The Birth of the Night Heron

[Kapiteinterzee]

Sunday, 22 March 2020 Post continued. . .

Waterline & Gunwale Stripes
The Waterline and Gunwale stripes are painted using the same procedure as for hull painting. Same paint too - an Alkyd Topside Paint but in Red and/or Gray. First day apply a coat of paint and wait 24 hours for coat to harden. Etc, etc.

Supervisors Eyes.jpgWaterline Stripe Defined.jpgGunwale Stripe.jpgHull - Bottom, Waterline & Sheer Painted.jpg

The entire hull is now painted and awaiting the wood spray rail and gunwales that we'll be working on this coming week.


Thanks for looking and stay healthy!

J.

[gizmojoe]

Kapineinterzee,

I have a vacation home downriver from you near the El Jobean bridge. I go about 6-7 miles upriver from the bridge in my sailboat made of that other stuff. If you ever see a sailboat stop and give me a shout. Chances are pretty good it'll be me as I have yet to see another sailboat there in 5 years.

Joe

[timo4352]

That looks really sharp.

[Kapiteinterzee]

Kapineinterzee,

I have a vacation home downriver from you near the El Jobean bridge. I go about 6-7 miles upriver from the bridge in my sailboat made of that other stuff. If you ever see a sailboat stop and give me a shout. Chances are pretty good it'll be me as I have yet to see another sailboat there in 5 years.

Joe

Hey gizmojoe,

We were "rag sailors" since college. . . eons ago. . . sailed the Pacific and turned to motorized boats when we settled on the Sun Coast 7 years ago.

We'll be splashing Night Heron in about 8 weeks and when we do, we'll send out a post if you care to see us on the water, yes, near you, as part of our "sea trials" will be on Port Charlotte Bay. We'll be building a gantry (with a 110vAC hoist) to flip the Night Heron with no help so as to maintain our self-imposed isolation. Since we're "self quarantined" and are able to access the canal from our backyard - we hope to get on the water with no Covid-19 issues; once on the water we'll maintain a number of meters of separation as per the "rules of the road".

Thank you for looking. . . and stay healthy neighbor.

J.

[Kapiteinterzee]

That looks really sharp.

Hey timo 4352,

Thank you for the note, do appreciate it. . . this week we'll be mounting the gunwales with the sacrificial white oak bumper strip on top.

Will post the pics this coming Sunday morning, 29 March 2020.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

J.

[gray duck]

I love the photo with the boat's "owner" watching you taping the waterline. Will he/she go on the boat with you? Somebody here in SC had a woodduck that would come and hang out on their pontoon boat whenever they were on the water. Very cool.

[Kapiteinterzee]

I love the photo with the boat's "owner" watching you taping the waterline. Will he/she go on the boat with you? Somebody here in SC had a woodduck that would come and hang out on their pontoon boat whenever they were on the water. Very cool.

Hey gray duck,

Good story on the pontoon boating Duck; thank you for sharing.

The Supervisor is a male who won't let any other Heron, except Wallenda, come near his boat. We think Wallenda is his mate.

Here is another photo from another angle and a preview photo from the coming post on Sunday.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

J.

Supervisor 3.jpg


IMG_20200326_145003830_BURST000_COVER_TOP.jpg
White Oak Bumper on top of Gunwale

[Kapiteinterzee]

Sunday morning, 29 March 2020


Good morning All,

This last week was filled with saw dust under the pine trees as scarfing gunwale lengths, trimming and ripping and shaping white oak bumpers was the order of the day(s).

Under the Shade of a Pine Tree.jpg

We began the week dry mounting the gunwales after scarfing and sanding and painting the witness coat in white alkyd paint.

Drilling Holes and Mounting Gunwales.jpgWitness Coat on Gunwales.jpg

The next day we tackled the one part polyurethane coating task for permanently mounting the gunwales using the 3M product everyone has a love/hate relationship with. With stainless steel screws and the polyurethane adhesive, we secured the gunwales to the hull and sheer plate as we believe that the gunwales are an integral part of the framework and monocoupe structure. In many boats, the gunwales are treated as bumper rails and as sacrificial elements - a thought we don't share.

