Building 23' catamaran. Build updates

[stevemid]

Today I finished building and installing the last two pieces of the helm station; that being the sloping helm station, which will house, electronic instruments, the steering wheel, gauges, and switch panels and the RHS (right hand side) cabinet on which will sit the forward engine controls.

As with the galley, I built the cabinet on the bench which allowed me to fair the fibreglass joins on the inside of the cabinet prior to installing. I also put in conduit from the helm station down through the floor for electrical & hydraulic steering lines and also created a conduit on the RHS to run the throttle and shift cables.

I also put on the first coat of fairing compound on the helm station and the joins where the galley is taped to the floor and bulkhead 3. Once I sand this off and fill & fair once or twice more, I can move to the cockpit.

[MyWay]

stevemid
this staircase next to steering wheel or dashboard, where are they going? Through window to get out on front deck ,or you will have one more level ?
it is hard to tale from this stage looking at photo,
but you doing very good job
keep posting

myway

[stevemid]

MyWay, that staircase leads up through a big opening front window to the front deck. From the pictures it makes it look like the stairs lead to the starboard side because the pic was taken from the port side, but actually the stairs go straight forward.
Steve

[stevemid]

The fist thing to do in the cockpit was to install the fuel tanks. I made up bases consisting of a platform and two webs. I cut 120mm holes in the platform to be able to glass the webs to the bottom of the sponsons. In order to make a solid home for the hold-down screws, I used a hole saw to remove the bottom skin and core under the locations of the clamps which hold down the tanks. This hole I filled with a mixture of cabosil, chopped glass and resin. I sized the platforms with a gap forward and aft so I could see what was going on underneath.
Tank Location.jpgFuel Tank Bases.jpg
Chopped Glass Glue.jpg
Pre drilled holes.jpgFinished Tank Clamp.jpgTanks Fixed Down.jpg

[stevemid]

My latest effort was to make two hatches for the floor of the cockpit to access the large volume of storage in the sponsons behind the fuel tanks. I decided against putting kill tanks under these hatches and instead built a gutter system to divert any water that seeps in around the hatches. Firstly, I re-glassed the original hatches and cut out new hatches centred over the sponsons. These first two pictures show the original holes and the new ones.
Old Hatch Locations.jpgNew Hatch Locations.jpg

To build the gutters, the first step was to build a build a mould using left over foam. I laid up 4 layers of glass over the form to make the gutters strong enough to support the weight of someone standing on the hatch. I then mitred the corners, fit the gutters and glassed the corners inside and out. That done, I glued the gutters to the underside of the cockpit floors. Final step was to install a skin fitting on the aft end of the gutter to carry water out to a thru-hull. That done, I glued down the floors. Tomorrow, I'll glass in the floors.
Gutter Forms.jpgGutter Pre-glassing.jpgIMG_0795.jpgCompleted Gutter.jpg

[Chimo]

Have you sorted out your motors yet?
Chimo

[stevemid]

Have you sorted out your motors yet?
Chimo

No I haven't sorted out my motors yet. I'm like a boat with the wheel hard over: going around in circles.

The new motors that I really want (70 Yammies) are a stretch, financially. That's what got me thinking about used motors. However, after much agonising I just could not bring myself to put used (1200 hours) motors on my new boat.

As an alternative I could save a lot of money by dropping down to a 40 4st's. However, the Yammie dealer convinced me to build the motor wells to suit an extra long 25" leg, (Raise up the engines a bit he said and get them up out of the mist created by the tunnel.) However, extra long legs are only available in a 60 Zuk, the 70 Yammie and maybe a 50 Honda on which I've had a good offer that I'm considering. Then again I could easily cut down the motor wells, but that would be going backwards.

The other alternative I'm considering is to delay spending $10K on non-essentials such as a winch, solar panels, Lifeline AGM batteries, etc. I can always add these things later.

In the end I stop thinking about it and just go back to building the next bit of the boat which is more rewarding that agonising over $%&^##@!! motors. Anyway, I probably have a solid month to go before I paint the boat and actually need the motors. So I just keep building.
Steve

[stevemid]

I'm continuing to work on the cockpit. After making gutters for the access hatches and glueing down the floors, I needed to start on the inner walls. This required installing the gunnels which are attached to the forward deck and the positioning of this required the cabin fronts and sides (ie everything but the roof) to be positioned. So....I tacked everything in and now have the final shape of the boat. I'll put up a picture of that but realise that everything is just tacked into position temporarily. However I did screw down the deck to see how much camber there is in that. Have a look!
Final Shape.jpg

[Chimo]

Looking good Steve.

How much eyebrow / forward overhang are you planning for the roof? Be nice to shade those big front panes and the gear sitting on the dash IMHO?

Cheers
Chimo

[caravellerob]

Steve love the lines of this boat looking good.

[stevemid]

Steve love the lines of this boat looking good.

Thanks Rob.

Chimo, in the plans, not much front overhang, maybe 100mm. However, aft, the roof overhangs all but about 300mm of the cockpit; I've been thinking the roof as designed may interfere with fishing so I've been toying with the idea of sliding the roof forward. That would also do away with the suggested roof supports which will definitely get in the way aft.
Steve

[chris69]

Looking great there Steve ,like the way yo have done the hatches with the gutters and a great pic of it side on its got nice lines cheers Chris.

[Chimo]

That sounds like a plan. How far forward can you go? You would probably need to instal forward supports too.
The rear shade etc can achieved with a fold forward (out of the way) sunbrella bimini so you can have the best of both worlds which is what all GOMs should aim for.

C
C

[stevemid]

That sounds like a plan. How far forward can you go? You would probably need to instal forward supports too.
The rear shade etc can achieved with a fold forward (out of the way) sunbrella bimini so you can have the best of both worlds which is what all GOMs should aim for.

C
C

Yea I'm worried about loosing shade in the back when cruising. How does a fold forward Bimini work? Where does it lay when it is down? Across the access to the duckboard? Anybody got any pictures of that sort of setup?

They say you only need supports in the back if you have weight up there. The roof has a fair bit of camber to the sides so I reckon that'd be ok.


Steve

[Chimo]

Mine folds forwards towards the hardtop.