down by chilly temperatures ( 3 days to harden vs. 1 day in normal conditions). Nonetheless the work went on, thanks to the tolerance of Resoltech resin (1020-1026): we could made epoxy joints and bonding in temperatures of 4.5oC, and glass epoxy laminates in temperatures of 7.5oC.

 

2014 05 06: turning up the hull. In a travelift, loops of rope passing through holes in the hull. The hull was lighter than calculated (2160kg vs. 2350kg expected). Explanation: good ratio resin-glass: less than 45% resin instead of  50%- 50%.

The idea

Why not get mad?

- A service boat, simple to repair and maintain. 
- Capable of sailing lightweight and under heavy load.  

- Composite hull (zero maintenance) on plywood layer (easy to repair at sea). 

- Deep V-shape at the bow (to sail against waves without slamming). 

- Lifting wing keel (performance under sails and getting close to the shore). 

- Powerful engine (to go against wind in the channels) and big fuel tanks.

- Internal steering and protected cockpit, good thermal insulation and ventilation,.  

- Hull 100% accessible from inside (repairs at sea). 

- Almost anything aboard can be dismounted and repaired aground.

- Construction: simple techniques (basic infrastructure)

- Common materials (easier to find in case of repair). 

- KISS. Keep it Strong and Simple.

Overview

Experiments - hull material

        

Note.The sampling proposed by the architect had the same weight/m2, was less rigid and presented a poor behavior in case of crash, like any foam sandwich.
 

      

      

2014 05 06 - turning up the hull. weight: 2260kg

    

2014 09 07 - 2014 10 24: internal laminates of glass epoxy.

hull: 1mm thick above waterline, 2mm below

bulkheads: 0.6 to 1mm laminate below waterline, joints: epoxy putty + 2 to 4 layers of glass fabric. 

 

2015 02 19 o 2015 04 05: crash boxes, foam covered with fiberglass epoxy

  

2015 03 15 platform (rudder protection)

 

Girders

They  transform the hull into a beam that stands the weight and the buoyancy. Huge safety factor in order to handle the worst case: in a wave, bow and stern below water and central section out of the water, the load becomes dynamical (fall and impact).

Main girders: multi-layers plywood + fiberglass epoxy, external cover and internal sheets half way from the neutral plane, to stand impact bending without breaking the plywood.

Stiffer and lighter than the solution of the architect (multilayered "I" beams vs. homogeneous rectangular beams).

2014 11 01 - central section girders

    

 2015 04 05

 

Internal structure

In addition to the girders, this structure contributes to the stiffness of the boat and strengthens the hull against  crushing.

2014 11 25 - bow and aft bulkheads, secondary girders and brackets (side strengtheners). plywood+ glass-epoxy.   


Aft girders and brackets + deck lockers
2014 11 25                                   2015 03  07
 

Dagger keel

    

2015 03 22  keel edges     ...                                     2015 04 14 bottom                  

   

Keel slot

      

2014 11 25                                   ...                                                2014 12 12 keel supports

  

2015 04 05 integrated to girders      2015 03 22 below hull

 

Standalone wooden structure to lift the keel
2015 04 13                                   2015 05 05

 

 

... completed by a wooden frame (stratified plywood) to support the roof

2017_04_25                     2017_11_26 ... lids, table   ... mast base                  ... from deck.               

 

Keel in place

2015 05 05

  

  

Engine

Nanni 85 HP, shaft AISI316 40mm, fixed propeller 3 blades, 20", step 17".

Propeller close to the aft and relatively shallow (25 to 35 cm below waterline) for better protection and access from the rear platform.

2015 04 05                                   2015 05 02                                   2015 05 05                        

   

2015 05 24                                   2015 05 24                                  2015 06 04

   

2015 06 22  - skeg                        2015 06 29 fin-fiberglass epoxy     2017 03 29 - foam sandwich
                                                                                                                       mechanical fuse

Details. 

2016 10 05 - front access

20mm sandwich (plywood-foam), contain inspection hatch (16cm diameter)
The tank internal wall is part of the lid (easier maintenance).

2016 09 03

Black water

2 tanks, one for each toilet, capacity 70L each
Made of a 10mm sandwich (glass epoxy, PVC foam), integrated to the structure. Lighter than separate tanks

2016 05 03

Grey water

2 tanks, one for each toilet for washbasin and shower. Capacity 30L each.
1 tank in the kitchen, below the sinks. Capacity 70L

Floors

Technical compartment

Front bunker

Rear bunker

Deck

Mooring

Pilot house