Kategorie: Allgemein

I decided to install a proper toilet after all.
That was actually my original plan. But then I changed my mind to save time and keep it simple. But now I have a bit more time. And I saw Michael Moyer’s boat (a participant in the Transat 2023), which has a toilet and I really like it. I’d also like to take someone on a cruise one day, so I don’t just want to have a bucket at my disposal. Enough reasons to change my plan again!

Here’s where I will put the toilette:

So I cut a piece out of one of the partitions to make room.
How am I going to finish the boat if I start changing it while it’s still under construction?!

In the meantime, I’m still working on the galley and the chart table. Lots of work on small details, for example filling screw holes and making fillets. Not everything is absolutely necessary, but I want to build a beautiful boat that I can be proud of. I hope you can see the difference in the end.

All parts of the galley ready for assembly. Like everything I put in the boat they were covered in epoxy and then sanded.

I started with the chart table opposite the galley.

I’m not quite sure about some details of the chart table. While trying to decide if I want a drawer under the table I worked on the cabin sides.

Port side glued and screwed in place.

The underside of the bunks is finished.

I am now preparing all the parts I need for the galley (or kitchen for the landlubbers).

Building the skeg was quite complex. First I made a mould out of plywood scraps. I painted the mould and polished it with release wax.

Then I laminated 7 layers of fibreglass (350gr) onto the mould. I got my vacuum pump out of the cellar and vacuumed the laminate so that it would be even and compact.

Thanks to the release wax, the finished laminate came off the mould very easily.

I fixed the required 6 screws to a wooden frame so that they wouldn’t move when I glued them in.

Then I filled the mould with a mixture of epoxy and glass fibre shavings. I had to be careful never to fill in too much at once, otherwise the mixture would get hot.

Of course, I also had to drill the holes for the 6 screws. It was a strange feeling drilling holes in the bottom of the boat…

Checking if the skeg fits the hull.

Before I definitely screw the skeg on, I’m going to paint it

I glued frames under the bunks so that the lids are flush with the surface. I don’t want them to poke me in the back when I’m sleeping.

The lids are watertight, so that’s four more watertight compartments.

I’m also working on the mold to laminate the skeg.

Making progress with the bunks. The storage spaces under the bunks have been painted. I have also cut the openings for the lids. In the picture you can see the little Platform I made for the battery. There’s one on each side.

Another compartment painted. It’s nice to see parts of the boat completely finished.

I found a good place for the batteries. I will put them in the frontmost bunk-compartment.

While I’m finishing the compartments under the bunks I fitted the bunk-tops.

I started painting the inside of the compartments that will be closed soon.

I started with the frontmost compartment. After the first brush strokes I realised that was not very clever because I can’t do all compartments in one go: where do I stand while painting the last one?!
I will do the last one next time…

Dry-fitting the panels for the cabin sides.

The angles of the battens are all correct, the panels fit nicely.

I will not glue the panels in just yet. I have to decide how I want to do the windows first. I don’t know yet if I will make them myself with plexiglass or if I will buy ready-made windows.
Speeking of decisions: I think I found a good place for my bilge pump.

We were hit by a massive heat wave. Temperatures in the shed reached 40°. That’s too hot for me to work with epoxy (too hot to do much at all).
I started fitting the battens for the roof.

I’m also working on the inside of the boat. It’s time for some important decisions: Where do I put the batteries, where the bilge-pumps, the electronics,…