VG23 New Build

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mhd
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by mhd »

Just did the last bit of epoxy/glass work for two weeks. Tomorrow it is off to San Diego to do some actual sailing...can't wait.
FB11 (Designer Evan Gatehouse)
VG23 (Designer Jacques Mertens)

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Robert A. Heinlein.

Jeff
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by Jeff »

Have a great trip!!! Jeff

mhd
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by mhd »

Jeff wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:33 pm Have a great trip!!! Jeff
Thanks! ASA 101/103/104. Perhaps it is a good idea to learn how to sail a bigger boat, before actually building my own :D It has been dinghys only up to now...gotta start somewhere.

Cheers,

Mick
FB11 (Designer Evan Gatehouse)
VG23 (Designer Jacques Mertens)

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Robert A. Heinlein.

TomW1
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by TomW1 »

Yes, my wife and I rented a 18' sailboat in St. Thomas for a day on our honeymoon and sailed to St. John. Most fun we had. Biggest I had been on was 16' and she was used to all sorts of boats. Boy did we have a lot of fun. Hope you do also. Tom
Restored Mirror Dinghy, Bought OD18 built by CL, Westlawn School of Yacht Design courses. LT US Navy 1970-1978

mhd
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by mhd »

TomW1 wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:02 pm Yes, my wife and I rented a 18' sailboat in St. Thomas for a day on our honeymoon and sailed to St. John. Most fun we had. Biggest I had been on was 16' and she was used to all sorts of boats. Boy did we have a lot of fun. Hope you do also. Tom
Just back from completing ASA 101/103/104. Yep, we had a fantastic time sailing from San Diego, up to Oceanside, Dana Point, and over to Catalina Island. Wind could have been a bit better on the last couple of days, but I think we already both feel a lot more confident sailing a bigger boat than a couple of weeks ago. No-one was seasick and if anything it just made us even more determined to get the boat built and out on the water as quickly as we can.

We're going to sign up to do ASA 105 in the next few weeks (Coastal Navigation) and then 107 (Celestial Navigation) at some point after that - both are home-study. ASA 106 (Advanced Coastal Cruising) may follow when time (and money) allows. It is useful to have some instruction, but nothing learns you faster than doing something on your own, making your own mistakes, and learning from them.

The aim now is to progress with the VG23 build as fast as possible. Of course, life gets in the way. I'm flying back to the UK for an unplanned trip on Friday for a funeral, so not much is going to happen for a while longer.

Cheers,

Mick
FB11 (Designer Evan Gatehouse)
VG23 (Designer Jacques Mertens)

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Robert A. Heinlein.

mhd
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by mhd »

Well, back to the grind once more :-) Yesterday I worked on prepping metal for the rudder fittings. Lots of hole-drilling...

Image

I also cut steel for the tiller attachments

Image

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Today it took me a full day of welding (and some significant grinding) to weld the parts up into something decent. I didn't quite finish, but should have them done tomorrow. No idea how much it would have cost to have someone make the pieces for me but in the end it is satisfying to have done them myself, even if the finish isn't going to be quite as nice. Practice makes perfect I suppose.

I'm also just about finished with the centreboard + case and will hopefully be ready to test out the raise/lower mechanism in the next few days.

Mick
FB11 (Designer Evan Gatehouse)
VG23 (Designer Jacques Mertens)

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Robert A. Heinlein.

mhd
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by mhd »

The outcome of yesterday's welding. Rudder and tiller fittings are more or less ready. The rudder should be adustable upwards (to the same draft as the keel with CB lifted) to allow shallow-water sailing. The three rudder attachments will be recessed into the rudder itself. On the boat stern there will be two attachments on the transom and one under-water on the skeg. I'm pretty pleased with how it has gone. My only gripe is that after welding I decided to knock down the full surface of the steel to get rid of all my welding blemishes. It was going to be a lot of polishing (far too much) to stick with a completely smooth surface.

Image

Image

I *may* lay another weld bead on a couple of the pieces next time I get the welder out, just for neatness, but overall I'm happy enough.

I now need to make six acetal bushings to fit the inner pivot (1/2 inch stainless rod within the 1" ID steel on the fittings).

The tiller pivot block will be glued/glassed onto the aft edge of the rudder to allow the tiller to flip up and over and lay vertical on the aft side of the rudder for transport.

Mick
FB11 (Designer Evan Gatehouse)
VG23 (Designer Jacques Mertens)

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Robert A. Heinlein.

mhd
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by mhd »

Just signed up for the 1st Module at Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology. I'll see how it goes for the first year, and then decide whether to continue or not.

Mick
FB11 (Designer Evan Gatehouse)
VG23 (Designer Jacques Mertens)

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Robert A. Heinlein.

piperdown
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by piperdown »

Very neat and a fun build to watch!
Eric (aka, piperdown)

"Give an Irishman lager for a month and he's a dead man. An Irishman's stomach is lined with copper, and the beer corrodes it. But whiskey polishes the copper and is the saving of him." --> Mark Twain

mhd
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Re: VG23 New Build

Post by mhd »

piperdown wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 6:04 pm Very neat and a fun build to watch!
Thanks for the support. I've really been enjoying the whole process.

I'm trying to think several steps ahead where possible and am looking forward to getting started on the hull, probably when things warm up a bit in the spring. The garage is a bit too cold for epoxy currently, although I could heat it if needed.

Today I worked on fitting a seawater inlet pipe to the inside of the centreboard. I'll post a photo when that is finished.

Mick
FB11 (Designer Evan Gatehouse)
VG23 (Designer Jacques Mertens)

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Robert A. Heinlein.

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