Mast step (2)

Two hours of work today to give the mast step the right profile using electric planer, Surforms, rasps and rotoorbital sander with 40 grit. 

 

Total work time to date: 788 hours

Mast step (1)

We now have to find a way to install the mast base on the vaka. The mast base is this

 Given the particular shape of the base, we have decided to build a plywood step starting with two squares of 20 mm thick plywood, 10 cm x 10 cm each. We then glued the two pieces with thickened resin

When the glue sets, we will give this a proper shape...

Total work time to date: 786 hours

Rudder mechanism

We spent three hours in this weekend to build the rudder mechanism as specified in the plans. To be honest I don't like it very much. We'll see how it works.

The system is based on a so-called "false transom" which is hinged to the transom at the deck level, on the vaka. The rudder's pintles are bolted to the false transom. When sailing, the rudder is kept in the "low" position by means of a rope tied to the false transom, passing trough a eye-strap fixed on the transom and up, via two bulls eye fairleads, to a V-cleat on the aft aka. So, when the rope is completely pulled ad cleated, the rudder is supposed to stay in the water, while if the rope is taken off the cleat the rudder is set free in order to avoid problems if running aground.

The following photo shows the two bullseye fairleads on the vaka deck.

The next photo shows the eye strap on the transom.

Since we used thickened resin to reinforce the fasteners, we also coated all the carriage bolt holes to fasted the seats to the vaka deck. 

Total work time to date: 785 hours

Seats

Three hours of work today. We installed the akas on the vaka using the s/s eye bolts which we special ordered from the UK, and then the seats in order to bore the holes for the carriage bolts to secure each seat to the cockpit deck.

We had also planned to attach the amas, but it was a bit late so we decided to postpone it.

Total work time to date: 782 hours

Press stop: mast step!

 We purchased a mast step for the Hobiecat 16 mast... those are difficult to find in good conditions!

Installing the hatches (4)

 One hour of work today to install the hatches on the amas with sealant and s/s screws and bolts.

Total work time to date: 779 hours

Installing the hatches (3)

 One hour of work today to install the inspection hatch in the cockpit floor. We spread a substantial quantity of sealant and screwed the frame with six 3-mm S/S bolts and nuts.

Then we cleaned everything.

Total wotk time to date: 778 hours

Installing the hatches (2)

Two hours of work today to install the big square hatches on the vaka. We first spread caulk around the opening

and then attached the frame and the hatch using 5 mm S/S bolts and nuts. Here is the aft one open

 and closed.

Finally, a global view of the aka with both hatches installed, and the milestone beer.

Total work time to date: 777 hours

False transom attached

A little bit more than one hour today to attach permanently the false transom to the transom. In the next photo you can see the three stainless steel bolts to attach each hinge to the transom, passing through a 3x2 cm cleat.

Total work time to date: 775 hours

Tiller, pintles

Two hours of (relaxed) work today.

We first cut the slot for the rudder head in the tiller

 

and then we attached the pintles to the false transom

Total work time to date: 774 hours

 

Tiller, trailer inspection

A few days ago we gave the tiller to a sawmill to cut it to size and to thickness. Quite long, isn't it? Here it is:

Now we'll have to cut the rudder head recess, sand the corners and paint it.

Today I brought the trailer to the traffic department for the two-year inspection: passed!

Installing the forestay attachment and the bow eye

Two hours of work today. First we installed the bow eye, after a non trivial modification to lenghten the thread, because it was initially too short (or the stem was too thick...)

The problem was that poor Cinzia had to enter the bow locker and crawl up to the stem, where there is no elbow room at all... anyway, she did it with the help of a ratchet key and various accessories ! Kudos to Cinzia!

Then we fixed the forestay attachment

 Total work time to date: 772 hours

Painting completed!

One hour today to give the second and last coat of paint to the vaka deck: time for the milestone beer! This completes the painting phase. 

 

Now we have to install the portholes and hatches, install the false transom and rudder, build and install the tiller, dry mount the boat and then, if all goes well, bring it to the beach to install everything else, hoping that Cinzia ever allows moving the boat at all. I don't want to be around by the time the boat will get the first scratch!

The projected building time (800 hours) looks dead on the spot! Kudos to the designers. To be honest, I do think that with a few more power tools and, above all, more elbow room, we could have cut this time significantly. Anyway, it's been a nice ride up to now. Looking forward to launching!

