That Bright Carbon Cat

I see that the new M&M designed HH 66′ cat showing it carbon fiber has been launched. I have noted before that the black carbon fiber hull should get interesting on a tropical afternoon when the blackbody  temperature gets to around what, 180F (82C)?  Typically a room temperature epoxy will have a heat distortion temperature (HDT)  of around 160 F or so. But they have more forgiving impact properties. High temperature cure epoxies can tolerate the temperature but have fragile characteristics on impact.  The other question would be how the core can survive that temperature.  Or any voids in the laminate.  Finally, how do you stay ahead of the UV damage and dock damage.

Most interesting to me is the psychology of showing off ones carbon.  At every roadstead you charge in and declare “I’m the baddest boat here, bitches.”  What is that?  Like a  high school beta male now had a successful IPO, and is declaring his alpha now to anyone who looks?

Also, as has been noted by others, unit #1 looks down on her lines and down by the stern.  I did notice on the video, the views of transom in the water are blocked.  Launch is as dry and empty as they get.  For the selling price of a few million, and design fee of what $100K(?), that transom had better be well out of the water.  Payload will push it down soon enough.

hhunnamed (1)

 

the Best Tool I Ever Owned

For flat surfaces, this Porter Cable-7346 dual action grinder is the best tool that I have ever worked with.  It’s kind of half way between a big angle head grinder and an orbital.  The angle head grinder can get huge amounts of work done,  but a moments inattention can do a lot of damage.  An orbital takes forever to get anything done.  This unit can remove a lot of material but is easy to control.  And being electric, you don’t have to wait for the compressor to catch up.

http://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-7346-6-Inch-Random-Sander/dp/B002EQ96NK

0419161321-1

Light On My Multihulls

One of the things that I have learned doing the lunar lander dwelling project is how much I like to use “magical” light.  By not charging the rock star design fees, I only do the standard scope of work, not the frosting, being like most boat designers. My lighting design has been workmanlike. 

Light can make any multi a magical place. The ill fated Estonian powercat project had some tricky lighting in the renderings. Greg Lynn used acrylic’s light piping very effectively on his tri design.
On the lunar lander I have used;  recessed lighting, glow powder in epoxy, light piping with acrylic, and the temperature indicating shower head light shown.  No electricity involved for the temperature indicating lights on the showerhead.  Did I ever mention that I love this stuff?

0415161210a-1

 

Sarabi Update

I finally found out some things about the Sarabi mast issue. Some things.  Offshore Spars got the new mast job.   http://www.offshorespars.com/news/hughes-56-sarabi/

I guess Ted van Dusen didn’t get the job.  I see that it was the first unstayed aerorig for them.  Ted has designed and built dozens or maybe hundreds of unstayed masts.  http://www.composite-eng.com/  And the SoCal insurance company picked local M & M to design the replacement mast.

And http://sarabisailing.com/the-vessel/

hughes56-sarabi