Bayraider 17 kit build - Basingstoke

[Anthony Huggett]

Andrew,
     Thank you again for the pics and info on the cradle.

Nice to see the finished hull. What a beauty!

Mine isn't coming on quite so fast - but I'm only managing to average 1 man hour per day, with work and other commitments.

Anthony

[Andrew Denman]

Hi Anthony,

We launched the BR17 earlier this week and I have a couple of early pics for you. (motivation!!!!!)  It will take me a week or so to get some sailing footage up on youtube but she sailed really well and was very responsive.  The winds were only around 10 kts and below so I am hoping to get her out in some heavier stuff over the next few weeks.

regards,

Andrew

[Anthony Huggett]

Having epoxy coated all the large ply parts, and sanded off the first couple of planks, today was the day we started putting her together.

[Clem Freeman]

Coming along now then Anthony. Your just a couple of days ahead of me. Must be nice to have something resembling a boat.

[steve jones]

you're catching me up Anthony, I'm waiting for more epoxy before glassing the bottom. I've made up the centre board as the first peripheral component.


Steve Jones

[Anthony Huggett]

Steve,
     I think you have a comfortable lead! Have you (or Andrew or Matt) any tips to share on getting the bow into the mould? It looks from Andrew's pictures as though the panels have been screwed onto the mould, which will force them into the right curve, but at what stage do you remove the screws? I'm concerned that if I don't get the right shape then the outer keel pieces won't fit properly.

Anthony

[Anthony Huggett]

Finally I have finished the first stitching & taping, as you will see from the images.

One thing I think I got wrong (or not as good as it could be):
I put the transom into the formers, and then stuck the inner transom pieces on using a combination of the rudder bolts (though with a fresh nut so as not to damage the nylock) and a heavy bag of salt that provided a decent even load. So far so good, and I'm pleased with the result. The thing is, I wonder if it would be neater to put the single thickness transom on the hull, stitch & tape, and then put the other pieces over the top of the tape? As things stand I will have to flowcoat and sand the inside of the transom in the outboard well area at some point to disguise the taping.

[Anthony Huggett]

Stage 1 is nearly complete (bottom and intermediate planks, transom, internal structure below the floor.) All that remains is to glue the floor support battens in place, paint the intereior and plane the top edges of the battens. Meanwhile I'm taking advantage of the dry-ish weather to put the boat outside and start on the floor.

[Anthony Huggett]

Finally, some progress to report. Behold the floor of a BR17!

I think this takes about 3 weeks to do from start to finish, working evenings and weekends. Having someone to mix the epoxy is a huge help.

Hopefully, once the floor is stuck in the boat I can push on with the rest of the construction.

[Anthony Huggett]

We finally got the lapstrake top panels on this afternoon. Pretty much by the book, and fitted beautifully at the bow (all down to Matt's computer router, I'm sure). Stern connection remains to be done another day. There's no problem there, just not enough time.

So, 1 year (on Tuesday) since I bought her, and she finally looks like a boat.

[Anthony Huggett]

I spoke too soon! All seemed well until I tried to fit the main and aft bulkheads. It seems the top panels are too upright and not curved enough. That is distorting the lower panels above the floor so the starboard side is nearly half an inch from the bulkhead in the angle between the top and middle panels.

Has anyone else had this problem?

My thoughts to fix this are to relax (ie. cut and replace with loose ones) the cable ties and fillet the bulkheads and structure to the bottom panels, then retighten the top planks before filleting and glassing.

I might also try spreading the top panels with some sturdy timber and wedges.

Any advice gratefully received!

Anthony

[Clem Freeman]

Anthony,

Have a word with Matt. When I was doing the bulkheads on my S17 Matt advised that I was trying to get them to fit to tightly and this would distort the panels, it was best to leave a few gaps and use fillets. Not sure if this applies to the Bayraider though.


Clem

[steve jones]

Hello Anthony,


I can not remember much trouble around either bulkhead, but  prior to fitting them I braced the maximum beam ( 182 cm ) with a stout piece of timber. I left it there until both seats were in.
   Another difference with my configeration is that I incorperated a couple of deck beams , I have not taken any decent pics to show any of the stages unfortunately. Yet more changes made , in that I reduced the height of both bulkheads by 6mm to allow for a deck to be laid, and I cut a larger access hole in the forward bulkhead and beefed up the bulkheads to take stuff to be screwed to them.
  Does not address your problem though, my instinct would be to do as you suggest and do a best fit to the bulkhead profile.
I really admire what you are doing in such a confined space !

All the best,

Steve

[Anthony Huggett]

Hi Steve,
       Thanks for that. I think that if I spread the max beam as you did, the whole thing may come good. The main problem is that the top is too tight because of the straightening effect of the rebated gunwhale. It's particularly acute at the stern.

Anthony