New Zealand to Hood River.....the mast has arrived!

Bus is to my right, mast to my left, here I am.....stuck in the middle again.

Here's the disheveled interior of our bus  in route heading west into the Columbia River Gorge towards Hood River.

The boom is laying on the floor resting on two sheep skin seat covers. The blue jug was full of water in case the engine over heated, the chest and two tool boxes were brought along just to make me feel better and the ladder was used to help is clammer atop the bus.  

Incidentally, this model bus is the identical model used in

 the movie "speed"

I looked just as nervous as Sandra Bullock

"Speed" Trivia:

A special bus was used for the bus jump scene. This bus was modified so that it could reach a speed of 70 mph and it was equipped with powerful shock absorbers. The driver seat was moved back 15 feet so that if something went wrong the driver wasn't ejected from the bus. The seat itself was a suspension mechanism between the ceiling and the bus floor to avoid the driver from suffering spinal compression on impact.

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For the bus jump sequence, a ramp was built. The bus was started from about 1 mile back and accelerated towards the ramp. When it hit the ramp it had reached a speed of 61 mph. The bus traveled 109 feet and its front wheels reached an altitude of 20 feet from the ground, which was higher than anyone had anticipated. Because of this, the cameras were not placed correctly and the top front part of the bus goes out of the frame when the bus reaches the maximum point of the jump.

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At least 12 different buses were used during the shooting of the movie: - 2 buses for exterior shots - 2 buses that were blown up - 2 buses for interior shots - 2 buses for action sequences and "hitting things" - 1 bus for the jump sequence - 1 bus modified so that it could ride on 2 wheels during the sharp right turn sequence - 1 bus slightly raised so that a man in a mechanic car could fit underneath. It was for the sequence in which Jack Traven tries to deactivate the bomb. - 1 bus with an extended platform in front so that a filming crew could shoot the driver from the front. The filming crew referred to this bus as the "pope-mobile".

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"The severity of the climate having compelled them to batten down and caulk their abiding place."

Here's a raucous attempt at  bonding the fore deck hatch seal gutter in place.  Can you pick out the clamp that is just fooling around?  You got to watch those clamps, before you know it they're clamping themselves all over the place. 

This photo shows a bit more detail about the situation. The white portion is the edge of the deck itself after the foam was hogged out and replaced with a high density mixture of epoxy and micro balloons.  Below that, you can see a thin grey joining line.  This is a 1/8 in strip of divnycell foam that was slather both sides with epoxy and cabosil thickener.  This will lower the inner sealing edge so that a 1/4 inch thick rubber seal can be placed around the under side of the hatch. If it all works out as planned, this rubber seal can depress itself about half way and cause the hatch to sit flush with the surrounding deck when the "hatches be batten'd down". http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/56700.html

Hatch seal assembly

Forward deck hatch gap

24 individual pieces of foam

fitting the water capturing gap seal.  Once all the pieces are 

glued together, I'll pull the assembly off and vacuum bag glass and epoxy over the hatch seal then bond it in place beneath the hatch.  The one inch "gutter" will contain a tube which will allow any rain or sea water to drain outboard. 

A disorienting view on deck

After cutting a gaping hole in the forward bridge deck, I routed out the structural foam from the edges of both the opening and what will become the actual hatch.  With an extra lightweight mixture of epoxy and micro balloons, I filled the edges using the zip-lock bag trick and again, used a strip of thick, flexible roofing membrane to keep the mixture in place.  Wood strips do tend to make a visually interesting way of securing the edges of the deck opening. 

Creating the Anchor well compartment

Here's a photo taken from inside the forward starboard cabin. The larger opening will become the anchor well hatch

After cutting the anchor well hatch, I then installed the internal anchor well bulkhead. Rather than laying up all the seams at this point, I have found it easier to position the bulkhead where it needs to be, smooth out the fillet with strips of peel ply and just give the bulkhead a while to set itself in place.  Tomorrow, all I'll need to do is pull off the strips and tape all the seams with glass and epoxy.

I chose to create a single hatch opening for the anchor well on the starboard fore deck because the port side cabin has been built up as the kids room. A benefit from this is that the hatch can be hinged to lie flat on the fore deck when open. In this case, this offset compartment can be used for sail storage as well and anchor windlass operation.  

Starboard anchor well panel

 

In order to create a bulkhead to seperate the anchor well from the starboard forward cabin area, I needed to take measurments that would allow me cut out the required shape.  To do this, I established 5 points about a ft. apart and then ran a string from the lower corners. I then took measurments that would allow me to plot the curve on the panel.

 As an example, station 5 had a 2 7/8 offset.  I used a sharpy to make a dot then after laying out all the points, I used a flexible strip of wood to scribe the curve.

