Welsford Pathfinder Launched

[epoxyboy]

Actually it was two weeks ago - better late than never. The observant amoungst you would have noticed that there wasn't an over-abundance of wind on the day if the photo thing had worked - try http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/email%20mar%2008%20201.jpg

That was probably just as well, as recovering was done three abreast with the Bayliner brigade "power loading", and a strong cross wind would have tested our rather green boat handling skills to the limit.
The location is Akaroa Harbour, on the southern side of Banks Peninsula on the South Island NZ. Apart from the lack of wind, it was a really superb autumn day.
This is the first boat I have built, and is the result of 3 years, 3months and 3 weeks of spare time work - kind of freaky, but there was nothing intentional about the timespan!
Thanks to the people who asked the stupid questions before I was forced to, the people who answered the stupid questions that were left, and all of you who contributed thoughts and ideas on the forum, some of which I tried to use. Oh, and John Welsford the designer!
Hopefully we will get to enjoy this boat for a while before the building bug bites again!

Pete

[Duncan Gibbs]

Noiwce! Reeeeal noiwce mate!

Well done!

http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/email%20mar%2008%20201.jpg

[rufustr]

Congratulations, a pretty boat.

More photos please.

[John B]

Congratulations!.
I've never seen one with a cabin before.

[seanz]

How cool is that?
:)
Congrats on the boat and extra points for the choice of Akaroa as the first sail.

[epoxyboy]

OK hopefully a few more pix - thanks Duncan, I think I know what I did wrong now.
As far as I know this is the first cabin version afloat, but I have to confess to tweaking the plans to make it a little easier to build the cabin trunk. As designed it is supposed to be curved at the front, but I settled for a flat front.
There is more than enough room in the cabin for two to camp cruise without the hassle of a boom tent - I still have to finish the hatch slide though, so it will be something to do over winter.

Pete


http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/email%20mar%2008%20201.jpg[/QUOTE]

http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/first%20sail%20009.jpg

http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/cockpit%20007.jpg

http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/cabin%20interior%20002.jpg

[Duncan Gibbs]

No wukkas Pete! Great stuff! I'm verdant with envy... I'm still sanding back old paint!! Has Mr Welsford seen the end result?

[Banjo]

Very nice mate, hope you get many years of enjoyment in her.

[htom]

Beautiful.

[Thorne]

Sweet! A beautiful boat in a lovely location -- that area is just **made** for sailing.

[Bill7254]

Very nice, Pete. Enjoy it.

[Wild Wassa]

Fine looking boat. Your workmanship is beautiful.

Is your mast a cut-down Goldspar?

Warren.

[gert]

Pretty boat.
Well done and congrats.

[JimJ]

Great looking boat and a fine job
Jim

[River Sailor]

Nice job — good for you. Hope you enjoy the fruits of your labors immensely!

[epoxyboy]

The mast is as specified in the plans - 3mm wall thickness 75mm diameter alloy tube with a turned wooden plug top and bottom.
All of NZ$250 plus some time!


Pete, it looks like you've modified the centreboard case to bring the tackle back to the cockpit? If so, it seems like a good idea - details please?

Guilty as charged. As planned there is a large slot at the front of the case which would have let ratther a lot of water into the cabin in lumpy conditions.
The sides of the centercase have been raised about 3 inches above the actual top to make a channel for a double block with becket to run in. A removeable false top sits above this.
At the front of the case, there is a "power bulge" enclosing a 75mm pulley sheave centred level with the actual top. The lifting penant comes forward off the centerboard, turns through 180 degrees around the sheave and runs back to the eye on the top of the double block. There is a double cheek block mounted at the cockpit end of the centercase with a cam cleat on top to lock the lifting line (which runs back from the becket on the sliding double block at the front, around the cheek block etc and finally back to the cam cleat). The cheek block is home made, as the price of bought ones was ludicrous, and I couldn't find one with a built in cam cleat in any case!
This CB has about 25kg of lead at the bottom, and the length/width ratio means about 80kg of "pull" is required on the pennant to lift the CB when it is fully up. The 4:1 block reduces that to 20kg at the business end.
I was a bit unsure if it was going to be controllable, but there is enough friction in the whole system that lowing can easily be done literally single handed (and believe me, I am a very skinny little man). Raising the board the last 20 -30% is a comfortable two handed job, but still possible single handed. I had visions of having to mount a winch there, but wont bother - the block and tackle works fine.
I made a cardboard cutout of the modified case sides and board, to make sure that everything was going to fit and have a reasonable chance of working OK.

Pete

[David G]

Lovely job. It's great to see fotos of the cabin version

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education" -- Mark Twain

[Paul Pless]

I love these boats. Never seen on with a cabin either, she looks great with it!

