Little Egret: an Egret-style day sailer

[johnno]

Hi Anders, thanks for that tip, I'll give a test piece a go and see how it comes out. As Mr Lenihan knows, it's always sunny here so it shouldn't take too long!!

[johnno]

Peter, thanks for that excellent advice. I know that one of my scarfs needs some work, but I am going to try your test method on all of them. If I feel the tiniest undulation it shall get the full and fair treatment, until ne'er a flutter remains.

But just in case by insensitive fingers pads are not up to the task (guitar player's callouses you know), I've bought some nice satin paint, because I don't like people hanging around my topsides looking at reflections of themselves...it's a vanity that I find most un-nautical!

However, if the bottom is shiny enough to fool the average dolphin into thinking it's swimming with a pal, then that would be just fine and dandy. I shall report back on Sunday evening after a day of fairing..for now, I'm off to play some mountain music up in the country for the day. And perhaps imbibe in some mountain spirit while I'm at it! All the best to you and your fair partner!

That last line prompted some further thoughts but I won't delve into that one!

[Mrleft8]

So...... So far would you say that you have no Egrets?

[Rik van der Vaart]

I will post some later. In the mean time checkout firstboatrik.blogspot.com.

[johnno]

So...... So far would you say that you have no Egrets?

Well, maybe a Little

[johnno]

I will post some later. In the mean time checkout firstboatrik.blogspot.com.

Terrific Rik, I'll read it slowly when I come home! Great blog. cheers and thanks
John

[johnno]

This will be the next routing and sanding project when I return....

[Rik van der Vaart]

This forum is awesome, especially because the sharing and coaching going on. The blog was the only way i knew how to post my little project but next time i will use this forum for sure.
Your boat looks very professional Johnno. Your neat methods are good lessons for me.

[Rik van der Vaart]

Wonder how many epoxy coats go on the inside... Johnno, how many did you apply?

[johnno]

Wonder how many epoxy coats go on the inside... Johnno, how many did you apply?

Rik, I put three coats of epoxy on all the interior surfaces of the buoyancy chambers, and that's all, as they'll never see daylight. For the rest, three coats of high solvent epoxy (the thin stuff; I used Norseal, a Norglass product), then three coats of primer/undercoat, then top coats. The theory is that as the bottom is glassed, not epoxying the interior means the ply is not encapsulated, and in this area (interior) where dings are more likely, it's easy to see and repair, and if you don't, at least you won't be trapping water.

[Rik van der Vaart]

Thanks for info Johnny. Really nice to have coaching from so far away yet so close! Things are coming together, at least it feels that way now I drilled the holes for the cleats in the deck... Don't mind me being egoistic and posting a pic or two on your forum?

[johnno]

Thanks for info Johnny. Really nice to have coaching from so far away yet so close! Things are coming together, at least it feels that way now I drilled the holes for the cleats in the deck... Don't mind me being egoistic and posting a pic or two on your forum?

No worries, go right ahead Rik! Just start a new thread in Building and Repair..I'm sure people will be very interested to see your progress so far. But if you get too far ahead of me, you'll embarass me, so don't work too fast!!

[Rik van der Vaart]

Lol, no worries mate, my dinghy is no match for your ship. I have about one hour a day and in the weekends a bit more. I feel that a boat twice nemo's length will proly take 4 times the hours to build.
I may start a new thread halfway the project. I fond this forum too late but it is made for it. Thanks for your support Johnno.

[Rik van der Vaart]

New thread is a fact!

[johnno]

No going back now...Little Egret is getting her true colours....as any sea bird should! Final bit of tidying up on some curves with the hand plane and then into the undercoat/primer. Nice feeling watching all that itchy fibreglass disappear under a coat of gorgeous white paint. Just in case anyone's wondering, no I'm not planning on sticking feathers to her.

[RFNK]

Looks great John. The lines in that latest photo do look a little seabird-ish.

Rick

[PeterSibley]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm !

[timo4352]

That's gotta feel good...
getting some paint on her.

[Larks]

You'll be getting close to another flip then John????

[johnno]

You'll be getting close to another flip then John????

I guess so Greg. Sixteen hours between coats though, so only one a day. One more primer-undercoat I think, then two top coats. Then mark out the waterline, and two coats of bottom paint. I might try some straps this time, and maybe get Rufus over. Speaking of Rufus, where is he???

[johnno]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm !

slick, heh?

[RodB]

John,

I have followed your thread from the beginning and wanted to thank you for taking time to photograph as you progress... You have done very nice work with lots of attention to detail. This is a great thread for many on this forum to see, quality concept, quality execution in the build. Please keep posting when you go sailing.. and give us lots of feedback as to performance.

Thanks for a great thread.... and let us know about the availability of the plans.

RodB
Dallas

[RFNK]

John, forgive me if you've covered this already, but do you plan to use a trapeze, banana boards or hiking straps to keep this thing upright or are you relying on internal ballast or a very heavy board?

Rick

[johnno]

John, forgive me if you've covered this already, but do you plan to use a trapeze, banana boards or hiking straps to keep this thing upright or are you relying on internal ballast or a very heavy board?

Rick

Well, all will be revealed on sailing day Rick, but the simple answer is that sharpies are designed with considerable flair, and with low aspect rigs. It's more sophisticated than that, for example, the unstayed bendy mast spills load in a puff, weight is kept low, ballast is common, two masts get rig even lower, etc. We'll see how it pans out, but it's an old and well tested design. Someone famous said something like: 'sharpies are easy to build but hard to design'. You also need to know how to sail them! I'm sure I'm going to learn the hard way!

