The extended KHSD 53 cat Lil Explorers has been helping with the typhoon cleanup. Their most recent job was to deliver a pair of giant water tanks.
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Tanks for Vanuatu! Above & Beyond the Call of Duty.
When the crew of Sea Mercy’s Disaster Relief vessel “Lil Explorers” (Courage and Shannon) got word that thepeople living on two of the remote islands in Vanuatu were in grave danger and at risk (their water catchment containers had been destroyed by Cyclone Pam), they made a decision to find a way to help. Where everyone said it could not be done, they said they would find a way to help. The question was how to get the water tanks on their vessel and secure them enough to make the 80 mile sail to the devastated remote villages in order to deliver them? These pictures show that where there is a will there is always a way. Be warned, these pictures are not recommended to be viewed by the “faint of heart” sailors.
The good news is that containers (water tanks) made it safely, were offloaded safely (floated in), the remote island people were so grateful, and Lil Explorers and her crew came away unscathed and as hero’s. We’ll post the full story (along with offloading pictures and video) when they return to Port Vila and have internet again.
I was approached, along with the rock stars, I was told, to propose a design for the new Stiletto 10 meter catamaran. A kind of cruiser/racer with the iconic canopy as a kind of trademark. Said he had been in the Gunboat and J boat projects. The design brief was a bit unusual. It needed quick set up but must have no crossarms. The cockpit must be the crossarm. I did not know how that would work forward. I proposed Rafi’s fold system. Developer was not impressed I guess. I put standard tubes on it for now.
The rest of the design brief was to be like an M32 with a minimal interior. Begs question why not just have an M32 if there will be no interior? My flared hulls would allow a pair of doubles and keep a skinny waterplane for speed. I know nothing about marketing, but am sure it has always been true that if the toys are not shared, many of us would not have the toys.
It could have been simply trolling for ideas. I have had that happen several times before.
So I did a couple of quick models. M10 is pretty straightforward. M11 is very wild with defined edge lines.
When I send out full size patterns, I use this Canon unit. I don’t give it much thought but it got some interest on Face. Back in the HP days color printing was so much slower that it was not a reasonable option. This unit has changed all that and I am gradually changing all the full size plots into color. That is work as some colors don’t show well in color and must be changed. Also the layouts change as the parts can be closer together in color. I just sent a lot out that I did not compact and it came to over 30 meters of full size plots.
Old tech was to plot originals and make copies to post. 2 years ago I got this to do just in time printing with no originals. By now it has moved to largely e-files. So it’s already archaic oddly enough. It will do a 100″ plot in about 30 or 40 seconds.
The second 65′ KHSD passenger ferry is about to go into Lake Victoria in Uganda. This unit will be much lighter and faster than unit #1 which had a bit more freestyle and a bit more Home Depot. CM plywood/epoxy also, with cored flat surfaces.
I have been asked to design a revision to a trimaran, not of my design, in UK. Way too busy here. Any other designers interested? Don’t want to leave the fellow hanging. Glad to forward contact information.
