-Week 15 Write Up- Short Week before the holidays

On monday, we sanded the clear epoxy coats from the week before with 80 grit on a random orbiter.  This also helped fair the boat a bit.  Once that was finished, we milled the Anqelique into suitable sizes for the stem and skeg shoes.

Drew and I applied the first three layers to both the stem and skeg.  Angelique is a very hardwood and it took some effort to bend it into place.  Then, screws and blocking were used to hold it down and G FLEX epoxy to set it in overnight.  Because of the difficulties, we had to attach each laminate one by one and wait overnight for it to dry.  Luckily, we were able to get the first set started monday and have it finished by Wednesday before we took off for the holidays.

On Tuesday, a thick combination of epoxy and purple fairing compound was mixed and skreeted over the topsides.  This was sanded on Wednesday and will help us achieve that perfect fairness.  

Since the holidays were quickly approaching, I took a half day on Wednesday to allow myself to travel to the Island to see my family.  We will be back at the boatyard on January 5th.  

Happy Holidays!

Here is the short week 15 time lapse clip

-WEEK 15 PHOTOS- fairing and stem and skeg shoes

On Monday, we began by sanding off all the clear epoxy with 80 grit random orbiting sanders.

A close up of the bow.

Drew vacuums dust off the hull from sanding.

Drew cleans up the laminates for the skeg shoe

Here is one of the two full length Angelique laminates for the stem.

The MC-30 is decorated with lights Monday night during the boat yard christmas party.

A detail of the fairing compound that was scraped onto the boat with a large notched spreader.

Three layers of Angelique laminates are screwed and clamped on.  This is glued with G FLEX

Brendan and Dave laying out the full length stem shoe laminates.

Dave screwing in the stem shoe fastenings.  These will be bunged and look beautiful.

The Last Shot of The Week.  Dave and Drew clean up G FLEX from the stem shoe laminates.

-WEEK 14 WRITE UP- another bottle of whisky for the MC-30

No, this week was not all about whisky.  In fact, we finished the cold moulding process of stapling and gluing on the laminates at the end of the day monday and were able to celebrate the beginning of the week with a very nice bottle of Bowmore singal malt scotch whisky from the famous island of Islay, once visited by Alfie and myself on IMPALA in 06'.

The rest of the week was spent getting intimate with the hull fairing and sanding.  We starting with the belt sanders to knock off most of the staples and high spots.  Next we file boarded with 36 grit to really smooth her out.  Then we used random orbiting sanders with 80 grit, and finally 80 grit sanding paper by hand.  Meanwhile, Brendan had been shaping the keelson, stem, and skeg with his power planer, block plane, and pneumatic air powered sander.

Even though we have done a lot of sanding and fairing, there are still slight bumps and variations that will take some more finessing to get rid of.  

Later in the week, Drew and I selected a piece of Angelique to mill out for the stem and skeg shoes, and the boat was coated with two layers of clear epoxy.  This will soak into the wood, get sanded down and more layers of fairing compound ontop of that.

Its too bad most of our beautiful work on the last layer of laminating will be hidden under thick bottom paint.

Here is week 14's time lapse clip

-WEEK 14 PHOTOS- another whisky plank and lots of sanding

Near the end of the day monday.  Brendan and Dave work hard to catch up to the young bloods and install the final laminate board.

A little incentive.  We stayed a little late monday night to fit the last laminate plank in.  Its been 4 weeks of cold moulding.

A clean and dust free bottle of whisky joins the shelf amongst older bottles from other boats.  The new addition was actually made in Islay, Scotland, a place visited by myself and Alfie on Impala in 06'.

Dave  jig sawing the rough edges off the shear.

Dave beautifully fills in the voids at the skeg with thickened epoxy where the laminates would not take the bend.

All screw holes were filled with a thickened epoxy fairing compound.

Drew looks on as Brendan sands the keelson.

If you enlarge and look closely, you can see where a laminate on the build up was faired down to appear smooth.