Gunwale 5200 Application.jpg

Our bumper or rub rails are mounted on top of the gunwales and are made of the reclaimed white oak we previously noted in these posts. We ripped the 5/8 inch (16mm) thick material to 1 1/4 inch (32mm) wide X 5 feet long (152cm) sections so that if one is damaged, it can be dismounted and replaced with a like unit we'll keep on board inside a "spares locker." We added a design detail, 45 degree tips, to make them "stand out" from a plain Jane, or ho hum long strip with no design interest.

White Oak Bumper Mounting Detail.jpg

OK, we just reached our 5 photo allotment. . . so we'll continue this session on the next post that follows. . .

[Kapiteinterzee]

Sunday, 20 March 2020 Post continues. . .

We made 8 white oak bumpers and triple coated them, waiting 6 hours between coats, with clear marine varnish; the first coat was diluted with mineral spirits at 40% followed by full strength coats two and three. We plan on mounting them with stainless steel screws only after they completely dry on Monday, 30 March.

IMG_20200328_093243171.jpgWhite Oak Bumpers Drying.jpg

Below is the hull photo with the gunwales permanently mounted and painted, awaiting the bumpers to be affixed.

Gunwales Mounted and Painted.jpg

And, of course. . . a photo of the curious one.

IMG_20200327_092112817.jpg

Until next week when we'll hopefully report on the bumpers mounting and spray rail (that have become a bear!) fabricating and mounting.

Thank you for dropping in and stay safe stay healthy.

J.

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

You are doing a wonderful job!

And I am fascinated by your little helper.

[Powerwagon]

Looking good! Very fast progress and it appears the shop inspector approves. I'm impressed. One question...are the bottoms of your rub rails beveled? I couldn't tell in the pictures. It might not be an issue, sometimes they are cut at an angle so that if the bottom edge of the rubrail comes down on a dock or another boat it doesn't catch and damage/pop off the rubrail.

[Rich Jones]

It's a cold, dreary, rainy day here in Vermont. It was a pleasure reading through this thread!
Love the birds. You must also have very patient neighbors.

[gizmojoe]

Hey Kap, I have yet to make the journey under bridge the into the wide open bay. I don't have a motor on my boat and after checking the tides from the fishing pier it looks like I could do some damage to my boat or myself lol, If I don't get it right.

I'm thinking about the Reuel Parker Small Ohio Sharpie for my next build. I think It would be a good fit down there. I have an April 30th Ticket to come down but that's obviously up in the air. Good luck hope to see you and the Myakka soon.....



Joe

[Kapiteinterzee]

You are doing a wonderful job!

And I am fascinated by your little helper.

Hey Skip,

Thank you for the kind words. . . and yes the little guys are here day and night and for some reason they stare at the hull, as if hypnotized by the colors. We've read articles by renown ornithologists that these guys have very high color definition vision and can distinguish colors up to the lower UV range. Additionally, the "mirrors" on their retinas makes them excellent night stalkers/foragers that can see color very well at night too. [Gee, you asked for the time and we gave the instructions to build the clock!]

Here's another photo of the Night Heron's stare.

Herons Stare.jpg

Stay safe, stay healthy.

J.

[Kapiteinterzee]

Looking good! Very fast progress and it appears the shop inspector approves. I'm impressed. One question...are the bottoms of your rub rails beveled? I couldn't tell in the pictures. It might not be an issue, sometimes they are cut at an angle so that if the bottom edge of the rubrail comes down on a dock or another boat it doesn't catch and damage/pop off the rubrail.

Hey Lurker,

Thank you for your kind observation.

Yes. . . it seems we needed a "stay isolated at home" order from the local government to up the pace on the build. So, since our local weekend places are closed for business, we're. . . well, you get the picture.

As for your questions. . . the following photos show the contour of the gunwales and rub rails that shows the 30 degree angles; the gunwales have it on the bottom edge and the rub rails have the angle on both the top and bottom edges. You're right - it's for fending off other boats and dock edges.

Gunwale Contour.jpgRub Rail Contour.jpg

Thanks for looking. . .

Stay safe, stay healthy.

J.

[Kapiteinterzee]

Hey Kap, I have yet to make the journey under bridge the into the wide open bay. I don't have a motor on my boat and after checking the tides from the fishing pier it looks like I could do some damage to my boat or myself lol, If I don't get it right.

