The Cape Henry 21 building thread

[Max F]

The bulkheads too got some work done
Doublers were glued to the deckbeams after rounding, rabbeting and Fitting

P1050783 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
and the mastsupport was shaped to 8 sides. It Looks good that way, and I think about leaving it that way instead of rounding it.

P1050784 by capitan Max, on Flickr.

The next steps will be to set up the building jig. I´m very enthusiastic about it.
cheers
Max

[TheFullback]

Good work! Think I finally decided today on building a Cape Cutter 19 for definite so will continue to watch this with interest.

May I ask, how have you found the plans and mylar patterns? Is there sufficient detail in them?

[Max F]

The mylar patterns are really cool stuff. I like them a lot, and the plans are very detailed .
Sometimes you have to check on more than one sheet to get the full information for the construction.
If the sh.. hits the fan, Dudley also offers support via E-Mail and usually responds quickly.
The two questions I had were answered the very next day.

[Max F]

Hey there

After a stop due to lack of time things are happening again.
When building the frame I took very long srews through the floors into the beams underneath to create a very rigid foundation.

IMG_0009 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />

IMG_0008 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
The transom got some temporary frames to keep the right amount of bend

IMG_0021 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
Some head scratching later the positioning for the transom was done

IMG_0022 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
Now it starts to look like a boat building sheed

IMG_0025 by capitan Max, on Flickr

[Max F]

I build me my own forrest...

IMG_0030 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />

And finally the first permanent member is in place.
Tadaaa the transom is mounted.
Jipeeee!

IMG_0032 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
With all preparation hanging the transom was no big deal at all.
Most time it took was to check and doublecheck it´s propper allingment in every direction.
After that I beefed it up a little more to make sure it´s rock solid.
No good if it would move without notice later.

IMG_0036 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />

Here is the route I went to determine the position.
Other CH21 builders might find this helpfull.

IMG_0026 by capitan Max, on Flickr

[Max F]

After a late night it looked suddenly like this

IMG_0063 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
It was nearly impossible to work with the laser in bright daylight. So I took a night session and at 1:15 in the morning all frames were standing.

Here a look from the other side

IMG_0050 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
Fitting the stem and centerboardcase was easy then.
When making fillets with micro fiber I usually let them gel and go over a second time over the rough surface with a radiused putty knife. I get very smooth fillets this way.
IMG_0068 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
In addition I reinforced the building frame with two extra shores until the first stringers will be in place to prevent disortion. Maybe I am overthinking this here, but anyway I feel better with it.

IMG_0069 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
Finally summer has come to my place and it get way to hot to work in the shed. So I rather go sailing the next days.

cheers max

[Sailor]

Looking great.

[Rich Jones]

Ah.. a shape begins to take form... That curved transom is going to look great.

[capefox]

Please take copious quantities of pictures when you do the stringers and panels. I'm very interested to see how that works. (I'm toying with the idea of CC-19 around 2017.)

[Max F]

Yes Sir, I will.
I´m very curious how the first stringer will come in place.
There is an enormous amount of twist and a hollow curve too.
When I played around with a batten yesterday it seemed that the curve would be more even if I would change the location of the notch in the second frame.
The stringer would then be off the middle by roughly 1 1/2 inches, but with a much nicer bend.
I haven´t figured out yet, andare not sure, if that would force the garboard into a wrong shape.
What do you think?

[andrewpatrol]

I reckon only you'd be able to answer that Max, perhaps you can do a dummy run with cheaper grade materials on the moulds. Have you run it by Dudley about your changing the positions of the stringers? Perhaps you could use mdf to make the dummy garboard.

[TheFullback]

Impressive work - looking forward to seeing the stringers go on. Every step of this moves me a step closer to starting the CC19 - you're providing an excellent instruction manual!

I could just wait and see of course, but how do the stringers get attached to each bulkhead?

[Max F]

ja maybe a dummy run.

