New knees are done and more :-)
Knees
This last weekend we have finished the knees on the starboard side for the main mast cap shroud.
We are not going to win any prizes for beauty ;-) But this is so much stronger (remember the original single knee on the starboard side only came down to the first stringer and the backing plate was tiny). Because the original knee on this side was so minimal we didn't have the foundation of it's wide, thick tabbing to spread the load onto the hull to avoid a hard spot. That is why we added the foam core to the hull.
The knot of the chainplate loop will come in the middle of these knees. To ensure that the load is passed vertically into the knees we will have a second backing plate between the knees (bedded with thickened epoxy) so that all the fibreglass layers connecting the knees to the deckhead will contribute).
Mizzen chainplate loops
We have also been waterproofing our mizzen chainplate loops. They have been working brilliantly (so far since we put the mizzen mast up we have had about 5 named storms with a maximum speed of over 90mph recorded in the boatyard) but leaks have been an issue.
We installed catchpots around the knots which worked until they were full when the lids proved not to be watertight. The problem was that as rain runs down the shrouds the Dyneema line construction seems to direct the water into the hollow core. So our attempts to seal around the chainplate above the deck didn't stop the water and when it rained hard the catchpots where quickly overwhelmed. We could look at better quality catchpots with rubber seals but decided instead on simply using thickened epoxy to fill the chainplate loops and the hole in the deck.
As water can still run down inside the Dyneema we are sealing the whole knot and it's connection to the underside of the deckhead with thickened epoxy. First we soak the whole know in thin epoxy and then coat in thickened epoxy.
Saloon backrest
We have been using 3 planks as a saloon backrest. They have always need a vertical support in the middle as otherwise they bent as you lean back. We needed to remove the socket for the temporary (and removable) middle support in order to glass in the knees. So we have added a stiffening batten to one of the planks and it has worked perfectly. We will do the same to the others.
Next
We have several projects on the go, some waiting for parts:
- Refleks heater (waiting for heat shield and radiators)
- Forecabin (prep today, might end up waiting on more resin and fibreglass)
- Sealing the rest of the mizzen chainplate loops
Freedom
We are very concerned with the many problems of Internet privacy, security and commercialisation of our data. Hence, we are continuing to move towards fully free, independent and self hosted content. Unfortunately, these links are often censored by the big platforms.
So for more pictures see our Pixelfed account at https://gram.social/i/web/profile/788735897508496474 (you don't need an account and there are no security or privacy issues in order to view them). If you prefer there are apps (see https://pixelfed.org/) and they can be seen by any Fediverse app
We post more frequent updates on Mastodon at https://mas.to/@SustainableSailing (again no account needed, no tracking, security or privacy issues). There are lots of phone apps available (I use either Tusky or the official Mastodon app). We provide hosting for your own Mastodon account at https://amastodon.uk (free although contributions towards hosting costs are welcome)
All our videos are now available on PeerTube at https://cuddly.tube/c/sustainable_sailing/videos (no account needed, visible from the webpage with no tracking, security or privacy issues. As with the photos and posts these are also shared over the Fediverse so any app/account can read them. Plus there is an app to watch the videos if you wish.
The blog will continue to be available at https://sustainablesailing.net/ (although the technical details may change to give us more control and freedom) and one day even the look might get some more love :-)