I'm thinking about the Reuel Parker Small Ohio Sharpie for my next build. I think It would be a good fit down there. I have an April 30th Ticket to come down but that's obviously up in the air. Good luck hope to see you and the Myakka soon.....



Joe

Hey gizmojoe,

Yes, the canals, the rivers and bay of the area are very shallow; that's why we opted for a flat-bottomed motor boat with 6 inches (16cm) draft in lieu of a sailboat that we'd really love to have. However, we've changed our focus from blue water to canal, river and bay exploring, and generally enjoying what we have before us.

We believe that the Ohio Sharpie draws about 14 inches (35cm) with the keel up, so it may not be an ideal sailor for these waters. BTW there was a post and thread on the Sharpie on this forum a number of years ago so you may want to take a look.

Hope you can make it back to paradise to enjoy our weather and waters. . . remember "that Old Man River he must know something, but he don't say nothing, he just keeps rolling, he keeps on rolling along". . .

Stay safe, stay healthy.

J.

[Kapiteinterzee]

It's a cold, dreary, rainy day here in Vermont. It was a pleasure reading through this thread!
Love the birds. You must also have very patient neighbors.

Hey Rick,

Thank you for the kind words. . .

We have heartfelt, warm memories of Vermont, specifically Sugarbush, as we spent a number of winters skiing there after being on assignment in Saratoga Springs, NY back in the late sixties. In a way, we miss the Fall, Springs and Winters of New England.

Here is a photo of our canal at sunset. . . we'll be exploring more of these canals and rivers on Night Heron, hopefully within 6 weeks. . . enjoy.

Sunset on Canal.jpg

No, the neighbors don't have an issue with "our pets" as they only congregate on our backyard.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

J.

[gizmojoe]

Kap, The one design I sail down there draws about 8" and I think close to 3' with the centerboard down. I've ran aground several times but it's always soft and muddy (sandy probably). I'll be back as soon as I can.

Joe

[Kapiteinterzee]

Sunday morning, 5 April 2020

Good morning All,

We hope everyone's well and staying safe and healthy.

This last week was full of activity at this household as we became busy with the build and the gantry we had to build for the "lift, swing and flip" we plan on doing in another few days.

First the Build
Last week we posted the gunwales mount and alluded to the rub rails that were in the works for mounting. Well, we mounted the rub rails after we finished them with spar varnish - all of four coats, although three are recommended.

IMG_20200329_074521781.jpgRub Rails Mounted.jpgRub Rail Plugs.jpg
The gunwales as well as the rub rails required plugs to cover the countersunk holes with the s/s screws inside.

To make flush 180 plugs would've taken endless hours to manually cut them after epoxying, one at a time, with a sharp wood chisel. Additionally, damage to the gunwale's and rub rail's surface with a sharp chisel was a danger we wanted to avoid.

To fixture this task we measured a number of s/s screw holes as these were not at the same depth dimension even when we tried to faithfully drill and countersink them uniformly. We made a white oak fixture with ten holes at various depths; using a belt sander with 100 grit belt, we sanded them flush to the surface. After a few seconds we had ten plugs of various heights ready to be epoxied into the holes. Granted we had a few that we had to re-sand down and a few that were too thin. . . but, overall, a couple of hours of work turned into a 20 minute task. Why 10 holes for plug height sanding you may ask; well, our belt sander's flat plate covers the plug holes with a few centimeters on each side.

The Oak Plug Fixture.jpgFinished Rub Rails.jpg
These tasks end our hull work for the week. . . we were going to mount the spray rails but decided to wait until we see where the most optimum position will be after we splash the Night Heron and put her through the river/bay "sea trials." As we've posted before, the boat will sleep on the hard on the slipway we'll be building before the splash, giving us the opportunity to mount the spray rails at the most appropriate height on the hull - no guessing.

Well, our 5 photo allotment has been met. . . so, this week's thread will follow with "The Old Guy Builds a Gantry and Climbs a Tree."

[Kapiteinterzee]

Sunday morning, 5 April 2020, weekly post continued. . .

The Old Guy Builds a Gantry and Climbs a Tree

The Covid-19 made me do it; in lieu of having a half dozen (maybe a full dozen) able bodied sexagenarians and septuagenarians flipping the Night Heron. . . well, we all know that wasn't happening.