Brendan power planes the stem.

After Brendan shaped the stem, there is a clear view cut away view of the laminate build up.  This is the thickest section with 8 layers.

End of the day Friday with two coats of clear epoxy rolled on.

The Last Shot of The Week.  The boat has been faired with a belt sander, file board, random orbit, and by hand.  Now she has two coats of clear epoxy to set over the weekend.

Week 13 Write Up - gluing and stapling the final laminate layer

Dry fitting the final laminate layer has gone really well.  Each piece was carefully spiled to the next to ensure a really tight and beautiful fit.  As we worked towards the stern, the more difficult section, we cut the laminates down on the table saw in order for them to align to the laminates from the other side.  So, when you look at the counter at the stern, each laminate is the same width as the one it butts to.  This is a very beautiful detail at this point in the construction, but eventually will be covered up with fairing compounds and paint.  However, if it is ever to show through or the hull sanded down to be painted again, it will be noticed.

Drew and I worked on the port side of the boat as Brendan and Dave worked the starboard side.  Once all laminates were dry fitted, we worked quickly to glue and staple the stern section in case there would be any shifting of the planks over the span of waiting a few days.  This required some blocking and screws to hold the laminates down where there is fiberglass cloth underneath where the staples wont hold.

Although we are about a month ahead of schedule, it appears that we will not have the boat flipped before the holidays.  So we shall look forward to that when we return in January.  Before that, we have PLENTY of sanded and fairing to do.  Thanks for checking in.

Also, if anyone checking in ever has any questions, feel free to post in the comments or email me and I would be happy to answer them.  captainconnor@gmail.com.

Please check out this month's issue of Classic Boat magazine, there is a very nice article on the Infanta, a very well known boat at Pease Boat Works.

Week 13 time lapse clip

Week 13 PHOTOS - gluing the last laminate layer

The horizontally laminated stern as we dry fit the final laminate layer.

On Tuesday, we had glued, stapled, and blocked where needed the entire stern section.

Here is a detail of the chine cap where the planks met in the stern.

Drew spreads glue onto the hull as each laminate is stapled on one at a time.

Standing on the boat looking down, you can see where Brendan and Dave worked from the bow as Drew and I worked from the stern.

Below the keelson where we allowed the laminates to extend past the keelson.  These will be sanded soon.

A detail of the squeeze out from all the laminate layers below the keelson.  When sanded, this will be very beautiful.

A detail of how tight each laminate fits to one another.  Also notice the organized random patterning of staples.

Drew, Brendan, and Dave admire our progress  at the end of the day on Friday.

The Last Shot of The Week.  The MC-30 is about 2/3 of the way through completing her final laminate layer.

Week 12 Write Up - Lots of Fairing and beginning the final laminate layer

Another week spent on laminating.  By Tuesday, we had completed the 7th layer of laminates.  Thus, 8.5 hours was spent on Wednesday fairing the hull to perfection.  

In preparation for the final layer, Drew and I cut 1/16th of an inch off each edge of each of the laminates for the final layer.  This process was done one by one and will really help to make a really crisp, tight fit.  Also on Wednesday, the Magic 30 received an early christmas present, her Yanmar saildrive engine.  While drew and I were fairing the hull and preparing the laminates for the final layer, Brendan was busy cold molding the stern.  Instead of having laminates cross at 50 degree angles, like rest of the boat, for the final layer on the stern, the laminates are attaching horizontally.  This will give the stern a very polished and beautiful finish.  The screw holes used to attach the laminates are then bunged at evenly spaced intervals.  It really looks nice.

By Thursday afternoon, Drew and I had attach the first few laminates of the 8th and last layer.  It really is amazing to think that there are 7 other layers of these boards underneath what you will see.  If you hadn't been following the blog, or participated in the construction, you might never know.  

By Friday, Drew and I dry fitting roughly 20 laminates on either side of the bow.  This final layer is a little bit slower then the other layers, because each board must be fitted precisely for a beautiful finish without voids.  

