Mid Build (Video)

Brief walk through of the interior mid build

 

BULB CASTING

We were finally given the go-ahead to cast our lead bulbs. I scrapped out an old boat for our lead. We had our “mock bulb” pressed into a sand mixture, making a proper mold. We then borrowed an old furnace, and within several hours, had poured molten lead into 4 bulb molds. I had been worried for sometime about this job, but it went so easily, I was speechless. The next day we broke open the molds, cut off the risers (pour holes), and started cleaning up the bulbs. Currently they are 77kg, BUT they need to be drilled, bolt heads counter sunk, trimmed, and faired. THEN, I will bring the weight down to 72kg (the max allowed).

Bulb mold

Glueing the top on

Cold furnace

Preparing to pour

Almost finished lead bulb

DECK THE HULLS with

Now that the boat is right side up, a bunch more jobs can get done. First the cabin stringers went on (same process as the hull), then all the bulkheads and ring frames were faired flat (just like the hull), and deck beams were installed. Finally, the 9mm plywood deck was epoxied and screwed down (just like the hull) EXCEPT these areas are much smaller and I am more efficient since I have done this work three times.

With the deck down, it received the required layer of epoxy and cloth. Also, most of the interior was sanded, sealed with epoxy, and some of the bilge areas received primer and paint.

Deck Beams & Stringers

Deck about to go down

Deck down w/ hatch cutouts

Aft water tight compartment in epoxy

After compartment in primer

Final paint

Cockpit Sole

Taped seams

Cloth coated

Cockpit combings

Removing camber for deck hatches

Side view

Observation pod glued down

Epoxy lined holes for all deck hardware

Mast step question

Mast step mold

Mast wedge of strengthened epoxy

ROOM AT THE MARK!

First ever 5.80 crash, then roll over…!

Well for the first time ever two 5.80s have traded paint. On the way out of the shop, hull 79 scraped hull 113. Good news that it was just primer. Once outside, the crane picked up and then rolled hull 79 right side up.

The boat at this point weighed 880 lbs (400 kg) according to the crane operator. I used furniture dollies to roll the strongback out, and the same dollies to roll the cradle back into the shop. From crane hook up to set down it was 32 minutes of fun, (but I had to rent the crane for four hours).

The next few pictures are the deck beams and cabin sides going together, all the jobs now are flying along and going well.

I adopted a donor boat, to harvest lead and a few more goodies. I stripped the boat as best as I could, then went to the shipyard to haul the boat out. I cut the boat up with a Sawzall (reciprocating saw). It was a lot of work, but did get 800 lbs (362.8 kg) of lead ingots from the keel. I’m bringing a new boat into the world, I took an old boat out of the world. I think far more boats are being built than being recycled, but that’s a different topic…

Scraping by hull 113 on the way out

Set right side up

Deck beams and house sides

Deck beams and house sides

Donor boat getting smaller

Pay off, lead ingots!