Our answer to the flipping became a gantry/hoist configuration where we plan on mechanically "lifting, swinging and flipping" the hull with a manually operated 1 ton hoist, 2 ton straps lifting cradle and ropes.

Setting The Posts.jpg
We had many years of experience with spans/moments using the "force method" in our careers, so the real issue for us is finding the center of gravity of the hull. We need this information to center the wood cradle/lifting harness on the hull. Once we know where the CG is, we can cradle the hull properly before the lift/swing step - a bear of a task itself. Anyway. . .

We calculated a gantry to lift 800 pounds (362kgs) although our hull weighs, approximately, 600 pounds (272kgs) or a 34% safety factor. We did this as the hull will have to pivot 90 degrees bow left [stern right] making for a momentary moving stress on the hoist's axis located at the beam's center-line and consequently at the top of the posts.

BTW, the hull was built parallel to the canal, so this necessitates a swing of 90 degrees to have the stern perpendicular to the canal. The pivoting movement will also place a lateral force on the structure requiring shoring on the top of the posts so as not to have them twist on the "lift and swing." The "swing" itself will not be violent as we plan on using ropes to slowly control the hull's pivot.

To build the structure we started by planting two posts 15 feet (4.5m) apart in the ground secured in cement using one cross beam to align the posts. After a wait of three days (waiting for the cement footing to cure) we began to lift both cross beams into place and secured them to the posts at 10 feet (3m) above the ground. [During the cement curing days we continued mounting the rub rails, sanding and plugging rub rail countersunk holes as previously posted.]

Bracing the Beams at Center Line.jpgThe Tree Climb.jpg
It's not every day you see a septuagenarian up in the branches of very "branchy" pine trees - but there we were, up not one, but both pine trees. A few boaters that passed by didn't see us - that's how thick with branches the pine trees are and covered with Spanish Moss to boot. This was a necessary tree climb as the bracing or shoring, of the tops of the posts required that they be secured to the trunks of the pine tree next to the structure. After our climb, we called it a day and were thankful that our task was completed with no negative incidents except for a number of black and blues over our body where the branches were merciless.

The Night Heron ready to be "lifted, swung and flipped." More next Sunday, 12 April 2020.

[Small boats rock]

The gantry method is a sensible choice. Gives excellent control when turning over even for a person working on their own. Looking forward to the next post in your thread.

[Kapiteinterzee]

The gantry method is a sensible choice. Gives excellent control when turning over even for a person working on their own. Looking forward to the next post in your thread.

Hey Small boats rock,

We took a look at your website and were very happily surprised that you too, used a gantry and hoist to flip Perigee.

You should be very proud of the work you did on her - she's a beauty.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

J.

[Small boats rock]

Thanks. Yes the gantry method is good. I had not tried it before and was nervous about how to build the gantry strong enough, and whether or not my available ropes would be adequate, but in the end it was no big deal. Lots of temporary bracing on my gantry held it firmly in place and gives a degree of redundancy to the structure. Also, my ropes were doubled up, one set to do the job, and a second set loosely in place to catch her in case anything broke or slipped... so again more redundancy. As it turned out none of this was needed, but it certainly gives peace of mind.

[Kapiteinterzee]

Thanks. Yes the gantry method is good. I had not tried it before and was nervous about how to build the gantry strong enough, and whether or not my available ropes would be adequate, but in the end it was no big deal. Lots of temporary bracing on my gantry held it firmly in place and gives a degree of redundancy to the structure. Also, my ropes were doubled up, one set to do the job, and a second set loosely in place to catch her in case anything broke or slipped... so again more redundancy. As it turned out none of this was needed, but it certainly gives peace of mind.

Hey Small boats rock,

You're so right on this one. . . as it turned out it all worked better than we thought - the "lift, twist and flip" of the Night Heron went well although we did have a bit of drama.

Here is a preview of this week's post.

Stay safe stay healthy.

J.

On the Edge.jpg

[Small boats rock]

Congratulations on a successful lift twist and flip.

[timo4352]

Awesome!

[gizmojoe]

Looks Great!

[Kapiteinterzee]

Sunday Morning, Sunday, 12 April, 2020

Hey All,

We had an interesting week, with drama and anxiety capped by an abundance of joy. . .