In the weeks ahead, we look forward to finishing the cold molding process, perhaps with a toast of whisky, attaching the stem and skeg shoes and flipping the boat over to begin the interior.

Here is the week 12 time lapse update (unfortunately, the battery died on wed. and I missed all the fairing!)

Week 12 Photos- lots of fairing, and the last layer of laminates

On Monday, Drew and I work on fitting the last of the 7th layer.  You can see here where the 7th layer covers the other 6 beneath it.

A detail of the 7th layer covering the staircase of 6 layers underneath.  With that 7th layer, you would never know there are 6 more underneath it.

The 7th layer is on, and faired.  A thickened fairing compound was again added to any low areas.

Drew and I spent 8.5 hours hand fairing the hull after the 7th layer of laminates were set.  

Epoxy covered pants, boots, staging, and floor, next to a freshly sanded hull.

Brendan's work of horizontally laminating the stern.

Drew and I spent a good portion of Wednesday ripping 1/16th off each edge of every laminate to be used in the final layer.

The Magic 30 gets an early christmas present - Alfie's new Yanmar sail drive engine.

The first laminates of the 8th and final layer.

Brendan spent most of Thursday afternoon and Friday laminating and shaping the stern.  

The beginning of the end of cold molding.  Here is our start of the 8th and final layer of laminates.

On Friday, Drew and I work on spiling each board of the last laminate layer perfectly together.

Here, you can see where Brendan attached a chine cap where the laminates will butt against.  Notice the beautifully spaced bungs.

The Last Shot of The Week.  The hull is completely faired.  We've installed nearly 20 laminates on either side of the bow and the stern is laminated and bunged.

Week 11 Write Up - Oliver's first day, fairing and laminates

My good friend and Impala sailor, Oliver, showed up this weekend during his Thanksgiving break from UVM to spend a few days working on the boat and getting use to the shop.  He will start full time after he graduates in January.  

Our first day this week was all spent on fairing the first 6 layers of laminates that we put on.  Brendan worked at power planing off the rough edges while Drew and I went at it with the belt sander.  Oliver was kept busy belt sanding the stern sections and up the skeg.  It was a little tricky working to get the 6th laminate layer faired to the same feel and level as the 1st laminate layer, as they have a difference of 5/8ths of an inch in height.  After it felt pretty good, Oliver joined Drew and I in fairing it all again with the three foot file boards.  This took the rest of the afternoon.

In the next two days we were able to continue dry fitting, gluing, and stapling the second to last layer, of which we had already started in the stern and at the skeg.  We got into a routine of dry fitting enough laminates before lunch, that would give us just enough time after lunch to have them glued and stapled.  This will allow them to harden overnight and be faired the next morning.  It also breaks up the monotony of attaching laminates for a week, then gluing and stapling for a week.  

We took a short week, and ended on Wednesday, so that everyone could see their families for Thanksgiving.  But for me, an unexpected new snowboard arrival sent me straight to VT to get some early season skiing in!

Next week, we hope to be near having all laminate layers on and glued.

Week 11 Time Lapse Clip

Week 11 Photos - Oliver's first day, more laminates and fairing

The start of our week.

Drew set up with the belt sander.  First, the sharp edges where power planed off.  Then they were belt sanded, and then went over with a file board.

Before.

After.

The finished fairing of the 6 laminates that were stacked on top of each other.  Each layer was faired back about 6 inches.  You can see how each layer crosses the next.

Brendan spiles a laminate and oliver checks the blocking at the turn of the bilge.  Here, the laminates are being dry fitted, soon to be lathered with epoxy glue.

Some of the tools we use, and a different perspective.

Here we begin to cover up the last bits of cedar planks.  You can really see how flexible that Fir laminate is!

The Last Shot of The Week.  Oliver wipes up the last of the glue from the 7th laminate layer.  This is the first layer to cover the entire boat, and the second to last layer.  These are full length laminates going from keelson to shear.