Total work time to date: 770 hours

Painting the vaka deck and cockpit (6)

Two hours today. We first gave the vaka deck a light scrub with 240 grit, and then gave the first coat of paint (the same paint that we used for the ama decks and the akas).

Tomorrow we will give the second and last coat.

Total work time to date: 769 hours

Press stop: trailer!

As anticipated, we went to Ginosa, a small town in Puglia, to buy a used trailer for the boat. The size is almost identical to the trailer specified in the plans. In Italy it's not possible to self build a trailer...

Painting the vaka deck and cockpit (5)

One hour today in which we gave the second and last coat to the cockpit.

Total work time to date: 767 hours

Painting the vaka deck and cockpit (4)

Just one hour today to give an additional coat of white enamel to transom, false transom and daggerboard. In the afternoon we went to Ginosa, a small town close to Matera, to see an used trailer which looks ok for the Seaclipper 20. We will check a few measurements before eventually buying it.

Totale work time to date: 766 hours

Painting the vaka deck and cockpit (3)

Three hours of work day. We gave one more coat of white enamel (Boero Altura TC one part polyurethane paint diluted about 10% with Boero 703 thinner, spread with a short hair roll) to the transom, to the false transom and to the daggerboard.

We then gave the cockpit the first coat of grey one part polyurethane paint to the cockpit sides, and added to that paint an anti-skid powder to coat the cockpit floor.

We're getting there!

Total work time to date: 765 hours

Painting the vaka deck and cockpit (2)

 Two hours of work today to give the vaka a second coat of primer (Boero Giano, 8% thinned).

Total work time to date: 762 hours

Painting the vaka deck and cockpit (1)

Three hours of work today to give the vaka deck and cockpit the first coat of primer. We first cleaned the dust with an anti-static cloth. We then used almost one liter of Boero Giano primer with 10% thinner (Boero 703) and we spread it with a short hair roller.

Total work time to date: 760 hours

Preparing the vaka deck for painting

Three hours bewteen saturday and monday to prepara the vaka deck and cockpit for painting. Last saturday we coated all the holes for the screws in the false transom and on the vaka deck with clear resin. We used pipe cleaners! 

Then yesterday we scrubbed all surfaces to be painted (deck and cockpit) using sanders with 240 grit.

We then put a plastic curtain all around the vaka hull to prevent paint drops from falling over the painted hull sides.

Total work time to date: 757 hours

Installing the portholes (1)

A couple of hours last saturday to bore the (many) bolt holes for attaching the hatches.

Vaka front deck

Vaka cockpit floor

Vaka aft deck

Ama decks

After coating the holes with clear epoxy resin we will spread silicone sealant on each opening and then screw down the hatch frames with SS bolts and nuts.

Total work time to date: 754 hours

Rudder blade installation (2)

After a lot of fiddling and measuring, last saturday we attached the rudder blade to the false transom by fixing the position of the gudgeons. 

Total work time to date: 752 hours

Rudder blade installation (1)

Two hours of work to attach the pintles of the false transom. The rudder lifting mechanism is not trivial and requires quite a bit of measuring.

The false transom is hinged on the (real) transom and is lifted, when approaching a beach, using a rope passing behind the false transom to the aft deck of the vaka.

The rudder blade is quite heavy though... Hope it will work!

Total work time to date: 751 hours

False transom installation (2)

Two hours of work today to attach the false transom to the hinges. It took quite some time to do the work with the required precision, but at the end we succeeded.

Next step will be attaching the pintles to the false transom and the gudgeons to the rudder blade.

Total work time to date: 749 hours

False transom installation (1)

We started the installation of the false transom. It is a 18 mm thick triangular piece of plywood hinged on the real transom, to allow for an (hopefull) easy lift of the rudder. Today we installed the s.s. hinges on the real transom, visible in the photo below. When everything will be properly aligned, we will coat the holes with epoxy and then silicon sealant.

Total work time to date:747 hours

Laminating the tiller

 A few days ago we went in a sawmill to look for the right piece of softwood to build the tiller. We bought one plank of the so called "abete netto" which translates in "clean fir". We preferred to laminate two layers because solid wood is subject to warping. This plank is 4 m x 20 cm x 25 mm. We first cut two pieces long 2 m each, we selected the cleanest and ripped it lenghtwise obtainig two planks of 2 m x 10 cm x 25mm, and then laminated those with epoxy resin charged with microfibers and silica. 

The tiller is 1.65 m long and almost 4 cm thick. Unfortunately, starting next monday, we will be in strict lockdown again...

Total work time to date: 746 hours