Here's the layout marks taken from all the measurements

And then, the final  panel laminated both sides with 24 oz triaxial glass and epoxy which is now ready to be installed.  For a little added piece of mind, I ran two additional strips of unidirectional glass to give the panel an additional level of rigidity   

 

Surfboard rails

When making panels for the interior build out, I lay the pre cut panels on a flat surface, cover them with glass fabric then pour on the resin, smooth out evenly with a bondo spreader, let the resin soak in a while then cover with peel ply.  A final smoothing out with a little skim coat of resin on the top surface of the peel ply creates a nice solid panel with an acceptable resin to glass ratio.  although it would certainly be possible to create slightly lighter panels by using the vac bag method, sometimes saving a few grams isn't worth the added labor. 

Here's a trick used when glassing the rails of surfboards: When glassing a board,  they drape glass over a finished foam blank, pour on the resin and before the resin is fully cured, it is possible to use a utility knife to trim the excess resin/glass from the rails. This saves tons of time and eliminates the horrible task of grinding  or sanding fiberglass.  This method works great for finishing the edges of panels. In this instance, I waited until the resin has the consistency of shoe leather.

Head room in the play room

Here I am testing out the head room in the kids room.  Seems just right and that's not a black eye, I just got magic marker all over my face.

Next thing I have to do is take all these panels apart and laminate them.

Rather than perform endless vacuum bagging, I chose to simply use the peel ply method.  Then I'll do the other sides tomorrow.

foam mistakes made good

One great thing about using structural foam is that if you make a mistake while roughing out a panel, you can always make things right.  Here, you can see that I made two goof ups while shaping this panel.  1. I cut the panel too short.  2. the panel slipped out of my hand while I was cutting it on the table saw and it made a big curved gash in it. Although this was unfortunate, it is much better than making a big curved gash in your hand.

 In this example, since this is an interior panel, I'm using divinicell foam ( hence the grey color) rather than core cell foam because it does not need to be as strong.

To fix screw ups like this, all I do is cut additional foam patch pieces,. spray one side of the edge to be joined with a light mist of water from a garden sprayer, apply polyurethane glue on the mating edge, screw the patch in place and give it about 15 minutes to cure. Then lay the panel down on a flat surface and run a sanding block with 36 grit paper over the seams to knock off the excess glue that foams up between the joint. give it another 30 minutes while you work on something else and your back where you began......all ready to make another mistake.     

The kids room.

Here's a photo taken from inside the kids room which is located in the forward, port side cabin.  I have not finished the triangular floor section which will serve as a landing from which to enter and exit the  cabin.The beds will run cross ways with a walk way in between the two births  (Ok, it's not so much a walkway unless you're three) The plan is to create two "pipe" births using four carbon fiber poles and making it so that when not in use, they can be rolled up and fastened to the bulkheads.  This will open up the entire space to serve as one big romper room suitable for monstrous pillow fights.

When building out the interior, it is often necessary to fit flat panels to curved hull structures.  To do this, I have found it helpful to take measurements, write them down on scraps of foam and then head back down to the table saw to shape the panels as close as possible.  Once I get the pieces close, I use a power planer and hand sander to bevel the edges so that they all fit nicely. Then of course, I'll have to number all the pieces, take them apart laminate them with glass and epoxy and bond and reassemble them permanently in place.

dimensional notes. 

Battery placement

According to the plans, all fixed heavy items should be located in an area centered just forward of the mast bulkhead.  As outrageous that it may seem that any vehicle would contain both lead and carbon fiber, for over one hundred years, you still can't beat lead acid in terms of $/ Ahr. That said, for house power storage, I decided to use two 225Ahr 4D AGM batteries so that I can install one in each hull at the fore/aft center of buoyancy.

Two Deka Sea-Mate 4D AGM batteries

 Here is a photo taken from inside the forward, port side hull looking back towards the stern of the boat.  I used some scrap foam pieces to make a mock battery and after just about scratching the hair off my head, I was able to choose a location to build a battery box. The other battery will be located in the starboard hull; mirror image.

strange lights in the dark.

Today, I noticed a strange phenomenon.  In a darkened portion of the boat, as I pulled a strip of peel ply away, I noticed that a blue-purple light emanated from the separation point.

Since my brother has a masters degree  in organic chemistry, I have asked him to post a comment as to why this happens. click on the comment section below this post.

My guess is that it is similar to what causes this:  try it........

If you are living the American lifestyle, go outside and look under the passenger side floorboard of the car that you drive the most.  Pick up all the loose change that you find.  Tell your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or partner that you have an important errand to run.  ( if you are single, no need to tell anybody anything).  Drive to the closest all night grocery store and buy yourself a roll of wintergreen lifesavers.  While you are there, stop by  the flower section and also buy a small bunch of flowers.  This will increase the possibility that you will not be alone when you finish your boat. If you are also fortunate enough to have teeth, at night, go to the bathroom mirror.  If you have been affected by the recession and find yourself without a bathroom mirror, you are not alone. If you are living on the streets, you are also not alone. Regardless, at night, go find a side mirror of a large automobile. Take this opportunity to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you ARE a good person and that you CAN finish a boat.  Look at the inside of your mouth and with your back teeth, bite down hard on the life saver.  You will see a bright flash of light.  Do not let this frighten you. 

