Let the big epoxy pour begin! -- 302hrs

Happy summer solstice to everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed this longest day, northern hemisphere folks a least:) I was up at the crack of dawn but didn't get time to work on Tiki until the late afternoon.

All wired and aligned, ready for epoxy!

This week has been exciting and tedious. Tiki is finally looking like a boat, the exciting part, and long hours of alignment and tweaking of bulkhead, tedious part. I've been managing to get a couple hours a day on Tiki so progress is being made. This week has all been about installing bulkheads and final stitching up of the hull. Each bulkhead seemed to have a unique issues, e.g.   bulkheads 1, 3, 6, and 7 all needed the lower ends narrowed to get a proper fit. Talk about tedious, I think I had BH6 in and out 5 times before I was happy with the fit.

Modification to lower bulkhead for tighter fit.

Check out these pictures of the plans, sure looks like a goof to me.  Sheet 1 of the  plans show the lower edges as 20mm wide while the matching keel, stem, sternpost and timbers are all 18mm wide.
Then sheet 2 appears to show that the bulkhead bottom edge is level with the hull sides. But the bulkhead sides from the lower side notch is longer than the hull side at the corresponding location, for instance BH7 was 10mm longer. I wonder if newer plans have changed in these areas, I bought mine for hull #164 2nd hand so I have no idea how old these plans are but the sign off date is 1993. A lot can change in 20 years, I know I have:)

10mm half measure at bottom, equals 20mm total width.

Two 9mm Ply pieces is 18mm. 

Looks like the bulkheads end above the keel bottom, even with
the hull sides. 

I didn't pick up these discrepancies until the wiring began and there were either large bulges at each BH or wide gaps along the timbers.

Once bulkheads were installed a lot of time, maybe too much, was spent aligning the hull, i.e. getting all the bulkheads between the stem and stern lined up. Also making sure each bulkhead was vertical and perpendicular to the keel backbone. I used a laser level with it clamped to the stem or stern to check the bulkheads. I suppose this may be overkill, I don't expect most Pacific Island Wharram builders use anything more sophisticated than an eyeball and piece of string. But the task is done, time to start the epoxy process and lock it down, and in the process this hull becomes, theoretically at least,  able to float! That's a nice milestone:)

Then finally today once I was happy with the alignment, the big epoxy pours began, .75 cups per mix:) Probably 1/3 to 2/3 drips out as I'm intentionally making the first pour thin enough to get in to the joint completely. It will take several pours over a couple days before the keel is done.

Bulkheads almost there:) ------ 222 hrs

The bulkheads are very nearly completed. I expect that this set of bulkhead took only half as much time to build as the first set. It would have been quicker but of course we changed something:) Some of the savings comes from experience but I think most comes from building all the bearers at one time. Then attaching as many bearers at once that can be installed. I say “as many” instead of “all” since some flipping to put on opposite side bearers is required naturally and we have to wait for the epoxy fillets to “kick” (start to harden) which in our 60degF basement sometimes takes several hours. 

Tables of drying epoxy

The other part that really sped things up that I forgot to mention was using a couple to as many as five #6x3/4inch bronze wood screws to initially attach the bearers. First clamp the bearer in place then drill the pilot holes then drilling the countersink on each. Next I screw the bronze screws filly in to make sure the alignment remains constant when the final glueing without clamps is done. Then we butter the bearer with epoxy and install using the screws. We only tighten enough to get an even light squeeze. Many times the screws are not fully seated. Now since no clamps, weights, holders are being used we can immediately install the epoxy fillet on the lower side. I used bronze so that they can just remain in place. After a day the screws are driven home and covered with epoxy fairing(just same stuff used for fillets) 

Fast and more sure attachment method.

Slower bearer attachment method.  I do this when there is a bearer directly opposite. 

Now the “something” adding to our build time. We decided that all under bunk/floor storage areas are going to get covered in 6oz fiberglass in addition to the specified two coats of clear epoxy. The rationale is that items stored there can shift and easily damage a clear epoxy coat. By adding 6oz cloth the surface become much more abrasion resistant as well as water proof. My guess is this will add no more than a few pounds overall. 

Here is another Wharram plans hard read. Is it 23mm or maybe 28mm? I decide to just go with 25mm, guess I’ll see if it really makes a difference later:) 

Still in the 2D world --- 211 hours

We still haven’t progressed much in to the 3D world. After getting BH4 and BH6 all shipshape in their slots I had to really start thinking about the gallery layout. The reason I hadn’t given it much thought so far is that for the longest time I had it in my head we were building the Port hull. For some reason had been thinking the cabin tops sloped inwards. They don’t !! They slope outwards:O No where on the bulkhead drawings does it say “Starboard reverse for Port”. Just have to keep in mind that slope. No harm really because at this stage only BH3 and BH6 are different and only once the floor/bunk/deck bearers are installed. So after a posting some questions on Wharram Builders and Friends I decided to punt and just build the real Port bulkheads since I’ve given that hull much more thought.

Speaking of misreading the plans. I’ll fully admit I’ve made a few goofs of my own making, but I’ll also show that these plans need to be view with a magnifying glass. In the first picture showing BH2, the hull max curve point shows 19mm, but if you don’t look closely it appear 9mm. OK step closer and all is good. The next picture is of the cross beams. I studied this page and I, and a few other Tiki 30 builders, came to the conclusion that the aft and central beams are the same length. 

To tired eyes that small line next to the circle in the nine begins to look like dust:)

I've already written the explaining note, but imagine if it were not written.  Is it obvious  the aft and center are different?

There is the key! One beam is 50mm shorter, next question is which?

But back to bulkheads. Yesterday I had an insight, “production line”! Once the Port side bulkheads are cut out of the 6mm plywood the next step is to make and install about 20 floor/bunk/deck bearers. So instead of working each bulkhead I decided to mill all the bearers then center and make all notches. This saved repeated setup of the table saw and other tools used. I’ll bet it took half the time to make them this way saving several hours. By the end of today we had epoxied about half of them on to bulkheads and it worked great! Port bulkheads should be complete tomorrow. 

All port side BH floor/bunk bearers cut to  approximate length and notched.  I built the four deck bearers after the picture.