A lot has happened in the two weeks since my last post. We have had some of the family home for Christmas and then on the 27th headed up to Lake Macquarie to help out with the Australian Laser National championships. The regatta was mostly fine with light winds but the rain arrived for the last two days and the weather system developed into an east coast low after the regatta.
Waiting for wind on the finish boat at the Australian Laser National titles on Lake Macquarie
We brought Passion out of Lake Macquarie at the first high tide on the morning after the regatta and made a dash for the safety of our swing mooring at Woolwich in the west harbour. The trip out through the Swansea bar was fairly lumpy but the wind and wave was from straight ahead and the sea state had not yet built up to unmanageable proportions. Once through the heads we turned south, let out two thirds of the furling genoa and headed south. The winds were at the top end of the forecast range and hit 30 knots regularly at which times we made 8.1 knots over the ground. As forecast the breeze abated in the afternoon as we approached Sydney harbour and we made less speed with the full genoa and fifteen to twenty knots of wind.
Much of the trip was in rain so we left the wet genoa on the furler until today when the sun returned and the wind died allowing for a pleasant conversion of Passion back to racing mode.
Wednesday was a sad day for sailors with the loss of a crew member from Amante which was returning from the race to Coffs Harbour. Four of the yachts from Greenwich Flying Squadron sail against Amante in the RANSA winter Wednesday series so the loss of a fellow sailor hits home.
Wednesday was wet and windy even on land and at West Pennant Hills our high rainfall made the evening news. The back yard was flooded and water was flowing under the upturned hull so physical work was impossible. I took the time to order up timber for the deck of the yacht and to play around with the water system. Thursday was still too wet and humid for epoxy painting so I spend a few hours sanding and installing the water inlet pipes for the two fresh water tanks. Much of today was spent on Passion but I managed to install the two settee berth backs. These are specified as 6mm plywood but I increased it to 9mm as the box sections formed with the 6 mm shelves, the 12 mm skin and the 9 mm settee backs forms very strong anchoring for the chainplates.
The 9 mm ply settee backs are now glued to the frames and shelves forming a strong box section to anchor the chainplates.
Another view of the 9 mm ply settee backs that form the box section around the chainplates on our Didi 40 Cr
It is exactly eighteen months since I took the first photo of a few of the frames I had cut out on the garage floor for our Didi 40 Cr. Progress has been steady rather than spectacular and we have had many breaks for travel both within Australia and overseas. There is also time off for sailing Passion on Wednesdays and the Laser on Saturdays and Sundays.
Initially I had an objective of launching the new yacht in time for the Port Stephens Regatta in April 2016 but with the many breaks from building I realised this was not possible. A new target date is to launch in mid August in time for the start of the 2016 twilight racing season in October.
Today was spend sanding previously painted surfaces or preparing clear epoxy coated plywood for more clear epoxy. I did manage to coat a couple of feature panels with clear epoxy but the preparation took longer than anticipated and I need another three hours to complete the white two pack epoxy primer I had planned.
For the record I took a few more photos to remind myself how much has been completed after eighteen months.
The transom is marked up ready for the boarding platform. The widened cockpit of our Wide Stern version shows up well and the top bearing for the rudder stock is already glued in.
The bulkhead on front of the galley will be painted white.
Now three coats of clear epoxy on the mast step bulkhead
Looking into the dinette area from the V berth showing two coats of clear epoxy on the V berth ante room feature panel.
As more white two pack epoxy primer is applied the interior of our Didi 40 Cr is being transformed. Today I completed the priming in the V berth area and commended painting in the the settee area. Before applying the white primer I added a coat of clear epoxy to the mast step bulkhead that will probably be left as a varnished feature panel. In the quarter berth I added a third coat of clear epoxy to the feature panel but after inspecting the finished job with a bright light I found a couple of areas of epoxy bloom in the second coat so I will have to sand these two coats back in a small area for the finish I want. No one else would notice it high up near the underside of the bridge deck across the cockpit but I would know it was there.
Two coats of white two pack epoxy primer on top of clear epoxy in the V berth area
A second coat of clear epoxy on the mast step bulkhead
A third coat of clear epoxy on the quarter berth bulkhead.
Tomorrow I am hoping to get a first coat on all of the settee area, a first coat in the galley area and a second coat on much of the settee area and the chart table.
This is all in preparation for leaving it for a couple of weeks while we help out with the Australian Laser National Championships at Belmont. We transferred Passion to Lake Macquarie yesterday and bumped over the channel with the help of a tow from Lake Macquarie Marine Rescue. On the way out on the 5th of January we will have to find a higher tide. Passion has wings on the keel and we cannot tip her over to reduce the draft. The new boat has 500 mm more draft so Lake Macquarie will not be on the future visit list unless they dredge the channel more.
