New Bieker Proa

At CSR today I saw this new Bieker proa of maybe 22′?  It is plywood/epoxy which will make Kelsall froth, probably.  Looked like it was 3mm or 4mm thick hull.  Kind of a rounded chine probably.

Odd I thought in two ways.  It has a big bow overhang and the cabin/cockpit is right at the transom.  Designed like it’s a retro unit.   It will surely pitch in waves and will surely drag transom.  Odd.  The upgrade to my power proa will have reverse bows, be of developed ply, and will have lots of hull aft of the cockpit and beams.  Find the teachable moment.

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0312151103

Thinning Epoxy

I typically use System 3 Silvertip epoxy. Especially when the temperature is down I find it a little hard to get it to lie down for final flow coat. In contrast, Fiberlay epoxy is much thinner and will lie flat for the flowcoat.  One could use both types or thin the thick epoxy.  Kern at Sys 3 tells me that the Silvertip can be thinned up to 20% with lacquer thinner.  Provided the surface is not porous.

I have not tried to, but I wonder if the much thinner Fiberlay epoxy might flow out from the near vertical surfaces of a CM bagging?  Solution to that would be adding cabosil.  Or use the other epoxy.

Seaclipper 4 Meter

Finally. Unlike the earlier 3 Meter, it will be able to exceed its hull speed. The 3 Meter main hull was so fat that it could not exceed its hull speed of 4.23 knots. I recall Marples always called it speedy. When I looked at that, I came up with the 12′ tri which could go much faster than hull speed. I will never forget a wonderful afternoon zipping around on Roger Strube’s beautiful customized 12.

See http://smalltrimarans.com/blog/?p=12949 for the 4M.

12TRI_21

Sarabi Update

wow wow wow.

I just got a call from Forespar about the Sarabi unstayed mast. It always seemed improbable to me that the Aero mast would fall down.  After talking to Forespar,  it is full-on bizzare.

I imagined maybe they forgot to reef in a gale or something, like they went full-on Rainmaker.  No.  Turns out they were motoring with no sail up when it broke.  Way past not possible.

I’m starting to think my lightning theory might be it.  How else do you explain a half inch or three quarter inch carbon walled mast failing under almost no load?   The mast, and boom also I assume, sunk and are gone.  The stub however remains.  I have urged Forespar to get possession of it if possible for forensics.

And I understand that Melvin and Morelli were selected by the insurance company to supervise the repair and installation of the new mast.  Ugh.  They will probably charge more for that service than the whole mast costs.

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MonoCat

I love this stuff.  More fast than a multihull catamaran.

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Mono Cat