Minggu, 06 Desember 2009
Sabtu, 17 Oktober 2009
Launch Day
Launch day finally arrives
Weather and launch went perfectly, the sails for the Gunter rig set the Iain Oughtred designed MacGegor canoe off perfectly. I remained the right way up and out of the water for the duration and 'Swift' lived up to her name.
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Weather and launch went perfectly, the sails for the Gunter rig set the Iain Oughtred designed MacGegor canoe off perfectly. I remained the right way up and out of the water for the duration and 'Swift' lived up to her name.
Nothing of course ever quite ends as planned in boatbuilding and my reluctance to risk damaging the varnished deck by over strapping the canoe down to the trailer was to have disastrous results. 'Swift' I noticed (after the launch) had damage to her hull, where she had lifted and must have slammed down onto a point load on the trailer rollers. I have now learnt a difficult lesson in this respect and boat building has now instantly moved to boat repair.
On a more positive note, she is a fine little boat and once over this frustration and what we intend to be an invisable repair, I'm now up for some winter sailing.
Minggu, 13 September 2009
A boat trailer for Swift
Checking the masts still fit
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Introducing the 'lightweight' trailer. Two thirds of the way through the build I finally accepted the canoe was not going to be a car top model (it had grown too heavy!). We designed a trailer and went to a local agricultural engineer for the chasis to be welded up. A fine trailer it is, but the theme of heavy has continued with this element of the project. So trailer replaces roof rack and tractor may now be added to the canoe accessory list.
Minggu, 06 September 2009
Minggu, 16 Agustus 2009
Sabtu, 18 Juli 2009
Setting out the sails
The paddle blanks glued and starting to shape up in sitka spruce with decorative mahogany 'stripes'.
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Minggu, 31 Mei 2009
Seats & Brass Stem
Shaping and positioning the seats. These have a number of alternative positions forward and aft and also need to fit in with the position of the steering foot pedals, (plenty of measuring and trying out, before we finally commit ourselves!)
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Minggu, 10 Mei 2009
Deck Beams, Carlins & Spars
Deck Beams and Carlins complete, watertight (or will be) box surrounding mast step.
And now for some spar making, in best quality Sitka Spruce (and most of it ends up as shavings).
Fitting the sheeve blocks in the top of both masts.
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And now for some spar making, in best quality Sitka Spruce (and most of it ends up as shavings).
Fitting the sheeve blocks in the top of both masts.