Passion is loaded up for the transfer to Lake Macquarie for the Australian Laser National Championships. There is a suitable weather window on Tuesday 22nd which should provide gentle beam reaching conditions to Swansea. Some of the tasks that had to be completed in preparation for the trip include;
Replacing the gimbal pivots on the Eno oven.
Buying a new set of flares that are in date.
Splicing a new 46 metre length of nylon rope to the 23 metres of 10 mm chain so that we can anchor at the finish line without having to put the rope to chain splice through the windlass.
Fitting the spray dodger and bimini.
Loading with water and fuel.
I still have to replace the pin in the hinges from the cockpit table that broke at Port Stephens last April but need some sharper drill bits to complete the task and the element in the water heater needs to be replaced if I want a hot shower without running the motor. Aside from these non essential items we are ready to roll.
The rope to chain splice that will run through the windlass if required. The 23 metres of chain should be enough for most conditions on Lake Macquarie
A fresh set of Cat 4 flares ready for Port Stephens in April and to be off shore compliant.
The team at Greenwich Flying Squadron are counting their blessings after the storms and damaging winds abated in time for the Christmas twilight race and BBQ. After the race we dined in the area normally occupied by racks of Sabots but the club was cleared of all movable items to make room for 200 members and guests inside and another 100 on the deck.
Passion’s crew dining in the Sabot storage area at the GFS Christmas party.
Another angle on the Passion crew dining at the GFS Christmas party.
On the water not one of the red division completed the course within the time limit as there was not enough wind for the smaller yachts. In our Blue division race we tempted fate on the start line with scarcely a breath of air behind us and an outgoing tide. Two of the fleet were on course side and only one bothered to return. Agrovation figured that by the time they beat back into no breeze against the tide the whole fleet would be long gone. By going on they at least had a chance to see what result they might have achieved. In the end they did beat us across the line courtesy of a lift on their side of Humbug but we knew they were OCS and were keeping a cover on Worlds Apart. So from the start we took the outside bend with stronger tide and more pressure but even then there were holes and with the breeze from behind we were often blanketed. Such was the case when Gwhizz and Worlds Apart came through and carried on with momentum. Up to then we had been following Jedi and considering ourselves to be fortunate to be so close. From that point Jedi disappeared from our radar as we focused on catching Gwhizz and Worlds Apart. With much advice from the two Laser skippers on the cabin holding the pole and boom out we steered deep away from Greenwich and were rewarded with better wind and a quick recovery into second place. We went so wide that I feared we would not make the big red navigation mark on the corner of Goat Island but we did it well. For once the run around Goat Island went well for us and as we hardened up for the beat home we had caught up to the White division and our friends in Capriole. It was almost as important to beat Capriole home as it was to stay in front of Worlds Apart so we followed her moves pretty closely. Against a tide that was approaching the top we made good angles up to Long Nose point and then took a lift just as we needed to tack away. Once around we were still chasing Capriole and had a Young 88 for company. We went below the Young 88 and to my surprise we soon pulled ahead and lifted up to her line. In these light conditions it is unusual for Passion to pass a Young 88 so I took a photo as a reminder.
Did Passion really pass a Young 88?
Humbug was frustrating as the tracks show as we needed to tack away from lifts at the line of moored yachts. Fortunately Worlds Apart was on the same line and while they were catching us we felt we had enough up our sleeve to make the finish. The long race time wise meant that the back markers had larger handicaps so I was pleased that we pipped Farrst Company by a fraction of a minute for second on handicap. Needless to say we were miles behind Jedi and they won on handicap by a big margin. The festivities after were enjoyed by all but it was a long night and the wrist watch pipped the midnight signal as I was disembarking from Passion at Woolwich.
The GFS choir helping us get into the Christmas spirit
I have been installing the outer wings of the V berth bunk base as fixed elements glassed to the hull and glued to the outer bunk bearers. This makes the outer elements into a small “U” beam with the outer flange the hull and the inner flange the 22 x 44 mm meranti bearer. The web of the beam is then the 6 mm plywood which will be the outer edge of the bunk. Apart from making a strong beam to resist slamming in the waves it produces a neat shape for the rest of the bunk top. I might hinge the bunk tops as I find the loose plywood top on our Jeanneau SO 37 difficult to hold open and as a result the large space under the bunk is rarely used.
The locker fronts in the V berth ante room are now installed and have their first coat of primer on the faces. Inside the locker the painting is finished except for touch up after the deck is installed. There is still a seat to be installed in the ante room and under the seat will be a sizable locker. I am keeping the cut outs for the lockers in case we find it necessary to put door on some of the cupboards.
