Deck Carlines

I have now fitted the Deck Carlines and am busy with planing them down to the correct position as well as planing the sheer in order to fit the side decks. The piece of timber which I cut the carlines from had a curve, which I left, as it saved having to shape the carlines to take the curve of the deck. Note the bulkhead which was temporarily in place has been removed in order to fit the Carlines.

On Monday I took delivery of my final batch of Marine plywood from Roy and Jean at CKD Boats. This will hopefully be all that I need by way of plywood in order to complete construction.

Stateroom Aft Bulkhead

The aft Stateroom Bulkhead has been cut and dry fitted. This will only be permanently fixed in place once the floors have been done and the deck carlines installed.
The next task will be to install the deck carlines and then the side decks. This will then allow the removal of the pine spreaders which are now getting in the way.
The most recent photographs on the blog have been taken with my new Canon EOS 500D camera, which Jay gave to me in return for re-tiling her bathrooms and installing a new bath. It is really nice to have a "real" camera again, although at the moment I am still using it on full auto until I go on the free course in August.

Work Table Extensions

One of the biggest problems building a yacht singlehanded is that often the scale of the work is too great for one man. Fortunately I have a very good friend, Theo, who has helped me in the past on jobs such as laying up the keelson which required large amounts of epoxy being mixed and used before it went off. However it is not always possible to have him around as he has his own family as well.
So when it came to having to rip a very large plank into smaller sections I needed to be able to do this on my own. This neccessitated having to make extension tables for the table saw, which I will also be able to use on the router table and the work table.

Tools and Jigs

Over the past few months I have spent quite a bit of time sorting out and re-arranging my workshop, so I think it is a good time to share with you, some of the tools and jigs that I use. Some of them are home made to suit particular phases of the work on Tididi.

Unfortunately I do not have fancy and expensive machinery and have to make the most of what I have, which neccessitates having to improvise a lot of the time. One of the First jigs I made (pictured above), was to cut scarf joints for the planks used to laminate the Keelson. Essentially it holds the timber at the correct angle and then has a carrier for the router which can slide from side to side on the carrier, while the carrier can move back and forth along the length of the scarf. Although this was for wide planks, it also came in useful for the stringers as a number of pieces of ttimber can be inserted side by side and all scarfed at the same time.

More tools and jigs to follow soon.

Time to start Blogging again

I am the first to admit that this is something I have not been very good at for a while. Although things have been moving slowly as far as the yacht build is concerned they have been moving non-the-less. Time and money dictate the rate of progress.

Since my last post the chain locker has been completed as well as the sail locker although the bulkhead for this has not been permanently fixed as I am first wanting to finish the "Stateroom" bulkhead so that they can be epoxied in at the same time. The blocks around the edge of the bulkhead are temporary to hold it in place while applying epoxy fillets.

I have also since ordered the mast as a kit from Roy Mcbride of CKD boats. This is a "Birdsmouth Mast" in wood which Roy supplies as a complete kit, minus tracks etc, for self assembly. This works out far cheaper than an equivalent alloy mast.

More to follow soon as I am now busy with the "Stateroom" bulkhead.

Off to Australia

No not in Tididi, unfortunately, but by plane, which has to be the most uncomfortable form of transport ever invented. I would much rather row across the Indian Ocean than sit in an aircraft for 11 hours. Jay and I are off to visit friends and family in Brisbane and then to do a camper trip down the coast to Sydney.

Anyway just some update pictures of progress on Tididi over the last couple of weeks. Most parts for bulkheads, floors and hatches have been cut and prepared for final fitting, for the Chain Locker, Sail Locker and Stateroom.




Drain holes in the Sail Locker floor. I am using PVC Irrigation pipe and fittings for this as it certainly works out cheaper and is just as effective as anything one can buy with the word "Marine" attached to it.



Chain Locker and Sail Locker bulkheads temporarily in place. Sail Locker still needs hatch cut in it for access from the Stateroom.


Part of the aft Stateroom bulkhead temporarily in place with the Sail Locker bulkhead in the background.

Chain Locker Bulkhead with hatch.

The chain locker bulkhead has been cut with the access hatch included. Framing strips still need to be glued in place and finished, after which temporary screws will be removed. The pictures show the bulkhead tempararily in place. Final fixing will only take place once the inside of the chain locker has been finished off.

Chain Locker and Forepeak.

Floors and bulkheads have been cut and fitted and are ready for final fixing, once sealing of timber in the forepeak and chain locker has been done. Also before final fitting is done the galvanic protection cable to the bow fitting needs to be inserted as well as the chain locker drainage to the sump. The pictures show the floors of the chain locker and forepeak cubby temporary in place as well as the chain locker bulkhead which has been cut but still needs the hatch to be cut out and finished.

Restart after long layoff

Well it's been a long time coming, but work has started again and needs to go ahead at a steady pace from now on. Last week I pulled in the cables for the negative and positive busses for all the house wiring which is a loop running from the position of the chart table, forward along the starboard side through the sail locker and then aft along the port side. Feeder wires will be taken off this for all light and socket points where needed. Most of this will be done before bulkheads, bunks, lockers etc are fitted. I plan to make this as maintenance free as is possible and will also ensure easy acces once all fixtures are in place.
I have also run a seperate cable loop around the chine for all the Electolytic Protection to metal fittings and the sacrificial anode.

Next step will be to install the chain locker floor and bulkhead.

Pics to follow.

The Passing of a Great Man - An Angel amongst men.

Dad overseeing the Turning

Dad and Mom at Futtock Party

On the 1st of February my father left this life in order to prepare the way for my mother who left us 11 days later on the 12th of February. It was to have been their sixtieth wedding anniversary on the 3rd of February. My mother had alzheimers for many years and dad had dedicated his whole life to looking after her, eventually giving up his own before his time in order to prepare the way for her. There is no greater sacrifice that a man can make.

This project is here because of all my father taught me and I will be eternally grateful to him for that and I know that he was immensely proud of my achievement thus far. This project will be completed in his memory.

Love you Dad and Mom. Go well and look after one another wherever you are.