Tuesday 25 March 2008

Flashheart - AUT 3202

I got about 10 hours in at the workshop over easter. This enabled me to finish the wingbar gigging, and start filling and fairing. The wing bar arrangement is not conventional but it is kind of funky. However again the extra joint takes precious time.

I managed to get some paint from the local DIY store. This was the in-house brand boat paint... It costs about 14 Euros a tin :-). I have gone back to my original color scheme (white and red hull with a gray deck), but this means a 3 stage paint job not a one stage. The boat will look better but it takes more time.



I did the next stage of the rudder repair. Basically I removed loads of matrial to try and re-glue the T core and well as possible. I have now layed up loads of carbon in the area I ground away. This will then get re-faired and sprayed when I spray white bits of the boat.




So the big fill and fair task starts with a view to getting some paint on soon. Then it will be fit out. In the mean time I have to finish the rudder, wing bar joints, get fittings and tramps organized etc. The job list seams to get longer when i think about it, but at least Flashheart now has a number "AUT 3202". (Thanks to Adam for sending a building plaque.)

I think I have to start Moth building in the evenings rather than sorting out the flat. This is hard as my workshop is 40 min drive away from home and I still have loads to do in the flat.., I am in danger of ending up with my usual training program of not sailing before the Worlds, and testing everything in the first race. The build race was really important. Not beating the other guys but staying motivated to get flying so I had time to get her and myself sailing well. I am still motivated but with the finish line in sight I feel like I just capsized on the gybe mark. So it is time to get the boat upright and sheet in and drive her on to the finish. I am now racing to get there before the weather changes to perfect training conditions so that I can train in the new boat rather than the old one. Actually there are not many 2 boat worlds campains out there so I hope you are impressed. ;-)

4 comments:

Felix Schulte said...

Hi Doug,

Your frame construction looks really great. How did you do it? I cut the tubes, glue them together with Spabond and later wind carbon around the connections.
The other thing that I would like to know is how you did the gantry connection on the rear tubes?
As you probably know I am planning a little moth vacation in La Lavandou starting April 6th. So far we are 5 moth. Do you want to come with your old boat and join us?

keep up the spirit

Felix

Doug Culnane said...

Hi Felix,

The wing bars are gigged in position bogged and then carboned. The details of the joints I will have to show you with pictures later.

The trick with the gantry is copied from Adam. Get a plank of wood and round the side. Layup over parcel tape around the side to make a U channel. The cut up the U shape to make brackets to bog on the rear wing stubs. They are then carbon taped in place. Again Ii will try to do more detail pictures later.

I do not really have enough holiday to do a sailing holiday far away although La Lavandou is not too far. However 2 days traveling there and back is not really a good use of my time when I could use the 2 days for sailing in Austria or finishing the boat. Have a great holiday thought and thanks for the invitation.

Have you launched your boat yet?

Felix Schulte said...

Hi Doug,

unfortunately our boat hasn't been launched, yet. I can assure you, that you are the first to know, as this would make the winner of the build race... By the way, have you heard something from Martin, yet?

I have gotten a slight idea how you did the gantry trick, but I would really appreciate a detailed blog entry with some pics. I have decided to post some of those building tricks during the week too, so my blog gets some news.

How does your time frame look like? Our biggest obstacle are the foils. We still plan to have three boats running next weekend - gonna be tough though.

Doug Culnane said...

Cool I found your new Blog: http://foilermoth.blogspot.com/

Last I heard he was getting the boat painted so He is looking good in 2nded place I guess.

I guess I need about 6 days. However at about 2~3 available days a month this is hard to fit in especially if I start sailing my old boat. I want to launch in May.