The Lift and Swing (or Twist)
On the post of 5 April, 2020 we left a parting photo of Night Heron with a header reading - "The Night Heron ready to be "lifted, swung and flipped." In a mid-week post we responded to Small boats rock with a "teaser" showing Night Heron on her port gunwale. . . So, here is the infamous lift and swing filled with drama.

On Monday, 6 April, we did a number of "tests" on the sling/cradle set up once we mounted the mechanical hoist on the crossbeams of the gantry.

Tuesday, 7 April, we rigged the hull after running the CG exercise and adjusting it numerous times to the point where we were close to quitting.

The Lift
The Lift.jpg
The lift went well once we established the CG of the hull. We found the CG the old fashion way - with a car scissor jack placed on the strongback at a point where we estimated the point of balance to be. We removed the standoff that held the keelson up and jacked the hull a few millimeters at a time and after 5 tries it started to "want to balance." After this task was done we set up the sling and cradle to the hoist and lifted the hull slightly; enough to allow us to cut the strongback standoffs and ultimately the strongback itself. We also cut the posts we did not want at it's concrete beds and shortened a few we wanted to re-purpose. That was the plan. . .

The Swing
Oh no!.jpg
As we pushed the hull to swing it 90 degrees, a sharp "craaaackkkk" followed by a loud "Oh, no!" occurred almost simultaneously. The better half, taking photos a few meters away, let out an expletive a split second later. So much for the plan. . . After the cracking sound; our first thought was - "there goes a frame."

A post under the hull that was cut and shortened, to allow the hull to swing and clear it, was caught by the third frame from the transom as the sling relaxed and the hull lowered a few millimeters. The frame ripped the shortened post a few millimeters above it' concrete bed. A cautious look under the hull showed the cause of the drama and that the frame did not suffer any damage!! Relief was instant as the blood pressure resumed it's normal level; we took a half hour lemonade break after this photo was taken.

Lifting a 600 plus pound (272kg) hull by one person isn't an easy task - especially with a mechanical chain hoist necessitating a slow lift, stopping, readjusting the sling and trying to "swing" the hull without causing any damage to the build or yourself. We lowered the hull to the ground and called it a day after the lift and swing activity.

The Flip
Shoring the Hull.jpg
On Wednesday, 8 April, we started early to set up the sling/cradle on the starboard side to get the hull on it's Port, gunnel edge. Midway through, we had to shore up the Starboard gunnel so that we could reposition the hoist/sling/cradle assembly much lower to provide a higher lift and get Night Heron securely it's Port gunnel edge.

On the Port Edge.jpg
With Night Heron on her Port gunnel edge, we were able to remove half of the sling strapping and secure it over the crossbeams to hold her Starboard side fixed while we hoisted the Port side. A few "Oh boy" moments occurred but no major drama ensued. The hoist to the final flip went better than expected.


The Downside of the Flip.jpg
Easy does it. . . well, almost. We did have some hull chine log/gantry post rubbing - luckily, no damage was suffered except for a few patches of lost bottom paint that'll be repainted after the "inside job" we plan on attacking after the hull is settled, cradled and leveled.

OK guys/gals. . . our 5 photo allotment has been met. . . continued on the next post in a few moments. . .

[Kapiteinterzee]

Sunday, 12 April 2020 Post continued. . .

The entire activity was many hours of work that along with rest breaks. . . well, it was hard to tell how long it took but we can safely say that we were exhausted from the entire enterprise.

The Night Heron Resting on Her Bottom.jpg
The Night Heron as we left her on Wednesday, mid afternoon.

On Thursday, we "cradled and leveled" her before jumping inside and hollering "Hallelujah." As that famous Irene Cara song from "Flashdance" proclaims "What a feeling!" We felt like suspending a water bucket over the gantry and letting it spill over us like that famous Jennifer Beals scene. But we didn't because the interior of the hull needs to be waterproofed with sealing fillets, epoxy coating and subsequent painting.

Six months of loving labor was now coming to fruition.

Back to the Build. . .

Port.jpgStarboard.jpgBow.jpgStern.jpg
So, the better half looked inside the hull and parted saying - "Well, now you've got a lot finishing to do, so you better get to it."