Here are some pictures to show what I´m thinking about.
[

url=https://flic.kr/p/v7DHEu][/url]IMG_0072 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0073 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0074 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />

I haven´t yet talked to Dudley about this.
I hesitate to get on his nerve with these changes in a proven design. I suppose he is kept busy answering millions of questions constantly.
But I will, if I start do really consider changing the position like shown in the picture.

Max

[Max F]

I played a little with two battens and checked if a different position would change the bearding line.
Well indeed it did.
So changing the position would most probably have an effect on the shape of the hollow entry at the bow.
So I leave it as designed. But the whole figuring out was very interresting and no time wasted.
Meanwhile it became very hot in the shed.
Some of you told me this before, but I never imagined THAT HOT!!!!
As a solution I tried to put some white plastic sheeting to the inside of the shed.
Luckily that helped a lot. Still it is a warmer inside, but nothing compared to the heat with transparent sheeting only.
Pictures will follow later, when I start to bevel the backbone.
The next days will be busy preparing a rock concert.

[Max F]

Beveling has started. First I roughed the stem out with the power plane

IMG_0090 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0093 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0094 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
That was quick work.
The fine tuning with my little Stanley, spokeshave and battens took a little longer. That was good fun!

IMG_0160 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0161 by capitan Max, on Flickr

[Andrew2]

Max
There is another way to get round the stress on the forward garboard. Laminate it from 6 & 4 mm ply. First layer with 6mm and slit it for about 250mm along the first stringer. This slit opens up around 10mm at the stem and eases the problem. Fill this with thickened époxy or a thin wedge of ply and laminate strips of 4mm to bring it up to the 10mm of the rest of the hull. I did this from the mast bulkhead forward. Another builder I know cracked his full thickness garboards forcing them round, so I cam up with the above idea and it was much easier, if a bit longer to do.
A2

[Max F]

Thanks Andrew for that nice idea
I plan to use a quite similar solution.
I will try 7mm instead of 10mm bruynzeel sapeli plywood for the garboard.
Hopefully this thinner stuff is going to bend much easier.
If the 7mm will be too stiff, I consider steaming .
My friend Hans who builds a CH21 in the Netherlands made a nice big and flat steambox. That and his wall paper steamer worked fantastic with 10mm okume plywood.
Here a picture of his garboard steambox

P1040677 by Hans From The Netherlands, auf Flickbr />
The plans call for 2 layers of glasfiber tape, to join the two garboards at the center line.
With that in mind I came up with the idea to glas the whole garboards with 4 layers of 460g/m² bidiagonal weave.
With that I will get roughly 10mm in thickness and a super robust hull where abrassion resistance is very welcome.

[Max F]

Back from my sail and oar cruise in Liguria .
It´s good to be back at the build.
I ripped some nice stringers from Sibirian Larch. Beautifull stuff man.

IMG_0484 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
With these lever-arms it was surprisingly easy to get the twist. Tension on the lines was adjustet with a stopper knot.

IMG_0488 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
Clamps and straight battens were used where the twisting forces were small

IMG_0491 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
With the first chine stringer in place I took a flexible to mark the right curve on the centerboard case parallel to ist outside and I planed it and the stem to the right bevel.
That was done with the Tom Hill technique, and the stringer as guide.
I changed the centerboard thickness from 25mm to 60mm, so the case was sticking out to high due to it´s extra thickness.

IMG_0493 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0494 by capitan Max, on Flickr

[Max F]

At the beveled transom I used the router guide I I used before at the bulkheads to cut the notches. To prevent the guide from moving I temporary glued it in place with two big drops of hot glue at the sides.

IMG_0499 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
The next stringer, actually the one I feared to be the most trouble due to it´s extreme twist, turned out to be quite easy after my experiences with the first pair.