There is now acres of boat ready for painting so that means another trip to the store for more paint. There is still acres of epoxy coated plywood to be sanded ready for priming. It is essential to take off most of the gloss to get good adhesion of the two pack epoxy primer. The same goes for any cleats that have to be epoxied to previously epoxy coated surfaces. In most cased I take the plywood back to almost bare wood to ensure the strongest possible bond.
The plywood edges of the bunk tops have been converted into U beams by bonding the plywood to the hull and to the outer bunk bearer.
Shelves and hanging locker fronts in our Didi 40 Cr. The frame face is protected as it will be epoxy coated and varnished as an accent panel in a sea of white.
In between big task I have been putting some finishing touches like rounding some of the furniture edges with the Makita hand router.
Wednesday’s twilight race at Greenwich Flying Squadron was a short sprint around Cockatoo and Goat Islands followed be a long wait for the approaching thunderstorm. The forecast suggested a big genoa but the wind on the water was significantly stronger so we opted for a conservative No 2 genoa and powering up the mainsail in the lulls.
From the start we managed to protect our leeward position to reach Humbug ahead of the pack. As usual as soon as we rounded Onion Point we were blanketed by the fleet behind but on this occasion we were able to gybe to starboard and keep clear air along the Woolwich shore. Luckily for us the fleet went high up into the wind shadow of Greenwich while we did a big arc to arrive at Cockatoo Island behind Izzi. Saoirse was alongside us on the run down the Cockatoo shore and Agrovation was running up to us with gusts from behind the fleet.
We kept as wide of the Cockatoo Island wind shadow as Saoirse to leeward would permit and managed to hook into the fresh wind ahead. By this time Izzi had a good lead and one which she kept extending all night.
By Goat Island Worlds Apart had an inside overlap and we had to let her through and follow her home.
Our elapsed time was not helped by an unfavorable knock at the corner of Cockatoo Island on the work to Goat and on the finish line where we needed two tacks to make the finish mark. The third place over the line and fifth on handicap was a good result for the conditions considering our handicap which is just marginally behind Worlds Apart at the front of the fleet.
Avanti made a late charge and was rewarded with a second on handicap with Izzi the clear winner on the night.
The BBQ on the deck was a pleasant affair for those who finished their meal before the thunderstorm. While the rain was brief it was heavy and that brought the evening to an early close.
For me it was a successful day as I was able to free up the bolts on the oven in preparation for replacing the gimbal pivots. Once I knew that the oven could be pulled apart I was able to schedule a visit to our favorite stainless steel fabricator to weld in new gimbal pivots. That task was completed today, Friday, in most pleasant conditions by motoring around to North Sydney, lifting the oven out, having the gimbal pivots replaced and reinstalling the oven. On the way out we had a good look at the remodeled Wild Oats XI and on the way back observed the exclusion zone being readied for the extreme sailing event. Back at Woolwich the temperature had climbed to 38 degrees C and the wind picked up from the West well in excess of the forecast. Back home it was still 36 degrees C and time for an afternoon nap before a couple of hours of sanding and painting on the new build.
Today could have been a bit day of sanding and painting but I wanted to show some progress so I fitted a couple of locker fronts just for the photo opportunity.
Locker fronts on our Didi 40 Cr glued and nailed to the frames and shelves
The front for the hanging locker in the quarter berth ante room of our Didi 40 Cr. Some cable organiser tube is installed behind the lockers.
An accent panel of epoxied and varnished timber is going to be left in the quarter berth and other rooms.
Two coats of Interprotect brighten up the vanity in the head.
Just the end panel on the chart table seat is needed to be fitted before the hull is turned.
One coat of clear epoxy and a coat of Interprotect in the V berth ante room. One more coat of Interprotect and the locker front can be installed.
At last the awning is installed and just in time for summer. As soon as the shade material was pulled over the support structure the temperature under the hull dropped and working conditions improved. Once the grout under the supports cures we will be ready to turn the hull. This event will probable be left until after the New Year as I have some other activities planned and the hull is safe and dry while it is upside down.
Today I cut and fitted the three shelves in the front berth ante room. They are grouted to the hull ready to be epoxied to the hull with a couple of layers of 475 gram double bias cloth. Then there are cleats to be glued to the shelf edges and the whole area primed with International Interprotect before fitting the locker front.