Truer words were never said.

To all the cohort. . .

Stay Safe, Stay Healthy.

J

[Spence]

Just a comment on plywood types. In 1983 I built my pram Midge(Atkin I think), and Jon Boat(how to build 20 boats) in 1971 with standard exterior plywood. Both got me around 16 years of life, and that was with one layer of FG on the outside of them before painting. The FG was a mistake on Midge which I used to simply get more years out of her and to prevent water logging and ground scrapes. But it was a bit heavy. Jon Boat was 12ft and my sons and I had loads of fun with it fishing in the back waters and occasionally trolling in the Canadian Shield. All fresh water use.

The plywood began to rot out on the insides due to time as both were upside down when not in use.

I would do my prep differently now. I would still use AB, fill the inevitable MFG voids with preservative of a type that can have other products adhere to it when dry. The liquid copper stuff and probably the best is fine but may run out and affect clear finishing of the hull. I would use hollow spaghetti tubing with a springh to bump the liquid in the void. I would let it soak in, then turn the ply over to pour the remaining out, then let dry. I would then use a standard PL waterproof construction adhesive cartridge glue and pump this glue in after the planking is screwed on, but, always before the next segment butts up against the next. You want the voids accessible for the last stage. This leaves the ply for FG or finishing,no voids and properly treated. With marine ply there SB no voids in the end grains.

I would also precoat open bilge drains,scuppers and waterproof float boxes with a coat of FG resin and before screwing on the frames.

[gray duck]

Nice job on the flip! She looks lovely!

[Rich Jones]

Good job on the flip! Success with no sore backs.
You must be tempted to shove her in the water just to see it float.

[The Jeff]

Nice work! So cool the heron was sitting on the gantry crane watching you.

[Kapiteinterzee]

Just a comment on plywood types. In 1983 I built my pram Midge(Atkin I think), and Jon Boat(how to build 20 boats) in 1971 with standard exterior plywood. Both got me around 16 years of life, and that was with one layer of FG on the outside of them before painting. The FG was a mistake on Midge which I used to simply get more years out of her and to prevent water logging and ground scrapes. But it was a bit heavy. Jon Boat was 12ft and my sons and I had loads of fun with it fishing in the back waters and occasionally trolling in the Canadian Shield. All fresh water use.

The plywood began to rot out on the insides due to time as both were upside down when not in use.

I would do my prep differently now. I would still use AB, fill the inevitable MFG voids with preservative of a type that can have other products adhere to it when dry. The liquid copper stuff and probably the best is fine but may run out and affect clear finishing of the hull. I would use hollow spaghetti tubing with a springh to bump the liquid in the void. I would let it soak in, then turn the ply over to pour the remaining out, then let dry. I would then use a standard PL waterproof construction adhesive cartridge glue and pump this glue in after the planking is screwed on, but, always before the next segment butts up against the next. You want the voids accessible for the last stage. This leaves the ply for FG or finishing,no voids and properly treated. With marine ply there SB no voids in the end grains.

I would also precoat open bilge drains,scuppers and waterproof float boxes with a coat of FG resin and before screwing on the frames.

Hey Spence,
Thank you for your post. . . appreciate and agree with it 100%.

We carefully read your experiences, comments and "would prep differently" statement post when building ply on frame hulls.

Your first paragraph is exactly why we went with extra precautions when using BCX as our planking material. Our first few posts noted our efforts to give the BCX a chance at longevity by using penetrating epoxy and filling all the edge voids that were few. We took these precautions because we researched on these forums other people's experiences similar to yours. In essence, we too took all the steps you noted in your last paragraph

In your closing sentence that speaks to the drains, scuppers interior prep and such; those items are now "in process" and will be addressed on this coming Sunday post.

Again, thank you for your views.

Saty safe, stay healthy.

J.

[Kapiteinterzee]

Nice job on the flip! She looks lovely!

Hey Gray Duck,

Thank you for the note. . . appreciate it!

Here is the bow view that should have accompanied the post - BTW the one we posted was taken by me and it looks like the Night Heron has a "bent beak" or, slanted bow. We admit we're not photographers - our better half is. . . so. . .

Stay safe, stay healthy.

J.

Night Heron's Bow.jpg