[Lew Barrett]

Congratulations on a great build. And, a great looking crew!

[epoxyboy]

Hi Pete

Thanks for the notes about the modification to the centreboard tackle. Like you, I've been dubious about the prospect of having gouts of water coming up into the cabin.

Amy chance you could either photograph the set-up you describe, or, even better, sketch it out? It sounds like it's a very worthwhile improvement for the cabin version.

Cheers

Tony

It sounds like you are building one of these Tony?
Some pix just for you which should make it pretty clear. What I dont have a piccy of is how the lifting pennant goes on to the CB. If you look at the diagram, where the pennant runs along the back edge of the CB, I have routed a groove wide and deep enough to comfortably hold the rope - this is to stop it getting wedged between the board and case. The groove finshes just above where the board starts turning into a foil section. I used a 40mm hole saw to cut right through the board at this point - the edge of this hole just cuts through into the bottom of the groove. The rope runs along the groove, pops down into the 40mm hole (one side of this was blanked of with a disc of ply so it is like a deep pocket) and has a stopper knot with Petes extra bonus loop for more bulk - the bitter end is just tucked back up though the knot before pulling it tight.
The false top just sits into the recess at the top of the case formed by the varnished trim strip around the top.
And yes I know the cheek block mount is ugly - it was a quicky job so we could go SAILING.

Pete


http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/CB%20diagram.jpg

http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/entire%20centercase.jpg

http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/centercase%20mods.jpg

http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/cb%20tackle%20cockpit.jpg

http://users.actrix.co.nz/pete.sue/Pathfinder%20Kaiarahi/cb%20tackle%20top%20off.jpg

[Yeadon]

Good work. Very nice and clean, all around. I really like that blue you used in the cockpit.

[Tom W.]

Pete:
Very nicely done. I am building a Pathfinder also, and have thought about the cabin version, although I am building the standard boat. Your solution to the centerboard tackle is simple and straightforward, I was thinking along the same lines for mine but had not worked it out entirely.
I have spent the last two days working on the cockpit coaming which has been more of a challenge than I anticipated. It has to look just right IMO and needs care. The cabin version eliminates the need for the coaming.
Where did you buy your aluminum spars? They look very practical, I have been planning on making my spars but might just go aluminum if I can get them for a decent price.
Thanks for the pictures of your centerboard system.

[epoxyboy]

I have spent the last two days working on the cockpit coaming which has been more of a challenge than I anticipated. It has to look just right IMO and needs care. The cabin version eliminates the need for the coaming.
Where did you buy your aluminum spars? They look very practical, I have been planning on making my spars but might just go aluminum if I can get them for a decent price.
Thanks for the pictures of your centerboard system.

Hi Tom,
The cabin does eliminate most of the coaming, but man, for a simple box there is a load of work in it! The little bit of coaming I do have is 9mm ply with a 3/4" wide 6mm ply doubler along the outside top edge. I coudn't believe how much rigidity that little strip of ply added!

Most of the spars are as per the plans, but I rationalised the sizes a bit so I could get all the spars out of 5 metre lengths with only a couple of metres waste - the shop wouldn't sell part lengths.
JW's plans call for a different size for every spar, so I bought the main mast tube, the mizzen mast tube and its doubler tube per the plans, and picked one other length of smaller tube where I compromised - for the main gaff it is a couple of mm small and for the mizzen boom a couple of mm big.
The main boom is made from the left over mizzen doubler tube, which I think is marginally oversize too. I got the whole lot from a place that supplies aluminium extrusions - everything from flat bar to window frame and ladder sections. I have come to the conclusion that even small towns in New Zealand (by U.S. standards) seem to be very well served by suppliers of all sorts of "stuff" which you guys seem to have difficulty getting hold of sometimes, but plain old extruded tube like this shouldn't be too hard to find.

The whole lot cost almost exactly NZ$500, and to be honest I would be hard pressed to get decent quality timber here for much less, not to mention the work required to build them all. Plus I have seen what happens to beautiful wooden spars on a trailer yacht, and with the best will in the world they still get knocked around and dont look so pretty after a couple of seasons. And the aluminium is lighter!
My father in law has a woodturning lathe which I used to do the end plugs which are all just 4x2 pine - the main mast plugs are two bits glued up, and the bottom plug has a hardwood peg glued in its base where it goes into the mast step.

Pete

[Tom W.]

I also really like how you handled the stern compartment, where the mizzen mast steps. It appears you made the port side chamber watertight, and left the stern compartment open. Good place for your gas can, I see, and nobody's going to sit there anyway because of the tiller. I may modify mine in a similar manner. Your pictures are very helpful as a lot about this boat is left up to the builder's preference.