Rear view of the awning over our Didi 40 Cr
Front view of the awning over our Didi 40 Cr
Good tacking angles to Cockatoo but on the wrong side of the shift approaching Goat Island
This week we got the start just right being on starboard tack on the windward edge of the fleet. Agrovation tacked across the fleet on port and back onto starboard just ahead of us but then stalled allowing us to pull up alongside and to windward. As we approached Onion Point Agrovation wanted to pinch us out and luffed as high as they could go. With our small closely sheeted genoa and full main we were able to match their height but once they were headed and their genoa backed we were out of there. They could not tack on top of us and with the header they were stalled holding up the whole fleet to leeward. We tacked away much earlier that we would have liked but the prospect of Agrovation involuntary tacking onto port with the big header was too much of a risk and we did have the benefit of the lift. By sheer luck we shaved Onion Point at mid tide and just hung outside the line of moored yachts along the Woolwich shore. Looking back we could see the fleet becalmed in Humbug and we counted our good fortune to have scrambled away.
While we had a big break on the fleet we were sailing with our smallest headsail and the wind was easing from the 25 knots earlier in the day so we took no chanced and tacked to cover any changes in the breeze.
Out tacks to Cockatoo Island were pretty impressive and it does show the advantage of a small jib in shifty conditions. Behind we could see Irukandji had broken away from the pack and was giving chase. Their chance came on the approach to Goat Island where we were caught on the wrong side of two shifts. Our tacks here look as bad as our earlier ones look good and it was here that Irukandji made up all the lost ground. From there we had little hope of holding this longer lighter faster yacht on the reaches and runs home.
We were rewarded with a second fastest by a good margin over Worlds Apart and a first on handicap to seal our spring series win. A series equal third on fastest times was also appreciated in such company as Irukandji, Jedi and Worlds Apart.
Ron put our improved performance down to the 200 kg of lead we removed from the hull after the RANSA series. I am inclined to agree as we have managed to keep Passion moving in the big breezes without the lead and any weight saving is good for the light airs. The other factor in last nights good performance was the new forestay. Joe Walsh replaced the forestay we damaged last week and set up the rigging the way he likes it. This is with less mast prebend and hence a fuller main which suited us in the lighter conditions. We made good us of the backstay to flatten the main in the gusts when needed so I think we will leave the rig a little looser from now on.
The past week have had some very hot conditions so boat building progress has been measured rather than spectacular. In the hot conditions the epoxy resin cures quickly so any work had to be well prepared. Also as I am doing a lot of small jobs I try to have some extra work ready to use any surplus glue. bog or paint. I am at the stage where I want to prime a few panels with International Interprotect and as I use up a disposable roller with each batch I like to have a large area ready to paint.
After a few days of sanding in between jobs I have the head ready to paint with any surplus paint and am a couple of hours of sanding away from having the quarter berth ante room ready. The shell of the vanity unit in the head is completed except for one side panel which I need to leave off until the painting is finished. The top of the vanity and the one shelf are grouted and fibreglassed to the hull and have cleats ready to take the side in due course.
So that I have places to use up extra fillet bog and extra primer I have started preparing the forward berth ante room. I still have to cut our the four shelves and two fronts but the preparation gives me plenty of uses for the spare bog and paint.
In the dim light of approaching evening I set up the laser level to mark the line on the transom for the cleat where the swim platform will be attached. I have agonized about the slope of the platform but in the end accepted Dudley’s plan with it dead level. The other option was to have it follow the slope of the cockpit floor so it would shed water better but I went for the flat option when I realised how much I use the platform to store items I am transferring from the tender.
One job I must not forget to do before installing the locker fronts is to cut access holes for wiring, instruments, gas and plumbing and install cable conduits where needed.
Quarter berth locker fronts ready to paint
Quarter berth ante room seat and locker front before cutting the locker opening.
Top and shelf in the vanity. The tiny shelf at the side is a small seat under which will run cable ducts. I will think about a wider seat higher up the hull once the boat is upright.
After a relatively quiet Spring series it was good to get a fresh breeze and zip around a longer course. For the race the wind varies between 15 knots to a short peak of 30 knots and Passion with a clean bottom, the small No 3 jib and a full mainsail handled the conditions well.
Ignoring the problems with the Genoa halyard we started to leeward of the fleet and just reached Humbug first. Saoirse soon ran over the top of us but then proceeded to take the fleet up into the lee of Greenwich leaving us alone on a course out the middle in breeze. That got us to Cockatoo Island first but we soon had the fleet blanketing us from behind and closing quickly. Saoirse and Irukandji out a little wider came out first but we held off the rest of the fleet. On the wind we were having a good duel with these two and managed to stay close for much longer than expected. The green men on Saoirse seemed to be sailing better than usual but to be fair the conditions suite her non overlapping headsail.