IMG_0506 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0507 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0509 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0508 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />

I never build a boat with such a hollow bow, so the curve of the battens seemed strange to me.
I played a little around with the first chines position at the bow but finally took the designed Position 220mm from the DWL after viewing it endless times from every angle.
Now with all the clamps removed, it looks right and fair.

to be continued

[Otter99]

Hey Max - great job. This design and build is very interesting. How did you come to choose this design? And, talk about ballast, how much and where? Have you chosen your sail plan yet? Hope you don't mind all the questions. ~Dan

[Max F]

Hi Dan
Your welcome.
I stumbled over the design in the WoodenBoat Magazine.
I wasn´t really thinking about building it.
But I kept coming back again and again to look at the design and started to search the web for more information.
I guess I was hooked allready. So I contacted Dudley, and went to France to sail a finished Henry.
There was no turning back posssible since that day...
For the rig, I will choose the gaff rig with genoa or jib, adding a code zero or genaker.
I think there is roughly about 500 kg ballast in the boat, but haven´t worked it out of the plans exactly so far.
Meanwhile I have done some more work on the hull.

To get a first impression of the garboard, I wrapped a bed sheet over the stringers.
Yeah, Looks good, doesnt it?

IMG_0515 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
I placed the whole plywood sheets on the hull and skipped to make pattern for the garboard. For safety I went 10cm oversize.

IMG_0518 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
I was aware that it was going to be difficult to get the whole garboard fitted to the hull, due to it´s extreme twist.
I took the challenge, just to find myself in fierce combat with big resistance.
A lot of force was neccesary to get the garboard into it´s possition.
First I tried it with clamps on the first Stringer.

IMG_0529 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
No good!

[Max F]

That worked, but took a lot of time and was very difficult.

IMG_0530 by capitan Max, on Flickr#

No good!

I was in big troubel and started to be very frustrated.
I had to get out of the shed to regain perspective and calm down.
A little later after a good meal I had figured out new ideas. And guess what. It worked so much better.
Quick and with perfect control

IMG_0546 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0539 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
GOOD

With so much force needed, I was happy I had build a very solid foundation!
To keep the stem straight, I clamped some strong straight timbers to it.

IMG_0548 by capitan Max, on Flickr

[Max F]

As no one was around to give me a hand, I glued the first garboard in a two step Operation.
First the front half.

IMG_0551 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
And then the second, overlapping the glueline in the middle.

IMG_0552 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
I had to be quick, to get it all done, before the glue started to gel, But it went all without trouble.

More later.

[capefox]

Your methodical approach to the project is inspiring. I am curious, many builders seem have difficulty working with the garboard or lowest panels. Did you use any kerfing on the inside of the panels? Do you think a meranti plywood panel would be capable of making the curve without breaking?

[DudleyDix]

Fitting the bottom panel in a single pre-scarphed piece like this does increase the difficulty. It is easier to fit the forward section, where most of the twist is located, in two half-sheets and scarph them in place while fitting, then do sheet lengths aft of them. I came to the thread to advise fitting this panel in shorter pieces but your building pace beat me to it.

[Max F]

Sorry for the late answer capefox, I was very busy these days.
Dudley you are absolutely right with your advice!
I wouldn´t do it a second time this way.
A wisdom often told in this Forum is: LISTEN TO THE DESIGNER!
He knows his designs and what he´s talking.
Somehow I underestimated the stresses and thought the thinner but stiffer plywood will do the job.
I was somehow wrong.
To make it worse a kink evolved on the stringer at frame nr.2.
Server cracks showed there at the stringer and a bulge started to show in the skin nearby.
I was in bad mood for days, circeld around the boat and tried to figure out how to fix that.
Finally I took a deep breath , and decided to do the forward garboard again.
Actually I wondered If I went nuts.
Nethertheless, armed with my skillsaw and grim humour I went berserk.
I removed the garboards forward of frame nr. 4. in one long evening.
As the plywood was removed the damaged stringer fell apart at once.
In case you want to ask. No I didn´t took pictures. Didn´t felt like...
Right now most of the mess is cleaned and the broken stringer is scarfed new again.