[johnno]

John,

.. and give us lots of feedback as to performance.

and let us know about the availability of the plans.

RodB
Dallas

Thanks Rod. I shall be sure to follow up once I'm sailing. You know what proud dads are like!

[leaotis]

.......... I've bought some nice satin paint.........

I've only found satin paint in enamels or as an additive for 2 packs.

What satin paint are you going to use?

[Rik van der Vaart]

Looking great Jon. Another milestone. Painting is a lot of value for relatively little work.

[johnno]

I've only found satin paint in enamels or as an additive for 2 packs.

What satin paint are you going to use?

Norglass make a satin white (only white I believe) in their Weatherfast Premium Enamel. I'm using all Norseal products from thinned epoxy, through their Pri-Coat primer/undercoat, to their top coat. Unfortunately I can't get the 'teal' in satin so the bottom will be gloss.

[RFNK]

Norglass make a satin white (only white I believe) in their Weatherfast Premium Enamel. I'm using all Norseal products from thinned epoxy, through their Pri-Coat primer/undercoat, to their top coat. Unfortunately I can't get the 'teal' in satin so the bottom will be gloss.

Have you asked Norglass if they have a flattener you could add or what flattening agent would be compatible?

Rick

[leaotis]

for what it's worth-

- I reckon you want the bottom as slick \ glossy as possible.

- We use tint from the local hardware store to color marine enamels... opens up a whole new range of possibilities.

[johnno]

Mack, yep, probably gloss is a good idea, I'll go with that. Got a little fairing to do around the bow and stern and then I'll be into the top coats. Rick, I haven't asked them, though the local paint supplier didn't have any. They take a week or so to get stuff in..too slow for me!

[m2c1Iw]

Norglass do have a flattener I've recently bought some although the retailer had to order it in. Compatible with both enamel and 2 pack. I can't give you any tips on use as this will be my first attempt.

[johnno]

Another long day doing sanding and filling prep before the final coats go on. I also took about five hours to mark the waterline. I started with an el cheapo laser level and tried to rig something up with my camera tripod. I kept getting different readings, so I went back to the Egyptian method, which involved a trip to the hardware to get $10 worth of plastic tube .

Having then hand-sanded the whole hull again, except for some filler up near the bow and stern which wasn't properly dry, I thought I'd pop the side curtains up and try to get a side view of the boat. I'm sure you're all sick to death of looking at the forshortened front and rear views.

Couldn't get a great shot but at least you can see the hull shape. I then flipped the image vertically in photoshop (I have the boat horizontal at the moment for marking the waterline) and got a good look at her as she'll finally look. Having marked the waterline on her, of course I couldn't resist dropping in the planned 'teal' bottom colour. What do you reckon?

[RFNK]

Looks good John! I guess they must have been modern Egyptians to have had clear hose?

Rick

[PeterSibley]

Looks good John! I guess they must have been modern Egyptians to have had clear hose?

Rick

It's amazing wot you can do with a sundried ass's intestine .

[RFNK]

You sun dried your ass???

Rick

[PeterSibley]

Never went to sleep on Coolangatta Beach ?

[johnno]

nup, papyrass....

[RFNK]

Ah!

Rick

[Rik van der Vaart]

Stupid question: How do you know exactly where the waterline will be? Do the drawings indicate it? You are going to put up a rig, not above the center of buoyancy so how do we know where the line is?

[P.L.Lenihan]

Stupid question: How do you know exactly where the waterline will be? Do the drawings indicate it? You are going to put up a rig, not above the center of buoyancy so how do we know where the line is?

Not a stupid question at all. The answer is simply this;the waterline will be shown directly on the plans as drawn by the designer. It is the designer who will have gone through all the calculations to determine where the waterline should be and the designer then hopes the builder will not stray too far from the scantlings so that the real boat,as built, will reflect the same waterline. Designers and naval architects really make it easy for builders by taking out as much, if not all, the guess work out of building a boat,like where to draw the waterline, how much ballast you need, where to place it, how big a sailing rig ,where the mast go etc...

Pretty neat ,eh?

Cheers!


Peter

[Duncan Gibbs]

Looks great John! Reminds me of a colour scheme somewhere else...

[hokiefan]

I seriously like it. Very good stuff johnno. Very good...

Cheers,

Bobby

[johnno]

Thanks Bobby!............................................

skirting around the issue......




tropical bottom! first coat..............

[timo4352]

Very exciting!

[hokiefan]

I'm thinking you don't wanna hide that beautiful deep green underwater. I like it for the topsides as well, but thats just me. More good stuff.

Cheers,

Bobby

[Larks]

Nice colour choice John!!

[PeterSibley]

and nicely applied Mr Painter !

[johnno]

I'm an expert at drilling holes about 10 degrees off the vertical or horizontal, depending upon what direction hole I want to drill. I've got so good at getting a hole about ten degrees out of whack because I've tried hundreds of times to drill a plumb or level hole, and all this practice has meant I've got the ten degrees off thing down to a fine art.

So when it came time to drill the hole for the centreboard pin, I thought I'd better try a different tactic. I bought a very cheap drill guide a while ago, so I dusted it off. The aim was to make an epoxy grommet for the pin, with a slightly oversized hole so that it won't grip, but also won't rattle. Pics are self-explanatory....













and then.....

[johnno]

I learn something new everday...now I'm on the straight and narrow