Todays epoxy session

Before mixing any epoxy, I have trained myself to prepare the glass reinforcement pieces before hand. Also, when the need arises to apply double biased tape along the seams of vertical and horizontal surfaces, I have found it easier to first saturate the fabric on a piece of thick plastic sheeting, lifting it off then smoothing it in place by hand.

Here are the containers that I use to mix batches of fillet material.  from right to left:

1.  epoxy resin mixing pitcher ( I usually mix 1 qt part A to 1/2 qt B)

2.  micro balloon / epoxy mixing container ( a 1 gallon jug with the top handle part cut off ) This particular gallon container is made of a very tough and flexible plastic that allows me to bang it on the table the next day to remove all the last work sessions cured epoxy so that I can keep using the same container. 

3.  Zip lock bag holder

4.  spreaders are seen here in the lower part of the photo

pouring the mixed epoxy into the micro balloon mixing container.

To arrive at a mixture with the consistency of peanut butter, I fill the cut off gallon jug right up to the top with micro balloons along with a qt and a half of mixed epoxy.....

after mixing, I scoop the whole glob of fillet material into my zip lock bag.....

 

zip it up, cut off the corner of the bag and the fillet material can be applied in a controlled manner by just squeezing the bag.

Here's an example of an end result using fillet material, epoxy saturated double bias glass tape all topped off with peel ply.  Again, notice the numbers written on both the surfaces and the pieces of reinforcement material to allow me to know where to put all the pieces. In this case, it's bonding the end of the bow tube in place.  

  

  

Internal bedding in of the bow tube

Out of respect for the confidentiality of the F-44SC designer, I rarely include direct information taken from the plan set. However, in this instance, I am including a small portion to merely show the high degree of detail that is provided in the licensed plan set.  Here is an excellent example of how the plans offer unparalleled descriptions of all critical assembly details. 

Here, I have laminated several sections of core cell foam to create the end caps.

I am test fitting the foam cap in preparation of bonding the entire area with micro balloon fillets and two layers of double bias glass tape.

 It's sometimes good to step back and remind yourself that it's a boat that you are building.....otherwise it just seems like a big pile of foam, glass and epoxy.









here I am standing low

 lower 

 lowest....

Here, you can see the bow beam which is now bonded to the hulls; inside and out.

inside sub bulkhead

The sub bulkhead also incorporates a web that utilizes 4 layers of unidirectional glass to help distribute the cross beam loads into the forward hulls. Here I have prepared the glass reinforcements in preparation of saturating them in epoxy and laminating them in place.

  here is the finished structure as seen in the forward starboard hull.........since this is a cat, there is now a mirror image of this work inside the port side hull as well. As a reminder of where the pre fitted glass pieces should go, I use a sharpy pen to label them and this always shows though. 

sub bulkhead

One of the jobs that I had left for the winter time was to bond the forward sub bulkheads in place.  These bulkheads help distribute the bow beam loads into the forward portions of the hulls.

The bulkhead was bedded in with generous fillets and taped in place with 6 inch and 4 inch wide double bias tape backed with stranded mat. Over this, I used 8 inch wide strips of peel ply to smooth all the corners. This bulkhead will also receive a small stiffener laminated with unidirectional glass which will be bonded to the end of the bow beam and continuing downwards onto the sub bulkhead. 

engine controls

Being a twin engine craft, I needed to be able to  control both engines, at both steering stations.  To do this, I opted to go with two single function controls each side.   With these controls, the boat should be able to be maneuvered like a battle tank or bull dozier .........I'll no doubt have to deal with a bunch of cables but the alternative is to spend thousands on electronic controls.  The trick will be figuring out a way to mount them so that they do not take up too much space down below in the aft cabins....... Maybe I'll need to build pedestals for them?........I'm just making stuff up as I go.

   

forward cabin floor boards

Rather than have one big floor panel in the forward cabins, I chose to create two floor panels for a total of four; starboard / port. I used cardboard to make templates that I could check for fit.  Once I got the shape, traced around the templates onto 1  1/4 inch foam then vac bagged them all in one shot.

forward cabin floors

The two forward cabins offer a good amount of floor space and I have chosen to create floor board edge mounts which will allow me to create removable floor panels. Seen here is the forward, starboard hull cabin area. I've bonded the edge mounts in place with double bias glass tape and epoxy then used strips of peel ply to minimize the need for any sanding. Note: the cross wise floor stiffener is made up of multiple layers of 4 in wide core cell foam bonded in place with a full layer of 24oz triaxial glass. Each forward cabin will have two floor boards with the edges meeting along the hull stiffeners. This will allow me to create a shower pan floor board with a drain  that will allow the bilge area beneath to become a catchment for the shower.  A bilge pump can then be added to empty the used shower water.........as odd as it may be to some, a recirculating shower system can help to conserve fresh water by allowing ample wash water flow which can then be finished off with a final fresh water rinse.