By Goat Island Saoirse had a lead over Irukandji and us on Passion that would hold to the finish line. For a short time on the run from Goat back around Cockatoo Island we carried a 30 knot gust down and looked to make up ground only to lose a similar amount as we negotiated the large fleet of early starters rounding Cockatoo for the beat home.
Out third place on time and second on handicap was all we expected and enough to put us in the lead for the series.
Frank recorded the tracks on his phone and they show we enjoyed some very good tacking angles against an incoming tide.
After the race it was time to go up the mast and unwrap the genoa halyard from the forestay. I think I will enjoy not having a furler on the new boat as it will save eight kilos of weight eight metres up in the air or the equivalent of 32 kilos extra lead on the bottom of the keel.
The yellow tracks are from Wednesday 25th Nov and show good angles in a fresh breeze.
We made a poor choice of which side or the fleet to sail and suffered when the breeze freshened from the North ahead of the later Southerly change. We were stuck out in the tide in little wind and going nowhere fast. Most of the fleet sought the northern side and worked along the Hunters Hill shore in stronger breeze, a better angle and less tide. We had some company with Tartan, Tashtego and Saoirse on our side and it was only a shore hugging move along Cockatoo Island that allowed us to pass these three. The run down the South side of Cockatoo to Long Nose point and the reach to Goat Island were contrasts. The run was in fading air with the genoa poled out while the last part of the reach to Goat was in a strong Southerly change. Anticipating the change we were well to windward of French Connection and managed to catch her at the bear away around Goat. It was not a pretty sight seeing yacht of all size rounding up in the gusts. The Beneteau 40.7 Fireball from the black fleet kept us entertained and apprehensive as the gybed and rounded up in front of us. In this confusion French Connection and Tartan regained the lead over us and our own several moments of round up let them escape for the time being.
Ahead the fleet had run out of breeze on the entry to Humbug so now was our chance to make up time. Running deep into Humbug we tried to go for Onion Point but the overlap from the Green Division Tana kept us above our desired line and later they blanked us on the run to the line. Ahead we could see Gwhizz, who had been well in front of us for most of the race, being overtaken by Tartan while we were lucky to hold our French Connection who was taking our wind from behind.
Irukandji and Jedi were officially first and second over the line while Worlds Apart and Faarst Company were missed in the melee at the finish.
Our handicap place of seventh will move out to ninth once these two are included in the results.
Against the tide with little wind is not a good look
The last little frame has been bonded to the hull. this is the small frame under the chart table seat. There are three spacers holding it parallel with the adjacent frame. Another photo is the second last frame and it is the side of the vanity in the head. One spacer has been left in place after the glue has dried to keep it steady. And the third last frame was the side of the hanging locker in the quarter berth ante room. I am just showing the top (bottom if you are right way up) part as the light is too strong to show the rest of it. The photos show a range of construction techniques including using spacers to hold frames level with adjacent frames and timbers clamped to frames to keep the plywood straight until the glue on the frame cures.
The base of the frame that forms the side of the hanging locker in the quarter berth ante room of our Didi 40 Cr. The space on the right has a small seat at the same height as the bunks. The locker needs just the front to be completed.
The last tiny frame on our Didi 40 Cr is one for the seat at the chart table
Just the front and the top needed to finish the base of the vanity in the head of our Didi 40 Cr. There will be a shower seat in the area in the foreground.
I am currently painting the insides of the lockers in the quarter berth prior to installing the locker fronts. At the same time I have painted the rest of the quarter berth area including under the bunks. I am using International Interprotect over clear epoxy which meant sanding the gloss off the clear epoxy before applying the two coats of Interprotect. The round base of the random orbital sander has been effective in sanding the inside of the radius chine but there is still a lot of hand sanding of stringers.
The painting could not proceed until I had glassed the shelves in the locker to the hull. Some shelves are located so close to stringers that I can glass only one side of the shelf to the hull so I am doubling the glass in those cases. Peel ply is proving very effective in holding down the wet edge of the glass and giving a nice smooth transition from bare timber to the glassed area. The extra time taken to cut and apply the peel ply is more than made up by the reduced clean up and sanding time.
The power board and instrument area behind the chart table is getting the same epoxy glass and paint treatment ready for installing the frame for the panel. This meant finishing the chart table upside down.
By my reckoning there are just three frames left to fit. One for the hanging locker in the quarter berth area, one for the side of the vanity in the head and one for the front edge of the seat in the chart area.
At least three coats of epoxy or epoxy paint over all the quarter berth area of our Didi 40 Cr
Paint and progress on the chart table area of our Didi 40 Cr
Shelves glassed to the hull in the galley area of our Didi 40 Cr.