I´m in a much better mood since then, and don´t worry about the extra work.
So far for now. I´m heading south soon, and building will rest a short while.
Max

[capefox]

Max you're not the first person on this site to make one or more errors. These sorts of blogs help others to avoid pitfalls. Your work appears to be "ordentlich" in every respect. I'm a huge fan of Dudley Dix's customer support and many of his designs. Really, I don't know how he responds to presumably dozens of emails every day in such detail.

[Otter99]

Fitting the bottom panel in a single pre-scarphed piece like this does increase the difficulty. It is easier to fit the forward section, where most of the twist is located, in two half-sheets and scarph them in place while fitting, then do sheet lengths aft of them. I came to the thread to advise fitting this panel in shorter pieces but your building pace beat me to it.

I want to understand...your saying, It's easier to handle a smaller 4' section (half sheet) when negotiating the twist as opposed to a unwieldy 16+ foot section. What about doing this in a two-step: two layers of 4mm Sapele for the first 8 feet (the twist area) laminating the two layers? Then scarf as needed as you move aft.

Max, I'm as excited as you are on this build. Really like the design. ~Dan

[andrewpatrol]

sorry to hear about your F*&^ up Max. at least because youre building a wooden boat it was correctable. well done.

dunno if you know this trick or not but when i bent my ply around soome tight curves i draped some towells on then some plastic and poured boiling water onto the towells, the heat and moisture can make the difference. slowly bend the ply with more hot water, can take some time.

[Max F]

"What about doing this in a two-step: two layers of 4mm Sapele for the first 8 feet (the twist area) laminating the two layers? Then scarf as needed as you move aft."

That is what i consider as a very interesting an good option too dan.
Kind of like Dudley does his radius chine method, with overlapping layers. Just without radius.
Easy to handle with small parts at the time.
Doing the bow section again gives me the possibilities to try out building techniquess new to me.
So I no longer worry over the F*&^up Andrew. Thanks for your Kind words. Yeah some sort of steaming would have been good.
Like my friend Hans in the Netherland did.
His Cape Henry looks awesome.
By the way, we see him for his hull- turning party this Saturday.

[Max F]

Back from holidays at the Canary Islands!
Just before we took the plane, we went to my friends in the Netherlands and had a lovely turning party.

IMG_0618 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
Look at these lovely lines!
Having a ready planked hull in front of me was awesome.


IMG_0621 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
IMG_0624 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />

IMG_0632 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />


Turning and carrying the hull back into the shed was much easier then expected.
The next day we went to the south,
Them had some nice boats there too.
I liked that one particularly

IMG_0914 by capitan Max, on Flickr.

[Max F]

Due to unexpected mild temperatures I managed to continue working in the shed a little.
After my skil saw frenzy and back from holiday I cleand up the mess and started to scarf on the damaged stringers.
The chine stringer was allready glued in place the day before.
To post cure the epoxy in this less than perfect conditions I wrapped the stem in plastic with an oil radiator inside.
Made some cozy 30 degrees C inside.

IMG_0949 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
To ensure a good glue joint, I had the epoxy stored in a warm room.
The wood was warmed up with a hot air gun too before I applied the epoxy, to get a good penetration.

IMG_0952 by capitan Max, on Flickbr />
With some luck temperatures stay warm and I´ll have the stringes in place soon.

Max

[capefox]

Was it necessary for your friend to spile any of the planks on the CC19/CH21?

[Max F]

Naah, he is building with a CNC kit from Jordan.
All his planks were ready to assemble.

P1040033 by Hans From The Netherlands, on Flickbr />
Here is the link to his pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/128353...57649892379575

[Otter99]

Max, does you friend plan on using his Cape Henry around the Canary Islands or for bigger adventures? That hollow in the bow is beautiful. I can see why it is so hard to build. Have you thought of a new strategy for bending it in there? You get the best thread award! ~Dan